Peces hundidos

Capítulo 8

“Not good enough. We want what’s in the tomb,” Situ Xiang said coldly.

"With so many things in the tomb, aren't you afraid of choking to death?" Qin Wen sneered from the side. "These are all things from the dead. You must know the story of Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

Tutankhamun's tomb was one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, but it was also the beginning of a nightmare.

"Whoever disturbs the peace of the Pharaoh, the wings of death will fall upon his head." This is a curse inscribed on Tutankhamun's tomb. On the night the first tomb door was opened, the canary that archaeologist Carter had brought from England suddenly died. Rumors spread that the Pharaoh's snake had eaten the canary, because it was the canary that led Carter to the tomb door.

A month after the sarcophagus was opened, Lord Carnarvon, an investor, fell seriously ill after being bitten by mosquitoes for three weeks. He was rushed back to Cairo but soon died despite medical treatment. It is said that the bites occurred precisely on the spot where Tutankhamun's scar was located. Carnarvon's sister recalled, "Before he died, he had a high fever and kept saying, 'I heard his voice calling me, I want to go with him!' That day, the entire city of Cairo suddenly lost power, and even the power company couldn't figure out what the problem was."

In the days that followed, the excavation crew continued to die. Richard Bethel, the expedition's secretary to Carnarvon, suffered a sudden heart attack and died in his bedroom. Gamir Mehler, the director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, who had dealt with Egyptian tombs and mummies for many years, also fell ill on the very day he was directing a team of workers to pack artifacts unearthed from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Since then, the Pharaoh's curse has haunted all archaeologists, like a persistent dark cloud. Even those who don't believe in ghosts and spirits are deeply wary of it. After all, a scientific explanation can be found: some tombs have poisonous substances applied to the burial chambers to poison those who enter, thus protecting the tomb from looting. However, such practices are still rare in China.

Jack, standing behind Situ Xiang, gave a disdainful smile and said, "If there really were some kind of curse, we would have died many times over by now, and we wouldn't be standing here now."

Qin Wen was speechless for a moment, glaring at him angrily. After a long while, she finally said, "If you walk in the dark for too long, you're bound to encounter a ghost. Don't be so smug; retribution will come sooner or later!"

Jack sneered, "Then I'll wait for it to come and see if it's more skilled or if I'm just tougher!"

"Enough with the nonsense," Situ Xiang interrupted the two, his voice deep and serious. "We must get what's in this tomb. But if you obey, we won't harm you. Otherwise..." His gaze swept over the archaeological team, his chilling killing intent piercing their hearts like a knife. Yin Li shivered. She knew that even without these people lifting a finger, just one look from Brother Xiang was enough to terrify them all.

"Gemstone!" A sharp voice rang out, and a very thin man stepped out from among the five. His face was also pointed and monkey-like; at a glance, Yin Li knew that he was the monkey who had gone to scout the graveyard that night.

He lunged at the golden door, gazing greedily at the numerous gems inlaid within, his eyes lingering on the pink diamond. A fierce desire blazed in his eyes, his mouth gaped open, and he nearly drooled.

Situ Xiang knew his old habit had flared up again, so he coughed lightly, signaling him not to make a fool of himself. But the monkey seemed not to hear him and reached out to pull out the pink diamond.

"Stop!" Qin Wen's expression changed drastically, and she shouted sharply, "Don't touch it!"

The monkey turned its head and gave her a strange smile. The smile was extremely eerie, as if it couldn't be made by a human. It grinned, emitting a series of shrill laughs. This sound was different from the previous one; it was sharp and shrill, like a woman's. But upon closer listening, it wasn't quite a woman; it was neither male nor female, sending chills down one's spine.

Qin Wen was stunned, her face turning from white to pale, and she couldn't say a word.

The monkey grinned eerily as it tried to tear at the pink crystal. Situ Xiang noticed something was wrong, went over, grabbed its arm, and said, "Monkey, stop!"

