200: Discovering the central main hall is a huge windfall!

"Damn it! What do we do?" Zhang Dada asked impatiently. "Let's smash this place open!"

"Wait," Ye Bai stopped him, saying, "I remember that Elderly Person mentioning that we absolutely must not damage the lock."

Zhang Dada asked, "Then what should we do?"

"I have a way." Ye Bai smiled and pulled the Pearl out of his pocket.

He held up the Pearl and shook it toward the lock, and the lock immediately loosened.

Ye Bai opened the gate and waved them in: "Hurry up and come in, the door is open."

Yang Mi walked inside. Just as she stepped over the Threshold, a clicking sound suddenly came from behind her, and the door actually closed. She quickly turned back, shouting in extreme panic, "Why did it close? Open it up! Ye Bai!"

Zhang Dada and Yang Mi were shut outside, and they immediately started banging on the door in a panic: "Help! Open the door!"

Ye Bai walked through the gate. He looked around and found a Keyhole hanging on the wall. He turned the Keyhole a few times, and the gate slowly opened.

He opened the door, let Zhang Dada and Yang Mi enter, then restored the lock, sending them onto another Fork in the Path.

"Thank you, Ye Bai!" Yang Mi looked at him gratefully.

"You're welcome." Ye Bai smiled. "You two stay here for a while. Once I find clues, I'll figure out a way to get you out."

Yang Mi nodded.

Zhang Dada, however, frowned suspiciously and asked, "Where are you going? Are you abandoning us?"

Ye Bai said, "I won't."

Zhang Dada showed a look of suspicion.

Ye Bai explained, "I have some Private Matters I need to attend to."

"Then you have to come back soon~" Zhang Dada instructed. "Don't forget about us."

"Mhm, I know." Ye Bai said, "I'll be back very soon."

With that, he waved goodbye to them and left the room alone, entering another Corridor.

Compared to the previous one, this Corridor lacked many Luxurious Furnishings, appearing plain and old.

The building was too massive. They walked for a while without seeing the end. Ye Bai stood at the end of the long Corridor, looking up, and noticed that the Dome above his head was inverted, as if it had been hollowed out from the middle, revealing a boundless, pitch-black night sky.

"Strange..."

"What's strange?"

"This house is too large."

"Could it be that this place is actually a Labyrinth?

" Zhang Dada wondered.

Ye Bai nodded: "It's highly possible. This is very likely a giant Labyrinth, and we must escape quickly."

Zhang Dada said, "Alright. But since we've entered the Labyrinth, we must proceed with caution. The things here are bizarre and varied; a moment of carelessness could lead to danger."

Yang Mi agreed, saying, "I heard that a long time ago, this place was once an Emperor's palace. These houses might be the Sleeping Chambers where he lived back then."

"Then we must be doubly careful." Ye Bai said, "No matter who it is, living in an Imperial Palace, they would eventually get bored. They might devise various ways to torment others, or perhaps design many Traps to punish Intruders."

"You're right." Yang Mi agreed.

Zhang Dada asked, "Which way should we go?"

Ye Bai pointed towards the Central Main Hall and said, "This way."

The two continued advancing along the long Corridor.

Along the way, they encountered several mechanisms and Traps. Fortunately, Ye Bai was quick to react and noticed them in time, allowing them to dodge promptly, or they would surely have been injured.

The further they walked inside, the dimmer the light became in the rooms. Occasionally, flames would leap up, illuminating the hideous Portraits on the walls, sending shivers down their spines.

"Oh my god, is this really an Imperial Mausoleum? Why is it so creepy?" Zhang Dada shivered.

Yang Mi whispered, "I heard people say before that the Mausoleum of the Imperial Family are extremely dangerous. These burials themselves represent the transition and change of power in ancient Dynasty. Every time an Imperial Mausoleum was constructed or repaired, it would attract public onlookers."

"And in such circumstances, the Imperial Family would often arrange numerous Traps inside their Sleeping Chambers to guard against infringement by Tomb Robbers."

"It is said that after the Emperor died, his outer coffin was buried in the earth, but the Coffin Lid would not be completely shut. As long as someone touched the coffin board, the Poisonous Needles beneath the board would pierce it and shoot the Corpse Thieves."

"Therefore, inside the Imperial Family's Mausoleum, besides Funerary Objects, many Weapons and Armor were also stored. The layout here is very similar to that of an Imperial Mausoleum."

Zhang Dada said, "I see. As expected of an Emperor, truly formidable."

Ye Bai did not interject. His steps halted, and he stared at the coffin in front of him with a solemn expression.

Yang Mi and Zhang Dada walked up beside him, and looking at the coffin, both showed expressions of vigilance.

Suddenly, Ye Bai lifted his leg and kicked the Coffin Lid flying, then grabbed a sword and stepped inside. Zhang Dada and Yang Mi exchanged a look and quickly followed.

The three walked into the coffin and found a Skeleton lying inside.

His skull was in a sitting posture, hands folded over his abdomen, and his chest cavity was broad, clearly indicating he was a robust male in life. His facial features were blurred, but he was faintly discernible as a handsome middle-aged man.

Zhang Dada gasped, "It's a Prince! I saw the jade pendant hanging from his waist. Is this jade pendant worth a thousand gold pieces?"

Ye Bai squatted down and carefully examined his wrists, palms, neck, and knees. Although the Skeleton was fresh, the skin showed signs of weathering.

His clothes were still stained with blood, suggesting he had struggled in his final moments, leaving behind mottled bloodstains.

"Judging by his attire, he certainly doesn't look like an ordinary person." Zhang Dada touched the bones again. "If he was a Member of the Imperial Family in life, he should have had accompanying Guards, right?"

Yang Mi shook her head: "I don't know." She reached out and pushed the Coffin Lid. The Coffin Lid didn't budge.

"What's wrong?" Ye Bai asked.

Yang Mi said, "It seems... it was nailed shut?"

Zhang Dada leaned in to look and indeed saw an Iron Spike driven into the Coffin Lid.

"Damn it, who's so wicked?!" Zhang Dada raged. "I'm going to sue them; this is Murder for Profit."

Ye Bai said, "Stop fooling around and quickly pry open the Coffin Lid." As he spoke, he took out his Dagger, preparing to cut the Iron Spike, when suddenly, a dull thud came from behind him.

He quickly jumped out of the coffin.

A thick Stench of Decay rushed at him. He turned his head and saw that Zhang Dada had already fainted, his face pale green.

Yang Mi also had a bitter taste in her mouth and was trembling all over.

Ye Bai helped Zhang Dada up and dragged him out.

After he dragged Zhang Dada out of the coffin, Yang Mi also stumbled out after him. The Stench of Decay grew stronger. Ye Bai covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, but his eyes remained calm and vigilant.

Yang Mi's voice was tearful: "Ye Bai, what exactly is going on? Zhang Dada isn't going to be hurt, is he?"

Ye Bai didn't answer. Instead, he squatted down to check Zhang Dada's condition.

He took a bottle of water from his Backpack and sprinkled some on Zhang Dada's face.