Burial Site Mystery Classic

Chapter 22

I was quite surprised to see these behemoths. We hadn't brought any firearms this time; besides two flamethrowers that Ah Bao had modified himself, the rest were just daggers and other melee weapons. We originally planned to wait for the behemoth to tire itself out and move away before approaching. But after waiting for a long time, it showed no sign of stopping. "Let's not wait any longer, let's use the flamethrowers," I suggested. "It looks like it's not going to stop anytime soon. Who knows how long we'll have to wait like this?" The others seemed to realize this as well and agreed. So Ah Bao and I quickly took out the two small flamethrowers from our backpacks, quickly assembled them, and held them firmly in our hands. Then, Ah Bao and I, one on each side, led the way. Tang Zhengyang, Jenny, and Dunzi followed closely behind, each carrying a knife.

Because we hadn't turned on our wolf-eye flashlights or any other lighting, we were surrounded by complete darkness. Only a faint white light emanated from where the two giant beasts stood. Ah Bao and I slowly made our way up the stone steps, taking countless steps. The images of the giant beasts became clearer and clearer before my eyes. They had single horns on their heads, sharp teeth, and four protruding eyes the size of copper bells, staring intently at us.

Although I had a flamethrower, facing these two enormous, unfamiliar monsters all at once... to be honest, I wasn't confident at all. Ah Bao beside me was also walking very slowly; his tense expression showed that he felt much the same way I did. However, since we had all decided to enter the tomb of the First Emperor, the first emperor of a unified China, to investigate, we had to grit our teeth and bravely face whatever difficulties lay ahead.

After walking another ten meters or so, we reached the end of these upward-extending stone steps, and the space before us opened up, as if we had entered a vast underground hall. Two colossal beasts leaped about in the center of the hall, one on each side. Ah Bao and I exchanged a glance and decided to charge forward together. I quickly counted to three, then, without even holding my flamethrower, I suddenly charged forward. The instant we stepped from the outer tomb passage onto the floor of the underground hall, the two ferocious beasts pounced on us. Ah Bao and I instinctively dodged to the side, avoiding their attack, then raised our flamethrowers and unleashed a burst of flame at the beasts with a loud "boom." But strangely, when the flames subsided, we saw that the two beasts were completely unharmed, as if they hadn't been burned at all. Ah Bao and I were both very puzzled. Could these two be the legendary "Fire-Avoiding Gold Beasts"? Just as I was about to walk forward to continue my studies, Jenny suddenly shouted from behind, "Sinan, don't be afraid! They're just two exquisitely crafted, lifelike stone beasts. Don't waste your ammunition. They won't hurt us."

Hearing Jenny's explanation, Ah Bao and I were both completely baffled. We turned to look at Jenny, wanting her to explain further. Jenny smiled and walked over to us, saying, "Look. These two giant beasts are the real ones. What you saw earlier was just an illusion created by the refraction and reflection of light." As she spoke, she shone her wolf-eye flashlight on both sides of the underground hall. In the flashlight's beam, two exquisitely carved stone beasts, each about half a person's height, appeared on the stone walls on either side. They looked exactly like the two giant beasts we had seen earlier, only much smaller, and they were crouching motionless on the ground, instead of jumping around.

The five people followed Jenny to the stone beast on the left side of the underground hall. The beast appeared to be made of Shoushan colored stone, a specialty of Fujian province. Its entire surface was polished to a smooth finish. From the large eyes on its head to the small fur on its body, every part and every detail was meticulously sculpted and crafted. Utilizing the natural colors of the Shoushan colored stone, the beast was as lifelike as a wax figure, almost as if it were real. Less than a meter away from the beast was a small pool of water, about three to five square meters in size. Perhaps there was a spring beneath the pool, with water constantly bubbling up, causing the surface to sway gently. When they looked back towards the center of the underground hall, the two giant beasts from before were gone; only a huge, crystal-clear stone stood silently there.

Jenny pointed to the huge crystal and said, "Based on my deduction, because everyone focused the beam of their wolf-eye flashlights in front of them, the beam shone onto the crystal in the center of the hall. The crystal had been specially treated to refract the light from the front and project it onto the stone beasts on either side. The reflections of the stone beasts were then reflected in the pool of water and projected back onto the huge crystal in the center of the underground hall, creating an amplified illusion. Because the water in the pool was constantly moving up and down, the illusion projected onto the crystal was also constantly jumping up and down; if you didn't look closely, you really would think you were seeing something alive."

After hearing Jenny's explanation, we realized it was just a false alarm. The giant beast we saw was merely an illusion created by the refraction and reflection of light from the two stone mythical creatures. No wonder Ah Bao and I couldn't defeat it with our flamethrowers. At the same time, I felt great admiration for Jenny's composure in the face of danger, and her keen observation and analytical skills.

Having seen this ingeniously designed and perfectly crafted device, I couldn't help but marvel at the extraordinary skill and ingenuity of the Thai artisans. It's truly astonishing that the people of the Qin Dynasty, over two thousand years ago, were able to design and manufacture such a dynamic projection device using the principles of light refraction and reflection. This also made me appreciate the greatness of China's millennia-old civilization, filling me with immense pride in being a Chinese.

“This stone beast should be called ‘Fangxiangshi,’ a relatively common type of tomb guardian beast,” Jenny said, looking at the stone beast in front of her. “Tomb guardian beasts are a common type of monster found in ancient Chinese tombs; they are funerary objects set up to suppress ghosts and protect the souls of the deceased from disturbance. The Zhou Li records that there is a monster called Wangxiang, which eats the liver and brains of the dead; and there is also a divine beast called Fangxiangshi, which has the ability to drive away Wangxiang. Therefore, families often have Fangxiangshi placed beside the tomb to prevent the monsters from disturbing the peace.” It is also said that this Fangxiangshi has four golden eyes, wears a bearskin, a red robe and black trousers, rides a horse with a halberd, and goes into the tomb to strike the four corners with a halberd to drive away Fangliang and Wangxiang. Fangliang is also a demon that harms the dead, and people use the power of Fangxiangshi to drive them away. Therefore, some scholars believe that the custom of using tomb guardian beasts evolved from the legend of 'Fangxiangshi'. Others speculate, based on the double horns on the heads of early tomb guardian beasts, that the tomb guardian beasts should be related to 'exorcising evil spirits', 'spirits', or 'shibo' (a type of spirit guardian).

After listening to Jenny's words, I recalled some knowledge about tomb guardian beasts that a professor had mentioned when I was in school, so I added, "Based on archaeological discoveries, tomb guardian beasts first appeared in Chu tombs during the Warring States period, were popular from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, and gradually disappeared after the Five Dynasties. Hundreds of wooden tomb guardian beasts used for warding off evil spirits have been found in Chu tombs. They date from the mid-Spring and Autumn period to the mid-late Warring States period. From the mid-late Spring and Autumn period to the early Warring States period, they were mostly single-headed and single-bodied, with the most styles and numbers appearing in the mid-Warring States period, falling into two main categories: single-headed and single-bodied, and double-headed and double-bodied. Tomb guardian beasts were initially made of wood and bone, with pottery being extremely rare; later, they were mainly made of pottery and Tang tri-color pottery. Metal and stone artifacts are extremely rare, so this pair of tomb guardian beasts made of Shoushan colored stone are truly precious."

