Chapter 15: A Fierce Battle

Zhang Wuxun silently retreated to Fatty’s side and made a shushing gesture. He then pulled a lighter from his backpack, ignited it less than half a meter away from Wu Xie, and waved it toward the Jinpo.

The hair nearing the flame instantly recoiled.

The Jinpo feared fire; every time Zhang Wuxun stepped closer, it retreated. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, it vanished in a flash.

Wu Xie immediately collapsed, gasping for air. "D-damn it, you scared the hell out of me."

Fatty, standing behind them, was completely bewildered. "What the hell? What are you two doing?"

Terrified and incoherent, Wu Xie stammered, "There’s a ghost, a female ghost! Her hair was so long, she was just in my arms... she even tried to kiss me. Muyu must have seen it too, right, Muyu?"

Zhang Wuxun nodded, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Fatty let out a hoot and chuckled wickedly, "Comrade Innocent, you’re quite the charmer. Even down in a tomb, ghosts are throwing themselves at you."

Wu Xie was so angry he cursed, "Piss off! If you want this luck so badly, take it yourself!"

Fatty was laughing at his misfortune when he suddenly noticed Zhang Wuxun staring fixedly behind him, his expression turning grim.

Fatty’s smile froze. "Mu... Muyu, is the ghost still there?"

Zhang Wuxun glared at the Jinpo, which was crawling on Fatty’s back and trying to press itself against him to become less noticeable. He pulled a dangerous smile and said in a dark voice, "Yeah, it’s right on your back."

Fatty let out a howl and swung his fist backward, landing a solid punch on the Jinpo’s ghastly, blistered, white face, leaving a visible dent.

Zhang Wuxun seized the opportunity to pull out a firestick, light it, and toss it over. As soon as the Jinpo touched the flame, it shrieked and retreated three meters away, whipping its absurdly thick hair.

Truth be told, the Jinpo’s hair was genuinely enviable. If he caught one to study, perhaps he could find the secret to hair growth and save millions of bald compatriots. Wouldn't he be able to sleep on a pile of money by then?

Zhang Wuxun’s train of thought drifted involuntarily.

Wu Xie exclaimed joyfully, "Damn, the firestick works! This ghostly thing is afraid of fire. Light more and throw them!"

After a frantic scramble, they successfully forced the Jinpo into a corner, where it disappeared.

Fatty wiped the sweat from his forehead and panted, "Is this that thing we ran into behind the stone slab when we first went into the sea? What was it called? A Jinpo, right?"

"That’s right," Zhang Wuxun replied with a grin. "Doesn't she look exactly like the goddess in your dreams? Skin like snow, dark hair, red lips... though the facial features are a bit rough. But hey, one shade of white hides a hundred flaws, so just make do."

"Piss off!" Both Fatty and Wu Xie wore expressions of extreme disgust, clearly repulsed.

Brother Zhang raised a hand to stop their banter. He looked at the Jinpo in the distance, which was still hovering and eyeing the row of firesticks. "Let’s go. These firesticks won't hold it for long."

Zhang Wuxun reached into his backpack as a cover, pulled out a dozen more firesticks and a small bottle of grain alcohol from his hidden space, and shoved them toward Wu Xie and the others. "Quick, splash this and we’ll pull back."

Fatty cursed, "Why did you pack so many firesticks for a tomb raid? And alcohol?"

"It’s called being prepared," Zhang Wuxun said. He aimed at the Jinpo and hurled the alcohol with force.

The glass bottle shattered, and the liquid spilled everywhere. In an instant, the passage was filled with the scent of evaporating alcohol.

"Retreat! I’ll cover the rear."

Wu Xie and the others had already placed lit firesticks at intervals along the passage. With a wave from Zhang Wuxun, Brother Zhang led them in a rapid retreat.

Seeing them reach a safe distance, Zhang Wuxun ignited his final firestick and tossed it at the alcohol.

With a roar, flames erupted instantly, forming a wall of fire.

Zhang Wuxun raised a hand, waved "bye-bye" to the Jinpo as it scurried away in panic, muttered "never again," and hurried to catch up with the others.

The group picked up their pace and continued forward, climbing through a zigzagging passage for over ten minutes.

Brother Zhang stopped ahead and turned back to say, "There’s no path left."

Zhang Wuxun squeezed past Wu Xie, clicked on his flashlight, and reached up to touch the bluestone slab on the ceiling. He tapped it twice. "It’s hollow. It should be movable."

Brother Zhang nodded and reached up to lift it.

The stone slab was incredibly heavy. Even with Brother Zhang’s strength, he only managed to lift it a crack, through which light leaked down.

Zhang Wuxun’s shoulder was injured, so he couldn't exert much force. He stepped aside to let Wu Xie help, keeping his knife drawn to stand guard.

Fatty suddenly poked him and whispered, pointing at the passage behind them, "Did that Jinpo not burn to death? I think I just saw its hair."

Zhang Wuxun turned his head, his expression shifting. The damn Jinpo was truly alive, and its seaweed-like hair was already spreading along the walls toward them.

Dammit!

Zhang Wuxun cursed under his breath, turned his flashlight to its brightest setting, and shone it that way. He barked, "Fatty, fire! Get that thing!"

Fatty fired his gun at it in a continuous burst, then cursed, "Damn it! Physical damage doesn't work!"

Just then, Wu Xie, who was behind Zhang Wuxun, let out a scream. A hideous, scaled claw grabbed his shoulder and hauled him upward. Sensing danger, Brother Zhang immediately gave chase.

Zhang Wuxun tossed his lit windproof lighter into the Jinpo’s path and dragged Fatty, crawling and stumbling, out of the hole.

Looking up, he saw Wu Xie being dragged around by a Sea Monkey, clearly in grave danger.

Brother Zhang wanted to rescue him, but the Sea Monkey used Wu Xie as a weapon, swinging him directly at Brother Zhang.

Brother Zhang, fearing for Wu Xie's safety, could only dodge and leap while trying to minimize harm to him.

Zhang Wuxun was furious. He grabbed his Phantom Blade with his left hand and threw it toward Brother Zhang, shouting, "Brother Zhang, catch!"

Armed with the weapon, Brother Zhang’s combat prowess surged. He drew the blade and slashed at the Sea Monkey’s neck.

Zhang Wuxun and Fatty seized the time to drag the stone slab shut, blocking the Jinpo below.

Seeing the lethal edge of the blade, the Sea Monkey didn't dare to be reckless. It dropped Wu Xie, scrambled up a pillar in the great hall, and leaped down with a roar, its fangs aiming straight for Brother Zhang’s head.

Brother Zhang reacted with lightning speed. He bent backward at an impossible angle, dodging the attack with a sharp maneuver, then kicked off the pillar. Using the momentum to leap, he performed a graceful, flying spin—full of tension and beauty—and brought the blade down on the back of the Sea Monkey’s head.

Sensing the danger, the Sea Monkey tried to dodge, but it was too late. Brother Zhang sheared off its left arm and most of its shoulder.

A deafening roar echoed throughout the entire hall.