No toques a mi hombre

Capítulo 24

Due to intense tension, I lost track of time until I finally reached the innermost part of the sleeping quarters. By then, I was quite a distance from the terracotta army. Seeing that I hadn't encountered any dangerous or urgent situations along the way, my courage gradually grew. Noticing a doorway in the bronze wall on the side of the sleeping quarters, I went in without hesitation, intending to search it and see if the other half of the *Burial Scripture* we were looking for was hidden there.

Entering through the side doorway, I found myself in another spacious hall. Because the headlamp's beam wasn't very far, I couldn't judge its exact size, but seeing a bronze pillar nearby, roughly the same thickness as the one in the outer hall, I surmised it wouldn't be small. The floor maintained the same opulent style as the outer hall, and the decorations on the bronze pillars were very similar. However, the inner walls were no longer made of bronze plates, but of brick and stone. The walls were decorated with exquisite murals, mostly depicting flowers, birds, insects, pavilions, beautiful women, singing girls, mountains, and rivers.

69. Xuan Yu

Due to the extremely high ceilings and the sheer size of the murals, it was difficult to see the entire scene from the limited area illuminated by my overhead lamp, thus hindering my appreciation of their grandeur. Perhaps due to the meticulous construction and excellent sealing of the Qin Mausoleum's tomb chamber, these massive murals have been remarkably well-preserved. There is very little peeling, and even the vibrant colors have not lost their brilliance due to the passage of time.

As I surveyed my surroundings, I wandered aimlessly through the room, wondering what valuable items might be hidden within the inner chamber, given the numerous "ghost soldiers" guarding the outer hall. Could it be the *Burial Scripture* we were searching for in the Qin Mausoleum? Lost in thought, I accidentally bumped into an object nearly half my height, causing my knee to ache. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a reclining sheep-shaped bronze lampstand against the wall. I pulled out a waterproof and windproof Zippo lighter from my bag and tried to ignite the remaining "mermaid" oil in the lampstand's base. The mysterious veil of the inner chamber was gradually lifted in the dim light.

By the dim light of the oil lamp, I saw the outline of another similar reclining sheep-shaped lampstand about seven or eight meters away, so I went over and carefully lit it. Then I discovered a third lampstand. In this way, I spent about half an hour relighting most of the oil lamps in the room. The oil fuel from these East Sea "mermaids" was indeed very precious; not only could it be stored for a long time, but it also didn't produce the thick black smoke that candles or other lamp oils produce. So, although I lit most of the oil lamps in the room at once, the smoke was not heavy.

The room was now brightly lit. The massive bronze pillars, enormous murals, exquisite terracotta floor tiles, and the magnificent reclining sheep lampstand were truly breathtaking. The interior was noticeably more spacious than the outer hall; aside from the massive bronze pillars and the bronze reclining sheep lampstands along the walls, there were almost no other furnishings. However, in the center of this hall, estimated to be nearly a thousand square meters, stood a pyramidal platform, taller than a person. Something valuable seemed to be placed on it, occasionally reflecting dazzling golden light in the firelight. Could it be the *Burial Scripture*, the key to the mystery of immortality? This reminded me of the small golden box containing the *Burial Scripture* I found in the treasure cave of the Tomb Raider General. Thinking this, I quickly walked towards the platform.

Upon reaching the platform, I discovered it was carved from a single block of white rock, resembling marble. Stairs led up to it on all four sides, their sides adorned with carvings of dragons and phoenixes. Each of the four corners of the platform was decorated with a dragon pillar over a meter tall, making it appear exceptionally beautiful and exquisite. I slowly ascended the stone steps. Fearing I might trigger some terrifying trap, I remained constantly tense, even my palms, gripping the flamethrower, were sweating profusely. Being alone, without support, and unsure of what lay ahead, each step required far more courage than usual. And I knew I had to maintain this immense courage, for once it vanished, I would dare not take another step forward.

I don't know how much time passed, but it felt like an eternity before I finally stepped onto the last step and reached the top of the platform. The platform was probably over ten square meters in size, with a small wooden box in the center. In front of the box were a bronze incense burner and a pair of bronze candlesticks. It was as if the box was being offered as a sacrifice. The entire box was made of some kind of precious sandalwood, and even after so much time, it still faintly emitted a sandalwood fragrance. The center of each of the four sides of the box was decorated with bat-shaped patterns crafted from gold, and the four corners were also covered with pure gold sheets, making it appear extremely precious and exquisite.

Originally, I didn't want to open any items in the Qin Mausoleum underground palace without permission, but at this moment I suspected that this exquisite sandalwood box might contain the other half of the "Burial Mystery Classic" that we were looking for when we entered the First Emperor's tomb. So after some internal struggle, I decided to open the wooden box as carefully as possible and take a look.

After making this decision, I carefully grasped the lid of the wooden box and gently lifted it. The instant I opened the lid, a ray of golden light appeared from the bottom of the box. I instinctively closed my eyes to protect them from the intense golden light. When I slowly opened my eyes again, I saw a layer of golden silk gauze lining the inside of the sandalwood box. On the gauze lay an object resembling a bird feather, about twenty centimeters long, jet black in color, yet gleaming with a faint golden light, still as bright as new despite enduring a thousand years of wind and frost. Although I had seen many birds and specimens of extinct birds in zoos and museums, I had never seen such beautiful bird feathers before. Beside the feather was a pure gold plaque, with the characters "玄羽" (Xuan Yu, meaning "Black Feather") cast in seal script on it. Could this not be the feather of the "Black Bird" worshipped by the pre-Qin people? Thinking of this, I couldn't help but be a little surprised.

