sorcière

Chapitre 3

As I pondered this question, I suddenly heard a strange cry. Then I felt a gust of wind blow down on my head. Instinctively, I turned my head to the side. In the darkness, it seemed as if a huge object flew past my head; had I not dodged quickly, its speed would have likely shattered my skull. Immediately afterward, I heard Dunzi and Jenny's voices, "What was that?" Dunzi asked in a panic. Everyone sensed that danger was imminent. Because we didn't know what lay ahead on this mountain trip, we had been using our energy-intensive equipment sparingly. But now, in this dangerous situation, unsure of what unidentified object might be attacking us, everyone frantically pulled out their lighting equipment to check for any potential threats.

As soon as the light came on, we realized we were on a sacred path inside this enormous stone cave. It was called a sacred path because every ten meters along both sides of the path were placed a pair of stone beasts. This was very similar to the layout of the sacred paths in front of ancient imperial tombs on the ground. Judging from the carving techniques and decorative style of these stone beasts, although they lacked the grand and imposing style of Tang Dynasty stone carvings, they retained the ornate and elaborate style of Tang Dynasty stone carvings. They also possessed their own unique characteristics of tranquility and peace, so they should be from the Song Dynasty. Based on this, I roughly judged that this might be the sacred path of the Song Dynasty tomb we were looking for. But strangely, how could a sacred path appear in a cave? As I pondered this, I felt something fly over my head again, and I shone the light upwards. What I saw shocked me. Hanging upside down from the nearly ten-meter-high cave ceiling were countless giant bats. Each one had a ghostly face and fangs, with a ferocious and terrifying expression.

Since it was still daytime, most of the giant bats were still resting, with only a few flying around in the cave. However, stimulated by our earlier light, some of the resting bats became restless, and more flew down from the cave ceiling. At this moment, everyone else noticed the terrifying scene above, and the atmosphere became tense. Ah Bao said, "These are probably vampire flying foxes, which feed on the blood of other animals. Even worse, their saliva carries many terrifying viruses. If bitten, the wound will quickly swell and fester, eventually leading to death. They…" Before Ah Bao could finish speaking, three enormous vampire bats charged at him. Ah Bao ducked, rolled on the ground, and pulled a Spanish Jungle King fighting knife from his boot. With a swift movement, he turned and slashed at one of the oncoming giant bats. In a flash, the bat was split in two. The remaining two, seeing their companion dead, became even more ferocious, brandishing their nearly meter-long wings and charging at Ah Bao once more. Facing the two ferocious giant bats, Ah Bao remained calm. He leaped forward and kicked one of them against a nearby rock, its head smashing open with a loud "crack," blood gushing forth. Then, he drew his sword again, aiming straight for the last giant bat. In a flash, the bat was a skewer of flesh, firmly embedded in Ah Bao's fighting knife.

Seeing Ah Bao's impressive skills, we secretly cheered. But our joy was short-lived. We noticed that the other giant bats, seeing Ah Bao's difficulty, turned and charged at the three of us. We inwardly groaned, because our hunting rifles and crossbows could only fire one arrow at a time, insufficient to deal with so many bats simultaneously. So we hastily turned our rifles around, using the butts as hammers, and wildly swung them overhead. But the giant bats were incredibly agile, and we couldn't hit them at all. At least, we weren't easily able to get a hit on us either.

However, the noise of our fight had already disturbed the giant bats resting on the cave ceiling. More and more giant bats began to swoop down and join the battle between humans and bats. Seeing that our strength was waning, even though Ah Bao was quite skilled, he couldn't help us because one bat would attack him as soon as he finished one off. Meanwhile, more and more giant bats were joining the fight, and we gradually began to be at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, I noticed a giant bat finding an opening in my gun and lunging at me. Just as it was about to strike, before I could even dodge, a white shadow flashed before my eyes. Then I heard two soft "crackling" sounds. Looking closely, in the dim light, I saw the white-haired ape king appear before me. Its left hand was tightly gripping the giant bat. The bat, crushed in its powerful hand, had its bones shattered into a pulp.

Looking behind it, the monkeys that had already ventured deep into the cave appeared before us. Like the white-haired ape king, they reached out to grab the giant bats flying low. The bats flapped their enormous wings, descending like dark phantoms, weaving among the hundreds of monkeys, occasionally opening their huge, ferocious mouths to bite them. Led by the white-haired ape king, the hundreds of monkeys leaped and swung their arms, throwing the giant bats into disarray. A thrilling battle between monkeys and bats unfolded. The giant bats were numerous and agile; although outnumbered, the monkeys, led by the white-haired ape king, fought with increasing ferocity.

Gradually, the giant bats became increasingly vulnerable and withdrew from the battle, flying away from the cave. After about thirty or forty minutes, the battle finally ended. The giant bats had all retreated, but the apes had also suffered heavy losses. Nearly a third of the apes were wounded, and two, having been bitten in vital areas, had lost too much blood and had no chance of survival.

