pozo profundo

Capítulo 99

"Where are you going?" Peng Rong cried out in his heart, and at the same time he thought of Lin Xiao, that desperate child.

Peng Rong lifted his foot and actually followed behind Yin Xue, walking straight ahead. It was the back mountain of the town, a desolate, undeveloped hill. Just as Yin Xue reached a shady spot at the foot of the hill, her figure suddenly disappeared, as if she had never been there at all.

Peng Rong rushed over immediately, only to find that a crack had appeared in the grass, revealing a slab of gleaming marble underneath. Although it was just a small crack, some common sense told Peng Rong that he might have discovered an ancient tomb!

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 41: The Ancient Tomb

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 41: The Ancient Tomb

The once peaceful town became unusually noisy because of the discovery of the ancient tomb. This sudden uproar made people overlook the fact that Peng Rong had seen Yin Xue, and Peng Rong buried this matter deep in his heart because no one believed him.

A large group of archaeologists and staff from the city had gathered before the ancient tomb, led by Zhang Yong, a nationally renowned archaeologist, an elderly man nearing sixty. He stood there, barely able to contain his excitement, his body even trembling slightly. This tomb was very strange, even rare; the marble layout was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and the entrance seemed to indicate that a tombstone should have been erected above it, yet for some reason, no work had been done. The staff had already broken open the marble entrance, revealing stone steps leading downwards. The musty smell characteristic of ancient tombs made the old archaeologist rub his hands together excitedly, while the others secretly rejoiced. Judging from the condition of the entrance, this was likely one of the very few ancient tombs discovered to date that had not been disturbed by tomb raiders.

Zhang Yong, carrying a searchlight, walked at the front. Through the light, he discovered exquisitely carved candlesticks on the walls on either side of the steps. Even a single candlestick might have immense archaeological value. Thinking of this, Zhang Yong felt excited once again.

As he descended the steps, a strange smell lingered in the air. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the stench of blood. This caused Zhang Yong a slight moment of unease, but only for a moment, since the ancient tomb would only contain corpses. Therefore, Zhang Yong didn't dwell on it.

There seemed to be a lot of steps leading down, and it took about ten minutes to climb them all. It seems that this ancient tomb is quite far from the ground.

Beyond the stairs was a long corridor, its walls also adorned with exquisitely carved candlesticks, along with occasional bas-reliefs. This made Zhang Yong even more aware of the tomb's preciousness and strangeness, because usually the murals in ancient tombs would outweigh the carvings, but here the carvings dominated, with the murals barely visible.

As they ventured deeper into the corridor, Zhang Yong and his team noticed discarded tools on the ground, and even some candlesticks that had been carved but not yet mounted on the walls, abandoned in the corridor. It was as if the work on this tomb chamber had been used or abandoned before it was even finished, and the original carvers seemed to have fled in a panic, leaving their tools behind.

Just as Zhang Yong and the others were wondering what was going on, they arrived at the end of the corridor, where a door was half-open.

"Professor Zhang... Professor Zhang!" At this moment, a young man behind Zhang Yong called out to him. He was one of Zhang Yong's most outstanding students, named Wei Wei. However, Zhang Yong didn't particularly like him because although Wei Wei also majored in archaeology, he was also a believer in ghosts and the superstitions, which gave Zhang Yong a great headache. You see, archaeologists are generally atheists.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yong turned around and looked at Wei Wei, noticing that he looked extremely nervous.

"Professor Zhang, this tomb chamber is abandoned. It seems like there's something inside!" Wei Wei felt something was strange. Judging from the construction of this ancient tomb, the person buried there must have been extremely wealthy and powerful. So what would have caused the sculptors to abandon their tools and flee? There's probably something strange about this tomb chamber!

"What are you saying! What nonsense are you thinking now?" Zhang Yong scolded Wei Wei, saying, "If you're scared, then go up!"

Wei Wei shrank back a little, muttered a few words under his breath, and finally followed Zhang Yong into the main burial chamber. After all, being able to personally enter an ancient tomb is the wish of all archaeologists.

As soon as Zhang Yong entered the main burial chamber, the light from his searchlight immediately dimmed, as if swallowed by something. He stumbled, feeling something trip him.

