Chereads / Tomb Robbery and Coffin Knocking / Chapter 46 - gatekeeper

Chapter 46 - gatekeeper

We exchanged a glance, and Big Head, with a disdainful expression, said, "Fox Beard King, this old scoundrel, doesn't even spare such a young kid. Damn beast."

I frowned and responded, "In ancient times, there were many tyrants, reveling in brutal methods. Such cruelty ensures that even after witnessing it, one can't stomach a meal."

As the large pit lit up, I noticed the giant statue was constructed in a conical water pool. Four corners of the water held millennium lamp vats, and the one before us was one of them. Below the four vats were stone pedestals with bull's nose holes, and iron chains passed through them, tethering the giant statue's shoulders.

The statue, painted but peeling due to age, depicted a figure embracing its head. From attire and posture, it seemed to be a male, but the symbolism was unclear.

"Building a stone statue in a water pool, chaining the statue's pelvic bones with iron chains—Fox Beard King must be well-fed to create such things," I remarked.

I continued, "Ancient people valued symbolism; would you build such a large statue of someone else in your own tomb? The statue must have a purpose, including the pool underneath. Yet, everything valuable must have been taken by the imperial mausoleum. We can't even guess."

Suddenly, Zhao Jun exclaimed, "Look, this statue seems to be holding something."

Big Head squinted, "There can't be anything. Those Imperial Mausoleum rats would've taken everything... Wait, your eyes are sharp."

He took out his ancient Nokia flip phone, using the camera to zoom in. After a while, he looked at us and said, "There's something eerie in this tomb; it's human hair."

"Hair?" I questioned.

Big Head estimated, "It's so long, seems to grow from inside the statue. Is it the statue's chest hair? The craftsman must be extraordinary."

I asked for the phone to see, but he urged, "I feel something is off. We shouldn't linger here. Let's move forward quickly."

Agreeing, we moved with torches. The tomb chamber had passages on both sides, leading to another inner room visible through two doorways.

Big Head, playing with the torch, theatrically said, "Two brave warriors, let's storm ahead."

Ignoring side passages, we entered the inner room. Carved reliefs adorned the walls, depicting heavenly scenes with celestial palaces and goddesses, while two giants in golden armor guarded the doors.

Mocking, Big Head said, "Lizard yawning, boasting much. Fox Beard King compares himself to the Heavenly Emperor, even setting up two big guards for when he ascends. Is he planning a luxurious afterlife in the sky?"

Zhao Jun sighed, "He already has wealth and luxury, what more does he seek?"

Big Head, patting Zhao Jun's shoulder, said solemnly, "Brother, judging from your childhood, you've suffered. It's not your fault; these people are greedy, wanting prosperity for generations. We need to give these remnants of feudalism a resounding slap with our diligent hands."

I rolled my eyes, surveyed the room, noticing it was smaller, with reliefs and a large Yin inscription stone. The floor had more somber black slate.

Big Head found peculiar marks on the floor. Going over, I noticed a subtle color difference, indicating something was there before. I measured it, "3 meters 6, 5 meters. Probably a stone coffin."

"Not small, is it Fox Beard King's?" Big Head asked.

I walked around, "Unlikely. The reliefs don't portray him. From the information we gathered, there were significant disturbances during the Imperial Mausoleum's tomb excavation. It shouldn't be that simple."

Big Head skeptically asked, "Then whose vanished coffin is this?"

Standing by the stone monument, I said, "It should be mentioned in this inscription, but unfortunately, Li Xin isn't here. He knows a lot about Western Region cultures. Compared to my limited knowledge, he's an expert."

"That's better than me and Old Zhao. You're the only intellectual here; hurry and read it," Big Head urged.

Getting annoyed by his persistence, I told him not to rush. Fox Beard Kingdom used Tocharian script, a language that few understood domestically. In Qinhan Hall, there was a master who specialized in this area, but compared to his expertise, I was just a novice.

For a pure interpretation, I wasn't capable. I asked Zhao Jun to light another torch and follow the reliefs on the wall. Although I couldn't fully understand, I could sense a connection between the inscription and the reliefs.

After a while, as Big Head's torch dimmed, I finally guessed the identity of the disappeared stone coffin owner.

Pointing at a relief, I said, "What does this resemble? Pay attention to these, they are clouds."

Big Head, impatiently, "Water tower?"

Zhao Jun added, "Looks like a gate."

