Exploring the Illusory Tomb Part 1 [Ancient Times Version] - Chapter 8: The Decisive Slash

Chapter 8: The Decisive Slash

I was knocked over by that impact and fell to the center of the boat. Xiao Jian and Qing Songzi had been standing too close to the edge of the boat. They nearly fell into the water. Chaos immediately broke out on the boat. Cheng Yun and Xie Long also hurriedly stopped what they were doing.

After the collision, everything around us once again fell into deathly silence. There were only the ripples left behind on the water.

The blade of Luo Shen’s sword pointed out. And the wind it stirred extinguished the Yaksha ancient lamp. Only the two torches at the bow continued burning quietly. It occasionally crackled with sparks.

My heart trembled violently. I asked in a trembling voice, 

“What was that thing?”

“I don’t know. But it definitely has something to do with this lamp,” 

Luo Shen stood tall at the stern. She was carefully watching the water’s surface, on full alert.

Xiao Jian cursed furiously, 

“Damn it, we’re not even at the tomb yet and already there are monsters flying all over the place—trying to get me killed!” 

As he spoke, he pulled out a short deerskin knife and leaned toward the water’s edge to take a look. The surface was too murky. And with the light so dim, it was impossible to tell what kind of monster was causing the disturbance.

Suddenly, he recoiled and stepped back. He was shivering. I was instantly so frightened my whole body went limp. I saw a thick and long black shadow swiftly streak past the side of the boat.

Clearly Qing Songzi saw the shadow too. He suddenly realized and said, 

“Damn, the oil in that lamp was mixed with snake-attracting incense! Cheng Yun, Xie Long, row—quick!”

The moment I heard “snake-attracting incense”, I was shocked. That incense was originally made by a tribe from the southern barbarian lands. It used seventy-two types of snake venom, snake gall, snake’s favorite fruit—snake saliva fruit—and other spices boiled together. The scent was strange, and most snakes were drawn to it by smell. The tribe used spirit snakes as their totem. And during rituals would burn this incense in the fire, drawing snakes from nearby to enjoy the offerings.

But how could Snake-Attracting Incense have been mixed into that strange ancient lamp? And the tunnel’s only been flooded for less than two months—where did the snakes come from?

The two men rowing the boat heard Qing Songzi’s words and didn’t dare delay. Each grabbed their oar and started rowing like the wind. In the hands of these two robust men skilled in external martial arts, the boat shot forward like an arrow.

With a loud *bang*, the bottom of the boat was slammed again. The boat shook violently side to side. Cheng Yun’s palms trembled from the shock. And he nearly lost grip of the oar. Seeing this, I said urgently, 

“The snake won’t surface under the boat—it’s playing dirty. We can’t beat it like this. We need to lure it out!”

Luo Shen shouted sternly upon hearing this: 

“Row to the right!” 

At this critical moment, her words sounded like a command no one could defy. Instantly, the boat turned toward the stone wall on the right. Among the moss and vines on the wall, yet another Yaksha ancient lamp appeared!

Luo Shen flicked her sword, touching a bit of the lamp oil. Then, she burned the blade’s tip on the torch. And a small cluster of green flame instantly flared up. The unique scent of Snake-Attracting Incense began to spread through the air.

Luo Shen stood at the boat’s edge. She was holding her long sword just above the water. The flame danced along the waves as the boat moved forward. Suddenly, the surface of the water shook violently. Like a sea dragon, a towering wave rose up. And in the splashing water, a giant snake half-emerged from below.

Its tightly packed scales reflected a faint, cold light in the dim fire. Two glowing green eyes, like lanterns, stared at us with hatred.

Six people and one snake faced off like this on the water—it was terrifying.

That snake’s body looked at least as thick as a water basin. Its head was raised high. Its green eyes were locked onto Luo Shen’s sword. Though the green flame on the sword’s tip had been doused by the spray, the strong scent of Snake-Attracting Incense lingered.

At that moment, I felt as if my heart was about to leap out of my chest.

