Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Hu Laoliu nodded, then pointed to a corner and said, "But I've robbed...and raided no fewer than a hundred tombs, and I've never found a used cosmetic box in the back chamber of a single tomb!"

Liang Si Niang looked in the direction Hu Lao Liu pointed and sure enough, she saw an open powder box on the dressing table in the back tomb chamber. The powder inside had long since dried and hardened, but it was indeed only half full and had been opened and used.

The rear chamber of a tomb is usually used to store items the deceased liked in life, or even their favorite foods. It's not impossible that they would store cosmetics, but given the status of the tomb's occupant... would they really store a cosmetic box that was already half-used? And with the cosmetic box open!

This……

Liang Si Niang felt a chill run down her spine.

Chapter 612 The True Guardian of Qianling

"Perhaps it was used by the ancestors of my 'Jade Maiden Sect'."

Liang Si Niang gave an answer that even she herself didn't believe.

Hu Laoliu laughed and couldn't help but ask, "Given the relationship between your ancestors and the tomb's occupant, what do you think their reaction would be upon seeing her burial goods?"

Of course I want to smash it to pieces! That's exactly what I want to do right now!

Liang Si Niang thought to herself that she knew the ancestors of the "Jade Maiden Sect" would never use that slut's powder box; smashing and throwing it away would be reasonable. But if she didn't say that, she couldn't explain the half-box of powder.

Hu Laoliu continued to examine the tomb chamber and discovered that, in addition to the half-box of cosmetics, there was a lot of other evidence that someone had lived there. For example, the tables and chairs showed signs of having been moved, and the bowls and chopsticks, although neatly arranged, were very different from those that were placed as offerings, and seemed to have a sense of life.

Moreover, the ventilation inside the tomb was rather strange. After taking a deep breath, Hu Laoliu discovered that the tomb didn't have the stuffy atmosphere typical of ancient tombs. The air was fresh, and he could even faintly smell the night dew. It was really strange...

"Could someone have lived here before?"

Hu Laoliu muttered to himself.

But this is Qianling Mausoleum, who would live here?

Since Hu Laoliu and Liang Siniang were both lingering there, Li Xin stayed as well, taking the opportunity to examine the tomb chamber.

Shifting his gaze in one direction, Li Xin discovered that there were clothes and bedding placed on the stone bed in the tomb chamber. Although these textiles were faded and old, they were all intact and had not been completely rotten.

Standing next to Li Xin, Mao Lixia saw Li Xin's expression and knew what he was wondering about. She explained, "Under the protection of the 'Dragon Vein,' things in the tomb will decay or weather much more slowly. The same thing placed here for twenty years may be newer than something placed outside for a year."

Li Xin couldn't help but think of the terracotta warriors that Xiang Ying had just dealt with. The weapons in their hands were thousands of years old, yet they still gleamed with a cold light. It seemed that they could still maintain their sharpness to this day because they were nourished by the power of the "dragon vein".

A thought struck Li Xin, and he couldn't help but ask, "What if someone lives here..."

"No."

Mao Lixia shook her head. She knew what Li Xin wanted to ask and said directly, "'Dragon Vein' power is surging and violent. Even if there is an array as a medium to make the 'Dragon Vein' power much milder, there may be no problem with the items. However, if people live in this environment for a long time, they will be eroded by the 'Dragon Vein' power and turn into monsters, going mad until they die. However, if it is a dead person, the body can be preserved for thousands of years without decay. Of course, the premise is that the 'Dragon Vein' is still there."

Normally, the "dragon vein" is fluid, requiring a dynasty to continuously repair the imperial tombs to preserve it. However, throughout the history of the Central Plains, most dynasties lasted only about two or three hundred years from their establishment to their demise. Some dynasties, for various reasons, were unable to continue repairing the imperial tombs or maintaining the formations within them even before their kingdoms fell. Therefore, the "dragon vein" only remained in the imperial tombs for about two hundred years.

However, for some unknown reason, the "dragon vein" of Qianling Mausoleum has remained unchanged for a thousand years. Perhaps the remains of the two emperors buried in Qianling...

Thinking of this, Mao Lixia couldn't help but look at Liang Siniang. Given the extent of Liang Siniang's hatred for that woman, she probably wouldn't be able to vent her anger without grinding that person's body to dust.

Seemingly noticing Mao Lixia's gaze, Liang Siniang snapped out of her reverie and said to Hu Laoliu, "Have you seen enough? If you've seen enough, it's time to go to the central tomb chamber."

