The Qilin Fire gradually dissipated, and the space, which had been as bright as day moments ago, was slowly swallowed by darkness, like a monster with ink-like tentacles gradually closing in.
Zhang Haike raised his flashlight again, its pale beam casting a light that illuminated only a small area before him. Dust and debris from the burnt bells and thin wires danced in the beam, resembling the black ash from burning paper.
In the midst of the chaos, Zhang Haike had just disarmed a mechanism. This mechanism not only controlled the quicksand and bronze bells but also the subsequent secret passage. Now, at the end of a pile of ashes directly in front of them, a deep, small door was slowly opening in the wall.
"Clan Leader, are you alright?"
Zhang Haike hesitated before speaking.
The Zhang family had, for generations, observed the positional changes of the Bronze Gate and, through millennia of records, developed a method for roughly predicting its landing location.
It was for this reason that Zhang Qiling had been under the Zhang family's observation from the moment he emerged from the Bronze Gate.
As Zhang Haike approached Zhang Qiling, he knew the latter suffered from memory loss, likely due to severe trauma within the Bronze Gate. However, at that time, his own emotions were completely calm. He had even, with a poker face, used Zhang Qiling's amnesia as a leverage point to lure him into the Zhang family.
...But now, he actually wished Zhang Qiling could recover his memories.
Zhang Qiling did not reply.
He felt as though he had just experienced a beautiful illusion. Though his memories were gone, that warm feeling still faintly enveloped him.
He lowered his eyes and turned to look behind him.
The Qilin Fire had been incredibly fierce and unstoppable. After its rampage, only shattered, blackened bronze bell fragments remained on the ground; not a single complete bell was left.
...He could not re-enter the illusion.
"Let's go."
Zhang Qiling pursed his lips. The fleeting joy that had appeared like ripples vanished as quickly, completely hidden within his dark eyes.
The newly appeared passage was not long. After walking for a few minutes, their view suddenly opened up—
They found themselves in a spacious, inverted bowl-shaped chamber. The curved walls were lined with dense square niches, each containing an exquisite piece of art.
Most of these artworks depicted snakes, insects, and beasts, each rendered with lifelike detail. However, their coloring was peculiar, with fangs and claws, making them resemble vengeful spirits from the underworld.
And within this circle of artworks, at the very center of the space, stood a colossal sculpture of a human-faced turtle!
Intricate carvings adorned its massive shell. Its raised head bore a pale human face with wide-open eyes, staring fixedly at the entrance, at the two people who had just entered.
Zhang Qiling surveyed the area and realized this was a mechanism triggered by adjusting the positions of the artworks.
Such mechanisms were not difficult to decipher; one could easily open them by mastering the sequence of adjusting the artworks.
The problem, however, was that he had no knowledge of the password set by the builder.
Zhang Qiling: ...
He was not inclined to try combinations. His mood was not good, and he lacked the patience to face these mocking artworks.
So, Zhang Qiling silently drew his Black Gold Ancient Saber, intending to blast through whichever wall seemed weakest.
Artworks on the wall: ...Don't come near us!
The artworks on the wall, fearing their demise, were saved at the last moment by Zhang Haike, who descended like a celestial being!
"Clan Leader, wait, Clan Leader!" Zhang Haike, in a desperate move, preserved a sliver of dignity for the sacred ground from Zhang Qiling's hands. "Clan Leader, don't rush. I carefully examined the map just now and found a hint about the mechanism here!"
"Please sit down and rest. I'll handle this mechanism."
Seeing Zhang Qiling nod slightly before pulling up his hood and sitting down, Zhang Haike finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
...Ever since they entered, the Clan Leader had been like a unstoppable force, cutting through all obstacles. He killed anyone who stood in his way and even dug up the ground where mechanisms were installed.
He thought of the dismembered Ghost Bear Insect and the pathetic bronze bell formation, and felt that the sacred ground's defenses had plummeted.
If the Clan Leader continued his destructive spree, this sacred ground would soon become a harmless tourist attraction that even a three-year-old could wander through!
Zhang Haike racked his brain, poring over the map to decipher the password, daring not to show any difficulty that might prompt the Clan Leader to pick up his Black Gold Ancient Saber again.
...In short, he would save as many mechanisms as possible now; this was his greatest effort as a Zhang family member.
Zhang Qiling was indifferent to Zhang Haike's sudden surge of enthusiasm. The spot he chose was peculiar, allowing him to meet the gaze of the human-faced turtle's eyes.
He was actually a bit tired, not physically, but from a deep emptiness and sadness welling up, coiling around his limbs like threads, making him reluctant to take another step.
So, Zhang Qiling clasped his hands, slowly raised them to prop up his chin, and stared fixedly at the human-faced turtle, appearing as if he had suddenly lost power or connection.
When Zhang Haike finished finding the password and opened the door, he looked back to see a scene of the man and the turtle staring at each other.
Neither of them spoke, neither moved, their faces equally pale and vacant. For a moment, it seemed as if Zhang Qiling were also a statue, destined to be buried in this deep, lightless forbidden land of mechanisms.
...The Zhang family's Clan Leader was destined to be buried in forbidden lands.
This thought flashed through Zhang Haike's mind. In fact, as a member of the Zhang family, this idea had always been deeply ingrained in his thoughts.
But now, he hesitated.
He froze in place, quietly observing the scene until Zhang Qiling noticed his gaze.
There was no emotional fluctuation in the eyes that looked towards him, as if he had accepted his fate and was facing it with equanimity.
"..." Zhang Haike wanted to say something, but ultimately did not.
"Let's go, Clan Leader."
Zhang Qiling passed him and entered the portal. Zhang Haike watched from behind, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
...He knew that even after retrieving the Mother Bell from here, the people in the Zhang family's inner clan would not let Zhang Qiling go.
Given the Clan Leader's subtly stubborn nature, he would probably fight his way out directly.
If that were the case...
Zhang Haike thought silently: If he were to suddenly rebel in the Zhang family's inner clan territory, his uncles and aunts in the overseas Zhang family should not be angered to death by him... right?