Burial Site Mystery Classic

Chapter 23

Just as everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of the statues, the bronze statues that had been facing each other suddenly turned around with a "click," lining up to face us. "Oh no, danger!" Tang Zhengyang shouted upon seeing this, "Get down quickly!" Hearing his shout, we immediately realized the urgency of the situation, so we didn't bother to check carefully. We quickly dropped to the ground as Tang Zhengyang instructed. Before my body had fully touched the ground, I heard objects whizzing past above us. Without even looking, I could guess they were projectile weapons like iron arrows and spears. Fearing injury from these fierce weapons, I kept my body as flat as possible on the ground, not daring to move even slightly. About a minute later, the dense whistling gradually subsided. After all the projectiles had been launched, Tang Zhengyang, holding up his "Golden Sun Umbrella," tentatively got up from the ground. He then carefully examined the situation. Only after confirming there was no danger did he let everyone get up from the ground.

As I brushed the dust off my clothes, I looked ahead. The four rows of bronze statues before me had their hands raised flat, facing us. Each palm had a small round hole; clearly, the volley of arrows we'd just witnessed had come from the arms of these statues. Curious, I looked back. The wall behind me was densely covered with iron arrows and spears. Luckily, thanks to Tang Zhengyang's warning, we had ducked on the ground in time; otherwise, we would have been riddled with holes from those arrows and spears. "Legend has it that the Qin state's iron arrows and crossbows were incredibly powerful, often striking fear into enemy armies and causing them to flee in terror. Today, in this underground imperial city of the First Emperor, I finally experienced it firsthand. They truly live up to their reputation!" I exclaimed, admiring the iron arrows. When I turned around to look at the others, I suddenly realized someone was missing. Upon closer inspection, I couldn't see Dunzi anywhere, and I immediately panicked. But when I looked at the ground in front of me and saw Dunzi still crawling on the ground, covering his ears and too afraid to stand up, I burst out laughing.

Then, Tang Zhengyang and A Bao led the group to the front, followed closely by Jenny and me, while Dunzi lagged behind. As we passed these life-size bronze statues, we noticed that their designs were very similar to the Terracotta Army, except that the Terracotta Army was mostly dressed as Qin soldiers, while these bronze statues included not only armored generals but also civil officials in cotton robes. Each statue must have been cast into several small parts beforehand, assembled into human figures, and then meticulously carved and engraved. Even the finest strands of hair on their heads were clearly depicted, demonstrating the exquisite craftsmanship.

After passing the line of "civil and military officials," we arrived at a ditch. A silvery-white liquid with a metallic sheen flowed within it. At the same time, Jenny noticed that the mercury concentration reading on the mercury meter had reached its maximum. "It really is mercury," she said after looking at the instrument's display. "It seems the historical records about mercury forming rivers in the Qin Mausoleum are indeed true." Tang Zhengyang nodded and continued, "I was wondering why. After looking for so long, I didn't see any connecting gears or hear any clanging of chains or copper bars. How did these huge bronze figures suddenly emerge from underground? It turns out they're relying on the mercury in this ditch." "What do you mean? I don't understand what you're talking about," Dunzi frowned, looking puzzled. Tang Zhengyang looked at the mound and said with a smile, "I speculate that there must have been many underground chambers and small ditches beneath the surface of this underground court. When the mechanism was triggered, the mercury in this ditch flowed through the opened valves into those small ditches beneath the surface. Since the specific gravity of mercury is greater than that of these hollow bronze figures, the mercury acted as a hydraulic force, pushing these bronze figures, which were placed in the underground chambers beforehand, and lifting them out of the ground." "Truly ingenious! The ancestors of the Qin Dynasty actually came up with this method, knowing how to use the different specific gravities of objects to set up mechanisms. Keep in mind that this was more than two thousand years ago," Jenny said with deep emotion.

Three arched stone bridges, constructed of white stone resembling marble, span the ditch. The middle one is relatively wider, while the two on either side are smaller. The railings are carved with various mythical creatures and birds, such as qilin, chihu, and phoenixes, while the pillars are topped with coiled lions, their forms majestic and imposing. The bridge surface is decorated with nine identical white marble slabs, each carved with a dragon-playing-with-pearl motif using various techniques including relief carving, openwork carving, and semi-relief carving. From top to bottom, the entire structure exudes an unparalleled royal aura and imperial grandeur.

Tang Zhengyang tapped one of the stone bridges with his "Diamond Umbrella" to confirm it was sturdy and safe. He then turned around and said, "For safety's sake, let's cross one by one using safety ropes. If something goes wrong and someone falls into the mercury in the ditch, it's no joke." Everyone readily agreed. So, A Bao took out a rope and, at Tang Zhengyang's request, tied it around his waist. After he successfully crossed the stone bridge, we followed suit, reaching the other side of the ditch.

Before us now stood a magnificent, gilded platform. Connected to our current position were steps called the "Bi" (陛). Before the Bi were golden dragon pillars, and at the center of the platform stood a large, gilded screen with carved dragon designs and a throne. On either side of the throne were censers, incense pavilions, a Xuanyuan mirror, and candlesticks, among other decorative items. Each of these objects was meticulously crafted by skilled artisans, inlaid with gold and silver, and adorned with jewels—truly priceless treasures unparalleled in the world. Especially striking was the dragon throne at the center of the platform, made of pure gold and inlaid with ivory, pearls, and various gemstones. Nine golden dragons were cast upon the throne, some emerging from clouds, some diving into the sea, some soaring through the air, and some playing with pearls. Although each dragon's expression and posture were different, they all appeared powerful and lifelike. Gazing upon this imperial throne so close at hand, we were all deeply captivated.

62. Hematospermia (Part 1)

Then, reminded by Jenny, I snapped out of my daze. Following the markings on the Qinling Mausoleum Map copy in Tang Zhengyang's hand, we bypassed the platform with the throne on the left and arrived at a small area behind it. The markings on the Qinling Mausoleum Map copy clearly indicated a passage leading to the inner palace behind the throne, but we had searched for a long time without finding the door. Everyone turned their attention to Tang Zhengyang, hoping he could find a solution. Tang Zhengyang carefully examined the Qinling Mausoleum Map copy for a long time, then casually circled the small area a few times. He then pointed to a stone wall behind the platform and said, "If I'm not mistaken, this stone wall is the 'feng shui wall' of this hall; there must be a way out behind it."

