I, a cultivator, have ended up in the world of tomb raiding.

Li Yue pondered and said, "I observe that the demonic aura above that Bottle Mountain is intense, and there is also a faint medicinal scent hidden within it. I think that after the ancient medicine furnace here was abandoned, there must have been many immortal herbs and minerals left behind."

The medicinal vapors seeped into the soil and rocks, attracting the five poisonous creatures. After the ancient tomb collapsed and cracked, this place became their lair.

They often gnaw on the corpses in the tombs, consuming them completely. Once the corpses are depleted, they begin to devour each other, adding poison to poison, and further enhanced by the medicinal properties of the stones, making them extraordinary.

Therefore, if the venom touches the body, it will instantly turn into pus and blood, and the flesh and bones will be destroyed.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yulou suddenly realized that there were such vicious poisonous insects in the world.

He nodded and sighed, "I see. It seems that the place where the locals talk about moving corpses is not the work of ghosts or gods, but rather these poisonous insects secretly gnawing at the body."

Hua Ma Guai, who was listening nearby, felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.

He thought to himself, "Luckily, I listened to Li Yue's advice earlier and covered my face and neck tightly, and tied my sleeves up as well."

Otherwise, he would probably be just like the other brothers who turned into pus and blood by now.

Thinking of this, his gaze towards Li Yue held even more genuine gratitude.

Listening to Li Yue's eloquent explanation, Luo Laowai, rubbing his pistol beside him, chuckled dryly twice and interjected:

"Brother Li is truly a living god; he knows the ins and outs of this insect monster perfectly. He even managed to cut down that black dragon-like centipede demon with a single stroke."

He looked at Li Yue, and asked again with a crooked mouth:

"Hehe, Brother Li, in your opinion, is there anything even more powerful in the depths of Ping Mountain? We'll be prepared for our next trip down there."

Li Yue said calmly, "The six-winged centipede was already the leader of the insects here. With its death, the other poisonous insects are leaderless. Although a new insect king will appear in the future, there should be no more powerful enemies in the short term."

Then, she changed the subject: "But deep within Ping Mountain, the evil spirits are mixed and chaotic. Over the years, the yin energy has turned into evil. If we go further down, there may be other evil spirits and monsters."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people in the room all changed.

Chen Yulou exclaimed in surprise, "A zombie? Could it be a legendary rice dumpling that has become a spirit?"

"I heard from the local guide that there's a legendary Corpse King here, a very mystical one. Could there really be a Corpse King inside this ancient tomb?"

"If one is nourished by yin energy for too long, one will condense evil spirits into demons, and it is not surprising that any kind of evil spirit will appear." Li Yue's tone was calm, but it sent chills down the spines of the group.

Luo Laowai swallowed hard, and subconsciously touched the pistol at his waist again, only to feel that the iron lump was really nothing to rely on in front of such monsters.

"This..." Chen Yulou hesitated upon hearing what Li Yue said.

Leaving aside the possibility that there might be giant monsters like six-winged centipedes inside the ancient tomb's underground palace,

Even facing the nests teeming with poisonous insects, relying solely on the power of the Unloading Ridge Sect to force their way into the tomb would be tantamount to suicide.

However, this expedition was unsuccessful, with heavy losses and the fact that they couldn't even set foot in the actual underground palace was a huge blow to their pride as the leader of the Unloading Ridge faction.

He suddenly felt a pang of regret for not heeding the advice of Partridge Whistle, the Mountain-Moving Taoist.

But things have come to this point, and if they return empty-handed, they will find it difficult to regain their footing on the bandit path.

Seeing this, Hong Guniang guessed that the leader was having trouble making a decision, so she stepped forward and gently advised him:

"Sir, we have ventured far into barbarian lands, where we are at a disadvantage in terms of both timing and terrain. Our casualties are already heavy, so it would be better to retreat to Xiangyin for the time being, regroup, and then devise a better strategy."

"No way!" Old Luo slammed his hand on the table, cutting off the conversation.

"I, Luo Laowai, hate nothing more than returning empty-handed when leading troops! Now that we've come, how can I explain to my men if we go back empty-handed?"

