CHAPTER 40: CHANGE IN THE GARMENT TOMB FORBIDDEN ZONE

Only after leaving the Seven-Colored Peak did Qi Yuan sigh in relief. "Good thing no one suspects me! Ling Tian Pavilion is amazing! Just last night, a powerhouse leveled the entire Black Mountain Sect’s mountain! I wonder which Nascent Soul old monster made the move?! Did our Divine Radiance Sect send anyone?"

Qi Yuan kept muttering to himself, "As expected, most people’s attention is now on the Violet Bamboo Physique. Even if Black Rooster Demon came out, he probably wouldn’t find the culprit."

Night fell, and he logged into the game world once again. The first thing he did was chat with his online friend, Jin Li.

***

In the Southern Qian Empire...

Aunt Qin had revealed her Emperor realm strength during the duel, thoroughly crushing the Southern Feng Empire’s state preceptor. The Southern Qian’s grand chancellor, Sima Ting, seemed extremely grim.

Although Jin Li’s short-term mission had been completed, the crisis was far from over. She sent a message to Qi Yuan using the Linglong Xi Jade.

Jin Li: I’ve never been a qualified empress. When the turmoil in Southern Qian settles, I’m planning to leave. What do you think?

She clutched the jade tightly, feeling nervous. This time, Qi Yuan’s reply took more than ten seconds to arrive. Jin Li quickly opened it.

Qi Yuan: What’s the point of being an empress, anyway? Just walk away once the quest is done! Why not grind monsters with me? It’s way more fun!

When she read the last line, her lips curved into a faint smile.

Jin Li: Alright, I’ll go with you.

Once again, the unqualified empress struggled to sleep, tossing and turning through the night. Meanwhile, the culprit behind her sleeplessness was wielding his giant sword as he began another hunting spree.

***

The moment Qi Yuan set foot into the depths of the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone, his eyes narrowed.

"Something’s wrong."

He noticed the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone felt different today. Most of the branches of a crooked-neck tree were broken off, jagged like thorns. A torn gray pants hung there.

"This isn’t my doing. Is there someone else here?"

The monsters he killed always turned to ash, turning into XP. They never left half-shattered remains like this. His gaze grew solemn as he moved around cautiously.

If this world held treacherous figures like Sima Ting, then surely there were other human NPCs—perhaps even within the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone.

He carefully observed for a while, but all he found were a few torn garment monsters. The rest hung quietly in the trees as usual, ghostly and silent.

Qi Yuan hesitated. "Should I keep killing?"

He felt uneasy not knowing what was going on. Yet, after sneaking around all night, he found nothing unusual. The garment monsters were behaving like always, hanging like phantoms in the trees.

"Am I just scaring myself?"

Qi Yuan decided to leave the inner areas of the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone and dig a hole. After all, whenever he felt scared, crawling into bed always made the fear go away. According to the first rule of ghosts, ghosts can’t harm people hiding under blankets.

The hole would be his blanket, he decided. The pit was small, airtight, giving him the false sense of security as those odd hiding spots in PABG.

Cold moonlight fell across the trees. Not far away, half of a green robe dangled, shredded by what seemed like claws. When the wind blew, it fluttered eerily.

Qi Yuan quickly dug a pit with his giant sword and crawled inside. Surrounded by nothing but dirt, he felt reassured.

"Much better. I just need to block the entrance now."

He got up to cover the pit’s entrance and completely bury himself underground. When he raised his head, he stared straight at a pair of deep, hollow eyes!

A head silently peered down at him right at the pit entrance.

A half black and half mask concealed its face. The white side seemed like a corpse’s powdered face, as if some novice mortician had applied three thick layers to mimic life, only to achieve the opposite result.

Qi Yuan jumped in fright. "You’ve got no martial ethics! Tyrannical Might!"

Anyone who sees a pair of eyes staring silently at them when they are about to go to sleep would react the same way! Instantly, his strength exploded—twofold, threefold, fourfold, fivefold! Tyrannical Might was as domineering as its name.

Qi Yuan charged at the unknown entity. "Die!"

His giant sword came crashing down. He glimpsed a streak of red beneath the mask. The creature was staring at him, its eyes gleaming eerily. Red mist poured out, like chemical gas from a leaking tank, rushing toward Qi Yuan.

At last, its full form came into view—a face hidden by a black-and-white mask, draped in twisted red and white cloth. A pale human arm protruded from one sleeve, its finger unnaturally long, with nails black as ink.

[Fallen Forbidden Lord, Tattered-Cloth Emperor – Level 95]

A boss?! Ah!

Qi Yuan thrust with his greatsword. Empowered by Tyrannical Might, this strike could wound even a level 90 monster. However, the blow only made the creature take half a step back.

Meanwhile, the red gas seeped into him. He immediately felt his limbs stiffen. The mist turned into red threads, binding his organs, trying to make him into a puppet on strings.

"Tough opponent, run!"

The enemy was level 95 while he was only level 88! Not only was there a 7-level gap between them, it was across a major level-up! Of course he had to run!

Oddly, after realizing it was the Forbidden Zone’s master, Qi Yuan felt a bit relieved. It had a health bar, so it could be killed eventually. For now though, escape!

Qi Yuan sprinted with Tyrannical Might at full throttle. The Tattered-Cloth Emperor only followed from afar, not in any hurry to catch him.

After an unknown time, Qi Yuan’s stamina ran dry. Upon realizing the monster had stopped chasing, relief washed over him. However, he kept running another few hundred li.

"No, I need to dig a hole and sleep. I am wiped out, I can't take it." He grabbed his giant sword to dig, then froze. "Wait, is this a graveyard? A mass grave? Well, whatever. If I don’t dig, I’ll be forced offline! Forgive me, elders, but I’ll borrow your fengshui tonight. We’ll just be neighbors for one night."

The mass grave was shrouded in thin mist. Broken tombstones were scattered as chrysanthemums grew thick over a mound. Beneath one tomb, there was a hole with pale centipedes crawling about.

Finding a spot a bit away from the graves, Qi Yuan dug himself a pit. Luckily, he didn’t disturb any neighbors.

He quickly buried himself in and lay down comfortably. However, as he closed his eyes, his hand brushed against something slick.

No way... did I just touch someone’s skull?

With that uneasy thought, Qi Yuan logged off. On the Seven-Colored Peak, his real self sank into deep sleep.

***

Half an hour later, in the graveyard of the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone...

Firecrackers flared, their sparks mingling with the pounding of drums and the clash of gongs.

Suddenly, the air filled with the sounds of a funeral procession, or was it a wedding?

From the thick fog, a troop of garment monsters came dancing in. They waved their arms and set their garments alight. The graveyard blazed bright with firelight, as the clothing monsters raved like they were at a disco.