The Unorthodox Tomb Raider

Although Huang Ying and Xiao Ye were puzzled, they quickly did as Fang Yun said, and sure enough, Xiao Ye was the first to discover it this time.

"Come and see! There's a round, disc-shaped decoration here. When I touched it just now, I felt like it loosened a little."

Since it's a relief, how could it feel loose? So Ono noticed the situation and immediately came over to tell Fang Yun.

Fang Yun reached out and twisted the compass forcefully. Immediately, the sound of a spring turning rang out. He twisted it faster again, and sure enough, the golden door in the middle slowly opened.

"The craftsman's idea was indeed good, disguising the mechanism as a relief on the wall. However, so much time has passed, and the wall has been corroded and a lot of plaster has peeled off, so the compass naturally began to loosen."

Fang Yun didn't continue turning; he waited until the golden gate opened a crack large enough for one person to pass through, then quickly walked through it. 817

The stone chamber was pitch black, but emerald green flames could be seen in many corners.

In the very center of the stone chamber, there was a high platform with about nine steps. At the top of this platform, a huge bronze coffin was placed.

The coffin was cast in bronze, with patterns of dragons, tigers, leopards, and some special symbols and designs.

Ono was also seeing this scene for the first time and couldn't help but exclaim, "I never thought that there would be such a place in the mountains we walk through every day. If it weren't for someone else discovering it this time, we probably wouldn't have known this secret even if we walked through them for decades."

Fang Yun smiled and said, "The reason they built this place so securely and secretly is naturally because they didn't want anyone to find it. If it weren't for those miners discovering it by chance this time, who knows how many more years it would have been before this place saw the light of day again."

Huang Ying swallowed hard, looked at the bronze coffin, and asked, "Brother Fang, is this what you're looking for?"

Chapter 495 Bronze Coffin

"Judging from the current situation, this should be it. Considering the previous tomb owner's fastidiousness and preferences, there shouldn't be any traps here."

Fang Yun noticed that one spot on the coffin was the source of the strong sensation he felt.

But this thing wasn't inside the coffin. He went over and took a closer look, only to find that in the middle of the upper layer of the coffin, there was a carved dragon shape, and in the dragon's claw was a milky white bead about the size of a marble. This was the thing he was looking for.

"Could this be the legendary Puppet Suppressing Pearl?"

Fang Yun had heard of this bead in ancient books long ago. Legend has it that this bead has the power to suppress evil spirits. If it falls into the hands of someone who knows magic, then its power can be unleashed.

If you don't know what this bead is for, then at most it's just a bead that emits a dull luster.

Clearly, the tomb owner did not know the true purpose of the pearl, but simply regarded it as a more expensive or rarer pearl. That's why he placed it in the dragon's claw, which actually looks quite incongruous.

One is a divine dragon from the heavens, and the other is a divine pearl from the netherworld; how can they be placed together?

“Brother Fang, the precious gem you mentioned is that pearl, right? I don’t see anything special about it. Look at the one inlaid on this bell I’m wearing; it’s even bigger than that pearl.”

As she spoke, Huang Ying showed off her wrist, where a white pearl on the bracelet was indeed larger and brighter in color.

"If you like this, I'll just give it to you. Why did you go through all this trouble and almost lose your life here?" Huang Ying patted her chest.

Ono snorted and said, "Stop messing around. Can your thing compare to that bead? We ordinary people can't understand the mysteries of that bead, so let's not talk nonsense."

Huang Ying was displeased upon hearing this, and pointed at Xiao Ye, she whispered, "What's wrong with you lately? Can't I even make a joke? Don't I know the situation? Do you need to tell me?"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. I'll take this bead now and then we'll leave. This place is not safe to stay any longer."

As he spoke, Fang Yun stepped forward and reached out to take the bead, but at that moment, a cold shout came from behind: "Wait!"

Fang Yun and the others turned to look and saw two people walking in through the main gate. One was in his twenties, and the other was an old woman in her sixties. It was Gu Tingfang and her companion.

Fang Yun was taken aback. He hadn't expected Gu Tingfang to be so skilled. She must have used some kind of magic artifact to shield her aura, which was why Fang Yun hadn't sensed her presence.

"What are you? That's impossible."

Gu Tingfang was also very surprised when she saw Fang Yun's face.

"There are many traps and mechanisms along the way. Without blueprints and magical treasures to protect us, it would be impossible to reach this location."

Fang Yun chuckled upon hearing this, "Why would I possibly come here?"

Gu Tingfang didn't speak, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes. Then she took a deep breath and said calmly, "Come down. This is not something you can control."

"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. Taking this bead will only bring you death. Considering you've gone to great lengths to come all this way, come down now and hand the bead over to me, and I might consider giving you some money as compensation."

Gu Tingfang thought this was already a very generous offer. After all, Fang Yun came here to seek wealth and status, so why wouldn't he agree to it now that he had the money?

"You're thinking too simply. I'm here to get this bead, so I don't need Miss Gu's money."

"Furthermore, I would also like to advise Miss Gu to go back. Otherwise, when I leave later, you will be left alone here and you will be unable to explain yourself to those who come over."

Upon hearing this, Gu Tingfang's face turned cold. He said, "I advise you not to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, and don't be too greedy. I've already done more than enough by offering you compensation out of kindness. Otherwise, I would have taken you down directly, and what would you have to say then?"

Fang Yun smiled and said, "Miss Gu, are you that confident?" (Qian Dezhao)

If Gu Tingfang had come alone, she wouldn't have dared to be too overconfident and directly confront Fang Yun, since she had already glimpsed some of Fang Yun's strength before.

However, she has now brought her family's patron, Aunt Pei. Although Aunt Pei is not a celestial master, she is a person who has been in the fasting stage for a long time and whose strength is unfathomable.

