Chapter 41: The National Master’s Unexplained Hatred and Swift Death

She quickly stored all the flashlights on the ground into her space and observed through the mirror from within her space.

A middle-aged man, holding an oil lamp, quickly descended. He lit all the wall-mounted lamps as he moved.

When the middle-aged man saw the state of the underground area, he nearly choked in shock.

“Who the hell did this?!” His precious herbs and gold that he had kept for years!

Xie Zhizhi recognized the man as the National Master of the Daxing Dynasty, whom the original owner had met once before. She didn’t have a very good impression of him.

She rested her chin in thought and wondered, “These things in the tunnel aren’t from the dog emperor, but from him? What is his relationship with that emperor?”

She couldn’t figure it out right now, so she decided it was best to meet up with Jing Lan and the others.

Halfway back, the National Master suddenly coldly spoke, “Xie Zhizhi! No matter where you run, you’ll never escape from my grasp!”

For a moment, she almost thought he could see her!

But no, after saying those words, the National Master angrily left the tunnel and climbed the stairs.

She couldn’t just let some inexplicable old man, who seemed to hold a grudge against her, leave.

As for the reason for his grudge? It didn’t matter.

Dead people posed no threat.

Without hesitation, she threw a water orb the size of a soccer ball at the National Master.

Then, she swiftly left the tunnel, unaware that the answer would soon come from a small box.

The National Master stood still, and suddenly, the orb slammed into his back, sending him tumbling down the stairs with immense force. The shock was so powerful it shattered his internal organs, and he coughed up a mouthful of thick blood.

He realized too late that someone had been in the tunnel!

Before he could think further, his body rolled down the stairs and all the way back to the empty area of the tunnel.

Unable to even scream for help, his body—though skilled—was crushed by the overwhelming force of the attack. All he could do was helplessly watch the light above him.

So unwilling—his mission had not yet been completed.

The National Master slowly closed his eyes, his breath fading away.

By the time Xie Zhizhi made it back outside, she thought about it for a moment—she didn’t know what kind of person the National Master was. There was no need to burn him with fire, after all. What if he resurrected?

So, she turned back.

By the time she reached the man’s body, he had already passed.

She quietly set a small fire and added a bit of extra fuel before leaving.

The guards above dared not enter. The late emperor had given strict orders that no one was allowed to enter the emperor’s private quarters, let alone this hidden tunnel, which they hadn’t even known existed before today.

Since the tunnel was lined with jade, it was not flammable. The fire had a hard time spreading, and the guards, after five long hours, still didn’t dare enter. They had received no word from the emperor, and it wasn’t until nightfall that they dared to descend and ask the National Master’s opinion.

But when they arrived, all they found was a pile of ashes.

…

Meanwhile, in contrast to the chaos at the palace, a secluded house in the imperial city was filled with warmth and happiness.

Jing Lan and Jing Zhe were in the courtyard, sorting through the many supplies and dried food they had bought, preparing to bring them inside.

When Xie Zhizhi arrived, she saw the courtyard was stacked high with dried food, towering as tall as the two of them.

She patted the sturdy sacks and leaned against a nearby wall, laughing, “Bought so much already? Is the money enough?”

Jing Lan walked out from the house and smiled at her, “Enough money, and we even bought three blood-sweating horses! They’re grazing in the bamboo forest behind.”

“Blood-sweating horses?” Xie Zhizhi’s eyes lit up. She was eager to see them. “Take me to see them!”

Jing Lan immediately led her over.

Xie Zhizhi was impressed by the sleek, glossy coats and energetic appearance of the blood-sweating horses. Her own Land Rover suddenly felt less appealing.

Seeing her admiration, Jing Lan suggested, “Sis Zhizhi, do you want to try riding one?”

She nodded eagerly, “Sure!”

The original owner could ride horses, and though Xie Zhizhi wasn’t an expert, she had been to horse riding fields in the modern world, so she was far from unfamiliar with it.

With a swift movement, she jumped onto the horse’s back. The blood-sweating horse, surprisingly calm, allowed her to pet it and didn’t shy away. She tugged at the reins and grinned, “Oh, so obedient. Let’s see what you can do!”

The horse seemed to understand her words and gradually started running, from slow to fast, galloping through shallow water puddles and weaving between the trees.

Xie Zhizhi kicked off her scarf and squeezed her legs, thoroughly enjoying herself in the forest.

When she stopped, she rewarded the horse with some spiritual spring water, wondering whether it could make animals smarter, as she had read about in fantasy novels.

The horse seemed to recognize the preciousness of the water, lowering its head and drinking eagerly from the bowl she offered, its tail happily swishing back and forth.

“You’re quite the little clever one, aren’t you? You probably like the taste of the spiritual spring water, right?” she murmured. The water she drank here was infused with spiritual energy, and even her bath had that effect. It was natural that animals would be drawn to it, given their keen sense of smell.

The blood-sweating horse drank happily, occasionally glancing at her with eyes full of reliance and joy.

“Well, looks like you want to flatter me? But I can’t hear your compliments!” She patted its back and waited until it finished drinking before returning to the courtyard.

After feeding the other two horses, she grabbed two large boxes and entered the house, bringing in the tools she had just organized in her space.

“Jing Lan, Jing Zhe, let’s make something different today.” She placed the large boxes down and poured herself a cup of water. Not seeing the two around, she called out.

At that moment, Jing Lan and Jing Zhe were digging a cellar in the backyard to store food. Hearing her voice, they quickly stopped and ran back to the living room.

“Miss, what are these?” they asked, pointing at the strange, shiny boxes.

She opened one and surprised them both.

Inside were many unfamiliar items, but some looked vaguely familiar—similar to the weapons she had been holding earlier that morning.

Xie Zhizhi lazily took out the components and small machines, mysteriously saying, “Come on, let’s make a gun.”

The morning’s events had given her a wake-up call. If she encountered someone like today again and couldn’t defeat the awakened one instantly, she would need some backup.

Guns would be very useful.

Though she couldn’t buy a gun in the modern world, she could get parts, cutting tools, and materials for bullets.

Making guns privately was illegal in the modern world, but here, in this world, it wouldn’t be against the law, right?