At that moment, for the first time, I began to feel how adorable and intelligent these apes were. I felt a pang of sadness for their two lost companions. Jenny and the others seemed to share my feelings, standing silently beside the two dying apes, tears welling in their eyes. All the apes gathered around, watching their two companions, soon to be lost forever, their expressions somber. The white-haired ape king slowly crawled to the two apes' sides, gently grooming their disheveled fur, and softly emitting a "woo-woo" sound until their hearts stopped beating.

Thirteen, Deep Pool

After the two monkeys' hearts had completely stopped beating, the white-haired ape king reluctantly led his troop away, continuing deeper into the cave. With the apes leading the way, we felt much more at ease. Before long, we could see the light at the cave entrance in the distance. So everyone quickened their pace, eager to see what kind of unfamiliar world lay beyond the cave.

Having spent so long in the darkness of the cave, my eyes couldn't adjust to the sudden change in brightness upon entering the bright outside, and I naturally closed them briefly. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the middle of a wide valley basin. High mountains surrounded me, shrouded in mist. A clear stream flowed gently past me to the left. Further ahead, between the distant peaks, a massive waterfall cascaded down like a white ribbon from the sky, a truly magnificent sight. Although it was still some three to five miles away, the thunderous roar of the water could already be faintly heard. Suddenly, I remembered the three carved patterns I had seen on the cliff face, the last of which depicted a huge waterfall. This waterfall must be the location of the Song Dynasty tomb we were searching for.

We walked along the stream until we reached the waterfall. The enormous waterfall cascaded down from a height of several hundred meters, carving a huge, deep pool into the ground. The water in the pool churned and surged from the impact of the waterfall, as if a giant dragon were swimming and moving within it. The spray spread for hundreds of meters, blurring everything in the mist, making it appear and disappear.

When we arrived, the monkeys, as if they had completed their task, scattered, some foraging for wild fruit, others chasing and playing. Only the white-haired ape king sat quietly to the side, watching our every move. Could this be the end of the ritual? I had thought the monkeys would lead us to the tomb, but it seemed we still hadn't found it. The others, like me, looked around, trying to spot any trace of the tomb through the thick mist.

"Where are we? How did we end up in this place?" Dunzi asked疑惑地. "Could it be that we misunderstood those stone carvings?" No one answered, as if they were all pondering something. I looked at the surrounding terrain, but there was nothing particularly suspicious. Only this pool of clear water, churning under the impact of the waterfall, seemed quite vibrant. Based on my professional knowledge, I knew that the selection of ancient tomb sites was very particular about feng shui. The location of the tomb had to be vibrant, so that the tomb owner could ascend to heaven early and the family descendants could prosper. Moreover, ancient tombs used various methods to avoid being robbed. Some used decoy tombs to conceal the truth, with Cao Cao's seventy-two decoy tombs from the Three Kingdoms period being the most typical example; others set up numerous traps and obstacles in the tombs. When the warlord Sun Dianying's troops robbed the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi in the Eastern Qing Tombs, many of them were killed or injured because they were caught in the traps in the tomb. As for the example of setting up a tomb in a hidden underwater location, there is Helu, the father of King Fuchai of Wu, whose tomb is said to be located under the Sword Pool of Tiger Hill in present-day Suzhou. Therefore, it seems that, whether from the perspective of feng shui or the purpose of hiding the tomb, the ancient tomb is very likely hidden beneath this deep pool.

Therefore, the only suspicious thing was the deep pool in front of us. Thinking this, I broke the silence, "Could it be in this pool?" Everyone thought about it and agreed it was quite possible. Since that was the case, all we needed to do was send someone down to the bottom and investigate. The best candidate at the time was the strong and capable swimmer, Ah Bao.

Just as we were about to proceed as planned, a loud bang suddenly came from behind us. We turned around and saw that the white-haired ape king had somehow stood up and was roaring to the sky. The scattered apes had also gathered around us, each one baring their teeth and glaring with fierce expressions. We didn't know what had angered them.

Just then, Jenny suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh no! We haven't held the third ritual yet. They might be getting impatient!" Her shout brought everyone back to their senses. I hurriedly pulled a roll of bandage from my backpack, unwrapped it, and pretended it was a memorial, mumbling incoherently, "Heaven and earth have been negligent, causing the death of my ancestors. Alas, I weep bitterly..." The other three, seeing me begin, also knelt down, mimicking the worshippers carved on the cliff face. Seeing that we had begun reciting the eulogy, the monkeys' earlier tension gradually subsided. Seeing that the time was right, I winked at Ah Bao. Ah Bao understood, quickly stood up, darted to the edge of the pool, and leaped into the water.

This sudden event must have taken the white-haired ape king by surprise. It stood frozen for a few seconds, then erupted in fury, raising its arms and waving them wildly in the air. The surrounding apes quickly surrounded us, baring their teeth and claws as they charged towards us. Seeing this, we had no time to think. We grabbed our weapons and fired at the white-haired ape king. Because there was no time to aim, only a single bullet struck its left shoulder. Instantly, blood stained the white fur on the ape king's left shoulder.

