Burial Site Mystery Classic

Tongming Ancient Jade

I. A secluded mountain village

My connection to the world of tomb raiding dates back to my childhood when I accidentally discovered a secret room in my second uncle's village. That year, I was in junior high school in the county. My parents were ordinary workers in a state-owned factory, always busy with work and household chores, so they rarely had time to attend to my studies. Over time, I became friends with several other boys of similar age in the neighborhood. We spent our days fighting crickets and catching snakes in the grassy slopes on the outskirts of the county town, completely neglecting our studies, and my grades plummeted.

Finally, one day, my homeroom teacher went to my father and told him everything about my situation. My father was furious and gave me a severe scolding, making me kneel in the yard for half a day and smashing all my cricket cages and cricket jars to pieces. But this wasn't a solution, because my parents were both very busy with work and didn't have time to supervise me. Plus, summer vacation was approaching, and if they didn't find someone to properly discipline me, I might become even more unruly and fall further behind in my studies.

That night, my father and mother thought it over and over, and finally decided to send me to my second great-uncle's remote little mountain village to settle down. Firstly, my second great-uncle could keep a close eye on me and supervise my studies, and secondly, it would allow me to be away from the naughty neighbors for a while so that they wouldn't disturb me while I did my homework or tutoring.

My second great-uncle is actually about the same age as my father, but according to the family genealogy, my father should call him Second Uncle. So naturally, I call him Second Great-Uncle. Second Great-Uncle was the only college graduate in their village. Because he couldn't find a job after graduation, he eventually returned to the village and became a rural teacher, becoming the leader of the children in a village with only about 20 kids.

After we finalized the arrangements, as soon as summer vacation began, my father took a leave of absence and took me on a 5-6 hour bus ride, followed by a half-day hike through the mountains, to my second great-uncle's house. My second great-uncle's village was a truly small mountain village, with only about 20 households and around 100 people. The village had no roads or electricity; it was nestled in a valley between two towering mountain peaks. Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, often shrouded in mist and clouds, it resembled a secluded paradise, a fairyland on earth.

Upon arriving at my second great-uncle's house, my father and great-uncle greeted each other and chatted about everyday matters before my father explained the purpose of our visit. After listening to my father's explanation, my great-uncle patted my head and promised with a smile that he would take good care of me. After lunch, my father had to leave in a hurry because he had things to do at the factory. Before leaving, he gave my great-uncle 50 yuan as living expenses. And so, I stayed in this remote little mountain village for the time being.

From then on, my second uncle would wake me up at dawn every day to do my homework, then I would read books to catch up on my lessons. In my spare time, I would wander around the village. At night, I would go to bed as soon as it got dark, and this cycle repeated itself. For the first few days, it was all new and exciting. Besides studying, I had free time to watch the adults in the village catch fish in the river and hunt in the mountains, so I didn't feel too bad. But as time went on, I became restless. Being watched every day, and not being able to fight crickets or play with grasshoppers, felt like being in prison.

It was truly a stroke of luck. Just when I was feeling incredibly bored, one day, the village suddenly notified my second uncle to go to a meeting in town. They said it was to discuss matters related to the construction of the village school for the new semester. Seeing that I had been behaving well these past few days, my second uncle greeted the adults in the Zhang family next door and asked them to look after me. After giving me a few instructions, he went out.

The moment my second great-uncle disappeared from my sight, I felt as relieved as Sun Wukong removing his golden headband. I jumped up from my chair where I was doing my homework, ran to my room, and pulled out my slingshot and cricket trap hidden under my pillow. Taking advantage of the Zhang family next door not paying attention, I quietly slipped out of the room and headed straight for the back of the village.

Because my second great-uncle's village wasn't very big, I had gotten quite familiar with the terrain after a few days. The village was located halfway up a mountain, with only a stone staircase leading down the mountain. Below the village was a small river with crystal-clear water year-round. After crossing the river at the ferry, there was a mountain path leading directly to the highway outside the mountains. My father and I came to my second great-uncle's house via this path.

