Little Pink Starfish

Su Wanting had just given a straightforward “Dig!” when suddenly, the wind rustled through the forest, making the willow branches sway wildly, as if they were wailing. The atmosphere instantly turned eerie. Zhang Qiu clearly felt a chill, though he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.

The Liu brothers, who had just taken out their Luoyang shovels, were so startled by the scene before them that they took two steps back, not daring to make a move.

“What are you standing around for? And you call yourselves grave robbers? With that little bit of courage?” Su Wanting mocked with both sarcasm and disdain.

Baldy, who usually didn’t care much for Su Wanting’s attitude, was the first to respond this time. “Give it to me,” he said. Da Liu handed over the Luoyang shovel, but as soon as he did, he felt a gust of wind drilling into his wrist, a coldness that seemed to seep into his bones, making him instinctively shrink back. Baldy shot him a glare and snatched the shovel away. Pingquan, watching from the side, took the shovel handed over by Xiao Liu. The two exchanged glances and, at the same time, thrust their shovels deep into the soil.

The moment the shovels pierced the ground, Zhang Qiu felt as though all the wind around him had suddenly stopped.

“Nothing… nothing happened,” Da Liu stammered, lips trembling slightly, with a hint of relief.

But Zhang Qiu didn’t think it was that simple. Sure enough, after just a second of eerie silence, the wind suddenly howled wildly, and the willow branches crackled and snapped in a way that sounded disturbingly unnatural, nothing like the normal rustling of wind through trees.

Da Liu was so frightened that his legs went weak, almost collapsing to the ground. Xiao Liu quickly supported him. “Brother, what’s wrong?” Ever since Da Liu had suffered from hysteria last time, his courage had shrunk dramatically. No one knew what kind of nightmare he had had, but now he was as timid as a quail.

The wind howled, like a ghost wailing in grief.

Da Liu trembled and leaned heavily on his younger brother, stammering, “Gh… ghosts! So many ghosts! The trees are full of ghosts!”

Zhang Qiu looked around, but he didn’t see any ghosts. Still, the sinister atmosphere in the forest was nearly as terrifying as a horde of ghosts. This place was indeed strange. His mind suddenly wandered to that eunuch who had called himself a servant.

What was his name again—

“My lord, save this humble servant.”

“This humble servant is Lingdang.”

“Someone wants to kill you.”

The words rang clearly in his ears. Zhang Qiu turned his head sharply—nothing was there. Lishu noticed his reaction and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Did you hear someone speaking?” Zhang Qiu asked. Seeing Li Shu shake his head, he lowered his voice. “Remember last time, when I told you about the ghost hitting the wall? The one who called himself a servant? My second sister-in-law said he was likely a eunuch. Just now, he spoke to me again.”

Li Shu’s brows furrowed slightly. Zhang Qiu repeated what Lingdang had said. When Li Shu heard “Someone wants to kill you,” his face turned dark as water. Zhang Qiu also felt uneasy after hearing Lingdang’s warning.

While they whispered to each other, Su Wanting had already lost her patience. She cursed a few times, snatched the Luoyang shovel from Pingquan’s hands, and started digging on her own. But she had no technique, randomly shoveling the soil. Pei Qing, seeing this, went over and forcibly took the shovel from her hands, his face cold. “Move aside.”

Su Wanting chuckled and stepped back two paces. Pei Qing plunged the shovel into the ground, and immediately, the howling wind stopped.

Su Wanting scoffed coldly and pointed at the shallow pit. “Useless. Now dig!” she snapped at Pingquan and the others. Then, her gaze shifted toward Zhang Qiu and the others.

Under the bright moonlight, Zhang Qiu met Su Wanting’s eyes and immediately shuddered. He wasn’t being paranoid—it was real. Just now, Su Wanting’s pupils had shrunk suddenly, leaving a large amount of the whites of her eyes exposed. She looked just like a Jiangshi from Resident Evil. But when he blinked and looked again, she was smiling sweetly at Li Shu, her pupils normal.

Even so, Zhang Qiu’s suspicions remained. He was certain he hadn’t seen it wrong.

Su Wanting was not human.

The Liu brothers took over the digging. Pei Qing might have strength, but he wasn’t a seasoned grave robber. If he continued digging at this pace, they wouldn’t break through until morning.

Pei Qing’s face darkened slightly, particularly as Su Wanting smirked at him in annoyance. But he didn’t say anything.

Zhang Qiu told Li Shu and Prince Huai of Xiapi about his discovery. The prince took a glance at Su Wanting and remarked, “She has a scent.”

“The same as Boss Jin’s,” Li Shu added.

Zhang Qiu was startled. “Su Wanting is Boss Jin?” That guy wasn’t dead?!

Li Shu shook his head. “No.”

Zhang Qiu let out a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t Boss Jin—that guy was a nightmare.

But Li Shu continued, “Su Wanting has the same rotting smell as Boss Jin. Though she hides it well.”

Prince Huai of Xiapi added, “And she’s more skilled than Boss Jin.”