According to historical records and modern research, like the Shang people, the Qin people also worshipped the Black Bird, using it as their clan's totem. The *Records of the Grand Historian* states, "The ancestor of Qin was a descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu, named Nüxiu. While Nüxiu was weaving, a Black Bird dropped an egg, which she swallowed, and gave birth to a son named Daye." This account of Nüxiu swallowing the Black Bird's egg and giving birth to a boy named Daye, who is considered the ancestor of the Qin people, illustrates the relationship between the Qin people and the Black Bird. However, this account is unreliable and merely a myth. What I didn't expect was that things that only appeared in myths would actually come to life before my eyes. But upon further reflection, this bird feather might not necessarily be from the mythical "Black Bird." Perhaps it was from some rare bird that appeared at the time, and the people of Qin found it and presented it to the First Emperor as the feather of the Black Bird, their national totem. The First Emperor naturally valued this sacred object highly, and even after his death, he wanted to take it with him.

Apart from that, I found no other items. Although I knew that the bird feathers in the wooden box might be from a bird species that had become extinct in ancient times and that we had never discovered before, and that they were extremely precious items, I did not keep them because, legally speaking, these funerary items should now belong to the state and be considered common wealth. Instead, I carefully closed the sandalwood box again and then walked down from the platform.

After circling the room twice more, confirming that I wasn't looking for anything, I left. I carefully recalled everything I'd seen since entering this underground chamber, noting that the architecture was symmetrical. To the left of the chamber, I'd found a shrine dedicated to the so-called "Mysterious Feather," so there should be another inner hall on the right, perhaps containing the mysterious *Burial Scripture*. This thought reignited my adventurous spirit. So, I stealthily made my way to the other side, following the trail of the underground army. Although it wasn't the first time I'd seen those terracotta "ghost soldiers" come to life, my heart still pounded every time they suddenly glowed and the sounds of swords and chariots filled the air.

After much searching, I finally found my way to the opposite side of the sleeping quarters and saw an open doorway on the side wall, exactly the same as the one I had seen on the left. The doorway had an arched top, and the surrounding frame was decorated with exquisite cloud and dragon patterns. However, I had no interest in admiring these exquisite Qin Dynasty artworks and strode into the room. Under the bright light of my headlamp, I quickly realized that the layout here was very similar to the inner hall on the left where the "Xuan Yu" was enshrined, only the decorative patterns on the bronze pillars were slightly different. The reclining ram-shaped bronze lampstands still stood against the wall. I lit them one by one with my Zippo lighter, just as before. In the light, I quickly saw the high, protruding stone platform in the center of the room.

From a distance, I could see that there seemed to be something on the stone platform, so I quickly walked over. Since I hadn't encountered any traps or hidden weapons in the inner room on the left, I figured there probably wouldn't be any here either, so I was much bolder than before. I took three steps at a time and climbed up the white stone platform in one go.

On the stone platform still stood the bronze incense burner and candlesticks, with incense and candles offered to a sandalwood box of the same size. The box, inlaid with silver and gemstones, was still exquisitely crafted. I carefully held the lid with both hands and slowly lifted it, closing my eyes beforehand to avoid being blinded by the light again. When I slowly opened my eyes, what appeared before me were several strange, snow-white stones inside the box. Beside these stones was a silver plaque inlaid with various gemstones, bearing two characters the size of a date: "Dragon Bone."

70. Dragon bone

Upon seeing those two words, my heart skipped a beat. Could these white stones really be dragon bones? Do dragons truly exist in this world? Thinking this, I couldn't help but examine the snow-white stones inside the wooden box more closely. I counted eight pieces in total, varying in size. The largest was about ten centimeters long, thick at the base and tapering to a hook shape, resembling a fossilized claw of some animal. The others were of varying lengths, seemingly fossilized toe bones of some giant animal.

Seeing this, I thought to myself that in ancient times, people lacked scientific knowledge and often couldn't correctly understand their natural environment, frequently substituting their subjective imagination for objective reality. Research suggests that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, people used tortoise shells and ox bones unearthed from the ground as mysterious "dragon bones" to treat illnesses. Therefore, the so-called "dragon bones" in this box probably aren't real. Perhaps these so-called dragon bones are actually fossils of some kind of dinosaur, or even just fossils of some extinct giant beast. However, these fossilized bones are different from the ordinary dinosaur fossils I've seen in museums. As far as I know, ordinary fossils should be dull in color and unable to absorb limestone, but these "dragon bones" before me are bright white and slightly translucent crystalline, which is quite unusual.

After seeing all this, and recalling the "mysterious feather" I had seen in the left-hand inner chamber, I realized that both inner chambers in this heavily guarded underground palace were sacrificial rooms used to worship the Qin people's totem. According to historical records, after Qin Shi Huang unified the country and established the Qin Dynasty, in order to strengthen his rule and consolidate his throne, in addition to establishing a set of autocratic political, economic, and military systems, he also vigorously promoted the "Theory of the Five Elements' Cycle" to create a theoretical basis for his rule. The *Records of the Grand Historian*, in the chapter on Qin Shi Huang, states: "The First Emperor followed the tradition of the Five Virtues, believing that the Zhou dynasty possessed the virtue of fire, and that Qin, succeeding Zhou, followed the virtue of fire, following the principle of 'overcoming fire.' Now, at the beginning of the virtue of water, he changed the year's beginning, and all court officials began on the first day of the tenth month. Clothing, banners, and flags were all black. Numbers were based on six, and talismans and legal caps were all six inches long. Carriages were six feet long, with six feet representing a step, and six horses were used. The Yellow River was renamed the Virtue River, signifying the beginning of the virtue of water." Here, Sima Qian not only explicitly states that Qin revered the virtue of water but also details the reasons for this veneration and its influence on the systems and customs of the time. Since water was considered the virtue, the Water Dragon King, with its deep connection to water, naturally became a totem revered by the Qin dynasty. Because these "black feathers" and "dragon bones" were the totems of the Qin people, their most sacred objects, it's no wonder that the emperor initially built two massive inner halls on either side of his sleeping quarters to enshrine these sacred items, and even stationed a legion of "ghost soldiers" outside for protection. Therefore, it seems that the inner room on the right was only used to display and enshrine the "dragon bones," and could not possibly contain other items such as the "Burial Scripture." After I closed the wooden box containing the "dragon bones" again, I left the inner room.