After Jenny and I finished explaining, everyone nodded, indicating they understood. Next, to thoroughly search the Qin Mausoleum in hopes of discovering the secrets of the *Burial Scripture* that might be hidden within, everyone, armed with wolf-eye flashlights, circled the underground hall where we were. We found it to be a nearly circular hall, surrounded by stone slabs. The surfaces of the slabs had been polished, making them relatively smooth. They were also decorated with thunder patterns, giving them an ancient feel. Overall, this hall wasn't part of the main part of the tomb passage, so its layout and decoration were quite simple. Moreover, generally speaking, valuable burial goods wouldn't be placed in such an unimportant tomb passage structure, so after a thorough search, we didn't find much. Although Dunzi coveted the two rare tomb guardian beasts, they were quite large and difficult to move. More importantly, everyone had agreed beforehand not to take or damage items from the tomb, so he ultimately had to abandon the idea of taking them. Finally, everyone prepared to proceed deeper into the tomb passage.

54. Torrential Rain Plows Through the Needles (Part 1)

The tomb was riddled with traps and dangers. At my suggestion, everyone began taking out their gear from their backpacks and arming themselves. We first put on our imported LED waterproof headlamps, but didn't turn them on. Then we hung our gas masks on our waists, ready to use them at any time. Because of concerns about volatile mercury in the tomb passage, Jenny attached a special mercury meter to her waist to check the results. At this moment, Tang Zhengyang took out an umbrella-like object, opened it, and asked to go to the front of the group. He said, "This umbrella is a tool commonly used by us tomb raiders, called the 'Diamond Umbrella.' It's made of fine steel and can block any hidden weapons or traps when opened. According to records, there are likely many hidden weapons and traps inside the tomb, so for safety's sake, I'll lead the way." Everyone agreed, and Tang Zhengyang ran to the front of the group to lead the way. I followed closely behind with a flamethrower, Jenny and Dunzi were in the middle, and Abao brought up the rear. After everything was prepared, we began to venture deeper into the tomb passage.

Behind the underground hall stands a gate tower with four gate towers. To the left and right are a main gate and a secondary gate. The entire gate tower is over ten meters high and twenty meters wide, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an imposing presence. There are three doorways on the gate tower, the central one being the tallest, about four or five meters high and over three meters wide. Two large black lacquered doors are closed above the central doorway; despite the passage of a thousand years, the black lacquer remains as bright as new, showing no signs of peeling. Four rows of wide copper strips are horizontally nailed to the wooden doors from top to bottom, each strip inlaid with nine copper studs. The central bronze dragon-patterned door knocker is meticulously crafted and intricately structured, giving it an ancient and robust aesthetic appeal. To the left and right of the main gate are two smaller doorways, each about three meters high and two meters wide, also closed with wooden doors of the same material and decoration. This is in accordance with the etiquette of ancient palace relocation. The main gate in the middle was generally used by the emperor to enter and exit the palace, while the two side gates on the left and right were used by civil officials and military officers. However, after Tang Zhengyang's inspection, it was discovered that of the three gates, only the main gate in the middle was a real gate, while the two side gates were just decorative doors.

The group arrived at the main gate one after another and found it ajar. It wasn't fully closed, leaving a gap about half a palm's width wide. Seeing the door wasn't closed, A-Bao was about to push it open when Tang Zhengyang grabbed him. He said, "Be careful. Don't be careless. In my experience, the main gates inside the imperial tomb passages are usually tightly closed. Behind these ajar doors, there are most likely traps and hidden weapons. Don't be reckless." A-Bao readily agreed and immediately retreated behind Tang Zhengyang.

Tang Zhengyang, holding the "Golden Sun Umbrella" in front of him, moved closer to the crack in the door. Reaching the crack, he used his other hand to shine the wolf-eye flashlight through it. He looked inside for two or three minutes before retreating. "So, what did you see?" Dunzi asked. "Yeah, did you see anything? Any traps?" Abao asked eagerly. Tang Zhengyang shook his head after hearing everyone's questions. "It's very dark inside. The light from this flashlight seems to be swallowed up by the surrounding darkness; I can't see anything at all." He paused, then added, "But when I went to check just now, I don't know why, I felt a chill run down my spine. Based on this intuition, I suspect it's not safe inside. Everyone, be careful." "Then how do we get in?" I asked after hearing Tang Zhengyang's words. He looked at the wooden door again after hearing my question. Then he said, "How about this, everyone wait outside the door while I go in and check it out first." "No. It's too dangerous for you to go alone," I said. "Yes, how can we let you risk your life alone?" Jenny also said, "Shouldn't we think of another good way?" Tang Zhengyang saw that everyone was concerned about his safety, so he smiled and replied, "No need to think about it. If there were other good ways, everyone would have prepared them beforehand. Why would we need to think about them here? Don't worry, I will be as careful as possible. I have the protection of the 'Golden Sun Umbrella,' and you can tie a rope around me. That should be quite safe. Besides, I've been to many ancient tombs full of traps. I can handle it. Trust me!"

Seeing his determination to scout ahead, we had no choice but to tell him to be extremely careful. Then, Ah Bao took the safety rope from his backpack, wrapped it around Tang Zhengyang's waist and left thigh several times, and tied a sailor's knot. I took a paratrooper knife from my backpack and handed it to Tang Zhengyang, saying, "This knife has thin serrations; it cuts ropes very quickly. Keep it safe. If you encounter any situation and need to escape, use it to cut the ropes on your body." After I finished speaking, Tang Zhengyang tucked the paratrooper knife, scabbard and all, into his belt, then patted my shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't worry, brother, I'll go in first!" I nodded without saying anything more. At that moment, I was extremely nervous, even more nervous than if I were going to enter myself.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Tang Zhengyang turned and walked towards the gate. The four of us stood on either side of the gate, watching Tang Zhengyang walk towards the wooden door, our hearts pounding with anxiety for him. With a series of creaking sounds, we saw him forcefully push the wooden door open wide enough for one person to enter, then hold the "Diamond Umbrella" in front of him and slowly step inside.

Because the space inside the door was very dark, everyone's flashlights could only illuminate a very short distance, so in a short while, Tang Zhengyang's figure disappeared from everyone's sight. They couldn't see Tang Zhengyang's situation at that moment, only that the rope in A Bao's hand was being dragged into the doorway little by little. At this time, the surroundings were extremely quiet, so quiet that I could almost hear my own heartbeat.

55. Torrential Rain Plows Through the Needles (Part Two)

About three or four minutes passed, but it felt like an eternity to me. Just as everyone was silently praying for Tang Zhengyang, we suddenly heard a "ouch" from inside the gate. Then we heard a series of faint 'whooshing' sounds. "There's definitely a trap," I thought, and without thinking, I immediately moved to rush through the gate to rescue Tang Zhengyang. At the same time, the others were also preparing to rush through the gate. But before we even got inside, we heard Tang Zhengyang's voice from within. He shouted, "Don't come in! I'm fine!" Hearing this, we felt a little relieved and stopped as he instructed. Then the rope continued to be slowly pulled inside. We waited outside for about ten minutes, during which we heard faint sounds from time to time, and then suddenly we heard Tang Zhengyang's voice again. This time, perhaps because of the distance, the voice sounded somewhat ethereal and had a slight echo. He shouted, "The traps and hidden weapons here are terrifying, they are all sharp iron needles as thin as pine needles, but with my 'Diamond Umbrella' for cover, there won't be any problem. I'll tie this umbrella to the rope now, you pull the rope back, and then each of you take the umbrella and come in one by one."

