Ya She

Chapter 66 Tu Chuling

【one】

Kaifeng is surrounded by flat, open terrain, unlike Chang'an, Luoyang, Beijing, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, which are protected by mountains. Its low-lying, damp landscape was historically known as a "saline-alkali land," making it less than ideal for a capital. However, Kaifeng's location on the banks of the Yellow River provides it with exceptional advantages. As a crucial waterway hub, it enjoys convenient access to resources. The Xia Dynasty, the Warring States period's Wei state, the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Jin Dynasty all established their capitals here, earning it the title of "Capital of Eight Dynasties."

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it; Kaifeng's rise and fall were both due to the Yellow River. Kaifeng served as a capital city multiple times due to its convenient water transport, but it was also repeatedly buried by the Yellow River's floods.

Throughout history, cities destroyed by war and turmoil have always abandoned their old capitals and chosen new sites to rebuild. However, the ancient capital of Kaifeng has suffered from numerous wars and floods, with each new city being built on the site of the old one. This cycle of construction and flooding has resulted in a peculiar phenomenon of "cities stacked upon cities." Three to twelve meters underground in present-day KF city, six cities are stacked on top of each other: the Qing Dynasty Kaifeng Prefecture, the Ming Dynasty Kaifeng Prefecture, the Jin Dynasty Bianjing City, the Song Dynasty Dongjing City, the Tang Dynasty Bianzhou City, and the Wei Dynasty Daliang City.

To this day, Kaifeng is the only city whose central axis has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Beneath the bustling Zhongshan Road today lies the imperial street of Kaifeng during several dynasties.

Kaifeng, opening and closing, constantly opening and closing—perhaps that's why the city was named "Kaifeng." Within this city of Kaifeng, layered upon layered cities, stands the Fan Pagoda, which has stood for over a thousand years.

The name Fanta sounds like a Buddhist pagoda, and besides the word "white," it also means "many." So, Fanta is not only a white Buddhist pagoda, but also a pagoda with many, many layers.

However, the Fan Pagoda only had nine stories when it was first built, and only three stories remain today; it didn't have many stories at all. In fact, the "sweeping away of royal aura" incident in the early Ming Dynasty is quite strange. If we only consider Kaifeng, besides the Fan Pagoda,

There is also the even more famous "Number One Pagoda Under Heaven"—the Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng. Why did the "removal of royal aura" only destroy the Fan Pagoda, while not a single brick of the Iron Pagoda fell? This also illustrates the extraordinary nature of the Fan Pagoda.

Only a very few people know that hidden in the shadow of the Grand Tower lies a Shadow Grand Tower. This Shadow Grand Tower can only be activated at a specific time, in a specific place, with specific items and people. Just as there are several cities beneath Kaifeng, this Shadow Grand Tower also has many underground levels.

Whether or not to enter the Shadow Tower was something the owner himself hadn't decided. He had simply followed his original plan to visit the Shadow Tower after going to Xiyong. But unexpectedly, the doctor fell into the Shadow Tower, and since he couldn't just watch him disappear, he followed without hesitation.

The feeling of weightlessness as he fell into the darkness wasn't too unpleasant. What made the boss frown was that the doctor had somehow managed to free himself from his grasp, and it seemed that he was all alone now.

It felt like an eternity, yet also like only a fleeting moment, before the boss found himself firmly planted on solid ground in the darkness. Looking at the almost tangible darkness around him, the boss sighed silently.

When a person is in absolute darkness, with their five senses shut down, their imagination tends to expand infinitely. But the boss, who had encountered this situation many times in his long life, stood quietly with an expressionless face, responding to all changes with unwavering composure.

A long time passed, and the darkness remained silent. The boss listened intently for a while, then raised his right hand.

He went out today wearing an inconspicuous ring on the middle finger of his right hand, with a flat piece of malachite on the ring face. The shopkeeper gently stroked it with his fingertip, and the malachite turned to the side, revealing a cap. Instantly, his finger shone brightly, revealing a luminous pearl that had been hidden for so long.

Although this luminous pearl was only the size of a fingernail, it emitted a bright green fluorescence, like a sharp blade that pierced through the darkness surrounding it.

Ban Gu's "Ode to the Western Capital" states: "Jadeite and fire-like, flowing and radiant. Hanging pearls and drooping thorns, glowing in the night." Among them, hanging pearls and drooping thorns are both extremely rare luminous pearls. And the one on the boss's ring is a drooping thorn pearl.