Hearing this, everyone perked up and pulled out shovels and entrenching axes, ready to dig open the stone wall. By now, the small amount of mercury poison in my body had been expelled by the medication, and after a period of rest, my strength had mostly recovered, so I also took out a shovel to help everyone dig the passage. To preserve the original appearance of the underground structure as much as possible, we didn't randomly knock or smash things, but carefully dug along the edges of each stone brick so that we could restore it after we came out.

Because the clay between the stone bricks was mixed with glutinous rice soup, the bricks were firmly bonded together. Tang Zhengyang's deduction was indeed accurate; this stone wall did indeed conceal a secret passage. When we finally managed to dig out the first brick, a foul-smelling, slightly reddish mist suddenly spewed out from the hole in the wall. Upon seeing this gas, Tang Zhengyang jumped up like a spring and pulled us aside quickly, landing near the high platform. Despite his swift movements, we were still slightly touched by the sudden burst of red mist. We hadn't expected this slightly reddish gas to be so potent. Even our military chemical protective suits, designed to withstand various chemicals, were easily corroded, leaving several shallow marks.

"What the hell is this gas? How can it be so potent?" Dunzi shouted anxiously as he hurriedly checked his hazmat suit for damage. But Tang Zhengyang didn't answer Dunzi's question immediately. Instead, he stared blankly at the hole in the wall from which red gas was still billowing out, muttering "Oh no, oh no" repeatedly. He didn't come to his senses for a long time.

I stepped forward, nudged Tang Zhengyang's shoulder, and whispered, "Zhengyang, Zhengyang. What's wrong?" With my prompting, he finally snapped out of his daze and said with a worried expression, "If I'm not mistaken, this red mist is something called 'blood mist.' This 'blood mist' is not only highly poisonous but also has a strong corrosive effect. Once you're touched by it, you'll definitely die a horrible death." Hearing Tang Zhengyang's words, everyone immediately became alert. Dunzi immediately moved far away from the red gas, not daring to approach it again. Tang Zhengyang continued, "This kind of 'blood mist' rarely appears. It only accompanies the appearance of 'blood essence,' a rare occurrence only once in a thousand years, within the tomb." "What is 'blood essence'?" I asked curiously. "'Blood Essence' is actually a piece of thousand-year-old cold jade. However, this piece of cold jade gained spiritual energy after a thousand years. Later, it was placed on top of a tomb. As the corpse in the tomb began to decompose, the flowing corpse blood gradually seeped into this thousand-year-old cold jade, causing it to be invaded by the corpse energy, and slowly turning into a piece of 'Blood Essence' with extremely evil energy. At the same time, it constantly emits that terrifying 'blood mist' from its body." He paused for a moment and continued, "This kind of 'Blood Essence' is extremely evil, and it can also transform into various illusory forms. It is extremely powerful and dangerous, and is one of the most difficult demons to deal with in the tomb."

After listening to Tang Zhengyang's explanation, I was quite surprised. Looking at Dunzi, I saw that his forehead was covered in cold sweat. "Do you have a way to deal with this 'blood essence'?" Dunzi asked Tang Zhengyang in a panic. "I'm not sure either. I've only heard my grandfather talk about 'blood essence' before. This is the first time I've actually faced it, just like you," Tang Zhengyang replied. "Unfortunately, the mercury content here is still quite high. Wearing this hazmat suit, Si Nan can't use his 'Exorcism Technique' to deal with it, otherwise there should still be hope," Jenny said, looking at the mercury level monitor on her waist. "We're wearing hazmat suits and have flamethrowers, so we should be able to handle it, right?" Abao added. Upon hearing A Bao's words, Tang Zhengyang quickly said, "Oh dear, you mustn't underestimate it. My grandfather told me that when encountering this kind of 'blood essence,' it's best to run away as quickly as possible and never fight it. There must be a reason for that. We shouldn't be too reckless." "Then what do we do? Are we just going to return empty-handed like this?" Jenny asked anxiously. "If necessary, that's all we can do. In short, preserving our lives is the most important thing," Tang Zhengyang replied helplessly. "No, we have to find a way to get through this. Judging from the markings on the Qinling Mausoleum map copy, we've already covered nearly half the distance. I don't want to give up at this crucial moment," Jenny said seriously. "Yes, I won't give up either," A Bao naturally sided with Jenny. Needless to say, Dunzi, encountering danger, naturally decided to abandon the search and stand with Tang Zhengyang. This created a two-to-two situation, and the crucial decision-making power shifted to me.

I thought it over and over, and hesitated for a long time. But in the end, I decided to do what Jenny and the others did and give it my all. Otherwise, if I chose to give up easily, I think I would spend the rest of my life in regret. So I walked up to Tang Zhengyang, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Zhengyang, thank you for your help along the way. Without you, we would all be dead many times over. Although there are very dangerous situations ahead, to have peace of mind and to solve the ancient mystery that has been buried in our hearts for so long, Jenny and I have decided to take the plunge. You and Dunzi can stay here and wait for our good news. If anything happens to us, please find a way to tell my family." "This, this, how can this be? You are really taking too much risks. Don't you value your lives?" Tang Zhengyang shouted anxiously when he saw that we insisted on going. "Ever since we began our quest to unravel this age-old mystery, we've taken it upon ourselves to embark on a path of no return. So even if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, we're determined to brave it," I replied.

63. Hematospermia (Part 2)

Seeing our unwavering resolve, Tang Zhengyang frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Sigh, since you all insist on going in, then I'll risk my life to accompany you." "No, no, no, we can handle it ourselves. You and Dunzi should stay here and wait for us." "Since we came together, we should leave together. Since you all insist on going in, I'll go with you. Just be very careful, everyone." Hearing Tang Zhengyang's words, I was deeply moved. Although we hadn't known Tang Zhengyang for very long, he was willing to risk his life for everyone. To have such a good brother, I felt my life hadn't been in vain. Dunzi originally wanted to stay with Tang Zhengyang, but seeing everyone's decision to continue, he reluctantly agreed to follow the group.

Seeing that the "blood mist" was still emanating from the stone cave, Tang Zhengyang told everyone to rest for a while and wait for it to dissipate before entering. At his suggestion, we all sat cross-legged on the ground and closed our eyes to rest, while he remained intently watching the changes in the density of the "blood mist," preparing to dig open the hole in the wall and enter the secret chamber of the rear hall of this underground palace one by one after the mist had completely dissipated.

I don't know how much time passed, but I heard Tang Zhengyang softly call out, "That's about enough, everyone get up and get to work." I opened my eyes and saw that the red "blood mist" was no longer emanating from the hole in the wall, but I could still faintly see streaks of red light shining through it. Tang Zhengyang seemed to read our minds and explained, "These red streaks are emitted by the 'blood essence,' which might disturb your mind. Everyone should try not to look at it." With that, he picked up a shovel and went to the stone wall to continue digging. We then picked up our tools from the ground and followed him to continue digging through the stone bricks in the wall.