Behind the village, there's a small path. After passing a pile of fallen rocks, it splits into two. The western path leads straight into the depths of a mountain valley, where towering trees obscure the sun year-round. My second uncle and the villagers say that it used to be a mass grave, eerie and terrifying, so few people venture there. The eastern path, however, leads directly to the mountaintop, a mountain trail used by the villagers to go up the mountain to gather firewood and hunt.

Perhaps it was the fearlessness of a newborn calf. What the villagers considered a gloomy and terrifying mass grave was a good place to me. Having spent so much time fighting crickets with my friends in the county town, I knew that to find the most formidable fighters, the "Ghost-Fearing" and "Earth King Kong," you had to go to the cemetery. These places were teeming with snakes and venomous insects. Ordinary crickets couldn't survive in such environments; they would soon become prey for these creatures. Only the "Ghost-Fearing" and "Earth King Kong," these kings of crickets, could contend with those snakes and venomous insects, even killing and driving them away.

Not long ago, one of Dunzi's "Earth King Kongs" killed a thumb-thick, red-headed centipede that everyone had caught from a grass nest, right in front of us. Dunzi's real name was Qi Dadun, one of my playmates in the neighborhood, two years older than me, and particularly bold and mischievous. From then on, this Earth King Kong became everyone's envied treasure, and they kept it hidden from us several times when we wanted to see it. At that time, I vowed to catch a big "Ghost-Fearing" cricket and compare it with his Earth King Kong. But I usually stayed in the county town, surrounded by city streets and alleys. Apart from a field and grassy slopes in the suburbs, there were no cemeteries to go to. So my wish had never been fulfilled. Now that I had this god-given opportunity, I was determined to seize it.

Not long after leaving the village, I arrived at the pile of fallen rocks. The mountain path split in two behind the pile, and without thinking, I headed straight for the western path. It should have been noon, the sun high in the sky. However, the path led deep into the valley, and the surrounding peaks blocked out most of the blue sky. Furthermore, the path was lined with ancient trees, towering giants with lush foliage, completely obscuring the remaining sky. Therefore, the surrounding light was dim, even somewhat eerie. Adding to this, gusts of mountain wind blew intermittently, creating a slightly unsettling atmosphere.

Further in, the path narrowed considerably, and the weeds grew increasingly dense, indicating that few people had ventured this far. I couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling a little uneasy. So I pulled out the slingshot I had been carrying in my pocket, loaded a suitably sized stone, held it tightly in my hand, and continued to grope my way forward.

After walking for about ten minutes, I suddenly felt that something was wrong with my surroundings. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the sounds of frogs croaking and birds chirping that had accompanied me throughout the walk had suddenly ceased, leaving only eerie silence. The silence was unsettling, almost unnatural. Only the occasional gust of mountain wind rustled through the branches and grass.

II. Ghost's Sorrow

Just as I was feeling flustered and hesitant about whether to continue, I suddenly heard a piercing sound coming from afar. "Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp." I listened carefully and was immediately delighted, because I recognized the sound as the chirping of a cricket, and judging from the loud and deep quality of the sound, it must be a strong and powerful "Devil's Sorrow".

"Ghost-Fearer" is the name given by cricket enthusiasts to a type of cricket that is entirely black and shiny, with an enormous head, powerful mandibles, and lives in graveyards and cemeteries. This cricket is said to grow by feeding on the flesh of corpses in graves, hence its fierce and aggressive nature. It is said that a top-quality "Ghost-Fearer" can effortlessly kill a red centipede, and even small grass snakes dare not easily provoke it.

I put the slingshot in my pocket and took out my homemade cricket trap. Following the sound, I approached step by step. Strangely enough, this cricket seemed to be able to burrow underground. As soon as I got close, I could no longer hear its chirping, but at the same time, I could hear its leisurely chirping again about 10 meters ahead.

This is fucking weird, I refuse to believe I can't catch you. Maybe it's because such an opportunity is too rare, or maybe it's because I'm too eager to have a "ghost-fearing beast" that can rival Dunzi's "Earth King Kong". Although this "ghost-fearing beast" is a bit eerie and doesn't seem so easy to catch, I'm still determined to catch it and have no intention of giving up.