The boss slightly raised his hand, using the light from the thorny beads to see his surroundings.

This is a passageway paved with bluish-white stone bricks, extending into the darkness beyond the reach of the thorny pearl. On the stone brick walls on both sides of the passageway, just like on the exterior of the Pagoda of Shadows, are densely packed niches. However, unlike the almost identical niches on the exterior of the Pagoda of Shadows, the niches on the walls of the Pagoda of Shadows vary in size, with some as tall as a person.
The small shrines were no bigger than a fist, arranged haphazardly, and utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal. Moreover, the Arhats, regardless of size or shape, all had ferocious expressions, wielding sharp knives, spears, and halberds, exuding a murderous aura that sent chills down one's spine at first glance.

The shopkeeper glanced around and noticed another passageway behind him, also leading into the darkness. But instead of turning around, he stepped forward.

The passageway seemed endless, and the niches on both sides were all different in shape. If you looked closely, you would find that no two Arhats were exactly the same. The owner walked very slowly, sometimes stopping to look at the niches on both sides, but never for more than a moment before continuing forward, until a faint light came from the front of the passageway, at which point he finally stopped.

Among the several sealed-off Buddhist niches, a crescent-shaped hall appeared. The hall wasn't very large; at the most prominent point of the crescent's arc, a curved-legged incense table, perfectly shaped for the hall, sat atop which burned a white-glazed lamp with cloud-patterned decorations. The light seen earlier in the passageway had emanated from this lamp.

Before the incense table, a middle-aged man of about fifty was pacing back and forth. He wore a gold-purple round-necked robe, a gold and jade belt around his waist, and a Jinde crown on his head. He was slightly plump, and the fish-shaped pouch at his waist bounced up and down with his steps. In the instant he turned around, the middle-aged man caught a glimpse of the owner standing outside the hall out of the corner of his eye, raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then smiled.

"Oh dear, please forgive my indifference, it's just that few visitors come to this Shadow Tower." The middle-aged man greeted him with a smile. His kind face and smiling expression made people feel friendly at first glance. As he spoke, he gestured with his hand to welcome him inside. "Young brother, you must have wandered into this place by mistake? My Yangxian bamboo shoots are just right for cooking. Why don't you come in and chat?"

The middle-aged man, though exuding friendliness, actually possessed an underlying authority, suggesting he had long held a high position. After speaking, seeing the shopkeeper still motionless outside the door, he emphasized, "This Yangxian Zisun tea was personally praised by Mr. Lu Yu as having the most exquisite aroma in the world. Young brother, won't you come in and have a taste?"

"Hehe, young brother, you don't distrust me, do you? Judging from your clothes and hairstyle, several hundred years must have passed outside."

"Young brother, do you know why I am here?" This is the Yingfan Pagoda, the location of the pagoda's underground palace. Young brother, do you know when the pagoda was built? "Construction began during the Kaibao era of the Song Dynasty and was completed during the Chunhua era. Of these two eras, the former belongs to Emperor Taizu of Song..."

The latter refers to Emperor Taizong of Song. "The 'Shadow of the Candle and the Sound of the Axe'—Zhao Guangyi killed Zhao Kuangyin and then, under the pretense of the 'Golden Box Alliance,' inherited his brother's throne."

Zhao Kuangyin's only two surviving sons, one committed suicide after being reprimanded by Zhao Guangyi, and the other died suddenly from an illness. One died at the age of twenty-eight, and the other at only twenty-two. No one would believe there wasn't some inside story.

"The Fan Pagoda was indeed initially built with funds raised from the people, but by the time Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, only the foundation of the pagoda had been completed. The construction of the Fan Pagoda was rapid in the later stages, because the pagoda was almost entirely built with donations from Zhao Kuangyin's descendants."

"The underground palace of this Fanta Pagoda contains the gold and silver treasures that Zhao Kuangyin acquired during his conquests and pacification of the country. Although Zhao Guangyi knew about this, Fanta Pagoda was a sacred Buddhist site, so he could only turn a blind eye. Besides, treasures are inanimate; as long as his throne was secure, Fanta Pagoda was nothing to fear."

"Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. Who could have known that although Zhao Guangyi usurped Zhao Kuangyin's throne, all the emperors in the Southern Song Dynasty, except for Zhao Gou and Zhao Fu, were actually descendants of Zhao Kuangyin? It's a cycle of cause and effect. Unfortunately, the Southern Song Dynasty had already lost Bianjing, and even if Zhao Kuangyin's descendants knew that a treasure trove of wealth beyond measure was buried beneath the Fan Pagoda, they would be unable to open it."

