"This...this is sulfuric acid?"
Zhuang Rui sniffed the wound, and a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face. He hurriedly shouted, "Brother Ren, don't move! Don't move! There might be a trap..."
How could there be strong acid dozens of meters underground? Zhuang Rui's first thought was that the slave craftsmen who built Genghis Khan's mausoleum had made arrangements along his escape route.
Legend has it that some imperial tombs not only contain quicksand, dragon-slaying stones, traps, and poisoned arrows, but also hidden weapons that can spray poisonous water, making them impossible to defend against.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui broke out in a cold sweat. During the previous survey, the spiritual energy in his eyes did not reveal these objects in the dark river. However, the burn marks on his arm indicated that there was danger in the surrounding area.
"organ?"
Dr. Ren, who was following behind Zhuang Rui, was also startled and immediately shone his flashlight around.
As the saying goes, the older one gets, the more timid one becomes. When Dr. Ren was excavating tombs, he had seen tomb raiders who had died from traps in many large tombs. He had no doubt about the wisdom of the ancients.
"It doesn't seem like a mechanism, Zhuang Rui. If it were poison, how could it only spray out a single drop?"
After looking around, Ren Chunqiang looked confused, because the surrounding rock walls were very smooth, and it didn't seem like there were any hidden mechanisms or weapons there.
On the other hand, a thousand years have passed. What kind of poisonous water could possibly have survived to this day? It would have evaporated naturally long ago.
"Ahem, I see, Zhuang Rui, so that's what it is..."
Ren Chunqiang's flashlight accidentally shone on Zhuang Rui's head, and he immediately made a new discovery, which made his tense expression disappear.
"What is this? It's so disgusting!"
Zhuang Rui looked up and saw that the huge stalactites above his head and within ten meters in front of him had disappeared. In their place were small, viscous substances, somewhat like human snot, densely covering the rocky top of this waterway.
"This thing is naturally formed, usually found fifty meters underground, and is highly corrosive. Geologists call it a slug..."
Ren Chunqiang never expected that they would encounter such a natural phenomenon, which usually only appears in tropical rainy underground caves. If he didn't have some knowledge of natural science, he really wouldn't have recognized this thing.
Looking at the top of the cliff face, which was more than ten meters ahead, Ren Chunqiang said with a wry smile, "Well, we're just unlucky today. This is the best we can do. Otherwise, even if we made it across, we'd be burned..."
During the brief minute or two of the flashlight illumination, a drop of "slug" would occasionally fall from the top of the cave into the underground river. However, the strong acid, diluted by the water, was unable to corrode Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang's skin when it came into contact with the river water.
"Let's go back first. We'll conduct further surveys here once Professor Meng and the others arrive..."
Zhuang Rui looked at those "snotty-nosed" people and didn't have the courage to try being dripped with strong acid again. Although he had spiritual energy to heal them, the pain of strong acid touching the skin was not pleasant.
After the false alarm, Zhuang Rui also surveyed the distance between this place and the secret passage to Genghis Khan's Mausoleum. He estimated that he wouldn't be able to get there before the flashlight went out, so he also backed out.
However, this unique terrain containing strong acids will not hinder the excavation of Genghis Khan's Mausoleum. With some specially made clothing, it is believed that they can safely pass through this area.
Chapter 1172 Focus (Part 1)
When Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang returned to the ground, more than two hours had passed. Only Timur remained on the shore, anxiously guarding the area, while Wuyun Qiqige followed Batel to find the local garrison.
"Zhuang Rui'an replied, are you all alright?"
When he saw Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang emerge from the lake, Timur shouted with joy. Everyone else had left, leaving him alone in this quiet place. Coupled with the previous incident involving the water ghost, Timur felt a strange chill in his heart.
"I'm fine, but it seems Brother Ren needs to rest..."
Swimming out of the waterway requires swimming against the current, which takes much more effort than entering. Dr. Ren couldn't hold on as he surfaced and choked on water several times. If Zhuang Rui hadn't held him back, he probably would have sacrificed himself for the country's scientific research.
After pulling Ren Chunqiang ashore, Zhuang Rui realized his stomach was growling with hunger. Without any hesitation, he picked up the grilled fish on the campfire and started eating.
"Zhuang Rui'an replied, 'How's it going? What's the situation?'"
Timur was also very concerned about the most glorious dynasty of Mongolia. However, unlike Batel, the tombs buried underground were not those of his direct ancestors. Even if the tombs were dug up, he would not feel anything was wrong.
"It's very likely an imperial tomb, but the underground terrain is complex, so we didn't go any deeper..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and looked at Ren Chunqiang, who was panting heavily beside him, and said with a smile, "Brother Ren, why do I feel like we're doing something just like Yang Guo searching for Xiaolongnu in 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'? We both dived into the water and discovered a whole new world on the other side..."
"Little Dragon Girl? She's not as captivating as the Mongolian imperial tombs..."
Ren Chunqiang pursed his lips and said to Zhuang Rui, "Hurry up and call Professor Meng. If you don't call soon, he might call and urge us to go back..."