Glug... Glug...

The sound of something rolling across the ground sent a chill down everyone's spine for some reason, and the stench of blood suddenly intensified.

"Ah~~!" Wei Wei shouted. Everyone looked in the direction of the searchlight in his hand and saw a dead skeleton. This must be the one that almost brought Zhang Yong down.

"What should we call it?" Zhang Yong was experienced, and this wasn't his first time entering an ancient tomb. He calmly told the staff behind him, "Turn on the lights!"

Snap! Snap!

As the accompanying staff turned on the lights, the entire panoramic view of the tomb chamber immediately appeared before Zhang Yong and his companions. It was a tomb chamber of over one hundred square meters in size, with a stone coffin in the center that was completely undecorated. It was unclear whether this was intentional or because the carvers had not finished the work for some reason.

Aside from the candlesticks, which were slightly larger than those in the outer corridor, the most striking feature on the walls of the tomb chamber was the four reliefs carved in the four cardinal directions: the Azure Dragon in the east, the Vermilion Bird in the south, the White Tiger in the west, and the Black Tortoise in the north. These were four of the most common mythical creatures in ancient China. However, strangely, these four mythical creatures in the reliefs were bound by iron chains! Four mythical creatures bound by iron chains! This was a depiction of mythical creatures that Zhang Yong had never seen before. In ancient times, these four mythical creatures were almost equivalent to deities, so how could they be depicted as being bound?

What puzzled Zhang Yong and his companions even more were the four skeletons scattered on the tomb floor. The four skeletons, their heads severed, had very clean cuts on their cervical vertebrae, indicating that they had been killed almost instantly with an exceptionally sharp knife. The four skeletons lay beneath four reliefs, forming a cross around the central stone coffin.

Zhang Yong took out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on. Then, he carefully picked up the skull closest to him, examined the top of the head, and then the pelvis. It was likely male. The top of the skull was not sutured, so the age should be under twenty-five, or even younger. The cartilage at the ends of human bones, especially long bones, is very soft and grows with age. It eventually calcifies into bone around the average age of twenty-five. Only then, when the remaining cartilage solidifies, are the skull bones sutured together to form a whole.

Zhang Yong examined the teeth of the skullcapped figure again and found that the wear on the occlusal surfaces was more severe than that of some skeletons unearthed from the same period. This suggested that the person was not poor in life. In ancient times, those who could regularly eat meat were usually wealthy, and the more meat consumed, the greater the wear on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. Therefore, these four skeletons might not have been buried with servants or slaves.

The fact that four wealthy people, or even nobles, were buried with the deceased in the stone coffin suggests that the person inside was no ordinary individual!

Could it be royalty? Zhang Yong immediately dismissed this idea. There was no historical record of any royal tomb being built in such a remote location, with absolutely no auspicious feng shui. Feng shui played a decisive role in royal tombs; if a place had bad feng shui, royalty would never use it for burial. Although Zhang Yong didn't believe in feng shui, he had some knowledge of it due to his archaeological work. This place wasn't near water, and even if it was near a mountain, the mountain was too small!

Putting all that aside for now, Zhang Yong shook his head inwardly and slowly walked toward the coffin. The stone coffin was extremely simple, just like a large stone box. The stone lid on top didn't seem to have been properly closed, leaving a slight gap.

"Professor Zhang, let us do it!" The staff behind Zhang Yong immediately volunteered to step forward when they saw that Professor Zhang seemed to want to move the stone cover.

"Okay, thank you!" Zhang Yong stepped slightly to the side, but still made sure he could see what was inside at a glance.

Several staff members worked together, pushing the stone lid open. A dazzling golden light shone from the stone coffin, causing everyone present to squint. At that moment, everyone held their breath, their hearts pounding in their throats!

"Wow!" Everyone, even Zhang Yong, couldn't help but exclaim. Inside was actually the skeleton of a woman, with a gold mask covering her face. Her jet-black hair was adorned with all sorts of jade hairpins, and around her neck hung a necklace of pearls, each one almost the size of a longan, and a jade pendant that was entirely green. Her wrists, fingers, and ankles were covered with bracelets and rings!

