Peerless Divine Doctor in the City of Flowers
Chapter 297: The Story of the Drought Demoness

Chapter 297: Chapter 297: The Story of the Drought Demoness

"Boom!"

Finally, with a deep muffled roar,

the massive stone gate opened at last.

But from inside, a gust of chilly wind burst forth,

blinding those who stood before it.

"Pfft... Pfft... Pfft..."

After the cold breeze subsided, a series of sounds echoed from the dark passage.

One by one, long-burning lamps lit up, illuminating the lengthy corridor.

"Lead the way."

Just as everyone hesitated,

Beitiao Qian Naizi, seated in her bamboo sedan chair, had already spoken.

This narrow passageway might have hidden mechanisms and secret passages.

Whoever walked in front would be sending themselves to their death.

So, at times like these, the lead of a professional was needed.

"Actually, I think the person at the back is less safe, it’s better if you take the lead."

Lin Fan with Ning Mengyao, pulling Xu Zhi Rou along,

did not move forward.

After all, he was not certain whether there were traps inside.

"Stop blathering. We have a partnership, and I’ve already released your people. You should show your capabilities now. Isn’t your wife a descendant of a Maoshan Taoist? Surely she can deal with this little issue. You should know, someone who has lost their use can only become trash, and I think you are well aware of how trash is handled."

Beitiao Qian Naizi said coldly, her gaze fixed on Xu Zhi Rou.

Clearly, she was threatening Lin Fan.

"Alright, but you’d better not regret it."

Lin Fan, smiling, took the two women and stepped into the long corridor.

The others followed closely behind their footsteps, fearing any slip-ups.

"These murals seem to be about the tomb’s owner."

Xu Zhi Rou looked at the walls on both sides.

They were adorned with scroll after scroll.

The scrolls recorded a woman’s life from birth to adulthood.

From the looks of her parents, they must be rulers of some kind.

"It seems like there were years of drought, which revealed her identity as Drought. In the end, she was hanged alive by these people."

Ning Mengyao also looked at the murals with puzzlement.

The tadpole-like script was unrecognizable to them.

They could only infer the tomb owner’s story from the murals.

"Did you see the pearl in the Drought woman’s hand? That seems like a treasure."

Lin Fan pointed at the woman in the paintings.

From birth to death, she held a pearl in her hand.

It was at that moment that Beitiao Qian Naizi suddenly spoke up from behind.

"No need to guess. She is the true embodiment of the Drought, and the pearl in her hand is named the Wind Stabilizing Pearl. It is said to possess divine power, and I have come for the Wind Stabilizing Pearl this time."

Although she didn’t clarify the function of the Wind Stabilizing Pearl,

her willingness to share her purpose for this trip

somehow made Lin Fan feel quite suspicious.

However, he didn’t care much about Beitiao Qian Naizi’s words.

He was searching for the secrets of his own ancestry.

Just now, in the underwater passage, there were several weapons bearing mysterious runes.

So, no matter who he was, his people or ancestors had been here before.

And many had died amid conflicts.

That raised a question: were they guardians or attackers?

If they were guardians, then this so-called temple had intricate ties to him.

If they were attackers, the situation might be even more complicated.

But whether they were attackers or defenders, he couldn’t let these little Japanese get their hands on the Wind Stabilizing Pearl.

"Another gate?"

The three of them walked along without encountering any hindrances or traps.

When Xu Zhi Rou reached the end, she saw another door.

The door was just over two meters tall, hardly imposing.

There were also nine protruding stone spheres on the door.

"This is just a simple trick, Honey, your turn."

Lin Fan nudged Ning Mengyao with his shoulder.

"Husband... I don’t know how... I’m a fake... How would I know these?

Ning Mengyao looked at Lin Fan in surprise.

She could only lower her voice and speak to him.

"Isn’t this the Three Elements Nine Palace Plate, the game we often play? Have you forgotten? I’ve been doing it all until now, but it’s your turn. That fat lady is clever, and if you don’t show your skills, it will be easy to give us away. Then the three of us are done for, and our usual game is so simple."

Lin Fan whispered in Ning Mengyao’s ear.

"Three Elements Nine Palace Plate?"

Ning Mengyao blinked and said, "I remember that game, but... I’m too nervous now... I really can’t remember the details... Repeat it for me, to ensure it’s safe."

"It’s quite simple, with five as the central palace starting point, the lower right corner is Qian Palace for six, and one grid up is Dui Palace for seven. To the left, the lower right corner is Kan Palace for eight. Remember now?"

Lin Fan whispered into Ning Mengyao’s ear.

"I remember... Yes, I’ve got it, I’m going now."

After listening to Lin Fan’s explanation, Ning Mengyao stepped toward the stone door.

She took a deep breath and reached out with her slender fingers to grasp the central stone sphere.

"Click!"

With the first stone sphere turning,

the narrow hallway suddenly experienced a slight shake.

Fortunately, there were no other movements, easing the tension in Ning Mengyao’s heart significantly.

Then she reached out again, this time grabbing for another stone sphere.

"Click... click... click..."

Each turning of the stone sphere created a sound.

This rendered the already quiet corridor into an eerie silence.

Everyone seemed to hear their own heartbeat.

Fortunately, these sounds did not trigger anything else.

"Click!"

Finally, Ning Mengyao twisted the ninth little sphere.

With a sharp noise, the hallway was once again filled with countless empty spaces where swords appeared.

"Be on guard... we’re under attack!"

The captain of the guards let out a furious roar.

But before his words finished, an arrow had already pierced his throat.

The dark arrows, barely more than ten centimeters long,

struck with overwhelming speed.

Aided by their clear path and attack from all sides,

both the Samurai and the Hundred Fragrance Group suffered unprecedented damage.

Only the palanquin of Beitiao Qian Naizi was tightly surrounded by eight strong men.

Even with these specially made, extremely sharp arrows, they could hardly harm them.

"Ah... save me... I don’t want to die..."

"Master... save us..."

The wails echoed inside the cold gallery.

Blood further dyed the entire area red.

There were many dead, and even more wounded.

But as they were still wailing, their faces suddenly turned black.

And then, they collapsed to the ground.

"These are poisoned arrows... you... you did this on purpose!"

A few Samurai who had luckily survived glared at the unharmed Lin Fan.

With swords in their hands, they were ready to fight for their lives.

"It was just a momentary mistake by my wife, after all, you asked me to go first. How can you blame me at a time like this!"

Lin Fan laughed, pulling Ning Mengyao behind him.

This time, he could be certain that his suspicions were correct.