"Later, this rumor was passed down through twists and turns over thousands of years, gradually losing its true meaning. By the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang only knew that the Fan Pagoda was related to the royal aura, and he leveled the four-story pagoda, but he did not know the secret buried in the underground palace of the Fan Pagoda."

"And I, an old man, have been guarding this place for over a thousand years, and finally I have met the person I am destined to meet."

After delivering his long and impassioned speech, which he found quite captivating, the middle-aged man noticed that the young man standing outside the hall remained completely unmoved. He dropped his smile and asked in a more seductive tone, "Young man, aren't you even a little bit tempted by Emperor Taizu of Song's treasure?"

The boss stared at the middle-aged man for a moment, then finally took a step toward the hall. But he really only took one step, stopping just outside the dividing line between the hall and the passageway, much to the middle-aged man's expectant gaze.

The middle-aged man could barely maintain his composure; the muscles around his lips trembled involuntarily. Where had he given himself away?
The middle-aged man still held onto a sliver of hope and was about to try to persuade him again, but the person opposite him spoke first: "I'm standing right outside this hall, yet I haven't smelled a single whiff of tea."

"Hehe, perhaps the aroma of that Yangxian Zisun tea wasn't strong enough." The middle-aged man adjusted his expression and smiled slightly. "You claim to be the guardian of the underground palace, yet you address Emperor Taizu of Song by his full name, showing no respect whatsoever."

"That was a thousand years ago. What about emperors? What about beggars? They're all just fleeting clouds." The middle-aged man sighed.

Seeing the young man pause, the middle-aged man thought he had persuaded him. Before his joy could even spread, the young man's next words completely shattered his happiness.

"It is rare for someone from the Tang Dynasty to know about the Song Dynasty."

"You..." The middle-aged man's eyes widened in shock, and he stroked his beard as if to cover his tracks, intending to argue. "The furniture in this hall is large, heavy, and luxurious, all in the style of the Tang Dynasty. That crescent-shaped stool, with its curved legs..."

Incense tables and other items are furniture pieces characteristic of the Tang Dynasty. You could say you appreciate antiques, or even that Yangxian Zisun tea was a tribute tea during the Tang Dynasty, suggesting a love for the ancient Tang style. But perhaps you're unaware of the popular furniture and tea varieties of the Song Dynasty.

"Am I right, Lord Li Linfu?"

The middle-aged man's expression stiffened, then a storm brewed between his brows. "Lord Li's words were indeed cleverly crafted, but the Song Dynasty had just ended the fragmentation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period during the reign of Emperor Taizu. The Song Dynasty..."

"The imperial family, starting with Emperor Taizu of Song, has always been frugal and self-disciplined. Their imperial tombs are so poor that even tomb raiders wouldn't bother with them. If you told me this was a treasure hidden by Emperor Huizong of Song, I might believe it to some extent. Emperor Taizu? He was very poor," the shopkeeper said casually. As for how he guessed the middle-aged man's identity, the Tang Dynasty-style decor of the hall, the color of the man's court robes, and the fact that he was qualified to be a Tang Dynasty prime minister in this Shadow Tower, it was probably only Li Linfu.

Li Linfu remained silent for a long while, his face ashen, before revealing a sinister smile. He sneered, "Tsk, what a rare guest. It's been a very, very long time since Shadow Tower has had a newcomer..."

The boss lowered his eyes and brushed away non-existent dust from his sleeve.

Originally, pagodas were places to enshrine Buddhist relics, statues, and scriptures, but they gradually came to be used for suppression. In the legend of the White Snake, the White Snake was imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda, never to be reborn.

Within the Shadow Tower, resentful artifacts are suppressed. Long, long ago, at an unknown time, this place was once known as the Shadow Prison. Originally, a Prosperous Platform stood here, and later a Prosperous Tower was erected, thus the underground Shadow Prison became known as the Shadow Tower.

The owner had never been inside the Shadow Pagoda. Each time he delivered antiques there, he would simply place them in the pagoda's shadow at a specific time. He also tried to visit the place as little as possible because Kaifeng held an unspeakable sense of guilt for him.

When the Qin state unified the six kingdoms, the brilliant plan he gave Wang Li was to flood Daliang. The countless soldiers and civilians who died because of this plan were his sins. Although their positions differed at the time, and he was not the one who ultimately wielded the executioner's blade, the sense of guilt remains indelible.

