VESSEL - Extinction Countdown 945: Tomb Beast Statues

For a moment, Ye Shisan wished the You Long’er beside him, gentle as a lamb, was real. Otherwise, those hours with “her” would’ve been a nightmare.

Reality stayed harsh—especially when a spark flickered twenty meters away.

No one could’ve guessed You Long’er’s earrings hid a flint and reflector, survival tools crafted by her dad and brother. Consumables with limited uses, she’d only use them in dire straits.

Hearing Ye Shisan’s voice, she sparked the light.

The sight floored her.

A dozen steps off, Ye Shisan lay sprawled, his shirt hiked up and belt half-undone, revealing lean abs and a corner of his underwear—a brand she chose.

“Ye Shisan, what the hell are you doing?!”

You Long’er stormed forward with long strides, wielding a stick from nowhere, ready to swing.

“Wait… wait! It’s not what you think! There was someone just like you…”

Ye Shisan explained, spooking You Long’er, who eyed him up and down warily: “How do I know you’re real?”

“My Pseudo-Spirit lets me see Heart Demons. Just now, I saw yours was a cat. That’s why I shouted.”

You Long’er blinked: “A cat? What’s that mean?”

Ye Shisan shook his head: “Now's not the time to analyze it. We need a way out…”

Before he finished, the flame died. In darkness, You Long’er grabbed him: “Darling, hand over your underwear!”

Ye Shisan jolted: “You… what?”

“What? I’m real! It’s pitch-black—how else do we make a torch? Your briefs are cotton. Want mine instead?”

Reluctantly, Ye Shisan stripped them off. You Long’er tore them into strips, wrapped them around the stick, and poured the earring’s remaining oil on.

With a flick, *whoosh*—the room blazed.

Firelight revealed a vast rock-hewn chamber, six or seven meters high and thirty meters across, its walls adorned with carved beasts—birds, fish, insects, mammals—crafted with masterful, unmatched skill.

The chamber was a masterpiece of unearthly craft, grand and eerie.

According to You Long'er, she’d woken in a narrow passage, walking a quarter-hour to reach this room.

But now, the stone walls were smooth and solid. Where would a passage even come from?

Yet, in the center, they found a stone staircase, wide enough for one, descending into blackness. Good thing Ye Shisan had shouted, or You Long’er might’ve fallen.

They exchanged a glance. Ye Shisan raised the torch, leading down.

You Long’er followed closely behind him, gripping his hand tightly, whispering: “That fake me—what was it?”

“No clue. Her Heart Demon was a hazy glow, too eager for me. Felt wrong.”

“Even ghosts want you? So vain!” she huffed.

“Who said ghost? Maybe my mind’s trick. Heart Demons mean something alive, right?”

“Hm, true. Your Heart Demons have distinct shapes—like Du Juan’s rat or others—but that one was just a vague light, which feels odd… Look, an exit!”

Following her point, Ye Shisan saw a faint glow. They hurried on.

Stepping out, they emerged into a sunlit forest.

Ye Shisan glanced back. The exit was flanked by two man-sized beast statues.

More lined the path, each unique and growing taller every few meters, culminating in a twenty-meter giant at the far end.

He counted twelve on each side. Oddly, lush greenery stopped a meter from the statues—not a blade of grass grew in the stone cracks.

“Darling, check this!”

You Long’er spotted seal script carved on the exit’s ceiling tile: “Zhuxi City God[1]: Enter, No Return.”

Ye Shisan frowned: “City God? Are we dead?”

You Long’er grinned: “At least I’m with you, darling!”

She stepped toward the forest, crossing between the beast statues. But as her foot landed, an eerie wail rose from the passage.

*Whoosh*—a fierce suction yanked her back. She screamed, airborne.

In an instant, Ye Shisan lunged, grabbing her hand. His body lifted, feet dangling. Only his firm grip on the stone edge resisted the strange pull.

“Let go! Save yourself!” You Long’er yelled.

“No way! Am I the kind of man who’d let go so easily?!” Ye Shisan growled, teeth clenched.

But reality didn’t yield. His face flushed, arms bulging, fingers digging into rock.

Even a madman’s strength had limits, and he was past his.

A sinister howl echoed from the passage:

“This is Zhuxi City God! How dare you think you can come and go? Tomb Guardian Beast, arise!”

The wail surged like a tidal wave, roaring as it swept from the passage into the open air. Starting from the entrance, those towering beast statues—each over a meter tall, grotesque and eerily bizarre in their appearance—shuddered violently. The figures coiled or crouched on the columns, shed stone dust from their forms before rising.

Ye Shisan, straining against the suction, hauled You Long’er up, hooking her close: “Hold tight! If a fight starts, I can’t cover you!”

You Long’er clung to his neck, horrified: “City God? Is this the Yin Realm[2]?”

“Not sure, but they definitely don’t want us leaving…”

“My gosh, What *is* this place?”

“No idea, but that suction? It suggests a tomb.”

“A tomb?! We were *inside* one?”

“Yeah, and not just any tomb—a *reanimated* one!”

“You’re scaring me! How’d you know?”

“That couplet in the Clay Buddha Temple—it’s a gate to the City God!”

“So we’re not in the Yang Realm[3] or the Yin Realm?”

“Right! Think about it—among all those beast carvings in the chamber—did you see a cats? Don't forget, your Heart Demon’s a cat. Cats near corpses cause revivals. A cat Heart Demon in this tomb…”

You Long’er paled:

“You mean everything here—not dead, not alive—is waking up?!”

[1]The City God: The City God or "Chenghuang(城隍)," is a deity in Chinese Taoism and folklore, originally representing city walls and moats. Over time, it evolved into a divine overseer of local affairs, including both the mortal and netherworld domains. City God Temples, often simply referred to as "Chenghuang," serve as places of worship dedicated to the City God.

[2]Yin Realm: Yin Realm denotes the realm of the dead or spirits in Chinese Taoist philosophy, linked to Yin, the principle of darkness, stillness, and the afterlife in the Yin-Yang duality.

[3]Yang Realm: Yang Realm refers to the world of the living in Chinese Taoist philosophy, associated with Yang, the principle of light, life, and activity in the Yin-Yang duality.