【Discovered Huai King’s Tomb Check-in Point. Spend 10 points to check in?】

Gu Qingyan’s heart jumped. Huai King’s Tomb? 10 points? What kind of tomb check-in costs 10 points? Is there a jade seal hidden inside?

Wait a minute, the bandits were digging deep in the mountains—not for gold or silver mines, and definitely not iron mines.

They were digging graves? Tomb robbing?

Going through so much trouble just to rob a tomb?

Could tomb robbing be more profitable than robbery?

Gu Qingyan lowered his head and walked toward the check-in point. He had to see what kind of rewards required spending 10 points to check in.

Fortunately, before coming here, just in case, Gu Qingyan had raised his medical skill to 70. The points he currently had were enough to splurge.

【Host: Gu Qingyan】

【Age: 15】

【Points: 70】

【Profession: Child (Enlightenment education completed)】

【Skill: Medical Skill Basic 70%】

With the check-in point marked, Gu Qingyan moved confidently through the unfamiliar map, heading straight to the point.

Unexpectedly, at the foot of the mountain stood two figures holding sharp blades.

Gu Qingyan frowned. The two men had upright postures, radiated a murderous aura, completely different from the bandits.

These were two entirely different groups!

No wonder Baldy Tattoo would rather spend 1,000 taels of silver bribing the guards than reveal his presence—turns out, the bandit lair wasn’t under his control.

Damn, this situation was beyond expectations. How many men did Magistrate Hong have under him? Even if they found the lair, it was uncertain if they could win.

He had to quickly send out the message to get Magistrate Hong to bring more troops.

Gu Qingyan turned his foot, about to avoid them.

“Stop.”

The guard barked fiercely, obviously having noticed him.

“New face, what’s your name? Whose underling are you?”

Gu Qingyan couldn’t walk away, so he turned and lowered his head to answer, “I’m under Baldy’s command. I didn’t mean to wander around. Big Brother ordered me not to go out. I… I just went out to pee and got lost.”

The two guards exchanged a glance and patted him down, finding no weapons.

In the darkness, all they saw was a dirty-faced kid, with bright eyes that looked innocent and inexperienced.

There was a maze outside the mountain; no one could break in without a guide. The two guards didn’t suspect much.

“Listen to Baldy carefully. This is no place for you.”

Looking at him, the guard softened his tone a little, thinking of his younger brother at home.

Gu Qingyan quickly nodded, then curiously asked, “Big Brother, what exactly is inside this mountain?”

“I just told you to listen and not talk back. Now scram.” The guard spoke sternly.

Seeing he couldn’t get any information, Gu Qingyan had to leave and find another way.

“Ahhhhhh—”

A string of miserable screams from inside the mountain made Gu Qingyan shiver and suddenly dart next to the guard, clutching his arm tightly.

“Brother, Big Brother save me! What’s that sound?”

The guard, obviously used to it, forcefully pried him off: “You’ll get used to it if you hear it enough. Go back to sleep and don’t wander at night.”

Gu Qingyan sensed the guard’s kindness and sniffled, “But I’m so scared. Big Brother, can you come back with me?”

The guard hesitated.

Another guard immediately shouted, “Are you stupid? Abandoning your post is punishable by death.”

“Hurry up and go, or if someone finds out, I won’t be able to save you.” The guard lost patience.

Gu Qingyan had no choice but to turn away, but the horrible screams echoed in his mind.

Digging graves at midnight was scary enough, but the screams from inside the mountain—what exactly were they doing?

His steps slowed, hoping to find out more information.

“Left Protector.”

Before Gu Qingyan could figure out how to get information about the digging, he heard a terrified voice behind him.

He turned and saw a lean, emaciated man with a pale face that stood out even in the night.

Suddenly, the man looked up at him.

Those cold eyes made Gu Qingyan shiver, sending chills down his spine.

This was bad—he needed to leave quickly.

Gu Qingyan quickened his pace, regretting wasting time earlier trying to gather information.

“Stop him.”

The man’s voice was icy.

A guard immediately pressed a sword to Gu Qingyan’s neck.

Gu Qingyan quickly begged, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I’m leaving now, I won’t do it again.”

Another guard pleaded, “Left Protector, this is Baldy’s young subordinate, he’s just a kid and doesn’t understand. Please don’t be too harsh.”

Gu Qingyan felt the hostile gaze piercing him and kept begging.

Suddenly, his chin felt icy cold.

