The Tomb of Lee Hyun (2)

***LEI***

Seven returned to the chamber with a look of disappointment. Once we realized we did not know what we were looking for looked like, we sent Seven back to the surface to ask Wang Ren for the details.

"So? What is it?" I asked.

He sighed. "He said I just have to follow my intuition. He also said that Lee Hyun's descendants were gifted with the ability to sense the codex in the first place. If we're looking for 'the' codex or a clue closely connected to it, I would be able to sense it. But…"

""But?""

"But… I don't even know what to look for!"

I sighed. I walked towards him and patted his shoulders. "Remember two years ago, about the hexagon crystals?"

"Yeah?"

"You might have to do a bit of trial-and-error for this one."

"I was afraid you're going to say that."

"Okay, everyone listen up!" I called. "Check every document in this room and if you find anything related to the Codex of Souls, get our attention immediately!"

""Roger!""

We scoured the room for about twenty minutes. I checked every document I could get my hands on and also check any documents the others would hand to me. Since Coby and Calvin couldn't read ancient Han characters or traditional Chinese characters, the two needed to pay more attention when checking.

All of a sudden, Seven brushed me off the shelf I was checking and reached for the wall on one of the shelf levels. I saw him push a brick on the wall behind the shelf and a nearby wall suddenly opened.

"Seven?" I called to my friend who looked a bit dazed but it seemed like he did not hear me and walked inside the newly opened wall.

I looked at the rest of my companions and we followed inside.

The next chamber seemed to be the main chamber of Lee Hyun's tomb. It wasn't as decorated as Liu Qing's tomb back in Hainan, but the murals on the walls were definitely something archaeologists would go crazy for. I moved my eyes around the murals which depicted Lee Hyun's life before, during and after he was adopted by the Chen family way back in the Han Dynasty.

If I was interpreting it correctly, Lee Hyun was a young exiled prince from the neighboring Gojoseon Kingdom. He made his way towards Han Dynasty territory where he was saved by Liu Qing and the others. He was then taken in by the Chen Family and was named Chen Qi. Just like what Liu Fen said before we set out.

Also in the murals were the significant events of his life; becoming a captain in Liu Qing's Red dragon Troop, winning the spring hunting competition, etc. There was also handling Shadow Garden as he grew older and until he died.

And at the center of the room was a stone coffin which belonged to the previous master of Shadow Garden. Chen and I started studying it, perks of being trained to be future grave robbers.

"Yup, it's Lee Hyun's coffin alright." Chen said and I nodded in agreement.

"Do we have to open the coffin?" Coby asked and already started clinging on Leo.

"We don't have to." Seven suddenly said.

Seven bit his index finger, which we reacted quite strongly about, and placed it above Shadow Garden's symbol at the center of the coffin's lid. A drop of blood slowly fell towards the symbol and seconds later, the coffin shook.

From the center, the upper part of the coffin's lid opened in a clockwise direction until it stopped once the opening was the size of a human head. A small platform slowly rose up and with it was a small scroll. I could feel some sort of odd aura around the scroll and I was pretty sure it was the aura Lee Hyun and his descendants, and therefore Seven as well, was sensitive to.

"The aura around the scroll feels familiar, yet different." said Chen beside me.

"You noticed that too?" I asked.

"It's the signature energy of the Maiden of the Stars. It's to make sure that we, Lee Hyun's descendants, will be able to find it and recognize it." Seven answered.

He took the scroll off the platform and it descended back inside the coffin lid. The opening also slowly closed which thankfully did not trigger any sort of traps or something. I eyed my companions, especially Calvin and Leo who were with me when we went to Emperor Yue's tomb, and saw them put up their guards, as if expecting for something to happen.

"Don't worry. It's safe." Seven said. "It's not like last time where it was filled with traps and we were always in constant danger, you know."

I breathed a sigh of relief. With the scroll in Seven's hand, we started our journey back to the surface.

We were greeted by Xue-ji, Wang Lu and Wang Ren. The last one with a big smile plastered on his face.

"So, how was it?" Wang Ren asked.

"The tomb down there doesn't even need mine or my brother's expertise." I answered.

"Really? But I thought you made a thorough check before venturing it."