Perhaps the sudden flash of light and the injury to the white-haired ape king startled the troop. Their attack momentarily halted. We seized this opportunity to quickly reload our steel arrows. But not long after, the white-haired ape king let out a loud roar and charged at us again. The other apes followed suit, roaring like a flood. The roars and footsteps momentarily drowned out the sound of the waterfall.

We fired as we retreated. Just as we reached the edge of the pool, we heard Leopard emerge from the water and shout at us, "Don't hesitate, come down now!" We knew he must have discovered something, so we disregarded everything and jumped into the deep pool. Seeing us jump in, the monkeys stopped chasing us and instead surrounded us on the bank, roaring at us in the water.

Because our backpacks were made of the best available GORE-TEX XCR waterproof fabric, they didn't get wet or sink immediately after being submerged in the water; instead, they floated on the surface like an airbag. Dunzi looked back at the group of apes on the shore, and seeing that they weren't chasing us anymore, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Don't be fooled by their aggressive approach; they're all landlubbers. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have been afraid of them." "Apes usually can't swim, so we're safe here for now. But have you thought about what would happen if they just kept waiting here?" I asked Dunzi with a smirk. Dunzi seemed genuinely stumped by my question, and after thinking for a while, he replied, "Hopefully, there's another way out of this tomb."

At this moment, Ah Bao caught his breath and said to us, "There's a cave behind the waterfall. The entrance is right below the deep pool. It's very likely that the Song Dynasty tomb we're looking for uses this natural cave as its burial chamber." Everyone immediately perked up upon hearing this. Dunzi even joked, "No wonder those monkeys were so vigilant about this place. Turns out we've stumbled upon their paradise, the Water Curtain Cave!"

Now that we had a basic understanding of the underwater situation, we planned to dive down. So, we unloaded our backpacks and piled them on a rock protruding from the water in the middle of the deep pool. We packed necessary equipment such as lighting tools and explosives into waterproof bags, put on our diving masks, turned on our waterproof headlamps, and then dived down one by one.

XIV. Vajra Wall

The water in the pool should have been crystal clear. However, due to the constant cascading of the waterfall, the water seemed to be boiling, producing countless bubbles, resulting in poor underwater visibility. Since no oxygen masks were being used, everyone was holding their breath as they swam underwater. The pool was very deep, almost bottomless. The water temperature was also extremely low. Aside from some aquatic plants growing on the rock walls, no other living creatures were visible. Perhaps most fish and shrimp couldn't survive in the perpetually churning water. Following Ah Bao, they descended to a depth of about seven or eight meters, where a crack appeared in the rock wall beside them, just wide enough for one person to enter.

Ah Bao turned around, waved to everyone, and pointed to the crevice in the rock, indicating that we should hurry over; this was the cave he was talking about. He then became the first to crawl into the crevice. Seeing that he had entered safely, the three of us, having almost run out of breath, immediately followed him in single file.

The crevice was much more difficult to traverse than we had imagined. Besides the haphazardly protruding, sharp rock faces on both sides, it seemed as if long, tangled seaweed was growing on the rock walls. These seaweeds swayed underwater with the current, easily entangled, and the tangling would only grow thicker and tighter. Even with a knife, it was difficult to cut so many seaweeds at once. Fortunately, Ah Bao, a skilled swimmer, led the way, clearing away most of the easily entangled seaweed beforehand, allowing us to pass through the crevice as quickly as possible and surface for air.

Judging from our location, we were on the inside of the waterfall. The water surface was only about a third the size of the deep pool outside the falls. The terrain gradually rose as we went in, eventually rising above the water. Right where the ground emerged from the water, a tall, man-made wall blocked our path. I took out a lighter from my waterproof bag, lit it to test if there was enough oxygen in the cave, and then we quickly walked to the wall and carefully examined it by the light of our headlamps.

The entire wall, estimated to be seven or eight meters high, was constructed entirely of regularly shaped bluestones. The gaps between the stones were filled with lime mortar mixed with glutinous rice water, which, after drying and hardening, firmly bonded the stones, making it indestructible even after thousands of years. "Why is there no door to this tomb passage?" Ah Bao asked疑惑地. "This should be the Vajra Wall. Finding the Vajra Wall is equivalent to finding the entrance to the tomb chamber," I replied with a smile. "Many ancient tombs have this structure; it's usually the first barrier to open the tomb passage and enter the burial chamber. The main door of the tomb chamber should be hidden behind it."

