Chapter 302: My Underground Palace
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
The underground palace was vast and stretched out like a maze beneath the earth.
Whoever designed it had done so with incredible care. The floor was strewn with gold and silver, and the walls glowed with ever-burning lamps and luminous pearls that cast a soft, guiding light.
The deeper they ventured, the wider the space became. But with each step, the place grew more chaotic—a clear sign of battles fought over the treasures hidden within.
“How could they loot the burial items and still wreck the palace like this?” Lu Zheng Yue muttered angrily, his eyes scanning the destruction around them.
The man leading them, who seemed a bit uneasy, replied, “Desolate City is a place of exile. Most of us here are descendants of criminals. Folks here live day to day without much care for rules.”
“Being greedy is one thing,” Lu Zheng Yue said, his voice hardening, “but being heartless is another. If they took the treasures, they should have left the palace intact—not destroyed it to this extent.”
Lu Zheng Yue was exhausted from war and sickness. This was his first time entering the underground palace, and the sight was disheartening.
The guide, feeling awkward, said no more and continued to lead them onward.
Wen Ning, holding a torch, carefully guided little Chao Chao. She glanced around at the smashed palace and let out a soft sigh. Her brow furrowed as she thought for a moment, then she knelt down and bowed her head to the ground.
“What’s wrong, Ning?” Lu Zheng Yue asked, noticing her sudden movement.
With her hands clasped, Wen Ning earnestly bowed again before replying, “It’s already wrong to disturb the spirits resting here.” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “The owner of this palace was kind-hearted, allowing those in need to take what they required beyond the stone gate. But the people acted like bandits, smashing and looting everything. It’s a sin.”
She was human, after all, and shared this world with others. Bowing was her way of offering an apology to the spirits.
Lu Zheng Yue pondered her words, then slowly knelt beside her, bowing respectfully.
Seeing their leaders kneeling, the physicians and soldiers followed suit. The local commoners, however, looked around indifferently, still clutching the copper coins they’d picked up. Some of them regretted only that they hadn’t found any gold pieces.
“When you entered, were the eternal lamps already lit?” Lu Zheng Yue asked the guide.
The man nodded. “Yes, the lamp oil here is a real treasure. It can burn for thousands of years without going out. Tsk, I was late back then!” he lamented.
Lu Zheng Yue leaned against the wall, gently touching the spot where one of the eternal lamps had been. Whoever had taken the lamps hadn’t been careful, spilling some of the precious oil.
He wiped a bit of the oil onto his hand and sniffed it lightly. “It doesn’t smell like any oil I know… It has a strange fragrance. And…” He hesitated, a familiar scent teasing his memory.
One of the physicians leaned in to sniff as well. “It does seem familiar…”
“Me smell! Me smell!” Little Chao Chao, standing on her tiptoes, stretched out her tiny hands, eager to sniff the oil too.
Lu Zheng Yue crouched down to her level. “Just a little sniff, okay? We don’t know if it’s poisonous.”
“It can’t be poisonous,” Wen Ning said with a gentle smile. “The tomb owner was so kind.”
From kings to commoners, everyone feared their graves being disturbed. Royal tombs even had special guards to show their importance. The tomb owner had clearly instructed people not to disturb beyond the stone gate. But he had kindly allowed those who did enter to bow and take a few treasures before leaving.
The commoners had been truly ungrateful.
“For someone to build such a carefully crafted underground palace, their status must have been very high. It’s a pity…” Lu Zheng Yue trailed off, shaking his head.
Chao Chao leaned forward and sniffed the oil lightly.
“Smell like Gwanny’s room!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with recognition.
Everyone paused, thinking.
“Yes! That’s it! It smells like incense!” Lu Zheng Yue clapped his hands. No wonder it seemed so familiar.
“It does have a temple-like fragrance—one that calms the mind,” the physicians agreed.
Chao Chao scrunched up her tiny face, trying to piece it together.
[People worship gods; divine blood naturally smells like incense. This lamp oil… ] Chao Chao’s heart gave a little jolt.
[It’s the heart’s blood of a deity!]
The guide continued, oblivious to her thoughts, “Earlier, this place was beautiful. Gold was scattered all over the ground, shining like stars. There were flowers and plants along both sides, too…”
“Strange,” he mused, “there’s no water or air here. I don’t know how they grew.”
“But these plants are picky. They die as soon as you pull them out.” He kicked at some withered grass lying on the ground.
One of the physicians bent down, picking up the withered grass to inspect it closely.
“Any signs of something unusual?” Lu Zheng Yue asked.
The physician shook his head. “No toxins. Doesn’t seem connected to the plague.”
“There were also some gorgeous dresses inside. Oh, my! I’ve never seen such beautiful clothes in my life. But they turned to dust at the slightest touch,” the guide added, smacking his lips.
“Heh, maybe this plague is a divine punishment for smashing the palace? Hahaha…” the guide chuckled nervously as he sifted through the rubble, searching for any missed treasures.
“That’s enough,” Wen Ning scolded sharply.
The man fell silent, looking a bit embarrassed.
Chao Chao picked up a bit of the withered grass, her little face frowning as she examined it.
[It looks like the Guiding Flower from the cultivation world,] she thought, recognizing the plant.
It had the power to gather souls and guide spirits, usually planted along the path to the afterlife. This flower couldn’t see sunlight and could only grow in the netherworld; it would die as soon as it was pulled from the ground.
She pinched some of the inconspicuous black soil on the ground.
[Just as I thought…]
[It’s Nether Soil.]
The guide continued, his eyes lighting up with excitement, “Up ahead, there’s also a jade bed. Tsk tsk, that’s a real treasure.”
“The entire bed is made of transparent white jade; from afar, it seemed to glow. Everyone fought fiercely over it, even spilling blood on it.”
“Eventually, the jade bed was smashed bit by bit with stones, and everyone took a piece.”
“Alas, I was late that time. Didn’t even get a piece of jade—so frustrating!” the man sighed deeply.
Chao Chao stopped in her tracks, her eyes growing wide.
She stared at the shattered jade bed, her eyelids twitching wildly, a bad feeling bubbling in her chest.
“The jade bed you mentioned—did it feel warm to the touch?” Chao Chao asked softly, her little voice trembling.
Lu Zheng Yue looked at her in surprise. Why did Chao Chao suddenly look so worried? She had been curious and excited just a moment ago.
“Yes! The elders say it’s thousand-year warm jade. If a body is placed on it, it can stay uncorrupted for a thousand years, looking as if alive,” the guide nodded vigorously, regret clear in his eyes.
Chao Chao opened her mouth but found herself unable to speak.
She looked around, bewildered.
[No wonder it felt so familiar!]
[Isn’t this the scene from my dream? After my disciples gathered my soul but couldn’t wake me, they placed my body on a warm jade bed to keep it from decaying.]
[This warm jade bed—isn’t it the one I lay on?!]
But her memorial was on the mountain at the Temple of National Protection!
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
But thinking about it…
[The memorial was empty inside, just for people to admire and worship.]
[This underground palace must have been carefully preserved by my disciples!]
Chao Chao’s face turned red, and she screamed inwardly in frustration.
Lu Zheng Yue suddenly raised his hands to cover his ears, his face twisting in pain.
“What’s wrong, Zheng Yue?” Wen Ning asked, her voice filled with concern.
Lu Zheng Yue rubbed his ears, casting a subtle look at Chao Chao. “It’s nothing,” he gasped, trying to reassure Wen Ning.