Hua Wu Que was dumbfounded. He knew this Little Dragon Girl was out of touch with the world, her nature aloof and detached, but this was a matter of personal safety! Yet, it didn't even pique her interest. His Oscar-worthy performance was like winking at the blind. As he watched her walk towards the ancient tomb, his heart sank. He was desperate but had no clue what to do.
Suddenly, a low shout came from the forest, "Release!" Followed by a series of whistling sounds. He turned around and saw Zhao Min, back again, with a contingent of soldiers behind her. They formed an array, their bows taut.
"Zhao Min is truly my benefactor!" Hua Wu Que was overjoyed. Little Dragon Girl was as stubborn as a mule, and he couldn't find a way to sneak into the tomb. As the rain of arrows was about to descend upon him, he quickly shifted, picked up Little Dragon Girl, and darted into the ancient tomb.
Seeing the stone door close behind them, Zhao Min slammed her folding fan to the ground. She was furious! She had meticulously planned for so long, almost cornering Little Dragon Girl, victory within grasp, only to be thwarted by Hua Wu Que!
Her plan was to initially capture Little Dragon Girl under the guise of a martial arts competition, then use the excuse that the Ancient Tomb Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were both in Zhongnan Mountain, leverage the Ancient Tomb Sect's reputation to forcibly expel the Quanzhen Sect. The Quanzhen Sect would undoubtedly resist, giving her a reason to lead her troops up the mountain, eradicate this first major sect of the North, and simultaneously dampen the morale of the Beggars' Sect and other Han resistance forces. Everything had gone smoothly until, out of nowhere, Guo Jing appeared, scattering the rabble she had gathered. Even that was fine, she had taken precautions and called upon the assistance of the Golden Wheel King, specifically to counter Guo Jing, preventing him from interfering. She thought she was finally on the right track, but then, yet another unexpected player emerged, Hua Wu Que! In a few moves, he dispatched her most powerful subordinates, the Xuanming Two Elders. All her careful calculations had been rendered useless.
The Quanzhen Sect was very influential in the North. Qiu Chuji was rumored to have a close relationship with the Great Khan. Without a justifiable reason to attack them forcefully, it could trigger a chain reaction, deviating from her original goal.
She had retreated down the mountain before, unable to contain the anger burning within her. Secretly, she called back the troops that had been besieging the Chongyang Palace, and stealthily approached again. She thought, even if she couldn't destroy the Quanzhen Sect, at least she could kill Hua Wu Que, the most celebrated young man among the Han, and consider her trip worthwhile. However, this rascal was too cunning! At the slightest hint of trouble, he grabbed Little Dragon Girl and escaped into the ancient tomb. This was beyond frustrating.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Zhao Min circled the tomb entrance, muttering, "Since this little brat likes it here so much, then I'll make sure he stays here for the rest of his life!" She turned and barked orders, "Bring me some giant rocks! Block this entrance! I'll make this Living-Dead Tomb truly live up to its name!"
On the other side, Hua Wu Que, carrying Little Dragon Girl, stepped into the tomb. As soon as he stopped, he felt the softness of the woman in his arms. She was as light as a feather, like holding a cloud of cotton. Soft, so soft. It felt wonderful.
"Let go." Before he could savor the feeling for long, he heard a cold voice beside him. Hua Wu Que quickly let go. He watched as Little Dragon Girl walked to the side, activating a mechanism on the wall. The tomb entrance rumbled as a giant stone lowered.
"They've set up a formation, we can't get out." She completed her task, unbothered by the noise outside. She turned and walked deeper into the tomb, her voice explaining the situation to Hua Wu Que.
Hua Wu Que quickly followed, glancing at the surroundings. As the books had described, the tomb was dark, lacking sunlight. Only a few flickering candles illuminated the objects on either side.
After walking for a while, Little Dragon Girl turned into a stone chamber. The room was immaculate, revealing the meticulous nature of its owner. There was only a stone table and chair, a few porcelain bottles and a tray holding teaware on the table, a stone couch in the corner, and nothing else.
She walked to the table and sat down, picking up a porcelain bottle. She looked at Hua Wu Que, "Now that the outside is sealed, you can't leave either. This is honey I brewed myself. If you are hungry, you can eat it. If you don't like it, it's fine. There's rice and vegetables in the kitchen, left behind by Granny Sun before she passed. You should be able to find something edible."
Hua Wu Que stared at the porcelain bottle in her hand, speechless. He purposely asked, "Who is Granny Sun?"
Seeing his lack of interest, Little Dragon Girl put down the bottle, poured a cup of tea, and said nonchalantly, "The old woman who lived with me in the ancient tomb. She passed away recently. She used to cook and shop for us." She spoke of the passing of someone she lived with day and night, without a hint of sadness.
Hua Wu Que was shocked by the drastic changes to the plot. Granny Sun was already dead, meaning Yang Guo wouldn't have his chance encounter. But he was here first. Yang Guo would have no opportunity. "Oh, so you eat honey now that she's gone?"
Little Dragon Girl looked at him with confusion, "I can't cook or anything. How else would I live if not for honey?" She said it matter-of-factly, as if Hua Wu Que was the fool for asking such a question.