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墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, I want to tell you that this batch of treasures comes from the southwest, a place filled with strange occurrences. These treasures are also cursed, and breaking these curses carelessly could lead to disaster. To be honest, I have no intention of accompanying you into danger."
Mei Shuang stated firmly.
Nangong Nuo chuckled lightly, "That's right, this is the real you... your desire to preserve your life is quite evident."
He stepped closer, speaking earnestly to Mei Shuang, "Rest assured, while I am interested in the treasures, I am not foolish enough to disregard my own life. With you by my side, I am certain I will achieve my goals. Miss Mei Shuang, once my objectives are accomplished, I will ensure your safe departure. As for your future, it will all be up to you. If you wish to honor our three-year agreement and become my consort, I promise not to hold your past with Emperor Xiao Luo against you. How does that sound?"
As Nangong Nuo drew near, an unfamiliar fragrance wafted towards Mei Shuang, causing her to glance away. She was not accustomed to such scents and took a small step back to avoid it.
However, Nangong Nuo's words were too brazenly shameful, igniting a strong sense of disgust within her as she retreated.
Upon hearing the term "affair," Mei Shuang's memories instantly flashed back to the past, and her chest felt as if it were being stuffed with sand, leaving her breathless.
Ever since she opened her eyes in this kingdom, she had been entangled with those two words.
First, her husband—the emperor who held the world—had accused her of having an "affair" with the man before her. Thus began a complete reversal of her fate; she fell from the glory of Weiyang Palace as the Empress to the Cold Palace as the Deposed Empress Mei Shuang...
Everything that followed was unnecessary to mention. Since then, she had developed a particular aversion to those two words, feeling guilty even though she had done nothing wrong.
So after an unexpected night with Xiao Luo, she realized that there was no affair between her and Nangong Nuo at all.
Who would have thought that just as she escaped from the so-called "affair" with Nangong Nuo, he would now label her relationship with Emperor Xiao Luo as such?
Damn it! Is it possible that every man I know is involved in some "affair"?
Adding to this was Nangong Nuo's frivolous tone and his seemingly generous declaration of "I don't mind your affair," which was truly infuriating.
Cong Fei exclaimed angrily, "Miss Lin, do not trust him! Once he gets what he wants, he will surely kill to cover his tracks!"
Mei Shuang stared directly at Nangong Nuo. The eyes behind his mask remained dark and deep but lacked the warmth they once held; instead, they were filled with an extreme indifference and calculation as if they had never known each other at all.
Mei Shuang straightened her chest and said coldly, "As for my matters with Xiao Luo, it's not up to you to define them. At least when my Love Poison acted up, he saved my life..."
After finishing her sentence, she shifted her tone, a hint of mockery lacing her cold words. "And Zhao Prince, you just said I cherish my life. It seems you cherish yours even more. You must know how to cure that Love Poison, right? You keep insisting that I ask the Empress Dowager to support us, but I want to know why you haven't taken advantage of such a good opportunity?"
Nangong Nuo's expression changed, his tone stiff. "I was not in the palace at that time."
"Not in the palace?" Mei Shuang chuckled lightly. "Of course I know you weren't in the palace because you weren't sure if that Poison would spread, so you asked the Emperor for an errand to hide away."
Nangong Nuo fixed his gaze on Mei Shuang, noncommittal.
"Of course, saying 'hide' isn't quite right, because there were more important matters to attend to than saving me... That treasure must have been more urgent for you, right? So you approached me early on, accommodating me in every way possible to save me, including sending countless people to search for me afterward. It was because you were certain I knew the secret of that so-called treasure, wasn't it?"
After a moment of silence, Nangong Nuo nodded and lightly praised her. "Well said. Otherwise, do you think I have the leisure to accompany you on your travels? Would I tolerate your temperament?"
Although she had already suspected this conclusion beforehand, hearing him speak the truth still felt like countless steel needles piercing her chest, causing her body to shudder in pain.
But Nangong Nuo seemed intent on rubbing salt into her wounds as he smirked. "Heh heh heh, do you think I've changed my heart?"
Mei Shuang took a deep breath, striving to suppress the mixed emotions within her and replied calmly, "You haven't changed your heart; it's just your nature."
After a moment's thought, Mei Shuang swallowed the words "beast." At this moment, their situation was clearly passive, and being passive meant they would take hits.
She wasn't worried about what Nangong Nuo might do to her; after all, he still needed her. But those who came with her were not so fortunate.
There was no point in saying more.
Mei Shuang ignored Nangong Nuo and stepped forward to help Cong Fei, who was still on the ground mourning over Cong Yue's cold corpse. She gently advised him, "I understand what you just said, but right now we have no other choice."
As she spoke, her hand gently pressed under Cong Fei's elbow.
Cong Fei got up from the ground and said painfully, "Miss Lin, since you know his true colors, are you really going to help him? They say Zhao Prince is deeply devoted to young ladies; it seems now that his kindness towards you is nothing more than that of a patient wolf."