Zhang Qiu glanced at Su Wanting from a distance. She was just an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl. Boss Jin had been involved with that sinister force seven years ago. If Su Wanting had cultivated in the same dark arts but was even more advanced than Boss Jin, then she must have started practicing at a very young age.

Su Wanting seemed to notice his gaze. She turned her head and flashed him an eerie smile under the moonlight, making her look even more sinister. Then she leaned in and whispered something to Pei Qing. Zhang Qiu couldn’t make out Pei Qing’s expression, but it was clear he didn’t want to continue the conversation. He turned to leave, but Su Wanting grabbed his arm. Pei Qing immediately lost his temper.

“You better back off! I won’t help you!”

Su Wanting stood in front of Pei Qing, blocking Zhang Qiu’s view of her face, so he couldn’t see her expression. But then, Prince Huai of Xiapi whispered behind him, “Brother, did you forget? Before our mother died, she told you to take care of me. You abandoned me. Now you still don’t want to care?”

Zhang Qiu froze. In the next second, he realized that the prince was repeating what Su Wanting had just said to Pei Qing.

Pei Qing’s expression wavered. He opened his mouth but didn’t speak. In the end, he shook off Su Wanting’s hand and walked toward Zhang Qiu’s group.

So Pei Qing and Su Wanting were siblings? But wasn’t Su Wanting the daughter of Su Zhijian? Zhang Qiu was confused.

When Pei Qing approached, the three of them acted normal. Pei Qing, still visibly irritated, only nodded at them before standing silently to the side.

Meanwhile, Xiao Liu had already climbed into the pit to dig the tunnel. In just over an hour, he had successfully broken through.

Su Wanting, unable to hide her excitement, was the first to descend. Pingquan called out, “Bring the gear down.” He glanced at a shaky Da Liu and hesitated. “Maybe you should stay up here?”

Da Liu was about to agree, but the cold wind behind him made him shiver. “N-no, I’ll come too.”

Pingquan didn’t argue further. In his mind, Da Liu had already proven unreliable.

Su Wanting led the way down, followed by Pingquan and the others. Then came Pei Qing, Prince Huai of Xiapi, Zhang Qiu, and finally Li Shu.

As they descended, a voice suddenly called out in the darkness:

“Su Wanting is missing.”

Zhang Qiu looked around and indeed didn’t see Su Wanting.

Baldy snorted coldly. “I knew that woman wanted to get ahead of us and take the loot first. Just like her ruthless, shameless father—he set me up and stole my stuff. But my things aren’t so easy to take.”

“What did she steal from you?”

Baldy glanced at Pei Qing, then sneered. “You know Su Wanting, don’t you? Let me give you a piece of advice—stay away from that woman. She’s a dangerous one. She’ll chew you up and leave nothing behind.” He paused, then added grimly, “That father and daughter duo tricked me and stole my box. This time, I’m getting it back—with interest.”

So that was the story.

Zhang Qiu scanned the surroundings. The tunnel they had dug led directly into a burial chamber. Inside, there were numerous human-shaped terracotta figurines, still brightly colored. Based on their facial features and clothing, they appeared to be from the Han Dynasty. Some eunuch figurines held musical instruments, while female attendants were posed in dancing stances—this group was clearly a set of performers.

Baldy had no patience for these artifacts. He barely glanced at them before turning his attention back to Su Wanting. Urging everyone to hurry up, he insisted the real treasures lay deeper inside.

Zhang Qiu had no objections, and they left the burial chamber. Ahead was a passageway that branched into two directions.

Unsure which path to take, Zhang Qiu instinctively looked at Li Shu. Li Shu asked, “Which way do you want to go?”

Zhang Qiu immediately recalled the disaster at the Shandong General’s tomb when Li Shu had asked him the same question. He quickly shook his head.

Pei Qing pointed to the path behind them. “This way.”

But Baldy clearly didn’t trust Pei Qing. He pointed to the other tunnel. “This way. Follow me.”

Pingquan and the Liu brothers exchanged glances before making their choice—they followed Baldy. From their perspective, Pei Qing was obviously connected to Su Wanting. Just moments ago, they had been arguing, and now Su Wanting had vanished. She was definitely up to something. Trusting Pei Qing? No way.

Pei Qing watched Baldy and the others disappear down the tunnel with an unreadable expression. Then he turned to Zhang Qiu. “Do you trust me?”

Zhang Qiu hesitated. His gut feeling told him Pei Qing wasn’t a bad person. But back at the tomb entrance, Pei Qing had clearly hesitated when dealing with Su Wanting. Zhang Qiu wasn’t sure what to think.

Li Shu nodded and pointed in the direction Pei Qing had chosen. “Let’s go.”

Pei Qing said nothing, but his relief was visible. He took the lead.

“After all, we don’t know which way to go anyway,” Li Shu said casually, meeting Zhang Qiu’s gaze.

