“System, can you die?” Shen Tanqi asked softly.
Sensing an ominous premonition, the system coughed a few times and shrunk behind Little Black, saying, “Host, what are you planning to do?”
Shen Tanqi turned to look at him, smiling, “You are a system, the systems in novels should be beyond the Three Realms and not within the Five Elements, right?”
System: …
“Although I won’t die, the simulation in our system is too realistic, and I might feel pain.”
Shen Tanqi scratched his face, “I told you not to research useless things.”
Pausing for a moment, he squinted and smiled, “Let’s go. I’ll hide inside you, and you take me out to draw the formation.”
Hesitating a bit, the system twisted uncomfortably, “But I have saliva in my mouth.”
“Turn off that silly saliva simulation of yours and change into something inconspicuous,” Shen Tanqi heartlessly ordered.
“Fine…”
Just as the system was about to open its mouth to devour Shen Tanqi, a sword flew in, perfectly blocking the system’s wide-open mouth.
“Where are you going?” Yu Ce’s voice was calm, and his black eyes were as deep as the night. “It’s dangerous outside.”
Shen Tanqi carefully examined his formation and absentmindedly said, “Follow the plan. I’ll go draw the formation, and you stay here to guard Goldfish.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Ce shook his head and said, “With your cultivation level, you can’t draw this formation. Even if you manage to create its appearance, it will be useless.”
Sometimes the truth can be really harsh.
Shen Tanqi fell silent for a moment and looked up at him, saying, “No, you might get hurt if you go to draw. Then, who else will be able to deal with the demons? My little chick can only protect me.”
The system vigorously nodded; he didn’t want to eat the male lead.
The room fell into silence. Yu Ce pondered for a while and said, “What if I go with you?”
Shen Tanqi blinked in disbelief, “Are you crazy? Are you planning to resist it to death?”
The system’s body trembled and desperately shook its head, trying to avoid this calamity, “No, no, it’s not possible, two people are too big. I’ll break…”
“…” Shen Tanqi covered its mouth, gritted his teeth, and whispered, “You little guy, in the future, read fewer messy dirty books.”
However, no matter how soft Shen Tanqi’s voice was, Yu Ce, with his Nascent Soul stage cultivation, could still hear it. Smirking at some unknown thought, he signaled to retract his sword and said, “Why must you go inside it? As long as it can contain both of us, drawing the formation outside will be sufficient.”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi suddenly realized.
His mind had not yet turned around, thinking that Yu Ce wanted to go inside the system’s mouth together with him.
Considering that the Hidden Dragon Formation could be drawn anywhere, it only needed an object capable of containing the two of them. Shortly after a joint search, they finally found a few brown-red wooden coffins piled up in the back room among the accumulated ashes of firewood.
When they overturned the coffins, everyone present was momentarily stunned.
Upon closer inspection, Shen Tanqi discovered that there was another door in the back room. He quickly got up to tightly close this overlooked door. Turning around, he noticed a dusty plaque hanging from the ceiling.
“Funeral Parlor.” Shen Tanqi muttered the two words on the plaque in a low voice and mumbled to himself, “Damn, there’s a Funeral Parlor behind the clinic. Why build a morgue here?”
Fortunately, they found these coffins. Otherwise, they would not have found any object capable of containing both him and Yu Ce.
Yu Ce used the tip of his sword to pry open the heavy coffin lid. A cloud of dust, accumulated for who knows how many years, billowed out from the coffin, making them cough uncontrollably.
“Now that we have the item, how do we use this coffin to get outside?” Shen Tanqi asked, raising the most crucial question.
Yu Ce glanced at him, and with a wave of his hand, he lifted the heavy coffin lid into the air using his spiritual power. “Do you know how to control a flying sword?”
In the face of Shen Tanqi’s dumbfounded expression, there was a long silence. Then, Shen Tanqi slowly raised his thumb. “You’re impressive.”
Riding a coffin through the air was explosively bizarre no matter the time or space.
But there didn’t seem to be a better option. They could only use this coffin. After Yu Ce finished drawing the formation on all six sides of the coffin, it looked like a sinister sacrificial item, covered with red cinnabar patterns, sending chills down one’s spine.
In the midst of chaos, Shen Tanqi didn’t have time to ponder too much. He scrounged up a tattered piece of cloth from the corners and casually wiped off the dirt inside the coffin before lying down.