Everyone seemed delighted to hear this, after all, after enduring so many crises and hardships, the Song Dynasty tomb they were looking for was finally within reach. Dunzi, while pulling two bundles of explosives from a waterproof bag, said, "Let's blow it up quickly and go in to get the treasure!" Seeing him about to act, I quickly stopped him, saying, "We can't just blow it up like that!" "Why?" Dunzi asked, puzzled. "Firstly, we're currently in a cave, and we don't know its geological structure. What if your explosion causes a landslide? Secondly, many of the burial objects in this ancient tomb have decayed over such a long period. The various toxic gases released during their decay have accumulated in the tomb. If we suddenly open the tomb, the consequences of inhaling those toxic gases would be unimaginable," I explained. "Then what should we do?" Dunzi asked. Just then, I heard Jenny's voice: "Use a rock drill to make an opening first, and after the poisonous gases in the tomb have slowly dissipated, use a battle axe to slowly break open a gap." Good idea, I thought. Although the space here isn't large enough, there's a deep pool. The released poisonous gases will dissolve in this pool. Diluted in this way, the poisonous gases will slowly disappear.

So, Ah Bao took out the various parts of a small mountain rock drill, including a set of batteries, from the waterproof bag, assembled them, found a spot on the diamond wall, and started drilling hard. Dunzi stood beside him, constantly adding water to the drill bit to prevent it from softening from the heat. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, some black gas gradually emerged from the drill hole, with a stench that was somewhat nauseating. I told Ah Bao to stop immediately, and then we all retreated back into the deep pool.

The black gas billowing from the hole drilled in the wall grew increasingly thick. Soon, even though we had retreated quite a distance, a pungent, fishy stench still wafted towards us. Dunzi, covering his mouth and nose with his hand, said, "Damn it, next time we definitely need to remember to bring a few gas masks. These bastards' stench is just unbearable."

A while later, I noticed that Jenny's face was pale, her lips were purple, and she was constantly nauseous. I knew she might have been slightly poisoned by the gas. Everyone was very worried about Jenny. We had thought the water in the pool would dilute the poison in the tomb, but the concentration was so high that it had already caused Jenny to be slightly poisoned before it had even fully dissolved.

I helped Jenny lean back as far as possible, away from the poisonous gas. Before I knew it, we were pressed against the cave wall. Suddenly, something protruded and bumped my lower back, startling me. When I turned around, I saw a mushroom-shaped object, about the size of my palm, growing on the wall. It was completely black, faintly shimmering, and emitted a faint herbal scent. I suddenly realized that this was the *Ganoderma lucidum* (乌芝草) recorded in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (神农本草经). This thing is actually a type of *Ganoderma lucidum*, known for its remarkable liver-cleansing and detoxifying effects. Because it only grows in extremely shady places and grows very slowly, one of this size must have been nearly a thousand years old, making it extremely rare. Since this cave is perpetually dark and the groundwater in the mountains is unexpectedly cold, this extremely shady place must be its ideal habitat. Truly a stroke of good fortune. So I quickly used my M9 tactical folding knife to cut the *Ganoderma lucidum* down by the roots and divided it into four pieces. I used the handle of the knife to mash one portion into a paste and had Jenny slowly swallow it. Then I cut another portion into three pieces and gave them to Dunzi, Abao, and myself, instructing them to follow my example and hold the black sesame in their mouths to reduce the potency of the poison. The remaining two portions were placed in imitation water bags for later use. Finally, I waved my hand continuously in front of Jenny to circulate the air.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the gas emanating from the wall stopped, and Jenny's complexion gradually returned to normal. For safety's sake, Ah Bao went to the Vajra Wall first to check the holes. Once he confirmed that no more abnormal gas was emanating, everyone else went over as well. We helped Jenny to the side, letting her rest against a rock. Then Ah Bao picked up a rock drill and drilled several holes in the wall. Afterwards, the three of us each took a military axe and smashed it into the center of the holes we had just drilled in the Vajra Wall. Originally, the Vajra Wall was incredibly sturdy, and it wouldn't have been easy to break through with a military axe. However, because we had drilled several holes in the wall, the sturdiness around those holes was greatly reduced, and soon, a hole large enough for a person to crawl through was smashed open.

At this point, Jenny, having consumed the black sesame herb in time, had almost recovered from the poisoning and got up to come over to us. Seeing that she had almost fully recovered, we were all relieved.

I crouched down and peered into the hole I had just smashed open, using the dim light of my headlamp. I saw two monsters with blue faces and fangs, their eyes wide and their mouths gaping open, lunging at me...

15. Tomb Passage

I was startled by the sudden appearance of the monster and cried out, stepping back. The others immediately gathered around, asking what had happened. I told them there seemed to be two terrifying monsters inside, but the light wasn't bright enough to see them clearly. Ah Bao suspiciously pulled out his Wolf Eye tactical flashlight. This type of flashlight is used by US special forces, and in the dark cave, its beam distance is about twice that of a regular high-powered flashlight.

After peering through the hole in the Vajra wall for about two or three minutes with his wolf-eye pendant, he turned back to me with a smile and said, "They're just two painted stone beasts, not monsters." Then he ducked and crawled inside. Ugh, I was scared by two stones! How embarrassing! Sure enough, Dunzi, who was standing nearby, burst into laughter when he heard what Abao said. Seizing the opportunity, he patted my shoulder and said, "Brother, don't be afraid. With me here, no monster can hurt you." I had expected him to find another opportunity to make sarcastic remarks, but I didn't want to argue with him, so I carefully followed Abao through the hole in the wall. Afterwards, Jenny and Dunzi followed suit.