Now that Tang Zhengyang had given us the 'Diamond Umbrella,' it seemed he was in a safe area, so we relaxed. Abao slowly pulled the safety rope he was holding out of the gate. Sure enough, we saw the folded 'Diamond Umbrella' at the end of the rope. Following Tang Zhengyang's instructions, I took the umbrella and opened it. At the same time, I had Abao tie one end of the safety rope around my waist. Once everything was ready, I prepared to follow Tang Zhengyang's example, holding the 'Diamond Umbrella' in one hand and the wolf-eye flashlight in the other, and enter the gate. "Sinan, be very careful," Jenny said, holding my hand and watching me intently. Looking at her concerned gaze, a strange feeling welled up inside me. I couldn't describe it, but it felt very comforting. I nodded at her and replied, "Don't worry, I'll be careful. Zhengyang and I will wait for you inside. Be careful too." With that, I let go of Jenny's hand and walked towards the gate.

I walked to the crack in the door, held the open 'Vajra Umbrella' in front of me, and then turned on my headlamp. Hunched over, I stepped through the wooden door. Behind the door was a fairly spacious passageway. Because the sides were quite far apart, the headlamp couldn't reach it, only allowing me to see within a three- or four-meter radius around me. The floor here was different from the outer hall; it wasn't paved with stone slabs, but with ceramic bricks made using terracotta patterns. The molds used to make these bricks were carved with exquisite bird and animal patterns, so each brick bore this decorative motif, neatly laid out on the floor, looking very beautiful. Although it was pitch black all around, judging from these exquisitely crafted ceramic bricks, the architecture and decorations within this passageway must have been far more magnificent and elaborate than the outer tomb passage and underground hall.

Knowing that this place was equipped with formidable hidden weapons and traps, I only glanced at the terracotta bricks on the ground and didn't examine them more closely. After taking a few more steps, a terracotta brick beneath my feet suddenly sank slightly. My heart skipped a beat, and I was startled. In an instant, I heard a series of sharp, whistling sounds, exactly the same as the sounds we had heard outside the door when Tang Zhengyang entered. I quickly crouched down and used my "Diamond Umbrella" to cover myself completely. Immediately, I heard a series of rapid metallic clanging sounds from the umbrella. Clearly, the force of the launched iron needles was immense, making my hand holding the "Diamond Umbrella" slightly numb. Seven or eight seconds later, things gradually calmed down, and the ground beneath my feet was now covered with iron needles as thick as pine needles. This reminded me of a type of unusual hidden weapon described in martial arts novels called the "Rain of Plow-Flower Needles." This kind of concealed weapon, once a switch is triggered, can launch hundreds of tiny steel needles, as fast as a torrential rain, as dense as plowshares. Wherever it strikes, no one can dodge it; hence the name "concealed weapon." The iron needle mechanism before me is exactly the same as the "Rain of Plowshare Needles." Luckily, we had Tang Zhengyang's "Diamond Umbrella," otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to get past this hurdle.

At this moment, the iron needles had stopped firing, so I got up again and walked forward. I hadn't walked far when I heard Tang Zhengyang's voice ahead. He called out, "Si Nan, I've found the lighting device here. I'll light it first, don't panic." After he finished speaking, about a second or two later, two clusters of light suddenly appeared directly in front of me, followed by pairs of lights that moved closer and closer. As the number of lights increased, the environment within the passage gradually became clearer. It turned out that these clusters of light were oil lamps, evenly spaced every three to five meters along both sides of the passage. The oil lamps were shaped like kneeling children, made of clay, and painted with vibrant colors; they were all well-preserved. Once all the oil lamps were lit, the entire passage became brightly lit and magnificent. The space within the passage was very spacious, more than ten meters wide and about one or two hundred meters long. Every ten meters or so, two symmetrical stone pillars support the passageway, carved with dragons and phoenixes, exuding the grandeur of a royal palace. The interior walls and ceiling of the passageway are painted with colorful patterns, beautiful and breathtaking.

Looking further ahead, there were two or three steps leading to a low platform. Rowed on the platform were seven bronze statues, each over a meter tall, dressed as Qin Dynasty generals. Tang Zhengyang stood next to one of the statues. Seeing me, he smiled and said, "Turn on all the lights, isn't that better? Hang in there, we're halfway there." I nodded and continued walking towards Tang Zhengyang. After five steps, my foot landed on a slightly sunken terracotta brick. Suddenly, the seven bronze statues on the platform opened their mouths, and countless tiny iron needles shot out, hurtling towards me. "Watch out!" Before Tang Zhengyang could finish shouting, I had already shielded myself completely with my 'Diamond Umbrella,' dodging the needle rain once more. After the needles had finished firing, I stood up again and slowly walked forward. About ten minutes later, I finally reached the not-too-high platform. Tang Zhengyang helped me untie the ropes off my body, tied the 'Diamond Umbrella' on me, and then had Ah Bao and the others outside drag the umbrella back inside before letting someone else in.

After more than half an hour of effort, the five of them finally reunited on the platform. Although they had only been separated for a short time, it felt like an eternity. Upon meeting, they immediately asked each other if anyone was injured. They were naturally overjoyed to learn that everyone had safely overcome the ordeal without a single injury. Afterwards, they examined the bronze figures on the platform. Each figure had a stern expression, glaring angrily, and its mouth was movable; it could open rapidly and fire iron needles at the touch of a switch—a remarkably ingenious design.

Then, behind the platform, we saw another gatehouse, similar in size and style to the first one, and the main gate was still ajar. Jenny looked at the ajar wooden door and said, "Historical records say that the Qin Mausoleum has many traps, and it seems that's true." "What's there to be afraid of? We'll deal with whatever comes our way. We'll go in one by one as before," Tang Zhengyang replied. I nodded and said, "Yes, everyone should be careful, just in case something goes wrong." Then, the five of us walked together to the main gate. I looked through the crack in the door and saw that the inside was no longer as dark as the first gatehouse; the passage behind the door was brightly lit. I thought that perhaps the control devices for the oil lamps in these two similar passages were connected, so when Tang Zhengyang lit the oil lamp in the outer passage, he also lit the oil lamp in the inner passage at the same time. Judging from what can be seen through the crack in the door, the architectural layout and decorative patterns in this second passage are very similar to those in the first passage. There are also stone pillars with carved dragons and phoenixes and pottery oil lamps, and there is not much difference.

Tang Zhengyang insisted on leading the way. After preparing the rope and the "Diamond Umbrella," he pushed open the heavy wooden door and went inside. Now that we could see him, everyone felt much more at ease than when we had watched him leave in the darkness. Ah Bao and I carefully lowered the rope forward, watching Tang Zhengyang's every move intently.

We walked about thirty meters, and everything seemed normal; there was no danger. Meanwhile, in the bright light, we could see that there were no tall bronze figures on the platform at the end of the passage. So where were the hidden traps and mechanisms set up? Could it be even more dangerous? We couldn't help but worry about Tang Zhengyang again. Just then, we heard a loud 'boom' ahead, followed by Tang Zhengyang shouting, "Tighten!" Ah Bao and I immediately pulled the ropes back with all our might, and saw Tang Zhengyang, who had almost lost his balance, being pulled back to his original position. "Zhengyang, are you alright?" I asked with concern. He was probably frightened, and it took him a while to reply. He said, "So there's a 'stone-turning formation' here. It's so dangerous! Everyone be careful." "Stone-turning formation? What's a stone-turning formation?" Dunzi asked疑惑地问道. Tang Zhengyang explained, "'Turning stones' are paving stones that are not securely fixed to the ground. Because they are only fixed in the middle by a horizontal axis that can roll, the entire paving stone can flip up and down. Normally, they look like other paving stones, flatly covering the ground. But once someone steps on one of these turning stones, it flips downwards, and the person on it loses their balance and falls into a trap set underneath. These traps are deep and slippery, and people can't climb out, so those who fall in either die from the fall or starve to death inside." After listening to him, I said, "Zhengyang, you're really something, knowing so much." "Hehe, I've only heard my grandfather talk about this kind of mechanism before, but I've never seen it before. Today I finally understand. You two better hold on tight to me later, my life is in your hands," he said with a laugh.

