Chapter Eighteen: Devouring the Dragon Qilin

"Master Zhang, haha, so it was you who came!"

"Oh, Daoist Guo, you’ve come in person as well! Now I feel reassured! Without someone of your stature here today, I fear we’d be unable to suppress whatever’s down there!"

A group of distinguished figures had just alighted from their vehicles, immediately exchanging flattering words with one another.

From their attire and bearing, it was clear they had come expressly for this supernatural matter.

Master Zhang, accompanied by several disciples, wore an air of pride. His Daoist robe, though somewhat worn, lent him a dignified presence; a string of copper coins hung from his waist—upon close inspection, five in total. Among the hierarchy of Daoist masters, a Five-Coin Master was already considered profoundly accomplished.

Master Zhang merely nodded when he saw Vice-Mayor Chen, utterly ignoring the secretary’s ingratiating remarks.

The elderly Guo, meanwhile, was a long-bearded gentleman dressed in a traditional Tang suit, his sleeves rolled up to reveal white underlayers, his face radiant with vigor and authority.

Vice-Mayor Chen observed the scene with silent approval, signaling the rescue team to stay at the rear.

"This place is where the Three Yin Fires converge. If a large tree had been planted to the southwest, it could have formed a double-butterfly burial—yet you’ve ruined it all. Ah!" Master Zhang shook his head, sighing in lament.

A man who looked like a foreman immediately exclaimed, "Master Zhang’s eyes are sharp indeed! There used to be three big trees over there, but two months before construction began, we cut them down. Is that the cause?"

Master Zhang lifted his chin in satisfaction, saying no more; this simple display of insight was enough to set him apart.

Old Guo, however, was unimpressed. He said in a low voice, "Anyone could see that by flipping through the 'Manual of Burial Sites.' No need to show off here. Lead the way! Let’s see if you’ve nailed into a corpse’s spine."

"Very well, it’s just below."

At once, the crowd surged toward the collapsed entrance.

Su Ye and Jiang Liuying followed from a distance. Though others noticed them, the urgency of the situation meant no one stopped to question their presence.

The rescue team shook their heads, muttering, "At a time like this, bringing two children along just to gawk? If we waste any more time, lives will be lost."

Su Ye joined the others in jumping down through the collapsed opening, and was surprised to find a strange tunnel below. Its ancient construction was reminiscent of defenses built to repel invaders.

Since others had already scouted ahead, the way was lit intermittently by mining lamps.

After advancing no more than twenty meters, they encountered a great door. Beyond it, the space opened into what seemed a vast cellar—at least seven or eight meters high, warm and humid.

Around its perimeter stood two ferocious stone statues, each wielding stone weapons, posed in attack. The phrase ‘fierce and menacing’ scarcely did them justice.

"What are these statues?"

"Look—those are stone coffins!"

Flashlights swept across the chamber, revealing rows of coffins.

This discovery startled many; how could such a tomb lie beneath this old bridge? Even Vice-Mayor Chen and his colleagues, though not Daoist masters, could sense the chilling aura of malice within.

Master Zhang and Old Guo’s expressions grew solemn; they gestured for silence.

"This is a gathering place for a hundred corpses. How did we disturb such a thing?" Sweat began to bead on Master Zhang’s brow.

Old Guo produced a stone bowl and struck it from afar; a strange, resonant tone echoed through the cellar. The sound sent a shiver through everyone, as if it were the distant toll of a mountain temple’s bell.

Crack—crack—crack!

Suddenly, several stone coffins began to tremble.

Old Guo bowed toward them, murmuring, "Let’s leave—seal the entrance; never build a bridge here again!"

Upon hearing this, his disciples turned to go.

Su Ye, though following at a distance, saw the coffins shake. Yet he felt no fear; instead, the thunder within him stirred with inexplicable fury, as if the trembling coffins before him affronted the heavenly thunder itself.

"We can’t leave—Uncle Zhong hasn’t been found! He must be inside! We must save them!" Su Ye shouted loudly.

His cry drew everyone’s attention.

Only then did they realize how tense they had become; cold sweat trickled down many faces.

Master Zhang immediately snapped, "Quiet, boy! What do you know?"