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, we had already dug down seven or eight of the extra-large stone bricks from the wall, revealing a roughly rectangular opening. Although the opening wasn't large, less than a square meter, it was still manageable to squeeze in by bending over and stooping. After the opening was dug, Tang Zhengyang first peered inside to check, then bent down and crawled into the hole. Following him, Jenny, Dunzi, Abao, and I also crawled in.

Upon entering the hole in the wall, we found the passageway wasn't very wide, probably only wide enough for two or three people to pass at a time. The passageway was about 1.8 meters high, almost touching my head. At the end of the passageway, we could see a faint red glow. We used LED headlamps or flashlights to illuminate our way forward, slowly searching towards the reddish end of the passageway in the distance.

As we approached the end of the passage, for some reason, everyone gradually felt their breathing become rapid, and their vision began to blur. I knew this was probably the "blood essence" that Tang Zhengyang had mentioned causing trouble, so I taught everyone to recite the "Mind-Guarding Mantra" recorded in the "Exorcism Technique" as we walked, to prevent our minds from being disturbed by the "blood essence" and causing hallucinations. After barely resisting the interfering aura of the "blood essence," we quickened our pace and soon reached the end of the secret passage, which was about two or three hundred meters long.

Looking out of the secret passage, we seemed to have entered a wide tomb passage. The walls on both sides were adorned with numerous exquisite carvings. Every seven or eight meters, a pillar-shaped bronze lamp stood. These lamps were decorated with inlaid gold characters in seal script. Upon closer inspection, I found they were merely information about the lamps' manufacture date and the names of the casters, having little to do with the *Burial Classic* we were looking for. It turned out that Ah Bao had intended to light these lamps with a lighter. However, due to their peculiar design, the wicks were not visible from the outside, making it impossible to know where to begin lighting them. In the end, he had to give up.

After walking a short distance further, two doorways appeared on either side of the tomb passage. The red "blood aura" was emanating from the right-hand doorway. Since we were searching for the location of the *Burial Scripture*, we naturally wouldn't easily overlook any suspicious location. Therefore, even if there were hidden dangers, we were willing to risk exploring them. However, to minimize the danger, we decided to avoid the right-hand chamber with the "blood essence" and go directly into the left-hand chamber.

The left chamber, estimated to be thirty to forty square meters in area, contained numerous bronze cooking utensils such as earthen pots, steamers, and cauldrons. Several decayed and damaged wooden boxes revealed shriveled grains. The large accumulation of cattle and sheep bones on the ground suggests that a large quantity of meat was also stored here immediately after the First Emperor's burial. All these signs indicate that this left chamber of the tomb passage served as the imperial kitchen within the palace, providing the deceased emperor with three meals a day.

Finding nothing useful or clueless on the left, we turned and came out. Just as we reached the doorway of the left room, a blinding red light flashed from the right room opposite, instantly illuminating the entire passageway in a blood-red glow. A chill ran through me; I knew something terrible had happened. The others, probably like me, were startled by the sudden flash of red light and exchanged glances. That glance, however, filled me with an overwhelming fear. I saw that Dunzi, standing beside me, had suddenly lost his usual composure, standing there stiffly, expressionless, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Even more terrifying was that his once black pupils had vanished, replaced by two blood-red pupils, staring intently at us.

"Blood Essence!" Tang Zhengyang shouted in a hoarse voice. Everyone suddenly felt a terror they had never experienced before, and for a moment they stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. Perhaps the hazmat suit made "Blood Essence" very uncomfortable, because Dunzi immediately unzipped the suit and took off the equipment. Seeing his reckless act, we were shocked and anxious, but there was nothing we could do to stop him. After the second flash of red light, many red veins suddenly appeared on Dunzi's previously pale and expressionless face, and a fierce look suddenly appeared in his red pupils. Then, he let out a hoarse cry, raised his blood-soaked hands, and charged at me. Although Dunzi was now under the control of "Blood Essence's" psychic power, this body was still Dunzi's, and I didn't want to hurt Dunzi's body, so I didn't resist, but simply pulled away. However, the "blood essence" persisted relentlessly. Seeing me dodge, it turned back and charged again. At the same time, its hair suddenly turned red and rapidly grew longer, then wrapped around me like hundreds of ropes.

Seeing Dunzi suddenly become so terrifying, I was filled with worry for him, and I couldn't help but feel apprehensive myself. My steps became unsteady, and I nearly got entangled in the fur several times. Although Abao had the flamethrower in his hand, he didn't know what to do next. If we just sprayed it at Dunzi, who was controlled by the "blood essence," it might drive the "blood essence" away, but it would also burn Dunzi alive, and the price we would pay would be too high. Just as I was struggling to deal with the "blood essence," I heard Tang Zhengyang shout, "Sinan, hold on. Take these two black donkey hooves, and if you have the chance, try stuffing them into the 'blood essence's' mouth. Let's go to the right room first to find the 'blood essence's' true form, and then find a way to destroy it." "Okay, okay, okay, let's go quickly." I replied repeatedly while dodging the attacks of Dunzi, who was controlled by the "blood essence." "Here you go." Tang Zhengyang shouted and threw the two black donkey hooves at me. Just as I was about to reach for them, the "blood essence" suddenly leaped ahead of me, grabbing the two black donkey hooves firmly in his palms. Little did he know, these black donkey hooves were pure yang energy, specifically designed to counteract yin and evil. So, as soon as the "blood essence" seized the hooves, a burst of fire erupted in his palms, burning away a layer of flesh. The "blood essence" cried out in pain and instinctively released his grip, the two black donkey hooves falling to the ground. I seized the opportunity to rush over and pick them up. However, having experienced the power of the black donkey hooves firsthand, the "blood essence" knew they were no ordinary objects and became highly vigilant, doing everything in his power to prevent me from obtaining them.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of the "blood essence's" distraction, Tang Zhengyang and Jenny quickly slipped into the right chamber on the other side of the tomb passage. Upon entering, they were immediately struck by the terrifying, blood-red glow emanating from the entire room. Unlike the other stone chambers, this one was extremely damp. Not only was there a half-inch-deep pool of red liquid on the floor, but the walls were also soaked with this blood-like liquid. Further inside, besides some ordinary bronze and pottery artifacts, three vermilion coffins stood in the center. A faint red glow emanated from one of the coffins through a wooden plank. The coffins were placed on a nearly rotten wooden frame, and because the frame was high, the red liquid dripping from the coffins onto the red pool on the floor made a series of crisp "thump-thump" sounds. For some reason, each of these sounds sent a chill down their spines, as if a ghostly hand had gripped them tightly.