Perhaps unable to resist the lure of the incense, the giant snake’s upper body coiled back. It was ready to strike—then suddenly lunged forward like lightning. It charged straight at Luo Shen.

The snake was so massive that fighting it on land would be difficult enough—let alone on this small boat in tight space. If it pressed down on us, the entire crew would be thrown into the water.

I saw the snake’s wide-open mouth approaching the boat. Its fangs were long and sharp like daggers gleaming with cold light. I hurriedly gripped the carved short sword across my chest. Xiao Jian was behind me. Just as the snake’s head grew huge in my sight, he found an opening and fired a burst of throwing darts. They hit the snake right in both eyes.

The snake’s body arched violently. Bl00d filled its eyes as it twisted frantically, and a strong stench filled the air.

Enraged, the giant snake went berserk and lunged to bite. Just as its fangs reached the bow, there was a clash of metal—it was Luo Shen who stepped forward. Her icy ancient sword blocked the snake’s long fangs.

The fierce impact made the small boat rock wildly. It was like duckweed about to be blown away by the wind. Luo Shen’s pale mask nearly touched the snake’s eyes. Her body was completely exposed before the massive maw.

This forward-leaning block lasted only a moment. But to me, it felt like enduring a lifetime of agony.

She… was she crazy?

Next to me, Xiao Jian screamed in terror, 

“My God!”

He’d never seen such close combat between human and snake. He was nearly crying. Cheng Yun and Xie Long beside him were also frozen in fear.

But the snake was cunning. It suddenly retracted its head and used its coiled body like a massive whip. It swung toward us with full force. The power looked like it would smash our boat to pieces.

I felt a foul wind sweep over me like a steel blade. Then—

*Rip—*

The sound of flesh being torn rang in my ears.

With a sharp *slash*, it was as if a small bl00d rain had fallen before my eyes.

I stared in shock as the surrounding water quickly turned crimson. The severed snake body floated beside us. Its once-dominating presence was replaced by the tragedy of death.

The silence came so suddenly that I could even hear the heavy breathing of Xiao Jian and the others.

That white-clad woman like one from hell now stood quietly and coldly at the bow. The ancient sword in her right hand dripped thick bl00d—*drip drip*—staining the deck with twisted floral patterns.

Under the torchlight, Luo Shen’s pale mask was already speckled with bl00d. The cold gaze from the eyes behind the mask swept over everyone on the boat. That deep look pierced through space. It was making me feel as if I were no different from the snake just slain—a soul crushed and trembling.

After a long silence, Luo Shen didn’t care about our shocked stares. She simply sat down and calmly wiped the bl00d from her sword. She then softly said: 

“Let’s go.”

Xiao Jian could no longer hold himself up and fell back onto the center of the boat. But he recovered the quickest. His mouth started running like a water wheel—praising Luo Shen’s unmatched skills. He was rambling how once inside the tomb, if any mummies appeared, she could just slash them down.

The mood slowly began to ease. The boat drifted slowly forward. Qing Songzi coughed, then also dropped his awkward expression. He leaned against the boat’s side to rest.

Aside from the giant snake floating in the tunnel, everything seemed as usual again. But I could tell the others had fear in their eyes—a fear tinged with unease toward Luo Shen.

After all, with such a woman by our side, if she wanted to kill us, there would be no escape.

In fact, our tomb-raiding team was only *seemingly* united. It was actually split into three groups—me alone, Luo Shen alone, and Xiao Jian and Qing Songzi in the third group. On the surface we acted friendly. But there were hidden divides.

I sat beside Luo Shen, studying her mask. For a moment I was dazed. Then I pulled out a silk cloth and gently wiped the bloodstains from her mask. Luo Shen said nothing. She just silently closed her eyes, hiding the cold gleam within them.

This was the first time I had been so close to her face. Though the mask’s chill reached my fingertips, I noticed her lips no longer looked as firm as before—they seemed softer.

The lower half of her face was exposed beneath the mask. It was white like jade. It seemed to embody a beauty hidden within her—a beauty built atop a terrifying strength.

Just… what kind of woman is she?