Chapter 28: The Pagoda Suppresses the Lion Demon

"Get out of the way! Argh!"

A high-explosive shell fired from the 125mm main cannon detonated. Shrapnel tore through the tomb raiders who were attempting to dodge, blasting a gaping hole in the tall, circular wall of the parking garage. The ancient turret groaned as it rotated; although the tomb raiders had scoured its composite armor with a magical cleanser salvaged from the underground, this "Immortal War-Chariot" from thousands of years ago still looked riddled with rust. The undead soul trapped within it now seemed filled with boundless rage, seeking revenge against the people who had dragged it out from the underground city it had been sworn to guard.

In its eyes, everything was a target.

"Watch out for that big tube!"

"It shouldn't have any more explosive bolts left in there."

"Didn't you check it when you were climbing on?" the lead tomb raider grumbled at the young one, who was clutching his head.

"The detector scanned it! There were only three left!" the boy shouted, waving the detector that had been damaged during the shelling. It was a fine piece of equipment from the underground ruins, capable of peering through walls to detect various objects, though such devices were rare even in the depths.

"It's firing again!"

"Quick! Scatter!"

The furious Immortal War-Chariot—or tank—emitted a mechanical roar that sounded like a vengeful ghost. Another high-explosive shell detonated directly inside the parking garage. The flying shrapnel and the shockwave of the blast instantly shredded several tomb raiders who had been trying to move in to seize control of the vehicle.

"Great, just great. The Chairman still needs to use this war-chariot later..."

The enraged tank let out a series of rumbles. Its engine, preserved for a thousand years under the protection of ethereal energy, roared to life. Its tracks crushed the concrete of the garage as it attempted to ram through the gate and escape.

"You unruly beast!"

A thunderous shout echoed through the air. The tank tilted its cannon, aiming toward Liu Huaxi, who stood atop the massive archway of the parking garage.

"You’d better save that shell for me!"

The furious, lingering soul could not understand such words. It loaded its final high-explosive shell. In its eyes, the war had never ended; everyone it saw was an enemy. But Liu Huaxi would not give it the chance. The Chairman leaped from the high archway, casting an iron hook mid-air that bit firmly into the wall beside the gate. He slid down the rope with agility, his lithe form moving through the air like a dancer. Before the tank could aim, Liu Huaxi landed atop its turret.

"You war-chariot, stay put and behave yourself!"

Liu Huaxi pulled a small pagoda from his robes. It was a translucent, jade-green, and shimmered with faint white ethereal energy. He placed the pagoda firmly atop the tank. As a large, glowing character for "Jade" flashed from within it, the previously violent and restless tank finally fell silent.

Watching the tank return to peace, Dai Longmei and the others standing by let out a sigh of relief.

"To think these Immortal War-Chariots were like this before being placed in the manor; it’s truly terrifying..." Dai Longmei drew a jade sword from his storage ring, knowing full well it could never pierce the vehicle's armor.

"Not all of them. Many are just empty shells that have lost their souls," Lily remarked, carefully examining the tank. She pondered how much a tank complete with composite armor, anti-aircraft machine guns, and all its various accessories could fetch. Of course, the young girl didn't know the names of these parts; she only knew they could make her a fortune.

"Clean up the mess!" Liu Huaxi commanded the tomb raiders nearby. His eyes landed on Dai Longmei’s group, who were dressed in modest attire amidst the crowd. "General Dai! You’ve finally arrived!"

"Chairman Liu! I have long heard of your esteemed name!" Dai Longmei walked up, with Lily perched on his shoulder. "Following my father, the Prince of Liao's instructions, I came in such a hurry that I didn't bring you any gifts."

"No matter, no matter," Liu Huaxi said, his gaze fixed on Lily, who was draped around Dai Longmei's neck like a fur stole. "That’s a fine piece of fur you have there. Why don't you lend it to an old man for a couple of days? Consider it a welcome gift."

