Chapter 58
By the time Tang Yunxian and Cheng Xuyuan returned to the inn, it was in complete chaos. Golden sand was scattered everywhere. The compass, as if gone mad, was spewing out yellow sand, causing it to billow around the room.
He Zhen braved himself to grab the compass and threw it into the inn's yard, eliciting a collective sigh of relief from everyone present. The citizens of the town, drawn by the commotion, arrived and couldn't believe the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
"It must be cursed, right?" The owner of the inn stared at the ground blankened by sand, fear still lingering in her eyes, "You must find a way to deal with that compass!"
Sweat trickled down Tang Yunxian's forehead. He was obviously clueless about this phenomenon. All he knew was that the compass was somehow connected to his past life's memories, but he didn't understand the relationship.
The bravest person at the scene was Cheng Xuyuan. He walked into the backyard and calmly picked up the trembling golden compass. The needle was incessantly pointing towards a single direction, like an unyielding invisible guide.
"Is the compass pointing towards a palace in the desert?" Cheng Xuyuan asked the system.
The system responded, "Correct, there's another compass in the palace, and the two are connected."
"Connected? So, the other compass is transporting the sand here?" Cheng Xuyuan expressed his confusion, "But why was everything fine before?"
"Just as you've guessed, one compass can transport items to the other," the system patiently explained, "As for the sudden onslaught of sand, it's evident that the other compass has been activated."
Cheng Xuyuan's eyes widened in shock, his voice filled with disbelief, "Are you suggesting that someone... someone in the palace activated the compass?"
The system confirmed his speculation.
Upon remembering the mummies he had seen in the palace, Cheng Xuyuan felt a chill run down his spine, goosebumps spreading across his skin. Then, he suddenly thought of the man sitting on the throne, could he be...
At that moment, the sand spewing from the compass had piled up into a small hill in the backyard. Fearful of any mishaps, Tang Yunxian rushed to the backyard, grabbed Cheng Xuyuan's arm, and proposed, "Let's throw this wretched thing into the desert. Otherwise, before long, our entire town will be in ruins..."
Cheng Xuyuan nodded in agreement. Even though he was unsure of what the compass might do next, the best immediate solution was to toss it into the desert.
Thus, with the help of the town residents, several people boarded a large truck. They placed the compass in the truck's cargo bed and headed for the desert without delay.
After the truck had travelled a significant distance from the town, the cargo bed was filled to the brim with sand. The incessant sand made it increasingly difficult for the truck to proceed.
The driver stopped the truck, opened up the cargo bed, and dumped all the sand into the desert. He dared not touch the compass, so Tang Yunxian stepped up to collect it, intending to throw it into the desert.
However, the moment his fingers touched the compass, a familiar voice echoed emptily in his ears from afar.
"How can you discard the compass that you love so much?"
The voice, identical to the emperor's from his illusions, startled Tang Yunxian into a tremor. As he lowered his gaze to the compass in his hand and looked up again towards the source of the voice, the scene around him had quietly transformed.
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He was again in the emperor's sleeping quarters, a young man in white robes cheerfully handed him the compass, his lips curling into a vivid smile. His voice carried a gentle concern, "This compass was specially made for His Majesty."
"Is that so?" The emperor took the compass and studied it, not finding anything particularly special, yet he praised, "There are many objects in my study. This would look quite fine on the desk."
"This is not something to be merely displayed on a desk." The young man in white pouted slightly. "His Majesty has been suffering from insomnia recently. I specifically acquired this pure gold compass, engraved with the image of a dream-beast. If you put it under your pillow, you should be able to sleep soundly."
"I see."
Holding the pure gold compass, the emperor inspected it carefully. He noticed the intricate designs and the style that reflected Li Yuan's handiwork. The surface of the compass was also lined with jade.
The emperor accepted the compass, nodding towards Li Yuan, "Since childhood, you have been the most caring and helpful person to me. I will certainly place this compass by my bedside. However, I will also command the craftsmen in the court to replicate this compass and have it delivered to your residence another day."
Li Yuan hastily declined, saying, "Your Majesty, there's no need for that. Helping you is part of my duty..."
The emperor gently gripped his chin, his grandmother's emerald ring caressing his skin, his voice was tender yet dominant, "I wish to give it to you. Now, express your gratitude promptly."
Caught off guard, Li Yuan hesitated, then bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
A few days later, another compass was quickly constructed and personally delivered to Li Yuan by the emperor. The two compasses were identical, even to the smallest detail, so much so that even with a modern magnifying glass, one would struggle to identify any differences.
Amazed by this unexpected honor, Li Yuan accepted the compass.
"You once said that objects imbued with sincerity always possess a kind of spirit," said the emperor as he looked into Li Yuan's eyes, "We share a spiritual connection, as should these two compasses."
At that time, Li Yuan took his words as a joke and didn't take them to heart.
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Suddenly everything around them turned blurry again, and Tang Yunxian was back in the open desert under the starry night sky. The voice was still echoing in his ears.
