Tomb robbing: I was Buried alive in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, I Get Stronger by Looting Corpses

Chapter 9: An Unexpected Child Bride

Yang Yi watched as Meng Jiangnv finished the fruit and then retrieved three more flatbreads from his system storage, handing them to her. She hesitated, swallowing her saliva, before reluctantly taking just one.

“It’s too much, Young Master.”

“I have plenty,” Yang Yi reassured her. “Eat more to maintain your strength, and if possible, start improving your cultivation. If we want to survive, we not only have to outlast everyone else, but we also need to endure longer than the tomb guards. Eventually, we’ll have to kill them and take their provisions.”

The mention of the tomb guards made Meng Jiangnv’s face tighten with unease. She took a deep breath, then silently accepted the flatbread and started eating. Her hunger was evident. Earlier, she had tried to ration her food, dividing her previous flatbread into three portions to last longer. But now, with Yang Yi providing more than she expected, she allowed herself to eat freely. To help her swallow the dry flatbread, Yang Yi handed her another piece of fruit. She accepted it wordlessly, but the change in her loyalty score was immediate. She was clearly touched.

It wasn’t just the food—it was the trust. He was not only providing for her but also sharing his plans and secrets, something that deepened her sense of connection to him. Yang Yi smirked as he checked her loyalty, which had soared to ninety-six. “She’s surprisingly easy to win over.”

Of course, it wasn’t just luck. Meng Jiangnv’s character played a role. She had endured hardship alone for so long that a single act of kindness—especially in these dire circumstances—meant everything.

After finishing her meal, Meng Jiangnv wiped her mouth and turned to him. “Young Master, are you going to rest now?”

“No. I need to go looting. Come with me.”

Meng Jiangnv blinked in surprise. “Me?”

“I’d rather not leave you alone,” Yang Yi replied as he stood up, extending his hand toward her.

She hesitated briefly before placing her slender fingers in his larger, calloused palm. The instant their hands touched, her body trembled, and her face flushed bright red. Flustered, she quickly withdrew her hand the moment she stood.

“Let’s go,” Yang Yi said with a chuckle.

As they walked, Meng Jiangnv occasionally stole glances at his broad back, her cheeks still warm. A sense of security washed over her, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

……………………………………………………………………………

The corridor was now eerily quiet, but signs of recent violence were everywhere. The scattered groups of survivors were no longer as isolated as before. Instead of staying apart, they had begun forming alliances, with some groups consisting of five or six people. The farther they walked, the more tightly grouped the survivors became. Perhaps they instinctively felt that the deeper into the corridor they went, the safer they would be.

However, what truly stood out were the fresh corpses littering the ground. The stench of blood was overwhelming, and Yang Yi frowned at the sight.

“I’ll have to bury these bodies later.” If he planned to stay in the underground palace for an extended time, leaving rotting corpses scattered around would be dangerous. Diseases, infestations, and the unbearable stench would only make things worse. Once he found a shovel or some digging tools, he would start clearing the bodies.

It wasn’t just the corpses that unsettled him.

As they passed by the surviving groups, Yang Yi noticed a shift in how people looked at him. Before, their gazes had been mocking or wary. Now, there was something else—a predator’s gaze, the look of a hunter sizing up its prey.

They had started seeing him as food. Meng Jiangnv noticed it too. Her body tensed, and without thinking, she reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. She instinctively pressed closer to him, seeking protection. A faint fragrance reached Yang Yi’s nose.

“So, this is what they call a woman’s natural scent?” he mused, momentarily distracted. He refocused when they reached their destination—a fresh corpse.

……………………………………………………………………………

The body before him had its throat slit, the wound clean. What caught his attention, however, was the lack of blood. The corpse had bite marks on its neck, and what little blood remained had already been drained. Someone had begun drinking human blood. Yang Yi’s eyes darkened. Survival had already devolved into pure carnage, and it was only the beginning. Soon, as hunger worsened, cannibalism would spread. He exhaled slowly.

“I need to act first.”

If death was inevitable for most of them, he might as well be the one to kill them before they turned completely monstrous. Giving them a quick, painless death was the greatest mercy he could offer.

However, he couldn’t afford to act recklessly. Even with his strength, openly butchering others could turn the entire group against him.

Ding! 

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully looted a corpse.].

The system’s familiar voice broke his thoughts, and he continued looting. Aside from the usual food supplies, he gained another year of cultivation and five years of lifespan. These rewards were becoming routine, but they were still incredibly valuable. Today’s loot was massive. He had searched ten bodies in total, acquiring a mountain of food, ten years of cultivation, and nearly a hundred years of lifespan. Then, a strange notification appeared.

Ding! 

Yang Yi froze mid-step. His mind instantly connected to the system space, and sure enough, there was a new person inside. A young girl, no older than fifteen or sixteen, sat curled up inside the system’s storage. She wore simple, thin clothes, her body slender yet well-proportioned, and despite her obvious malnutrition, she had delicate features that hinted at extraordinary beauty.

Yang Yi’s lips twitched.

“System… are you serious? You can loot child brides now?”

His mind spun at the absurdity of it. Will the system start giving me entire families next?

He muttered sarcastically, “If I loot someone’s parents, will I have to take care of them too? I’m not running an orphanage.”

Returning his focus to reality, Yang Yi looked at Meng Jiangnv, then at the growing number of corpses. He had obtained more than he expected, but there were still more opportunities ahead. The underground palace was descending into madness, and soon, he would need to make his move.

For now, he had to figure out what to do with the girl in his system space and how to handle the growing bloodlust among the survivors. Looking at the hungry, predatory stares from the others, he knew the time for hesitation was over. It was time to start killing.