The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

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“The ghost soldiers are still behind us?” Tang Yueshan asked.

Shangguan Qing was bent forward as he moved ahead. “Mm. They’ll be coming shortly.”

Tang Yueshan asked, “And then?”

Shangguan Qing replied, “Then this passage will be completely sealed off.”

That essentially meant they were abandoning the village.

However, as the saying went, where there were green hills, there would always be firewood.

As long as they were alive, there was hope to rebuild their home.

They didn’t know how long they had been walking underground, but the farther they went, the wider and more spacious the passage became.

Eventually, they could stand up straight as they walked.

The wall-mounted torch holders along the tunnel had all been lit, and the firelight flickered on the faces of everyone present.

Tang Yueshan brought up the rear, keeping a steady pace, and suddenly remembered something. “By the way, wasn’t there a tunnel in the forest where the battle happened yesterday? What if the Jin army finds that one?”

Shangguan Qing paused for a moment, then sighed and said, “Then we’re in trouble.”

……

Xie Hangzhou led twenty thousand soldiers into Ghost Mountain, and accompanying him were Elder Lu from the Sword Lodge and two of his highly skilled disciples.

While Xie Hangzhou and a few of his men were mounted, the majority of the troops traveled on foot.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling to deploy cavalry, it was simply that the terrain of Ghost Mountain made it unsuitable for mounted combat.

“We’ve been searching for ages and found nothing?” Xie Hangzhou asked. “Elder Lu, you’re certain the battle last night took place in this part of the forest?”

Elder Lu replied in a cool, detached tone, “I’m certain. Moreover, there must be hidden mechanisms and formations within this forest.”

Xie Hangzhou said, “But we’ve searched for a full hour and still haven’t found anything.”

“General!”

A soldier lying on the ground suddenly shouted loudly, “I’ve found a passage here!”

Xie Hangzhou quickly urged his horse forward, and by the time he reached the spot, the soldier had already descended.

Moments later, the soldier climbed back up, covered in dust and grime. Holding up a skeletal hand, he said, “It’s all tunnels down there, branching in different directions. They must have been using these underground paths to play their tricks!”

Xie Hangzhou ordered two of his deputy generals, “Take your men down and search thoroughly.”

“Yes, sir!”

Given that the ghost soldiers were known for their cunning and ruthlessness, and considering that just three hundred of them had wiped out Min Hongyi’s five hundred troops with ease, the number of soldiers sent into the tunnels was far from small.

Inside, they made a significant discovery. Skeletons erupting from the ground, trees that bled, the corpses of birds. All of it had been cleverly designed traps!

A bunch of charlatans and conjurers!

Xie Hangzhou said coldly, “It seems this is all about to come to an end.”

Just as he finished speaking, a sudden, terrifying explosion echoed from beneath the ground.

The earth trembled violently, and immediately after, the tunnel was filled with wave after wave of bloodcurdling screams!

Xie Hangzhou's expression changed drastically. “What’s going on down there? Answer me!”

But the only response he received was more agonized screaming.

“So they really are dying for real,” Shangguan Qing said flatly. “Once the self-destruct mechanisms are activated, it’s impossible for anyone to survive. And it will permanently sever the tunnel’s connection to the village above.”

“Wow.” Tang Yueshan was secretly impressed.

What was that saying again?

Reading ten thousand books was not as useful as traveling ten thousand miles.

This trip to the State of Yan had truly broadened his horizons.

So wars could be fought like this too.

With genuine admiration, Tang Yueshan asked, “How did you even come up with the idea to dig so many tunnels, and to set up such elaborate traps?”

Shangguan Qing replied, “It wasn’t my idea. The network of underground passages already existed when I arrived at Ghost Mountain. I just figured out how the mechanisms worked and made use of them.”

Following the little booklet he swiped from the Old Ghost King!

Of course, that part couldn’t be mentioned.

How else was he supposed to maintain his mystique?

The last ghost soldier finally entered the passage, and the entrance to the well was completely sealed shut by an enormous stone trap.

They continued walking for a while longer and eventually arrived at a natural underground cavern.

The cavern was vast and extended deep into the mountain, with a stream gently flowing through it.

The villagers and ghost soldiers all sat down on the ground to rest.

With an abundant water source and ample rations they had brought along, they could easily remain hidden here for an entire month without issue.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Tang Yueshan wouldn’t have believed that such a marvel of construction could exist in this world.

Who in the world could have dug something like this?

And more importantly, why?

Tang Yueshan asked, “Do you think the Jin army might try to dig down to find us?”

“They won’t,” Shangguan Qing replied. “I left some boats on the lake by East Mountain, and also created signs on the shore to make it look like we fled in a hurry. They’ll probably assume we escaped by boat during the night.”

“No wonder you told everyone not to light any fires this morning.” If they had started fires, the Jin army would’ve realized someone had stayed the night, and then it’d be obvious the boats couldn’t have gone far.

But with no smoke in the morning and the boats gone by nightfall, it made perfect sense that they might have escaped under cover of darkness.

This Little Ghost King’s plan truly left no gaps.

Old Xiao, I’ve found someone just as sly as you are!

Just wait till I drag this kid back and take him in as my godson, then let’s see if you still dare show off in front of me!

Tang Yueshan added, “What about the back of the mountain…”

Shangguan Qing replied, “You’ve been there yourself. The Ghost King’s hideout is extremely well-hidden. The Jin army won’t find it.”

That was true enough.

So now, all that remained was to wait in the cavern.

Wait for the Jin army to withdraw on their own, or for the imperial forces to attack and drive them out.

The latter was far more likely.

Raz P.'s Thoughts

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…