As the illuminating flare was on the verge of extinguishing, we witnessed a desolate gray structure, resembling a deceased ancient giant crouching in the millennium-sealed subterranean world. Instantaneously, excitement surged within everyone. It wasn't merely about finding an exit; rather, it was a profound exultation inherent in human nature—the relentless pursuit of the truth about life, death, and ancient mysteries, an allure difficult to resist.
Er Ye gestured with his hand, signaling to the bald guy, "Prepare yourself; we're going down."
All individuals began preparing their gear in place, leaving unnecessary equipment behind to avoid endangering themselves while descending the rocky cliffs with ropes. Such activities were physically demanding, and we needed to be agile. The bald guy's team included professionals equipped with expanding nails and hooks, and one by one, we started descending. Among the group, only the injured Lao He seemed to have lesser physical stamina than me. I was determined not to lag behind and persevered, gritting my teeth with each step. Xiao He lent me a helping hand when we reached the bottom, and I reassured him, sitting down to catch my breath.
Suddenly, a cry echoed from the group, and upon investigation, we found a member of the bald guy's team motionless on the ground, with their medic attending to them. I inquired about the situation from Xiao He, and he explained that the person might have failed to secure the rope properly, leading to a fall. Perplexed, I wondered how such skilled tomb raiders could make such a mistake, especially in the absence of wind, which should have given them enough reaction time to grab the rope even if they slipped.
The bald guy asked, "What happened?"
The medic shook his head regretfully, and the bald guy, somewhat frustrated, admonished, "Pay attention in a place like this."
After the arrangement of the deceased person, we officially set forth towards the enigmatic structure in the darkness. However, before leaving, I noticed Er Ye giving a meaningful look toward the cliff we descended. I turned to glance as well, and the sight left me in cold sweat. At the entrance of the cliff, an unusually large pale face was peering out, silently watching us. Moreover, it seemed to have noticed me and gestured with a hushing motion.
Zhao Gu slapped me, asking, "What's wrong?"
I quickly grabbed him, pointing towards the entrance. However, in the blink of an eye, the pale face disappeared. Zhao Gu looked at me puzzled, and I found myself at a loss. I recounted what I saw to him, and he furrowed his brows, whispering, "Are you saying something is following us, and that person was harmed by it? Are you sure?"
His inquiry introduced doubt into my thoughts. I began to question if I had misjudged, and when I turned for another look, there was nothing there. Perhaps, my eyes had played tricks on me.
Zhao Gu patted my shoulder reassuringly, saying, "Don't overthink it; it's normal for the first time. I was terrified when I first came down here. A bath and a couple of drinks when we go back up will fix you right up."
Er Ye and Xiao He led the way as we proceeded. To save power, each group of three carried a mining lamp. I could see that the path beneath our feet was paved with stone slabs, leading straight to the mysterious structure. After about twenty minutes of walking, we arrived at the building. The entire structure appeared gray, embedded in the cliff. Upon closer inspection, it bore the architectural style of the Han Dynasty, constructed with stone frames. However, the solemnity one would expect from a palace was overshadowed, perhaps due to the lighting conditions, making it seem eerie.
The two doors of the main hall were inscribed with symbols similar to the ones on the entrance of the stone room we encountered at the beginning. Probably belonging to the same language, only Er Ye could decipher them.
Xiao He held the lamp, and Er Ye briefly read through the inscriptions, explaining, "This is the Second Palace, one of the three halls proposed by the Daoist at the time. It houses the general's wife and daughter."
In ancient times, death rituals were conducted with the same solemnity as those during one's lifetime. To ensure the deceased could enjoy blessings in the afterlife, the practice of joint burials persisted throughout ancient China.
In the Qin and Han Dynasties, an artisan in the Qin Han Tang workshop recounted a story. When a certain emperor from the Zhu family passed away, more than a hundred concubines were selected for a joint burial. After eating a meal, they were led into a room, instructed to lie neatly on a specific bed, and their necks were positioned to be trapped. Subsequently, the bed was abruptly pulled away, causing the concubines' necks to break simultaneously.
Reflecting on this, I cursed silently. Although joint burials were cruel, there was no tradition of wives sacrificing themselves for their deceased husbands. Generally, it was customary to wait for the legitimate wife to pass away before being interred together. However, in this general's case, it was difficult to comprehend; he obtained enlightenment alone while his entire family perished.
Er Ye had been studying the door inscriptions, and suddenly, from the darkness behind us, rhythmic thudding sounds echoed. Initially distant, the sounds had now become much closer, intensifying and accelerating.
Old He's expression changed, and he looked at Er Ye, who evidently heard the sounds. He signaled to the bald guy, "Quick, open the door; that thing is approaching."
The stone door wasn't large, and there was no automatic mechanism inside. It was easy for us to open. However, as the door closed earlier, we might have triggered some hidden device, locking the stone door. Strangely, such mechanisms were usually installed on the inner side of doors with jade as a deterrent against intruders. However, this large hall seemed designed to lure people in, complicating our situation.
While a few members went to search for alternative exits, Er Ye was frowning at the intricacies of the bronze patterns on the urns. I picked up a shallow belly-shaped bottle by the wall, and to my surprise, it was porcelain. Although porcelain existed in the Han Dynasty, high-quality porcelain was typically produced in imperial kilns for royal use. It was evident that this general held considerable influence.
I carefully wiped off the accumulated dust from the bottle, revealing its vibrant green glaze and compact structure. Judging by my experience in the Qin Han Tang workshop, this was likely porcelain from the Yue kiln in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The quality of this celadon could fetch a decent amount in the market.
In the dim light, I noticed a faint black mark on the bottle that couldn't be wiped away. Rolling the bottle, I discovered that the mark remained stationary, not following the bottle's movement. This observation puzzled me. Suddenly, I turned around and looked up, utterly astonished. Suspended above me, a large bronze urn was hanging.
I immediately called others over, and their shock mirrored mine. Besides the one I discovered, there were seven more large urns hanging from the beams. This discovery captivated even Er Ye, who had switched two urns already. Several individuals contemplated climbing up to investigate, but Er Ye stopped them. Clearly
, these urns posed potential issues.
He instructed two people to switch the flashlight to high mode and illuminate the urns. I noticed some peculiar drawings on them, resembling children's scribbles—random lines and strokes, making no sense.
Neck craned back for a while, the bald guy complained, "My neck is sore. Er Ye, based on what I see, there's no useful information up here. Shouldn't we continue examining that stone coffin? The mechanism might be beneath it."
Er Ye, with a furrowed brow, stared at the bronze patterns on the bronze urn, and he said, "The infant coffin below should be undisturbed. The issue might lie in the patterns on this bronze urn; it appears to be a map."
Hearing the possibility of a map, everyone became more alert. However, after prolonged inspection, none of us could make sense of the strange drawings. I knew Er Ye must have a partial layout of this tomb, enabling him to make such associations.
Thinking about this, Er Ye, now standing next to the bald guy, who held the second urn, said, "Get two people up there and wipe the dust off this urn. Remember, do not open it."
The bald guy nodded and called two individuals. Climbing up the pillar, as soon as one of them reached the urn, the other stopped and turned back, saying with an unpleasant expression, "Hey, the lid of this urn is already open."