"Old Chairman, I’m not a fur stole," Lily said, her ears twitching. She saw the mischievous glint in Liu Huaxi’s eyes and guessed he knew she had taken the form of a fox. She teased him, then glared at Dai Longmei. "And I’m not a fox, either!"

"Miss Lily, it has been three years since our expedition to the Western Desolation," Liu Huaxi said. "You haven't shown your face in the Longyou region, and I must admit, I’ve missed you."

"You’re joking, Old Chairman. When we last met, things ended quite unpleasantly. I owe you an apology."

Dai Longmei looked at Lily with surprise. The usually headstrong and spoiled Lily was tempering her temperament in front of Liu Huaxi. But then he realized: Lily was no naive girl. She had been wandering since she was nine and had spent over a decade among the tomb raiders. How could she not understand the rules?

"Enough, enough. Let bygones be bygones," Liu Huaxi said. "Those war-chariots fetched a decent price in the end; if anything, I didn’t pay you enough." He turned to look at his strategist and the others, whose expressions had soured, and offered a faint smile.

"You are right, Chairman. Let bygones be bygones," Lily said. She leaped from Dai Longmei’s shoulder and bowed to Liu Huaxi in her fox form. She did not speak, but used telepathy. Upon seeing the Chairman again, Lily felt a current of ethereal energy within him resonate with her own—a white energy, identical to the old man's, attached to something hidden inside Liu Huaxi’s body. "I implore you, Chairman, help us. Assist us in reaching the Western Desolation to recover my true body."

Liu Huaxi looked at Dai Longmei, who met his gaze with a resolute expression. He then glanced at Long Zhu, who was completely mesmerized by the massive, ferocious Immortal War-Chariot. *A curious trio,* he thought. *Old friend Jade God, you certainly know how to pick them.*

Liu Huaxi reached out and helped the kneeling fox to her feet. "The Jade God has already spoken to us about this matter," he said, using telepathy. "Children, I hear from the Jade God that your training in ethereal energy is quite impressive?"

The three exchanged glances and nodded.

"Excellent. Very good indeed." Liu Huaxi’s gaze swept over his own strategist and the tomb raiders standing nearby, who were wearing obsequious smiles. To the naked eye, they appeared as ordinary humans, but thanks to the piece of pure jade imbued with the Jade God’s energy buried within his own body, Liu Huaxi could see the deep blue ethereal energy swirling around them. *A bunch of long-eared monsters from across the sea.*

"Now," Liu Huaxi signaled to his trusted subordinates positioned around the parking garage. "Children, do you remember my previous message?"

The three nodded in unison. Long Zhu and Lily locked eyes with their respective targets. Dai Longmei gathered his energy, ready to draw his jade sword from his storage ring at any moment.

"Chairman, this war-chariot rampaged and smashed a hole in the wall; I must take the brothers down there to get it repaired," the strategist said. Having seen the fox bow like a human, he had confirmed Lily’s identity and was desperate to leave.

"Wait a moment, Strategist Su," Liu Huaxi said, walking toward him with a smile. "You’ve been very diligent with the guild’s affairs lately. I’ve noticed." Liu Huaxi took a piece of pure jade, also imbued with the Jade God’s energy, from his waist. "Since General Dai is here, we shall host a welcome banquet for our guests from Liaodong later. Let us reward your hard work as well, how about that?"

"Excellent! That would be... excellent, Chairman."

"Good, then it is settled." As the strategist turned to leave, intending to rush off and report to the commander at the Prince of Long's manor, Liu Huaxi flicked his finger. The piece of pure jade struck the pagoda atop the tank with precision.

"Actually, you don't need to attend," Liu Huaxi said.

The pagoda and the jade piece resonated rapidly, and a surge of ethereal energy shot into the tank.

"BOOM!"

The tank, having served for eight thousand years, fired the final shell of its long war.

"Because," Liu Huaxi said, "monsters from the sea don't deserve to eat the fine seafood we have here."

The shockwave of the explosion pulverized the body of the White Lion Rider before he could even defend himself with his ethereal energy. As powerful as the White Lion Rider was, he could not withstand a strike from a war-chariot empowered by the pagoda.