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墨書 Inktalez
Anriyan felt a wave of warmth in his heart as he gazed at Mei Shuang, his eyes deep and a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "This could indeed be a good plan..."
Seeing the suddenly softened gaze of Anriyan, Mei Shuang couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Before confirming your affair with Nangong Nuo, I can only say you are overthinking it.
"Yes, it's quite a loss that Zhao Prince didn't bring Shijieyu along," Mei Shuang remarked, looking at the approaching Nangong Nuo, while secretly mocking him.
Nangong Nuo was unimpressed by the little exchange between Mei Shuang and Anriyan. It wasn't that he was overly confident; rather, with just the three of them, even if they had the power to reach the heavens, it wouldn't be easy for them to pull off any tricks under his watch. Moreover, he was using Mei Shuang. As for that envoy from Yamataikoku, as long as he behaved harmlessly, he wouldn't take action against him. After all, considering the long-term perspective, he didn't intend to make too many enemies.
Furthermore, now that the treasure was in hand, he had even less to worry about.
Mei Shuang no longer paid attention to Anriyan and turned to Nangong Nuo. "Zhao Prince, since we are all acquaintances here, why wear masks?"
Nangong Nuo paused for a moment before letting out a cold snort and saying nothing.
"Ah, I remember when I was in the palace, to deal with the Empress Dowager's orders, Zhao Prince even gifted me a dragonfly mask. That mask was so lifelike; I have been grateful ever since. I originally thought it was just a lucky find for Zhao Prince, but today I realize that Zhao Prince is actually a master at making masks."
Nangong Nuo nodded. "Miss Mei Shuang, you are truly clever. Do you think I would be fooled by you? You have been testing me all along; do you suspect that I am someone else in disguise?"
Mei Shuang felt a pang in her chest and couldn't help but admire this man's skill.
She had indeed repeated details from her past interactions with Nangong Nuo to verify whether he was truly him. Although she had intentionally made mistakes, Nangong Nuo had not denied anything. Moreover, his constant use of a mask deepened her doubts.
Now that Nangong Nuo had seen through her ruse, Mei Shuang felt only a moment of embarrassment before shrugging it off. "Zhao Prince, if it weren't for being the legitimate daughter of Mei Manor, we probably wouldn't have this connection. There is only one Zhao Prince in the world; I am merely reminiscing about this bond. Why must Zhao Prince be so serious? I initially thought Zhao Prince wore a mask to avoid facing Founding Ancestor's holy visage, hence coming here unrecognized. It seems I was mistaken..."
Nangong Nuo chose not to respond to her.
Mei Shuang finally let out a sigh of relief inwardly; damn it, this guy is quite formidable!
Anriyan finally understood the meaning behind Mei Shuang's earlier words. This woman had quite a few thoughts; she even suspected that the Nangong Nuo before them was an imposter.
With this realization, Cong Fei seemed to have caught on to the underlying implications as well. Doubts began to swirl in his mind. To be honest, connecting it to Miss Lin's earlier probing, even he started to question the identity of the Zhao Prince. However, while appearances could be altered, voices rarely changed; of course, with time and practice, it was not impossible to mimic someone perfectly.
Nevertheless, the Zhao Prince before them was quite cunning, hardly leaving their side, making it difficult for them to communicate privately.
The group stood in silence for a moment. Mei Shuang simply moved around to the back and began studying the statue of the Founding Ancestor closely. Yet inside, she felt extremely unsettled. Everything that had happened in the Underground Palace could be described as either an illusion or not; frankly speaking, it was possible that something unusual had occurred during the transportation of these treasures, leading the Founding Ancestor to bury them here on the spot while claiming they were lost. Now, Nangong Nuo firmly believed that these treasures were carefully hidden by the Founding Ancestor and insisted on bringing them back to light.
Thinking about this made Mei Shuang break out in a cold sweat; her palms felt clammy.
While Mei Shuang was lost in thought, activity continued in the Underground Palace. Before long, several large bags were passed up along the Cloud Ladder and neatly placed on the ground.
It must be said that these subordinates were quite attentive, categorizing everything neatly. Looking around, Lustrous Treasures sparkled brilliantly.
As Mei Shuang gazed at the gold, silver, pearls, and rare treasures before her and recalled the scenes of devastation from her earlier vision, she felt an overwhelming heaviness from all that glimmering wealth.
She couldn't help but wonder if past royal families had ever considered how brutally these spoils were obtained while they laughed and enjoyed these jewels.
Standing before the statue of the Founding Ancestor, Mei Shuang pondered carefully. After all, the warning inscribed on the Golden Shield upon entering was certainly not mere superstition. Now that the Underground Palace had been opened, they must avoid fulfilling that saying of "no return." Coupled with what she had seen in the Underground Palace's illusions, they truly could not afford to be careless.
After all, her goals differed from Nangong Nuo's.
One sought wealth while the other sought survival; Nangong Nuo wanted treasures while she wanted to escape unscathed.
Yet given their current situation, their combined strength was insufficient. If Anriyan harbored ulterior motives, it would leave only her and Cong Fei. That would be a dire predicament—forget escaping intact; it was uncertain whether they would even leave with their lives.
It seems that this is not the most pressing issue; the real danger lies in the possibility that the Underground Palace might change, putting them at risk. If they truly find themselves in a desperate situation, even working together may not guarantee their escape.