The day after tomorrow is the opening day of the World Dunhuang Cultural Exchange Conference. As the discoverers of the Dunhuang documents, Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang, one of them must attend the conference. However, now that they are standing on the unknown Mongolian imperial tombs, Dr. Ren has long lost the desire to go back.
The Dunhuang documents are there, and they won't be missing a single one. Their achievements cannot be ignored. Going back to attend the conference will only increase their visibility within the field and initially establish their status as young archaeologists.
However, the Mongol imperial tombs are different. Although they have attracted much attention, their mysterious veil has never been lifted for thousands of years. The significance of discovering the Mongol imperial tombs far surpasses that of the Dunhuang documents.
To give an example, the discovery of Dunhuang manuscripts would give Zhuang Rui and his brother a place in the domestic archaeological community, but the excavation of the Mongol imperial tombs would etch their names in the history of world archaeology. Of course, these two brothers can tell which is more important.
Zhuang Rui took out his phone and handed it to Ren Chunqiang, saying with a smile, "Brother Ren, you should make this call..."
Every time he comes out, he makes some world-shaking discoveries. Zhuang Rui feels that he is being a bit too flamboyant, but he is also helpless. He can't just watch these rare treasures remain buried underground, can he?
"Go ahead and attack, go ahead and attack. You're the one who discovered this unknown tomb, so you should be the one to attack it..."
Dr. Ren pushed the phone that Zhuang Rui handed him back. He had been sightseeing during his trip to Mongolia and was basically just playing a minor role. He was already very satisfied to be able to participate in the excavation of this large tomb and had no intention of competing with Zhuang Rui for the limelight.
"All right……"
Anyway, since he didn't care about the lice, Zhuang Rui decided to just call Professor Meng. At most, people would think he was just lucky.
"Is this Xiao Zhuang? What's up? Back in Beijing?"
Professor Meng's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone. Professor Meng never expected that in his later years he would encounter the discovery of the Peking Man skull fossil and make breakthroughs in the study of Dunhuang culture. All of this was brought about by Zhuang Rui.
Therefore, the old man had a great fondness for Zhuang Rui and always regarded him as his last disciple. He also wanted to help Zhuang Rui establish his position in the field of archaeology during his lifetime, perhaps playing a mentoring role.
Zhuang Rui chuckled twice and said, "Teacher, Beijing... I guess I can't go back for the time being..."
"What? That won't do, Xiao Zhuang. Do you know that this academic exchange conference not only brings together Dunhuang culture scholars from all over the world, but also many foreign history experts? You must come back!" Professor Meng was immediately anxious upon hearing this. Zhuang Rui had previously salvaged the Peking Man skull fossil and the Song Dynasty shipwreck, which only made him somewhat famous in the domestic archaeological community. Moreover, Zhuang Rui had not participated in the follow-up research work of these two discoveries. Strictly speaking, the Dingguang Museum had gained much more attention than he had personally.
However, this conference is different. Scientists from all over the world have gathered here, which can provide him with a broader space for development and leave his name in the world scientific community. This is one of the reasons why many domestic scientific researchers are eager to participate in this conference.
"teacher……"
"I don't care what your reasons are, you have to come back. If you really can't get away, then let Xiao Ren stay there. What's the point of you coming back? I told Xiao Ren that you have to come back for this meeting no matter what..."
Zhuang Rui was about to explain when Professor Meng interrupted him. Zhuang Rui secretly glanced at his senior brother beside him and unconsciously shifted his body slightly to the side.
Fortunately, Ren Chunqiang couldn't hear the voice on the microphone, otherwise this guy would definitely be in tears. We're both your students, how can you be so biased?
"Teacher, please let me finish what I have to say..."
Before Professor Meng could interrupt him, Zhuang Rui continued, "Professor, my senior brother Ren and I have made a significant archaeological discovery in Inner Mongolia. According to preliminary investigations, it should be the tomb of a Mongol Khan from the Yuan Dynasty or even earlier..."
"No matter what archaeological discovery it is, you must come back..."
Professor Meng didn't pay much attention at first, still habitually asking Zhuang Rui to return to Beijing, but when he heard the last few words, his voice suddenly stopped.
"You... what did you say? The tombs of the Mongol emperors? Xiao Zhuang, are you... are you sure?"
Professor Meng's voice trembled slightly on the phone.
Professor Meng, who was well-informed and had overseen the excavation of countless tombs in China, would not normally lose his composure like this. However, he knew that his junior disciple was always reliable, and since Zhuang Rui said it was the tomb of the Mongol Khan, it was most likely true.
"Teacher, we can basically confirm that this tomb is dozens of meters underground, with the entrance at the bottom of a lake. The terrain is quite complex. We have already discovered gold funerary objects bearing the inscription 'Borjigin,' but due to terrain limitations, further exploration cannot be carried out..."
Zhuang Rui gave Professor Meng a general description of the situation. As for the discovery of the underground river entrance, he naturally found it by chance while fishing.
