160: Royal family as the guide

Chapter 159: The Royal Family as Bait

With an order, the group quickly rushed toward the top of the steps.

The strange thing was that the path was completely unobstructed, and they unexpectedly did not encounter any obstacles.

Mechanisms, Hairy Zombies, guards, and so on—not a single one was there!

Occasionally on the steps, there were human lamps kneeling on the ground as if wiping, which made everyone's scalp tingle slightly.

At first, everyone was still a bit careful, but after rushing up a hundred steps, unexpectedly no accidents had happened yet.

Therefore, everyone's speed became even faster!

Until they rushed halfway up, they discovered that terracotta figure guards were still standing around the steps.

They were fully armed, standing grimly in place, as if gazing at Chen Liancang and the others, making one's hair stand on end.

"Father-in-law! Something is wrong!"

Hu Bafeng found Chen Liancang and said, "Why are there no mechanisms?"

"What about poisonous creatures, poisoned needles, crossbows, falling rocks, traps… How come there isn't a single one?"

Chen Liancang sneered, "This place is an imperial restricted area, Emperor Taizus Mausoleum, and right at the top is the Golden Luan Hall. Who would set traps inside the imperial palace?"

"A-Aren't you afraid of tomb raiders?"

"Tomb raiders?"

Chen Liancang retorted, "You used to be a tomb raider yourself. Would you come to rob the imperial mausoleum?"

"This villain is not a fool… This villain understands!"

Hu Bafeng said, "The imperial mausoleum is an imperial forbidden ground, bound to be guarded by countless soldiers. There is indeed no need for traps unless the dynasty changes…"

"Hmm?"

"This villain talks too much."

"Stop talking nonsense. Quickly go up the steps."

"Understood!"

Hu Bafeng secretly glanced at the massively sized underground capital beneath the steps, his mouth twitching.

Inside this underground capital, there were countless Hairy Zombies, numbering at least tens of thousands.

Unless a large army was mobilized, how could ordinary tomb raiders possibly get through so many Hairy Zombies to reach the Golden Luan Hall on the steps?

Moreover, the reason they were able to successfully enter the underground imperial palace was entirely thanks to the Shadow Guard token in Father-in-law's hand.

If ordinary tomb raiders wanted to break through forcefully, they would inevitably be attacked by countless heavy crossbows!

Soon, in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the group had already rushed onto the steps made of white jade.

At this moment, atop the steps was an extremely spacious platform.

Directly in front of everyone was a resplendent golden palace.

Carved on the palace plaque were three large characters: "Golden Luan Hall".

The surroundings were as dark as ink, making it impossible to see the true appearance of the entire grand hall.

"It really is the Golden Luan Hall…"

"Bang!"

"Bang bang!"

Right at this moment, rays of light lit up one after another from far to near.

But the strange thing was that whether it was the burning range or the brightness, these flames were all dozens of times greater than before.

They were not candles, but… brazier fires!

They were still ghostly blue flames, still emitting a strange fragrance.

"Look quickly!"

"Someone is over there!"

"No, not a person! It's a terracotta figure…!"

When the flames flickered before their eyes, everyone discovered that outside the Golden Luan Hall, rows of burly and tall figures were actually standing.

They were all terracotta warriors wearing armor and holding Sharp Weapons!

Standing in rows before them, the number was at least tens of thousands.

Behind them in the center, rows of bronze-made carriages were also standing, with individual warrior generals standing atop the carriages, coldly gazing ahead.

At the very front were six generals riding bronze treasured horses, wearing cloaks and full body armor!

Standing in front of them, everyone felt like mere children.

"A-Are these living people or dead people?"

Chen Jianping swallowed a mouthful of saliva, feeling somewhat nervous at this moment.

With so many terracotta warriors standing before everyone, expressionless, exuding an icy feeling all over, it made one's hair stand on end.

Furthermore, these burning ghostly blue lights made this place even more terrifying.

Chen Liancang frowned and said, "Don't speak, everyone. Follow this servant forward and be careful of your surroundings."

"Understood!"

Over a hundred Jinyi Guard immediately advanced cautiously, watching the surrounding terracotta warriors vigilantly.

