Chapter 8: A Secret Chamber
[Ping~ You have received a new mission. The Emperor Jing commands you to swiftly travel to the southern border to secretly welcome the Master of Secrets. Bandits roam these lands; exercise extreme caution, lest you fall prey to them.]
[Ping~ You have been assigned a special task by Elder Xu: utilize the southern border’s mystic artifacts to covertly manipulate the target. Completion of this mission will earn you generous rewards.]
[Ping~ The Emperor has dispatched you to secretly investigate the tomb of the previous dynasty’s princess and uncover its connection to the one destined for heavenly pardon. Rumor has it, the female spirit there is irresistibly enchanting and yearns to find a man with a strong yang soul for dual cultivation.]
[Ping~ Investigate the cause of the late emperor’s death, and continue to covertly assist Prince Huai, Zhu Ziguai, ensuring your identity remains concealed.]
“...!”
Ten players hidden throughout Prince Huai's residence almost simultaneously activated their main quests. Some needed to remain concealed, others had to take the initiative, even venturing far away.
Ren Ye grasped the Sword of National Pacification, instantly advancing the entire “scripted enactment” forward.
…
Within the Hall of Tranquil Mind.
Ren Ye stood behind the throne, holding the Sword of National Pacification, his mind perfectly clear.
All the strange phenomena in the room had vanished, gradually settling into calm.
To obtain such a peerless divine weapon so easily?
Ren Ye’s heart surged with joy. His eyes burned as he scrutinized the sword, thinking, “Indeed, I am truly the Son of Destiny, the protagonist of this realm!”
[Congratulations, bearer of heavenly pardon. The Sword of National Pacification has sensed the heavenly pardon aura you emit and is willing to recognize you as its master. However, the sword’s spirit seems to be lost. You must find it to fully restore the sword’s former divine power. Currently, it is only slightly sharper than an ordinary blade.]
“Damn it, no superpower? Then what’s the point!” Ren Ye cursed in disappointment. “All this fuss, and it’s only a bit sharper than a kitchen knife?”
To restore its original divine power, he must find the lost spirit? Forget it, that could wait. There was no rush. For now, he only wanted to see where the secret passage led.
Ren Ye looked up at the cracked wall. The passage was pitch black, exuding an eerie unknown.
Feeling a bit uneasy, he turned to Er Leng and ordered, “My brave general, go down there!”
Er Leng blinked his clever eyes, hesitating slightly.
“What’s the matter? Do you want me to scout for you?”
“That’s not what I meant.” Er Leng scratched his head. “I can go down, even die if needed, but could you not make me tend the warhorses? To be honest, Your Highness, I’m a little scared...!”
Ren Ye was inwardly exasperated, thinking this guy truly was thick-headed, unable to even take a joke. “Go check it out. If you perform well, I’ll grant you the honor of only serving mares.”
“Really, Your Highness?” Er Leng’s eyes gleamed brightly.
“...Yes.”
“At once, Your Highness.” Overjoyed, Er Leng quickly darted into the corridor, seemingly unaware of fear.
Holding the Sword of National Pacification, Ren Ye waited briefly in the hall before hearing Er Leng’s shout from the tunnel: “Your Highness, we struck gold! There’s a stash of gold, silver, and jewels here, no traps.”
“Wait.”
Hearing Er Leng’s call, Ren Ye didn’t rush into the passage but stepped out of the main hall, calling, “Lian’er!”
…
“Your Highness, I’m here.” Lian’er approached with a gentle smile, her eyes like flowing water, a hint of shyness in her expression.
“Turn your back.” Ren Ye ordered.
Puzzled, Lian’er glanced at him but obediently turned around.
A familiar masculine scent wafted into her nostrils, causing her heart to flutter wildly and her delicate face to flush.
Lian’er had once been intimate with Zhu Ziguai and knew the prince’s peculiar tastes. No matter the setting, day or night, or the presence of others, he might indulge in licentious acts.
