Holding Onto My Man

Translator: Callis

Editor: Evan

On the second day after they arrived on the mother planet Earth, after a day of reorganization and rest, everyone packed up their things and prepared to enter the ancient tomb.

It was said to be an ancient tomb, but because the tomb had been built underground, people could currently only see the heavy stone door, which acted as the entrance, and nothing else.

This stone door was as ancient and mysterious as the images they had discussed on the airship. It had been carved with relief sculptures that most people in the Interstellar wouldn’t recognize. This included ancient culture “professor” Nangong Xuan.

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However, Gu Bai recognized them one after the other. As more time went on, his tasks allowed him to learn more and more things. Aside from the topmost dragon totem on the relief sculptures, everything underneath it represented all kinds of dark, mythical monsters from legends.

The four large words, “Trespassers will Face death”, on the tomb door seemed to carry endless force. When the tomb door was opened, a wave of ice-cold, piercing chill erupted out.

In particular, there was a ferocious taotie stone statue placed in the middle of the front of a dark, endless passage. It seemed like yet another warning and show of force. In the dark, it gave people a mysterious sense of fear.

Nobody spoke, and they all shivered subconsciously. Their ancient Earth ancestors really were too mighty. The force from the realism of the sculpture couldn’t be carved out using any of their intricate machines.

“Everyone, don’t worry. People of ancient Earth were very superstitious. This is only a method they employed to scare away tomb robbers. Even if there are traps in the tomb, they’d only be mercury-poisoned arrows and such. With our science and technology, we can handle it. After all, people of ancient Earth were even more primitive than the old world’s people……”

While everyone held their breath, Nangong Xuan stepped up and explained it to everyone very confidently.

When they heard her words, everyone’s inexplicable fear suddenly dissipated. There was no one in the entire Interstellar who had a more thorough understanding of ancient Earth’s culture than Miss Nangong. In short, if she said it, then it was true.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

What was more, what she said was correct. With the Interstellar’s advanced technology, they didn’t have to be afraid of the ancient Earth’s people’s crude traps at all.

The head of the college nodded and said with a smile, “Miss Nangong is right. With our current technology, there is no need to worry about ancient Earth’s traps. Everyone, go in now……”

“Wait.” It was precisely at this time that Gu Bai spoke up.

“You again?”

It was clear that everyone was very impatient with him. What was going on with this child again?!

“Look, there are still words here……”

Gu Bai didn’t care about any of their attitudes. His previous playful, unperturbed expression faded. He walked past everyone and approached the taotie statue guarding the door.

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There was an unprecedented solemnity in his heart as his eyes were firmly fixed on the chest of the stone taotie statue. There was a row of words on it, which were different from the ones carved onto the monsters of the stone door. This time, they were common ancient Earth script. It was indeed a bronze inscription from the Western Zhou Dynasty from over three thousand years ago.

Pc batfg kbgvr, atf jcmlfca abwy gfjiis kjr mbcragemafv wbgf atjc atgff atberjcv sfjgr jub. Lbkfnfg, ogbw atf afralcu fdelqwfca jcv atflg lcnfralujalbc bo atf jgfj, atfs mbeivc’a vfafgwlcf ktfc atf jcmlfca abwy tjv yffc yelia; la kjr j mbcagjvlmalbc.

Ktfgf kjr j mfgajlc rdeffhlcu bo Xe Djl’r tfjga. Lf tjv j offilcu atja atlr jcmlfca abwy vfolclafis kjrc’a rlwqif. Ktf vgjubc bo atf glutafber Pwqfglji ojwlis, atf gfilfo rmeiqaegfr bo atf ajbalf jcv wbcrafgr atja gfqgfrfcafv atf qbkfg bo fnli jcv vjgxcfrr, jcv atf qbkfgoei vfofcrlnf fcfgus. Aera ktja xlcv bo rfmgfar vlv atlr abwy tlvf?

At this time, other people who could see the words stepped closer, with Nangong Xuan at the front. She was the Interstellar’s “best” professor of ancient Chinese language. Naturally, everyone allowed her to see it first.

However, Nangong Xuan’s “knowledge” didn’t even help her recognize a few traditional Chinese characters. Even if she knew these were ancient characters, she couldn’t translate them. She could only pretend that “they were too old” and shake her head.

Nevermind other people of the Interstellar, even she, as a soul who had transmigrated from Earth, couldn’t recognize them. She couldn’t help but lament again, “Our ancestors are too mysterious!” Then she prepared to take a stone rubbing back to study.

Gu Bai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He directly spoke.

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“There’s no need to take it back to study. These characters are very simple. It’s another warning. It means that it would be best for people who wanted to enter to place their palms here to be tested and receive the master of the tomb’s approval before entering. Otherwise, it will be a dead end……”

The master of the tomb had been afraid and had long since expected intruders. He made preparations early on and kindly reminded the intruders again and again.

“Ugh, what nonsense are you speaking again? How could you know the characters that even Miss Nangong couldn’t translate?!”

The crowd groaned; there was simply no one who believed him.

“That’s right, this love-struck fool doesn’t know what he’s capable of at all!” There was also a wave of agreement from StarNet.

“Wouldn’t you know if I’m spewing nonsense if you just look? See, there’s a palm-shaped groove. This is where the test will be……”

Gu Bai didn’t feel inclined to keep arguing and delaying when he could just enter the tomb. He hinted for everyone to look at the base of the statue, where there was a sunken palm-like depression. According to the characters, it wasn’t difficult to guess that this was where the test was.

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As he spoke, he placed his hand on it. After a few seconds, a beam of red light suddenly burst out from the imprint and entered between his eyebrows, leaving behind a red mark.

