Chapter 622: Chapter 622 The Sinister Tomb Chamber_1
Purple and white lightning intertwined around the stone coffin, casting a somewhat eerie and ghostly aura on the coffin, lighting it up like a fantastical dream.
It looked just like a massive Tesla coil.
Only it was countless times more terrifying in terms of might.
Yet, what surprised Li Qing was that neither the Purple Cloud Thunder nor the Heavenly Punishment attacked the stone coffin.
This was not good news for Li Qing.
After all, Heavenly Punishment could differentiate good from evil, but Purple Cloud Thunder could not; why was it also on strike today?
Li Qing couldn’t understand.
Could it be that after coming together, Purple Cloud Thunder was also infected by Heavenly Punishment?
Damn!
That can’t be right.
But now that both of his trump cards had gone on strike, how to deal with the thing inside the stone coffin naturally became a problem.
In theory, anything that Heavenly Punishment didn’t actively attack shouldn’t be evil.
But, Li Qing didn’t dare to bet on it.
The sentient Apricot Tree in their village was never attacked by Heavenly Punishment, yet it had several human lives on it.
Using coincidences as a shield would surely lead to death sooner or later.
Could it be the stone coffin’s doing?
The stone coffin protected whatever was inside, blocking both Heavenly Punishment and Purple Cloud Thunder.
Moved by a thought, Li Qing slapped the stone coffin open again with his palm.
A dull click sounded, and the stone coffin opened by more than half.
A very plump orange cat appeared in front of Li Qing.
It seemed to have been startled by the sight before it, its yellow fur instantly bristling, as it snarled and showed its fangs defensively.
The way it behaved was completely that of a cat, no different from any other.
But neither Heavenly Punishment nor Purple Cloud Thunder attacked it; they just swirled around it for a moment and then completely dissipated.
Li Qing immediately became very alert.
It seemed that the problem wasn’t with the stone coffin; the reason lay with this orange cat.
With a thought, Black Arrow shot out instantly.
The orange cat seemed to sense the danger too, growling at Li Qing before suddenly leaping out of the stone coffin.
Its agile movements took it swiftly along the thick iron chains, and then it vanished without a trace.
Even with Li Qing’s eyesight, he couldn’t keep up with its speed; it was so fast that it seemed to flash by and then was gone.
Li Qing took a deep breath and sat down despondently on the stone coffin.
This was too bizarre!
How could there be an orange cat inside a stone coffin?
And one that was so strong, it could move a stone coffin weighing hundreds of pounds with a single swipe of its paw.
Moreover, both Heavenly Punishment and Purple Cloud Thunder seemed to turn a blind eye to it, which was even more strange.
Li Qing knew that tombs could contain all kinds of strange things.
But a fat and strong orange cat inside? That didn’t seem to make any sense.
"Senior Brother Li, did I just see a cat leap out? Was it?" Shisan, who was on guard at the door, asked.
Li Qing nodded, "It’s true that strange things happen every year, but this year is particularly odd, where did that cat in the stone coffin come from?"
Apart from the orange cat that had just scurried out, there was only a small Jade Token left inside the stone coffin.
The Jade Token was a vibrant green, intricately carved, with a lifelike orange cat vaguely visible on it.
Li Qing picked up the Jade Token and studied it, this thing seemed to be quite meticulously made.
The cat carved on it looked just like the one that had jumped out just now.
For a cat to actually have its own dedicated Jade Token, this little thing seemed to have some background to it.
Li Qing quietly pocketed the Jade Token, planning to take his time to study it later.
He leaped up from the stone coffin.
Shisan hurried over, "Brother Li, was there only that cat in the coffin?"
Li Qing nodded.
"It’s really baffling, how could a cat end up in there?" Shisan looked up at the stone coffin and asked, puzzled.
Li Qing shook his head, "I want to know, too. Moreover, there was nothing in the stone coffin but that cat. It might have gotten inside unintentionally, which is possible, but what I don’t understand is, the coffin was sealed. How could a cat possibly get into it?"
"And, when I opened the coffin several times before, that fella closed it back up. The stone coffin weighs hundreds of pounds; I have to exert a bit of strength to push it, that fella shut it with just a swipe of its paw."
Shisan’s eyebrows furrowed, "Brother, I don’t think there’s anything to doubt here, that cat has become a spirit!"
"Perhaps it got in from somewhere, by chance waited here and, through a fortuitous mishap, turned into a spirit. Otherwise, the cat itself might have lived here, as one of the burial artifacts."
Li Qing nodded slightly, "That’s possible, there have been precedents of buried pets before. But burying a cat, why does that feel weird to me? Isn’t there a saying that cats must not be allowed near a deceased person?"
"Right, right, that’s true," Shisan replied. "They say cats are psychic, and getting close to a body might cause the corpse to come back to life."
"If that’s the case, it’s unlikely that the cat was buried here. Maybe it came from someplace else." Li Qing said, looking up at the stone coffin again, "If a cat can lift such a heavy stone coffin, one swat of its paw, and it could easily kill a person."
Shisan nodded, "Afraid that’s true. Brother Li, do we still go inside now?"
Coming across such an ominous event right away, Li Qing himself certainly did not want to meddle in these murky waters any further.
But now, he carried the responsibility of the Ninth Bureau, and coming across such matters, he would still have to return, even if he left now.
"Let’s go, let’s explore a bit further inside. If things are unmanageable, we’ll make a quick retreat," Li Qing said in a low voice.
Shisan nodded vigorously.
Because of the strength Li Qing had displayed, Shisan had subconsciously made Li Qing the leader, and himself the supporter.
In the Cultivation World, as well as in the real society, the rule of the strong prevailed—this was almost an age-old truth.
The two of them proceeded very cautiously, one after the other, towards the back of the great hall.
Past those several corridors, there were a few smaller chambers behind.
Though called chambers, they actually looked no different from rooms, just ancient rooms.
There was a study filled with books, but they were so aged that it was impossible to find any in good condition.
This room had great significance for archaeology, and Li Qing and Shisan merely glanced at it, not disturbing anything.
The remaining chambers consisted of bedrooms and what appeared to be places for resting and receiving guests.
And the last two chambers stored all sorts of rare and curious objects; they looked like a treasure trove.
"Brother Li, the real treasures are inside here!" Shisan exclaimed, eyes sparkling.
The objects inside, though covered in dust from countless years, still exuded a strong aura of opulence.
Especially the boxes of Gold Ingots and horseshoe gold; their golden gleam nearly blinded Li Qing.
This King Qi was seriously loaded.