The space behind the Vajra wall is clearly an outer tomb passage. A thick layer of dust covers the bluestone slabs. The stone walls on both sides are meticulously carved and smooth. About twenty meters from the Vajra wall is a heavy stone gate. On either side of the gate stand two round-carved bluestone beasts. Each beast is about the height of a person, with full, robust features and a majestic expression, and is painted entirely with high-quality pigments. Despite the passage of time, they are remarkably well-preserved, appearing vividly colored and lifelike. Without close inspection, one might easily mistake them for living creatures. Because the number of extant Song Dynasty stone beasts is limited, especially those with painted designs, this pair possesses extremely high artistic and collectible value, both in terms of their condition and craftsmanship.

Since we entered the tomb, this pair of stone beasts was the first valuable funerary object we had seen. Dunzi was naturally very excited and said happily, "Since I entered this business, I have handled quite a few funerary objects, but this is the first time I have seen such exquisite stone beasts." As he spoke, he walked straight towards the pair of stone beasts in front of him.

Dunzi rushed to the pair of stone beasts first, examined them closely for a long time, and said regretfully, "What a wonderful thing! It's a pity they're so big; there are only four of us, and we don't know how we're going to move them out." So I comforted him, saying, "In that case, let's go inside and see if there are any other treasures we can take. There must be something better inside." Dunzi nodded and said, "That's right, there's no need to regret about these stone beasts; there must be something even better inside."

Conventionally, the more valuable the burial goods, the closer they are to the tomb's occupant. Since the funerary objects placed in the outer tomb passage are so exquisite, the burial goods inside the tomb must be even rarer and more precious.

Dunzi and I were searching for priceless funerary objects and antiques, while Jenny and Abao were hoping to uncover a world-shaking mystery within the tomb. Although our purposes differed, we were all eager to enter the tomb as soon as possible once we reached its stone gate.

We examined the stone gate before us. It was about four or five meters high, adorned with relief carvings of mythical birds and beasts, as well as rare and exotic flowers. The craftsmanship was remarkably meticulous, suggesting the tomb's occupant must have been a prominent figure. Judging from the dragon patterns carved on the blank stele discovered at my second uncle's house and the objects now placed within the tomb, the tomb's owner was likely a member of royalty.

This piqued everyone's interest even more. After checking that there were no traps or hidden weapons, they hurriedly pushed the stone door open. Although the stone door was very heavy, with the combined efforts of the four people, they finally managed to push it open just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

As we stepped into the inner tomb passage behind the stone gate, a sudden burst of light greeted us. Along both sides of the passage, every two or three meters, stood a pair of crane-shaped bronze lamps, extending all the way to the stone door of the tomb chamber thirty or forty meters ahead. The lamps had all spontaneously ignited as we entered. This familiar scene reminded me of what happened in that secret chamber when I was a child. Could there be some zombies or ghosts again? Just as I was filled with fear, Jenny told us that the oil in these lamps must have contained substances with very low ignition points, such as white phosphorus, so when the air circulated, the white phosphorus would spontaneously combust upon encountering enough oxygen.

After Jenny's explanation, I finally understood and my anxiety subsided. Just then, I heard Dunzi's voice: "Wow, it's so beautiful!" I followed his gaze and saw that the stone walls on both sides of the tomb passage, nearly forty meters long, had been polished smooth and covered with brightly colored murals. On the left were pavilions and towers, and on the right were scenes of singing and dancing. Because the air inside the tomb was relatively dry and the tomb had not been looted, the large murals on both sides were remarkably well-preserved. Bathed in the glow of the lamps, they presented a scene of luxurious prosperity.

I laughed and said to the others, "The Song Dynasty's power declined day by day, and by the time of the Southern Song, most of the country had been occupied by the Jurchens. These emperors and nobles probably lived a life of constant wandering and displacement in their lives, and only after death could they enjoy the luxurious life they desired in their tombs." Dunzi, while touching a crane-shaped bronze lamp beside him, said dismissively, "I'm not like them. I want to enjoy these rare treasures while I'm alive."

We walked on, admiring the art pieces around us. Just then, we heard two extremely faint clicking sounds in the silent tomb passage. Almost simultaneously, we heard Jenny shout in terror, "A trap!" Instinctively, Ah Bao and I quickly dropped to the ground. The person in front of us, Dunzi, was also pushed to the ground by Jenny.

Strangely, after a while, nothing happened except for some liquid dripping from the cave ceiling. Seeing that everything seemed normal, we slowly stood up. "Strange, I clearly heard the sound of mechanisms being activated," Jenny muttered to herself in confusion. "Maybe it's because too much time has passed, and those dilapidated mechanisms have rusted and stopped working," Dunzi said with a smile, brushing the dust off his clothes. Jenny didn't say anything more, but told us to stay where we were, be vigilant, and check the surroundings first. Because ancient tombs often contain various traps and hidden weapons, a little carelessness could easily lead to trouble. We knew she wasn't exaggerating, so we carefully examined our surroundings together.