Even though he had never been to the Shadow Tower, he knew a little about it. In each niche along the passageway of the Shadow Tower, there was an antique shrouded in resentment. Among them were sharp blades that had followed famous generals and drunk the blood of millions, ghost-headed knives that had slain countless people in the hands of executioners, and blood-devouring urns that had housed human pigs... Although these antiques were not inherently sinful, they were still haunted by countless wronged souls and could no longer be compared to ordinary antiques. If they were to fall into the hands of ordinary people, they would surely bring great disaster.

Besides sealing these antiques, the Shadow Tower also occasionally seals the souls of the most wicked and evil people within its walls.

The boss didn't know if the Li Linfu in front of him was the one from history, or if he was a manifestation of some item the man wore in his lifetime. But the fact that he could turn the guarding Arhats into nothingness and even know what happened after the Tang Dynasty made him worthy of being called the man who single-handedly overthrew the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Li Linfu was the longest-serving prime minister during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, controlling the court for nineteen years. He was adept at understanding Emperor Xuanzong's preferences, catering to his wishes, and eliminating dissidents. He could interfere in the deposition and installation of the crown prince, and manipulate the promotion of officials through corruption. On the surface, he appeared friendly and kind, but in private, he harbored murderous intentions; the phrase "honeyed words, dagger in the heart" originated from him. Due to his own lack of talent and learning, he even misread characters, yet instead of reflecting on his own shortcomings, he feared others surpassing him. Therefore, he only employed the mediocre, framing and persecuting capable officials. The court became increasingly corrupt, ultimately leading to the An Lushan Rebellion. The once prosperous and powerful Tang Dynasty crumbled, Chang'an fell, palaces burned, the Yellow River region disintegrated, and millions were displaced.

In the five-thousand-year history of China, if we were to name the ten most notorious traitors, Li Linfu would undoubtedly be on the list. Therefore, it is not surprising that he was sealed within the Shadow Tower.

The boss frowned slightly. Li Linfu had gone to great lengths to trick him into entering the hall because, although the Shadow Tower seemed like an impenetrable prison, the way to escape was quite simple—as long as someone was willing to take their place, they could break free.

Unfortunately, this method, though seemingly simple, involves sealing each antique or soul within the Shadow Tower directly into a niche, preventing them from moving around freely. Furthermore, ordinary people rarely stray into this place, making it nothing more than an empty promise.

The boss glanced one last time at the middle-aged man standing in the hall, his face filled with despair, then turned and left without a second thought. "Young man, this is the very bottom floor of the Shadow Tower!" Li Linfu called persistently. As long as this person...

If he stayed, he would have a chance to persuade him to enter the hall! The boss continued walking forward unhurriedly.

"Those who enter the Shadow Tower, the deeper their sins, the deeper they fall. Young man, I didn't realize you were so sinful..."

The boss didn't falter in the slightest. He knew his sins were grave, an unchangeable fact. "I did nothing wrong! Why am I guilty! There can only be one voice in this world that truly matters! If it's not me, then..."

"It's him! If I don't hold my position, I'll become like him!" Seeing that his boss didn't stop, Li Linfu began to shout hoarsely. He didn't understand why he was sealed in the Shadow Tower. He clearly hadn't done anything wrong.

"Are you saying my approach was wrong? But if we don't eradicate them completely, if we don't nip them in the bud, countless people will..."

Jump out and avenge them! That's what people have done for thousands of years! I'm not wrong! "I didn't try to usurp power like that An Lushan! I did my duty! I'm not wrong!"

The roar grew increasingly hysterical with each step the boss took forward, carrying far down the corridor and even faintly echoing.

The shopkeeper stopped, and the roaring behind him abruptly ceased, as if expecting him to turn around. But the shopkeeper didn't turn around; he simply sighed softly and asked calmly, "Is killing with a stick or a blade any different?"

The breathing behind him became heavier, as if they had guessed what he wanted to say.

The boss didn't expect a response and continued, "Is there any difference between using a blade and politics?" There was complete silence behind him.

The boss started moving forward again.

"Is there any difference? No, there is no difference." This dialogue comes from *Mencius, King Hui of Liang, Part 1*. Is there any difference between killing someone with a wooden stick and killing someone with a knife? Is there any difference between killing someone with a knife and killing someone through oppressive government?