Fifty-six, "Ghost Boy" (1)

Knowing the dangers of these "stone-turning mazes," Ah Bao and I dared not be careless, slowly lowering ourselves outwards with the rope. At this moment, Dunzi, fearing we might slip, also helped hold the rope to ensure Tang Zhengyang's safety. After several close calls, Tang Zhengyang finally stood on the platform. Since the "Diamond Umbrella" wasn't needed this time, Tang Zhengyang simply had us pull the rope back. After Ah Bao tied the rope around my waist, I carefully entered the passage. Dunzi and Ah Bao held the rope behind me to prevent me from falling into the traps beneath the stones. I moved forward as if walking on thin ice. Several times after stepping on the stones, I didn't lose my balance and fall into the traps only because Dunzi and Ah Bao were pulling me from behind. After I reached Tang Zhengyang, Jenny and Dunzi were also safely escorted through the "stone-turning mazes" in the passage.

But when it was Ah Bao's turn to come over, we suddenly found ourselves in a dilemma. Everyone else had already crossed over, leaving Ah Bao alone at the gate. If he were to come over, there would be no one behind him to hold the rope and protect him, which would be extremely dangerous. Usually, the rocks would appear in front of him, and the traps were also ahead. When he stepped on a rock, he would lose his balance and fall forward. If someone was holding him from behind, he wouldn't fall so easily. But now we were in front of him. If we held the rope for him, it would only add fuel to the fire, not only failing to help but also pulling him into the traps faster—completely useless. What could we do? Everyone was at a loss.

I stared at the rope on the ground for a long time, then suddenly remembered the bronze statues I had seen earlier, fixed to the platform. A plan suddenly came to me. I shouted towards Ah Bao's direction, "Ah Bao, don't worry, I've got a way! First, wrap the rope around the waist of the bronze statue in the middle of the platform, then tie it to yourself. That way, the bronze statue will act as a pulley, changing the direction of the force on the rope. The force we exert on the rope in front of you will be redirected by the statue and pull you backward!" Ah Bao immediately understood and exclaimed happily, "Great idea! I'll do it right away, but don't let go!" A few minutes later, Ah Bao had secured himself and wrapped the rope around the waist of the bronze statue in the middle. Then he began to feel his way into the 'stone-turning maze' inside the passage. Although they almost fell into the trap several times, they were held on tightly by ropes, so they escaped unharmed. Before long, the five of them reunited victoriously.

We then looked around the platform and saw a wide staircase leading down to where the firelight could no longer reach. We turned on our flashlights and LED waterproof headlamps and formed a single file, slowly descending the stairs. Not long after, I noticed a strange smell in the air. Soon after, the miniature mercury meter on Jenny's waist started beeping. "Something's wrong," Jenny said, looking at the meter's display. "The mercury levels here are way above normal. Everyone, put on your protective suits immediately." Hearing this, we were alarmed and, as planned, quickly retrieved our suits from our backpacks and put them on. To be honest, these suits were bulky and not breathable, making them extremely uncomfortable. However, the mercury concentration in the Qinling Mausoleum was indeed alarming, and to avoid mercury poisoning, we had no choice but to endure the cumbersome clothing for the time being.

As Dunzi put on his clothes, he muttered to himself, "I hope God protects us and doesn't let any ghosts or monsters suddenly appear. Otherwise, wearing this toad skin, I won't be able to run fast." Hearing this, Tang Zhengyang laughed and said, "Yeah, this outfit does look pretty awkward. Luckily, I'm not here to rob tombs this time. Otherwise, if my fellow tomb raiders saw me not wearing the 'rat clothes' but this outfit, they'd laugh themselves to death." Their conversation made everyone present laugh, and the tense atmosphere finally eased.

After donning the protective suits, the five of us looked like five alien visitors, appearing extremely out of place walking on the deep, dark, ancient stone steps. Because the suits were sealed, we could clearly hear each other's breathing inside, while the voices of others around us sounded muffled, as if they were speaking through a gag.

After completing these preparations, everyone continued down the stone steps. Leaving the brightly lit environment and entering this pitch-black space again, it was difficult to adjust, and a sense of dread arose. Adding to this, perhaps because of the wheezing of the person in the hazmat suit, everyone unconsciously became tense. After walking about a hundred steps, we suddenly heard Dunzi shout behind us, "My God, a ghost!" Hearing this, I immediately turned around and saw Dunzi staring intently at a wall beside him, trembling slightly. Following his gaze, I looked at the stone wall, but after a long time, there was nothing there, and I couldn't see anything unusual. By this time, the others had gathered around and, seeing nothing amiss on the wall, I asked, "Dunzi, what are you yelling about? There's nothing here." "No, I clearly saw a child sitting here, naked, his whole body a pale blue-green, bleeding from all seven orifices. It was terrifying!" Dunzi said definitively, pointing to the stone wall. "Maybe the beams from everyone's flashlights shone on your hazmat suit's visor, causing you to hallucinate," Jenny said with a smile. "Touch it yourself. There's only one stone wall here; where would anything else come from?" She then took Dunzi's hand and slowly placed it on the stone wall, letting him touch the stone himself. After a while, Dunzi slowly began to believe that he had indeed imagined it.

57. "Demon Child" (Part Two)

After walking a few more steps along the stone steps, suddenly, we heard Dunzi shout in a panic, "That's right, that's right, it really is a ghost child! Standing right by the stone wall." Everyone looked in the direction Dunzi was pointing again, but they only saw a very ordinary stone wall, nothing else at all. "Dunzi, are you alright? Are you too nervous?" I asked with concern. "Believe me, I really did see an eight or nine-year-old child standing there, his face ashen, blood flowing from his seven orifices, it was terrifying." At this moment, Tang Zhengyang walked over, looked at the stone wall Dunzi was pointing to, and said softly, "Could it be that you saw the legendary 'ghost child'?" "What is a 'ghost child'?" I asked in confusion. Tang Zhengyang glanced at me and then said, “Actually, I’ve never seen a ‘ghost child’ either. But I’ve heard my grandfather talk about it before. A long time ago, some of us tomb raiders encountered ‘ghost children’ in ancient tombs. These ‘ghost children’ were originally seven or eight-year-old children who were tortured to death and buried with the dead. Because children’s yang energy is relatively weak, their resentment accumulated after death, forming ‘ghost children.’ Because they are small and move quickly, they can attack those who enter the tomb to steal. Therefore, some powerful tomb owners buried several such ‘ghost children’ in their tombs to guard the entrance to their tombs.” “That must be it, I’m not seeing things,” Dunzi said immediately after hearing Tang Zhengyang’s words. "If that's the case, everyone needs to be careful," Tang Zhengyang said with a hint of worry. "We're all wearing hazmat suits right now, which makes us very clumsy, while those 'ghost children' are extremely agile. Once they attack, we'll be at a disadvantage." "Then what should we do? Is there a good way to deal with them?" Jenny asked Tang Zhengyang.