It's pointless to discuss whether anyone lived in this back tomb chamber, or who lived there. These traces are from who knows how many years ago. Even if someone lived there, they would be dead by now. The important thing now is to find the "Heavenly Demon Strategy".

In a mausoleum, the side chambers are used to place burial objects, but given the importance of the "Heavenly Demon Strategy," it would obviously not be placed with those ordinary burial objects. It should have been placed in the front chamber or the middle chamber.

The front burial chamber was used to place items such as the "Imperial Ribbon," "Posthumous Title," and "Elegy" to prove the identity of the tomb owner. The "Heavenly Demon Strategy" symbolizes another identity of that woman besides "Holy Mother Divine Empress," and it may have been placed in the front burial chamber along with the "Imperial Ribbon," "Posthumous Title," and "Elegy."

Of course, it is more likely that it was placed in the middle burial chamber, that is, the burial chamber where the "Zigong" (i.e., coffin) is located, or even inside the "Zigong".

Hearing Liang Si Niang's urging, Hu Lao Liu was still somewhat reluctant, but he had no choice but to obey, after all, this woman was the leader of this operation—at least on the surface.

With Hu Laoliu leading the charge, Liang Siniang lagged a few steps behind and walked alongside Mao Lixia. She whispered to Mao Lixia, "Lixia, did your father really not tell you anything about what happened in Qianling?"

Because of the strange sights inside the rear tomb chamber, Liang Si Niang felt a little uneasy; she needed to obtain more information about the Qianling Mausoleum.

Mao Lixia shook her head and said to Liang Siniang, "No, Father didn't say anything. He only said that the 'Mutian Pavilion' has been repaying its debt of gratitude for over a thousand years, and it should be paid off by now. If the people of the 'Jade Maiden Sect' still want to go to Qianling, let them go on their own. We, the 'Mutian Pavilion,' will not accompany them."

Liang Si Niang's face darkened. Indeed, Liang Si Niang's master had made an agreement with Mao Li Xia's father that the last time the "Mending Heaven Pavilion" would help the "Jade Maiden Sect" would be after that. After that, regardless of the outcome, the "Mending Heaven Pavilion" would no longer owe the "Jade Maiden Sect" anything. It was Liang Si Niang who shamelessly pestered Mao Li Xia, forcing Mao Li Xia to accompany her on this trip.

This is also why Mao Lixia treated Liang Siniang so badly; Liang Siniang's coercion ruined all of their friendship.

Mao Lixia then asked Liang Siniang, "And you, didn't your master say anything to you before he died?"

Liang Si Niang shook her head: "She passed away before she could say anything. I only heard her tell me to 'be careful when you come in'."

Mao Lixia: "..."

This reminder is worse than no reminder at all.

There is a passageway connecting the rear and middle burial chambers. However, when Hu Laoliu was on high alert and prepared to use all his skills to solve the traps in the passageway, he found that there were no traps in this rather long passageway.

When the five arrived at the entrance to the central tomb chamber, Hu Laoliu looked listless, as if he had been let down.

I, a dignified successor of the "Holy Ultimate Sect" and the contemporary leader of the "Tomb Raiders' School," have descended upon a thousand-year-old imperial tomb like Qianling, yet I have no room for performance... What am I even doing here?!

Hu Laoliu sighed repeatedly.

However, the absence of traps and mechanisms was a good thing for Liang Si Niang. With her martial arts suppressed, her strength was barely at the level of a second-level extraordinary person. If she encountered any dangerous traps or mechanisms, she might really die.

Ha, she can't trust Xiang Ying. Among the people who went down into the tomb with her, the only one who would really help her when she was in danger is probably Mao Lixia. It would be good enough if the others didn't kick her when she was down.

Before the tomb entrance, two stone statues of generals stand tall, one holding double maces and the other holding double whips; they are none other than the famous door gods, the Twin Generals.

Upon seeing the two door gods, Li Xin clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two stone statues: "Today I have come here on someone's behalf to retrieve the belongings of my ancestors. I will not take anything else. I would appreciate it if the two generals could do me this favor."

Although these are just two stone statues, Li Xin had heard many stories like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties" when he was a child. He greatly admired and felt close to the two door gods who were well-known in the Central Plains. So when he saw these two stone statues in the Qianling Mausoleum, he couldn't help but react like this.

Xiang Ying couldn't help but sneer.