Moreover, the two people beside Fang Yun, Huang Ying and Huang Ying, are basically powerless and can be ignored. If the two of them take Fang Yun by surprise, they should be able to take him down as soon as possible.

This is why Gu Tingfang was able to confidently negotiate terms with Fang Yun.

Meanwhile, Aunt Pei, who was standing to the side, was secretly making preparations for this situation.

Chapter 496 Quickly Take it Down

This Pei Niang is the one who advised Gu Tingfang to persuade Fang Yun. Just from this point alone, it is clear that her insight is far superior to that of a junior like Gu Tingfang.

However, Gu Tingfang overestimated himself, so he didn't seize the opportunities he had before. Of course, even if he lost them, he didn't think it was a big deal.

But Pei Niang didn't really watch, especially after Fang Yun defeated Bai Hansheng, she could vaguely sense an unusual power emanating from Fang Yun.

Even now, she still holds onto those same old ideas.

The Puppet Suppressing Pearl is indeed a treasure, but it's not enough for a family to prosper with just a magic artifact; ultimately, it depends on the people.

Only when a family has talented individuals, a continuous stream of younger generations and young talent, can it truly revitalize itself.

Even if Gu Tingfang obtains this pearl and his power increases by 820, so what? What if the pearl stops working one day? These juniors wouldn't understand.

“Miss, I still have the same advice. This Fang Yun is not to be underestimated, and seeing how young he is, he is bound to be a promising talent in the future. This bead is definitely not as important as the person.”

Upon hearing Aunt Pei's words, Gu Tingfang immediately turned to look at her.

"Aunt Pei, what are you saying? Do you want me to give up this bead and then curry favor with Fang Yun? Are you getting senile?!"

Aunt Pei was not angry. Instead, she said calmly, "Miss, we went through so much trouble to find this bead because we wanted to use it to stabilize the family and save it from its decline. But think about it, even if we really took it back, would it be useful?"

"Let's not even talk about whether the efficacy of this magical artifact has diminished over the years. Besides, this bead is an ancient artifact; even if you take it back, will you actually know how to use it?"

"If it turns out to be just an inanimate object, it will be nothing but trash to us. Moreover, if news of our acquisition of this pearl spreads, it will attract even more covetous people, and our Gu family's situation will only become more dangerous."

Aunt Pei's words seemed to have hit the nail on the head, immediately making Gu Tingfang hesitate.

"But... but even if we wanted to use this bead as a favor, there's no need to give it to that kid Fang Yun. If we offered it to those big families in the capital, they might give us something in return."

Aunt Pei sighed and said, "Girl, you're thinking too simply. I can only tell you that in the end, you can only rely on yourself. If you rely on others as your support, one day, even your support will collapse. This is a lesson I've learned over the years: never rely on others."

"Only by cultivating our own strength can we truly be reliable."

Gu Tingfang found Aunt Pei's words reasonable, but she was still very reluctant to simply hand over the bead. It was like having planned for something for a long time and finally getting it to her mouth, only to have to give it away to someone else.

Only those who are directly involved can truly understand this feeling.

Aunt Pei seemed to be able to see Gu Tingfang's hesitation, but time was of the essence and there was no time to think carefully. If Fang Yun ran away with the bead now, should she make a move or not?

Once they make a move, a conflict is inevitable. Moreover, Aunt Pei knows Fang Yun's strength. Even if he is slightly weaker than her, she can still hold him back without any problem.

If that happens, and others come along, they'll reap the benefits.

Therefore, after careful consideration, reaching a consensus with Fang Yun is definitely the best option.

Moreover, if they become enemies with Fang Yun, it will not be a good thing for the Gu family in the future. If Fang Yun becomes stronger and others are unable to control him, the Gu family will also face threats.

“Miss, it’s time to make a decision. If we drag this out any longer, we might not even get the beads, let alone this favor.”

After Aunt Pei finished speaking, her expression suddenly became even more serious: "I have already heard several groups of people rushing this way, and they should be here within a quarter of an hour."

Aunt Pei stopped talking after saying that. The decision was up to Gu Tingfang. After all, she was just a servant, and a servant could not make decisions for the master in any situation.

Gu Tingfang looked very conflicted, while Fang Yun looked over with a cold expression, clearly losing patience as well.

“Miss Gu, how about this: if you insist on not backing down, then you are welcome to come up and have a match with me. I don’t like bullying women, so I won’t make the first move.”

Fang Yun was also very troubled. He knew that if he didn't leave soon, someone would come, but with the two members of the Gu family blocking his way, it would take him a while to deal with them.

Especially the older woman, whose background he still didn't know, and the Gu family being a prominent family in Guangling, she must have other magical artifacts on her.

Chapter 497 An Astonishing Decision

All things considered, the Gu family still has the ability to fight back against him.

If I didn't have anything else to do right now, I could waste time with them, but right now time is the most precious thing.

The group outside, not to mention Ke Qiang and Bai Hansheng, Chen Xian alone has quite a few experts under his command. Dealing with them would indeed be troublesome.

Fang Yun originally wanted to offer Gu Tingfang some benefits if she was willing to back down, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

From the moment Fang Yun met Gu Tingfang, she knew that this person was extremely proud and arrogant, and how could she possibly be interested in something promised by a country bumpkin like herself?

Therefore, Fang Yun had no choice but to directly challenge him to a duel, which was a last resort.

If the Gu family still refuses to back down, then I will have to really resort to force.

"Take the beads with you."

At this moment, Gu Tingfang suddenly blurted out, her pronunciation was very heavy, indicating that it was not easy for her to say this sentence.

Fang Yun wondered if he had misheard, until Gu Tingfang stepped aside and realized that Gu Tingfang had truly compromised.

"You..." Fang Yun was about to ask in confusion.