After they approached the terracotta warriors, everyone was so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe heavily.

After passing the leading terracotta warrior, unexpectedly nothing happened at all.

As they continued to advance, nothing happened!

These terracotta warriors neither blocked them nor attacked them.

It was as if… they were waiting for them.

Chen Liancang still grasped the Shadow Guard token in one hand while advancing, carefully sensing the aura around him at the same time.

It was too quiet!

Throughout the entire tomb, besides the footsteps and breathing sounds of their hundred-plus people, there wasn't a single trace of any other sound.

Of course, having no other sound was for the best.

Just in case there were, goodness knows what would happen.

Just as everyone walked to the very front, a mechanical friction sound suddenly came from ahead.

Then they saw a rigid, forward-moving figure slowly appear before them.

The lights flickered, and as everyone opened their eyes to look, they discovered that what appeared before them was actually an eunuch with a bronze-colored body and wearing dark blue palace attire…!

This eunuch was expressionless with bronze skin, looking just like a clay sculpture, yet it coldly blocked everyone's path, causing everyone's breathing to involuntarily stall by half.

"You people… who are you?"

"For what purpose… have you come?"

Chen Liancang, who was at the lead, repeated his old trick, raising the Shadow Guard token in his hand and saying, "this servant, the Shadow Guard head manager, urgently requests an audience with Your Majesty!"

"Shadow Guard, matches, may enter the imperial mausoleum!"

"What are the identities of the rest of the people?"

Chen Liancang frowned slightly. What kind of method were these terracotta figures using to move, and they could even communicate with people?

A thought flashed through his mind, and he said in a low voice, "Everyone, take out your identity tokens."

The group successively untied the tokens from their waists and held them high in their hands.

"Shadow Guard, Chen Xiao!"

"Jinyi Guard thousand-householder, Chen Jianping!"

"Mojin Captain, Hu Bafeng!"

Intermittent voices sounded as over a hundred people all took out their own identity tokens.

"Shadow Guard, matches, may enter the imperial mausoleum!"

But strangely, this eunuch terracotta figure was still repeating that sentence.

Chen Liancang glanced at the eunuch and then at Chen Xiao, saying, "Chen Xiao will enter with this servant. The rest of you wait here."

"Understood!"

"Click…!"

Right at this moment, that eunuch terracotta figure suddenly moved again, and its voice also turned into a hoarse, raspy duck voice, as if one of the originally rubbing rusted iron plates had turned into rough ceramics.

"Who are you! Without an identity token, you must be here to assassinate Your Majesty!"

"Assassin!"

"Take this person down!"

"Click…"

"Click click click…"

Harsh friction sounds came over as the surrounding terracotta warriors all mechanically turned around, their weapons pointing far toward the center of the team.

The many Jinyi Guards were so frightened that they retreated one after another, revealing the figure in their midst.

That was… Linghu Cang!

At this moment, his complexion was greenish-blue, obviously enduring the corpse poison within his body.

When everyone looked at him in shock, along with the icy gazes of the surrounding terracotta warriors, especially the eunuch terracotta figure directly ahead, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

"Father-in-law! You said you would spare my life…"

"Click!"

"Click click…"

A dozen or so terracotta warriors began to move, rigidly surrounding the center.

The surrounding Jinyi Guards didn't know whether to move or stay still, all looking toward Chen Liancang.

"Leave on your own; this servant will not make a move against you."

"Damn it…!"

Linghu Cang cursed inwardly, immediately executing qinggong and stepping on the yet-unmoving terracotta warriors, swiftly darting outward.

"Assassin!"

"Assassin!"

"Assassin!"

Suddenly, hoarse voices came from the surrounding darkness, and the harsh friction of bowstrings suddenly rang out.

Immediately after…

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh whoosh!!"

At least a dozen heavy crossbows shot forth from the darkness, directly shooting Linghu Cang in mid-air into a hedgehog!

This young hero of the Canglong Sword Sect, who hadn't died when passing through the heavy crossbow passage nor in the Hairy Zombie lair, died just like that at the hands of the terracotta warriors.

