Chapter Thirty-one: Six Sides, Seven Passages

"Chen Fan, are you sure about this? The Fire Cloud Tomb isn't just some ordinary burial site—it's full of deadly dangers."

"Zhao Gu, I've made up my mind. Let's go."

"Is it really worth it? If you don't want to go in, I can talk to Master for you."

"I've decided. He's my father. If there's a way to save him, how could I refuse?"

Zhao Gu tilted her head, her expression unreadable. But she said no more. Instead, she handed him a Cloud Condensation Pill. "Take this. Let's go."

Chen Fan took one last look at the sea of fiery clouds below. Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill and leaped down.

The moment they landed in the tomb chamber, Zhou Yihe's alarmed voice rang out. "Master! The chamber has already been opened—someone's beaten us to it!"

Old Ge, as usual, remained in his drunken stupor. Chen Fan couldn't help but feel uneasy. Why was this old man always so carefree in such critical moments? Was he truly as capable as they believed, or was he leading them all to their doom?

Despite his indifferent demeanor, Old Ge suddenly took a deep breath of the stale air and chuckled. "Blood. I smell blood."

"Xiao Gu, did you bring the Tears of Zhurong?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. Everyone, apply some to your hands. We're dealing with something big this time."

The group immediately followed his instructions, carefully applying the liquid from the small bottle. Chen Fan, however, remained puzzled. Seeing how cautious they were, he could tell this was no ordinary substance.

"Chen Fan, make sure you put some on too. And stay close to me."

"Zhao Gu, what exactly is this?" Chen Fan sniffed his hands but detected no distinct scent.

"The Tears of Zhurong. Haven't you heard of Zhurong? The legendary fire god of the Xia Tribe—I remember reading about him online."

Chen Fan frowned. "Zhurong, the fire god? Are you saying these are actually his tears?"

Zhao Gu shook her head. **"Not exactly. This is what remains of his last divine power. Long ago, Grandmaster Moyun ventured alone into Zhurong's tomb. Zhurong had achieved sainthood in the flesh—an incredibly formidable being. The grandmaster fought with everything he had to finally subdue him, and in doing so, he obtained the last traces of Zhurong's divine essence.

There wasn't much of it left, but against the creatures lurking in the Fire Cloud Tomb, it's extremely effective."**

"Xiao Gu, let's move. We're running out of time."

"Understood, Master." Zhao Gu nodded, then turned to Chen Fan. "Stay close. I'll protect you."

Chen Fan found her words a bit strange, but given the dangers ahead, he wasn't about to argue.

As the group pressed deeper into the tomb, Zhao Gu suddenly stopped and turned back.

Chen Fan followed her gaze and saw a small, plump bird crouching on the ground, bobbing its head rhythmically to the music playing through a pair of tiny headphones.

Without hesitation, Zhao Gu grabbed the little creature by the scruff of its neck. The bird hunched its shoulders, looking comically guilty.

As she carried it forward, the bird dramatically removed its headphones, secured them in a pouch at its waist, and sighed. "So uncivilized."

"Xiao Gu, your bird looks like it's getting fatter," Zhou Yihe teased.

"I know, right? I have no idea why. It used to be so much slimmer. It just keeps getting rounder every year." Zhao Gu frowned at the bird's stubby neck.

"Hah! Lazy and gluttonous. Might as well turn it back into origami when we get back," Old Ge laughed.

Upon hearing this, the bird's expression changed instantly. It wriggled free from Zhao Gu's grip, did a quick forward roll, and landed dramatically on its feet. Facing away from them, it declared, "Master, I'll go scout ahead."

With that, the five humans and one bird ventured deeper into the tomb. The bird occasionally struck exaggerated lookout poses, adding, "Master, I sense demon energy ahead."

Chen Fan, hearing the familiar background music from Journey to the West playing from the bird's speaker, couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Yeah, I see it. And turn off that music—it's getting annoying," Old Ge said.

Ahead of them, a commotion was stirring.

"Master, it's Firelight Beasts," Jiang Liuyu reported. His sharp eyes caught the creatures first.

"Mm. Don't waste the Tears of Zhurong. Fat Bird, take Xiao Gu and Chen Fan up."

Moments later, perched above the chamber, Zhao Gu surveyed the chaos below. "Master, there are so many of them. Something big must be coming."

"Seems like the ones ahead of us are nearing the main burial chamber. We need to hurry."

Taking advantage of the brief respite, Chen Fan asked Zhao Gu about the Firelight Beasts. Every piece of knowledge could help.

"Firelight Beasts are common in the Fire Cloud Tomb. Their flames make them a hassle to deal with, but they're not particularly powerful on their own. The real problem is that they always travel in packs. It's best to avoid them when possible."

"Hey, look at that—what is it?" Jiang Liuyu suddenly exclaimed.

Chen Fan turned and saw two humanoid creatures with snake heads standing at the entrance of a passage. One held a spear, the other a halberd. Their eyes were shut—whether they were dead or merely dormant was unclear. Bloodstains littered the ground around them, evidence that the previous group had paid a heavy price to get through.

"Serpent Sentinels. These things are nasty," Old Ge muttered.

"Master, they don't seem to have noticed us. I'll send some paper men to scout ahead."

Zhou Yihe flicked his wrist, and two paper figures floated toward the Sentinels. The creatures didn't react. Encouraged, Zhou Yihe pushed them forward a few more steps.

Swish!

In a blur, the spear and halberd struck down. The paper figures were obliterated in an instant.

"T-That was way too fast! They're like living guillotines!" Chen Fan gasped.

"Master, what do we do? Their reflexes are insane—we'll never make it past them!"

The group fell into contemplative silence. Then Chen Fan spoke up.

"They seem slow-moving. What if we drive the Firelight Beasts toward them? When they attack, we use that opening to slip through."

Old Ge thought for a moment, then grinned. "Heh, not bad, kid. You actually have some brains. Stay put and don't make a sound—I'll handle it."

A short while later, through means unknown, Old Ge sent a stampede of Firelight Beasts charging toward the passage. Watching the fiery creatures rush forward, a peculiar thought popped into Chen Fan's mind—If I kept one of these as a pet in my dorm during winter, I wouldn't even need a heater.

To his relief, the plan worked. The moment the Firelight Beasts entered the passage, the Serpent Sentinels struck with relentless precision.

Seizing the opportunity, the group quickly mounted their paper kites and soared through the opening.

Inside, they found six additional tunnels forming a perfect circle. On the ground lay six Fangcun tablets—each of them empty. The previous group had already looted them.

Instead of rushing forward, Old Ge carefully examined the area before approaching a section of the stone wall.

Zhao Gu hesitated, then touched the wall and gasped. "Master, this wall… it's wet. But how? Firelight Beasts die on contact with water—how is there moisture here?"

Old Ge ran his fingers across the wall, then glanced at the six empty tablets and suddenly grinned.

"Six Sides, Seven Passages, Nine Twisting Paths… This tomb's owner sure was ambitious."