Unbeknownst to me, I followed it into the overgrown wilderness, where the grass was waist-high, for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Before me lay a scene of ruins, with small, mound-like hills appearing all around me. This was clearly the mass grave my second uncle and the villagers had spoken of. But at that moment, my attention was solely focused on this "ghost-fearing beast," and I had no time to consider my surroundings. Furthermore, as I drew closer to it, a secret joy welled up within me.

I crouched low and quietly parted the waist-high reeds. Finally, I saw the "Ghost's Bane" that I had been tracking for so long. I was truly astonished by what I saw. Good heavens, this guy was a behemoth among crickets. His entire body was the size of an egg. Besides his unusual size, his head wasn't the same jet-black shine as other "Ghost's Bane," but rather a peculiar golden-brown. And unlike other crickets, his head wasn't smooth; besides two long antennae, it was covered in protruding spines. His enormous head had two massive, black, gleaming mandibles like steel pincers opening and closing, exuding an aura of domineering arrogance.

Judging by its appearance, not only would ghosts be terrified, but even Buddha would weep upon encountering it. I was overjoyed; I had actually stumbled upon such a treasure! Such a king of crickets was not only unheard of, but utterly unheard of. If I caught it and placed it in front of that "Earth King Kong" of Dunzi, his precious King Kong would probably be terrified, let alone fight it.

Just as I was happily contemplating this, I saw the king of crickets hop onto a broken bluestone slab, half-buried in the ground and half-exposed on the surface. It spread its wings, licked its antennae, and then fell silent. It must have been tired and fallen asleep. Seeing my chance, I slowly moved my cricket net towards it. Although this cricket net, meant for catching ordinary crickets, seemed a bit too small compared to the king, I didn't have any other suitable tools at the moment, so I'd make do.

Seeing that the cricket trap was still a foot or two away from it, I was afraid it would suddenly wake up and jump away, so I pounced and covered it with the cricket trap. Watching it firmly trapped inside, I felt a surge of excitement. Afraid it would escape if I opened the trap, I held it down, hesitant to open it. But then, something strange happened. The exact same "chirp chirp chirp" sound came from beside me again, perfectly synchronized in rhythm and volume. I clearly saw it trapped under the cricket trap, so how did it escape to the side? Did it have a twin brother? I slowly moved the cricket trap away, and sure enough, it was empty underneath. I carefully examined the bluestone slab below; there wasn't a single crack. The cricket trap itself was perfectly intact. How did it get out? Could it really be a cricket spirit that had cultivated for a thousand years, possessing the ability to burrow underground and pass through walls?

I decided to stop thinking about it; even if it was a cricket spirit, I had to catch it. With that resolve, I got up and continued approaching. This time, it came to a broken wall. I looked down and realized it was in trouble. The wall was dilapidated, its age unknown, and due to long periods of neglect and weathering, it was completely crumbling. The blue bricks were riddled with holes and gaps. If it squeezed into those gaps, it would be a disaster. When bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can cause problems; it seems like everything you fear will happen. Before I could even pounce again, sure enough, it spread its wings and calmly slipped into a crack to the side.

Damn it, trying to pull this on me? That's so unfair! Come out and fight me if you dare! This fuss has really ignited my stubbornness. You think hiding behind this wall will stop me? I'll tear this lousy wall down and drag you out today!

I got up and carefully examined the broken wall in front of me. Calling it a wall wasn't really an option; due to the passage of time, almost half of it had collapsed, leaving only a section about three or four meters wide and a little over a meter high. It swayed precariously in the mountain wind. It seemed that knocking it down wouldn't be a problem. While knocking it down wasn't the issue, there was a method to it. If I just kicked it down indiscriminately, the whole wall would collapse, no problem, but all that would be left was a pile of bricks and stones, burying the king of crickets, impossible to catch. So I first pushed aside the wall beside and above the gap, leaving only the bricks around the edge of the gap. Then I took out the slingshot I had brought with me and used the handle to pry the remaining bricks out one by one along the seams.