"Boss Chen, we brothers have worked so hard to build this up, you can't just leave like that. Since we can't get down from up here, we'll dig the tomb entrance from the bottom of the mountain, paving the way with lime as we go, taking it one step at a time!"

When Luo Laowai spoke passionately, his spittle flew everywhere:

"Even if there are ten or a hundred six-winged centipedes inside, damn it, I'll fire several volleys of gunfire and add a few tubes of explosives, and I'll still blow them to smithereens!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the girl in red.

The girl in red was already bright and pretty, and now, bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, she looked even more charming and beautiful.

Even the heroic and spirited air between his brows seemed to have gained a unique charm.

Luo Laowai, feeling a sudden urge, veered off course:

"Red Girl, don't worry. Once we retrieve the treasure from the tomb and pacify the world, Chief Chen and I will undoubtedly be promoted to kings and generals. Didn't you want to go to Shanghai to revive the ancient magic tricks of the Moon Gate?"

As Luo Laowai spoke, his sly eyes darted towards Hong Guniang, and his words became increasingly outrageous:

"Hehe, with your figure and charm, I think you wouldn't be overlooked even in the glitz and glamour of Shanghai..."

I'll throw money at you, call my brothers to support you, and provide all the financial and manpower you need. I guarantee you'll become a superstar...

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp "snap" was heard.

Red Girl moved with lightning speed, slapping Luo Laowai hard across the face.

Just hearing it hurts… Li Yue looked up at the two of them and hissed inwardly.

This old man Luo is full of nonsense. His words just now were frivolous and indecent. He deserved this slap.

However, Hong Guniang was truly strong-willed, unlike ordinary women who would swallow their anger.

They prefer to use force rather than speak, which aligns with the江湖 (jianghu) style of subduing others through strength.

Luo Laowai was hit so hard his head tilted to the side, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He immediately flew into a rage and reached for his gun.

"Damn it! You dare hit me?!"

Chen Yulou was shocked and quickly stepped forward to stop them, pulling Hong Guniang away with one hand and pressing down on Luo Laowai's hand as he drew his gun with the other, trying to smooth things over:

"Commander Luo, please calm down! Miss Hong is strong-willed and did not mean it. Judging from your appearance, you are a person born with the Dao, but you committed too many killings in your early years, which damaged your immortal bones."

"This young lady in red is quite virtuous; her slap has just wiped away three years of bad luck for you—it's a good thing!"

Luo Laowai already believed in Chen Yulou's physiognomy skills, and after hearing what he said, his anger subsided by more than half.

He just kept lecherously staring at the pretty face of the girl in red, stubbornly saying:

"I'm a chivalrous man with a tender heart, I won't stoop to the level of a young woman. If she gets itchy again next time, let her hit me."

The young woman glared at him, still angry: "This old lady's hands are itching right now!"

Luo Laowai, however, did not take Hong Guniang's anger seriously.

Seeing her displeasure and her flushed cheeks, he felt that her stunning beauty had become even more captivating, and his gaze became even more unrestrained.

Chen Yulou felt utterly overwhelmed when he saw that they were going to fight again.

Seeing Li Yue watching the commotion from the sidelines made her feel even more humiliated and ashamed.

"Alright, now is not the time to argue about these things."

Fearing that Luo Laowai would cause trouble by talking nonsense again, Chen Yulou quickly pressed him back into his chair and secretly kicked Hua Maguai, making him pull Hong Guniang away.

Chen Yulou's words were a quick and clever response, yet he managed to offend neither side, which Li Yue found quite admirable.

No wonder this guy could still make a living in the underworld with his silver tongue after losing his night vision, and even fooled Hu Bayi and the others. His rhetoric is truly remarkable.

Chen Yulou straightened his disheveled clothes and awkwardly sat back down in the main seat.

He cleared his throat and steered the conversation back to the main topic:

"Pour lime from the mountaintop, but you won't reach the poisonous insects deep in the rock crevices. Going down the cliff will still be suicide."

It seems we can only follow Commander Luo's advice: proceed cautiously, step by step, from the bottom of the mountain through the tomb passage, carving open the tomb entrance and advancing steadily.