64. "Hematospermia" (Part 3)

Tang Zhengyang pointed to the faintly glowing coffin and said softly, "See that red light? The true form of the 'Blood Essence' must be hidden inside this coffin." Hearing this, A-Bao picked up his flamethrower and replied, "I'll burn it down and see how it can cause trouble then." Tang Zhengyang stopped him, saying, "The true form of this 'Blood Essence' is a piece of thousand-year-old cold jade, impervious to water and fire. No matter how fiercely you burn it, you won't be able to destroy it. Besides, it's so damp here; even these coffins are already soaked in blood. Your flamethrower won't ignite it at all." "Then what should we do?" A-Bao asked hesitantly. Jenny, standing nearby, was also secretly anxious and said urgently, "Oh dear, you guys need to think of something quickly! I'm afraid Si Nan won't be able to hold on much longer." "It seems we have no choice but to risk opening the coffin lid, taking out the 'Blood Essence' first, and then figuring out how to destroy it," Tang Zhengyang said hesitantly after hearing Jenny's words. “Okay, I’ll go.” Ah Bao said, slinging the flamethrower behind his back, taking out an entrenching axe from his backpack, and then leaping forward to the three wooden coffins, ready to open them and retrieve the contents. “Watch out!” Tang Zhengyang was startled when he saw Ah Bao rush out and quickly warned him. But it was too late; Ah Bao had already raised his entrenching axe and smashed it down on the coffin that was emitting a red glow. Because these coffins were not intended for the emperor, but rather for officials or servants ordered to be buried alive with the First Emperor, the coffins were not very thick. In addition, they had long been soaked in blood and had begun to rot. So when Ah Bao raised his entrenching axe and smashed it down, a large gash was immediately punched in the coffin.

At the same time, a horrific scene unfolded. As the coffin was smashed open, a torrent of bright red blood gushed from the breach, drenching Ah Bao. As Ah Bao wiped the blood from his hazmat suit and glass mask, several octopus-like tentacles suddenly emerged from the coffin. Before Ah Bao could even see clearly, they swiftly wrapped around his hands and feet, lifting him high into the air.

Seeing Ah Bao suddenly in danger, Jenny and Tang Zhengyang were extremely anxious. In desperation, Jenny grabbed a cold steel dagger for self-defense and tried to rush over to rescue Ah Bao. Tang Zhengyang grabbed her, saying, "It's dangerous, don't go, wait here." He then grabbed a black donkey hoof in one hand and the cold steel dagger from Jenny's hand, charging towards the coffin. Seeing Tang Zhengyang charging towards it, the "Blood Essence" slammed Ah Bao, whom it had bound, heavily to the ground, then rapidly launched its tentacles at Tang Zhengyang. Seeing Ah Bao thrown down, Tang Zhengyang disregarded his own safety and quickly opened his arms to catch Ah Bao. Although Tang Zhengyang caught Ah Bao and prevented a severe fall, he couldn't dodge the "Blood Essence's" attack while protecting Ah Bao, and was struck hard in the back by one of its tentacles, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Meanwhile, Dunzi, controlled by the "blood essence," and I were locked in a stalemate within the tomb passage. Despite using all my magic, I couldn't get past him and retrieve the black donkey hoof from the ground, and my panic intensified. This mental turmoil caused my steps to falter, and after several rounds, they became chaotic. Finding an opening, he swiftly attacked, his red hair tripping me. I stumbled and fell to the ground. When I turned around, I saw Dunzi, controlled by the "blood essence," leaping into the air like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. I had no choice but to improvise, rolling to the side. Halfway there, I bumped into something bulging on the ground, blocking my path. I saw it was Dunzi's backpack, which he had dropped. I grabbed it, intending to use the heavy backpack to knock him to the ground, buying myself time to retrieve the black donkey hoof. But to my surprise, my casual grab landed on the flap of an outer pocket of the backpack. With a sudden pull, the pocket opened, and several long strips of yellow cotton paper fell out. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were the "peace talismans" that Dunzi had specially obtained from the Zhenyuan Temple. Seeing these talismans was like seeing a savior. I thought, since I couldn't use the exorcism techniques from the hazmat suit to deal with the "blood essence" puppet, I would use these talismans to fight it now.

Thinking this, I quickly grabbed the "peace charms" and, before he could even turn his face towards me, I swiftly extended my hand and affixed one of them to Dunzi's back. The moment the charm touched his back, the characters on it flashed with golden light. At the same time, Dunzi suddenly let out a painful groan, and his red hair immediately stood on end. Although I hadn't completely subdued him, I noticed that the red light in Dunzi's eyes had faded considerably.

He struggled to his feet, staggering as he tried to attack me again. I was terrified that the longer Dunzi remained in his hazmat suit, the deeper the mercury poisoning would penetrate, so I wanted to end the confrontation quickly. Seeing him stagger towards me, I ran towards him with my "peace charm." When he saw me approaching, he stretched out his arms, attempting to strangle me. I ducked, and in the process, struck him in the chest with another "peace charm." After a flash of golden light, Dunzi cried out and collapsed to the ground. I quickly caught him in my arms. His face was tightly shut, his jaw clenched, his red hair slowly turning black and shortening, and the prominent red veins on his face gradually disappearing, returning to normal. However, his face was pale, and his lips were black—clear signs of mercury poisoning. Seeing that the "peace charm" had driven away the "blood essence illusion" on Dunzi's body, I realized that Dunzi was now suffering from a relatively deep mercury poisoning. So I quickly helped Dunzi put on that bulky hazmat suit, and then carried him to the right to find Jenny to get pills to treat mercury poisoning.

65. Hematospermia (Part 4)

As I carried Dunzi to the doorway of the right-hand room, I saw Tang Zhengyang being severely struck by the "blood essence" while trying to save Abao, and my heart ached. Seeing Jenny standing by the doorway, deep in thought, I rushed over and said, "Jenny, Dunzi's been poisoned by mercury! You must find a way to save him quickly; I'm going to help Zhengyang." Without waiting for Jenny's reply, I placed Dunzi beside her, took the two "peace charms" attached to Dunzi, and ran towards Tang Zhengyang.

