Nightwatcher

Chapter 306: Labyrinths and Reunions

# 306. Labyrinths and Reunions

“Wasn’t this sect supposedly once very popular among nobility? The owner of this tomb clearly held a high status,” Chu Yuanzhen analyzed.

The implication was clear: the tomb owner was a devoted follower of the dual-cultivation technique.

“To come across a complete version of the lost dual-cultivation technique makes this trip worthwhile,” Daoist Jinlian sighed.

“But you don’t engage in relations with women, Daoist. This technique is useless to you,” Xu Qi'an smiled.

Daoist Jinlian’s face darkened.

“The clothing of those people in the mural is rather strange,” Chu Yuanzhen added, his interest more piqued by the other mural than the technique itself. “It’s so ancient that I can’t even determine the dynasty.”

Having already memorized the technique depicted in the murals, Xu Qi'an quickly urged, “Let’s go and find Number Five. That’s the priority.”

This was too valuable a find to share.

The group continued deeper into the tomb, with Qian You listening intently to their discussion, aware that the mural contained the legendary dual-cultivation technique.

*Such a treasure! Both bedroom activities and cultivation combined, neither disrupting the other.*

For many men, this was a practically irresistible temptation. Especially for someone like Qian You, a man of the Jianghu, who lacked resources, lacked renowned mentors, and lacked secret texts.

He dropped back a few steps, waiting for the others to move on, then swiftly turned back to the mural.

*I’ll memorize it and then catch up. It won’t take long… it won’t take long…*

Holding his torch tightly, he walked briskly. Only his footsteps echoed through the empty, silent tomb.

Gradually, Qian You realized something was wrong. He had been walking for a long time but hadn’t yet reached the mural.

*We didn’t walk this far. Why haven’t I reached the mural?*

He swept his torch around, illuminating the empty, silent tomb. There was no mural, no coffins… nothing.

After a moment of shock, a cold sweat poured down his back.

He stammered, his teeth chattering in fear. “H-Heroes? I’m right here! Don’t leave me behind…”

The sound echoed, distorting in the open chamber, coming back to him as if others were calling out.

Fear tightened around him like a vice, his skin prickling with dread. Clamping his mouth shut, he dared not make another sound.

He turned and walked quickly, hoping to catch up with Xu Qi'an and the others. His brisk steps turned to frantic running, his breath labored, but he never reached them.

All alone in the silent tomb, his own footsteps echoed back at him. It was chilling, as if the tomb itself was drawing him into its icy depths.

Suddenly, he tripped and crashed hard to the ground. Grimacing, he held his torch close, inspecting the ground.

It was a corpse — half a corpse, to be precise.

The body had been severed at the waist, the lower half missing. Its entrails had been emptied, leaving the wound a mangled mess of flesh and bone.

Qian You screamed, scrambling backward in terror.

*There’s a monster, a monster that eats human flesh … just nearby, I could meet it at amy moment…* Panic erupted through him, draining the colour from his face.

*Leave, I must leave this place immediately.*

Qian You’s hand shook as he clutched his torch, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

As a veteran in the Houtu Gang, he’d ventured into many tombs and survived various dangers, but none like this. His courage held firm, but only just.

*A torch might attract it, but without light, I’d be blind to any danger. Besides, anything that’s lived underground this long would have poor eyesight, sensitive to light.*

*I don’t need to extinguish the torchlight, but rather eliminate my scent.*

From his pack, he retrieved a porcelain jar containing a pungent powder, faintly reminiscent of corpse stench.

Dousing himself in the powder, he raised his torch and began cautiously moving forward. His sense of direction was gone; he could only walk aimlessly.

Suddenly, he heard a delighted voice from behind him. “Qian You?”

…

The others continued for a while until Daoist Jinlian suddenly furrowed his brow. “Are we missing someone?”

Turning around, he scanned the empty space behind them, and his eyes narrowed.

The Houtu Gang’s chief was nowhere to be seen.

Xu Qi'an, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan quickly noticed the same, their expressions shifting to alarm.

“When did he disappear? I didn’t notice anything at all.” Xu Qi'an closed his eyes, concentrating on his perception, then frowned.

“My spiritual sense hasn’t been hindered. If something had taken him, I would have sensed its hostility toward us too. The moment it bore any hostility, my senses would have picked it up.”

Chu Yuanzhen’s expression grew grim. “Not only that—the sound of his footsteps vanished without any of us noticing. That in itself is unusual.”

Hengyuan frowned, remaining silent.

Daoist Jinlian’s expression changed. He retrieved his Earth Book fragment, studying it for a moment before saying in a low voice, “The Earth Book fragment isn’t working.”

Xu Qi'an, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan each instinctively reached into their robes. Though the latter two pulled out their fragments, Xu Qi'an quickly stopped himself and instead scratched his chest absent-mindedly…

“It really isn’t working,” Chu Yuanzhen confirmed, his face darkening after a failed attempt to send a message.

So that’s why Number Five had gone missing near Xiangcheng.

This tomb was blocking their connection to the Earth Book fragments.

“Um, I think I know where we are—or rather, I know what our situation is,” Zhong Li raised her hand timidly.

