108 Maidens of Destiny

"This general's tomb conceals yet another mechanism?" The Knowledge Star Wu Xinjie's jaw went slack, a bit confused.

Did a grave need to be designed into a calculated trap?

Wu Xinjie saw her own master was completely still. She believed from the bottom of her heart that Su Xing should have considered this, but right now, any way they looked at it, this ancient tomb did not overlook a single part of its design. The general's sarcophagus, with its precious metals and stones, the lamp holding slaves, within this general's tomb, all necessities were present. It even held the extremely rare ghosts inside as well.

But wait, besides the ghosts, there were still the suspicions about the skeleton that Su Xing pointed out. Wu Xinjie's mind turned rapidly, and she quickly realized why Gong Caiwei would say such a thing.

"Lady Caiwei feels that for an ancient tomb to have so many ghosts is unusual, and generally speaking, only when an ancient tomb contains a valuable item could it be designed with such a ruthless mechanism, correct?"

Gong Caiwei nodded, "This chamber of the tomb is a diversion meant to draw people in. This Gong surmises that the true tomb has definitely been hidden, much like the mechanism from before. Young master Su Xing, you must have also thought of this too, right?"

Su Xing refused to say a word. Gong Caiwei's careful deductions caused him to be shocked, for it was indeed as she said. Su Xing had also felt that this grave was like a deceptive shop sign, designed to fool would-be graverobbers, using a decoy to cover up the general's true tomb. This sort of suspect grave within a tomb was not at all rare. If one was not attentive enough, then graverobbers would usually be tricked. After all, when a single person achieves an objective, because of a certain sense of satisfaction, they would not search any further to see whether there may be a hidden mechanism or not.

Originally, Su Xing had intended to return temporarily, waiting until they split off from Gong Caiwei to take another look around. It seemed the degree of acuity the young girl had deserved to be feared.

"If this Gong's expectations are correct, there isn't much time before the rest of the cultivators discover the mechanism to open the grave and reach this place. We still have some time left to open the mechanism, to find the Golden Thread Fish Scale Armor."

The atmosphere entered into an awkward silence.

"Very well, then. Since the true tomb has a mechanism, let's first find some clues." Wu Xinjie groveled. Directing her gaze towards the Leader Star Zhu Sha: "Hee-hee, Little Sister Zhu Jun¹, since you are The Resourceful Strategist, you must find the mechanism quickly. If you get upstaged by this young girl, you're going to embarrass yourself."

The Resourceful Strategist Zhu Sha's face showed no expression, said no words. That pair of slender eyes had already begun surveying the tomb.

The group began to once again search for the door hidden within the grave.

"Xinjie, ignite the lanterns." Su Xing said.

Wu Xinjie and Lin Yingmei ignited the dozen or so lamps that still had oil, illuminating the tomb all around with a yellow light.

Su Xing sat on the steps, indifferently folded his arms across his chest, then looked left and right.

Gong Caiwei walked over and sat down next to him, the fragrance of Heavenly Mountain snow lotus herbs lingering about her. The clothes that surpassed snow covering her entire body were untouched by the slightest speck of dust; it seemed that this, too, was a rather exceptional item. She flashed a smile: "Young master Su Xing, are you not going to go look for clues to the mechanism?"

"If this place has a mechanism, it definitely will not be so simply concealed." Su Xing shook his head.

"Oh." Gong Caiwei was in approval.

Su Xing turned his head, tilting his head as he looked at the girl. The first time he saw her, he felt Gong Caiwei was as cold as ice, without an artificial countenance. However, passing through this incident in the general's tomb, he discovered that she was a bit warmer and softer than he thought her to be. Of course, whatever the face hidden behind the veil was thinking about, no one knew.

"Lady Caiwei, just what are you planning?" Su Xing blurted out.

"And what is young master Su Xing anxious about now?" Gong Caiwei lightly smiled.

Su Xing said: "Since you know I am a Star Master, going by the rules of Star Duels, we should be considered enemies…"

"And we are enemies, certainly." Gong Caiwei interrupted him.