Seeing someone run past, the "blood essence" temporarily spared Tang Zhengyang and lashed out at me with its "octopus tentacles." Realizing the urgency of the situation, I immediately threw over two "peace charms." The moment the "blood essence's" tentacles touched the charms, flames erupted, its vocal cords ignited, and it quickly retracted its tentacles back into the coffin in pain. Seizing the opportunity, I rushed to Tang Zhengyang's side, supporting him and asking, "Brother, are you injured?" "Ah, you're out of danger? We were worried about you. That's good, that's good. Oh, by the way, is Dunzi alright?" Tang Zhengyang asked. "The 'blood essence' on him has been removed, but he's been poisoned by mercury. Jenny is treating him." As I was speaking, A Bao, who was beside me, gradually woke up. I quickly asked, "A Bao, are you alright?" A Bao shook his head, which had been slightly bumped, and slowly replied, "I'm fine, just a little dizzy." Suddenly I heard a strange gurgling sound coming from the coffin next to me. I wondered if the 'blood essence' inside was up to something again. So, for safety's sake, I helped Tang Zhengyang and A Bao back to the right side of the room door and had them sit next to Jenny so that Jenny could take good care of them.

Just as I was settling Tang Zhengyang and A Bao, I heard Jenny shout, "Si Nan, watch out!" Hearing Jenny's cry, I turned around. A broken coffin was flying towards me. Instinctively, I dodged to the side. The coffin crashed heavily against the wall and broke in two with a "crack." When I looked again at the wooden shelf in the right-hand room where the coffins had been, I saw that only two of the original three coffins remained. One of them was completely broken, revealing a lump of red, fleshy substance inside. In the center of this lump of flesh, a round jade ring the size of a silver coin was constantly emitting a red light, illuminating the room in a bloody glow.

“That jade ring is the true form of the ‘Blood Essence.’ Find a way to get our hands on it. Only by destroying it can we be truly safe,” Tang Zhengyang said, sitting on the ground. After hearing his words, I took the “Peace Talisman” in my hand and slowly approached the “Blood Essence.” After taking a few steps, I saw the fleshy object begin to wriggle. I stared intently at the strange flesh, taking small steps towards it, afraid that it would attack me in the blink of an eye. When I was about four or five meters away from it, the strange flesh suddenly contracted, and then several streams of red blood-like liquid were squeezed out of its body like milking a cow, spraying all over me. Although I didn’t know what this red liquid was, I didn’t dare to be careless. I quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the blood-like liquid. This blood-like liquid landed on the water on the floor of the room and immediately turned into a cloud of red smoke with a “hiss.” It was then that I realized these red liquids were a concentrated form of "blood vapor." Luckily, I dodged in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, I took another step forward. The "blood essence" seemed to have sensed the danger lurking around it and began to grow restless. The monstrous flesh trembled violently. Finally, it stood upright. Only when it stood up could I see clearly that it was a human corpse, complete with head, body, and limbs. However, for some reason, this human corpse seemed to have fermented, swelling several times its original size. It was drastically deformed, and the thousand-year-old jade ring hung around the fleshy figure's neck.

As it quickly stood up, the jade ring around its neck began to emit a dazzling red light, almost blinding me. I knew this was a prelude to its attack, so I simply closed my eyes and listened intently to the surrounding sounds. Less than a second later, I suddenly heard a faint sound and felt a cold wind blowing directly in my face. I knew the "Blood Essence" was attacking me head-on, so I quickly raised the "Peace Talisman" in my hand to block it. Clearly, the "Blood Essence" was intimidated by the talisman's power and immediately withdrew its attack.

Taking advantage of its temporary vulnerability, I suddenly opened my eyes, pinpointed its location, and then raised my "Peace Talisman" to strike the fleshy figure. Surprisingly, despite its enormous, bloated body, it moved surprisingly nimbly. Seeing my talisman approach, it immediately sidestepped my counterattack. Missing my first strike, I immediately launched a second, but it easily dodged that as well. We went back and forth like this for over ten rounds, neither able to subdue the other. The jade ring around the fleshy figure's neck emitted a constant red glow, and each time I had to half-close my eyes to pinpoint its location. Gradually, the glow made me dizzy, and I began to lose ground.

After holding on for a while, my dizziness worsened. Suddenly, everything went black, my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground. "Blood Essence" seized the opportunity, controlling the fleshy figure to pounce on me, then suddenly opened its deformed maw, trying to bite down on my neck. At that moment, a wave of tension washed over me; I thought, "This is really it." But just as I began to despair, a slender figure flashed before my eyes. I looked and saw it was Jenny. She quickly ran to my side, stretched out her right hand, and stuffed a black object into the fleshy figure's gaping mouth. It turned out that Tang Zhengyang, seeing my critical situation, had asked Jenny to bring me a black donkey hoof. As soon as the black donkey hoof was put into the fleshy figure's mouth, a wisp of blue smoke quickly emerged, followed by flames, and then it burst into flames.

Then, the fleshy creature began to gasp for breath in pain, no longer able to attack me. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jenny helped me up from the ground, and once I was on my feet, I quickly struck the fleshy creature with several "peace charms" I had in my hand. Before it could even utter a painful cry, it was engulfed in a ball of golden flames. Within a minute or two, it was burned to a pile of charred remains. The piece of "blood essence" then fell into the pile of charred remains.

After this struggle, I was completely exhausted. When I saw that the "blood essence" had been subdued, I could no longer stand and swayed before collapsing to the ground. Jenny, worried about me, squatted down to support me. I saw the true form of the "blood essence" amidst the pile of charred remains, so I reached out and picked it up. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a piece of fine Lantian white jade. Its white, creamy texture was covered with fine, spiderweb-like red cracks. These cracks varied in depth and were irregular. And on the smooth, rounded jade surface, there was a faint reddish tinge.

Just as Jenny and I were carefully examining the piece of cold jade, Tang Zhengyang had slowly approached. Looking at the jade in my hand, he said, "Those talismans you used earlier broke the flesh of this 'blood essence' vessel, severely damaging its vital energy. However, it won't be long before it absorbs enough of the yin energy in the tomb. It will recover, so we must destroy it before it recovers." With that, he snatched the thousand-year-old cold jade from my hand and quickly smashed it against the stone wall. A crisp "crack" rang out, and the jade ring shattered into countless pieces, falling into the red pool of water on the ground. At that moment, the bright red light that had filled the room vanished, and the red water on the ground gradually turned dark brown. Only then did Tang Zhengyang finally let out a long sigh of relief.

After this fierce battle, we suffered heavy losses. Dunzi was poisoned by mercury, Tang Zhengyang and Abao were injured, and I was exhausted. Only Jenny was still relatively normal. At my suggestion, everyone decided to go back to the outer tomb passage to rest for a while. We would continue our journey after everyone had recovered some strength.