Old Guo, sharing his indignation, growled, "It’s not that we won’t save people—you don’t understand what’s in here! If I’m not mistaken, there’s more to come, and we’re not prepared enough."

The bespectacled secretary quavered, "If we’re not ready, we should leave! Vice-Mayor Chen, let the professionals handle this."

Vice-Mayor Chen considered this and nodded, leading his people away.

"You two—who told you to come down? Get upstairs! And don’t say a word about what happened here! This could become a new archaeological site—take them out!"

But Su Ye was determined not to leave without finding Uncle Zhong.

He called out, "You’re all scared by a few coffins? If you won’t go, I will!"

Jiang Liuying chimed in with a clear voice, "Gentlemen, this isn’t a gathering of a hundred corpses, but a Tomb of Suppressed Corpses! There should be a wicked dragon inside—and it’s surely dead! Otherwise, this bridge would have collapsed long ago when the dragon turned over."

Master Zhang’s fury erupted; his wooden sword trembled in his hand. "Where did you wild children come from? Get out! I started learning at twenty-one and am now sixty-eight—I’ve seen more evil than you can imagine! When I was exorcising evil, you hadn’t even been born!"

Old Guo scolded, "You’re from the Jiang family? If you really had skill, you wouldn’t have called us in. Regardless, no one must go forward—if you do, what’s inside will come out."

The secretary barked, "Get out now! Or I’ll have you detained! Dare to disobey orders? Your Jiang family has caused enough trouble—no one has taken responsibility yet! Still gawking? Move!"

With that, several attendants moved to drag Su Ye and Jiang Liuying away.

But Su Ye had no time for argument; he sensed Uncle Zhong was inside, and any further delay would be disastrous.

"Out of the way—!"

With a furious shout, Su Ye dodged aside and bolted toward the front.

Two Daoist disciples tried to seize him, but he was too quick for them, prompting them to curse his speed.

By now, Su Ye had reached the area beyond the coffins, standing before the two stone statues.

The previously shaken coffins showed no further reaction.

Turning his head, Su Ye spotted Uncle Zhong in a corner—several people lay on the ground, unmoving, without any sign of struggle or clarity on what had transpired.

At the far end of the chamber, there stood a stone qilin, four or five meters long.

At first glance, it resembled the guardian qilins seen at restaurant entrances, but much larger, and its body appeared to be engulfed in flames.

Its eyes were particularly striking—blood-red, as if ready to leap forward and devour a man whole.

"Uncle Zhong!" Su Ye trembled for an instant, but soon realized the qilin was not truly burning; it was merely carved so lifelike that the flames seemed real.

By now, Master Zhang, Old Guo, Vice-Mayor Chen and others, realizing the coffin area posed no danger, hurried in as well.

They were stunned by the sight.

"It’s not a wicked dragon—it’s a Fire Qilin! Which ancestor suppressed it here? This qilin can devour dragons!"

"Master Zhang, what do you mean? Isn’t this just a statue? How could it possibly move?"

"Have you ever heard the proverbs about tattoos? Dragons shouldn’t cross the shoulder, tigers shouldn’t descend from the mountain. The Bodhisattva with closed eyes doesn’t save, and Guan Yu with open eyes kills. There’s another saying: 'A Fire Qilin can swallow dragons!' This is a Dragon-Devouring Qilin!"

Ignoring their discussion, Su Ye rushed forward and lifted Uncle Zhong, while Jiang Liuying snapped out of her shock and called for help.

Those lying on the ground were quickly carried out.

Worried for Uncle Zhong’s safety, Su Ye left at once, shouting, "This qilin is no ordinary thing—none of you can afford to meddle with it. Leave it buried here and don’t disturb it!"

Once outside, Su Ye had the Jiang family begin examinations.

Thanks to the rescue team, it was soon confirmed that the victims had only fainted and were not in mortal danger.

But before Su Ye could relax, jubilant shouts echoed from the collapsed entrance—over a dozen men were working together to carry out the Dragon-Devouring Qilin.

Seeing this, Su Ye was aghast and shouted furiously, "Are you trying to get yourselves killed?"