Based on the information I have gathered so far, I haven't found the First Emperor's coffin, which means I haven't searched the entire palace yet, and there must be other halls nearby that I need to search. When I returned to the main hall of the palace, I dared not approach the eerie "ghost soldiers" army within. I secretly searched the open area where the "ghost soldiers" army was, looking for other entrances.

I was afraid of disturbing those eerie "ghost soldiers," so I didn't turn on my headlamp. I just groped around in the vicinity by the faint blue light emanating from the terracotta figures. After about half an incense stick's time, I seemed to feel a slight cool breeze blowing in front of me as the blue light appeared. Strange, where did the cool breeze come from? Could there be another entrance here? I thought to myself as I walked in the direction of the cool breeze.

After walking about several dozen steps, I clearly felt the faint cool breeze gradually strengthen, indicating that I was quite close to its source. So I quickened my pace. When the blue light returned, I found myself following the cold wind to the back wall of the sleeping quarters. Under this ethereal blue light, I saw a barely noticeable hidden door in the wall. Because the wall was made of smooth copper plates, and the two large doors inside the hidden doorway were also made of the same smooth copper plates, coupled with the dim light, it was difficult to spot without careful observation. It was only because of the relatively strong cold wind blowing intermittently from the gap between the two copper doors that I discovered this hidden door.

I crept closer to the hidden door and pushed hard against the bronze door. It wasn't locked, but a strong gust of wind blew from behind it, and the doors were tall and heavy. Being alone and weak, I couldn't open it despite my efforts. At that moment, I desperately wished Tang Zhengyang and A Bao were with me. Perhaps with their combined strength, opening the door wouldn't be a problem. Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. The sound grew louder, gradually approaching. A thought suddenly flashed through my mind: had the "ghost soldiers" discovered my presence and were closing in? A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I quickly turned to face the direction of the footsteps, simultaneously aiming my flamethrower in that direction.

A few seconds later, illuminated by the intermittent blue light, I saw two slender figures gradually appear in front of me, one tall and one short, slowly walking towards me, glancing left and right. I gripped the flamethrower tightly, aiming the muzzle at the two figures, my palms sweating profusely, barely daring to breathe.

A few seconds later, the shorter of the two figures suddenly slipped. The other figure quickly grabbed the fallen figure and shouted, "Watch out!" Upon hearing this voice, I was both surprised and delighted. It was none other than Tang Zhengyang's voice, the very voice I had just been thinking about. At that moment, I couldn't care less about anything else, nor was I afraid of disturbing the surrounding "ghost soldiers." I shouted loudly, "Zhengyang, Jenny, is that you?" Hearing my shout, Tang Zhengyang and the others were also quite surprised. After a moment, Tang Zhengyang replied, "Sinan, it's you? You're still alive, that's wonderful!" We each ran towards the other. After experiencing that life-or-death separation on that broken bridge, the three of us were finally reunited. Overwhelmed with emotion, we were speechless for a moment, simply embracing each other tightly.

71. Wind Tunnel

After calming down a bit, I asked in confusion, "Why did you all come down here?" Tang Zhengyang replied, "Ever since that broken bridge collapsed and you cut the safety rope and fell into the ditch, I thought you were definitely dead. And the path ahead was blocked, so I was planning to leave the tomb with Jenny and meet up with Dunzi and the others. But Jenny disagreed. She said she had a feeling that you weren't dead and needed our help. At her insistence, we relied on the rock pitons Jenny had in her backpack..." "We slowly climbed down the steep cliff using ropes." "When we reached the bottom of the ravine, we saw an underground river. Although it was quite wide, the current wasn't very strong. I had a feeling you were still alive, so I searched along the riverbank for your whereabouts. Finally, we found this hidden imperial palace on the bank. After entering the palace, we saw these numerous 'ghost soldiers.' Suddenly, the palace glowed, and we heard the sounds of clashing swords, clashing chariots, and neighing horses. Just as we were starting to panic, we heard your cries." Jenny added. After hearing their story, I was deeply moved by their selfless act of climbing down the cliff to find me. I was speechless.

Through Jenny's hazmat suit and glass visor, I saw her red-rimmed eyes brimming with tears. I knew she must have cried terribly since I fell off the broken bridge, worrying endlessly about my fate. Thinking of this, a surge of warmth welled up within me, an indescribable feeling of excitement rising within me. I wanted to hold her tightly, never to be separated from her again, so she wouldn't have to worry about me or risk her life for me.

Then they asked me about the blue-glowing terracotta warrior spaces. I said, "These terracotta warriors might be 'ghost soldiers' created by Qin Shi Huang using some kind of magic from the *Burial Scripture*. I've heard Dunzi mention these 'ghost soldiers' before; they're incredibly powerful when they unleash their power. They can instantly seize a person's soul, turning them into a completely unconscious vegetable. Some of Dunzi's comrades in the unit once unearthed such a terracotta warrior and were injured by it, becoming vegetable-like themselves." Hearing this, Jenny also remembered. So she said, "Oh, right, that was when we were all on our way to the Song Dynasty tomb to help me find the tomb-raiding seal; Dunzi mentioned this to everyone." Tang Zhengyang nodded after listening and said, "In that case, let's avoid provoking these terrifying terracotta warriors and hurry back."

"Don't worry, I found a hidden door over there. Maybe the half of the 'Burial Scripture' is inside. It's just that I wasn't strong enough to push open those two bronze doors by myself. Now that you guys are helping, I think we should be able to open them." As I spoke, I led them to the bronze door.

Tang Zhengyang carefully examined the hidden door before him and said, "It seems this hidden door is the last door in this underground mausoleum. In our jargon, this bronze door is called the 'Gate of the Underworld,' which separates life and death. So generally speaking, the place inside the 'Gate of the Underworld' is where the coffin of the tomb's occupant is placed." Hearing Tang Zhengyang say this, I was extremely excited. We were about to enter the last sacred area within the Qin Mausoleum. Even if we ultimately failed to find the half of the *Burial Scripture*, just having the privilege of witnessing the coffin of the First Emperor and seeing this final sacred temple he built for himself would be enough to make us feel extremely satisfied.