I noticed puddles of liquid dripping from the ceiling of the tomb passage had begun to form on the previously dry ground, so I crouched down and smelled it. It seemed to be an oily liquid. It wasn't a poisonous or corrosive substance. I figured it was probably lamp oil or something used when the tomb was built, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

After a thorough inspection lasting over ten minutes, nothing suspicious was found; it seemed we had indeed been overthinking things. Since the surrounding area was safe, everyone felt relieved.

16. Golden Thread Fire Dragon Arrow

Jenny and I were captivated by the murals lining the tomb passage, preparing to examine them closely, when Dunzi ran up to me, tugged at my sleeve, and said, "Hurry up, what are you dawdling for? If those cultural relics bureau people come, it'll be too late to snatch anything." He then kept dragging me forward. But after only two or three steps, I suddenly heard several very faint "whoosh" sounds, as if something was flying towards us. Instinctively, I dodged to the side, pushing Dunzi to the other side of the passage. I saw several flashes of light pass before my eyes. Immediately afterward, a raging fire erupted on the ground. Upon closer inspection, I realized those flashes of light were actually arrows, their arrowheads ablaze. When the arrowheads struck the ground, landing precisely on the puddles of oil, the fire spread.

It was only then that everyone realized that the grease leaking from the top of the tomb passage was actually a trap set within the tomb. When someone accidentally triggered the trap, the grease would unknowingly flow onto the ground. When the trap was triggered again, it would release flaming arrows. Even if someone managed to dodge the arrows, the resulting flames could still burn them alive inside the tomb. It was truly incredibly dangerous.

What a formidable trap! It was truly impossible to defend against. Fortunately, perhaps due to the passage of time, most of the oil stored in the tomb passage ceiling had evaporated, leaving only a small amount, which prevented it from flooding the entire floor. Even so, the raging fire instantly filled the tomb passage with thick, suffocating smoke.

Everyone was startled and somewhat panicked by the sudden fire, and the thick black smoke made them cough incessantly. In the chaos, the four of us were separated into two areas by the fire. Dunzi and I were closer to the front, while Jenny and Abao lagged behind.

I quickly surveyed the surrounding fire. The entire tomb passage was a chaotic mess, the flames and black smoke growing increasingly intense. Only the section of the passage closest to the main burial chamber remained unburnt. Perhaps only by running into the burial chamber could we escape the raging flames, I thought to myself. But just as I was about to tell everyone to crouch down and seek shelter in the unburnt chamber, I heard Jenny shout from behind, "Don't go any further! This mechanism is called the Golden Thread Fire Dragon Arrow; it's extremely powerful. Wait for me to come over." Hearing this, Dunzi and I dared not make any rash moves. We obediently lay on the ground, enduring the scorching flames and thick smoke, waiting for her to arrive.

About ten seconds later, Ah Bao, protecting Jenny, hopped over to us. Jenny quickly crouched down, coughing as she explained, "The trigger point of this Golden Thread Fire Dragon Arrow is the extremely fine golden thread, just a few centimeters above the ground. Because this thread is so fine, and because it blends into the light from the lamps on either side of the tomb passage, it's very difficult to spot." As she spoke, Jenny plucked a long hair from her head, holding the top end in her hand and tying a lighter to the bottom as a sling. She then lay down, keeping the lighter as close to the ground as possible, and slowly moved forward, carrying it. As she moved, she told us, "This is the only way we can try. Stay close to me." Hearing this, we followed her, slowly moving forward together.

After moving about two meters, we saw the strand of hair in her hand, which had been hanging vertically, slowly turn into an L-shape, as if something was blocking its path. Upon closer inspection of the bend, we discovered an extremely thin gold thread stretched horizontally between the left and right walls of the inner tomb passage, about twenty or thirty centimeters above the ground. It seemed that the rockets we had just fired must have accidentally triggered these hidden gold thread mechanisms when Dunzi was pulling me forward. I never imagined that so many hair-thin rocket launchers were hidden in the seemingly empty tomb passage floor. The designer of such an ingenious and powerful mechanism was truly a genius.

Jenny had already gotten up, stepped over the golden wire, and then lay down again to continue searching forward using her hair-suspended device. We followed her example, getting up, stepping over the golden wire, and continuing to crawl forward. After stepping over about seven golden wires, we finally reached the entrance to the tomb chamber. By this time, the fire had been burning in the tomb passage for nearly fifteen minutes. Although the flames were now some distance away, we could clearly feel the oxygen concentration in the passage decreasing, and breathing becoming increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, the concentration of smoke and carbon monoxide continued to increase. It seemed that it wouldn't be long before the air in the tomb chamber was completely depleted. Our only chance of survival now was to get into the tomb chamber as soon as possible. If there were other ventilation openings inside the tomb chamber, that would be ideal, but if not, closing the stone door might provide some protection for a while. We could then find another way out.