Su Xing was even more confused: "Your cultivation is higher than mine, that Tracing Snow Sword is also not a simple artifact, and your Leader Star, The Resourceful Strategist Zhu Wu, is even an expert at using arrays. She is even more incredible than the Knowledge Star…Don't you feel the current circumstances are very odd? What should obviously have happened is you live and I die, yet now we are having such a light-hearted chat?"

Gong Caiwei covered her mouth in surprise, and smiling: "Sir, you are truly an understanding person."

"Then call me Su Xing." Su Xing said.

"Star Duels are definitely as the young master has said, but young master Su Xing is looking down on this Gong too much. If young master Su Xing wants to die and this Gong live, this Gong would definitely keep you company and show absolutely no mercy." Gong Caiwei's tone penetrated through with a cold resolve: "However, young master Su Xing apparently does not have a sense for fighting, so this Gong lost all interest. From the perspective of this Gong, only by having a showdown at Maiden Mountain is one qualified to assume the title of Liangshan Continent's number one. Only by this is there any meaning."

"Your way of thinking really is simple." Su Xing wanted to say that she was terribly foolish and awfully naive. Assassination was an underhanded method, but it truly was effective. However, taking a different point of view, Su Xing found that he himself seemed to have no means of killing without just cause a person that hadn't threatened him. Perhaps he still had inside a bit of the sense of dignity and duty he had as a soldier, but it could definitely be said he still hadn't completely accepted the rules of Star Duels.

"There's still another reason within." Gong Caiwei muttered to herself, almost faltering.

"What reason?"

"Killing Star Masters will admittedly give you the opposing Star General's Star Energy and Star Weapon, but that Star Energy contains the Star General's and her master's resentment. This sort of loathing Star Energy will torment a Star Master to the point of insanity, so it isn't just this Gong who thinks this way; all the other Star Masters think so as well. Carrying this cursed grudge will not give even the slightest advantage in the fight over Maiden Mountain.

Su Xing half-doubted what Gong Caiwei said.

"The young master doesn't believe me?"

Su Xing definitely could not believe this. The battle he had with the Deviance Star at Grand Border City three months ago was still fresh on his mind.

As these three months passed, he harmonized with the Deviance Star's Star Energy and did not sense or receive even the slightest sign of a hateful intent within it.

"The Maiden Mountain Records also record it as such. In short, this Gong hasn't any sort of interest because this Gong has no need for that sort of Star Energy." Gong Caiwei laughed.

While the two people there were cheerfully chatting away, on the other side were three Star Maidens each showing their own quirks.

After some time, the three girls had searched everywhere in the chamber, not even overlooking the smallest corner, but in the end, they still turned up empty handed. Both the Knowledge Star Wu Xinjie and the Resourceful Strategist Zhu Sha, the two greatest and wisest experts, even tried to find if there were clues to a different mechanism. Though, even the short time they took to consider this was not an easy task.

"We are completely unable to find any sort of hidden mechanism."

Gong Caiwei raised her head. Zhu Sha nodded her head towards her without the slightest expression, for she concurred with Wu Xinjie's analysis.

"Maybe there was never a secret room at all?" Lin Yingmei's thinking was the most direct. She believed that perhaps the people here were too smart that they fooled themselves into believing there was a secret grave within the tomb.

Gong Caiwei narrowed her eyes, inspecting everything placed within the tomb. "Have you examined all of these funerary sculptures?"

Zhu Sha shook her head, her voice was gloomy: "We tried everything already."

"Could it be this Gong was mistaken?" Gong Caiwei murmured.

"Would it have anything to do with the Five Elements Mechanism at the very beginning?" Lin Yingmei asked.

The answer was negative.

"I didn't spot any items related to the Five Elements Mechanism within the tomb." Wu Xinjie said helplessly.

Seeing this incident had arrived at a dead end, Su Xing got up. He cast a casual glance at the coffin when suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Perhaps this is a mechanism that we could not see from the very start…"

"Eh?????"

Author’s Note: Please give me your ballots to make up for yesterday's chapter. Tonight still has at least 6000 new characters.

1. This should be Zhu Wu, but this was in the raws, so… ↩