As an extraordinary and powerful being, he stands proudly in the world. Neither the gods and Buddhas in the heavens nor the powerful and wealthy on earth can make him bow down. It is truly laughable that this kid actually worships two stone statues.

As if in response to Li Xin's words, one of the two stone statues moved, and the Double Mace General swung his golden mace down at Li Xin's head, meaning, "No!"

This mace strike was powerful and heavy, with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, yet it was also as swift as lightning. Li Xin dodged to the side, and the golden mace fell to the ground, instantly creating a large crater.

Well, as expected of Qin Shubao, who "trampled the banks of the Yellow River on horseback and struck three prefectures and six counties with his mace"!

Li Xin praised him in his heart.

When the Double Mace General made his move, the Double Whip General was naturally not to be outdone and also charged at Xiang Ying.

Xiang Ying raised an eyebrow, neither dodging nor avoiding, and the thick-backed broadsword on his back flew out on its own and landed in Xiang Ying's hand. Xiang Ying slashed down at the double-whip general, using the first move of his family's secret technique, "Purple Thunder Blade Technique," called "Spring Thunder Strike"!

Although this strike was just a simple slash, practical and unpretentious, it possessed the overwhelming power of a thousand troops under the infusion of "Purple Thunder Force," cleaving the double-whip general in two with a single blow.

"You're quite good. Even if the real Yuchi Jingde came, he wouldn't be much better than you."

Xiang Ying commented casually.

Meanwhile, Li Xin had already dealt with the Double Mace General, but instead of destroying it, he smashed it into the stone wall.

The double-mace general's upper body was embedded in the stone wall, and his legs were kicking wildly. He was clearly a mighty general, but now he looked quite comical.

Li Xin bowed to the stone statue and apologized: "General Qin, I'm sorry. I will definitely release you after I finish my business!"

Seeing Li Xin like this, Mao Lixia couldn't help but laugh, finding him rather adorable.

After dealing with the stone statue, Xiang Ying couldn't wait to push open the stone door of the tomb chamber. Li Xin took this opportunity to ask Mao Lixia, "Lixia, is this also a Dao soldier of the 'Mysterious Heart Sect'?"

Mao Lixia wanted to laugh, but when she heard Li Xin's question, she answered seriously: "Yes, this is also a Dao soldier, but it is different from the ordinary Dao soldiers before. It is considered a high-level Dao soldier."

"The 'Mysterious Heart Sect' is truly remarkable for being able to forge such Dao weapons. But if they have this method for forging Dao weapons, why hasn't it been used on the battlefield?"

Li Xin couldn't help but say.

Mao Lixia shook her head and then explained to Li Xin, "Because these Dao soldiers can only move within the formation. If they leave the formation, they lose their power and become just ordinary terracotta warriors. Maintaining the formation requires mana, so only in this kind of formation maintained by the power of the 'dragon vein' can the Dao soldiers have the ability to move indefinitely."

After a pause, Mao Lixia added, "Moreover, the real Dao soldiers are not like what you see now. They are much weaker. Ordinary Dao soldiers are only slightly stronger than ordinary soldiers, and they are very expensive to build. Even high-level Dao soldiers are barely comparable to second-level extraordinary people. The Dao soldiers you are encountering now have been nurtured by the power of the 'Dragon Vein' for thousands of years, which is why they are so strong."

Li Xin suddenly realized.

No wonder. Putting aside the Taoist soldiers we encountered when we first entered the tomb, these two gatekeeper Taoist soldiers are probably no less powerful than top-level extraordinary people. They would be an extremely powerful force in any era. Moreover, they are tireless and never betray us, making them even more suitable to be gatekeepers than real gatekeepers.

If these two Dao soldiers were this powerful from the start, Li Xin felt that no emperor would be willing to let them sleep in the imperial mausoleum. Instead of keeping them by his side, he would send them out to conquer cities and territories.

The stone door to the tomb was huge and heavy; Xiang Ying reached out and pushed, but it wouldn't budge.

This aroused Xiang Ying's competitive spirit, so he deliberately did not use his internal energy and relied solely on his innate superhuman strength to push the stone door.

Hu Laoliu, who was extremely curious about what was inside the tomb chamber, also went up to help, and shouted encouragement to Xiang Ying... well, to cheer her on.

"Keep it up! You're the best!"

"Go for it! You're the best!"

"Go, go..."

"Shut up, you old geezer!"

With a roar, Xiang Ying pushed the massive stone door open with all his might.

Behind the stone gate was a vast space, bright as day even though there was no open fire inside the tomb.