Zhang Qiu was speechless. Great. Just like in Shandong—walking blindly and hoping for the best. He didn’t even know how to complain anymore. But strangely, he felt a little more at ease. If they had followed Baldy, something about it wouldn’t have felt right. Deep down, Zhang Qiu actually did trust Pei Qing a little more.

He just hoped he wouldn’t regret it.

After walking about a hundred meters, they reached another burial chamber. Zhang Qiu shone his flashlight on the stone door, examining the intricate carvings.

Suddenly—

BANG! A gunshot rang out in the distance.

It was close.

Then another shot. And another. Followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps, running in their direction.

Ragged breathing. Muffled voices.

Zhang Qiu listened intently. “Is that Baldy and the others?”

Li Shu nodded, eyes fixed on the dark corridor. “They’re being chased. By a Jiangshi.”

The passage stretched far in both directions, with small side chambers branching off. If they missed this one, who knew when the next safe spot would appear?

The footsteps behind them grew louder.

Pei Qing was already pushing the stone door open. Zhang Qiu followed close behind—

But just as Pei Qing stepped inside, he suddenly let out a startled cry. His voice echoed eerily through the corridor.

Zhang Qiu rushed in, but—

Pei Qing was gone.

He had vanished.

Zhang Qiu crouched and ran his hands over the ground. “It’s a trapdoor. Pei Qing fell through.” He called out a few times, but there was no response—just an eerie silence.

Zhang Qiu’s stomach dropped.

Li Shu didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Zhang Qiu and pulled him close. “Hold on.”

Then he jumped.

Prince Huai of Xiapi followed immediately after.

They landed on solid ground. Zhang Qiu quickly shone his flashlight around. Pei Qing was nowhere in sight.

They were in another burial chamber. Three coffins lay before them. Two were already decayed, with bones spilling onto the ground.

“Where’s Pei Qing?” Zhang Qiu asked. They had jumped down right after him. How could he have disappeared so quickly?

Li Shu took a few steps forward, stopping beside the middle coffin. Zhang Qiu followed—

And his eyes widened in shock.

The coffin lid was open.

Inside, Pei Qing lay motionless.

Zhang Qiu’s scalp tingled. “Did he—did he jump in there himself? That’s way too—” bizarre.

Before he could finish his sentence—

Pei Qing’s eyes snapped open.

He wasn’t groggy. His eyes were sharp and alert, filled with wariness. When he saw them, he relaxed slightly. “You guys fell down here too?”

Zhang Qiu knocked on the coffin. “Get out first. This is way too creepy.”

Prince Huai of Xiapi asked, “What happened when you fell?”

Pei Qing looked around and finally realized he was lying inside a coffin. He immediately sat up and jumped out. “I fell down, saw a shadow flash past, and then I lost consciousness. When I woke up, you guys were here.”

A shadow? Was someone else down here? Su Wanting?

Zhang Qiu thought about it, then shook his head. No, it couldn’t be. Pei Qing was tall and strong, over 1.8 meters, and had military training. His reflexes were sharp. Even if it was Su Wanting, she couldn’t have knocked him out so quickly, dragged him into the coffin, and disappeared in such a short time.

“Or,” Prince Huai of Xiapi suddenly said, “maybe Pei Qing climbed into the coffin himself.”

It wasn’t impossible.

Zhang Qiu didn’t want to suspect Pei Qing, but the truth was, Pei Qing had been acting suspicious for a while.

“There’s no need for psychological tricks. I know what you’re thinking,” Pei Qing said calmly, looking at Prince Huai of Xiapi.

Zhang Qiu blinked. What psychological tricks?

Lishu looked at Pei Qing. “If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.”

Pei Qing hesitated. Then he said, “This was a private matter, but fine. I’ll explain.” He took a deep breath.

“Su Wanting and I are siblings. Same father, same mother. When I was ten, our mother passed away. My sister and I were sent to an orphanage. Soon after, a family came to adopt a child. I was too old, so they chose her. She was only four at the time. We were separated.

“I finished high school, joined the army, got injured, and retired to Beijing. I spent a long time searching and finally found out where she was.

“I visited her a few times. She seemed to be doing well, the daughter of the Su family. I thought I didn’t need to worry.

“But half a month ago, she contacted me. She asked for my help.”

He paused, then continued, “She wanted me to come with her on this tomb raid. She said something inside was extremely important. I didn’t know what, but I had promised our mother I’d take care of her. I failed for years. Now that she needed me, I couldn’t refuse.

“But I soon realized—my sister had changed.”

Pei Qing frowned. “Back in Changsha, she was the first to release that sickly-sweet scent. I saw Baldy get pulled under the water. She wanted him dead. That’s when I knew—this trip was not what she had claimed.”

Prince Huai of Xiapi looked at him. “You didn’t hallucinate from the scent?”

Pei Qing shook his head. “My training included resistance to such things.”

He looked at Li Shu. “Back at the tomb entrance, you overheard her, didn’t you? She told me to lead you all into the front tunnel.”

Li Shu’s expression darkened. He stared at a carving on the wall.

Then he said, “She’s watching us from the other side.”