The four turned to her, and she lowered her head, speaking softly.

“In general, a tomb is divided into outer, middle, and inner layers. The innermost chamber houses the main tomb, where the master of the rests. The middle layer is for side chambers and corridors, where the master’s important companions are buried. The outer layer is the tomb’s defense. We’re currently in the outermost layer, which is also the most dangerous.

"This place is filled with mechanisms, traps, and formations... if I'm not mistaken, we've been in a formation since entering the chamber with the murals."

The four men looked at her simultaneously, and Xu Qi'an stared, "Why didn’t you say so sooner?"

"I forgot," Zhong Li lowered her head, aggrieved. "I don’t know why, I just forgot."

Hearing this, the men all fell silent, unwilling to scold her any further.

"Do you know what kind of formation this is?" Daoist Jinlian asked.

"It should be a type of Bewildering Formation. The layout of the outer structure of the underground palace aligns with this kind of formation. We’re inside a vast labyrinth, and we must find the correct path to escape. Otherwise, we’ll be trapped here indefinitely," Zhong Li said.

"Lead us out, quickly," urged Chu Yuanzhen.

"I-I’ll probably lead you into a dead end," Zhong Li muttered, lowering her head even further.

The group: "…"

*Poor poor Master of Prophecy...* Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly.

Chu Yuanzhen, frowning, glanced at Xu Qi'an and found inspiration: "If we can’t break the formation conventionally, a brute-force approach might be best, like Xu Qi'an's two strikes during the duel."

Daoist Jinlian dismissed the suggestion, his expression solemn. “Until we understand who the tomb owner is, it’s best not to act rashly. The outer structure is built entirely of Qinggang stone—a luxury even the current Emperor Yuanjing couldn’t afford.

“Moreover, the tomb contains the ancient art of dual cultivation, the most secret method of that sect. Typically, such a technique wouldn't be given up so easily, yet it’s here.

"This Bewildering Formation is incredibly intricate, and it was set up at least two millennia ago, a time before arcanists. All these factors point to the tomb owner being anything but ordinary. Breaking the formation recklessly could lead to unpredictable consequences. Heh, if you were a third rank master, then forget I said anything."

Chu Yuanzhen nodded silently.

Hengyuan furrowed his brows and asked, "So, what should we do now?"

Being a warrior monk, he didn’t understand such matters. Chu Yuanzhen, though well-read as a scholar, pursued the path of the sword and had limited knowledge of formations.

Xu Ningyan was a mere martial artist; he was even less dependable.

"The Daoist sect isn’t specialized in feng-shui, but we have some knowledge of formations. I could attempt to guide us through," said Daoist Jinlian.

The Daoist sects do know about formations; after all, when Zilian was battling Yang Yan outside the capital, he used a large formation he had set up to aid him. However, they weren’t as adept as arcanists, who could conjure formations with just a step.

After a quarter of an hour, Daoist Jinlian’s face grew tense as he gazed into the deep darkness ahead, silent and contemplative.

The Daoist had failed to find a path and was questioning his self-worth.

*Even the Daoist is a fraud…* Xu Qi’an thought bitterly.

No one present knew that Daoist Jinlian was a remnant soul of the Daoist Earth Sect’s leader, the virtuous aspect of his personality. They couldn’t perceive the heavy truth hidden behind his solemn demeanour.

They were in deep trouble—very deep.

"Before arcanists, who else had such powerful expertise in formations?" Daoist Jinlian pondered, searching his mind for any likely suspects.

"Is there really no solution, Daoist?"

Hengyuan and Chu Yuanzhen exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.

*How reckless of us! We should have consulted the local chronicles in Xiangcheng or studied historical records to glean clues about this tomb before coming in... Our team’s strength could make even a fourth rank expert flee in terror. I let this overconfidence slip past me,* Chu Yuanzhen silently regretted.

Hengyuan softly recited a Buddhist mantra, feeling guilty. Number Five had been missing for days, waiting for rescue in this dark, eerie tomb, yet here they were, stymied so soon.

Daoist Jinlian sighed, looking at Zhong Li. "Do you have any suggestions? You don’t need to make a choice—just elaborate on the intricacies of this formation."

Zhong Li thought for a moment, “This type of formation is usually established in enclosed spaces or underground, or else an entrant could easily orient themselves and discern the correct path.

"Without the ability to orient oneself, the only way out is to rely on the enterer’s experience and judgment. If... if my experience and judgment become muddled, it may lead to even greater trouble."

Now, Daoist Jinlian also fell silent.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society finally felt Number Five's despair: trapped underground, unable to leave, with no connection to the outside world, time slipping away bit by bit, their physical conditions gradually deteriorating...

In the heavy silence, Zhong Li raised her hand slightly and softly said, "Actually, there is a reliable method."

Chu Yuanzhen and Xu Qi’an’s faces lit up, and they asked urgently, "What method?"

Hengyuan looked at her, his eyes filled with hope.

Daoist Jinlian’s heart skipped a beat.

Zhong Li poked Xu Qi'an with her finger and murmured, "If we let him lead, we can get out — most likely, anyway."