Then, the three of us chose one of the bronze doors and pushed it inwards with all our might, using our shoulders to brace against it. With our combined effort, the heavy bronze door was finally pushed open little by little. At the same time, a fierce gust of cold wind whooshed out from behind the door, almost knocking us to the ground. I quickly grabbed my wolf-eye flashlight with Tang Zhengyang and the other man and shone it inside. To everyone's surprise, the world behind the door wasn't as lavishly decorated as we had imagined. There was only a huge natural cave, about five or six meters in diameter. The strong, slightly chilly wind was blowing from inside this massive cave. Fortunately, all three of us were wearing full-body hazmat suits, and the glass visors on the suits protected our eyes from the strong wind; otherwise, it would have been extremely difficult for us to fully open our eyes in such a strong wind.

Despite wearing bulky hazmat suits and braving the fierce winds, our movements were extremely difficult, but we didn't give up easily. The three of us held hands and walked in a line, led by Tang Zhengyang, into the cave. We leaned slightly forward to avoid being blown over by the strong winds, moving slowly forward with tiny steps. The cave wasn't very deep, maybe a hundred or two meters to the bottom at most, but this short distance took us one or two hours of arduous walking.

As we neared the end of the cave, we saw a faint light peeking through the darkness. We quickened our pace, hurrying to reach it. When we arrived, we saw a wide stone staircase at the end of the massive cave, descending at approximately a 30-degree angle to a lower stone hall. We could faintly hear the sound of a waterfall emanating from within. Due to the angle, even crouching down, we couldn't see inside the hall, only the faint light emanating from it. Strong, cold winds also blew up the staircase from within the hall. We examined the staircase; it appeared to have been carved directly into the cave wall. Because it hadn't been used for a long time and had been constantly exposed to strong winds, the staircase was exceptionally clean, without a speck of dust.

Jenny and I glanced at Tang Zhengyang. He knew we were asking if the stone steps were safe, so he smiled and said, "Don't worry. My 'Diamond Umbrella' and I will lead the way. It's absolutely safe." With that, he opened his ancestral, specially made "Diamond Umbrella" and began walking down the stone steps. I stayed behind Jenny, trying my best to protect her within the protective range of Tang Zhengyang's "Diamond Umbrella," and followed him down the steps.

Actually, the stone steps weren't long, but a strong wind forced us to slow down. When we finally reached the top of the steps and arrived at the entrance to the mysterious cave, we were utterly stunned by the amazing sight before us.

This was a vast natural underground cavern. Its size was impossible to estimate at first glance, as we could barely see its boundaries, only countless natural stalactites and stalagmites. Not far from us, a massive underground river, a white waterfall, cascaded down a natural rock wall. Beneath the waterfall, a huge waterwheel was man-made. The impact of the waterfall turned this enormous waterwheel, which, through a series of gears, transmitted power to several giant windmills with enormous blades nearby. The windmills, in turn, created airflow within the cavern, generating a strong gust of wind that firmly held down the two outermost bronze doors. However, due to their age, both the waterwheel and the windmills had suffered considerable damage, so the wind force they generated was much weaker than before, allowing the three of us the opportunity to push open the bronze door and enter.

"In ancient tombs, I've seen methods such as using sand leaking from sand pits to block the tomb door and seal the tomb chamber; using massive stones weighing thousands of pounds to block the tomb door and seal the tomb chamber; and using wooden stakes to block the tomb door and seal the tomb chamber. But I've never seen a method that uses a huge man-made blower to generate strong winds to close the tomb door and seal the tomb chamber," Tang Zhengyang said in surprise, scratching his head.

Just then, Jenny suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Look, what are those things up there?" Tang Zhengyang and I looked up in the direction she was pointing, and saw countless white dots, as numerous as stars, doming the ceiling of the enormous cavern. The white light emitted by these dots illuminated the entire cavern. No wonder, although we hadn't seen anything unusual since entering the cavern, it wasn't completely dark. "There really are so many luminous pearls!" I couldn't help but exclaim. "What luminous pearls?" Tang Zhengyang asked.

I looked at Tang Zhengyang and replied, "Regarding the situation inside the underground palace, Sima Qian recorded it in the 'Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang' as follows: 'When Qin Shi Huang first ascended the throne, he began construction on Mount Li. After unifying the empire, more than 700,000 laborers were sent to work on it. They dug through three springs, cast bronze for the outer coffin, and filled it with palaces, pavilions, officials, offices, strange and precious objects, and laborers. He ordered craftsmen to make crossbows and arrows that would shoot anyone who approached. Mercury was used to represent the rivers, lakes, and seas, with mechanisms to circulate it. The upper part depicted the heavens, and the lower part depicted the earth. Candles were made of mermaid oil, which were said to burn for a long time without extinguishing.' In other words, the underground palace of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum was built like the Qin Xianyang Palace, with offices for officials, and the roof of the underground palace was constructed..." The tomb was constructed with patterned stones and pearls symbolizing the sun, moon, and stars, while the ground was decorated with mercury to represent the rivers and lakes. Furthermore, this underground palace, containing countless rare animals and artifacts, also contained candles made with mermaid oil—said to be from a four-legged fish resembling a human from the East Sea—that burned eternally, keeping the palace perpetually bright. To prevent tomb robbers from entering, the craftsmen created ingenious hidden crossbow mechanisms within the palace; once a tomb robber approached the tomb entrance, a volley of arrows would be fired, killing them outside. Therefore, I suspect that the bright spots on the ceiling are the patterned stones and pearls symbolizing the sun, moon, and stars recorded in the *Records of the Grand Historian*.