The monkey struggled forcefully, actually pushing him so hard that he stumbled and took a step back. He stared in surprise at the person in front of him, finding him strangely unfamiliar. While the monkey was usually greedy, his eyes glued to jewels, he never seemed to be this obsessed, and besides, where did he get such strength?

"Stop him!" Qin Wen shouted. "This is the Gate of Lagomosa! He's been hit by Lagomosa's Bewitching Curse!"

Everyone was startled; no one understood what she was saying. Situ Xiang seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and quickly stepped forward to stop her. Shan Hu and Lao Si immediately pounced to help, and the four of them wrestled and tangled together. Shan Hu grabbed Monkey's waist and pulled him back forcefully, shouting, "Damn it! Brother Xiang, how can Monkey have such strength?"

Before the words were finished, a sharp "crack" was heard, and the four of them fell backward together, scattering immediately. There lay the monkey on the ground, clutching the diamond in its hand, laughing loudly. The laughter was shrill, like a knife scraping through metal, sending chills down their spines.

"Diamonds! Pink diamonds! I finally got pink diamonds! I'm rich now! Hahahaha..." He laughed wildly, and with his laughter, the golden door burst open.

"No!" Qin Wen screamed, almost losing control of her emotions. She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with fear, staring intently at the dark space inside the door.

"Xiaowen! Xiaowen, what's wrong?" Yin Li rushed over and hugged her. She had never been so out of control since they met: "Xiaowen, calm down, Xiaowen!"

"Lagmoro! Lagmoro! There's Lagmoro inside the door!" Qin Wen's shoulders trembled slightly in her arms.

"What exactly is Lagmoro?" Yin Li asked, puzzled. What could possibly frighten Xiao Wen, who was skilled in martial arts?

"Lagmoro is a hellish demon from the legends of the Western Regions!" Qin Wen cried. "It has an incredibly ferocious face, rhinoceros horns, stands two meters tall, and has a terrifyingly gaping maw that feeds on infants. Whenever a child cries or misbehaves, it appears and devours the child's head! Legend says it lives inside a golden door inlaid with all sorts of gems. Among them is a pink diamond, which is the embodiment of an evil god. It will cause those with greedy hearts to harbor evil thoughts and transform into demons. The demons will open the golden door, release Lagmoro, and kill everyone!"

"Nonsense! utter nonsense!" The monkey stood up with a monstrous laugh, holding the diamond in its hands. It declared to everyone, "This diamond is mine alone! Nobody can take it away! Nobody can!"

Behind him was the open golden gate. Qin Wen's pupils suddenly dilated, and she shouted, "Get out of there! Lagmoro will kill you! Get out of there!"

"Lagmora? Where is there any Lagmora?" the monkey laughed. "You want to steal my diamonds! You all want to steal my diamonds! I won't fall for it, I won't fall for it! Hahahaha..."

Suddenly, a shadow lunged out from the doorway. Situ Xiang and Jack were both startled and lunged at the monkey with incredible speed, trying to shove him away. But they were too late. Just as they reached him, a shower of blood rained down on them, soaking them from head to toe!

19. The Shaluo Cult

A woman's screams echoed from the tomb passage. Even Shanhu and Lao Si were stunned, staring blankly at the tragedy before them, unable to recover for a moment.

Qin Wen screamed and burrowed into Yin Li's arms. Yin Li stared in disbelief at the monkey lying on the ground. A bronze sword had pierced his back, precisely into his chest. It had gone right through him, pinning him to the ground.

Situ Xiang and Jack slowly stood up from the ground, their faces also filled with astonishment.

The one holding the bronze sword was just a bronze statue. Although it looked exactly like the hellish demon Lagmoro that Qin Wen had described, it was still just a bronze statue!

Inside the golden gate was less than a square meter of space, just enough to fit a bronze statue. It was designed so that from the outside, it would appear completely dark inside. There were no mechanisms inside, and no one knew why the statue had fallen, or why the bronze sword had just pierced the monkey's chest.

For a moment, the world fell silent.

Crimson blood spread silently beneath the monkey, forming a horrible web along the cracks in the stones on the floor.