*Him?!*

Everyone’s gaze shifted from Zhong Li to Xu Qi’an.

Chu Yuanzhen was somewhat sceptical as he scrutinised Xu Qi’an. Thoughts raced through his mind—Xu Ningyan was just a martial artist, with no knowledge of formations. Relying on him to break a formation was less promising than trying himself.

However, the Master of Prophecy wasn’t one to joke lightly. So, was there something special about Xu Ningyan himself, or did he carry some item capable of dispelling formations?

*Yet judging by Xu Ningyan’s expression, he seemed equally baffled...*

At this thought, Chu Yuanzhen glanced at Daoist Jinlian and noticed a look of realisation on his face.

*Daoist Jinlian knows too?* Chu Yuanzhen took note of this detail.

*There seemed to be some mystery about Xu Ningyan... I’m getting more and more curious about him.*

"Sir Xu, are you familiar with formations?"

Hengyuan, with fewer fanciful thoughts than the zhuangyuan scholar, voiced his confusion directly.

Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched slightly. "No."

…

Qian You whirled around, instinctively drawing his weapon and assuming a guarded stance. Squinting into the shadows ahead, he called out in a low voice, “Who’s there?”

Footsteps approached, and a figure came into view at the edge of the torchlight. A middle-aged man in his forties, his face gaunt and hollow-cheeked, bloodshot eyes deeply set in their sockets, gave him the look of someone who had just weathered a long illness.

Unkempt stubble covered his jawline, casting a shadow that made him appear both disheveled and weary.

“Boss?” Qian You’s eyes widened in wild delight. He raised the torch, illuminating several familiar faces—brothers from the Houtu Gang.

*I can’t believe that I’ve found the boss, how fortunate is this…* Just as Qian You was about to rush forward, his expression shifted, and he levelled his weapon at the group, bellowing nervously, “Stay back! Don’t move, any of you, or my blade might not recognise friends. Now, how can you prove it’s really you?”

The haggard leader gave an approving smile. “Good. No signs of carelessness. Looks like that human skin-wearing ghoul we encountered two years ago under the ground in Jingzhou left a lasting impression.”

The other gang members with him cursed, “Qian, don’t you know why we left you topside? With your lousy skills, coming down here would be a death sentence.”

“Ha! It really is you all.” Instead of getting mad, Qian You laughed and approached them eagerly. As he neared the sickly-looking gang leader, he suddenly scattered a handful of vermilion powder.

“Fucker, this stuff’s only good against low-level spirits. It’s useless against zombies.” The gang leader cursed as he brushed off the powder.

Finally reassured, Qian You held the torch up, inspecting the group one by one. He saw the gang’s second-in-command—an old arcanist with salt-and-pepper hair, whose white robes were now filthy and torn. He looked haggard, with deep sunken eyes.

Next, he noticed the young girl from the Southern Marches, her face much thinner than he remembered, with a sharp chin replacing her once-round cheeks. Though still pretty, her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked exhausted, struggling to conceal her fatigue.

After counting everyone, Qian You’s mood grew heavy. Of the thirty-two men who had entered the tomb, only twelve remained.

“You must all be starving. I brought some provisions,” he said, unpacking the food and water from his baggage and distributing them among the group.

Even the girl from the Southern Marches, along with the others, brightened at the sight of the provisions, staring at the food like it was a beautiful woman in the nude.

Their food supplies had been exhausted days ago, and they’d endured hunger in the tomb’s depths ever since.

As he handed out the rations, Qian You noticed that each of his brothers bore injuries, some missing an arm, with sleeves torn off and wounds hastily bandaged, blood faintly seeping through.

“Boss, what happened to you?” he asked.

The men, who had been eating ravenously, froze at his words. The haggard leader spoke quietly, “We’ve run into some trouble.”

*Well, that much was obvious,* Qian You thought.

“This place is a maze; no matter how we go, we can’t find the way out,” the leader explained. “After we entered the tomb, we stumbled into a chamber full of zombies. We lost several brothers fighting them off. Without Lina’s help, more of us would have died.”

The sickly leader cast a glance at the girl, who was munching on a flatbread, then continued, “After entering that chamber, we’ve been wandering without escape, going in circles for days as our food and water dwindled.

“The worst part came when, one day, we woke up to find that the ‘night watch’ had disappeared.”

The men’s faces fell, and the leader went on, “Since then, two of us have vanished each day. The group has been in a constant state of panic, and tensions with the hired experts boiled over. After a fierce argument, we split up.”

“Not long after, we found that everyone who left had been killed—mauled as if something had feasted on them.”

Qian You felt a chill run down his spine, thinking back to the corpse he’d nearly tripped over, too mangled to look at.

The sickly leader took a swig of water, swallowing his food before continuing. “It’s some kind of monster, and a powerful one at that. Every day it hunts us, eating exactly two people—no more, no less.”

His voice quivered slightly as he spoke.

“We’ve fought it off twice now, thanks to Lina. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t be seeing us.” The sickly leader’s tone grew solemn. “But Lina’s state is deteriorating, and without food or water, our strength will soon be spent. By the way, why’d you come down here?”