The Left Protector’s cold fingers grabbed his face and lifted it up: “Young one, I don’t like what I see.”

His fingers on Gu Qingyan’s chin felt like venomous snakes. Gu Qingyan yelled, feeling something was wrong.

Up close, the Left Protector’s face was even paler, like it had been painted white—very strange.

“Left Protector, sir!”

Baldy hurried over, sensing something was wrong. Seeing this scene, he cursed Gu Qingyan harshly inside his heart but couldn’t give up that 10,000 taels.

“This is indeed my new subordinate, he’s ignorant and caused trouble, sir. I’ll take him back and teach him a lesson.”

He reached out to grab Gu Qingyan. “I told you not to run around, you fool. Come back with me now.”

Gu Qingyan lowered his head to dodge the hand and cooperated, “Big Brother, I know I was wrong.”

“Did I tell you to leave?”

That sinister voice stopped Baldy in his tracks.

Gu Qingyan felt the man’s trembling hands and sweat on his forehead—that was pure fear of the Left Protector.

Who was this cold and cruel man, that even the bandit boss feared him so much?

Baldy tried to bargain for the 10,000 taels: “I’ll punish him severely when we go back so he won’t dare again.”

The Left Protector chuckled lightly: “If he’s yours, then give him to me. Take him away.”

Before Gu Qingyan could react, he was grabbed and forced uphill.

He desperately looked back: “Boss, save me!”

Baldy, thinking of the 10,000 taels, chased after two steps.

The Left Protector glanced coldly at him: “What, don’t want to let go?”

Baldy shivered and quickly sobered: “No, no, no. I’m willing. It’s Left Protector’s blessing to have this kid. I just wanted to ask if I could exchange him for my wife…”

Before he finished, the Left Protector’s cold glare silenced him. Baldy didn’t dare to continue.

He didn’t even look at Gu Qingyan again. Turning around, he quickly left the mountain top, afraid he’d be dragged along too.

Gu Qingyan’s heart sank. If even Baldy was this wary, then that sinister Left Protector definitely wasn’t someone good.

Countless ideas flashed through his mind, but just before making a move, he suddenly remembered—he originally wanted to go up the mountain.

Even though he was being forced up there now, as long as he reached the sign-in point, it would still count.

With that thought, Gu Qingyan relaxed a lot.

Seeing that he only struggled a couple of times before cooperating and walking forward on his own, the two men on either side exchanged surprised looks.

They assumed he must be a newcomer who didn’t understand how dangerous the mountain was—hence, the lack of fear.

The Left Protector led the way. Although the mountain path was dark, he moved quickly, as if strolling through his own backyard.

The two men holding Gu Qingyan were more cautious, following closely step by step.

The trail was shadowy, flanked by bushes on both sides. The wind whistled eerily through the trees, sending a chill through the air.

Tall trees loomed overhead, and dark shapes fluttered among them—some looked like leaves, others more like corpses. Gu Qingyan took one glance and quickly looked away.

Don’t scare yourself. It’s just a tree, he told himself.

He felt freezing cold the deeper they went—like walking into an ice cellar. His teeth had started chattering uncontrollably.

The sign-in point was getting closer. Gu Qingyan thought he could hang in there a bit longer.

A sign-in point worth 10 points had to offer a good reward.

Closer, closer—just a few more steps and he’d reach it.

Excited, Gu Qingyan quickened his pace, nearly overtaking the Left Protector.

“Stay put.”

A sharp shove from behind spun him around.

Gu Qingyan watched helplessly as the sign-in point receded into the distance—he was being forced onto a different path.

“What’s that place over there? Why are the lights still on this late?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Neither of the men responded.

The Left Protector stopped and looked at him with a half-smile. “You want to go there?”

Gu Qingyan blinked. “If I had a choice, I’d like to take a look.”

That made the Left Protector laugh—but even his laughter was chilling and unsettling.

“No rush. You’ll go there eventually.”

Gu Qingyan shivered. Before he could reply, he was shoved into a tent.

“Clean him up. Bring him to the altar at the third quarter of the hour.”

With that, the Left Protector turned and left.

When Gu Qingyan moved, the guards at the door drew their swords, the blades glinting coldly.

Inside the tent stood two middle-aged women, faces dull and sallow. They reached out to strip his clothes.

“What are you taking my clothes off for? Wait, wait—I can do it myself, alright?”

The women stepped back a bit.

Gu Qingyan slowly removed his outerwear, probing, “Just undressing, right? Is there anything else? That Left Protector just now—he’s pretty impressive. What’s his name?”