Two coffins float in the huge tomb chamber. Because the tomb chamber is so huge, about half the size of a football field and several meters high, the two magnificent coffins appear extremely small when they float in the air.

Upon seeing the two coffins, Liang Si Niang and Xiang Ying were overjoyed.

Above the coffin, Liang Si Niang saw a floating scroll. The front of the scroll was inscribed with the three large characters "Tian Mo Ce" in ancient seal script. It was the "Tian Mo Ce" that the Jade Maiden Sect had been longing for for more than a thousand years.

Xiang Ying then spotted a jade disc above another coffin. Without hesitation, he flew forward and reached for the jade disc.

Just as Xiang Ying flew to the jade disc, before he could even touch it, he felt a strong gust of wind coming from behind him.

The dangers within Qianling Mausoleum were unknown. Even though the true object of their quest was right before them, Xiang Ying did not let his guard down. He used his thick-backed broadsword to defend himself against the attack from behind, and his eyes were filled with rage as he looked at Li Xin: "You're courting death!"

“I have said that you are not allowed to take a single thing from here except for the ‘Heavenly Demon Strategy’.”

Li Xin said to Xiang Ying.

The Heavenly Demon Strategy originally belonged to the Demonic Sect. The Jade Maiden Sect spent a thousand years trying to reclaim it. Logically and morally, the Heavenly Demon Strategy should belong to the Jade Maiden Sect.

However, Li Xin could not allow anyone else to take anything other than the "Heavenly Demon Strategy," otherwise it would truly be considered tomb raiding.

"That's what you said, and Liang Si Niang promised you. What does it have to do with me!"

Xiang Ying said coldly.

He cooperated with Liang Si Niang to enter Qianling for the sake of this jade disc. Now that the jade disc is right in front of him, how could he easily give it up because of Li Xin's few words?

"Then there's nothing we can do."

Li Xin cracked his neck, drew his sword, and said to Xiang Ying, "You and I are both martial artists. You should know what to do in this situation, right?"

Xiang Ying smiled: "That's exactly what I wanted!"

Since he mastered the Purple Thunder Divine Skill, he has never encountered a worthy opponent. Since Li Xin wants to fight him, then he will let Li Xin taste the invincible Purple Thunder Blade Technique!

Hu Laoliu, who was still in shock at the suspended "coffin" in the tomb chamber, saw Li Xin and Xiang Ying looking like they were about to fight. He panicked and said, "Why are they fighting? They were fine just now! Don't fight! We've got the stuff. Let's talk about it outside!"

Just as Li Xin and Xiang Ying were about to clash, Mao Lixia suddenly sensed something. She felt that the power of the "dragon vein" of the entire Qianling Mausoleum was converging in a certain place. She couldn't help but look at the place where the power of the "dragon vein" was converging, which was above the two "coffins".

"what is that?"

Maurice saw something, but she wasn't sure what it was.

Hu Laoliu looked up and saw that there was indeed something above the two "coffins".

"It looks like... a bronze mirror?"

Old Hu wasn't quite sure what it was either.

"Who cares about anything else at this point? Those two are about to start fighting!"

Liang Si Niang said.

She didn't care if Li Xin and Xiang Ying fought, but if their battle affected the "Heavenly Demon Strategy" and destroyed it, she would cry her heart out!

"Lisha, you need to talk to your man!"

At this moment, Liang Si Niang no longer cared about hiding her relationship with Mao Lixia and directly addressed Mao Lixia by her name.

Mao Lixia should have been very worried about Li Xin and Xiang Ying fighting, but at this moment she focused all her attention on the bronze mirror.

Be careful...be careful...be careful of the mirror!

Mao Lixia suddenly understood what Liang Siniang's master meant before he died. It wasn't that Liang Siniang should be careful when entering Qianling, but that she should be careful of this bronze mirror!

Just as Mao Lixia realized that this bronze mirror was likely the culprit that had seriously injured her father and Liang Si Niang's master, a figure began to appear on the bronze mirror, which was as tall as a person.

Wearing a red cloak and golden armor, with handsome features and a red dot between his brows that added a touch of elegance, he possessed a godlike majesty.

With the power of the "Dragon Vein" converging, the figure became increasingly clear and actually flew out of the bronze mirror.

The figure flew down and arrived directly in front of Li Xin and Xiang Ying. Facing the two, he raised his hand and unleashed a tremendous palm strike, "Buddha Moves Mountains and Rivers!"