After we laboriously carried Dunzi to the outer passageway of the tomb on the right, we saw through the glass mask that Dunzi's face was still frighteningly pale, his lips were already a deep purple-black, and even his breathing was very weak. "He's severely poisoned. Although we gave him an antidote in time, it's unlikely he'll wake up anytime soon," Jenny said after a moment's thought. "And his life might be in danger, so the best thing to do is to take him to the hospital immediately." Hearing Jenny's words, I immediately felt conflicted. We were getting closer and closer to the First Emperor's coffin, where the "Burial Scripture" might be placed, but my best friend had suddenly collapsed from poisoning and needed immediate treatment. If we left the tomb and took Dunzi to the hospital, we might never have the chance to enter the Qin Mausoleum again, and the age-old mystery of immortality would remain unsolved forever; if we risked continuing with Dunzi, not only would we be an extra burden, but we might also miss the time needed for Dunzi's treatment, which could lead to an accident. This really put me in a difficult position.

“How about this, we’ll send one person to take Dunzi out for treatment first, while the rest of us continue searching for the ‘Burial Scripture’ hidden in the tomb’s underground palace as originally planned,” Jenny said after thinking for a moment. “It seems this is the safest way, I agree,” Tang Zhengyang replied after hearing Jenny’s words. Ah Bao and I naturally had no objection to this suggestion, but the key question was, who should we send to escort Dunzi?

66. The Broken Bridge

Everyone pondered this choice for a long time. Since Ah Bao had only suffered minor injuries, and after applying medicine and resting, he had recovered considerably and could take Dunzi away. Furthermore, Tang Zhengyang's guidance would be indispensable in the upcoming search. Therefore, it was Ren Ni who ultimately suggested that Ah Bao escort Dunzi out for treatment. Although Ah Bao was also unwilling to withdraw from the search halfway through, he had no choice but to comply since it was Ren Ni's suggestion.

I patted Ah Bao on the shoulder and said, "Brother Ah Bao, I'm sorry to trouble you this time. Although the road ahead should be safe, please be careful. I'm entrusting the task of taking Dunzi to the hospital to you." "Take care on your journey," Tang Zhengyang said, shaking his hand. Ah Bao looked at us, nodded, and then put Dunzi's arm around his neck, about to turn and leave. Jenny walked over and said to Ah Bao, "Ah Bao, be careful on the road. Take good care of Dunzi when we get to the hospital. We'll come find you as soon as we find the 'Burial Scripture'." Ah Bao nodded and replied, "Miss, don't worry. You should also be careful. By the way, you can keep this flamethrower." "No need, keep it for self-defense. We have one here, which is enough. Besides, we also have 'peace charms' and black donkey hooves," Jenny replied.

Hearing Jenny's explanation, Ah Bao didn't insist any further. He gave me some equipment we might need, then, leaning on his stool, looked at us and said goodbye before turning and walking back the way he came. We watched him leave until the light from his headlamp gradually disappeared from our sight, swallowed by the darkness of the tomb passage. Watching Ah Bao and Dunzi leave us like that, I felt extremely sad, but there was nothing I could do. I could only pray that no one else would be forced to leave prematurely due to accidents during the upcoming search operation.

After resting for a while, my strength gradually returned. Although Tang Zhengyang had suffered some internal injuries and felt a tightness in his chest, his condition did not seem serious. So, in order to find the First Emperor's coffin as soon as possible, we continued along the wide and magnificent tomb passage.

After walking perhaps a few hundred meters, I noticed the ground beneath my feet was becoming increasingly greasy and slippery. The three of us had to support each other to maintain our balance. When we finally reached the end of the tomb passage, a wide, broken ditch suddenly appeared, blocking our path. We carefully approached the ditch and examined it closely. The ditch seemed bottomless, with chilling air rising from it, as if it led to the underworld. The ditch was also very wide. Even with our powerful flashlights, which could illuminate dozens of meters, we couldn't see the other side. It appeared to be at least a hundred meters wide.

Although the wolf-eye flashlight illuminated a narrow stone bridge spanning the ravine, it was already dilapidated after more than two thousand years. Nearly half of the bridge surface had collapsed, and the remaining half was teetering on the brink of collapse. Such a crumbling bridge would be easily blown away by even a slight gust of wind, let alone allowing anyone to walk across it. According to the map of the Qin Mausoleum, such a 'sky bridge' was indeed marked, but we hadn't expected it to be such a dilapidated and dangerous structure. Therefore, we hadn't prepared any special tools to cross it. After a thorough search, we discovered that this bridge was the only passage across the ravine; unless we instantly grew wings, there was truly no way to proceed.

"Looks like I have no choice but to take a gamble," I muttered to myself. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind howled from nowhere. The gust caused a large section of the broken bridge to collapse. The sound of the falling stones hitting the ground was like needles piercing my heart, intensifying my fear, and cold sweat broke out on my palms and forehead.

"Looks like we have no choice but to take the risk," Tang Zhengyang said helplessly, looking at the situation before him. He then took out a safety rope, preparing to tie it around himself and cross the bridge first. Seeing this, I immediately took the rope from him and said, "Zhengyang, you're injured and can't move easily. Let me do the scouting." He then tied the rope around his waist. Having spent these past few days with me, Tang Zhengyang knew my temperament, so he didn't insist, patting my shoulder as encouragement. Jenny silently watched me, her eyes filled with concerned affection. I nodded slightly to her, indicating I would be as careful as possible, and then gently stepped onto the dilapidated stone bridge. Because there was nowhere nearby to tie the rope, Tang Zhengyang had to hold it for me with his hands.

The moment my right foot touched the bridge surface, the slight tremor caused a large amount of loose gravel to fall with a "whoosh," kicking up a thick cloud of dust that instantly enveloped me. Jenny and the others behind me, seeing me suddenly disappear into the dust, panicked and called out my name. "Don't worry, I'm fine," I replied. Hearing my answer, they were slightly relieved, but still worried about whether I would be able to cross the bridge safely.

After the dust and ash settled, I could finally see the road ahead. I took a second, careful step, my feet now firmly planted on the bridge surface. Judging from the remaining ruins, this stone arch bridge must have once been a magnificent and luxurious structure, with exquisite and ornate railings on both sides. However, it had long since collapsed, leaving the ground bare and seemingly precarious. My heart pounded, and I felt incredibly nervous. Thankfully, my second step didn't cause any major tremors, so I took a third. I continued walking carefully, step by step, barely daring to breathe, afraid of disturbing the broken bridge and causing it to collapse. I don't know how much time passed; my attention was completely focused on my feet, and sweat streamed down my face, but I didn't bother to wipe it away.