We quickly examined the tomb's main entrance; it appeared to be made of sandalwood and felt very solid. The seams between the two doors were also very finely crafted, demonstrating excellent technique. The wooden doors were still adorned with carvings of dragons and phoenixes, exquisitely made. But at this point, we had no time to appreciate this outstanding work of art. We grabbed our axes and entrenching tools and quickly pried open the door. In less than ten minutes, the door was pried open, and everyone rushed into the tomb. We hurriedly closed the wooden door again and used handkerchiefs and headscarves to seal the gaps to prevent the thick smoke from getting in, only then did we breathe a slight sigh of relief.

We all leaned against the door, breathing heavily; we had been holding our breath for so long just now. It took about two minutes before we could catch our breath a little.

17. Hanging coffins in the tomb chamber

I quickly glanced around. Apart from a lamp that seemed to be lit sometime earlier in the southeast corner of the tomb, the rest of the tomb was completely dark. The lamp emitted a faint light in the pitch-black tomb, its flickering flame adding to the eerie atmosphere of the tomb.

Although we were all wearing headlamps, the illumination distance seemed to decrease significantly inside the tomb chamber, so we could only see objects within a very small area nearby. Using the limited light from the eternal lamp, we could see a corner of the southeastern part of the tomb chamber where the light was located. It appeared that many things were scattered haphazardly. Other areas were indistinct because the headlamps couldn't reach them.

Ah Bao shone his wolf-eye tactical flashlight, and we could barely make out that the tomb chamber was approximately 300 square meters, with two side chambers on each side. In the center of the tomb chamber, a coffin-like object was suspended in mid-air. The tomb chamber was filled with a dazzling array of burial objects. In addition to various large bronze, jade, and porcelain artifacts placed around the perimeter of the tomb chamber, there were also eight wooden boxes, four on each side, arranged on both sides of the tomb chamber.

Dunzi was overjoyed upon seeing it, repeatedly saying that his hard work hadn't been in vain. His worries about whether the tomb had been looted along the way vanished. Jenny and I, however, found the suspended coffin quite strange. We had never seen such a burial form before. But since we weren't there for archaeological purposes, we didn't pay much attention to the odd coffin.

Jenny continued testing the ground with the dangling object made of hair and a lighter, confirming there was no gold thread there. Only then did she allow us to approach. By this time, Dunzi was already impatient and ran to the nearest burial item. It was a wooden box made of privy wood. The box was painted red and inlaid with jewels and jade, looking very ornate. However, due to its age, a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the lid.

Dunzi used a shovel to pry off the copper lock on the wooden box, which was already covered with a pale green patina. Upon opening the lid, his eyes lit up. The nearly cubic meter box was filled with pearls, jade, and antiques. Unfortunately, after nearly a thousand years, the pearls had long since weathered away, turning into a milky white powder before Dunzi could even touch them. Fortunately, the other jade and porcelain pieces were still intact, each one exquisitely crafted and incredibly valuable.

As Dunzi packed several jade artifacts into his waterproof bag, he exclaimed, "This is truly eye-opening! I, Qi Dadun, am destined for wealth and fortune, haha!" At this moment, Jenny, who usually paid little attention to these antique artifacts, seemed to have transformed. She ran over to Dunzi, rummaging through the items in the box, and asked if he had seen a jade seal. Dunzi shook his head. Seeing that it wasn't in that box, Jenny went to another wooden box, pried it open, and began searching. Abao also ran over to help her search for the jade seal.

When I heard Jenny was looking for a jade seal, I suddenly remembered the seal I always carried with me. But then I thought, my seal is from the Han-Jin period, while the jade seal Jenny is looking for was from a Song Dynasty tomb. It probably doesn't matter much; it's probably some kind of imperial seal. So I helped her search around.

Boxes upon boxes of gold bowls and silver chopsticks, porcelain vases and jade jars, fragments of calligraphy and paintings—it was dazzling to the eye. But Jenny paid no attention to any of it. Could the jade seal she was looking for be more important than all this gold and jewels? After nearly half an hour, we had searched all eight wooden boxes, but we still couldn't find the jade seal Jenny had mentioned.

When I reached the innermost wall of the tomb chamber, I noticed a large skeleton hanging halfway up, probably over two meters tall if it stood. Its limbs were firmly secured to the wall with thick bronze locks. At first glance, I mistook the skeleton for a human and felt a chill. But upon closer inspection, I realized the upper limbs were significantly longer than the lower limbs, and the skull was also quite long, resembling that of an ape. Why would an ape be chained up in the tomb? I pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered the white-haired ape outside the tomb. Could this ape skeleton be connected to the group of apes outside? I thought about it for a long time, finding it somewhat suspicious. But for now, helping Jenny find what she needed was more important. Everything else could be considered later.

Then I remembered there were two side chambers to the left and right of the main tomb, so I ran to check the left one. Before I even reached the chamber, I felt as if I tripped over something. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was an ancient sword. The scabbard was made of old cowhide, inlaid with silver and jade. The hilt was made of bronze, with sparse green copper spots already appearing. I pulled hard, and with a "whoosh," the two-foot-long blade was drawn out. I saw that the fine steel blade was engraved with some "well"-shaped patterns, and even after such a long month, the blade was still sharp and gleaming coldly. A fine piece, I thought to myself, and then casually picked it up and went into the left side chamber.