Good heavens! Taking all this stuff would be faster than robbing a bank! Every single item here is priceless! Zhang Yong swallowed hard, but his face quickly regained its composure as he coldly surveyed the greedy eyes of the staff around him.

Zhang Yong said in a deep but excited voice, "Report this quickly! We've discovered a... a Chinese tomb that can rival Tutankhamun's!"

"Yes...yes..." Everyone nodded excitedly. Although they couldn't obtain the treasures themselves, they were guaranteed to benefit from the honor of excavating such a valuable ancient tomb. Then...wouldn't the money just fall into their laps? Thinking of this, everyone around them became more and more excited. Who would have noticed that a strange smile flashed across the face of the man with the golden mask...?

***********

Tian Niang lay quietly on the sofa in the dark room of "Ink Lake," her long, black hair, like clouds or a waterfall, spread out on the sofa, shimmering like silk. Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep.

Suddenly, Tian Niang's body trembled, and her eyes opened, a sharp glint flashing within them, only to dim immediately. She practically rose from the sofa, her face contorted with fear!

fear……?

Who else could make Tian Niang feel fear?

Tian Niang slowly knelt down towards the dark corner of the room, where there seemed to be nothing. Who was she kneeling to?

"The necromancer Li Tianniang greets Your Highness the Princess!" An extremely respectful voice came from Tianniang's mouth.

Tian Niang? Or... Li Tian Niang...?

Your Highness...?

A graceful figure emerged faintly from the shadows, a woman's silhouette, her face obscured, only a fragrance permeating the air, arrogantly announcing the arrival of her master...

The next day, "Mohu" announced its closure...

**********

Author's Note: I've been having a lot of trouble at work lately, which has put me in a bad mood and made me very restless, causing me to miss updates! I apologize for this and thank all my readers!

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 42: Suicide

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 42: Suicide

When I got back to school, it was already fully light. The air was filled with the faint, refreshing scent of grass and dew. I took a deep breath and looked back at Fang Lei; her eyes were so clear in the morning light.

"Lin Xiao!" Li Yang's voice came from afar. I looked over and saw Li Yang and A Bao running towards us. Li Yang seemed very anxious. Had something happened again? I frowned. By then, Li Yang and A Bao had reached us. Before I could ask, Li Yang gasped, "Dead...dead!"

Dead? Who died?

"Yu Bo is dead!" Li Yang said, patting his chest.

"What? Dead?" Fang Lei and I exclaimed in unison. I quickly asked, "How could he be dead before the verdict was even handed down?"

“It was suicide! He jumped from the old teaching building!” Li Yang replied. “He suddenly went crazy and jumped from the building when the police asked him to identify the crime scene.”

Dead? Suicide? Suicide out of guilt?

Is it really over?

I didn't speak, but just looked towards the old teaching building. In the morning light, it seemed like a misty expanse, as if it had become the final resting place of a serial killer, or perhaps it was hidden in a dark corner, just beginning? This feeling in my heart made me extremely uncomfortable. Yu Bo, once such a respected and beloved senior.

"Was there anything special about him before he committed suicide?" Fang Lei asked Li Yang.

"Of course." Li Yang looked at me, seemingly hinting at something, and after a long while, slowly said, "Su Qiao went to see him."

"Why did she go to see him?" I asked, puzzled.

"The psychological counseling was supposedly because Yu Bo refused to confess to his crimes, and countless top detectives in the police station couldn't get a single word out of him. In the end, Ni Ming somehow thought of Su Qiao and asked her, a famous psychologist and one of the top criminal psychologists in the country, to conduct the interrogation, hoping to break down his psychological defenses," A Bao explained.

"And then what?" Fang Lei continued to ask.

"Then, Miss Su Qiao successfully broke through Yu Bo's psychological defenses, causing him to confess everything and cooperate with the police to identify his crime scene," A Bao continued.

"Is there any way to get the interrogation records from that time?" I asked.

“I’m afraid it will be difficult. Their computer network seems to have detected the hacking intrusion and has strengthened its defenses. It would take me a long time to crack their firewall.” Abao shook his head helplessly and said, “But I will try again.”

