Chapter 19: The Tomb of the Departed

Chapter 19: The Tomb of the Dead

“Speak.” Grey leaned back, relaxing. “Do you know about the Tomb of the Dead?” Rattlesnake put down his glass, rubbed the corner of his eye, and spoke. “What did you say? The Tomb of the Dead, that realm of the undead?” Grey shot up, startled.

“Calm down, calm down, let me finish.” Zach raised a hand to signal Grey not to get agitated. “Actually, someone posted a quest to organize a team to explore the Tomb of the Dead, but I intercepted it. So now only the three of us know about it. Of course, at most in a week, this quest must be made public, and then everyone will know.” Zach explained.

“May I ask, what exactly is the Tomb of the Dead?” Ye Tian asked curiously. “The Tomb of the Dead, as the name suggests, is a place where the dead are buried. But not ordinary people—it’s an entire nation.” Zach clarified.

“A nation?” Ye Tian was startled.

“Yes, legend has it that the monarch of the Fourth Pizak Dynasty longed for immortality. He believed the words of the magicians and sacrificed his entire nation to pray for eternal life. Whether he succeeded is unknown, but his nation vanished overnight, disappeared completely.”

“About forty years ago, an A-ranked adventurer team accidentally entered a forest and found the lost nation. More importantly, every citizen of that country had become undead. By day, they hid and slept in the earth, but at night they emerged. In the end, only the captain of the adventurer team escaped alive, though gravely wounded. Before dying, he handed a blood-painted map to his descendants, but that map eventually disappeared.”

“Three days ago, someone came here to post a quest, saying they wanted to organize a team to explore the Tomb of the Dead. He even made a copy of the map for me—oh, the map is still being copied, so I haven’t brought it here yet. His request is simple: retrieve the ancestral family heirloom, a Sword of Honor.”

“I used the excuse that the map needed time to copy to delay things. What do you think, are you interested in joining the exploration?” Zach asked seriously.

Grey fell silent. The Tomb of the Dead, that legendary place, a nation buried beneath, treasures within!

Crunch! Ye Tian bit into an apple, the one he’d been eating earlier. Grey jumped, looking at Ye Tian in annoyance, while Zach smiled at him. To be able to eat so casually in such circumstances—Ye Tian’s nerves truly impressed him.

“My suggestion,” Ye Tian took another bite of apple, “is to just go home, wash up, and sleep. There’s no need to be cannon fodder.” With that, he continued munching.

“Oh? Why do you say so?” Zach’s interest was piqued.

“If you had a treasure map, would you want others to know?” Ye Tian asked.

“Of course not. On the contrary, I'd go to great lengths to hide it.” Zach laughed. “Your wisdom is admirable!”

“It’s not that I’m clever, just that I’m not greedy.” Ye Tian finished the apple and tossed the core into the trash. “As you said, the wish is simple—just to retrieve the family heirloom. So why make such a big fuss? Hire an A-ranked team, or an S-ranked one if needed. This high-profile approach means there’s something fishy.”

“In your opinion, what does the other party want?” Zach asked.

“The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!” Ye Tian replied. Grey and Zach were baffled, not understanding.

“It means the cannon fodder go in first and die, and they pick up what you missed—the real treasures,” Ye Tian explained.

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“So that’s how it is. I’m impressed.” Rattlesnake stood up. “Brother Mata, your wisdom truly commands respect!” “I’ve said it before, it’s not that I am clever, but that I am not greedy. If not for the allure of a nation’s treasure blinding you, you’d have thought of it too,” Ye Tian said earnestly.

“Heh, hunting every day, but never thought I’d be bitten by prey.” Zach chuckled, sipping his wine. “Let me say one more thing—if possible, don’t publish this quest. I personally think it’s not that simple.”

“Why?” Zach asked.

“I don’t know. But once it’s published, how many will go? Ten, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand? As you said, only one member of an A-ranked team survived. How many will actually make it out alive?” Ye Tian worried.

“To post a quest that’s certain death and lure adventurers to their doom—isn’t a small crime, but it’s not a trivial one either!” Zach’s eyes narrowed. “Brother Mata, thank you for your warning.” Zach stood and thanked him sincerely.