With hands clasped together on his chest, there was suddenly a serene feeling, as if he were about to enter the blissful afterlife. Shen Tanqi strangely enjoyed the sensation of lying in the coffin, detached from the turmoil outside.
However, it didn’t take long before someone pressed down on him.
Shen Tanqi was pressed so hard that he was nearly breathless, exerting effort to shove the weight off. He frowned, “It’s crowded here. Lie to the side.”
Shifting his buttocks, he barely made room for Yu Ce. In the cramped coffin, Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce were tightly squeezed together. Yu Ce, tall and slender, clearly didn’t have a custom-fitted space. He had to nestle his head against Shen Tanqi’s neck.
His hair was soft, tickling uncomfortably at the neck.
Being so close, they could even hear each other’s heartbeats clearly.
Shen Tanqi couldn’t see Yu Ce’s expression but felt the position was a bit strange—a head leaning against the chest, chillingly so. He attempted to retreat to the coffin’s edge, but Yu Ce took advantage, getting even closer. Not only did he occupy the space Shen Tanqi had just vacated, but he also had the nerve to utter, “Thanks, Senior Brother. I feel much more comfortable now.”
Shen Tanqi’s mouth twitched slightly as he playfully lifted his leg, coincidentally hitting an indescribable spot. A sharp, painful gasping sound reached his ears.
He chuckled, “Oh, thanks, Junior Brother. My leg feels much more comfortable now too.”
“…” Yu Ce pursed his lips, lips slightly deepened in color, barely holding back the pain. “No need to be polite.”
A grudge holder indeed.
Seeing them getting along, the beggar chuckled without a word, cradling Goldfish, “Rest assured, the poor monk will definitely protect your precious son.”
Honestly, having the hidden beggar master safeguarding Goldfish, Shen Tanqi felt somewhat reassured. After all, even he might struggle to protect Goldfish properly in this situation.
As Yu Ce squeezed in and the coffin lid closed over their faces, plunging them into darkness.
Shen Tanqi finally realized a crucial issue, “Wait, what am I doing here?”
Just as he was about to sit up, Yu Ce pressed him back down, a slow, deep breath brushing against his ear, tinged with amusement.
“Enough, we’re both lying down,” Yu Ce said, his tone low and steady.
Shen Tanqi suddenly understood, gritting his teeth, “You scheming brat.”
At the words, Yu Ce restrained his smile, solemnly saying, “I’m not scheming against you. Weren’t you worried I might encounter trouble outside?”
His voice, soft and gentle, breathed against Shen Tanqi’s ear, tickling fiercely, sending shivers down his spine, like a light feather drifting into the heart.
Shen Tanqi inexplicably trembled, goosebumps rising, instinctively trying to retreat but bumping his head against the coffin edge. He quickly moved back to Yu Ce’s side, who continued calmly, “Senior Brother worries about me, so he should accompany me. And with Senior Brother protecting me, I can rest assured.”
Protect you?
Protect your ***!
You’re the male lead, I’m just cannon fodder.
Shen Tanqi took a deep breath, struggling to shift his body, preparing for a big move.
“Don’t move… Senior Brother, don’t move. It’s crowded.”
Yu Ce whispered, pleading, trying to restrain Shen Tanqi’s erratic movements, only to be abruptly silenced as a hand forcefully covered his lips.
The world suddenly became much quieter.
“Shut up.”
Shen Tanqi sighed deeply, but heard the other person helplessly chuckle, as if not taking his words seriously at all.
Now he knew where little Goldfish’s pompous and talkative style inherited from the Tang Sanzang in ‘Journey to the West’ came from, and it certainly wasn’t from him.
Outside the mahogany coffin, the beggar cradled Goldfish with one hand and pulled out the steamed bun from his pocket with the other, transforming it into a golden alms bowl. Carefully holding it in front of him, he slowly pushed open the back door of the funeral parlor.
The back door was quite dilapidated, covered in a layer of dust, as if it hadn’t been opened in a long time. The color of the door and the wall almost merged, suggesting that this funeral parlor had likely been closed for a considerable period.
Chen Gui probably hadn’t noticed this somewhat concealed back door. The beggar opened the door crack, carefully observed the scene outside, and then swiftly swung the door open. With a resounding kick, he sent Shen Tanqi and the others’ coffin flying out.