Nothing is different, just like the Great Liang City of yesteryear. Is there any difference between killing someone with a knife and murdering someone by trickery? Nothing is different.

The sound behind him never came again, and the passageway returned to deathly silence, with only the sound of the boss's footsteps on the stone bricks.

The boss walked forward until he stopped in front of a huge stone wall.

Using the faint light from the thorny bead in his hand, the shopkeeper could see a winding stone staircase on the left side of the stone wall, which should lead to the next level of the Shadow Tower.

However, the boss knew that this floor was not actually the bottom floor of the Shadow Tower.

On the stone wall in front of him was a groove. The shopkeeper took off the jade pendant he always wore from his neck and placed it in the groove, where it fit perfectly.

Amidst the rumbling of the mechanism, the stone wall slowly moved to the right, revealing a dark and secluded passage and stone steps leading downwards.

Below this layer lie the ancient and powerful artifacts sealed within the Shadow Prison. Even a single one could likely guarantee his victory in the game against Zhao Gao.

But the doctor also fell into the Shadow Tower. Given his life, which consisted of killing a few frogs for experiments, he was definitely on the first floor. Moreover, being unaware of the rules of the Shadow Tower, he could easily be tricked into the Buddhist shrine and forced to take the place of the doctor.

A stone staircase goes up, and a stone step goes down.

In the darkness, the boss stroked the thorny beads in his hand, the light flickering on his face.

【two】

The doctor was caught off guard and fell into the darkness, but he did not panic. In particular, the process of falling and losing weight did not last long, and soon he was on solid ground.

A musty, damp smell assaulted his nostrils. The doctor quickly pulled out a tissue to cover his mouth and nose, and it took him a while to get used to the pungent odor. He took out his phone, turned on the screen, and sure enough, there was no signal. Tsk, why didn't he feel any surprise at all?
The doctor pursed his lips, turned on his phone's flashlight, but didn't see the boss. If he wasn't mistaken, the boss should have fallen with him, but for some reason they weren't together.

Well, encountering this situation doesn't seem too surprising.

The doctor shrugged, thinking optimistically that all he had to do was wait quietly until his boss came to find him. He clearly didn't remember that person, yet he felt this certainty so naturally.

However, the phone flashlight was too bright and consumed too much power. After checking the remaining battery on the phone, the doctor decisively turned off the flashlight and chose to use the phone screen as a light source.

After switching from a strong light source to a weak one, his eyes adjusted for a moment, but this actually made it easier for him to see his surroundings. Someone?
The doctor was startled to find a human face in front of him and took a big step back. If it weren't for the wall behind him, he would have wanted to be even further away.

However, after realizing that the hideous face that was almost touching his nose was just a lifelike stone statue, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, no one around saw how embarrassing he looked.

The doctor composed himself and, using the light from his phone screen, examined the surroundings. He realized he was standing in a passageway, his feet treading on broken stone bricks. Even with the powerful beam of his phone's flashlight, the passageway stretched endlessly before and after him. On the walls on either side of the passageway, besides the life-size Arhat statue that had startled him earlier, there were many smaller Arhats carved into the walls, the largest no bigger than an arm. They were placed in niches of varying sizes, arranged haphazardly.
It was densely packed. And upon closer inspection, the Arhat statue, which was about the same height as an ordinary person, was also inside a niche, holding a demon-subduing staff, and in a tense posture, as if it were about to subdue demons.

Out of sheer boredom, the doctor couldn't resist stepping forward to examine the Arhat statue, which appeared to have a ferocious expression. Actually, he rarely had the chance to see Arhat statues; when he traveled to temples or Taoist monasteries, the statues were usually enshrined in...

On the high platform, even looking up a few times didn't give you a clear view. Now, the Arhat statue is right in front of you. The light from the phone screen can only illuminate the face, but it's enough to show how exquisitely carved the stone statue is, a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Not to mention the lines of the skin and muscles, even the eyebrows are clearly defined, and the expression is lifelike.

Could this be considered a work of art? It's comparable to that David statue! Our ancestors were truly amazing! A sense of pride rose in the doctor's chest. He looked at it again and again in the light of his phone screen, increasingly impressed by the exquisite craftsmanship of the stone statue.

It's incredibly lifelike. As someone who studied medicine, he could naturally tell that the proportions and muscle lines of the Arhat statue were extremely realistic. Even the posture of the Arhat's right foot bending backward and pushing off the ground, as well as the curve of the calf muscle, were perfectly proportioned.