“Grey, this is yours, as my token of thanks.” Zach tossed the ring to Grey. “I have other matters. If you need anything, just tell my people.” With that, Zach turned to leave.

“Wait, actually, there is something. Is there a caravan going to Feply Academy?” “Leighton Principality? That far?” Zach asked, surprised.

“My friend here wants to go to Feply Academy, so I’m hoping you know if there’s a caravan heading there soon. After all, you’re the best information broker around!” Grey laughed.

“I’m busy enough as it is, how should I know about such trivial matters? Tomorrow, I’ll tell you,” Zach replied helplessly.

“Alright,” Grey agreed readily. “We’ll head back now, got to celebrate.”

Grey and Ye Tian walked outside. “Tian, let’s buy some local specialties for you to eat on the road,” Grey said, pulling Ye Tian into the nearby market.

“Tian, why did you give him a false name?” Grey asked.

“Heh, the man isn’t sincere,” Ye Tian replied with a smile.

“Oh? How so?” Grey asked.

“He’s obviously trying to send you to your death,” Ye Tian chuckled.

“Heh, and why do you think that?” Grey’s face showed a bitter smile.

“He couldn’t possibly be unaware of what I just explained,” Ye Tian smiled.

“That’s it?” Grey asked.

“That’s enough. To run a mercenary guild like his, if he doesn’t understand even that, he’s not qualified.” Ye Tian shrugged. “And you, too—clearly dislike him, yet stick around. Truly cheap.”

“Rattlesnake was right. Your wisdom is terrifying,” Grey said bitterly. “Come on, it’s so obvious, yet you’re afraid others will notice? I’m amazed by you!” Ye Tian shrugged.

“You don’t understand,” Grey said gloomily.

“Tell me?” Ye Tian asked.

“Don’t ask. Old matters, best left alone,” Grey muttered.

“Some things are better spoken aloud than kept inside. Otherwise, you’ll never get past them,” Ye Tian sighed. Grey ignored him and kept walking.

“Forget it. If we meet again, tell me then,” Ye Tian said, stepping forward to pat Grey on the shoulder. “Anything you want to eat? I’ll cook for you.”

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When Grey and Ye Tian returned to the inn, everyone stared in surprise. “Did you move the whole market here?” Gell asked.

“It’s just that I’m afraid we won’t be able to feed your voracious appetite,” Ye Tian replied helplessly.

“So, are you planning to cook something?” Lisa’s eyes lit up.

“Cook? I’m going to make a whole table of dishes. If there’s anything you particularly want, let me know.” Ye Tian called Gell to carry the ingredients to the kitchen and asked the manager for permission to use it.

“Yes!” Lisa jumped up immediately, but as soon as she named two dishes, Ye Tian cut her off. “Forget it, I’ll just figure it out myself!” Lisa’s suggestions were things Ye Tian had never heard of, let alone seen, so it was easier to make whatever he pleased.

After spending ten silver coins to rent the kitchen, Ye Tian had them prepare everything, then got busy. The kitchen was much like those used in the East, except some of the spices were unfamiliar to him. It took him a while to select what he needed, then he started prepping the vegetables.

The inn usually only provided some simple fare, so most people went out to eat at restaurants. Ye Tian didn’t dare imagine what the restaurant staff would think if he tried to borrow their kitchen, so the inn was more suitable—they rarely used theirs.

Since he worked differently, Ye Tian didn’t need any help, so a group of chefs stood by, watching him bustle about.

Once everything was ready, Ye Tian put the dishes requiring long simmering on the stove, then began preparing others.

Sizzle! Amidst the sounds of frying and tossing, dish after delicious dish appeared before the chefs’ astonished eyes. They never imagined such cooking skills existed in the world—one by one, their jaws dropped.

As each dish, bursting with color, aroma, and flavor, came out, their eyes nearly popped from their heads.

“Hey, lend a hand!” Ye Tian knocked the pot, dissatisfied with the waitstaff still dazed nearby.

“Oh, right!” The waiter immediately rushed to serve the dishes.

“Smells amazing,” he murmured.

“No sneaking bites, or the girls outside will bite you later,” Ye Tian cautioned.