How could there be undead here, Lyall? You're not deceiving us, are you trying to hoard the bounty for yourself? Another man interjected sternly.

Why wouldn't he dream of it? If I were lying, would I return here? I could simply take the goods and flee.

Law retorted loudly.

Although he was merely speaking defensively, he sensed that the man didn't t genuinely believe he would fabricate such a tale.

Yet the notion of a substantial undead force existing amidst such densely populated human settlements was indeed hard to swallow.

You said they transported the burial goods.

An elderly voice emerged from within the room.

An elegantly dressed elder leaning on a cane stepped forward.

The surrounding mercenaries immediately cleared a space for him to sit and converse.

Yes, Misty Ev.

I witnessed the undead pushing carts filled with numerous burial items.

Law responded respectfully.

The elder produced a key from around his neck.

A puzzled expression crossing his face.

The key to the tomb lies in my possession.

How do they gain entry? Everyone turned their gaze towards Lyall, awaiting a reasonable response.

I am uncertain.

The number of undead is exceedingly vast.

To avoid detection, I merely followed at a distance.

Ly replied.

The old man nodded, recognizing that Lyall had no reason to deceive him.

Even if he wished to fabricate a story, he would not conjure up the implausible notion of an army of the undead.

Did you observe anything unusual among the burial goods? Mr.

Ephu inquired again.

Unusual? What do you mean? L asked.

For instance, corpses.

A frown crossed the faces of all the mercenaries had missed her.

Ephu employed them to seek out bodies within the ancient tomb.

This notion was somewhat perplexing.

Mr.

Ephu, I did not see any corpses as the distance was too great and they were all undead.

Even if there were any, it would be difficult for me to notice.

L continued.

Mister.

Ephu nodded thoughtfully before adding.

Tomorrow we shall venture to the mountain.

If I do not find what I seek, we must prepare to engage with the undead.

The mercenaries wore serious expressions.

They were seasoned warriors, not fools willing to court death.

The prospect of confronting tens of thousands of undead creatures was hardly appealing.

The burly mercenary took a deep breath and said, "Mr.

Ephu, at this juncture, you ought to reveal the secrets of this tomb.

You have promised us immortality and wealth.

Fixing his gaze upon Mr.

Ephu, he declared, "If you do not divulge what you know today, I shall withdraw from this venture, and you need only compensate me for this journey.

" The other mercenaries echoed his sentiments, asserting that Mr.

Ephu could not persuade them otherwise, leading to a potential dissolution of their alliance.

Mr.

Ephu, now aged and frail, found it increasingly difficult to proceed without the aid of these mercenaries.

Thus, he needed to retain their loyalty and compliance.

Very well.

I can share this with you, but understand that attaining immortality requires a complex ritual, and only I possess the knowledge of how to achieve it.

Mr.

Efu cautioned, surveying the group with a hush tone.

The mercenaries nodded in acknowledgement.

Mister Ephu then produced an ancient notebook bound with fine twine from within his garments and stated, "A sovereign of eternal night.

If one drinks her blood according to the prescribed method, immortality can be attained.

Chapter 188.

The Black Thorn and the Sovereign of Eternal Night.

The mercenaries wore grave expressions.

They had encountered many bizarre occurrences in their relentless pursuit of wealth.

Among them were those who had dealings with the Blood Clan.

The term eternal night was one they understood well as it signified the Blood Clan.

Likewise, they were not averse to the notion that the price of immortality could lead one to become a vampire in their treatment of the weak.

They were no more benevolent than the blood clan.

Mr.

Ephu, may I? The bearded mercenary inquired, casting his gaze towards the notebook resting on the table.

Seeking permission to peruse its contents, old Ephu nodded slightly.

He had produced it to lend credibility to his words.

The bearded man gingerly picked up the notebook, carefully untying the delicate hemp string that bound it.

The notebook was exceedingly old, and he feared that handling it too roughly might cause it to disintegrate in his hands.

As he opened it, its contents were revealed.

It was the journal of a commander.

The initial pages recounted snippets of his daily life, detailing at what age he fell in love with a particular maiden, only to witness her frolicking with a nobleman.

Both of them in a state of undress on the day he confessed his feelings.

At another age, a traveler had come to town, and he took up the sword under his tutelage.

Yet another year brought a stunning beauty to the city, enchanting all who beheld her.

The maiden who had coorted before the nobleman seemed by comparison a mere rustic girl in heat.

Overnight the men of the town became rivals in love.

In the latter portion of the journal, the commander, now 40, had risen to become the leader of the town with aspirations to ascend to the status of a hero.

He planned to work until spring and then resign, intending to journey to a city fame for its merit trials and hopes of achieving his advancement.

In his final year, he led his soldiers to defend the city, which was preparing to celebrate the new year.

The old city lord had ordered wine to be distributed to every household, including theirs.

At this point, the journal left several pages blank.

After flipping through three pages, new content finally appeared.

That damned old fool deceived us all.

My soldiers began to shed their skin, revealing the flesh and blood beneath.

He turned us all into wretched monsters.

In the last insert, there was a handdrawn map.

The commander had instructed his friend to follow it and rescue him.

What does this signify? The bearded man passed the notebook to the next individual while posing a question.

The journal contained no mention of the method to attain immortality.

What could this imply? Old Ephu continued, "The commander's friend was merely a merchant who returned to this city under the guise of a traveling traitor.

The once elderly city lord had grown increasingly youthful, resembling a gentleman in his 30s or 40s.

While the commander had truly vanished, during a few days the merchant lingered in town, members of his party began to disappear one by one.

He departed the city at noon, laden with all his goods on a deserted street.

The merchant subsequently kept a close watch on these events, gathering extensive intelligence, which included information about the king and the key.

The mercenaries turned their gaze towards Oldfu.

Mr.

Ephu, are you the merchant in the story? Oldfu, a wealthy merchant, became the subject of speculation among the people regarding the tale he shared.