Mei Shuang stared at the statue, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She couldn't tell if it was just her imagination, but everything felt eerily quiet, like the calm before a storm.
Suddenly, Anriyan leaned in close to her ear and whispered in Eastern Language, "Do you remember what the emperor of the Great Qin Empire said when we left?"
"What?" Mei Shuang was lost in thought and jumped at Anriyan's voice.
"He mentioned that we only need to find the treasure..."
Mei Shuang paused for a moment, "Yes, that's what he said. What about it?"
Just as Anriyan was about to speak, Mei Shuang suddenly became alert. "If that's the case, our mission is considered complete. Whether or not the emperor's people can arrive in time is no longer our concern. Let me tell you, even if Nangong Nuo gets there first, it has nothing to do with us. Don't even think about us helping Nangong Nuo find the treasure and then being punished for it..."
Anriyan's words made Mei Shuang uncomfortable. If Anriyan later claimed that Nangong Nuo finding the treasure was due to her "great contributions," she would have no hope of a good life after leaving. Helping the tyrant would surely cost her life at the hands of the emperor of the Great Qin Empire.
Seeing that Mei Shuang had strayed from the topic, Anriyan found it amusing but also realized that she didn't fully trust him. He quickly interrupted her thoughts, "That's not what I meant. This seems to have deeper implications; I believe what the Empress of the Great Qin Empire meant was to warn us not to touch these things..."
Mei Shuang was taken aback.
Damn it! Is this what they call a meeting of minds? How could they think alike?
Anriyan must have truly inherited Queen Himiko's wisdom. Given his cautious and thoughtful nature throughout their journey, he wouldn't say such things lightly.
Mei Shuang's heart raced as she shifted her gaze from the statue to Anriyan, maintaining her composure. "Why?"
Anriyan raised his chin and asked, "Do you know what these black tentacles are?"
For those black, snake-like tentacles, Mei Shuang really didn't want to look a second time, so she shook her head.
Anriyan switched to Chinese, seemingly wanting Nangong Nuo to hear, "These tentacles are also known as 'Soulbinding Grass.' People from the Southwest Region believe in reincarnation after death. For those who do not have a peaceful end or do not wish to be reincarnated, this grass is often used to bind their souls..."
"......"
Most people, except for Mei Shuang, found this hard to understand.
The consequence of Mei Shuang understanding was that she confirmed her judgment from Anriyan's words and also detected another layer of chilling meaning.
Nangong Nuo, who had been focused on the treasures, did not even glance at the speaker upon hearing this. He merely scoffed, "How can Your Highness the Envoy start spreading such alarming claims? The presence of these Soulbinding Grass here is likely not coincidental; it probably serves to prevent outsiders from entering. But to say it has anything to do with these treasures is rather far-fetched..."
"On the contrary, these Soulbinding Grass are precisely meant to prevent the treasures inside from coming out... Therefore, these things must be put back!" Anriyan stated firmly.
"Put them back?!"
Nangong Nuo, who was immersed in the joy of the treasures, immediately frowned at this suggestion.
Listen to this ungrateful Yamatai fellow wanting him to return the treasures he had worked so hard to obtain!
No wonder Nangong Nuo was furious; to anyone else, it sounded like this ungrateful Yamatai man was trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth.
One of Nangong Nuo's subordinates even raised his weapon to strike down this oblivious foreigner but was stopped by Nangong Nuo.
Nangong Nuo let out a cold laugh, clearly suppressing his emotions. "Your Highness the Envoy, our kingdom has had no dealings with Yamataikoku. You have no right to meddle in this matter. However, considering that you have contributed today, I shall not pursue your brazen words, lest it leads to unpleasantness between our two nations. Even if you speak sweetly, I will not believe you. In half a stick of incense's time, all the treasures will be packed up. Surely there will be some treasures left behind; if you do not mind, feel free to take them, so your trip here won't be in vain..."
These words were infuriating.
The Zhao Prince's demeanor was shockingly low-class and utterly disrespectful; it was an insult that felt like a slap to his grandmother's face.
Mei Shuang, however, felt a shift in her thoughts. Just moments ago, she had been uncertain whether the two were allies. If they were indeed on good terms, there must be a pact between them; they wouldn’t behave like unreasonable bandits squabbling over loot and haggling on the spot, leading to infighting and a fight to the death. Nangong Nuo’s words clearly indicated that he did not consider Anriyan as part of his group.
Mei Shuang glanced at Cong Fei, who was staring at Nangong Nuo with an expressionless face and eyes full of hatred.
To her surprise, Anriyan showed no sign of displeasure. He also let out a cold laugh. "I have heard that the Zhao Prince acts independently; today I see that hearing is not as good as seeing. These treasures are beneath my notice. If the Zhao Prince desires them, feel free to take them... But I must remind you, Zhao Prince, that if you do not cease your actions soon, it may be too late..."
To Nangong Nuo, Anriyan's warning was nothing but hypocritical words and boastful talk, earning only a cold snort in response.
In this world, aside from kingdoms and beautiful women, who does not love treasures? Let this Yamatai man pretend otherwise.
Mei Shuang felt a light touch on her hand and lowered her gaze; it was Anriyan's hand, his index finger pointing upwards.
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