The many Jinyi Guards couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva, and Chen Xiao even whispered, "Adoptive Father?"

"We have already reached this place; we cannot fail Your Majesty's expectations of us."

"Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Ordering the Jinyi Guards to camp in place, Chen Liancang and Chen Xiao slowly ascended the steps in front of the Golden Luan Hall.

When the two passed by the eunuch terracotta figure, nothing happened at all.

And the eunuch terracotta figure also slowly retreated into the darkness.

A few breaths later, the two had already stepped onto the very front of the steps.

The tall Golden Luan Hall stood grandly ahead, giving the two a feeling of paying homage and worshiping.

Chen Liancang quickly reacted, stepped forward, and reached out to push the large doors, only to find that the doors were extremely heavy and sturdy. With his Innate Realm cultivation, he was actually unable to push them open?

"Adoptive Father, look over here quickly!"

Chen Xiao suddenly shouted, pointing at the bottom of the large doors, and Chen Liancang also lowered his head to look.

On the bluestone slabs directly in front of the Golden Luan Hall, lines of writing were actually carved!

Chen Liancang stepped back two paces and hurriedly looked over.

"Blood rain descends from the heavens, severing the Dao of Immortality. After Spiritual Qi recovers, my Zheng descendants may drip their essential blood onto it to enter my hall and receive my Legacy!"

"Anyone who is not my Zheng descendant and enters casually shall have their body and soul destroyed!"

The last few characters seemed to be forged with swords and sabers, exuding a chilling, gloomy aura.

"This is… an Immortal Dao Legacy?"

Chen Xiao asked in surprise, "Adoptive Father, Adoptive Father?"

Chen Liancang also quickly reacted and immediately said, "Chen Xiao, go out alone and report everything about this place to Your Majesty one by one."

"This place seems to be a Legacy ground specially established by Emperor Taizu for the Zheng descendants. Have Your Majesty come quickly."

"Understood!"

Chen Xiao said pleasantly surprised, immediately turning to leave the steps and quickly running toward the outside of the imperial mausoleum.

As a Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist, the Hairy Zombies within the underground capital posed no threat to him at all.

Tianshou Mountain Imperial Palace.

At this moment, the sky was already fully bright, and Zheng Yi looked strangely at the Chen Xiao before him, asking:

"You are saying that beneath Emperor Taizus Mausoleum is an underground capital and an underground imperial palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"There is no danger inside, and as long as one possesses an official court position token, one can walk around freely?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"The Golden Luan Hall is the Legacy ground left behind by Emperor Taizu, and orthodox descendants can open the Golden Luan Hall doors with essential blood?"

"That… That's what the writing beneath the Golden Luan Hall says, and we didn't dare to try it casually."

Chen Xiao said cautiously, "Your Majesty, what do you think…"

Zheng Yi frowned. Have him go beneath Emperor Taizus Mausoleum? What a joke!

Not to mention whether there were any undiscovered dangers in the underground imperial palace, just the special door-opening method in front of the Golden Luan Hall requiring the dripping of essential blood from Zheng descendants, he wouldn't dare to go!

Damn it, although his surname was also Zheng, he was not truly of the Great Yu Zheng Clan imperial family.

Let alone himself, even his ten daughters and one prince were not descendants of the imperial Zheng clan!

"I definitely cannot go. According to what Chen Xiao said, anyone who is not court-officially positioned will inevitably be attacked by the terracotta warriors inside."

"And I am not a person of the imperial family; once the dripping blood doesn't match, it will definitely trigger a chain reaction."

Zheng Yi quickly thought within his mind.

"Furthermore, I cannot not go. We have already reached the center of the imperial mausoleum; if I don't go now, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of others."

"Especially Chen Liancang…"

"If there were other imperial descendants around, that would be great. Unfortunately, all those other rebel kings have bloody well rebelled!"

"Other imperial relatives cannot be brought over casually either. If they were to discover that I dug up Emperor Taizus Mausoleum, it would definitely cause a shock throughout the court at that time!"

"Hmm?"

His eyes suddenly lit up as he said in surprise, "That's right, it seems I really do have a person of the Zheng clan imperial family in my hands!"