"Hurry and return the compass to the palace. Right now, it's only spewing out sand, but soon, more things will pop out. By then, you all might not be able to bear it."
A chill ran down Tang Yunxian's spine.
The voice did indeed resemble the emperor's, but there was a strange undertone to it.
The only thing he could trust was the likelihood of the compass potentially unleashing something more terrifying...
With that thought, Tang Yunxian sank into hesitation.
"What are you dawdling about, Tang Yunxian?" Cheng Xuyuan frowned at him. "Why don't you just discard it?"
Taking a deep breath, Tang Yunxian shook his head and let out a statement that stunned everyone: "We must return to the palace immediately."
He Zhen looked at him in surprise and asked loudly, "Have you gone mad?"
Everyone else also couldn't understand Tang Yunxian's decision.
Tang Yunxian casually picked up a bag from the car, slung it over his shoulder, and headed towards the center of the desert. As he walked, he explained, "If we don't go now, more trouble will occur. If you don't want to accompany me, feel free to return to the town."
Everyone was shocked by his words, and they were also confused, not understanding the meaning behind Tang Yunxian's statement.
Cheng Xuyuan thought to himself that Tang Yunxian must have sensed another memory from his past life. He waved to the others, signaling that they could go back first, then followed Tang Yunxian's pace and headed deeper into the desert.
He Zhen initially wanted to follow, but he didn't bring a bag or any equipment, and so he reluctantly followed the majority of the group back to the small town.
Cheng Xuyuan trailed behind Tang Yunxian, unable to resist asking, "Why do we have to go back now?"
Instead of giving a direct answer, Tang Yunxian suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand, only saying, "Hold onto me, and don't get separated."
"I'm not a child, and besides, last time I was the one who saved…"
"I'm not listening! La-la-la," Tang Yunxian loudly interrupted him. "Regardless, I'm going to be in front of you to protect you. Be careful and don't trigger any traps."
Cheng Xuyuan: "…" What a shameless, childish spirit he had. No matter how you looked at it, Tang Yunxian didn't seem like the reincarnation of an emperor.
Following the direction of the compass, the two of them proceeded smoothly, without encountering quicksand or getting lost. When the enormous palace slowly rose in the near distance, Tang Yunxian stopped, his figure carrying a hint of determination and solemnity.
After the storm subsided, Tang Yunxian, hand in hand with Cheng Xuyuan, entered the palace for the second time.
This time, the palace was extraordinarily calm, without any sudden attacks from mummies or rain-like sandstorms.
All the palace doors were open, seemingly welcoming their arrival.
Cheng Xuyuan's hand felt inexplicably cold. He shouldn't have been scared, but this seemingly peaceful atmosphere made him even more worried.
Without any obstruction, the two of them reached the main entrance of the emperor's palace.
Using a flashlight, Cheng Xuyuan shone it inside the palace, nearly losing his breath— the vast palace was empty, all of the mummies from their previous visit had disappeared, including the man in black sitting on the throne.
The empty main hall seemed as if no one had ever been there.
Tang Yunxian had never seen the inside of the main hall, so he nonchalantly pulled Cheng Xuyuan along, shining the flashlight in all directions, but didn't see anything.
Behind the throne, there was a huge stone door.
The two of them walked around the throne and saw a golden chain lock on the stone door—about as thick as an adult's arm, with a gold lock on it.
Tang Yunxian suddenly remembered something. He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a golden key—it was the same key he had obtained at Zhao Xintong's house.
They inserted the key into the lock and opened it effortlessly. The chain fell from the door, stirring up a layer of dust. After the stone door opened, a humid and chilly atmosphere rushed out, causing both of them to shiver simultaneously.
Gathering courage, they walked into the room behind the stone door, and Tang Yunxian's legs went a little weak. He couldn't comprehend why his past self would build such a sinister place— was it purposely meant to scare people?
"Tap, tap, tap..."
Footsteps echoed through the vast dark room. Cheng Xuyuan couldn't stand the atmosphere and cast a small spell, lighting all the torches on the wall. This illuminated the room considerably.
However, they were shocked by something even more terrifying next.
In the dark chamber, there were more than a dozen skeletons scattered across the floor. On the wall of the room, ancient Chinese characters were engraved, seemingly recording the history of this room.
Just as Cheng Xuyuan was about to read the inscriptions on the wall, a gust of wind blew from the doorway.
By the time both of them turned around, a man dressed like an emperor in a dragon robe and crown stood before them— unchanged in appearance from three thousand years ago.
He held a compass in his hand, echoing the one in Tang Yunxian's hand.
"You've finally arrived," the man's lips curled into a strange arc. "I've been waiting for you for a long time."
"Who are you?" Tang Yunxian protected Cheng Xuyuan behind him, eyes filled with wariness. "Who are you, really?"
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Author's Note:
The ending of the Tai Sui will be quite special. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or watered me with nutrient liquid!~
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