The world spun, shaking and quaking. Before Shen Tanqi could react, he and the coffin were already in the air. Instinctively lifting his head, a hand swiftly reached behind him, cushioning the impact of the hard coffin bottom.
The coffin landed with a loud crash, almost falling apart. Shen Tanqi dared not even breathe loudly, feeling the cold hand behind his head. He glanced to the side, under the moonlight leaking through the coffin’s seams, catching a glimpse of the slight curve of Yu Ce’s lips.
“Didn’t hit, did it?”
His tone sounded like he was asking for credit.
Shen Tanqi glanced at him and said, “You stepped on my foot.”
Yu Ce quickly lifted his foot, coughed lightly, seemingly casually changing the subject in a low voice, “Senior Brother, keep an eye on the situation outside. I’m going to make the coffin move.”
Through the small crack in the coffin, Shen Tanqi could barely see the path ahead. The street they were on was still deserted, with no sign of people or wandering spirits.
Guided by memory, Shen Tanqi directed Yu Ce to use his spiritual power to manipulate the coffin to return along the same route to the city gate. They should be able to cover the entire edge of the city by walking along the base of the city wall, drawing the Hidden Dragon Formation on the wall.
With his palm pressed tightly against the coffin lid, as soon as spiritual power flowed in, the entire coffin began to violently shake. Shen Tanqi’s head couldn’t escape, taking a heavy knock against the coffin’s edge.
Before Shen Tanqi could speak, Yu Ce took the initiative to sincerely apologize, “Senior Brother, I’m sorry.”
Since he had already apologized, Shen Tanqi didn’t know what else to say.
He gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pain at the back of his head. When the discomfort subsided, Shen Tanqi whispered, “It’s okay, not painful. Just focus on moving the coffin.”
Yu Ce hesitated before softly agreeing.
After a while, with another surge of spiritual power, the coffin began to move again. Shen Tanqi glanced outside the coffin’s seam and saw a small path ahead. If they turned onto it, they could reach the front door of the clinic. Once there, Shen Tanqi knew how to proceed towards the city gate tower.
“There’s a small path ahead, just go straight.” Shen Tanqi instructed.
Yu Ce immediately complied, infusing spiritual power into the coffin. The entire coffin instantly rushed forward, straight and true, crashing directly into the wall on their left side.
His head received another heavy blow, emitting a dull yet distinct sound. Shen Tanqi took a deep breath, the pain making it difficult for him to speak.
Hearing the sound, Yu Ce’s voice was full of apology, sincerely apologizing once again, “It’s my first time controlling something other than a sword. I infused too much spiritual power. I’m sorry, Senior Brother, I’ll be more careful.”
As the saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Of course, Shen Tanqi knew Yu Ce probably didn’t mean it. After a moment of silence, he eased the pain in his head and said helplessly, “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt.”
Shen Tanqi opened a gap in the coffin, trying to let Yu Ce beside him see the road conditions. He leaned to the side, confirming there were no obstacles on the road. Continuing to direct, he said, “Turn left and tilt the coffin out this time.”
This time, Yu Ce was indeed extremely cautious, not infusing too much spiritual power. However, the speed of the coffin’s movement also slowed down accordingly.
Nevertheless, Shen Tanqi was quite satisfied with the situation. He relaxed a bit about his head and whispered, “Good, tilt it out. There’s a small path right in front of us. Just keep going straight.”
As the words fell, the coffin responded, hovering slightly about a centimeter off the ground, resembling a real car, slowly maneuvering in the narrow alley.
“Yes, yes, go slowly…”
Clang!
The coffin hit something, seeming unable to move forward. Yu Ce, puzzled, thought it was due to insufficient spiritual power and quickly added more.
With Yu Ce’s relentless efforts, the coffin finally overcame the obstacle ahead, bravely sliding forward.
Clang, clang, clang…
Yu Ce peered earnestly through the coffin’s seams, suddenly realizing something.
“So this part is a cobblestone road.1
”
“Yu Ce.”
Hearing Shen Tanqi call him, Yu Ce immediately asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong, Senior Brother?”
Shen Tanqi turned his head, giving him a deep look. “If you really find me unpleasant, you can just directly attack me. There’s no need for this approach.”
Speeding up like this, performing coffin drifts?
And calling it a cobblestone road, his head was almost turned into a cobblestone road!
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
