The iron bowl only showed a few fleeting images, but I still recognized the place. Not only I did, but Yue’er recognized it too.
Her expression was grim, tinged with confusion, as she wondered why the divination for Wang Defa’s subordinates had appeared in that particular location.
Zhang Dabiao and Wang Defa noticed our reactions. Zhang Dabiao, being on our side, remained silent, knowing that ignorance was often bliss.
Wang Defa, however, didn't grasp this. His immediate concern was the whereabouts of his men's corpses, followed by how to deal with the looming danger.
"What do these images mean? They only flashed twice, and your faces changed. Where are the bodies?" Wang Defa fired off several questions.
I was momentarily at a loss for words. The place depicted in the iron bowl was none other than a section of the Fifth Prince’s underground palace, the very location where Li Zuoquan's vengeful spirit was trapped.
I had intended to locate the corpse of Wang Defa’s deceased subordinate, but instead, I saw another scene. Perhaps, as Zhang Dabiao suggested, the escaped corpse had consumed all the raised bodies, leaving no trace of blood even in the soil.
I signaled Zhang Dabiao with my eyes to pull Wang Defa aside, allowing Yue’er and me to speak privately. I didn't want Wang Defa to know Yue’er’s identity yet; her status was sensitive, and revealing it to outsiders would cause considerable trouble.
"Captain Wang, let's have a smoke. Let Qingyun interpret the divination first. You know, Yin and Yang divinations are different. Some seemingly auspicious signs can actually be the opposite. This one is a bit tricky, so it's best to let him finish before we get the full explanation," Zhang Dabiao said.
Wang Defa wanted to say more, but Zhang Dabiao’s imposing physique and tactful words prevailed. Despite his reluctance, Zhang Dabiao pulled him aside and lit a cigarette for him. Wang Defa’s gaze, however, remained fixed on us, as if trying to decipher something.
"What do we do now? That corpse has entered the Fifth Prince's resting place. Will it disturb the Fifth Prince?" I asked, pretending to examine the divination but speaking in a voice only Yue’er and I could hear.
"No, my father's resting place is guarded by five hundred personal guards. Let alone a mere green-haired zombie, even a flying zombie would be torn to shreds by my father's guards," Yue’er replied.
"Then why did you cry out just now?"
Yue’er lifted the robe covering her head and said, "I'm surprised how he found my father's imperial tomb. Without precise information, it's impossible to get inside. Even I don't know the correct path, let alone how to enter."
Her words confused me, and I quickly retorted, "Didn't I also enter the Fifth Prince's underground palace back then? Is it that difficult to find? Isn't it hidden within Chenghuang City? I told them about this, and you know it!"
"The one you entered was the false underground palace. We originally planned to guide them into the false one this time, resolving your troubles and the crisis concerning the semi-yin realm. But now, that corpse has entered the true underground palace. They are different," Yue’er said, her tone slightly agitated.
"This..."
I was at a loss for words. After all, this concerned the Fifth Prince's resting place. The more I spoke, the more mistakes I might make, and the less I said, the fewer mistakes I'd make. Perhaps silence was the best course of action.
"No, I need to go back and check on my physical body." Without waiting for my agreement, Yue’er turned and ran towards the car, locking the door.
Immediately after, I felt a strange aura emanating from the car. Unlike the cold, rigid energy of vengeful spirits, it felt somewhat like a living person's aura, yet with a hint of death, making it peculiar.
It seemed I would need to find time to ask Yue’er about this later.
After confirming that Wang Defa hadn't noticed, I turned and walked back, preparing to explain the divination and Yue’er’s situation. After all, Yue’er’s hasty retreat into the car hadn't escaped Wang Defa’s eyes, nor did she have anywhere else to flee.
"Have you figured out what the divination means?" Wang Defa asked eagerly as soon as I stood steady.
I asked Zhang Dabiao for a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. "The divination indicates that your brother's corpse has been eaten by that unknown corpse, and that corpse has already entered the underground palace. Yue’er plans to use her divination techniques to find its exact location and determine who it is, whether it's from the Hu family."
My words surprised Zhang Dabiao. Others might not know who Yue’er was or what her capabilities were, but Zhang Dabiao knew them clearly. He admired her skills greatly but had never heard her mention divination before.
Upon hearing the word "underground palace," Wang Defa's eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed, "Is the underground palace you're referring to the one we're looking for?"
After a moment's thought, I replied, "Probably. We'll know for sure once Yue’er finishes her divination."
I didn't give a definitive answer because I wasn't entirely sure of the situation. Only when Yue’er returned could the matter be clarified.
Waiting is the most agonizing experience. Even a minute can feel like a day, or even longer, to those who are waiting.
To distract myself from the torment of waiting, I put away my tools and picked up the binoculars to observe the battle between the sleeping Daoist and the others.
I was shocked by what I saw. Their figures were no longer in the sky, but the rumbling continued in the deep mountains. It seemed the battle had moved from the air to underground. I had no idea what the outcome would be.
Just as we were sitting down to eat and pass the time, a figure caught my eye. She was covered in blood, staggering as she ran towards our camp.
"Hurry, drive away from here!"
Before we could react, she fainted.
"Is that Wu Yun?" My eyesight is quite sharp, and I identified her the moment she collapsed.
"The Wu Gu girl? Why is she so disheveled? What did she say just now?" Wang Defa asked, rushing towards Wu Yun.
"It sounded like she told us to run?" I said uncertainly. The distance was too great, so I hadn't heard clearly, but her body language suggested that.
"Run? Run from what?" Wang Defa checked her injuries and, finding only blood loss and no fatal wounds, breathed a sigh of relief.
"If you ask me, where would I know?" I rolled my eyes and continued, "But since she said to run, something must be wrong in the mountains. In my opinion, regardless of whether there's danger, it's better to leave if she tells us to. We can always come back at dawn."
"I think my brother is right. No one knows the current situation in Qingfeng Mountain. The only one with information, Wu Yun, has fainted. Whether there's danger or not, it's better to withdraw for now and wait for her to wake up."
Seeing that we were both in agreement, Wang Defa no longer insisted. He quickly bandaged Wu Yun and carried her to the car. To prevent Wang Defa from knowing Yue’er's specific situation, I requested to drive a separate car.
Wang Defa had no objections. There were plenty of cars and few people, so driving separately was fine.
As our cars started moving, we heard howling sounds from the mountains. The sounds were not only loud but also piercing, with sharp malevolence mixed with the cries.
"Oh no, the mountain spirit pack is attacking again."