"Let's leave quickly," Huo Lei was most wary of these strange and eerie things.
"I remember Old Shi saying that the former owner of the Ruo Shui River was a dragon-fish. Could this person lying inside be the owner of the Ruo Shui River?" Xiao Man didn't rush to leave. If the one sealed inside was the owner of the Ruo Shui River, then did this crystal coffin hide the secret she wanted to know?
"I heard the Great Priest say that the owner of the Ruo Shui River was the Dragon-Fish Immortal, but isn't that just a myth?"
"Then who is this person?"
"Why don't we go back and ask the Great Priest? The Great Priest is learned and talented, perhaps he knows who this is."
Xiao Man shook her head. She was worried that if she left today, she might never find a way out again.
"Let's open this crystal coffin and take a look," Xiao Man suggested.
"I don't want to," Little Stone shook his head repeatedly, clasping his hands together and muttering, "Grave robbing is a heinous crime. I cannot do such a thing."
"I didn't ask you, I asked him."
Huo Lei also stepped back, "In our Bai Lang Village, only those who have committed heinous crimes have their coffins disturbed. We are strangers to this person, yet we are to disturb their coffin. It's a sin, a sin."
Xiao Man was momentarily speechless, "Fine, if you won't come, I'll do it myself."
Xiao Man bowed to the crystal coffin, "I mean no disrespect, but I am trying to find a way out. There may be clues in Senior's coffin. I will be very careful not to damage Senior's remains. I beg Senior not to blame me."
"Xiao Man, let's not. I feel an unsettling chill," Huo Lei said.
Xiao Man ignored Huo Lei's words and began to circle the crystal coffin, looking for a place to start. The crystal coffin seemed to be naturally formed, with not a single trace to be found. It was like amber, sealing a living person within, which is why they appeared so lifelike.
"There's no seam. Do I have to cut this coffin open?"
"Absolutely not. The person inside this coffin is already strange. If you damage his coffin, you will face retribution!" Huo Lei warned Xiao Man. "Why don't we just forget it?"
Xiao Man carefully examined the crystal coffin again, then leaned over it, gazing intently at the person within.
"There must be a way to open it, I just haven't found it..." Xiao Man moved her body and realized she couldn't get up. She tried to move again, but still couldn't. Her body was slowly sinking into the crystal coffin!
Disaster!
"Quick, help me!" Xiao Man urgently called for help. "This coffin is problematic."
"I told you this coffin was problematic, but you wouldn't listen. Let's not open it. Disturbing the spirits is no trifling matter," Huo Lei suggested. "Aren't we supposed to see the sacred tree? Why not go see the sacred tree first?"
"If you don't save me soon, I'll be pulled into the coffin!" Xiao Man pleaded urgently.
Only then did Huo Lei realize something was wrong. He stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Man's arm, and tried to pull her out. However, a strange force erupted from the crystal coffin, repelling Huo Lei and instantly sucking Xiao Man into the coffin. The stone platform on which the coffin rested split open, and the crystal coffin fell directly down. The stone platform then returned to normal.
Huo Lei rushed to the stone platform but couldn't find any mechanism to open it. He looked at Little Stone, who was already terrified into silence.
"What happened?"
Little Stone shook his head repeatedly. He didn't know what was going on. He had played here so many times without incident, but as soon as he brought Xiao Man and the others, something went wrong.
After all, he was just a boy, and he started crying from the shock, "I told you... don't touch it, don't touch it... but you insisted on touching it. Now look, boo hoo..."
Huo Lei paced back and forth anxiously, searching everywhere for a mechanism to open the stone platform. However, after a long search, he found nothing, as if this place had never held a crystal coffin and had been empty from the start!
"What is down there?"
"Down there is... the underground river... of the Ruo Shui River."
Huo Lei's heart sank. Everything in the Ruo Shui River floated, so how could Xiao Man survive after falling into it? He had come out with Xiao Man, only to watch her meet her fate before his eyes. How could he explain this back home?
Just as Huo Lei was anxiously worrying, he heard footsteps approaching. He thought Xiao Man was playing a joke on them and rushed forward, only to be met by assassins!
"Found him!" the leader of the assassins shouted excitedly. "Kill him!"
Huo Lei's heart sank. He turned, grabbed Little Stone, and fled. If he were alone, he could fight to the death, but with Little Stone present, things were different. Little Stone was from Tai Yang Village, and they had brought him out. Xiao Man was already gone; if Little Stone were also gone, Tai Yang Village would never forgive Bai Lang Village. He could die, but Little Stone could not be harmed!
"Still trying to run!" the assassins chased after them. "Huo Lei, surrender quickly, and we'll spare your life!"
Huo Lei remained unmoved. The targets were clearly him, so they wouldn't let him go. They would only torment him to their heart's content!
"I'll find a place to leave you in a moment. You're from Tai Yang Village, they wouldn't dare touch you..."
"No wonder Xiao Man wanted you to read more!" Little Stone was somewhat exasperated. "Look at them, all with their faces covered. Who are they trying to kill? Clearly, it's me!"
Huo Lei was confused. "You're from Tai Yang Village, how dare they?"
"I am from Tai Yang Village, but you brought me out!" Little Stone poked Huo Lei's head. "If I die outside, do you think the Great Priest will blame you, or a group of masked assassins?"
"This..."
"If they kill me, they can then fabricate a story, saying you infiltrated Tai Yang Village to steal, and I discovered you, so you silenced me. In that case, would the Great Priest attack Bai Lang Village or not?"
Huo Lei's heart pounded with fear. "How can you be so calculating at such a young age?"
Little Stone choked. "I am smart and quick-witted, unlike you, who is so foolish. How have you managed to live this long?"
Huo Lei's mouth twitched. He wasn't foolish; he just didn't like to assume the worst of people. However, based on the current situation, what Little Stone said was highly likely to be true!
They had secretly brought Little Stone out of Tai Yang Village, which was already a weak position. If Little Stone were killed, regardless of who the killer was, he would ultimately bear the blame.
"Who are these people, so vicious?"
"Naturally, it's someone who wants to provoke conflict between Tai Yang Village and Bai Lang Village. Whoever benefits the most from the two villages fighting is the mastermind!" Little Stone stated with certainty. "My grandfather said so!"
"Who is your grandfather?"
"Old Shi is my grandfather."