No way, Your Highness wouldn’t want to do that here...
She felt him slowly approach and gently stroke her back, her heart pounding with nervousness as she bowed her head in embarrassment.
“Smack!”
Suddenly, a sharp sting radiated from the back of her head.
“Hmm, what are you doing, Your Highness?” Lian’er stood stiffly.
Ren Ye swiftly plucked a lock of her hair and then briskly entered the hall. “That’s enough. You may leave.”
Lian’er looked back, stunned, her mind filled with confusion. “Your High... Why did you pull a lock of my hair? Is this some new habit?!”
Inside the hall, Ren Ye twisted two or three strands of hair together and lightly tied them to every door and window. This was to prevent anyone from sneaking in unnoticed.
Why not pluck his own hair?
Perhaps because of the crown on his head, it wasn’t convenient—or maybe it was simply too painful.
After finishing, Ren Ye cradled the Sword of National Pacification and entered the secret passage, lighting the torches hanging on the walls with a fire starter.
…
The flickering flames dispelled the darkness. Ren Ye descended about seven or eight meters along the winding bluestone steps before entering a secret chamber.
The room was roughly twenty square meters, almost entirely filled with various shelves arranged in two rows, leaving only a narrow, cramped aisle. The space resembled a private archive room.
The shelves displayed a dazzling array of items—valuable gold, silver, jewels, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, as well as numerous weapons and scrolls.
Holding the torch, Ren Ye strode down the narrow path and saw Er Leng standing before an iron door, curiously examining it.
“Your Highness, look, there’s another door here.”
Hmm?
Why would there be a door inside a secret chamber?
Ren Ye approached to inspect. The iron door was ancient and heavy, its surface adorned with faint, mural-like patterns. A talisman with yellow background and red characters was affixed near the door knocker.
As he drew closer, a cold gust of wind seeped through the door’s crevice, sending a shiver down his spine.
“This door feels so sinister, almost like it leads to the underworld.” Er Leng, trained in martial arts and full of yang energy, also felt uneasy.
Cautiously, Ren Ye inched forward, trying to peer through the gap.
“Shh, shh...!”
Before he could see inside, the iron door suddenly emitted a loud bang, as if struck hard.
Startled, Ren Ye stepped back three paces, while Er Leng shivered but unhesitatingly stood before him.
“Clang, clang!”
The sound of iron chains scraping the floor came from behind the door.
“Woo~”
A fierce wind howled, accompanied by faint wailing.
“Damn!”
Cold sweat beaded on Ren Ye’s forehead. Instinctively, he grabbed Er Leng’s arm. “Don’t go forward.”
[You have discovered a sealed chamber. Legend says that three eunuchs responsible for guarding the Hall of Tranquil Mind have all seen, at the stroke of midnight, a figure hanging from a beam in the main hall, neck entwined with a red ribbon, body swaying gently in the candlelight...]
[At present, you cannot open the chamber. Perhaps only the Sword of National Pacification, imbued with spirit, can break the talisman.]
Suddenly, the cold voice of the Starmark Gate echoed in his ears.
Hearing the chamber was related to his mission, Ren Ye relaxed slightly. “Er Leng, let’s search for the secret edict first. Ignore this door for now.”
“Understood.” Er Leng nodded.
With that, Ren Ye wiped the sweat from his brow and turned away.
But as he glanced back, his pupils contracted sharply.
Within the shadowed chamber, a face suddenly appeared, less than half a step away.
It was a face mostly hidden by hair, aged and pale, eyes bleeding, lips purple. Gender was indistinguishable. Its gaze was filled with hatred, fixed on Ren Ye...
Just one look sent every hair on Ren Ye’s body standing on end, a chill shooting straight to his crown.
Snap!
Every torch in the chamber was extinguished simultaneously.
“Ungrateful wretch! Return my life! Return my soul!!”
A piercing scream shattered the silence.