72. Crossbow Room

"Wow, he truly is the first person in history to unify the six kingdoms! Such a grand gesture!" Tang Zhengyang exclaimed after hearing my explanation. I looked around and pointed to the passageway ahead, saying, "Let's hurry and go in to find what we're looking for." Jenny and the others nodded and followed me along the passageway into the cave. Thick, natural stone pillars stood irregularly on both sides of the cave, making us feel as if we were in a wild forest. Jenny curiously walked to one of the natural stone pillars, shone her wolf-eye flashlight on it, and then said, "I was wondering how there could be so many natural stone pillars in this cave. It turns out these pillars are petrified wood. I think this place might have been a primeval forest tens of millions of years ago."

After walking a short distance, the passage suddenly turned into a crossroads, branching off to the left and right. We discussed it and, to avoid getting lost, decided to start from the left and explore each of the two paths one by one. To avoid triggering any hidden weapons or traps, Tang Zhengyang opened his "Diamond Umbrella" and went ahead, with Jenny and I following closely behind.

After walking about a few hundred meters, Tang Zhengyang suddenly stopped. I asked curiously, "Brother, what's wrong?" Tang Zhengyang didn't turn around, but simply pointed ahead and said softly, "Look, what are those ahead?" I looked carefully in the direction Tang Zhengyang was pointing and couldn't help but gasp. Right in front of us, about a hundred meters away, were rows of supports neatly arranged with powerful crossbows. The iron arrows on the crossbows were pointed directly at us, as if they could be fired at any moment. I roughly counted. There were more than a dozen rows of supports that I could see at a glance, each row holding dozens of crossbows. That meant there were hundreds of iron arrows blocking our path.

"Legend has it that the Qin army was invincible not only because they were a fierce and skilled force, but also because their powerful crossbows and iron arrows were formidable weapons that struck fear into the hearts of the other six states. It's unbelievable that, to protect his underground palace from destruction, the once-powerful First Emperor actually moved these crossbows and iron arrows, which had achieved great feats on the battlefield, to his underground kingdom," Tang Zhengyang said, looking at these cold, tattered iron contraptions. After hearing Tang Zhengyang's words, Jenny asked, "Should we continue forward?" "Of course, but because the Qin army's crossbows are said to be extremely powerful, I'm not sure if this 'Diamond Umbrella' can withstand the attack of these hundreds of powerful arrows. So everyone must be careful, and don't think that hiding behind the 'Diamond Umbrella' will guarantee your safety," Tang Zhengyang replied, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Hearing Tang Zhengyang's words, my heart tightened instantly. I watched as Tang Zhengyang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then bent down to hide behind his "Diamond Umbrella." He slowly moved forward. Jenny and I didn't dare to be careless and followed closely behind him. Without any warning, less than five meters ahead, an iron arrow "whooshed" and struck Tang Zhengyang's "Diamond Umbrella." Due to the arrow's immense force, it pushed Tang Zhengyang backward upon impact, but thankfully we caught him in time to prevent him from suffering a serious fall. Then, the crossbows on the support in front seemed to suddenly awaken. They began firing at us in twos and threes, continuously. Jenny and I helped push Tang Zhengyang from behind, preventing him from being knocked over by the powerful force of the arrows.

Tang Zhengyang's concerns were entirely justified. These iron arrows were not only numerous but also incredibly powerful; each arrow that struck the "Diamond Umbrella" caused it to rattle and bang. If the "Diamond Umbrella" collapsed, what chance would we have of survival? Just then, with a "snap," one of the iron arrows pierced through the "Diamond Umbrella" and embedded itself inside. When the arrowhead stopped less than five centimeters from Tang Zhengyang's head, not only Tang Zhengyang but also Jenny and I were startled by this sudden event and quickly retreated a distance until the arrows ceased firing.

The sudden accident stunned everyone. It took me several seconds to recover and I quickly patted Tang Zhengyang on the shoulder, asking, "Brother Zhengyang, are you alright?" "Oh, no, I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied, sounding disoriented. "We need to think of something. We can't just stay here and wait to be shot to death by these iron arrows," Jenny said anxiously, pushing Tang Zhengyang's back forcefully. Her words reminded me, so I said to Tang Zhengyang, "Brother, you see, staying here like this isn't a solution. How about we charge in one by one before this 'Diamond Umbrella' is destroyed?" "The closer we get, the stronger the iron arrows become. I'm worried that if we continue to get closer to those crossbows, even the 'Diamond Umbrella' won't be able to stop them," Tang Zhengyang replied hesitantly. “Staying here is pointless; we’re all going to die sooner or later anyway. We might as well charge over and give it a shot.” I gritted my teeth and replied angrily, “I’ll charge over first. If anything goes wrong, you guys go back first and don’t worry about me.”

Hearing this, Jenny suddenly gripped my hand tightly and said, "No, if we're going to die, we'll die together. We won't abandon you again." I smiled and replied, "Hehe, I promise I'll be careful. You and Tang Zhengyang stay here for now." I then tried to snatch the "Golden Umbrella" from Tang Zhengyang's hand. But Tang Zhengyang held onto the handle tightly, refusing to give it to me. He said, "It's agreed, I'm the leader of this operation, I should go first." "You've already led the charge several times, let me go this time. I'm lucky, I fell from that high broken bridge and was fine, this time it'll be a close call too, just you wait and see." With that, I snatched the umbrella from Tang Zhengyang's hand. The three of them argued for a long time, neither of them could do anything about it, and knowing my stubbornness, they finally had to let me go first.

Holding one end of the rope, I charged forward with all my might, wielding the "Diamond Umbrella." Just past the warning distance, a long iron arrow struck the umbrella with a loud "bang." Luckily, I was mentally prepared and barely withstood the powerful thrust without falling. Taking advantage of the lull before the second arrow arrived, I ran a few more steps, covering a considerable distance. The second and third arrows struck the umbrella almost simultaneously. While the two powerful thrusts didn't knock me down, they forced me back several steps before I regained my balance.

73. The Chamber of Sacrificial Treasures

I kept backing up and down, trying my best to move forward. I fell a few times along the way, but I got up quickly each time. Tang Zhengyang and Jenny behind me didn't make a sound. I knew they must be watching me intently, afraid that the slightest sound would distract me and cause me to have an accident.