The movements of all the muscle groups and the micro-expressions on the face were indistinguishable from those of a real person. The doctor couldn't help but reach out his hand, wanting to confirm whether it was truly just a stone statue.

But when he made that gesture, he couldn't help but laugh, and after feeling the cold touch on his fingertips, his smile widened even more. What's wrong with him? Just yesterday, he was a good young man who presented facts, reasoned, and believed in science!

However, his smile froze on his lips before it could even fully open.

The Arhat statue in front of him, after he touched it, seemed to have a switch flipped, and began to glow. Then it slowly faded, and in the blink of an eye, it became translucent and then disappeared completely!

The doctor was so frightened that he took another step back.

He then realized that it was not the Arhat statue that was emitting light. After the Arhat statue disappeared, a room appeared inside the niche, and the light source was a bronze lamp lit in the room.

Beside the goose-shaped bronze lamp stood a young woman in ancient attire, dressed in a lotus-colored deep robe. Her cloud-like hair was adorned with moon-white flowers, and two jet-black braids cascaded down her sides. Her features were delicate and charming. A bright red mole between her brows added to her endearing quality. In front of her was a small table with a garment half-finished on it. Her needle and thread froze in mid-air as she stared at the doctor with wide, surprised eyes.

"This...you can see me?" The doctor scratched his head, realizing he'd said something wrong. "Ah, no, no, I'm a person, of course you can see me. I mean, I can see you? Oh, no, no, I definitely can see you."

"That's it..."

"Pfft!" The woman, who had been shocked, was amused by the doctor. She was originally elegant and calm, and now she smiled, like a magnolia blossom, making it hard to look away.

The doctor couldn't believe that this woman was some kind of demon or monster. He couldn't help but step forward, intending to ask her if she knew how to get out of this wretched place.

But as soon as he lifted his foot, the woman suddenly turned pale and waved her hands frantically to stop him, saying, "Don't come in! Don't move!" The doctor was so startled that he stumbled and almost fell. After regaining his balance, he was completely bewildered; he really did look like a bad guy...
Is it a person?

Seeing the doctor stop at the entrance of the Buddhist shrine, the woman patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the doctor's puzzled expression, she smiled wryly and said, "You must... not know where you are, right?"

The doctor nodded quickly and, mimicking the gesture of bowing in ancient dramas, said, "I have made a mistake here. Please enlighten me, young lady."

The woman in ancient costume stared at him for a long time, until she noticed the doctor was starting to feel awkward under her gaze. Then she covered her mouth and apologized, "Please forgive me, it's been so many years since I've seen anyone."

"Many...many years?" The doctor felt a chill run down his spine from her words.

"I don't know how many years have passed." The woman in ancient costume laughed self-deprecatingly. "There is no alternation of day and night here, so it's impossible to tell."

The doctor sighed along with her. He wasn't good at history, otherwise he could have easily identified the woman's dynasty just by looking at her clothes.

"This is Shadow Prison, later renamed Shadow Tower. Those convicted are imprisoned here," the woman in ancient attire stated calmly, continuing to sew the robes on the table.

"Guilty?" the doctor murmured, repeating the word. In his eyes, the pretty young woman in front of him did not seem like a heinous criminal at all.

"Just don't come in." The woman in ancient costume didn't continue the conversation. She really hadn't seen anyone for many years, and she was incredibly excited to finally have someone to chat with. She bent down and quickly finished sewing the last few stitches on the robe, then held it up to show the doctor, saying, "You're here just in time! Look, isn't this robe beautiful? I tightened the waist a bit..."

The doctor couldn't really tell the difference between period costumes, so he could only compliment them on the colors, stitching, and patterns. His vocabulary was limited, and his tone was dry, making him feel awkward. But the woman in period costume didn't seem to mind his ignorance at all; her interest...

Bo Bo then took out several more robes to show off.

Only then did the doctor notice that behind the woman in ancient costume was a wall of cabinets filled with brand-new robes, all in shades of green, from willow green, bamboo green, and scallion green to turquoise, verdant green, and dark blue...

The doctor also noticed that these robes were all simple and understated, with very few patterns or designs. Even if there were any, they were subtle or located in inconspicuous places like the hem or collar. So… these must all be men's clothing, right? I wonder which lucky guy had such a beautiful young lady making clothes for him!

The doctor adjusted his glasses, feeling as if several images flashed through his mind, as if in his memory there was someone who liked to wear a green robe.

