Chapter 526: Those Meant to Be

Zu An was speechless.

He couldn't help but complain, "Brother, your integrity is a bit low." In the current situation, he didn't even bother calling him "senior" anymore.

Although General Yachang had never heard the word "integrity," he roughly guessed its meaning. "This general was ordered to guard this place, eliminate invaders, and wait for fated individuals to undertake the trial. Now, this general sees that you are fated, so naturally, there's no need to fight."

At this point, Pei Mianman came to Zu An's side and whispered, asking what was happening and why the menacing mummified general had suddenly changed his attitude.

Zu An transmitted his vital energy, telling her he had a way to dispel evil spirits.

Pei Mianman's expression instantly became very interesting. She was first overjoyed, but then quickly realized, if that was the case, why had they fought so miserably before?

As if seeing her confusion, Zu An sheepishly explained, "Mainly, I know too many things, and it just slipped my mind for a moment."

Pei Mianman was speechless.

Feeling embarrassed, Zu An quickly asked the general beside them, "How do you determine if someone who enters is fated?" He didn't voice the rest of his thought: 'You wouldn't happen to have deemed us 'fated' simply because I was able to hurt you, would you?'

General Yachang had by then walked to the wall, planted his long ge-halberd on the ground, and reached out to pull the ox that was stuck in the wall free.

After the ox came out, its head was dizzy, but upon seeing Zu An not far away, it mooed loudly, pawing the ground, ready to charge. General Yachang placed his hand on its back, stroking it gently. They seemed to have a telepathic connection, gradually calming the ox down.

Hearing Zu An's question, he replied, "Firstly, this trial must be undertaken by both a man and a woman simultaneously. If only a man or only a woman enters, then they are naturally not fated. Secondly..." He paused, his shriveled head turning towards Pei Mianman. "She seems to carry a familiar aura."

Pei Mianman was bewildered.

Zu An, recalling the various strange occurrences that had happened to her along the way, quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

General Yachang replied, "She has the aura of a Shang Queen?"

"A Shang Queen?" Zu An frowned. "Which queen?"

General Yachang shook his head. "It's not any specific queen, but she carries the essence of many queens."

Zu An was speechless.

What was going on? This guy wasn't just trying to trick them to save his life, was he?

Hearing this, Pei Mianman felt a little unnerved, and subconsciously leaned against Zu An, as if only then could she feel a little more at ease.

Zu An squeezed her soft hand tightly as a gesture of comfort.

Mi Li's voice rang in his ear: "You really are quite the lady's man, aren't you? Don't tell me you're thinking of adding a Shang Dynasty queen to your collection too." As soon as she said it, she regretted it, as it made it sound like she herself was one of his concubines.

Zu An rolled his eyes. "Manman is just Manman, not anyone else. I don't believe it's such a coincidence to find another queen, like you, who isn't dead in their royal tomb."

Mi Li huffed, knowing in her heart that it was impossible. Her situation was too unique; no one else could be so lucky.

At this moment, General Yachang said, "Follow me."

He bent his legs slightly and suddenly leaped onto the ground. The ox mooed twice and also jumped up. It was a mystery how such a hefty body could achieve such excellent jumping ability.

Zu An and Pei Mianman exchanged glances and then jumped up as well.

Seeing them both up, Yachang turned and, with his ox, led the way.

Having the guardian of the place personally lead the way instinctively made them feel much safer.

However, Zu An dared not be careless. He and Pei Mianman continued to remind each other to stay vigilant.

Wanting to gather more information, Zu An asked, "This... General, is your name Yachang?"

"That's right," Yachang replied. "My given name is Ya, and Chang is the name of my tribe."

Zu An was taken aback. "You're not a Shang person?"

Yachang replied, "My tribe submitted to the Shang King, so I'm considered half a Shang person."

"The Shang King entrusted you with guarding the tomb; he must have truly trusted you." Zu An flattered him. In his current state, it was unclear if the general was human or ghost, but Zu An figured that everyone, regardless, appreciated compliments.

Sure enough, a hint of pride appeared on Yachang's face. "I rendered countless meritorious services for the Shang King. My military status was second only to Fu Hao. I was second to her not because my achievements were inferior, but because she held the honored position of Queen."

"Fu Hao?" Zu An recalled the paintings on the walls when they entered the palace earlier, and the history Mi Li had explained to him.

"However, the Queen was an extraordinary woman, both beautiful and skilled in warfare. I have no complaints about being inferior to her," Yachang said, his tone carrying an inexplicable meaning.

Zu An smiled slightly. "It seems the General also harbored feelings of admiration for Fu Hao."

Yachang's "expression" changed. "You mustn't speak such nonsense! If the Great King were to hear it, I would be sacrificed to the heavens." As he spoke, he looked around, as if in fear of something.

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "Could your Great King still be alive?"

Yachang shook his head. "Now, only my beloved ox and I remain in the royal tomb. It's merely an instinctive reaction from having revered the Great King and Queen as gods in the past."

"You just feared the Great King's punishment, but you didn't deny your admiration for Fu Hao," Zu An chuckled.

Yachang's form stiffened, and he fell silent. After a long pause, he let out a lengthy sigh. "Who wouldn't admire such a heroic woman like the Queen? It's just that everyone revered her as a goddess, harboring no other improper thoughts."

Pei Mianman, standing nearby, couldn't help but gently pinch Zu An's waist. This man's gossiping was truly a bit impertinent towards the ancients.

Seeing that they had chatted enough, Zu An took the opportunity to ask, "By the way, what was that trial you mentioned earlier about?"

"I don't know the specifics of the trial inside; you'll have to explore it yourselves," Yachang paused, then added, "I must warn you, over the past ten thousand years, several pairs of men and women have come here. Every one of them was an exceptional individual, far stronger than you, but unfortunately, none of them passed the trial."

Pei Mianman's beautiful face changed slightly, and she quickly asked, "What happens if you don't pass the trial?"

"Of course, they died," Yachang said, his voice softening considerably as he looked at her. "But don't worry too much. Although your cultivation levels are low, he possesses many secret methods, and you carry the aura of a queen. Perhaps you two truly can unlock the secrets of this mystic realm."

Zu An asked, "If we don't participate in the trial, is there a way to leave this mystic realm?" Since his Primordial Qi could restrain the general, he wouldn't be forced into the trial.

Yachang shook his head. "No, you can only leave this place by passing the trial. Furthermore, you must participate in the trial as soon as possible, otherwise, you will be assimilated by this mystic realm, and your body will become a permanent part of this environment."

Hearing this, both their expressions changed drastically. They quickly checked their physical condition and indeed found that their vital energy was slowly draining away. At first, they had attributed their weakness to the battles they had fought, but they had no idea it was due to this mystic realm.

Pei Mianman bit her lip. Having just confirmed their relationship with Zu An, she had been looking forward to enjoying some peaceful time with her beloved. Now, it seemed that opportunity was gone.

Zu An asked in a low voice, "General, do you know where to find the Dongyi people's jade cong?" He still remembered his promise to the Dongyi princess.

"Jade cong?" Yachang seemed to fall into thought. "I vaguely recall it. The Queen was very fond of it back then, and later the Great King had it buried with her in her tomb. After you pass the trial, you'll be able to enter the Queen's mausoleum."

Zu An gave a wry smile. It seemed he had no choice but to participate in this trial.

As they spoke, they had arrived at a grand hall. Seeing the scene inside, not only Pei Mianman's expression changed, but Zu An's did too.