Fear grew in everyone's hearts. They seemed to sense that in this dark tomb, a terrible adversary was lurking in the shadows, coldly watching their panicked expressions and letting out a chilling, cruel laugh.

Shan Hu suddenly turned around, grabbed Qin Wen, and said with a ferocious expression, "Tell me! Why do you know about this monster?"

Qin Wen, a sixth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, instinctively turned to the side when he grabbed her arm, grabbing it with both hands and twisting it forcefully. Shan Hu was taken aback, not expecting such a seemingly delicate woman to possess such skill. In that moment of hesitation, a sharp pain shot through his arm. He groaned and raised his other fist to strike Qin Wen's face.

Qin Wen immediately leaned back, her supple waist bending downwards, as a fist, carrying a cold wind, swept past her eyes. She twisted her body, grabbing Shan Hu's wrist with one hand and striking his shoulder joint with the other.

"Mountain Tiger! Watch out!" Situ Xiang immediately pounced, and Qin Wen's hand landed solidly on Mountain Tiger's shoulder. With a crisp sound, Mountain Tiger let out a scream, and his arm went limp.

Qin Wen, having landed a successful blow, immediately retreated. Before she could regain her footing, Situ Xiang's fist was already upon her. She hastily dodged, unaware that Situ Xiang's move was a feint. Seeing Qin Wen fall for it, he immediately withdrew his fist, grabbed her arm, and twisted it around her body. Qin Wen cried out in pain. Losing her balance, she knelt on one knee.

Yin Li gasped and shouted, "Stop!"

Situ Xiang raised his eyes, looked at her coldly, and said, "She hurt my brother."

His tone was icy and chilling, and the already cold air in the tomb passage seemed to drop even further, causing everyone to shiver. Yin Li stared fearlessly into those icy green eyes and said firmly, "He's the one who wanted to hurt Xiao Wen!"

Situ Xiang turned around and saw Lao Si supporting Shan Hu. Both of his arms were injured and hung limply at his sides. His face was pale with pain, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans appeared on his forehead.

“My brother is injured,” Situ Xiang said, tightening his grip. Qin Wen cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face, but she bit her lower lip to keep herself from making a sound.

"That's only because your brother's skills are lacking!" Yin Li sneered. "He got both his joints dislocated by a little girl, is that all he's capable of?"

"Damn it, that's bullshit!" The fourth brother couldn't contain himself and shouted. He shoved Shanhu aside and walked aggressively towards Yin Li, glaring at her fiercely, and said, "Brother Xiang! Let go of this little girl, I want her to know we're not just sitting around doing nothing!"

"Fourth brother! Don't cause any more trouble!" Situ Xiang pulled out a pair of handcuffs from behind his belt and snapped them behind Qin Wen's back. He said to Yin Li, "If she dares to play any more tricks, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Yin Li met his icy gaze and helped Qin Wen up from the ground. This was the first time in Qin Wen's life she had been handcuffed; she gritted her teeth in hatred and glared angrily at Situ Xiang. After a long while, she managed a cold laugh and said, "Four grown men bullying a weak woman, what a feat!"

"Enough with the nonsense!" Situ Xiang turned to check on Shan Hu's injury. Jack said, "It's nothing, just a dislocated joint." As he spoke, he looked up at Qin Wen, who was filled with anger, and gave her a playful smile: "Little sister, you're pretty smart. You know you can't beat him in strength, so you target his joints."

"Who's your little sister? Disgusting!" Qin Wen spat at him, secretly surprised. This man was indeed extraordinary; he had seen through her tactics at a glance. She would have to be extremely careful if she ever faced him in the future.

“Very good,” Situ Xiang said succinctly. He picked up Shan Hu’s arm, examined it closely, and then suddenly exerted force. Shan Hu groaned, breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain.

"Alright, let's see how your arms are." After setting the joints in both arms, Situ Xiang stood up. Shan Hu raised his hand; although there was still some pain, he could move it now. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and said, "Thank you, Brother Xiang."