After removing the last two bricks, a bluestone slab was revealed underneath, and that familiar chirping sound came from beneath it. I thought to myself, this king of crickets is truly extraordinary. Most crickets are too frightened to make a sound at the slightest noise, but this one clearly heard me pushing the wall and digging bricks and still dared to chirp, openly defying me. This slab must be its last line of defense. Once I move it aside and catch you, let's see how long you can remain so arrogant.

Thinking this to myself, I didn't stop moving the stone slab, which was about the size of a canopy. Although it was heavy, it wasn't too difficult for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy like me. But the moment I moved the slab, I was quite surprised. I saw that a passage was revealed beneath the slab, leading down a series of stone steps. And the king of crickets was lying in the middle of this section of steps.

III. White Jade Seal

I couldn't help but gasp. How did I end up in this godforsaken place? How could a tunnel suddenly appear in this desolate wilderness? I bent down to take a look. There were about a dozen stone steps leading to a small, cramped chamber, roughly seventeen or eighteen square meters in size. It was sparsely furnished, except for two oil lamp-like objects on the left and right walls, and a small table in the center of the innermost part of the chamber. Candles were placed on either side of the table, as if it were being used for offerings.

Just as I was carefully observing the secret chamber, the king cricket, which had been perched on the middle of the stone steps, suddenly chirped and leaped onto the table inside. I'd been so distracted by the sudden appearance of the chamber that I'd completely forgotten about catching the king cricket. Coming to my senses, I considered going down, but a thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Like in some novels, could this mysterious secret passage or chamber have some kind of trap? If I went down rashly, I might lose my life. Thinking this, I pulled my leg back. But then I thought again, getting treasure always involves taking risks. Take Dunzi's "Earth King Kong," for example. Dunzi and his cousin had to wait all night in their grandmother's graveyard to catch it. His cousin even got bitten on the back of his hand by an unknown poisonous insect. It was swollen and red, and it took more than half a month to heal. Compared to this king cricket, the "Earth King Kong" was practically nothing. Thinking this through, I steeled myself and decided to take the plunge. I'd try throwing a stone down to test the waters first. So, I looked around, found a thick, withered tree branch, and poked it into the stone steps at the entrance of the passage. Nothing happened. Then I picked up a brick that had fallen from the wall earlier, and with a forceful throw, tossed it into the secret chamber. There was a loud thud as the stone hit the ground, and then everything returned to calm. Children aren't usually that complicated. Seeing that everything was normal, I wasn't so worried anymore. Holding the withered tree branch as a probe, I cautiously made my way down into the secret chamber, step by step.

Strangely enough, as soon as I entered the secret room, the two things on the left and right walls that looked like oil lamps suddenly lit up on their own, startling me. I went to the left one and examined it more closely. I found that they were indeed just two oil lamps, nothing special except that they lit themselves. But even so, I suddenly felt a strange sense of dread deep inside me, a feeling that something ominous was about to happen. So I quickly ran to the table in the middle of the secret room, wanting to catch the rare king of crickets and leave this eerie and terrifying place as soon as possible.

But when I got to the altar, I found that besides the candles, incense burner, and something wrapped in what looked like red cloth, the king cricket was nowhere to be seen. It had vanished in the blink of an eye. I quickly looked around, trying to find the precious cricket I was about to get, but there was nothing there. Suddenly, I was startled by something strange: besides my own shadow on the ground, I noticed a slender figure slowly approaching me from behind.

This startled me so much that I whirled around. Behind me, I saw a humanoid figure dressed in white, drifting towards me from the entrance of the passage I had just come down from. I call it humanoid because although it was dressed in white and seemed to have hands and feet, it had no head. At this sight, three words flashed through my mind—a headless ghost. Startled, I screamed "Mommy!" and instinctively backed away. This backstep caused me to crash into the altar behind me, where a candle and incense burner sat. Perhaps due to its age, the wood of the altar was somewhat rotten. With my sudden impact, the entire altar collapsed, falling to the ground. I, too, was knocked to the ground by the impact. Trying to get up, I found my legs had somehow become w

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