“There is a solution, of course. We can dig up the bodies of these ‘ghost children’ and burn them. That way, the source of the resentment will be destroyed, and these ‘ghost children’ created by the yin wind and resentment will cease to exist. Otherwise, if these ‘ghost children’ pounce on you and possess you, you will lose your soul and die of a broken heart,” Tang Zhengyang replied. “Then hurry up and get started! We brought military shovels in our bags, digging up a few children’s bodies shouldn’t be a problem,” A-Bao said. Tang Zhengyang looked at A-Bao and said, “You make it sound so easy, but I reckon they’ll pounce on you before you even start digging. Besides, the Qin Mausoleum’s underground palace is so vast, how are we supposed to know where these children’s bodies are buried?”

After listening to Tang Zhengyang's words, I thought about it carefully and then said, "Although the underground palace of Qinling is very large, we haven't encountered any of these 'ghost children' along the way. They didn't come earlier or later, but only appeared when we reached this section of steps. This means that their bodies are likely buried nearby. If we search carefully, we should be able to find them." Tang Zhengyang nodded after hearing what I said and said softly, "Hmm, what you said makes sense." Since everyone agreed with my point of view, I divided the five of us into two groups. One group consisted of Dunzi, Jenny, and Tang Zhengyang. They were responsible for searching for and digging up the bodies of the 'ghost children' with shovels. Abao and I were the second group, holding flamethrowers, ready to resist any sudden attacks from the 'ghost children'.

Since everything around us was still calm, it seemed that the 'ghost children' hadn't started attacking us yet. So, Ah Bao and I temporarily helped Dunzi and the others check out the surrounding environment. It was a stone staircase made of whole stone slabs, each slab being over ten meters long and weighing several tons. Both ends and the middle section were carved with exquisite patterns, but apart from that, we didn't find anything unusual on these steps.

Just as I was carefully examining the steps beneath my feet, I suddenly heard Jenny scream behind me. I turned around and saw a child's figure suddenly appear beside Jenny. It was completely naked, with a bluish-gray complexion, pale cheeks, and silvery-white liquid flowing from its mouth, nose, and other seven orifices; it looked quite terrifying. At that moment, when it saw the German-made military shovel in Jenny's hand, its face immediately turned ferocious, and it lunged at Jenny, intending to attack her. Seeing Jenny in danger, I quickly rushed over. Jenny dodged the 'demon child's' first attack, and seeing me approach, she swiftly dodged behind me. The 'demon child,' enraged by its failed attack, saw Jenny hiding behind me and charged at me. Seeing its fierce approach, I was secretly pleased, thinking, "I've been waiting for you." I immediately aimed my flamethrower at the oncoming 'demon child' and quickly pulled the trigger. With a whoosh, a pale blue flame about a meter long shot out from the flamethrower, scorching the "Ghost Child." The flame instantly turned the "Ghost Child" into a cloud of white mist, dissipating. Just as I was feeling pleased, thinking we'd extinguished it, Tang Zhengyang shouted, "Don't fall for it! It's back behind you. It's not that easy to deal with!" Hearing Tang Zhengyang's warning, Jenny and I quickly turned around and saw that the cloud of white mist that had dispersed earlier had gathered behind us again, gradually forming a human shape. "To completely eliminate these scourges, we must first find their corpses and then destroy them," Tang Zhengyang continued. At this moment, A-Bao rushed over and said, "Then, Si Nan and I will hold it off for a while. Brother Zhengyang, you two hurry up and find the corpses of these ghostly things!" He then picked up his flamethrower and, together with me, blocked the white mist that the "Ghost Child" had conjured from both sides.

After hearing Ah Bao's words, Tang Zhengyang and Jenny immediately turned around and continued searching the area around the steps. Ah Bao and I watched as the white mist in front of us grew thicker and thicker, eventually transforming into the shape of a naked boy. Before it could attack, Ah Bao raised his flamethrower and slammed it down on the creature with the butt. However, the 'ghost boy' was incredibly agile. Seeing Ah Bao's gun coming at it, it ducked, then rolled over and passed between Ah Bao's legs. Seeing the little thing suddenly escape, I quickly chased after it, trying to stop it and prevent it from disturbing Jenny and the others and hindering their search. But before I could take more than a few steps, the 'ghost boy' suddenly turned around, facing me, its two white eyes, seemingly without pupils, staring straight at me. Seeing its imposing presence, my heart skipped a beat, and I immediately stopped, not daring to rush forward.

The standoff lasted for about two or three seconds when the 'ghost child' suddenly let out a shrill, childlike scream. The sound was extremely high-pitched, chilling, and unsettling. At that moment, Ah Bao caught up. Seeing me and the 'ghost child' locked in a stalemate, he raised his flamethrower, ready to fire. But just then, we suddenly saw a cloud of white mist surge in from all around us, quickly enveloping us. Ah Bao and I sensed danger and tried to escape the mist, but our bulky hazmat suits made movement extremely difficult. No matter how we dodged and weaved, we couldn't break free from the white mist's encirclement.

Less than a minute later, the white mist gradually transformed into the shapes of children, mostly six or seven years old, both boys and girls, naked, with long fingernails, and they pounced on us one after another. Because I had heard Tang Zhengyang describe the power of these 'ghost children,' I dared not be careless, fearing that the slightest carelessness would result in them possessing my soul, stealing my spirit, and leaving me in a vegetative state. Unfortunately, these 'ghost children' gathered in increasing numbers. In the blink of an eye, there were more than a dozen of them, appearing from nowhere, completely surrounding Ah Bao and me, and then repeatedly pouncing on us. Because we were surrounded by 'ghost children,' even with our flamethrowers, we couldn't deal with so many at once. Moreover, Ah Bao and I were wearing heavy hazmat suits, making it extremely difficult to bend over and lift our legs. We were quickly overwhelmed and drenched in sweat.

"How's it going? Have you found their bodies yet?" I shouted as I dodged. "Almost there, almost there! Zhengyang found a crevice in the rocks over here. I reckon the bodies of these 'ghost children' are inside," Dunzi replied loudly. Hearing that the location where the 'ghost children' were buried had been discovered, Abao and I were overjoyed. Our confidence surged, and we rallied to continue our fight against the 'ghost children.' Abao and I dodged left and right, and accidentally, our backs bumped into each other. So we simply stood back to back, spraying flamethrowers at the 'ghost children' rushing towards us from the left, right, and front, turning them into puffs of white mist. We couldn't break through, and the 'ghost children' couldn't get in either; the two sides were locked in a stalemate once again.

At this moment, Tang Zhengyang finally spotted a crack about sixty centimeters wide in a stone wall halfway up the stone steps. The crack had originally been sealed with rubble of varying sizes, but Tang Zhengyang and his team had broken it open with their axes and entrenching tools, revealing a narrow secret passage. This passage was only about 1.5 meters high and 60-70 centimeters wide, yet its depth was unknown. Furthermore, based on the meeting between Tang Zhengyang and Jenny, this passage wasn't marked on the map of the Qin Mausoleum's underground palace they had previously examined. Therefore, Tang Zhengyang deduced that this passage wasn't part of the main structure within the underground palace, but rather a temporary burial chamber used to house the bodies of these 'ghost children'.