The two women stayed silent.

“We met by fate. No harm in chatting a bit, right? Sisters, how long have you been here? Have you seen anyone else? My big brother told me not to come near here. Was there a reason?”

“We sent a lot of people up the mountain before. Why haven’t I seen a single one of them? Do you know where they all went?”

No matter how much he talked, the women remained silent.

“C’mon, don’t be like that. I came with Baldy—you know him? The guy with the tattoo on his head?”

One of the women’s expressions flickered. She opened her mouth and made garbled sounds.

Gu Qingyan looked more closely and his face darkened—both women had their tongues cut out.

“You…”

He frowned. “You want to say something? You know Baldy? Can you write?”

“Quit the chatter and hurry up!” a harsh voice barked from outside.

The agitated woman immediately fell silent. Working together, the two fetched a wooden tub of hot water and gestured for Gu Qingyan to get in.

Dazed and confused, Gu Qingyan was pushed into the bath, still not understanding what they intended to do.

Even if they were digging up graves, there was no need to bathe someone this thoroughly.

And they didn’t just clean him—they dressed him in a white robe with faint, intricate patterns. It was clearly no ordinary fabric.

An altar?

A chill shot through him. “Don’t tell me they’re planning to use me as a human sacrifice?”

Digging up graves in the middle of the night was creepy enough—who performs rituals at this hour?

Something cold slipped into his hand.

Startled, Gu Qingyan looked at the woman who had just dressed him—she had secretly passed him a tent peg.

It was an iron peg used to fasten the tent down.

Before he could process it, a voice outside urged, “Is it done yet? Don’t miss the auspicious hour!”

Gu Qingyan was shoved out of the tent.

The guard at the entrance took one look at him and sneered, “The Left Protector has a good eye. Who knew a mountain bandit could look this decent?”

“Let’s go. Didn’t you want to see what’s over there? We’ll take you.”

Gu Qingyan walked forward and soon spotted the unmistakable sign-in point marker again.

He now had two choices.

Use the knockout drug he had and knock out the two guards behind him, then escape—he’d never have to face that sinister Left Protector again.

Running now was safer. Once he disappeared into the mountains, these people might not be able to catch him.

But if he ran, he might never find out what was really going on.

The second option was to play along and investigate.

Gu Qingyan looked up at the shimmering sign-in point and decided to take the risk.

If things got dangerous inside, he could always find a way to escape later.

He put on a submissive, obedient expression and timidly asked, “Big brothers, I just work at the foot of the mountain. That makes us sort of family, right? Where are you taking me?”

“Is it to dig something up in the mountain? Why the change of clothes? White robes aren’t exactly practical for work…”

“When can I go back down the mountain? My big brother will definitely be worried about me.”

The guard sneered. “Relax. Your big brother won’t worry.”

Gu Qingyan put on a frightened look. “Big brother, what do you mean by that? Will I… will I be able to go back down? I’m a little scared…”

He knew his baby-faced features and sorrowful expression could easily trigger a protective instinct.

“Now you’re scared? Too late.”

The guard, cold as stone, said, “If you want to blame someone, blame your own bad luck for walking into this yourself.”

Gu Qingyan stopped testing the waters. From their reactions, it was clear—those who entered the altar never came out alive.

He couldn’t understand it. Lingchuan County wasn’t an ancient capital of past dynasties, so what kind of grand tomb was buried here that warranted such a huge operation, even preparing human sacrifices?

Who exactly were these people, and what were they trying to do?

The further he walked, the more shocked Gu Qingyan became. The check-in point was clearly close by, yet no matter how far he walked, it remained just out of reach—like a mirage.

Very soon, he understood why: the check-in point wasn’t on the surface.

“Get in.” Gu Qingyan was shoved into an opening.

He looked around and noticed freshly excavated marks, which confirmed the cave had been recently dug by hand.

What kind of tomb robber worked so flamboyantly? Even Cao Cao’s legendary tomb raiders hadn’t gone this far.

And if this was tomb robbery, why not just dig up the treasures and leave? What was the point of all these rituals? Don’t tell him these thieves were superstitious—robbing ancestral graves and still lighting incense?

The light grew stronger, and the cave opened up.

Inside, a sacrificial altar had been carved out.

No, not carved out recently—the altar was ancient, built of white jade, clearly from a bygone era.

Around the altar burned dozens of large bonfires, their fierce flames illuminating every corner of the cave.

The check-in point was located right on the altar.