Situ Xiang didn't answer, but turned to look at the monkey's corpse with a complicated expression. After a long while, he took off his coat and covered the monkey's body, his face still cold: "Everyone in the archaeological team, I'm very sorry, but you'll have to stay with my brother."

Upon hearing this, a woman's scream erupted from the archaeological team: "No, I don't want to die. Please, I don't want to die!" Everyone turned to see Zhang Yuanyuan huddled in Bai Yunning's arms, trembling uncontrollably, her eyes filled with despair, as if she could already see the Grim Reaper with his black scythe beckoning to her. Yin Li gave a disdainful look. These people were tomb raiders, not murderers; they wouldn't be foolish enough to unleash a massacre here.

Situ Xiang didn't even bother to look at Zhang Yuanyuan, and said, "Shanhu, Lao Si, you two stay here and keep an eye on them, and also take care of Monkey's health. Jack, let's go find the main tomb chamber."

"Yes." Although Shanhu and Lao Si both looked somewhat unwilling, they dared not disobey his orders and could only obediently agree. Just as Situ Xiang was about to walk deeper into the tomb passage, Jack suddenly laughed and said, "Brother Xiang, isn't it inappropriate to leave them here?"

Situ Xiang's expression hardened, and he said, "What do you mean?"

Jack's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Who knows what dangers might lurk inside? Why don't we ask these archaeological experts to guide us?"

The archaeological team members' faces suddenly turned pale. Didn't he mean to send them to be cannon fodder?

Situ Xiang was slightly taken aback and said, "We only rob tombs, we never kill people."

“This is Uncle Tian’s idea.” Jack’s tone was as if he were talking about the weather. “He doesn’t want us to lose our lives before we even get the antiques.”

Upon hearing Uncle Tian's name, Situ Xiang immediately fell silent. He stared coldly at Jack, a ripple appearing in his icy green eyes. After a long while, he finally said, "Alright, Shanhu, Lao Si, please have the archaeological experts go first."

Two menacing-looking men approached, carrying machetes, forcing the crowd to cautiously move inside. Professor Li, pale-faced, whispered to Qin Wen, "Qin, what exactly is this Lagmoro? Why have I never heard of it?"

Qin Wen looked at him strangely; he actually had the mood to ask this at a time like this. It seems that people have an innate persistence for the things they like, and this persistence will not change even in the most dangerous situations.

“Lagamo is a servant of Rama, the evil god in the Kshatriya religion,” she said, a chill running down her spine.

"The Shaluo Cult!" Professor Li exclaimed, and everyone stared at him in bewilderment. They wondered if he had lost his mind due to extreme fear.

"You...you know the legends of the Shaluo Cult?" Professor Li became excited, grabbing Qin Wen's shoulder and saying, "Tell me quickly, what other legends are there about the Shaluo Cult?"

"Professor, what is the Kshatriya Cult?" Bai Yun Ning was completely unfamiliar with this name; she had never even heard anyone mention it before.

"The Kshatriya religion is a very ancient religion in the Western Regions, with origins dating back to the primitive society. It is said that their leader held a position in the Western Regions comparable to that of the Pope in the Middle Ages. However, later, other religions rose to prominence, and the kingdoms of the Western Regions, unwilling to be ruled by the Kshatriya religion any longer, began a long campaign to destroy it. Countless priests were killed, countless scriptures were destroyed, and some kings even spent twenty years erasing the religion, leaving nothing behind. By the Spring and Autumn Period in the Central Plains, the Kshatriya religion had finally disappeared from the earth, leaving no trace. Only a few records remain in the epics passed down orally. Some historians even believe that this religion never existed." Professor Li became increasingly agitated, stopping in his tracks and tightening his grip on Qin Wen's hands. "Xiao Wen, how do you know the legends of the Kshatriya religion? Is it because of your maternal grandfather, Teacher Mai?"

“My maternal grandfather was very interested in Kshatriya religion.” Qin Wen, who was gripping him painfully, quickly broke free and said, “He spent twenty years studying this religion. He finally found a clue in many ancient texts from India, Bhutan, and Tibet. He is currently writing a paper, which may be presented at the Global Conference on Ancient Cultures and Religions next July.”