I don't know how much time passed, but I was now less than ten meters from the nearest row of crossbow supports. Seizing an opportunity, during a lull in the firing of the iron arrows, I suddenly retracted my "Diamond Umbrella" and leaped onto the supports. The supports, originally made of extremely strong hardwood, were incredibly sturdy, but after so many years, they had begun to rot. My heavy impact caused them to snap and collapse with a "crack." With the supports down, the crossbows stopped firing. Although I was aching all over, this gave me the idea to shut down these dangerous mechanisms. Ignoring the pain, I immediately got up, climbed onto another crossbow support, and disassembled the crossbows one by one.

By the time I had almost finished disassembling the crossbows, Jenny and Tang Zhengyang had arrived beside me. "Brother Si Nan, you really nailed it, hahaha," Tang Zhengyang said with a laugh. Jenny didn't say anything, but seeing that I was safe and sound, she smiled brightly. Seeing my companions by my side, I was naturally very happy too. We exchanged a few words of encouragement, and then continued on our way.

After passing the array of crossbows and iron arrows, we walked a short distance before arriving at a relatively open area. The surrounding group of petrified wood pillars enclosed a circular area of nearly several hundred square meters. Here, I saw countless funerary objects, as if I had returned to the treasure caves of the ancient tombs. In the center of this area, various bronze vessels, pearls, jade, gold, and silver ornaments of all sizes were piled up like a small mountain. The treasures inside reflected the light from the luminous pearls on the ceiling, occasionally gleaming with golden and jade-like luster. Even Tang Zhengyang, who had visited many ancient tombs, had never seen so many treasures and funerary objects, and was utterly dumbfounded. Around this mountain of treasure were dozens of wooden boxes of varying sizes, undoubtedly containing various rare and precious funerary items.

"It seems this is the burial chamber where the First Emperor placed his funerary objects," Tang Zhengyang said, squatting down and picking up a jade bowl from the ground. It appeared to have rolled down from that mountain of treasures. He examined it closely. The bowl was about the size of a porcelain bowl we usually use for eating, crafted from the finest mutton-fat jade. The jade was flawless, its surface warm and smooth. The bowl's walls were as thin as paper. Even through the light, the outlines and shadows of objects inside the bowl were visible. The rim and bottom were covered with gold leaf. On this gold leaf, less than three millimeters wide, were intricately carved dragon, beast, and cloud patterns, adding to its luxurious and opulent aura.

Jenny looked at the jade bowl and said, "This one piece alone is priceless. It would be a top-tier piece in any museum in the world." "It's a pity Dunzi isn't here. Otherwise, I'd really worry he'd be obsessed with it," I replied. "Speaking of which, I really think of him and Abao. I wonder how they are now. Did Abao take Dunzi to the hospital? Is Dunzi out of danger?" I said, lost in thought. Jenny walked to my side, patted my shoulder, and comforted me, saying, "Don't worry, Dunzi is lucky, very fortunate, and with Abao taking care of him, you can rest assured."

After hearing Jenny's words, I felt a little relieved. I glanced casually at Tang Zhengyang, who had picked up a pair of bronze bull-head square zun (wine vessels) and was examining them closely. These two zun were simple in shape, with bold lines, exquisite patterns, and unique design; they were clearly rare and precious artifacts. Especially noteworthy were the two bull-head handles cast on either side of the zun. Shaped like bull heads, they served both as handles and had a strong decorative effect. Moreover, the two bull horns were curved upwards, and the large eyes were staring, all cast with remarkable lifelike detail. It was astonishing that the working people of my country possessed such superb casting and artistic skills more than two thousand years ago, during the Qin Dynasty. This truly filled me with admiration.

At this moment, I suddenly remembered the purpose of our trip, so I said, "Forget about these things for now. Didn't we come here to find the *Burial Scripture*? Since this is where the First Emperor placed his burial objects, perhaps the half of the *Burial Scripture* is hidden here too. Let's quickly search around and see if we can find anything this time." After I finished speaking, Tang Zhengyang slapped his forehead and said, "I was so attracted by the exquisite items that I almost forgot the purpose of our trip." Then, he and Jenny each chose a spot and began to search carefully.

I walked to the treasure mountain, found a wooden box, and gently opened the lid. Inside, it was filled with pearls of various sizes from the East China Sea. However, because so much time had passed, these precious pearls had weathered and crumbled into powder at the slightest touch. Realizing there couldn't possibly be any scriptures inside, I quickly and gently closed the lid again, then opened another silver-inlaid mahogany box next to it. Inside were various bronze vessels: bronze zun, bronze jue, bronze hu, bronze you, and bronze spoons—everything was there. But still, there was no trace of the *Burial Land Mystery Scripture*.

Jenny initially discovered several wooden boxes containing silk scrolls and paintings, but after careful examination, she found that none of the records contained the contents of the Burial Ground Mystic Scripture. After opening and checking all the treasure chests without finding what they were looking for, the three of them turned their attention to the towering mountain of treasure before them. So the three of them squatted beside the mountain, digging out the jewels one by one and examining them carefully. After an hour or two of searching, they still found nothing.

It seemed this wasn't the location where the *Burial Scripture* was kept. After discussing it, they decided to return to the previous crossroads and take another passage to search for the scripture. Having made up their minds, the three hurriedly retreated from the enormous sacrificial chamber, passing the previous array of crossbow bolts, and returned to the crossroads. Following their previously agreed-upon left-to-right order, this time they chose to enter through the middle passage.

As I followed the others, I looked around, observing my surroundings. Besides the towering stone pillars, I noticed some of the terracotta figures I'd seen before starting to appear on both sides of the road. They stood like guards protecting the mausoleum, clad in armor, wielding long spears, and glaring angrily. "Could we have arrived at the hall where the First Emperor's coffin is placed?" I wondered to myself, my heart pounding slightly.