And below the altar, many young boys and girls dressed in white were tied up. Their faces were pale, and they were weeping and wailing.

Gu Qingyan raised a foot to step onto the altar.

“It’s not time yet. Don’t be in such a rush to die.”

A guard reached out, yanked him back, and shoved him straight into the group of white-clad youths.

Gu Qingyan stumbled and only stopped when he collided into someone.

He turned back and shouted, “Hey! Be careful! Are you going to take responsibility if I get hurt? I just got cleaned up!”

The guard sneered and gave him a sympathetic look but didn’t argue. Still, they blocked the way tightly—there was no getting on the altar now.

The check-in point was right in front of him, yet he couldn’t reach it. Gu Qingyan’s eyes darted about, scheming.

“Why are you crying?” he asked the boy he had bumped into, who looked to be only fourteen or fifteen.

“We’re about to die! Shouldn’t I cry?”

As soon as he was asked, the boy broke down, sobbing loudly. “Father, Mother, I’m sorry. If I’d known I’d be caught and used as a sacrifice, I would’ve behaved. I wouldn’t have run off.”

Once he started crying, the others around him followed suit.

“Mother, I’m an unfilial daughter. I’ll be your daughter again in the next life.”

“I don’t want to die! My family is rich—please, let me go. I have lots and lots of money!”

“Human sacrifice is illegal! Don’t you people have any respect for the law?”

The crying grew deafening. A guard drew his blade with a sharp ring: “Shut up, all of you!”

Seeing the weeping wouldn’t stop, he raised the back of his knife and struck the loudest boy.

“If you keep crying, I’ll kill you now.”

The boy’s head split open from the blow, blood pouring down his face, instantly silencing the rest in fear.

Gu Qingyan was also startled. Knowing some medicine, he rushed over to help: “Don’t worry, it’s just a surface wound. Stop the bleeding and you’ll be fine.”

It was the boy he had spoken to earlier. Crying and sniffling, the boy said, “We’re going to die anyway. I’d rather be killed now than used as a sacrifice.”

Gu Qingyan shielded him and whispered, “Where are we? Who are these people? The Great Zhou forbids human sacrifice—even burial sacrifices are illegal. How do they dare?”

The boy just shook his head and cried harder.

Gu Qingyan frowned. “Then how did you get caught? What’s your name? Who else is in your family?”

The boy wiped his eyes with despair. “What’s the point in saying anything now?”

He looked completely resigned to death.

Gu Qingyan glanced around and lowered his voice. “My name is Gu Qingyan. I’ve infiltrated this place under orders from the magistrate of Hong County. They’re right outside and could storm in to rescue us at any time.”

At those words, the boy perked up, though his tears flowed even harder.

Gu Qingyan suspected this kid was made of water—how could he cry so much?

“Really? Someone’s coming to save us?”

Gu Qingyan nodded. “Of course. But they’re short on manpower, and charging in recklessly could be dangerous. How long have you been here? Have you learned anything?”

“I’m Lu Yanchi. I was kidnapped while out during the Shangsi Festival. I’ve been held here for over ten days.”

Lu Yanchi asked through tears, “When will they come save us?”

Gu Qingyan whispered, “We have to wait a bit longer. Brother, do you know anything else? The more you know, the better our chances.”

“I don’t. Ever since we were captured, we’ve been locked up. Today’s the first day we’ve been brought out.”

Lu Yanchi’s face was full of fear. “They said at the moment of yin-yang convergence today, they’ll carry out the human sacrifice and enter the tomb to retrieve some kind of jade seal. They’re all mysterious—I suspect it’s a cult.”

“There were originally forty-nine of us, but one person couldn’t bear the humiliation and bit their tongue to kill themselves. I think that’s why you were caught last-minute to replace them.”

Lu Yanchi secretly looked Gu Qingyan up and down and approved of his appearance.

“The human sacrifices must be beautiful youths. Anyone else won’t do.”

Gu Qingyan looked around and saw it was true.

All the white-clad boys and girls were handsome or beautiful—none of them ugly. Even the crybaby was quite elegant in appearance.

No wonder they had chosen him and not some random bandit.

Gu Qingyan tried to gather more clues, but the more he learned, the more uncertain he felt. He could only hope the magistrate would arrive with reinforcements.

Little did he know, in another part of the mountain forest, the magistrate of Hong County was leading his constables while cursing nonstop—but it was no use.

After circling back to the same place once again, the group was hoarse from shouting, completely drained.

