Exploring the Illusory Tomb Part 1 [Ancient Times Version] - Chapter 23: To Whom Can These Feelings Be Spoken

Chapter 23: To Whom Can These Feelings Be Spoken

In an instant, my vision was shrouded by a mass of inky blackness. Because there were two people squeezed into the jade coffin, the space felt extremely cramped. I didn’t even know in what kind of awkward position Luo Shen and I were embracing each other. Our bodies helplessly pressed tightly together. They were curled up in this tiny world.

Inhaling through my nose, I could smell a faint sandalwood scent lingering in the coffin. Just as I tried to distinguish it clearly, the sandalwood was quickly overpowered by another smell. It was the faint, cool fragrance emanating from Luo Shen’s body.

I had to admit that I really liked this faint and cool scent. Light, like mist or smoke. It made one inexplicably want to draw near.

My face was more or less buried in her chest. I could clearly feel the delicate protrusion of her collarbone. Along with the uniquely soft and fragrant warmth of a woman.

Her body was far from cold—on the contrary, it was warmly close. It was even somewhat burning hot.

That uniquely youthful female breath carried a hint of sweetness. It was rolled with heat. It was brushing over my ear again and again.

Such close breathing made me feel rather uncomfortable. What made it worse was that Luo Shen’s hand, of all places, just had to be around my waist. The icy touch seeped through the fabric and spread to my skin. It caused a wave of unexplainable heat to rush up. It was drenching my back in sweat.

I was shocked by this inexplicable reaction of mine. I thought, since we’re both women, what’s there to be shy about in embracing like this?

What she has, I also have.

I comforted myself like this deep down. But this internal tug-of-war still couldn’t beat the heat of my body. My cheeks still burned fiercely. And I hurriedly thought of turning my face to change positions. When suddenly I heard a sharp, grating “shasha” sound from outside the coffin. It was slowly scraping past. Clearly, it was the sound of a snake slithering along the ground.

Hearing this hair-raising sound, my heart instantly sank. One half of my body was hot, the other half cold. It was caught in a gap between ice and fire. It was making it hard to breathe evenly.

That “shasha” slithering sound was like a death sentence by a thousand cuts. Like it was slicing away thin layers one by one—it made my legs weak just listening. I prayed this endless psychological torture would end quickly. Who knew that suddenly a hissing “chichi” sound of a snake flicking its tongue burst right next to my ear? I was startled and instinctively grabbed Luo Shen’s wrist. I was using great force. By the time I realized it, my own hand had gone soft. But Luo Shen never made a sound. I didn’t know how she endured it. And at once, guilt surged in my heart.

Just then, a clear whistle suddenly rang out. It was followed by a cold and sorrowful woman’s voice saying, 

“Little beast, what are you doing here disturbing things? Quickly return to your nest.”

As soon as the woman finished speaking, the “shasha” sounds by my ear began to retreat rapidly and orderly. It was much like the sound of receding tides. In no time, the burial chamber fell completely silent.

My heart skipped a beat—who had arrived?

Luo Shen also seemed to stiffen slightly. Being so close, I could feel her heartbeat suddenly quicken.

I suddenly realized I was in an utterly incomprehensible environment. Was this woman who came a human or a ghost? How could she drive those snakes away like servants? That whistle was like a command from a trainer to her pet. Thinking of this, I felt a chill down my spine.

There were no footsteps either, it was eerily quiet. After a while, a faint scent of sandalwood spread out. Smelling the familiar fragrance, I couldn’t help but wonder—could this be the white-robed Yin Mei Luo Shen and I encountered last time? But that would be even more strange. Yin Meis are supposed to be formless and intangible—how could one make a sound? The one who entered clearly was a living person.

At that moment, I heard that voice gently speak again: 

“Ying’er, I see you’re here.”

Ying’er?

“Ying’er, look, there are many flowers blooming again on the other side of the mountain. I know you’ve always loved flowers, so I picked these many. Tell me, are they pretty?”

A chill ran down my heart. The only person here who could be called Ying’er would be the woman lying in the crystal coffin—unless she had lost her mind and was playing both roles herself. But who was this woman who came? Speaking to a corpse that had been dead for so many years, even bringing flowers—was there anything more absurd?

Just as I was about to go mad from my jumbled thoughts, I noticed Luo Shen quietly squeezed my hand. Then, slowly, stroke by stroke, she traced words into my palm with her finger. The touch was smooth and ticklish down to the soul.

I focused on discerning the strokes on my palm: “Chu—” “Wang—” “Fei—”

Chu Wang Fei! (Consort of King Chu)

I nearly jumped up. Luo Shen meant the woman lying in the crystal coffin was the Consort of King Chu. And the person who just arrived was calling her Ying’er so intimately. She was clearly an old acquaintance. Could it be that the visitor…

I didn’t dare think any further—it was too horrifying.

Then I heard the woman laugh softly to herself again: 

“Ying’er, I don’t dare go out so easily now. Whenever people outside see me, they all flee in panic. Ying’er, tell me, am I really that frightening?”

“Sigh, if you could speak, you’d definitely say I’m the most beautiful and your favorite. Heh, your mouth is always that sweet like honey.”

She kept speaking slowly. She said nothing but small trivial matters about herself. She sounded full of joy.

I heard clearly—every time she called out “Ying’er”, her voice was full of deep affection. It was as if she was speaking to the dearest lover in the world.

“Ying’er, I’m so tired, I really want to rest. Every day I walk around here nonstop. This underground palace is terribly cold—you know how I fear the cold most. Today I went to see Fei Jun again. He’s still the same, handsome and upright. He was standing there just like he used to beside me. Now, I don’t even hate him anymore. After all these years drifting through the world, everything has dispersed clean.”

“You told me not to follow you to that world. Don’t worry, I won’t go. I’ll just stay here and keep watch over you. Whatever those people want, if they have the ability, they can take it—as long as they don’t come in here and disturb us.”

This woman’s voice was gentle and warm. She was speaking slowly all by herself. It was as if she was reciting the most desolate poem in the world. Somehow, a wave of sorrow welled up in my heart. It was even covering up my fear.

It’s just a pity—everything she said was only spoken to a cold corpse. It was to the woman sleeping peacefully in the crystal coffin.

And that person could no longer hear or see any of it.

Just as I was getting dazed listening, that woman suddenly gave a soft “Eh?” She then said, 

“When I left earlier, this jade coffin clearly had its lid open—how did it close by itself?”

Hearing that she noticed the oddity of the closed coffin we were hiding in, I shouted inwardly that things were bad. Who was this woman outside, so close to Princess of Chu that it could be said they never parted even in death? Where had such a person come from? Could she be that thousand-year-old living monster?

At this moment, even Luo Shen seemed unable to keep calm. The hand on my waist instantly tightened around me—it seemed she too had lost her composure.

Just then, another round of chaotic footsteps approached. And a clear, youthful voice shouted from afar: 

“Shishi—dead ghost—”

The voice cut off abruptly. Then a group of men exclaimed, 

“Ah—there’s… there’s a ghost!”