Han Yu thought back to the days when his body had been broken and his spirit battered.

He had tasted death itself, drowned in despair, and clawed his way back from the abyss. He had returned when no one else could. He had walked a road others could not even imagine, let alone survive.

"To give up now… would make all that meaningless," he said to himself.

Then, with a sudden grin, he remembered he had the ultimate safeguard. His hand instinctively brushed against his heart. The Undying Life Charm's link in his body or rather his soul pulsed faintly, almost as if in acknowledgment.

"So what if I die?" Han Yu whispered, his voice gaining a sharp edge. "I'll just come back."

A laugh burst from him, startlingly loud in the quiet night. The absurdity of it all filled him with reckless exhilaration. Fear faded, replaced by a burning determination.

He would go. He would take the risk.

He would seize the opportunity that fate had dangled before him.

Raising the jade slip once more, he spoke with new resolve. "Meng Jueyan. We'll have to change the plan a bit."

On the other end, she hesitated. "…Change it how?"

Han Yu's eyes shone with iron intent. "We start our collaboration in the morning. We can't let this chance slip away. If fortune smiles on us, both of us will get what we want."

There was silence for a moment.

Then her voice returned, doubtful but tinged with reluctant hope. "Are you really certain? Entering the same complex as the Mist Eye Sect… it's not something you can do lightly. The numbers will be far greater than what I planned for before."

Han Yu chuckled, his confidence bordering on arrogance. "You forget who you're speaking to. I'll convince as many people as I can to join me there. Even if I don't secure the pills within the repository, I'll still gain access to any alchemical texts that are discovered. As a disciple, I can't be denied the right to study them.

So no matter what, I won't walk away empty-handed."

She was quiet again, but Han Yu could sense the shift in her breathing. His words had stirred her.

He pressed further. "But for this to work, I'll need you inside that complex as well. If we coordinate properly, we can maneuver things to both our benefits. Alone, it would be impossible. Together, it can be done."

This time, her reply came swiftly, tinged with a faint eagerness. "Alright. I'll be there. In fact… I might have something that will help us."

Han Yu's brow arched. "Oh? What is it?"

"The arrays," Meng Jueyan said. "The ones that control the tomb."

Han Yu stiffened.

The tomb was riddled with strange formations and arrays. Even the elders of multiple sects had spent days trying to understand them. That she would bring this up now…

"You mean the ones the sects are still deciphering?" Han Yu asked cautiously.

"Yes," she replied. "What they don't know is that the Mist Eye Sect already holds a partial understanding of them. We have old texts in our archives that mention the structure of this tomb and the principles behind its arrays."

Han Yu's eyes widened, stunned. "You already had this knowledge?!"

"Yes. Not all of it, and certainly not enough to control the tomb. The array designs we had aren't exactly for this tomb, but for general ones used for tombs such as this. A blueprint of sorts.

It is likely that these are remnants of designers who've made multiple tombs in the past. It's not exact, but it's enough to recognize certain patterns. Enough to predict how some complexes will open and what might be inside."

Han Yu felt his heart sink. He had thought the Mist Eye Sect was fumbling in the dark like everyone else. Instead, they were already one step ahead.

"Did you know this from the beginning?" he asked sharply.

"No," Meng Jueyan answered with surprising firmness. "I only learned recently. Our sect tested its theories a few days ago, on one of the smaller complexes. The results confirmed our knowledge. The four complexes that opened tonight… they belong to the same section our texts describe. That is why our elders are so determined to focus on them."

Her explanation struck him like a hammer. 'Of course.'

That was why the Mist Eye Sect had shifted their attention so decisively. They weren't gambling: they were acting on certainty.

Han Yu took a long breath to steady himself. "So, you can identify hidden routes as well?"

"…Yes," she admitted. "But not now. I'll need to see the maps the elders present tomorrow. Once I do, I'll compare them to what I know. Then I can tell you which routes are false, which are traps, and which lead to the heart of the complex."

Han Yu exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders. It was a slim advantage, but it was enough.

"Good," he said. "Then tomorrow, relay everything you can to me. With that knowledge, and the fact that our sects will both be inside, we can steer things the way we need them to go."

"Understood," she replied quietly.

After that, the two of them began to discuss in detail.

Han Yu outlined his plan to subtly guide his fellow disciples into choosing the repository complex at dawn, framing it as a natural decision rather than his own insistence. Once inside, he and Meng Jueyan would maintain the guise of neutral anonymity, cooperating only when necessary to avoid suspicion. They would even clash if needed to affirm their 'normal' identities.

But when key opportunities presented themselves; text discovery, hidden chambers, or resource caches,they would act swiftly and silently, ensuring both sides benefited before their sects noticed.

Han Yu's mind burned with possibilities as they spoke. Perhaps they could uncover the hidden laboratory of the alchemist. Perhaps the repository still held intact cauldrons, pill recipes, or even unfinished pills that radiated power.

And even if all else failed, the chance to lay eyes on genuine alchemical texts from such an era was worth any risk. He could memorize them, replicate them, and carry their knowledge back to his sect.

When the conversation finally ended, Han Yu lowered the jade slip, his eyes glittering in the dim night.

He had made up his mind.

Tomorrow, he would step into the jaws of the beast itself. And he would not come out empty-handed.

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