After walking a short distance further, a sunken area suddenly appeared before us. We were now standing on a high platform surrounding this area. Because of our relatively high position, we had a clear view of everything within the sunken area. At a glance, I estimated that this naturally irregular area was enormous; I couldn't even estimate its approximate size. Moreover, within this vast area, there wasn't a single stone pillar; all the weight was supported by the massive, domed ceiling. The thick stone pillars surrounded this open area, like a fence enclosing this enormous region.

When I looked more closely at the top of this recessed area, I was speechless. In the very center of the dome of this vast area, a gigantic luminous pearl, like a bright moon, hung high above. Surrounding it were countless other luminous pearls of varying sizes, all emitting light. Upon closer inspection, I realized these pearls were arranged according to the positions of various constellations in the sky; at first glance, it truly felt as if I were standing beneath a vast starry sky. Illuminated by this giant luminous pearl and the others, the recessed area was as bright as day, even without any artificial lighting.

Looking at the ground, one sees numerous massive rocks rising and falling. Some stand tall, while others stretch endlessly, resembling majestic mountains and towering peaks. Scattered among these rocks are many lines of varying thickness, shimmering and sparkling, like rivers and streams flowing through the mountains.

“Indeed, it’s ‘above is the heavens, below is the earth,’” I couldn’t help but say. “It seems Sima Qian’s records are quite accurate.” “So, this is where the First Emperor’s coffin was placed?” Tang Zhengyang asked. I replied, “That should be it. Look, those silver lines are models of river channels filled with mercury.” “Where is the coffin? I can’t see it,” Tang Zhengyang said. “Don’t worry, this place is so big, let me take a good look.” I replied while searching around with my eyes. Before I could find anything, Jenny next to me suddenly shouted excitedly, “I found it! It’s over there, look!” As she spoke, she raised her right hand and pointed to the center of the area.

74. Burial Chamber

Following Jenny's pointing direction, behind the towering, undulating rocks, a wide, winding river of mercury snaked among the massive boulders resembling famous mountains. On the mirror-like surface of the mercury, a magnificent rectangular coffin floated, slowly moving with the mercury like a strange, gigantic ship traversing the mountains and rivers. This reminded me of Qin Shi Huang, who, after conquering the six kingdoms, embarked on a relentless tour of the empire. Perhaps captivated by the breathtaking landscapes of his homeland, he became enamored with this constant travel, spending years touring the country with his ministers and generals, ultimately dying on one of these journeys. It seems Qin Shi Huang's passion for touring bordered on obsession; even after his death, his coffin was placed within models of these mountains and rivers, allowing it to continue its journey through the majestic peaks and winding waterways.

"Do you think Qin Shi Huang might have placed that mysterious 'Burial Classic' inside his coffin?" Jenny asked quietly, gazing at the magnificent coffin. After a moment's thought, I replied, "It's hard to say. In ancient times, many of the deceased's most cherished possessions were buried with them. If Qin Shi Huang truly valued this 'Classic,' then it's quite possible he placed it in his coffin." "In that case, shouldn't we go down and take a look?" Tang Zhengyang asked after hearing my words. Hearing their questions, I hesitated. Within the Qin Mausoleum, priceless treasures abound, but among these treasures, the coffin containing the First Emperor's remains holds immense archaeological and cultural value. If we were to open it without authorization and accidentally damage the contents, who knows how much loss and regret it would bring to the archaeological community?

Jenny seemed to read my mind and said with a smile, "Let's go check other places first. We won't open Qin Shi Huang's coffin unless absolutely necessary." Hearing her say that reminded me that there was another place within the mausoleum's inner chamber that we hadn't visited yet. I wondered if the *Burial Scripture* might be there. Thinking of this, I quickly nodded and replied, "Yes. Let's go check another place first. If we still don't find any clues to the scripture there, then we'll come back here. That will be fate telling us to open the coffin and search for the scripture." Hearing my words, Tang Zhengyang and the others nodded in agreement. So the three of us followed the path we had come from and returned to the previous crossroads.

At this point, we didn't need to choose anymore; only the rightmost path remained, a path we hadn't explored before. Without a second thought, Jenny and I followed this path to the right. After walking for less than the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, Tang Zhengyang suddenly stopped again. Realizing there might be another emergency, I quickly grabbed Jenny's hand and stopped with Tang Zhengyang. I whispered, "What's wrong? Another trap?" Tang Zhengyang nodded and replied, "Yes. If I'm not mistaken, there's a giant millstone array ahead." "What's a giant millstone array? I've never heard of it before," Jenny asked疑惑地. "Look, on those two slopes about two or three hundred meters ahead, aren't there two huge cylindrical stone mills lying horizontally?" He pointed ahead. Following his directions, Jenny and I indeed saw the terrain suddenly sloping upwards, and at the very top of this slope... Two enormous stone rollers, each estimated to be around five meters in diameter, stood motionless. Tang Zhengyang surveyed the two massive rollers and their surroundings, then whispered to us, "Look at these uneven stones on the ground. To the average person, they might seem like a random jumble of rocks. But anyone knowledgeable in I Ching and Feng Shui can see that these protruding stones are deliberately arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. So I suspect this is a formation with the giant stone rollers as its mechanism." He paused, then continued, "Now follow me. Wherever I step, you step. Don't step randomly, or the consequences will be dire." Jenny and I nodded in understanding.

So, Tang Zhengyang put away his "Golden Umbrella" and decisively took a step forward. Jenny and I kept a close eye on Tang Zhengyang's feet, memorizing the spots he stepped on, and then following him to the next spot, not daring to be careless for a moment. When we followed Tang Zhengyang across the obstacle, I found that my back was already soaked with sweat.

The three of them climbed the slope and entered through a gap between two enormous stone mills. Behind the mills lay a sizable stone chamber. This chamber, remodeled by human hands, was rectangular. A dozen thick stone pillars symmetrically supported the ceiling. The ceiling still held many luminous pearls, though fewer than in the previous natural cave. At the far end of the chamber's front facade stood a tower-like earthen structure, beneath which stood eight stone sculptures resembling neither dragons nor tigers, exuding a menacing and imposing aura.