No, that's an ancient scene. How could he possibly have such a memory? Could it be an impression left from watching some movie or TV series?

The doctor put aside his doubts and genuinely chatted with the woman in ancient costume. Seeing her in a good mood, hugging the clothes and smiling with delight, he couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Were these robes sewn for your beloved, sister?"

The woman in ancient costume blushed deeply upon hearing this, waving her hands repeatedly. She was so embarrassed she couldn't speak, her pretty face turning bright red, and the red mole between her brows seemed to drip... drip...

The doctor was suddenly stunned, because the red mole between the eyebrows of the woman in ancient costume had started to bleed!
The woman in ancient costume noticed liquid dripping from her forehead and instinctively reached up to touch it, only to find her hand covered in blood. She quickly tilted her head back to stop the blood from dripping, while simultaneously moving her robes away from the blood to avoid soiling them.

"How could this be? Sit down quickly!" The young man who had been outside the Buddhist shrine was now standing in front of her, gently taking the robe from her hands and helping her to sit down.

The woman in ancient costume stared at him blankly, opened her lips as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

The doctor was completely oblivious to the strange and struggling look in the other person's eyes. As a doctor, the sight of blood would trigger a conditioned reflex in his body. Without a second thought, he walked straight into the room, picked up a long, light green strip of cloth from the table—presumably intended for a belt—made a few cuts with scissors, and used it as a bandage.

Upon closer inspection, the doctor discovered that the woman in ancient costume had not a mole between her eyebrows, but a wound—likely caused by a sharp object, leaving a bloody hole. Lacking medical instruments and medication, the doctor could only stop the bleeding and bandage the wound with a long strip of cloth.

The long, verdant strip of cloth, like a forehead ornament, made the woman in ancient costume appear even whiter. Her expression was bewildered, but it instantly turned resolute as the doctor helped her tidy her robes on the table. She sighed softly, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

The doctor looked on with a puzzled expression as the woman in ancient costume gracefully rose and walked to the entrance of the Buddhist shrine in a few steps.

"The rules of the Shadow Tower state that anyone willing to take its place can be freed from it." The woman in ancient attire hesitated to turn back, afraid she wouldn't be able to bring herself to leave. As she spoke, she stepped out of the shrine, her feet landing on the stone bricks of the passageway.

Upon hearing this, the doctor recalled the struggling and conflicted expression on the woman's face and instantly understood. He looked down at the bloodstains on his hands and said with a wry smile, "So, now it's my turn to be stuck here, is that right?" He couldn't blame her; he was the one who made the Arhats guarding the entrance to the Buddhist shrine disappear, and they had clearly warned him not to come in from the beginning.

"Back then... I was also used as a substitute." The woman in ancient costume trembled slightly as she recalled the past. That person from back then, even after she died, didn't let her go. And why was that person only imprisoned in the first level of Shadow Prison? Clearly, that person intended to usurp the Qin Dynasty's throne, their crimes were heinous!
The doctor was speechless, truly unsure how to handle the situation.

"Don't worry, there's something I absolutely need to confirm. I'll be right back, I promise." The woman in ancient costume suppressed her fear, took a deep breath, and with her robes fluttering, disappeared into the darkness of the passageway.

The doctor stared blankly at the empty corridor for a while, then sat cross-legged before the table, resting his chin on his hand. Since he was waiting for the boss to come and save him anyway, it didn't really matter whether he waited outside or inside the shrine.
"No way! Besides, there are lights and places to sit inside the shrine; it's much better than this dark and cold passageway!" the doctor thought optimistically. He hadn't slept much last night, and now a wave of drowsiness washed over him, his eyelids starting to droop uncontrollably.

Hopefully, the woman in ancient costume he just showed up is a good person, and not just an actress...

【Three】

"Wake up..."

The doctor was woken up by someone tapping him on the head; he was about to eat freshly made chopped chili fish head! Opening his eyes, he saw the owner's handsome face with a half-smile, and the doctor clicked his tongue regretfully, deciding that he would definitely order chopped chili fish head takeout when he got back.

The boss couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. He had given up the chance to go to the lowest level of Shadow Prison and came straight up to find the doctor, just in case this guy had been tricked... And what happened? This guy was actually in the Buddhist shrine! And sleeping soundly!

Can he say that it is indeed so?

The boss rubbed his temples and asked helplessly, "Tell me, who tricked this person into coming here?"