58. Human sacrifice pit, merciful child corpse

Jenny used a mercury meter to test the mercury content at the entrance of the crevice and found that the mercury content inside was alarmingly high. "It's alright, I'm already covered in a toad's skin, aren't I? Besides, I'll be careful. If I find anything unusual ahead, I'll back out immediately. You can wait for me here without worry," Tang Zhengyang said with a smile to Jenny and Dunzi. "Then, then you mustn't be careless. If anything unusual happens, retreat quickly, or shout so we can go in and rescue you," Dunzi said, holding Tang Zhengyang's hand. Tang Zhengyang nodded after hearing this, then turned on his headlamp, took out two dark donkey hooves, and walked towards the crevice. Because they had heard Tang Zhengyang mention the wonderful uses of these black donkey hooves in their line of work as tomb raiders, Jenny and the others weren't surprised when Tang Zhengyang took out the hooves.

The crevice was deep and dark, and the passage was winding and circuitous. In no time, Tang Zhengyang disappeared from Jenny and Dunzi's sight. Jenny and Dunzi looked back at me and Abao. We were still surrounded by the group of 'ghost children,' locked in a stalemate. Seeing that these 'ghost children' were small and agile, it was clear that our small flamethrowers were insufficient to effectively subdue them. Therefore, to conserve the flamethrowers' energy, I decided to temporarily abandon them and try using the Taoist magic taught to me by the patrolling Taoist priest. While thinking this, I put away the flamethrowers, silently chanted an incantation, and began to cast the 'Heaven and Earth Stabilizing Thunder' spell, which I had recently learned from the 'Exorcism Technique.' The 'ghost children,' unaccustomed to the power of 'Heaven and Earth Stabilizing Thunder,' swarmed towards me like a swarm of bees upon seeing me put away my weapon. No sooner said than done, I spotted each of the charging "ghost children," raised my hands, and swiftly struck them down. Each time I hit a target, a sharp scream rang out, and the "ghost child" struck by the "Heaven and Earth Calming Thunder" howled as it turned into a cloud of white mist and dissipated. In no time, I had created a gap in the encirclement. I knew that these "ghost children" had only been temporarily dispersed and would soon regroup and recover, so I didn't dare linger. Seizing the opportunity, I called out to Ah Bao, and together we broke through the encirclement of the "ghost children."

As soon as Ah Bao and I broke through the encirclement, we ran towards Jenny and the others. The remaining four or five 'ghost children' saw us escape and quickly gave chase. After only a few steps, Ah Bao suddenly turned, raised his flamethrower, and pulled the trigger. A pale blue flame erupted from the muzzle, incinerating the 'ghost children' following us into a cloud of white mist that dissipated. Thus, the last few 'ghost children' were temporarily eliminated. Before the white mist could regroup and revert to its 'ghost child' form, we finally had a moment of peace.

I ran to Jenny's side and asked anxiously, "How's the situation here? How long has Zhengyang been inside?" Jenny replied, "About four or five minutes, and I haven't heard any noise from inside." Just then, we heard a deep, resonant voice coming from the crevice, "Jenny, Dunzi, come in and take a look. I've found the bodies of those 'ghost children.'" After hearing Tang Zhengyang's words, the four of us squeezed into the narrow crevice and headed deeper into it.

The crevice was winding and meandering, primarily composed of basalt and quartzite. The rock walls on either side were uneven and pitted, appearing to be naturally formed without human intervention. After turning countless corners and walking about three or five hundred meters, we could see a faint light emanating from the dark crevice – clearly the light from Tang Zhengyang's headlamp. I called out, "Zhengyang, is that you?" "Oh, Sinan, you've come too. Come and see, there's a burial pit here," Tang Zhengyang replied upon hearing my voice.

Knowing that Tang Zhengyang was ahead, we quickened our pace and headed towards him. As we walked, the mercury level monitor on Jenny's waist kept beeping, clearly indicating that the mercury concentration in the crevice was increasing. However, since everyone was wearing hazmat suits and the mercury levels displayed did not exceed the protective standards of the suits, we didn't pay much attention to it.

When we arrived at Tang Zhengyang's location, we found ourselves inside a natural stone cave. The cave wasn't very large, probably around a hundred square meters. Scattered throughout this small space were numerous human skeletons, too many to count. These skeletons were clearly untouched by rodents, ants, snakes, or insects, so despite being two thousand years old, they were relatively well-preserved. Although each skeleton was in a different position—some were lying down, some were sitting against the wall—there were decayed rope fragments around their ankles and wrists. It's estimated that these servants, used for burial, were bound hand and foot and suffocated in this burial pit. Initially, there was some oxygen, but it soon ran out, and the servants struggled and died one after another, resulting in these various tragic postures. Legend has it that after the Lishan Mausoleum was completed, all the craftsmen who participated in its construction were sealed inside and buried alive with it. Therefore, I suspect that these people who were buried alive were very likely the craftsmen who built the mausoleum.

Amidst the scattered, slightly petrified, dark brown bones, twelve naked children's corpses were neatly arranged, sitting cross-legged. These children looked exactly like the 'ghost children' we'd seen earlier; their skin was a bluish-white, lacking any natural color, and some silvery-white liquid had solidified in their orifices. "Strange," Dunzi asked curiously, "the people buried here are all rotten to the bone, but these children's corpses show no signs of decay and are so well preserved." "Moreover, the mercury content in these children is alarmingly high," Jenny added, glancing at the mercury meter. At this point, Dunzi's face paled with fear, and he stood there dumbfounded. Tang Zhengyang squatted down next to one of the children's corpses and examined it carefully for a long time before saying, "It seems that a lot of mercury was injected into these children's bodies. Because mercury is highly toxic, bacteria cannot grow on these children's corpses, so the bodies will not decompose and are thus preserved intact."

Fifty-nine and eighty-one coffins

After listening to Tang Zhengyang's explanation, Abao picked up a military shovel and poked one of the mercury-infused child corpses, making a few soft "clanging" sounds. "It seems hard and heavy. This thing is probably impossible to break, burn, or destroy. How do we destroy it?" Abao asked. Tang Zhengyang looked at the mercury-infused child corpses, thought for a moment, and then took out a black donkey hoof, trying to stuff it into the corpses' mouths. Unfortunately, the mercury-infused child corpses' jaws were tightly closed, and they couldn't be pried open, so the black donkey hoof couldn't be inserted at all. Just then, we suddenly heard Dunzi shout, "Look! Those white mists are drifting over again!" Hearing him shout, I turned around and saw that the white mist that Abao and I had previously dispersed was indeed drifting back from the stone crevice, gradually gathering together, and it looked like it was about to transform into those annoying "ghost children" again. Dunzi was so frightened that he quickly ran to the side of everyone, afraid of being attacked by those eerie "ghost children."

"Si Nan, what do we do? Should we try to hold them off a little longer?" Ah Bao asked, picking up the flamethrower. After hearing Ah Bao's words, I turned to look at Tang Zhengyang, who was also looking at me helplessly, clearly at a loss. It seemed those "ghost children" were about to revert to human form and attack again. Even if Ah Bao and I could withstand their attacks again, it would consume our already limited flamethrower energy, which was a real waste. These two flamethrowers were our most useful defensive weapons, and we had to save them for the very last moment; otherwise, if anything strange appeared later, we wouldn't be able to handle it. So, in this critical moment, I decided to take a risk.