67. The Underground Legion (Part 1)

However, our luck was still a bit bad. Just as I reached the middle of the broken bridge, a strong, cold wind suddenly blew in from the bottom of the ditch. This wind howled past me, sending sand and stones flying, raising a cloud of dust that instantly blinded me. Panicked, I suddenly lost my balance. My steps faltered, and I involuntarily took a step back. Whether it was due to the strong wind or the shock of my step back, the broken bridge immediately began to shake violently. Then, large chunks of stone on the bridge surface began to fall with a "rumble," raising a cloud of dust. To steady myself, I had to lie down on the bridge surface. Even so, I could still feel the broken bridge shaking violently, and it looked like it was about to collapse completely. At that moment, I was completely lost. I closed my eyes and prayed for a miracle. Then, the leader couldn't help, and in an instant, the entire stone bridge began to collapse.

Seeing this terrifying scene, Jenny and the others behind him screamed in alarm. Tang Zhengyang quickly tightened the safety rope. A second or two later, the entire stone bridge collapsed completely, and I, clinging to the bridge, plummeted downwards. The immense force of the fall made it impossible for Tang Zhengyang to hold onto the rope. The rope swiftly slipped through his palms, leaving his hands raw and bleeding. Seeing this, Jenny came to help, desperately gripping the rope. The rope slid for dozens of meters between them before slowly coming to a stop. Although their palms were raw and bleeding, and extremely painful, they dared not relax their grip even slightly.

I thought this would stop my descent, but little did I know, the ground at the end of the passage they were in was covered in slippery grease. Pulled by my weight at the other end of the rope, Tang Zhengyang and Jenny's feet began to slide along the ground towards the ditch. It turned out they were very close to the edge of the ditch; after a few seconds of sliding, they were less than a meter away. It looked like they were about to be pulled into the ditch along with my weight.

It began. I was so frightened by the sudden collapse that I fainted, and it took me a while to gradually regain consciousness. I saw myself dangling in mid-air, suspended by a safety rope in the ravine, and I saw myself being pulled downwards by the rope. After a moment's thought, I immediately realized Jenny and Tang Zhengyang's predicament above, so I shouted, "Jenny, Zhengyang, don't hold on to me! It's better for me to go first than for all three of us to fall!" "No, we can pull you up, trust me," I heard Jenny's almost sobbing voice from above. Tang Zhengyang didn't speak, probably holding his breath, determined to pull me up.

"Let go, you idiots, let go!" I shouted anxiously, seeing myself steadily sinking. I estimated that Jenny and Tang Zhengyang were already very close to the edge of the ditch; if they didn't let go soon, they might be pulled down together. In this critical moment, I suddenly remembered that I had a sharp, cold steel dagger strapped to my belt, so I immediately drew it, preparing to cut the rope myself to prevent Jenny and the others from being dragged down. "Jenny, take care! Zhengyang, take care!" I shouted loudly, then forcefully cut the rope. "No! Don't!" came Jenny and Zhengyang's screams from above.

A gentle breeze whispered in my ears. I felt light and airy. Jenny and the others' shouts faded into the distance. I felt myself gradually leaving this cherished world and slowly walking towards another unfamiliar one. Suddenly, my body was struck with a sharp "smack," and I felt a sudden, intense pain before losing consciousness.

In a daze, I felt as if I had entered a cold, damp world, surrounded by icy water. The water soaked my body, making me feel very uncomfortable. When I managed to open my eyes, I found myself lying on the bank of an underground river, most of my body still submerged in the cold water. At first, I thought I was dead. But the pain throughout my body told me I was still alive. I remembered the scene of life and death we had just witnessed, Jenny crying for me on the ditch. I remembered Tang Zhengyang, who, along with Jenny, wouldn't abandon me even at the cost of their own lives. I remembered Dunzi being poisoned, and Abao leaving helplessly. My heart was filled with mixed emotions and countless thoughts. To feel better, I struggled to crawl a short distance up the riverbank, freeing my body from the icy water. Then, lying on my back, I took some medicine for healing and pain relief before passing out again.

I don't know how much time passed, but when I woke up again, I felt my strength had returned somewhat, and my whole body wasn't as sore as before. So I got up, turned on my wolf-eye flashlight, and began to survey my surroundings. I saw that I was now at the bottom of a ravine, with a wide underground river in front of me. I must have fallen into the river and managed to escape with my life. Because of the distance, I couldn't see the situation on the other side of the river. I looked back and saw a huge palace built to my left and in front of me, with black tiles, red walls, and upturned eaves. The palace gate was more than ten meters high, with dragon patterns carved on the door and inlaid with pure gold dragon-shaped door knockers. There were two gate towers on each side, and above the doorway were three large gold-lacquered characters "Muxian Palace," and next to them were seven smaller gold-lacquered characters "Written by Prime Minister Li Sisi of Qin." Although the palace gate was closed, one of the wooden doors had a large hole due to decay. I couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined that to prevent looting, the actual mausoleum of the first emperor was built under this broken ditch. That's truly a painstaking effort. It seems that the mausoleum of the Qin emperor marked behind the 'Sky Bridge' on the previous map of the Qin Mausoleum area was just a decoy tomb."

The ravine was flanked by steep cliffs, making it impossible to climb back. So, I decided to explore the First Emperor's sleeping quarters first. Holding my wolf-eye flashlight, I crouched down and peered into the doorway. The space inside was incredibly deep, seemingly endless. I cautiously poked my head inside, then quietly slipped my entire body in. The space must be vast, as my footsteps sounded ethereal. When my flashlight shone on the ground, I saw that it was paved with terracotta bricks engraved with dragon patterns. Molten copper filled the gaps between the bricks, inlaid with copper strips—conforming to the description in the *Records of the Grand Historian*.

I took a few more steps forward. A massive bronze pillar appeared in the beam of the wolf-eye flashlight. It was carved with many figures, birds, and beasts. Upon closer inspection, I realized they all depicted the First Emperor's conquest of the six kingdoms and his unification of the world. Then, among these patterns, I saw for the first time several strange characters interspersed within, remarkably similar to the "Ghost Domain Inscriptions." Indeed, the Qin Mausoleum was connected to the *Burial Land Mystery Scripture*, I thought to myself. Immediately, I forgot my earlier unpleasantness and began to feel excited.

