Chapter 349 151: The Demon Empress's Methods

"What kind of secret?"

Xu Lei couldn't help but ask, "Where? Let me see."

"This piece of jade seems to be a treasure map!"

Qing Lian said, "Mortals can't understand it. But when I used my Magical Power to probe it, I discovered it contains some kind of route map!

And based on the aura inside, it might have been left by an Ancient Immortal."

Xu Lei took the jade and probed it with his senses.

He found that it was exactly as she said.

Inside the jade was a three-dimensional treasure map.

"And it seems the destination it points to is right here in King Yu's fief!"

Qing Lian added, "Senior, should we go take a look?

Could this be a trap?"

"This jade appeared in this place."

Xu Lei said, "It's possible the Ancient Immortal died here back then, which would make sense.

I want to go check it out."

Xu Lei naturally didn't want to let a potential fortuitous opportunity slip by.

After all, he was packing explosives.

No matter what he encountered, he could just blow it up.

If he ran into any real danger, the worst that could happen was losing a life.

Soon, Xu Lei and Qing Lian set out.

The so-called destination was a manor on the outskirts of the city.

Of course, Xu Lei was still very cautious.

He checked and investigated everything thoroughly.

Only after confirming there were no problems did he approach.

He spent some money to buy the manor from its owner.

Only then did he start digging.

Naturally, he had others do the digging.

King Yu had plenty of men.

After digging dozens of meters into the manor's grounds...

...they unexpectedly discovered the entrance to a stone cave.

He pressed the piece of jade into a recess on the door.

With a GRIND, the stone door opened.

It revealed a deep, dark corridor.

Xu Lei had King Yu's men bring over a few criminals and sent them in first to scout the situation.

However, the criminals didn't encounter any danger. They just said it was a maze down below.

It was filled with narrow stone corridors, and after wandering around aimlessly, they ended up back where they started.

They had no idea which way to go.

After some thought, Xu Lei and Qing Lian also headed deep inside.

Sure enough, it was a maze below.

To a mortal, it would look like an ordinary maze.

But it was covered in some kind of Rune Array.

It seemed it could be activated by infusing it with Magical Power.

Xu Lei hadn't even made a move yet.

Unexpectedly, Qing Lian touched a Rune on one of the stone walls.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she let a bit of her Magical Power flow into it.

With a sudden HUM, the entire stone chamber actually lit up.

Then, a stone door opened.

"Senior, over there!"

Qing Lian walked over, but she didn't enter right away.

"It seems this is where the inheritance is!"

Xu Lei took a look.

But of course, Xu Lei didn't go straight in either.

Instead, he had a few more criminals brought over.

These criminals were on death row, scheduled for beheading anyway.

He then had one of them go in first.

Xu Lei and Qing Lian just watched from outside the door.

"Those not of our sect who enter shall die!"

However, a voice suddenly called out from within.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The sound was followed by blasts of energy firing off.

The criminal inside let out a blood-curdling scream and died on the spot.

And then, similar laser-like energy beams also appeared in the chamber where Xu Lei and the others stood.

Only then did Xu Lei see clearly that they were actually fine needles.

Each needle was wreathed in wisps of red Qi.

He didn't know what it was.

The other criminals he had brought along couldn't dodge at all and were stabbed to death.

Xu Lei hurriedly took out the black alms bowl.

It released a barrier of light.

It instantly blocked all the attacks.

"Ah!"

But to Xu Lei's surprise, Qing Lian suddenly cried out in pain.

It turned out her defense hadn't been complete, and a needle had struck her.

Xu Lei's expression changed.

A moment ago, Xu Lei hadn't been standing very close to Qing Lian.

He hadn't expected it, as he had been focusing all his attention on the room inside.

He never thought an attack would suddenly erupt in their chamber.

And that Qing Lian's defense would be so careless.

Of course, Xu Lei immediately flashed over and shielded Qing Lian as well.

"We might have fallen into a trap!"

Xu Lei's face was grim. "This is a setup!"

"Senior, are you saying... this might be the Empress's doing?"

Qing Lian also realized it. "She wouldn't dare attack us directly in King Yu's fief.

But she knows we support King Yu.

So she's unhappy with us? And decided to make a move against us?

Could this be a place she's been to before?

And she suffered a setback here?

Then she sealed it up, planning to come back later?

And now that she can't deal with us, she deliberately lured us here?

Even if we don't die here...

...we might get hurt, just like she did back then?

Or maybe it wasn't her who got hurt, but her senior brother, senior sister, or master?

'That woman is so incredibly cunning.

It's all my fault. My fault for being so careless.

For accepting that gift so recklessly.

That's what gave her this opportunity.'

"Ah.

Hiss!"

At that moment, Xu Lei naturally had no intention of blaming Qing Lian.

After all, he hadn't seen through it either, so he had also fallen into the trap.

Besides, Xu Lei wasn't injured.

Qing Lian was the one who was hurt.

Although the entrance behind them had been sealed shut after the barrage of fine needles...

...Xu Lei wasn't too worried about that right now. After all, he had many lives to spare.

Even if something happened, he could revive or reincarnate.

His main concern was still Qing Lian.

She had just been injured.

And now she was crying out in pain.

"How is it? Are you okay?"

Xu Lei asked hurriedly, "Where were you hit? Let me see."

"Don't."

Qing Lian blushed and said, "You can't just look—"