Chapter Fifty: The Second Sister

As the humanoid black mist drifted toward them, Zhang He, Zhong Shuman, and Hua Feihong instinctively dodged to the sides. Only Ma Junmei, frozen in terror, was a beat too slow, and the hem of her robe unfortunately caught the edge of the mist. At that touch, Ma Junmei's entire face turned black, and above her head floated a string of purple damage numbers: "-12" again and again.

"Poison!" Zhong Shuman warned, but before Ma Junmei could react, Zhang He had already activated team support mode, tossing two antidotes onto her.

After the black mist passed, the coffins ceased sliding, and the mist dissipated into the air, leaving the entire hall in an eerie, unnatural silence.

Zhong Shuman and the others exchanged looks, all with expressions of horror. This was not simply something they had never witnessed before—it was beyond even their wildest imagination.

"Is it some kind of trap in this place?" Hua Feihong asked.

But Zhang He did not answer her. Instead, he walked unhurriedly toward the second grand door in the north. At that moment, the lids of the coffins in the row before the door seemed to be suddenly flung up by invisible hands, soaring four or five meters high and spinning as they crashed straight down toward Zhang He.

Not only did Zhang He not retreat, he charged forward toward the falling stone slabs. Zhong Shuman and the others could barely stifle a cry of alarm. Miraculously, Zhang He rolled to the ground, slipping through the gaps between the slabs just as they thundered down, gouging several pits into the floor.

"Impressive!" Hua Feihong exclaimed with genuine admiration. As a disciple of Mount Shu, she was well-versed in formations. The trajectory traced by the flying slabs formed an equilateral triangle, each responding to the other in perfect harmony. It was almost impossible to dodge without retreating—except for the brief instant before the triangle closed and a single gap appeared. Zhang He had not only spotted this fleeting opportunity, but exploited it to perfection.

His roll carried him four or five meters forward. The three coffins whose lids had been thrown open now began to move, each spewing forth a humanoid black mist as before. This time, however, the three clouds of mist did not attack, but glimmered with a faint red within the black—clearly an even more potent poison.

Next, the three coffins began to rotate, almost as if possessed, forming a circular orbit. This time, Zhang He dared not take further risks and could only fall back as the circle slowly closed in.

By now, Zhong Shuman and the other two understood—this was no mere trap, but the work of someone manipulating events from the shadows.

The three coffins spun closer, encircling the four of them, but otherwise showed no signs of attacking.

"Now do you understand?" Zhang He said.

"We do!" Ma Junmei replied, gripping her sword and staring tensely ahead. "There are definitely people here."

Though Hua Feihong had studied formations, she could not fathom why the three coffins circled without attacking. The deeper meaning of their orbit, rooted in the profound principles of Taiji and the Eight Trigrams, was beyond her grasp.

Should you move recklessly, they would attack in unison; if you stood still, so would they.

"If the enemy does not move, I do not move. If the enemy moves, I have already moved," Zhong Shuman said, clearly understanding more than Hua Feihong.

"Wrong!" Zhang He declared boisterously.

"Then tell me, what have I misunderstood?" Zhong Shuman retorted coldly.

Zhang He replied, "These people dare not reveal themselves because their martial arts are not strong, but they are masters of traps and mechanisms."

"I know that much," Zhong Shuman answered with a sneer.

"But there’s more you don’t know," Zhang He continued with a smile. "Their aim is simply to prevent us from reaching the second northern door. What’s behind that door, I’m quite eager to see."

At these words, the other three finally understood.

"Do you know the Five Elements Burrowing Technique? Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth," Zhang He went on.

Zhong Shuman nodded, this time in earnest. "I’ve heard of it. The earth technique simply allows someone to dig through the ground dozens of times faster..."

Before she finished, the three coffins closed in at once. Prepared, the four of them quickly slipped out of the encirclement.

Zhong Shuman found herself impressed by Zhang He yet again. What he said was true, but more importantly, he had exposed the enemy’s tricks, forcing them to lose their composure first.

Whoever loses composure first is at a disadvantage—a timeless truth in the world of "Dynasty."

At that moment, Hua Feihong pressed her palms together, two fingers pointing skyward, and unleashed the Ten Thousand Swords Technique—not at the enemy, but at the floor. The ground, soft as tofu under the barrage of sword shadows, was soon riddled with holes.

Now Ma Junmei finally saw clearly: the three coffins had stopped, the black mist vanished, but beneath each coffin rose a mound of earth, which sped northward at incredible speed. If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she would have thought Zhang He and Zhong Shuman were spouting nonsense. Yet here, at last, was the Five Elements Earth Burrowing Technique in action.

Zhong Shuman lifted her Red Needle with a cold smirk. "Think you can escape?"

"Stop!" A crisp, icy voice rang out.