The side chamber wasn't very large, and the headlamp was enough to give it a general view. Several murals adorned the walls, depicting hunting scenes from the northern frontier. Inside, however, were mostly large bronze artifacts, such as bells and tripods; it seemed there was nothing Jenny needed.

As I emerged from the left side chamber and walked to the center of the tomb, I saw Jenny and Ah Bao also coming out of the right side chamber. Judging from their expressions, they too had found nothing. By then, we had searched almost every possible place inside the tomb where the jade seal might have been placed, except for the coffin hanging in mid-air above our heads.

We all looked up at the hanging coffin overhead. The outer coffin was about 2.5 meters long and 80 centimeters wide. It was made of high-quality nanmu wood. The entire coffin was lacquered black, with Bagua (Eight Trigrams) patterns the size of washbasins inlaid on the sides of both ends. The sides of the coffin were inlaid with gold and silver carved patterns of flower baskets, gourds, and other designs. Many tattered strips of paper were pasted around the coffin; they were too badly damaged to identify. The coffin was firmly bound by two thick copper chains, suspending it above the tomb chamber, creating an eerie atmosphere.

By this time, Dunzi, perhaps having stuffed his waterproof bag to the brim, came over to us. Looking at the strange hanging coffin, he half-jokingly said, "Is this what they call 'dying without a burial place'? This guy must have done a lot of evil deeds in his life to plunder these gold and jade artifacts, which is why he ended up like this. Afraid of going to hell for retribution, he put himself in mid-air." I patted Dunzi's overflowing waterproof bag and laughed, "Then you should be careful, don't end up like him." While we were joking around, Jenny's expression turned serious, and she muttered to herself, "Could this be the eight-treasure coffin and seven-star coffin that Grandpa talked about?"

18. Eight-treasure outer coffin and seven-star inner coffin

Hearing Jenny's explanation, Dunzi became interested and asked with a smile, "What is an Eight-Treasure Coffin and Seven-Star Coffin? Is it very valuable?" Jenny looked at Dunzi and said seriously, "The Eight-Treasure Coffin and Seven-Star Coffin is an outer coffin made of fine golden nanmu wood inlaid with eight Taoist ritual implements such as flower baskets, gourds, and swords. The inner coffin is made of pure silver and carved with the heaven, earth, sun, moon, and the Big Dipper, hence the name Eight-Treasure Coffin and Seven-Star Coffin. Because such coffins are made of exquisite materials and are very expensive, ordinary people do not use them. They are only used to place corpses that have already undergone reanimation. In order to suppress the reanimation, the ritual implements and Taoist magic of the Eight-Treasure Coffin and Seven-Star Coffin are used to restrain and suppress the corpse inside from undergoing further evil."

Hearing this, everyone gasped. It seemed the creature lying in the coffin was no benevolent being; it was highly likely a reanimated zombie or vengeful ghost. "In that case, it's best we don't provoke it. I don't want the treasures in this coffin anymore; let's quickly think of a way out," Dunzi said worriedly. But Jenny seemed unwilling to give up. She circled the hanging coffin several times, muttering to herself, "It might just look similar; it might not necessarily be the Eight Treasures Coffin or the Seven Star Coffin. Only by opening the outer coffin and seeing if it's a silver coffin inside can we be sure." I knew Jenny had gone through so much trouble to get here, surely to uncover a tremendous secret. Now only this final hurdle remained. Perhaps what she was looking for was inside this coffin; she certainly wouldn't give up so easily. Since this secret was more alluring than all the jewels in the room, I was also eager to see it. So I decided to support Jenny's idea: open the outer coffin first and see if it was indeed a silver coffin inside. Needless to say, Ah Bao sided with Jenny. So we smoothly passed the vote with a three-to-one decision to open the outer coffin first.

Since we need to open the outer coffin, we naturally need to find a way to put the coffin on the ground first. Otherwise, hanging in mid-air without any foothold, it will be very difficult to pry open this sturdy outer coffin.

To reach the coffin, the people emptied the boxes containing jewelry and antiques on both sides of the tomb chamber, then moved them to the area beneath the hanging coffin, creating a pyramid-shaped platform. Ah Bao quickly climbed onto the coffin using this platform. Due to the movement, the previously still coffin suddenly began to sway from side to side. The two copper chains, already covered in green copper spots, emitted a series of grating, grating sounds as the coffin swayed. These sounds were exceptionally clear in the otherwise empty and quiet tomb chamber.

Hearing that sound, for some reason, gave me goosebumps and made me very uncomfortable. A sudden emptiness filled me, as if my heart had been ripped out. An ominous premonition suddenly arose in my mind. Dunzi, on the other hand, had already run far away and was squatting by the tomb's entrance, watching our every move.