"What use do you think interrogation records will be?" Fang Lei asked me.

“See if there are any psychological suggestions.” I explained, “A psychologist can be someone who helps you resolve your inner conflicts, or someone who leads you toward death. For ordinary people, such psychological suggestions may not have much effect, or at least not a significant effect. But when the person receiving the psychological suggestion is mentally ill, or even a psychopath, then it can have a very significant effect. That is, hypnosis.”

"When did you learn these things?" Li Yang asked curiously.

“Forensic medicine has an elective course called criminal psychology!” I said, and then strode forward.

"Where are you going?" Fang Lei asked.

“Let’s go meet our psychologist,” I said.

"I'll go with you!" Fang Lei caught up with him.

"No need!" I shook my head at her and said, "The more people there are, the less likely we are to get any answers. Besides, don't worry." I smiled at her and reached out to brush a strand of hair from her forehead, saying, "I'll be fine."

"Then..." Fang Lei stopped and said, "Then be careful."

"Okay!" I nodded and turned to walk towards the guesthouse. It was so early; Su Qiao should still be in her room. I was determined to find her, not only to find out about Yu Bo, but also to know about her necklace. Reaching into my pocket, I touched the necklace Bai Ling had given us. A slight coolness emanated from the round piece, like the morning dew.

Reaching Su Qiao's room, I hesitated, unsure how to begin. Should I confront her directly? Or try a roundabout approach? Just as I was wavering, the door suddenly opened, and standing there was Su Qiao. Today, she was wearing a small floral dress, her hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. Sunlight streamed softly through the glass, bathing her in a delicate golden glow, like an inlaid brocade. Her unmade-up face resembled Yin Xue even more than usual, and at that moment, I felt my heart skip a beat.

Sigh...!

I suddenly realized that I was already at a disadvantage in the battle that was about to begin.

"Lin Xiao, it's you?" Su Qiao smiled and stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in.

"Yeah!" I replied casually, already entering Su Qiao's room. There seemed to be a pile of clothes on her bed. Seeing me come in, Su Qiao immediately grabbed the pile of clothes with an embarrassed expression, stuffed them into the closet, and said, "It's such a mess, and you had to see it!"

"Hehe, it's nothing. My room is even messier." I chuckled, then casually glanced at the clothes in Su Qiao's hands. One corner of the pile of clothes looked... torn! But how could that be? Aren't girls usually the most protective of their precious clothes? How could she cut up a perfectly good piece of clothing? Was I seeing things?

Puzzled, Su Qiao had already stuffed all the clothes into the closet, then quickly closed the closet door, turned around and smiled at me, saying, "What brings you here today?"

"I heard Yu Bo is dead." I think it's better to get straight to the point when dealing with a smart woman like Su Qiao.

“Yes, he’s dead!” Su Qiao’s expression was unusually calm.

“I also heard that you provided him with psychological counseling,” I said.

"Yes!" Su Qiao nodded so readily that I didn't know how to continue the conversation.

"If you want to know anything, I'll tell you everything." Su Qiao's frankness almost made me choke on my own saliva. I couldn't very well ask her directly if she had given Yu Bo some psychological suggestion that made him jump off the building to commit suicide.

After stammering awkwardly for a long time, just as I was about to give up, Su Qiao spoke first: "Yu Bo loves his mother very much. For him, his mother is not only his mother, but also his psychological dependence and idol. But such a dependence and idol betrayed his father, which is equivalent to betraying himself. What do you think Yu Bo thought when he found out that his mother had a lover and was having an affair?"

“Anger…and hatred!” I replied.

“The deeper the love, the deeper the hate.” Su Qiao gazed into the distance for a long time before continuing, “So she hated her mother, and even more so the lover who brought her mother together, Jiang Hua. She even hated the book that brought the two of them together. You know, according to the police records, Yu Bo’s mother, Zhuo Peici, was a librarian, and Jiang Hua accidentally discovered that the book ‘Learning to Cook’ was filled with someone’s notes while borrowing books. Somehow, he found out that these notes were left by Zhuo Peici. In short, the two of them met and fell in love because of this book.”