Zhong Shuman paused and looked up to see a petite figure appear at the doorway of the northern door—a slight woman, garbed in tight black clothing, her face tightly wrapped in a black scarf, her features completely hidden.

"Five Bamboo!" the woman called out.

Zhang He was taken aback and ventured, "Second Sister?"

A hint of a smile flashed in the woman’s eyes as she saluted. "It’s been a while. How have you been?"

Zhang He forced a bitter smile. "What do you think? After you all logged off so cleanly the other day, I was left to wander alone."

Second Sister smiled in return. "Sorry, sorry. We all knew your cover was blown. It hasn’t been easy for you lately."

Despite her smile, she tossed him an object gleaming with yellow light. Zhang He caught it and found it was a precious-grade necklace:

Nanhua Necklace (Precious Grade), Requirements: Level 20, Constitution +8, Bonus: Internal Power +5, Agility +3.

Without ceremony, Zhang He put it on. Now that he had ascended to the next tier, every point added to Internal Power and Strength counted for 120% of its usual effect. His Internal Power now stood at 48 points (Initial Ascension) plus 6—a simple number, perhaps, but its utility and effect far surpassed what Zhang He had previously known.

Second Sister smiled. "It’s yours. I picked it up here in the Iron Duke Tombs—consider it compensation for last time."

Zhang He laughed. "You think a single necklace is enough for that?"

Second Sister was not so easily drawn in by his banter. She lowered her head and called out, "Come on out, it’s just your own brothers here."

Suddenly, the floor broke open, revealing three small holes, and three players, all in black from head to toe, emerged. All were masters of the Five Elements Burrowing Technique, and like Second Sister, their true faces remained hidden.

Second Sister smiled. "In our line of work, we have to protect ourselves."

Zhang He nodded, fully understanding. Not only he, but Big Ox, Second Sister, Third Cannon, and Four Stripes never showed their true faces to one another. For those who dabbled in secret mechanisms, intelligence work, and the tomb-raiding arts, revealing one’s identity was never an option—their deeds were not just illicit, but bound to make enemies.

Now, Second Sister finally took a good look at the three women by Zhang He’s side and was visibly surprised. Two were from Mount Shu and one from the chivalrous path, but more than that, all three were extraordinary. Zhong Shuman was tall, cool, and valiant, carrying the air of a true heroine. Hua Feihong was ethereal and beautiful, every inch a celestial maiden untouched by the mortal world. Though Ma Junmei was somewhat less striking, her Daoist robes lent her a seductive, otherworldly charm.

"You really are something," Second Sister marveled.

Thinking she referred to his thieving exploits last time, Zhang He laughed awkwardly. "Just getting by, just getting by."

Second Sister nodded. "Even as a woman, I know that winning over one beautiful woman is not difficult, but getting three to follow you so loyally? That’s impressive. You must have succeeded, right?"

Zhang He nearly spat blood on the spot. Clearly, it wasn’t just men who harbored such thoughts—women could be just as sly.

"What did you say?" Ma Junmei flared up. After all, she was the landlord and boss here—how could this shrimp Zhang compare to her?

"Hmph!" Zhong Shuman snorted disdainfully, not even bothering to respond. She was a heroine, and Second Sister’s lot were thieves—how could heroes and thieves mix?

Hua Feihong remained unfazed, her cold expression betraying no concern for any teasing words—she was ever the embodiment of composure.

Zhang He had no choice but to cough and attempt an explanation, though his routine was neither creative nor varied: "Ahem, ahem, just friends, just friends..."

"So what brings you here?" Second Sister was curious. Disciples of renowned sects rarely visited such places; why leave Mount Shu for this?

Zhang He explained their purpose, and Second Sister was refreshingly straightforward. "The route is easy. I know this place well, and I know the way to Chenzhou too."

Zhang He was overjoyed. "Then I’ll have to trouble you to show us the way."

Second Sister nodded enthusiastically, but her expression was meaningful. Zhang He felt a sinking sensation—though their group of five had never been close, it was obvious that anyone bold enough for their kind of work was no fool; everyone had their own plans.

Seeing her playful look, Zhang He braced himself. "Don’t tell me you’ve got a problem you want me to solve?"

Second Sister laughed. "Among us five siblings, you’re always the quickest thinker, Five Bamboo. Otherwise, how could you have pulled it off last time?"

"That’s right, that’s right," Zhang He replied with a forced smile, though inwardly he cursed her. That necklace wasn’t a gift after all—she was clearly trying to use him to solve another problem.

Still, in this world, being used meant you were still valuable. If you were truly worthless, not even the stray dogs on the roadside would look at you.

"I’m fully prepared to carry out any task assigned by the organization, and never to let down the Party or the People’s expectations!" Zhang He stood as straight as a steel beam.