"Exactly! More precisely, it's the Heavenly Gate. The two gates we passed symbolize the Southern Heavenly Gate. This tomb holds the guardian of the Heavenly Gate, the guardian of Fox Beard King's tomb," I explained.

Big Head, unimpressed, commented, "What's the use? In the end, he's just accompanying Fox Beard King."

"In ancient times, being buried with an emperor is the highest honor."

"These people lack culture," Big Head scoffed, looking at other reliefs, "What do these mean?"

"I couldn't fully understand the middle section of the stone monument, so I can only infer from the context. It probably says Fox Beard King instructed the general to guard the Heavenly Gate for him. During Fox Beard King and the old immortal's ascension, they couldn't be disturbed. After they came out, they could take everyone to heaven."

"Fox Beard King is just an old scammer," Big Head remarked.

I nodded, "Throughout history, ruling classes combine royal and divine authority. How else do they make you believe they are divinely chosen? Writing your own name on a stone and then pretending to discover it – these things happen."

"By the way, Big Head," I asked, "Do you remember the rubbings Old Wan showed us initially? It mentioned Fox Beard King having a 'Nine Dragons Spirit Platform' built for him and the old immortals they unearthed. The ascension isn't certain, but I think the platform might be real. The content on those rubbings may also be accurate, though stories of people being dug up and an immortal army surely have some exaggeration."

"Of course, I remember. At that time, you said it was fake, and I almost punched him. According to you, after we enter, we should see the old scammer and the little scammer embracing each other on that Nine Dragons Platform? What do you think the ascension pose is, the rooster standing alone?"

Ignoring his sarcasm, I became interested in the so-called "old immortal." I wondered if there was any connection between this person and the Taoist in the Imperial Mausoleum. Could they be the same person? This gave me a strange feeling, as if this person's mysterious background was a crucial clue to unraveling the mysteries pursued by my father and second uncle.

Suddenly, the

 tomb chamber echoed with a clattering sound. Startled, I looked around, shouting, "Be careful, a mechanism has been triggered."

The three of us quickly backed against the wall, but the tomb was too spacious due to the Imperial Mausoleum's actions, making it impossible to determine the direction of the disturbance.

In an instant, the sound disappeared. Before we could react, a stone slab on the wall beneath the stone monument began to rotate, revealing a face with a purplish hue. My heart skipped a beat – wasn't this the same ghostly entity that Big Head and I encountered in the burial pit underground?

Knowing the power of this entity, Big Head rushed forward, slamming into the wall just as the creature was about to emerge. He pressed the door back into place, simultaneously yelling, "Quick, bring the lamp post over."

I exclaimed, and Zhao Jun put down Zhao Min. The two of us quickly moved a massive lamp post from the corner. Honestly, Big Head, who usually appeared carefree, was unexpectedly resolute at this moment. If it were me, I might have already been knocked down by that creature.

The lamp post, made of bronze, was exceptionally heavy, and even the two of us struggled. Big Head was also having a hard time; the creature, struck by Big Head, seemed confused. After a brief pause, it vigorously struck the door, and if it weren't for the door's thickness, Big Head might have been knocked away.

After much effort, we managed to block the creature with the lamp post just before it emerged. The heavy wall and the lamp post completely halted the creature's attempts to break through. It struck the door a few times before ceasing its attack.

Big Head, panting, sat against the wall, "Damn, how did that thing end up here?"

Zhao Jun, leaning on his knees, gave Big Head a thumbs-up, "Impressive."

Big Head laughed, "I told you, Old Zhao, you haven't seen my methods yet."

Listening to the tomb's silence, I assumed the creature had left. I turned back, saying, "Could there be a connection to the burial pit behind?"

The more I thought about it, the more unsettling it became. I didn't know where the problem lay, so I suggested moving forward. The inner room had two passages on each side, and we chose one.

Big Head picked up a torch and said, "Let's go left. There are some friction marks on the ground; it seems the Imperial Mausoleum team walked through here. Even if there are traps, they've probably been triggered."

Zhao Jun carried Zhao Min, and we entered the passage. Big Head, pondering, mumbled, "How did the mechanism in that tomb chamber get triggered?"

"Who knows? It seems... Listen!"

I didn't finish my sentence when a prolonged metal friction sound came from the passage. The three of us stopped and carefully identified the noise. I turned to look behind me, and my expression changed abruptly, "Damn, someone is moving that lamp post."