Having made up my mind, I quickly removed the specially treated hazmat gloves that were attached to the sleeves of my hazmat suit, revealing my hands. Everyone was shocked by my action. "Si Nan, are you crazy? What are you doing?" Jenny said, trying to help me put the gloves back on. "It's alright, I'll be right there," I said, pushing Jenny behind me. I drew a sharp, cold steel dagger, drew a blood talisman on my palm, and silently chanted an incantation. As the blood talisman in my palm grew increasingly red and emitted a dazzling red light with the incantation, I seized the opportunity. I struck the nearest mercury-infused child corpse with the blood talisman, hitting it squarely on the forehead. When I withdrew my palm, a "Three Elements Opening Heaven Talisman" was clearly imprinted on the mercury-infused child corpse's forehead. I then struck two more Three Elements Opening Heaven Talismans on the mercury-infused child corpse's chest and back. As the others and I retreated to the side, a deafening roar erupted, followed by a flash of fire, and then the mercury-infused child's corpse exploded. With the explosion, the white smoke that had almost taken on a human shape vanished without a trace.

"What amazing magic! Si Nan, I never knew you had this skill!" Tang Zhengyang exclaimed in surprise. I looked at him and smiled in response. Then, I repeated the action, raising my palm and swiftly striking the other mercury-infused child corpses. As Tang Zhengyang watched me destroy the bodies of these mercury-infused child corpses, he silently said, "Hopefully, this will help them escape the torment of this mercury torture, and be reincarnated as humans sooner." After several explosions, the mercury-infused child corpses in front of me instantly vanished into nothingness.

After I removed the twelve mercury-infused infant corpses using the "Three Elements Heaven-Opening Talisman," I suddenly felt weak all over, dizzy, and collapsed. Jenny and the others, seeing my sudden mishap, quickly caught me and helped me sit against the wall. Jenny swiftly put special hazmat gloves on me. Then she took out several pills, opened the glass visor on my hazmat suit, and had me swallow them. After my visor was closed again, she let out a long sigh of relief. Then, quite reproachfully, she said, "You got too much mercury on you, so you were poisoned. You knew the mercury concentration here was much higher, yet you still dared to take off your hazmat gloves. You really don't value your life!" Seeing Jenny's concerned expression, I felt a surge of emotion. Although I still felt very unwell, because I had taken the mercury poisoning pills Jenny had prepared beforehand, I felt much better than before. "I'm fine, aren't I? I just need a little rest." I smiled at Jenny and said, "Besides, things were urgent just now, and I had no choice but to do it. Next time, I promise I'll listen to the organization and not act rashly again." Jenny couldn't say anything more after what I said, but the reproachful look on her face was still very strong. Dunzi relaxed after seeing that all the "ghost children" had been eliminated, and patted my shoulder with a smile, saying, "Hero, hero!" "Brother, I didn't expect you to have such powerful magic. Amazing, amazing!" Tang Zhengyang said with a smile.

Afterwards, we rested for a while in the burial pit. Once the medicine had neutralized the excess mercury in my body, I stood up again. Seeing that I was gradually regaining my strength, the others helped me out of the crevice and back onto the stone steps. Because I had just recovered, I was already panting heavily after leaving the crevice. So they let me sit on the steps and rest for a while. In total, we spent over two hours there. To complete our plan and leave the Qin Mausoleum as quickly as possible, I felt my strength returning slightly, so I had Dunzi help me walk down the stone steps with the others.

Because I hadn't fully recovered from the mercury poisoning, my head started spinning again after walking for a while. Not wanting to slow everyone down, I forced myself to keep going, and with Dunzi's help, I continued step by step. My head was spinning, and I don't know how long I walked, when suddenly I heard Tang Zhengyang, who was walking ahead, say, "Stop!" Everyone stopped. I barely managed to lift my head, and by the light of my LED headlamp, I vaguely saw that I had entered a spacious stone chamber with everyone else. The chamber was very large, at least several hundred square meters. Several thick pillars were evenly distributed in the center. Judging from their color and texture, they seemed to be cast from molten copper; I estimated that two people couldn't encircle them. The pillars were covered with various patterns of figures, birds, and animals. These patterns, along with the carved terracotta tiles on the floor, complemented each other, creating a very noble and magnificent effect. What surprised us even more was that in this relatively empty stone chamber, there were many coffin-like objects. The bodies were neatly arranged there, which looked quite eerie.

Tang Zhengyang had us stand on the stone steps first, while he, holding his "Vajra Umbrella" and a wolf-eye flashlight, entered the stone chamber. Due to the obstruction of the coffins, his figure quickly disappeared from our view. "Why are there so many coffins all of a sudden?" I wondered to myself. At this moment, Jenny took out a copy of the map of the Qin Mausoleum's underground palace, examined it carefully, and said, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the front hall of the underground palace. When the First Emperor was alive, civil and military officials usually waited for his audience in the front hall of the Xianyang Palace. If I'm not mistaken, these coffins must belong to officials who were ordered by the First Emperor to be buried alive with him." As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of light suddenly appeared before our eyes. Immediately afterwards, we saw a bright flame ignite in a huge oil vat within the stone hall, instantly illuminating the previously dark hall. After a while, we saw Tang Zhengyang in the stone hall light the remaining oil vats. The blazing flames illuminated the entire stone chamber as if it were daytime. Only then, standing on the stone steps, could we clearly see the full extent of this "underground antechamber." It was larger than I had anticipated. Eight massive bronze pillars, four on each side, firmly supported the massive stone dome above. In the center of the hall, a tattered black cloth, resembling a carpet, was laid on the floor. Although broken, the exquisitely woven bird and animal patterns were still visible. Along this "carpet," on either side, were eighty-one wooden coffins, filling the "underground antechamber" to the brim.

After Tang Zhengyang carefully inspected the stone hall and confirmed it was safe, he beckoned to us and called out, "Come down, it should be relatively safe here." Hearing Tang Zhengyang call us down, we walked towards his location. Dunzi, half-jokingly, said as we walked, "Truly the First Emperor of all time! Qin Shi Huang's status was really something else. He was fawned over by officials during his lifetime, and even in death, so many innocent officials were buried with him." "I originally thought Qin Shi Huang's tomb only contained terracotta warriors and tomb builders, but I didn't expect so many high-ranking officials to suffer as well," Jenny said. "This shows that the First Emperor was indeed a tyrant." "You can't say that," I replied softly. "Maybe these officials volunteered to die with the First Emperor. To be buried with the emperor was such a high honor in the feudal dynasties of that time! Those officials who were buried alive would have their entire families promoted and enjoy wealth and luxury."

As we were talking, we came to Tang Zhengyang's side. When he saw us, he pointed to a huge ceramic oil vat next to him and said, "I didn't expect that the historical records of using 'mermaid' oil from the East China Sea as fuel in the Qin Mausoleum's underground palace to burn for a long time were actually true. The oil in these vats has been sitting for more than two thousand years and has not evaporated completely. It can still be ignited quickly now."

60. The Underground Court

Because we had all agreed beforehand not to damage any items inside the Qin Mausoleum's underground palace, although everyone was eager to see if any treasures or artifacts were hidden in the coffins, we ultimately didn't pry open a single one. Following Tang Zhengyang around the coffins, we saw the third gatehouse on a stone wall behind the stone hall.

This gate tower seemed smaller than the two before it, with only a single doorway in the middle. Although there were still two towers on each side, they were much smaller in scale. However, this small gate tower still astonished us all. Despite its smaller size, its design and craftsmanship were significantly more exquisite than the two gate towers we had seen before. The roof tiles, carved with intricate vermilion bird patterns, and the overlapping fish-scale tiles were all coated with gold powder. The tall wooden doors inside were also inlaid with gold-painted studs, and two palm-sized golden lion heads were prominently displayed in the center of the doors. The entire gate tower, illuminated by the firelight burning in the huge oil vats, appeared magnificent and dazzling. "Goodness, today we finally see a golden house! It's an eye-opener, an eye-opener!" Dunzi exclaimed, looking at the exquisite golden roof of the gate tower.

