Chapter Four Hundred Ninety-Five: The Damned Riddle Master
Huo Ningxue’s face slightly paled.
She had no idea why she was just on the ground keeping watch one moment, and then suddenly Young Master Sang was pointing a sword at her in the next.
“Sang… Sangfei?” she cautiously spoke.
Young Master Sang silently glanced at Huo Longyuan.
But Huo Longyuan smiled and shook his head: “Don’t misunderstand. It’s you who insisted on drawing your sword.”
“She’s a descendant of mine, so I naturally wouldn’t harm her.”
As Young Master Sang sheathed his sword, Huo Ningxue barely had time to process what was happening before he hugged her tightly, shielding her behind him.
The sudden warm embrace made Huo Ningxue instinctively blush and lower her head, feeling a bit nervous and awkward.
“What… what happened?”
“Why is there even another person in the royal tomb?”
Looking at the handsome man in a gilded dragon robe standing in front of her, Huo Ningxue’s face grew even paler.
Connecting the location, the identity of this person seemed to emerge.
“You… You can’t mean…”
“Are you here to steal tombs too?”
Huo Longyuan: “…”
Young Master Sang: “…”
The previously tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate with Huo Ningxue’s words, like smoke vanishing into thin air.
“Lift your head. Let me see.”
Huo Ningxue sensed an invisible force lifting her chin, making her raise her head, and she couldn’t help but let out a couple of whimpers.
Huo Longyuan gazed for a moment, then suddenly revealed a cryptic smile.
“… You look like me.”
“And also like her.”
Young Master Sang blinked lightly.
Once the force subsided, Huo Ningxue couldn’t help but stomp her foot angrily.
“Bold! Regardless of where you’re from, tomb raider, how dare you speak recklessly before me! You even presume to call yourself ‘I’!”
“Do you know who I am? I am the—”
Huo Longyuan didn’t let her finish, instead looking at Young Master Sang with exasperation.
“… How come this descendant of mine seems not very bright?”
“Um, why would you ask me about your descendant?”
They exchanged glances, both recognizing the helplessness in each other’s eyes.
“Hey! Sangfei, why are you still dazed over there?!”
Huo Ningxue angrily shook Young Master Sang’s arm, pleading, “He’s bullying me! Quickly go bully him back for me!”
The words left Young Master Sang drenched in sweat.
What an ungrateful girl. Even your ancestors from eighteen generations would rise from their graves in anger upon hearing this!
“Alright.”
Huo Longyuan waved his hand gently, saying, “Kid, I know what worries you.”
“Unfortunately, I can only tell you this much, given the circumstances.”
“But you don’t have to worry.”
“Perhaps I am not your enemy.”
Before Young Master Sang could narrow his eyes in confusion, Huo Longyuan continued talking to himself:
“This earthly zhuangyuan, was originally meant for me.”
Meant for himself?
Nian Nian had mentioned earlier that the zhuangyuan could reverse yin and yang and revive souls.
Since Huo Longyuan said so, did that mean he wanted to revive someone?
“Since that’s the case, it seems I’ve come for nothing—”
“Giving it to you wouldn’t be impossible either.”
Young Master Sang was taken aback.
“I actually knew this all along. The person I want to revive has long since reincarnated, and the zhuangyuan can’t save them.”
Huo Longyuan slowly raised his hand, as if fondling a cherished treasure.
… It was a bell.
“Keeping this item is both a memory and a faint hope.”
“Hope that in this world, there might still be a way to restore even souls that have been reincarnated.”
“Unfortunately,” Huo Longyuan shook his head. “No.”
“Even if this body is just a clone, I can guess. My true self outside must also have searched for endless years. But if it can’t be found, then it can’t be found.”
“Rather than leave this for my true self… it’s better left for my descendant.”
Saying this, he gently raised his hand.
The antique copper bell slowly flew into Huo Ningxue’s hand.
Huo Ningxue stared blankly as she caught the bell, looking helplessly at Young Master Sang.
Young Master Sang was just as bewildered by Huo Longyuan’s intent.
“What on earth does the king mean—”
“I’ve said it.”
Huo Longyuan solemnly stated, “Due to position, I can only say so much.”
“The rest… you’ll have to guess yourself.”
“My mission in this form is complete.”
Huo Longyuan’s body gradually transformed into sparkles, slowly dissipating.
His last words before vanishing were a meaningful whisper:
“Hope… that when you meet me again in the future.”
“You can satisfy me.”
Young Master Sang silently gazed at him.
A breeze swept through the passage, and the entire tomb returned to silence.
Huo Ningxue couldn’t help but shiver, cautiously tugging at Young Master Sang’s sleeve:
“Sangfei… why did that person disappear again? It can’t be a ghost, right?”
Young Master Sang remained silent for a while before slowly shaking his head.
“That wasn’t a ghost. But it’s something far worse than a ghost.”
“What?”
“… The damned riddle master.”
——
——
The riddle master should die.
That was Young Master Sang’s thought at this moment.
Even as he lay in bed, toying with the zhuangyuan he got from Huo Ningxue.
Still, the pile of nonsensical, cryptic words from Huo Longyuan kept him awake.
What on earth was he doing?
If he was, like Ancestral Cang and the others, also a Primordial Deity, shouldn’t he be our enemy?
Even if the zhuangyuan couldn’t help him find who he wanted, why would he leave it to me? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it for himself until his true self descended?
And what about this “hope that in the future, when we meet, I can satisfy him”…
Satisfy him with what?!
I would prefer if you Primordial Deities rolled far away and never descended, yet you seem so eager to meet me.
At that point, why would I give you a friendly face?
“So annoying.” Young Master Sang sighed, “A riddle master can make me lose sleep for several nights.”
“What is he, an enemy or a friend?”
Just then, a clear, charming voice suddenly rang in his ears:
“Actually, don’t blame the host for not understanding. Also, don’t blame Huo Longyuan the riddle master.”
Nian Nian’s cute figure appeared in mid-air, her exquisite pleated skirt and black-framed glasses making it hard for anyone to look away as she sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed.
“After all, he is a Primordial Deity. Theoretically, he is your enemy.”
“And the one you spoke to was just a clone he left in the Abyss Realm many years ago.”
“Many things he might not dare to say or may not know the consequences of saying.”
Young Master Sang grew increasingly frustrated: “Then he shouldn’t have spoken at all. Half-hearted words are the worst!”
“Foolish host!”
Nian Nian angrily poked his cheek: “Why don’t you ever ask this system?”
“No way. Who knows how many points you little con artist will try to scam me for.”
“You!”
Nian Nian puffed her cheeks in anger but finally just tugged at Young Master Sang’s ear.
“Points, points every day, I’ll drive you to death!”
“This time the information won’t cost points, consider it a reward for collecting the zhuangyuan!”
Young Master Sang immediately sat up from the bed like a carp: “That won’t do. The original task rewards must still be given. This can be considered an extra gift.”
Nian Nian: “… You’re hopeless.”
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