"Hey!" Ye Chen’s voice cut through the moment.

The python’s attention shifted slightly.

"My subordinate isn’t tasty," Ye Chen said, his tone sharp. "If you want to eat something, try this."

He raised the gun.

And fired both remaining shots.

*Bang! Bang!*

The bullets went straight into the python’s open mouth.

Hiss—!

The reaction was immediate.

The python jerked violently in pain.

Its body loosened without control.

That was enough.

Ye Chen moved.

He rushed forward, grabbed Lu Shixun, and pulled him free in one motion.

Lu Shixun’s body dropped heavily into his arms.

He wasn’t unconscious, but he was barely holding on.

His breathing was weak.

Every inhale came with a faint choking sound.

Ye Chen didn’t stop.

He stepped onto the python’s body, using it as support, and pushed himself upward.

He grabbed the edge of the opening and pulled both of them through.

They landed on the other side.

It was dark.

No time to look around.

Ye Chen adjusted his grip and moved forward immediately.

Behind them, the python’s movement resumed.

The sound of its body dragging against stone echoed faintly.

Ye Chen increased his pace.

He didn’t slow down.

After some distance, he finally stopped.

When Ye Chen saw Lu Shixun’s condition clearly under the dim light, his expression turned serious.

Lu Shixun’s breathing was uneven. Each inhale came with a faint wheezing sound, as if something inside his chest was obstructing it. Blood stained the corner of his lips. His arms hung loosely, completely unresponsive.

Several ribs had collapsed inward. Some of the broken fragments had already pierced his lungs.

Even without medical knowledge, Ye Chen could tell this kind of injury wouldn’t last long.

"Brother Ye..." Lu Shixun forced out, coughing weakly. A trace of blood followed. "Don’t... worry about me... that snake... might come..."

Ye Chen nodded lightly. "I know. Don’t think too much. I’ll get you out."

His tone was steady.

But there was no weight behind it.

Deep down, he had already made his judgment.

Lu Shixun... was finished.

Carrying him now was nothing more than dragging a burden. If it weren’t for the fact that he still needed Lu Shixun’s knowledge to find the final chamber, Ye Chen wouldn’t have risked saving him from the python at all.

Brotherhood?

That meant nothing to him.

They had only known each other for a few days. In his eyes, people were tools. If they were useful, he would keep them. If not, they could be discarded without hesitation.

Just like before.

He didn’t hesitate to kill Rose’s brother when it benefited him. Even someone close, like them, could become expendable.

Ye Chen pushed those thoughts aside. There was no point dwelling on them now.

He adjusted his grip and lifted Lu Shixun again.

"Hold on," he said briefly.

Then he moved forward.

After a short distance, the passage opened.

A large, eerie hall appeared in front of them.

It was quiet.

The walls were lined with skeletons in ragged clothing, hung in uneven rows. Some of them had collapsed halfway, their bones scattered beneath. Broken terracotta statues lay across the ground, cracked.

At the centre of the hall was a black stone sarcophagus.

Ye Chen stopped for a moment.

He observed the surroundings carefully, waiting for any reaction. When there was no movement and no hidden mechanism was triggered.

Only then did he step forward.

Behind him, Lu Shixun forced his eyes open. His vision blurred, but he could still make out the shape in the centre.

A faint, tired smile appeared on his face.

"Brother Ye... this... is it..."

Ye Chen glanced at him. "The final burial chamber?"

Lu Shixun nodded weakly. "Yes... the treasure... should be with the tomb owner..."

"That means inside that?" Ye Chen asked, looking at the sarcophagus.

"...Yes," Lu Shixun said. "Be careful... traps..."

The moment he got the confirmation, something in Ye Chen’s expression changed.

The concern disappeared. So did the patience.

Without hesitation, he loosened his grip and threw Lu Shixun aside.

Thud.

Lu Shixun hit the ground hard. The impact made his already broken ribs shift again.

"Ugh—!"

Pain shot through his body, forcing out a strained groan.

"Ye... Chen...?"

Ye Chen didn’t even look at him.

He brushed his hands lightly, as if getting rid of dust.

"Just lie there," he said flatly. "You’ve done your part."

There was no emotion in his tone. Only indifference.

Lu Shixun lay on the ground, his breathing becoming even weaker.

His eyes closed slowly.

He didn’t argue.

Didn’t question.

Because deep down, he understood.

This was how people like them lived.

And how they ended.

He just hadn’t expected it to come this soon or this directly.

If he had been thinking clearly, he might have seen it earlier.

But he didn’t.

Not because he lacked intelligence.

But because everything had already been set in motion by destiny.

His role... had already been decided, and he was forced to be a puppet for destiny.

And now, his use was over. So he was discarded by both Ye Chen and destiny.

Ye Chen had already walked away. His attention was completely on the sarcophagus.

He approached it slowly, his expression returning to calm.

Without hesitation, he placed his hands on the lid and pushed it open carefully.

Nothing was triggered. No hidden arrows or poisonous gas.

Inside, only a skeleton lay quietly.

It wore ancient armour, now faded and damaged. Pieces of cloth still clung to its frame, barely holding together.

Ye Chen didn’t care about it.

His gaze shifted immediately.

At the corner of the sarcophagus, two items rested.

An old scroll.

And a golden box.

His eyes lit up.

He reached out and picked up the box first. It felt heavy, solid, and finely crafted. The surface was engraved with intricate patterns that hinted at its importance.

"Is this it..." he murmured.

"The legendary treasure... that can give me supernatural powers..."

He opened it.

Inside, a golden pill rested quietly.

***

[A.N: Read Author’s Thoughts!]