I sighed in defeat.

"We have the scroll." Seven said. "Let's return to Peach Mountain first."

None of us disagreed at Seven's words.

We started making our way out of Nimbus Forest. As we walked, I couldn't help but keep staring at Wang Ren. Well, to be more specific, I was staring at the pendant of the necklace he was sporting. It was a black square the size of an eye, and upon closer look, it had a wave-like surface on it. It looked a lot like one of the spirit stones Xue-jie showed me the previous night.

"Xue-jie." I called to the older female who was only walking a few steps ahead of me. "That thing in Wang Ren's neck, isn't that a spirit stone?"

Xue-jie stared at the pendant as well and I saw her eyes go wide. "I don't know if it's one of them, but that thing feels powerful. We better not let our guards down.

***

We all gathered in Seven's room. We were about to open the scroll Seven retrieved from Lee Hyun's tomb. To be honest, I still had no idea what happened to Seven back there, but nobody seemed to be curious about it, so I did not bother asking as well. I just thought it of as something to do with his bloodline. Yeah, that explanation seems acceptable.

Wang Lu and Wang Ren were speaking with Shadow Garden's Master Li in regards to what to do with the former tortoise spirit which used to live in the spring above Lee Hyun's tomb.

'But still, Xiao Lu is a snake spirit? I never thought I will encounter any contents of the dramas I acted in.'

Seven called my attention and showed me the opened scroll. It was written in ancient Han characters and only three people were probably proficient in reading it; me included.

"I'll read it out loud so listen carefully."

I was just about to read it when the building we were in suddenly shook and at the same time we heard an explosion not that far from where we were.

"What's going on?" Coby asked.

"Intruders." Seven answered and immediately rushed outside.

The rest of the people left all looked at me.

"What are you guys looking at? Follow him!"

I stuffed the scroll in the pocket dimension around me where Advos was usually stored and headed outside. My eyes grew wide once I saw what was going on.

Peach Mountain was filled with intruders in black clothing and a fight had already broken against them and the disciples of Shadow Garden. My eyes landed on the symbols on their chests and somehow found it oddly familiar.

"It's the Sect." said Xue-jie who suddenly appeared behind me. "They're after the spirit stone."

"You mean the one with Wang Ren?"

I scanned the mountain and saw the identical looking pair swarmed with the intruders. And somehow, more intruders were going against them.

"Xue-jie!"

"PROTECT WANG LU AND WANG REN!" she shouted.

The man I recognized as the fourth successor disciple suddenly flew to Xiao Lu and Wang Ren's direction and started swinging his katana at the enemies. Xue-jie suddenly dragged me back to Seven's residence.

"What are you-"

"San-shijie!" Seven exclaimed. "What are you doing?!"

"Leave this to us. You guys have another problem to deal with so leave this problem in our hands."

"But-"

"You have to get the other half of the Codex of Souls in Japan, right?"

I gasped.

"You knew all along?" Why didn't you tell us?"

"That's all I know Chen, I apologize. The rest is written in the scroll you found in the tomb. All of you should get out of here now. This matter is concerning Shadow Garden."

"They're not after us?" Leo asked.

"They're after Ren's water spirit stone."

No! I'm a successor disciple of Shadow Garden! I'm a member too! I will stay and fight!" Seven insisted.

"Qi-shidi, you have to leave."

But even with Xue-jie's words, Seven and the rest of us refused to comply. Xue-jie just sighed and then snapped her fingers. My brother and all of my friends suddenly crumbled to the floor.

"Oh? You're not affected." she paused, as if assessing me. "I see. You can nullify spells huh, or rather absorb it. What a useful ability. But it doesn't matter. Listen Xiao Lei. I will transport all of you to the nearest ally we have in North Korea. He lives in Pyongyang and he will help you get to Japan. I already sent him a message."

"Wait! Pyongyang? North Korea? I don't think that's a good idea. Do you want us to die? Do you know how hostile North Korea is to other countries?" I exclaimed.

"You don't have to worry, you'll see."

A magic circle suddenly glowed brightly under us.

"Take care of Seven for me." was the last thing I heard before I got engulfed with light and lost consciousness.