"Oh, I walked in by myself," the doctor explained, recounting what had just happened.
She added, "It seems that the young lady has been sewing clothes ever since she was locked up here. This whole cabinet behind her is made by her!"

"Clothes?" The shopkeeper looked up, stared at the cabinet, and raised an eyebrow.

The doctor sensed the doubt in his tone, turned around, and saw not the elegant and understated robes that had been in the closet, but a pile full of dry straw.

"This..." The doctor rubbed his eyes, beginning to wonder if he was dreaming the moment he first encountered the woman in ancient costume.

The shopkeeper walked up to the cabinet, touched it, and said casually, "This should be Tu Chuling." "Tu Chuling? What is that?" The doctor quickly stood up and discovered that the cabinet was made of clay.

"The *Tao Te Ching* says, 'Heaven and earth are ruthless; they treat all things like straw dogs.' The 'straw dogs' mentioned here refer to a type of funerary object." The shopkeeper looked at the straw on the counter; it was so dry it crumbled at the slightest touch. "The *Book of Rites* says, 'Painted carts and straw spirits have existed since ancient times; they are the way of funerary objects.' These painted carts and straw spirits are made of clay..."
The cart and the straw figures were burial objects, and can be considered the precursors to the Qin Dynasty's Terracotta Army. The boss's voice lowered slightly.

The doctor adjusted his glasses, deciding to take everything the shopkeeper said as a story. The young woman he'd just met and the closet full of robes must be a dream. But even a dream had a certain logic, with all this talk of substitution... The doctor looked around and teased the shopkeeper, "By the way, what's the rule here? Isn't it supposed to be a swap? You came in, so can I leave?"

The worry that had just settled over the boss was dispelled by the doctor's words. He turned to look at the doctor and nodded, saying, "Oh? You're right. You should go out now."

"Uh..." The doctor was joking, but the boss's serious expression made him unsure. "Well... anyway, it's my own fault. I let that girl out. She said she would come back, so I'll wait for her here."

After hearing this, the boss remained silent for a long time.

The doctor felt somewhat embarrassed by his gaze. Come to think of it, hadn't this man clearly claimed they didn't know each other? Why was he looking at him with such a complicated expression?

The boss let out a long sigh.

The doctor sensed a hint of disappointment in the man's tone. Just as he was about to defend himself, he saw the owner turn around and walk out of the Buddhist shrine.

"..." The doctor stared at his boss's retreating figure, opened his lips as if to say something, but then hesitated, unsure what to say. Yes, he himself had just said he would stay here and wait for that young lady to return. But what if... that young lady was lying, and she never came back?
The doctor watched helplessly as the boss stepped out of the Buddhist shrine, just like the ancient woman who had left him earlier.

Before he could even feel a pang of bitterness, the shop owner turned around and urged him helplessly, "Hurry up and leave. Are you planning to spend your whole life here? They don't even sell xiaolongbao here."

"Huh? How did you know I like xiaolongbao?" The doctor was taken aback. "I also know your favorite xiaolongbao is from Old Zhang's shop at the street corner." The shop owner waved to him. "Come on,"
"I'll treat you to xiaolongbao when we get back."

The doctor walked over instinctively and stepped out of the shrine without any hindrance.

"Ah! I really did get out! That girl was lying after all!" The doctor's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in frustration.

"Yeah, you're so easy to fool... how can I trust you?" The shopkeeper sighed and muttered to himself. "Huh? What were you saying?"

"nothing."

The boss raised his hand, using the thorn beads between his fingers to illuminate the passageway, leading the doctor out.

In fact, doctors are now like the keys to the Shadow Tower. What key would be locked in a cage? So doctors have no trouble moving around here.

However, perhaps he was wrong from the start; he shouldn't have come to the Shadow Tower. Releasing any of the sinful artifacts sealed here would lead to an uncontrollable situation, something far worse than losing the game. Perhaps, this is what that person wanted to see.

As for the woman who was unexpectedly released, she was just Tu Chuling, who could sew clothes, and she was only on the first floor of the Shadow Tower, so she shouldn't be able to cause any trouble. Moreover, if she didn't lie to the doctor, then she should also be an innocent person, being used as a substitute to suffer in prison here. Being able to get out through this opportunity can be considered a stroke of luck for her.

The woman sewing... The shopkeeper smiled slightly, recalling that beautiful figure from a distant memory. Women who enjoy sewing must be kind, just like her...

(End of this chapter)