At this moment, Tang Zhengyang and A Bao carefully ran to the doorway inside the gatehouse. After a thorough inspection, they discovered that the wooden door was locked from the inside and could not be easily pushed open. With their combined strength, they could only manage to open a crack. Using the light of his headlamp, Tang Zhengyang peeked through the crack and saw two thick wooden stakes blocking the back of the door. "What do we do? The door is blocked," A Bao said, troubled. Tang Zhengyang smiled and replied, "There are usually three ways to seal the inner door of a tomb. One is to build a sand pit behind the door. After the coffin is placed in the tomb, the inner door is closed, and the mechanism of the sand pit is activated, allowing fine sand to flow out and block the back of the door, thus sealing it from the inside. Another is to hang a massive boulder weighing thousands of pounds above the inner door. After the coffin is placed in the tomb, the inner door is closed, and the ropes supporting the boulder pulled out from the crack are cut. Once the ropes are broken, the boulder..." It landed behind the main gate, sealing it off and making it impossible to push open. The last method was to erect a thick wooden stake behind the gate, secured with a rope. After the coffin was placed into the burial chamber, the inner door was closed, and the rope secured to the stake was pulled from the outside, causing the stake to fall against the door and seal it from the inside. "So there are so many tricks here," Ah Bao replied. "It seems that the door in front of us uses the third method." "That's right," Tang Zhengyang nodded. "Do you have a way to open this door?" "Of course, actually, of these methods of sealing the inner door of the burial chamber, only the third one is the easiest to open. If it were one of the first two, I wouldn't be able to do anything except blow it up with explosives," Tang Zhengyang said with a smile. Then he turned around and waved to me, Jenny, and Dunzi, signaling us to come over.

After the three of us reached Tang Zhengyang, he pulled a wire-like object from his backpack, made a loop with it, and then took out a 50-60 centimeter-long iron bar. He said to us, "Everyone, in a moment, we'll all work together to pry open these two doors, creating a gap, the wider the better." Under his direction, the four of us began to push hard on the wooden doors. Once we had created a gap, Tang Zhengyang inserted the looped wire through it and looped it around the wooden post behind the door. He then hooked the wire into a specially designed groove on the iron bar. Next, he pulled the iron bar, pulling the wire around the post, further in. Pulled by the iron bar and wire, the post gradually came off the door. The other four of us seized the opportunity and pushed the door open with a series of creaking sounds.

After entering through the door, they found themselves in a fairly spacious hall, roughly the same size as the "front hall" they had just passed. Although the main door to this hall had originally been sealed with wooden stakes, it couldn't be certain that there weren't hidden traps or mechanisms. So, for safety, Tang Zhengyang, holding his "Vajra Umbrella," led the way. For some reason, ever since the wooden door was opened, the mercury level monitor on Jenny's waist had been beeping incessantly, and the data displayed on the screen was alarmingly high. However, since everyone was wearing hazmat suits, they weren't too worried.

After walking about twenty or thirty meters, Tang Zhengyang saw several more bronze lamps in the distance. These tree-shaped lamps were enormous and placed directly on the ground. Each lamp rested on a branch-like support, supporting a dozen or so small bowl-sized trays. Inside were oils from the "mermaids" of the East Sea. Although most of the oil had evaporated, leaving only a small amount of jelly-like oil at the bottom of the trays, it was enough to keep them burning for a while. So, when Tang Zhengyang saw the lamps, he went over and lit them one by one with his lighter. Dunzi and Abao followed to help.

As Tang Zhengyang and his group relit more and more lamps, the layout of the hall gradually became clear. A closer look revealed a similarity in layout to the "front hall" outside. The spacious hall also featured eight thick bronze pillars, arranged in two rows, supporting the space. However, these pillars were not only adorned with intricate patterns of birds, beasts, and dragons, but also coated with a layer of shimmering gold powder, making them still dazzling and captivating despite two thousand years. By the firelight, I examined the ground beneath my feet and noticed that the terracotta tiles I had seen earlier were gone, replaced by a granite-like slab. The slab was polished smooth and featured a carved dragon pattern, extending all the way to the back of the hall, exuding an air of grandeur.

Just as I was carefully examining the ground beneath my feet, Jenny tugged at my sleeve and pointed ahead, saying, "Look, what's that?" Startled, I looked up in the direction she was pointing. About two or three hundred meters ahead, there was a platform about half a person's height, with three sets of steps—left, center, and right—encircled by white railings leading to it. In front of the platform, there seemed to be a ditch, with three small white stone bridges spanning it. Looking further up at the platform, a huge dragon motif was carved on the backdrop wall, its black background adorned with gold patterns—very striking. In front of the backdrop wall stood a large screen, likely also covered in gold powder, gleaming brightly. In front of the screen was a golden dragon throne, presumably the seat of the First Emperor.

61. Imperial Court

I don't know when, but Tang Zhengyang had returned to our side. Seeing Jenny and me staring at the high platform ahead, he took out a copy of the Qin Mausoleum Map, looked at it, and said, "That's right, this must be the 'court hall' in this underground imperial city. The emperor receives civil and military officials and envoys from all sides in this court hall." "The First Emperor wasn't satisfied with being emperor in life, so he built such a magnificent underground palace in his tomb after death. Hopefully, he can continue to rule in the underworld," I said half-jokingly. "Should we go take a look?" A-Bao asked. "According to the location marked on this Qin Mausoleum Map, the passage to the mausoleum is behind that high platform," Tang Zhengyang replied. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Jenny said, helping me and the others continue forward.

As we walked, we admired the opulent decorations and furnishings of this underground "court hall." The walls and ceiling were intricately painted with various beautiful patterns: mountains and rivers, immortals and heroes, flowers and grasses, birds and beasts—a truly all-encompassing array of forms. Under the glow of the bronze lamps around the hall, the patterns on these murals seemed to flicker, appearing both near and far. This changing light created an illusion for our eyes, as if the figures and animals had come to life, leaving everyone secretly amazed.

After walking about twenty or thirty meters further, someone stepped on a hidden mechanism in the ground. A soft "click" was heard. Everyone was admiring the exquisite murals in the "court" as they walked, and the sudden sound startled them. Tang Zhengyang quickly raised his Vajra Umbrella in front of him, fearing some hidden arrow or poisoned dart might fly towards them. The others quickly gathered behind Tang Zhengyang, avoiding any projectiles aimed at us. Then I heard a series of loud "rumbling" sounds coming from in front of us, and with these sounds, we felt the ground beneath our feet tremble slightly. But after a while, we didn't hear any hidden weapons or mechanisms being launched at us, so I cautiously raised my head and secretly peeked ahead. What I saw immediately stunned me.

Starting about ten meters away, every three to five steps, a life-size bronze statue slowly rose from beneath the floor of the "court hall." These statues were arranged in two rows on each side of the hall. The left rows depicted armored generals, while the right rows portrayed civil officials in cotton robes. Each statue was composed, serene, and radiant, utterly lifelike. The rumbling sound ceased only after all the statues had risen completely from the dark chamber beneath the ground. The previously empty "court hall" was now filled with these bronze figures. This sudden change made me feel as if I had traveled back a thousand years, arriving at the moment when the First Emperor was holding court, deliberating with his officials.