Further on, I saw another life-size terracotta warrior beside me, with its hair tied up in a bun, wearing a cotton robe, and holding a long, nearly broken, rotten halberd. I recognized it immediately – wasn't this the famous Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum? Where there's one, there's bound to be another. So I continued searching the vicinity, and after slightly adjusting the angle of my flashlight, I saw many more terracotta warriors holding halberds nearby. Although they all held long halberds, each terracotta warrior's expression and clothing were different, as if they were real people. Such sculpting techniques existed in the Qin Dynasty more than two thousand years ago; it's nothing short of a miracle.

After viewing these terracotta figures, I continued deeper into the sleeping quarters. Along the way, there were countless human figures, along with a few chariots and horses. Their density was similar to that of Pit 1 of the Terracotta Army, which had already been excavated. Because I still cannot determine the exact size of the sleeping quarters, I cannot estimate the number of terracotta warriors. Looking at these imposing Qin soldiers, I finally understood why a country located far to the west, constantly harassed by nomadic tribes like the Rong and Hu, could so quickly conquer the six other states and unify China. It was because they not only had an iron-fisted leader—Qin Shi Huang—but also a fiercely courageous, capable, and fearless army.

I wandered through these troop formations for a long time, unsure whether I was lost or something else. I couldn't find my way out of this underground army's array. Was it a maze? A military maze made of terracotta warriors? I couldn't help but wonder why Qin Shi Huang would build such a massive army in his tomb after his death. Was it to show off his power to posterity? To create a peculiar underground labyrinth? Or for some other reason? I was completely baffled.

Just then, I suddenly heard the sound of drums coming from the depths of the deep palace. Immediately afterward, various fragmented sounds began to emanate from around me, and the ground began to tremble. Without Tang Zhengyang by my side, I didn't know what would happen next, so I quickly fled behind a large bronze pillar nearby and hid myself. To avoid detection, I turned off my headlamp and flashlight, plunging the entire First Emperor's palace into darkness. Only the chaotic sounds continued to emanate. In this darkness, I couldn't see anything at all, so I had to strain my ears to listen carefully. Only then did I realize that the strange sounds were mixed with the clashing of weapons, the shouts of soldiers, the neighing of warhorses, and the rumbling of wheels. These sounds intertwined clearly indicated an ancient battle. This startled me even more. How could this be? How could a battle scene suddenly appear in this underground imperial tomb?

68. The Underground Legion (Part Two)

As I was pondering this, I suddenly felt a faint blue light emanating from the entire palace. I instinctively stuck my head out from behind the bronze pillar to see what was happening. What I saw almost made me cry out. The terracotta warriors I had seen earlier were now inexplicably emitting a faint blue light. This light, ethereal and elusive, was very similar to the ghostly light I had seen on my white jade seal of the Tomb Raider General, like a radiance from the underworld, sending chills down my spine.

At that moment, I suddenly remembered the strange incident that Dunzi had told everyone before. His team had been sent to help the local people dig ditches to irrigate their crops and combat drought. During the digging, several soldiers unearthed a terracotta warrior, its entire body emitting a blue light and making a buzzing sound. Eventually, several soldiers were so captivated by the terracotta warrior that they lost their souls and became vegetative. The local people said that the terracotta warrior was actually a "ghost soldier" created by Qin Shi Huang for himself.

Thinking of this, I was even more terrified. If what Dunzi said was true, then this one "ghost soldier" was already powerful enough. But now, thousands of "ghost soldiers" had suddenly appeared around me. Did I still have any hope of escaping? It turned out that these terracotta warriors were not just ordinary terracotta warriors. Qin Shi Huang had used special methods to create them into underground "ghost soldiers" to protect his imperial mausoleum.

At this moment, in this dark environment, the terracotta warriors all emitted a blue light, making them remarkably clear. I gazed into the distance and saw rows and columns of soldiers stretching into the far distance, seemingly without end. While the palace itself was enormous, it couldn't be boundless, but from what I saw now, this secret mausoleum of the First Emperor seemed much larger than when I had seen its full size from the outside. Strange, what was going on? How could the area seen from inside be larger than the area seen from the outside? Could this palace be another world, hence the discrepancy between the view from the outside and the interior? Had I, along with these "ghost soldiers," arrived in the boundless underworld? Thinking this, a chill ran down my spine, and cold sweat broke out all over my body.

Fortunately, after hiding behind the bronze pillar for about the time it takes to smoke half a cigarette, the noisy sounds gradually subsided, and the blue light on the terracotta figures dimmed, returning to calm. Only then did my wildly pounding heart have a chance to rest. The horrific scene I witnessed had left my legs weak and I hadn't fully recovered. I let out a long breath, allowing all my muscles to relax, and then barely managed to stand up, supporting myself against the bronze pillar. I checked my pockets and found that I only had one "peace charm" left. To make matters worse, when I fell into the underground river after plunging into the ditch, the river water had soaked the paper "peace charm" in my pocket, rendering it completely unusable.

I touched my belt again, finding only an empty scabbard. Then I remembered that the cold steel dagger had fallen into the underground river with me after I cut the safety rope. This made me even more nervous. How could I defend myself without a weapon? I took off my backpack and rummaged through the back, thankfully finding the flamethrower inside. I picked it up like a precious treasure, then quietly emerged from behind the bronze pillar and headed towards the side wall of the sleeping quarters. I planned to sneak past these terrifying underground legions and walk along the side wall into the sleeping quarters to find the *Burial Scripture*. Although the sleeping quarters seemed endless, I believed there was an end, and with time, I could reach the wall. It would take more time, but it was much safer than recklessly charging through these "ghost soldiers."

My mind was made up. Without pausing, I quickly moved to the side. After walking about twenty or thirty meters, I surprisingly reached the wall of the sleeping quarters very quickly. At first, I found it very strange. The "ghost soldiers" that had been glowing blue earlier seemed endless in this sleeping quarters, so how could they suddenly end after only twenty or thirty meters? I looked more closely by the light of my headlamp and then realized the mystery. It turned out that the inner wall of the sleeping quarters was made of a single, polished copper plate, as smooth as a bronze mirror. These copper plates were like giant bronze mirrors. When the blue light of the "ghost soldiers" shone in the darkness, the light and shadow were reflected on the copper plates, making the "ghost soldiers" in the sleeping quarters appear to be endless. When I understood all this, I couldn't help but feel immense admiration for the extraordinary wisdom of the ancient craftsmen.

Then, I slowly walked along the smooth, mirror-like bronze walls deeper into the sleeping quarters. Several times, the terracotta warriors glowed again, and the chaotic sounds of swords and spears rang out, as if the terracotta warriors before me had come back to life. Each time the terracotta warriors "came back to life," I huddled against the wall, afraid to move an inch, lest I make any noise and be discovered by the "ghost soldiers."