“T-this……”

The people who had been disdaining him had their eyes wide open. With the live broadcast, the people on StarNet also stared at the red mark on Gu Bai’s forehead. This was simply too unfathomable!

Before, no one believed him, but now they couldn’t deny the existence of something so unscientific.

“Everyone, come be tested……”

With everyone dazed, Han Lijun spoke and was then the first to walk up to be tested. When he wasn’t facing Gu Bai, his stiff, unfeeling character was still utterly perfect.

With his example, even if the others were hesitant, they still followed what he did. Very quickly, however, they all noticed that there was no one with a red mark like Gu Bai’s. 𝙛𝘳𝘦e𝓌e𝗯n𝗼ѵ𝙚l.𝒄𝚘𝑚

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Was he special, or did the master of the tomb only allow him to enter?

This thought couldn’t help but take shape in everyone’s minds. Even Gu Bai himself started to guess at this.

“Everyone, don’t be frightened. This must be a deliberate complication from the master of the tomb to stop tomb robbers. With so many people, we don’t need to worry……”

After a few seconds of silence, Nangong Xuan spoke again.

“Right, what Miss Nangong said is correct. We should hurry in……”

Everyone nodded in agreement. The discovery of the ancient tomb was too important, and they would definitely never shrink back from such a small threat. Nangong Xuan’s words gave everyone a little confidence.

Gu Bai naturally knew that he wouldn’t be able to persuade them. He wasn’t a kindhearted, lenient man. Since no one listened to him, he wouldn’t risk his life to go stop them.

However, there was Han Lijun. Before the man returned to the starry space and while he was in this world, he wasn’t much different from an ordinary person. He didn’t have such formidable power.

After thinking about it, Gu Bai took out the protective jades which he had placed in his backpack in advance.

“I know that you definitely wouldn’t believe anything that I’ve said, but don’t blame me for not reminding you that this tomb is more dangerous than you think. I have protective jades here, so you can take them……”

After he finished speaking, he handed it to the soldier beside him.

Nobody believed him, but with the odd circumstances surrounding the tomb, none of them refused. They hung it around their necks with the attitudes of it “being no big deal”.

There was only one arrogant-looking young man who refused it. He also disdainfully ground out, “Liar’s nonsense!”

Gu Bai ignored him and didn’t respond. Instead, he took out a different jade and hung it around Han Lijun’s neck.

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“Eh, the admiral’s isn’t the same as ours……” Someone who had a jade curiously examined it.

“Nonsense, he’s my man!”

Gu Bai rolled his eyes, and his disdainful expression immediately broke the area’s solemn atmosphere. Everyone had black lines on their foreheads and they quieted down. This little tsundere was in dire need of a spanking!

However, the crazed, tyrannical, and ruthless Admiral Han reaped the benefits. His character once again collapsed as he nodded, “That’s right, what my little darling says is right……”

“……”

Everyone’s expressions were stiff and dumbfounded. Damn it, they were truly fed up with this pair of sickening, starry-eyed, and character-collapsing fools!

All the preparations had finished. They all stopped dallying. Nangong Xuan, the college head, Han Lijun, and Gu Bai took the lead and entered.

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The ancient tomb’s passage was very narrow, and its width could only accommodate one person. Because of the AI’s recording, there were only 10 people in the archaeology team, 10 soldiers for protection, and Gu Bai.

When they entered the tomb’s passage, they could clearly feel that the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees; it was very gloomy and cold. Fortunately, the Interstellar people’s clothes were temperature-regulating, so they didn’t feel uncomfortable. However, they felt a slight inexplicable fear.

“Bang!”

When the last person entered the ancient tomb, the tomb’s door suddenly closed automatically, startling everyone.

Gu Bai’s heart sank. He was acutely aware that their surroundings had been covered with a power belonging to a ward. On the other hand, the others didn’t feel anything, consumed with the thoughts of what laid in the tomb.

Nangong Xuan once again profoundly explained to everyone, “Don’t be afraid, it’s just the door mechanism……” She immediately comforted everyone, welcoming their adoring gazes.

This was because no one had a clue what a mechanism was, as they had never heard of this word before.

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“Miss Nangong is too fierce; she even knows about mechanisms……”

They all exclaimed in admiration for a bit, and only then did they continue on without any regards.

The commander outside had also been startled. He went forward to prepare to pry open the door again. However, he discovered that the tomb they could still open before seemed to have become part of the ground. They couldn’t open it no matter what they did. What was more, the communication equipment failed. They couldn’t contact the people inside!

“Quickly contact His Majesty at the Capital Star……”

The commander didn’t dare to act recklessly, so he quickly ordered people to contact their superior to ask for instructions.

The king received the news and ordered for the tomb’s door to be opened as quickly as possible and by any means necessary. However, it was no use at all. Their surveying equipments’ alarms blared; the entire tomb was enclosed and blocked off with a powerful energy. It was so strong that even bombing it with a cosmic artillery shell would be useless.

Only in that moment did everyone realize the severity of the situation. The king didn’t dare publicize that they had no way to turn off the live broadcast for the time being, as only the people inside knew how to turn off the cameras.

As a result, they could only continue to allow people to watch the live broadcast and watch alongside the citizens who didn’t know about the situation for the time being. Currently they were only able to determine the situation from the AI filming.

The people on StarNet currently didn’t know about the situation. They were still watching it with an abundance of interest. They were looking at the old and mysterious totem constructed in the middle of the ancient tomb and lamenting that their ancestors were worthy of the greatest admiration…….