"Enough with the nonsense!" Shan Hu shouted. Qin Wen turned her head, gave him a disdainful smile, and said, "A defeated general has no right to speak of bravery."

"You!" Shan Hu's face turned bright red. He grabbed the collar of her shirt, his eyes wide open, and roared, "Say that again!"

"If you don't like it, I can choose not to say it." Qin Wen's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Didn't I dislocate both your hands if I didn't tell you?"

"You wretched woman!" Shanhu tightened his grip, almost lifting her feet off the ground. "Do you believe I'll skin you alive?!"

"Mountain Tiger!" Situ Xiang frowned. He was about to stop them when everything went black, and the two of them vanished into thin air! He froze for two seconds, then suddenly heard a scream.

"Xiao Wen!" Yin Li rushed over. Where the two had just stood, a section of the floor had vanished, revealing a terrifying darkness beneath.

20. True masters live in seclusion in the city.

"Xiao Li, come save me! Snake! There's a snake here!" Qin Wen's voice came from inside the cave. Yin Li was shocked. She turned around, snatched the torch from Situ Xiang's hand, and stuck it into the cave. After just one glance, her face turned deathly pale.

Snakes! Countless snakes! The two men sat on the ground, their faces pale and purplish, too afraid to move. Countless venomous snakes crawled all over their bodies. Yin Li recognized the snakes; their sharp heads were like cones, and their constantly flicking forked tongues were pink.

"Salang Snake!" Yin Li exclaimed, her hand went limp, and the torch fell to the ground. Another hand reached out from behind her and caught the torch with a snap. Yin Li turned around and saw a pair of icy green eyes. "What is a Salang Snake?" he asked.

"It's a venomous snake that went extinct four hundred years ago. It lived in the desert and fed on man-eating ants. It's extremely venomous; a single drop of its venom can kill ten elephants!" Yin Li said, pulling a glass bottle from her bag and calling into the cave, "Xiao Wen, quick! Eat this, and no snake will bite you!"

The glass bottle fell, landing on Qin Wen. Qin Wen's hands were cuffed behind her back, rendering her immobile. Shan Hu grabbed the bottle and poured the contents into his hand. A pill rolled out, deep red, the color of blood, emitting a strange herbal fragrance.

Only one!

Yin Li's heart suddenly turned cold. She knew what this meant.

Everyone crowded around the cave entrance, staring intently at the thousands upon thousands of venomous snakes surging below, their hearts pounding.

Shanhu stared at the pill in his palm for two seconds, stunned. Turning his head, he met Qin Wen's gaze, which held deep fear and despair. She knew she was doomed.

Shanhu roared, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I'm some kind of coward who would fight with a woman for something?" With that, he grabbed her arm and shoved the red pill into her mouth.

Everyone was stunned! Even Situ Xiang, Lao Si, and Jack couldn't believe that Shan Hu had suddenly become so gentlemanly. He wouldn't take the life-saving pills himself, but instead gave them to this woman who had almost crippled him!

What is he thinking?

Just as the pill was being placed into Qin Wen's mouth, a Salang snake leaped up and bit his arm. Shan Hu hadn't expected the snake to jump so high and had no time to dodge; its sharp, foul-smelling fangs pierced his arm. He yelled, pulled a dagger from his waist, and stabbed the Salang snake, pinning it to the ground.

As soon as Qin Wen swallowed the pill, all the Salang snakes retreated swiftly as if summoned. The cave was small, and the numerous Salang snakes could not crawl far. They could only huddle in the corner, flicking their tongues and watching the two of them menacingly, but dared not cross the line.

Shan Hu groaned and slumped down, clutching his injured arm. Qin Wen immediately knelt before him, asking worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"Nonsense, of course I'm in trouble!" Shanhu gritted his teeth and released his grip. The snake bite wound was swollen high, the surrounding area now a deep blue, almost black. Black, viscous liquid was constantly oozing from several teeth marks, and the veins on his entire arm were bulging out. Each vein stood out, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.