In the center of the stone chamber, dozens of nanmu coffins, all very similar in size and style, were placed in a certain order, row upon row. Upon closer observation, I also noticed that the decorative patterns on the floor tiles, pillars, coffins, and walls were no longer predominantly dragon motifs, but instead dominated by phoenix patterns. Around these coffins, we also saw numerous wooden boxes inlaid with gold, silver, or pearls, varying in size and number, subtly exuding an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

75. Qin Shi Huang's Dragon-Patterned Coffin

"Look at all these coffins here again. Are they also from the civil and military officials?" I asked Tang Zhengyang deliberately, wanting to hear his opinion. Tang Zhengyang looked at the coffins and replied, "Do you see? The decorative patterns on the ground, walls, pillars, and coffins here are all based on phoenixes. In ancient times, emperors and monarchs were generally symbolized by dragons, while phoenixes represented empresses and concubines. Along the way, we've only seen officials buried alive, not concubines buried with the First Emperor. Moreover, these burial items include many women's perfumes, jewelry, and other such items, so we think these are most likely the coffins of the First Emperor's concubines." "I agree with Zhengyang's point of view," Jenny added after listening to Tang Zhengyang. "Although historical records indicate that Qin Shi Huang ultimately did not establish an empress, he still had quite a few concubines. Furthermore, historical records also state that after the completion of the Lishan Mausoleum, in addition to all the craftsmen being sealed alive inside the mausoleum to be buried alive with the First Emperor, all the concubines in the First Emperor's harem who had never borne children were also sent into the mausoleum to be buried alive with him." After listening to their words, I realized they echoed my own, which further solidified my opinion. So I asked, "Since this is the burial chamber for the concubines of Qin Shi Huang's harem, do you think the First Emperor would have placed something like the *Burial Classic* here?" "I think it's unlikely," Jenny replied after a moment's thought, while Tang Zhengyang nodded in agreement. "In that case, we really should go and open the First Emperor's coffin," I said with a hint of worry.

By this time, we had essentially searched every part of the mausoleum's underground palace, but so far we hadn't found the Mysterious Scripture. Therefore, we deduced that the Mysterious Scripture of Burial Grounds was very likely hidden inside the First Emperor's coffin. If that's the case, it seems to be fate, and we have no choice but to consider opening the First Emperor's coffin to investigate.

Following the same route, we returned to the natural stone hall where Qin Shi Huang's coffin was placed. From the high platform surrounding the hall, we carefully examined the cave below once more. Just like before, it was remarkably quiet. Apart from the undulating "mountains" and winding "rivers" on the cave floor, there were no deadly traps or underground armies guarding the coffin. It seemed considerably safer than the treacherous areas we had traversed on our way here.

"Come down," Tang Zhengyang said, patting my shoulder. I turned around and saw that he had already tied the safety rope to a thick stone pillar beside him while I was checking the cave again, then urged me to follow. I put away the miniature binoculars I was using to survey the surroundings, grabbed the rope, and slowly climbed down with Tang Zhengyang. When we reached the uneven ground inside the cave, two people helped Jenny down as well. As we turned back to head towards the First Emperor's coffin, we realized that although we had a very clear view from above, once we came down, the tall, protruding rocks blocked our view. We now felt as if we were in a maze of mountains and rivers, with no idea which way to go.

This all happened so suddenly, it was quite unexpected. Jenny said, "These rocks protruding from the ground didn't seem very high when we looked at them from up there, but now they're almost three to five meters high. If I had known this, I should have made sure I knew the direction from up there." "Should I climb up again and see if I understand?" Tang Zhengyang asked after hearing Jenny's words. I looked at the protruding rocks and replied, "No need. Even if you see it clearly from up there, you might get lost again after wandering around this maze-like mountain range. Let me climb up these rocks first." After saying that, I used both hands and feet to cling to a huge rock lying in front of us, inching my way upwards. Because these rocks had many protrusions and depressions, and the surface wasn't smooth, it wasn't long before I reached the top of the huge rock. I thought that from this high point, I could see the location of Qin Shi Huang's coffin. But when I looked around, all I saw in the cave was a continuous stretch of miniature mountains of various shapes, and nothing else. Because of the obstruction of these mountain-shaped rocks, I couldn't see the exact location of the First Emperor's coffin. I couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

"Sinan, how's it going? Can you see which direction the coffin is facing?" Tang Zhengyang called out from below. "No, it's all blocked by these rocks. Even standing up there, I can't see where the coffin is," I replied, slightly disappointed. "Hey, aren't you good at astrology? Aren't those luminous pearls on the ceiling of the cave arranged according to the positions of various constellations in the sky? Could you try to find the First Emperor's coffin by relying on these 'constellations'?" Just then, Jenny's words suddenly reminded me. Yes, I thought. The layout of ancient tombs is very particular about the arrangement of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. The First Emperor's coffin couldn't have been placed randomly. It must have been placed in a specific area according to the laws of Yin and Yang and Feng Shui. Perhaps through these artificially arranged 'constellations,' I could really find where the First Emperor's coffin is. Thinking of this, I stopped wasting time, looked up, and carefully began to identify the artificial constellations on the ceiling of the stone hall.

After careful examination, I finally located the four artificial constellations representing the four cardinal directions: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Using these as a reference, I identified the other major constellations on the dome. In this way, I quickly came to regard the dome inlaid with luminous pearls as the familiar, boundless starry sky. After examining these artificial constellations for a few more minutes, I noticed that among the luminous pearls in the due north direction, one pearl shone particularly brightly, its dazzling light faintly radiating a five-colored halo. "The Imperial Star!" I exclaimed joyfully upon seeing that luminous pearl.

"What? You found something?" Jenny, seeing my sudden excitement, asked quickly. "I found the 'Imperial Star'! I found the 'Imperial Star'!" I said to Jenny as I crouched down to climb down from the rock. Jenny helped me down the giant rock and said, "That's great! Let's get going." I nodded and led them around the rocky terrain in front of us, heading towards the "Imperial Star" in the dome of the sky.