Although this story is somewhat bizarre, it is also quite reasonable. It is said that when that old farmer in Shaanxi was digging a well, he dug up the Eighth Wonder of the World (the Terracotta Army). Zhuang Rui's explanation is also plausible.
"Xiao Zhuang, wait a minute, just a moment..."
Professor Meng paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, seemingly processing the astonishing news, and remained silent for a long time.
Professor Meng was not very satisfied with the research direction chosen by Dr. Zhuang Rui during his studies, but he did not expect that this disciple would actually seem to have found the Mongolian imperial tombs that had been without any clues for thousands of years?
It's no wonder Professor Meng was shocked. You see, the impact of Zhuang Rui's previous discovery of the "Peking Man skull fossil" was more focused on anthropological research, while the Song Dynasty shipwreck was limited to cultural discoveries and the research on the technological level of the Song Dynasty in China.
However, due to the special status of the Mongol Dynasty in the world at that time, the excavation of the Mongol royal tombs has an impact far greater than the two discoveries mentioned above. To this day, many European countries still acknowledge the fact that they were enslaved and conquered by the Mongols.
Therefore, the discovery of the Mongol royal tombs is not only about unearthing some rare treasures, but also of great significance for understanding the patterns, cultures, and economic development of various countries in the world at that time, and will inevitably attract worldwide attention.
"Zhuang Rui, listen carefully. What you need to do now is immediately contact the local garrison to protect the site of the mausoleum and prevent you from conducting any further unauthorized surveys. I will report to my superiors and head there immediately..."
After some deliberation, Professor Meng gave Zhuang Rui instructions. The reason why Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang were not allowed to conduct any more surveys was because the old man was afraid that Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang would be accidentally harmed. After all, there were still many unknown dangers in the mysterious imperial tomb.
"Teacher, what about... the Dunhuang cultural exchange meeting?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh after hearing Professor Meng's words.
"You guys don't need to worry about that. Just stay where you are and cooperate with the garrison to ensure security. You brat, you always cause trouble for your teacher. I'm already so busy with so many things. Sigh, whatever. You just need to make sure the site is protected to prevent anyone from looting it..."
Professor Meng sighed on the other end of the phone. He was the one who initiated this academic exchange on Dunhuang culture, and now that he, as the organizer, was leaving, he had to arrange for the appropriate personnel to take over to ensure the smooth running of the conference, since this conference was being held on a global scale.
Of course, Zhuang Rui on the other end of the phone could tell that although the teacher had scolded him, he must have been in a very good mood.
Chapter 1173 Focus (Part 2)
About an hour after Zhuang Rui and Professor Meng spoke on the phone, a captain of the armed police and a squadron of soldiers, led by Peng Fei and Batel, arrived at Swan Lake.
The armed police captain was ordered to follow Zhuang Rui's instructions and leadership. However, Zhuang Rui had never personally led an archaeological excavation and was not very good at these things, so he simply let Dr. Ren arrange everything.
Ren Chunqiang used to deal with local troops or armed police when he was doing archaeological excavations, so he was quite familiar with the work.
Due to the importance of the underground tombs, Ren Chunqiang designated a 300-meter radius around Swan Lake as a restricted area, setting up a sentry post every 20 meters, effectively sealing off the area.
With the cooperation of locals like Batel and Timur, the troops were announced to be conducting training exercises in the area, which saved a lot of trouble. However, some kind-hearted Mongolians still brought milk tea and other food to the soldiers.
The armed police officers, carrying supplies and tents, orderly set up their tents along the shores of Swan Lake after dark. Zhuang Rui, who had been working tirelessly all day, was now feeling fatigued and didn't venture into the underground river again, instead enjoying a good night's sleep. ...
The next morning, the roar of the helicopter made the lakeside noisy. It seemed that it had never seen this iron bird before. Chasing Wind cried out incessantly on the ground, watching the helicopter slowly descend with a hint of unease.
"Zhuifeng, it's alright, don't be afraid..."
Upon hearing the whistling of the Chasing Wind helicopter, Zhuang Rui quickly reassured it and watched as the three military helicopters landed in a triangular formation not far from the shore.
"teacher?"
Zhuang Rui, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the person getting off the first helicopter was Professor Meng, and quickly went to greet him.
"Teacher, why are you here so early? I thought you wouldn't be here until the afternoon..."
Seeing his teacher's full head of white hair disheveled by the strong wind from the helicopter rotor, Zhuang Rui felt a deep sense of respect. It was clear that Professor Meng had come over without delay after arranging things in Beijing.
Professor Meng looked somewhat tired. He waved his hand and said to Zhuang Rui, "Let's not talk about that now. Minister Ouyang is here too. Please greet him first..."
"What? My uncle is here?"
Zhuang Rui was startled upon hearing this. He wasn't part of the system, and there was no need for him to hide his identity or address Minister Ouyang in public. He took a step forward and happened to see Ouyang Zhenwu getting off the helicopter behind Professor Meng.