“Miss Cao, your method isn’t working!”

Cao Baozhu was drenched in sweat. “Maybe we’re not cursing fiercely enough?”

“We’ve already cursed every ancestor they ever had! How is that not fierce enough?”

The magistrate knew deep down the problem was the illusion array. Just yelling wouldn’t solve it.

Because of the array, even the clues left by Gu Qingyan and the black ox had become part of the trap—they couldn’t guide the way.

He had some knowledge of mystical formations and had tried observing while yelling, but found nothing.

The longer it went on, the more worried he became that Gu Qingyan, deep in the enemy’s lair, was in mortal danger.

“Did you hear something?” Cao Baozhu suddenly asked.

The constables trembled. “There’s nothing in the forest, Miss Cao. Don’t scare us.”

“There really is a sound.” Cao Baozhu looked deeper into the woods.

“Silence! Listen carefully!” the magistrate barked.

Everyone quieted down and held their breath.

“Moo—”

Cao Baozhu shouted excitedly, “It’s that ox! The black ox belonging to Young Master Gu!”

“Follow it!”

The magistrate led his people, tracking the sound, and soon they spotted the black ox.

“Sir, it’s just the ox. The young master isn’t here.”

The magistrate focused on the ox. “It’s intelligent. It’ll lead us to him.”

Before he finished speaking, the black ox mooed and took off running.

The magistrate and his group immediately followed.

Back in the cave, Gu Qingyan hadn’t been able to gather much from the white-clad youths.

They had all been kidnapped and imprisoned in the mountains. Today was the first day they’d been cleaned up and brought to the altar.

All they knew was that they were to be sacrificed. As for who had captured them and why, they were completely in the dark.

Lu Yanchi’s eyes were full of fear. “Those people aren’t human. Some of us tried to resist and escape at first—they were all killed.”

“They even hung the bodies on the big tree by the gate.” The memory clearly traumatized him.

“That Left Protector… he knows sorcery.”

Gu Qingyan didn’t believe in sorcery. He suspected it was just sleight-of-hand tricks.

But the situation was definitely grave. He furrowed his brows tightly.

These victims came from nearby counties, some even from as far as Qingzhou, and one from Chengtian Prefecture.

With so many people kidnapped across such distances, there was no way a petty official like Scribe Bai could’ve orchestrated this alone.

Everything Gu Qingyan had observed since entering the bandit den confirmed it—the mountain bandits were afraid of these people.

He had thought he was storming a bandit nest, but it turned out he had disturbed a hornet’s nest.

Lu Yanchi couldn’t help but ask again, “Will someone really come to save us? How many people? When exactly are they coming?”

Gu Qingyan gave him a reassuring look.

They couldn’t afford to wait any longer. If they did, once time ran out, what awaited them was being bled as human sacrifices.

Gu Qingyan looked toward the sacrificial altar—the brightly glowing check-in point was clearly visible.

What he had on hand were only a dagger and sleeve darts—neither lethal enough, especially with so many enemies.

The knockout powder might be useful, but there was no wind inside the cave. If the enemy was prepared, it would be useless.

Cao Baozhu’s father and brother were nowhere to be seen. It was unclear whether they had been killed or locked up somewhere else.

Gu Qingyan narrowed his eyes. “Cover me!”

“Huh?” Lu Yanchi looked confused.

The next second, Gu Qingyan flipped his body and leapt over the crowd, charging straight toward the altar.

He moved so fast that he zipped past two guards. As they reached out to grab him, he rolled and jumped right onto the sacrificial platform.

Two more steps and he’d reach the check-in point.

Gu Qingyan took one step forward—then suddenly leaned back and dropped.

An arrow shot past, hitting the ground just an inch in front of him—any closer, and it would’ve pierced his foot.

He was just two steps too slow. The guards had already caught up and kicked at his knee with force. “Looking to die, are you?”

The Left Protector slowly walked into the cave. “Be gentle. Don’t damage him.”

He needed to gather forty-nine people—so Gu Qingyan couldn’t be killed just yet.

Realizing this, Gu Qingyan twisted and hurled a metal spike behind him. One of the guards screamed. In the ensuing chaos, he lunged forward two more steps.

[You have successfully checked in at King Huai’s Tomb. You have obtained the skill “Possession by King Huai.”]

Before Gu Qingyan could feel any joy, a chill brushed against his neck.

A blade was pressed to his throat. Behind him came the Left Protector’s icy voice: “So eager to die? I’ll grant your wish.”