Mei Shuang shook her head. "It's not about helping him; it's about helping ourselves. He wants the treasure, and we want to get out safely."
Nangong Nuo was quite pleased with Mei Shuang's statement. "Those who know how to adapt are the true talents. Miss Mei Shuang is indeed a clever person! As long as we open this door, I guarantee you will leave safely."
Cong Fei stared intently at Mei Shuang, lowering his gaze. "Since we are here, I will follow your arrangements."
Anriyan had remained silent throughout, observing everything with a cold eye. His steady demeanor seemed to have prevented any negative feelings from Nangong Nuo.
Mei Shuang took a deep breath and looked directly at Nangong Nuo behind the mask. "I have already said that this place cannot be opened casually. If anything unexpected happens after we open it, I hope you will keep your word as a gentleman. The three of us must survive."
Hearing Mei Shuang relent, Nangong Nuo felt overjoyed, though he maintained a composed expression. He nodded solemnly and said, "A promise made is a promise kept."
Despite his words, in this situation, who would believe him? Anyone who did would be a fool!
Mei Shuang certainly did not trust him; her earlier bargaining was merely a tactic to buy time.
"One more question: where did Shijieyu go?"
Nangong Nuo's thoughts were focused on the Golden Shield beneath the skull, and he was somewhat annoyed by Mei Shuang's question. He raised an eyebrow and replied, "She has done what she needed to do and has already left... Let's get started."
Mei Shuang vaguely saw a shadow flash across the stone wall where several people stood with their backs turned. She stopped speaking, turned back, and began pressing down on the Golden Shield.
According to the small characters on the human skin paper earlier, she had grasped the underlying mystery within.
She wasn't sure if her previous visit had triggered some residual memory that helped her unlock the code or if she was simply clever; either way, she not only knew the core of this code but also what was contained within.
Following a specific sequence, Mei Shuang silently recited several phrases as she pressed down on the nine red gemstones one by one. Then she repeated the process in another order, her fingers moving swiftly in a dazzling display that left those around her momentarily stunned.
Nangong Nuo suppressed his inner excitement, thinking that indeed all the secrets lay with Mei Shuang.
After pressing for a while, Mei Shuang pressed down on the last gemstone.
"Alright!" Mei Shuang quickly retreated to the back.
With a dull "clunk," the Golden Shield caved inward, splitting into two pieces, while what appeared to be a single stone slab actually separated and slowly pushed apart to the sides.
Nangong Nuo and his subordinates were instantly overjoyed, taking a few steps forward but hesitating to approach recklessly.
Mei Shuang signaled Cong Fei and Anriyan to quickly step back.
"If there are any monsters inside, it's all up to you," Mei Shuang whispered into Anriyan's ear.
A warm breath brushed against his ear, causing Anriyan's heart to flutter as he nodded slightly.
As the stone slab receded, another layer of stone was revealed. The flickering torchlight allowed everyone to see that the slab, about twenty feet high, was densely covered with black stones, each about the size of a fist, resembling a wall plastered with thick mud.
Damn it! What’s the point of sticking these things on a perfectly good stone wall?!
When they saw these black stones, everyone was puzzled, unsure of what it meant for the wall to be covered in them.
Several people beside Nangong Nuo were about to step forward when suddenly one of them turned pale and shouted, "Step back! These are living creatures."
As he spoke, those black stones indeed began to move.
This sudden movement startled everyone.
Someone urgently exclaimed, "It's Vampire Bats! Everyone hide!"
The shock was immense; upon hearing the word "vampire," nearly everyone's expression changed.
The wall was dark with what appeared to be thousands of them. If each one were to take a bite out of them, the dozens of people present would barely provide enough for one meal.
Fortunately, those Vampire Bats seemed sluggish after being trapped inside for so long.
The people present with Nangong Nuo quickly stepped back, but they did not panic. They somehow pulled out a large net, and four of them swiftly leaped to a higher position to spread the net, transforming it into a massive cage.
Others dragged a few Moose corpses from the shadows, slashed their flesh with knives to let the blood seep out, and then tossed them into the net.
As a result, the net acted as a barrier, separating them from the Vampire Bats.
Mei Shuang and her companions were left dumbfounded, marveling at the skill displayed; this was true expertise and preparedness.
Indeed, those Vampire Bats that had just awakened from their slumber were stirred by the scent of blood and excitedly swooped down on the Moose. It was a chaotic scene filled with flapping wings and squeaking sounds.
Nangong Nuo calmly observed the frenzy of activity and instructed to gather the net at the right moment. Soon after, the net was secured, doused in tung oil, and several torches were brought forth, igniting a towering blaze.
The net was charged at repeatedly, yet not a single creature managed to escape. The wretched sounds echoed through the vast cave like a hellish nightmare, causing Mei Shuang's heart to race. The acrid smell of burning fur made her feel nauseous, and she couldn't help but vomit.
After burning for a while, they collected the net and discarded it, leaving behind only the heavy scent of charred fur and a blackened patch on the ground.
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