15. Octagonal Copper Coffin

I'm a person who cherishes life, seeing Jia Boren go straight up to pull Lu Mingwei back, he even took the opportunity to stuff another leaf into his mouth, thinking if anything went wrong, he'd run toward the corridor.

In all those tomb-raiding novels I've read before, the fat characters are always the ones with witty humor and loads of skills. Why is it that the fat guy I meet is such a hopeless case?

"Uncle Lu, if anything happens later, just run outside. Don't worry about me; I can handle myself."

Lu Mingwei was scared to death by Jia Boren's actions. Hearing what I said, he could only nod, scrambling to the edge of the corridor...

Jia Bodong and Anna were also startled. Before they could even speak to stop him, Jia Boren had already crawled to the snake statue. With a loud shout, he threw the corpse directly onto the coffin. The body landed squarely on the snake ornament of the sarcophagus, settling steadily on top.

Patting his hands, he turned around with a contented smile and said,

"Didn't you say there was something wrong with this snake statue? I didn't even touch it, the job is done! Now I'm going to... Eh! Bro, why that expression? How awesome am I, your little bro! I told you that little girl wasn't reliable, all bluff and deceit, right?!"

Just as he hadn't finished talking, the Winged Snake perched on the sarcophagus's lid began to move. It was right behind Jia Boren, hissing, its eyes glinting with a sinister red light.

Jia Boren turned halfway and saw that everyone on the ground was staring at him with a look of horror, not understanding, he turned around and saw the bronze snake statue hissing at him.

"Ahhh! Mama mia!!!"

Anna immediately lashed out her whip, looping it around Jia Boren's waist, and together with Jia Bodong, they yanked Jia Boren back to the ground.

"Run!"

After Anna shouted, everyone turned to run into the corridor. Jia Boren had a large frame and was blocking the corridor, so no one could get through for a moment.

Jia Bodong kicked Jia Boren aside, and just as I was about to enter the corridor, Jia Boren somehow pulled out a pistol and started shooting at me.

"You stay here to feed the monster, you wretched woman!"

His shooting lacked accuracy, plus I was quick on my feet, so naturally, he didn't hit me.

But I had already lost the chance to escape. The bronze statue's tail wrapped around me and flung me back.

Lu Mingwei, who had originally been at the edge of the corridor, had been at the front during the escape. Hearing Jia Boren's words, he hurriedly turned to find me, but Jia Boren knocked him out cold carrying him off.

Taking advantage of the moment the bronze statue loosened its grip, I followed the inertia and did a somersault, landing firmly on the ground. Then I immediately drew the Immortal-binding Rope and Peach Wood Sword from my waist, though I didn't prepare to attack.

Because I could sense that there was a soul present inside the animated bronze statue, and its pursuit just now was clearly aimed at attacking Jia Boren.

I was just an unlucky sod incidentally caught by the statue.

To fight it, I certainly couldn't win.

I might as well lie down on the ground and wait for death; I might even leave a whole corpse.

If I really pissed off the bronze statue in combat, I might end up getting mauled into a meat patty.

The Immortal-binding Rope and Peach Wood Sword were just to prove my identity.

"Descendant of the Shaman, Bai Zitong, pays respect to the Immortal Family."

After I finished speaking, I promptly kneeled down on the ground. Life and death hung in an instant.

Little Black Ball at this moment was petrified by the pressure emanating from the Winged Snake, not daring to move an inch inside my pocket.

It's always right to offer respect before resorting to force. As for fighting, 100 of me couldn't beat a single bronze statue.

The Winged Snake is a divine beast!

How could I, a lowly Chuma Immortal, possibly contend with it?

"Thou… what year be today's eve?"

I heard there might be a twist of fate, quickly put my weapons back at my waist and kneeling with utmost respect, I replied:

"It's 2023. Ancestor…"

The bronze statue pondered for a moment then spoke in a cold voice,

"With thy sword, break those chains."

I looked at the Peach Wood Sword at my waist, then at the thick iron chains as thick as my waist, feeling somewhat conflicted. This is just a way of not wanting me to have my sword, isn't it?

The wooden sword chopping at the iron chains, especially ones this thick...

No wonder Grandmother was reluctant to give it to me before; kids are really prone to causing damage...

"Master, I'm naturally willing, but my sword is made of wood, and these chains..."

"Chop."

A strong and cold voice rang out, leaving no room for negotiation.

I pursed my lips, feeling a bit sorry for my Peach Wood Sword. I just thought that if I didn't survive, at least I could leave an intact body for the Peach Wood Sword and the Immortal-binding Rope to accompany me in burial, but now it seemed the Peach Wood Sword wouldn't be spared.

I took a deep breath, thinking that if I did survive this, I would stab Jia Boren a hundred times in the stomach. That bastard truly deserved to die.

"Alright, Master, you just watch."

I said no more and began to gather my strength. Master, who had just recovered, also roared to enhance the strength of my body. I chopped down hard and, to my surprise, the Peach Wood Sword emitted a golden glow upon contact with the chains, and the chains broke with a corresponding sound.

After severing one, I immediately jumped onto another platform and turned to chop again.

As I was cutting one after another, I noticed something strange with the coffin; eight chains were pulling at it, and logically, the coffin should have tilted and collapsed once I chopped four. However, it still stood upright in the air, unchanged.

The scent of osmanthus in the air had also faded quite a bit, likely because those people had sealed the entrance after running away.

The chill in my heart grew even colder.

These bastards...

When all eight were cut through, a golden chain appeared above the coffin, and the bronze statue that was near me earlier had now returned to its place.

All that had just happened was an illusion.

"Chop."

Once again hearing the voice of the Winged Snake Ancestor, I steadied my stance and replied.

"Yes."

I wanted to set Little Black Ball and Master aside, but Master stubbornly refused to come out of my pocket.

"You damn well jump; I'm not afraid of dying. If you fall, why the hell would you leave me here? To be kicked around like a ball by these Immortal Seniors?"

I leapt onto the chain of the coffin, climbed from the chain onto the coffin itself. The elderly corpse was still there, but I paid it no heed, only focusing on the column's chain. If I cut it, the coffin might fall, and I would fall along with it.

Trusting the Winged Snake Ancestor with my life? That didn't seem reliable.

That's when Master whispered to me:

"After you chop it, I'll take you to the side. Chop it."

Reassured by Master's words, I swung my arm and chopped the chain. As it broke, the coffin plummeted downwards, and Master pulled me back to the cliff.

"I always told you not to worry about me; I'm much tougher than you."

"Yes, yes, you're the toughest, the very toughest."

At that moment, I truly felt that Master was someone... reliable.

When Aunt Shufen suggested he stay at the entrance of my hall, Grandma and Aunt Shufen must have planned this for me...

Not long after I stabilized, I felt a wind constantly blowing up from below. Looking down, I saw nine Winged Snakes soaring up!

They hovered in the air, and by now the eight-sided bronze coffin and the elder's corpse had long disappeared.

Among the nine Winged Snakes, one was black, one was white, and the rest were all dark green.

These Winged Snakes corresponded largely to what was detailed in Grandma's notes, but still there were subtle differences, seeming more like characteristics unique to each snake.

The Black Winged Snake was thicker and larger in size, with many scars on its body, likely the aftermath of grave challenges it had faced, its eyes full of world-weariness, not particularly bright but commanding in a way that made one dare not look directly.

The dark green ones were almost identical, but the size of their wings and the color of their eyes still varied, as did the shade of their green coloration.

Lastly, the white Winged Snake was smaller than the others and seemed to radiate less malevolence.