It is challenging to imagine that beneath the Tian Shan Mountains hides such a spectacular ancient structure, evoking a sense of reverence and awe. Suppressing the surging waves within, I carefully observed.
This is a colossal tower-like structure, distinct from the typical towers. The Zhenling Platform of the Nine Dragons resembles the architectural form of a palace above and a dwelling below, somewhat akin to the Qiniandian in the Temple of Heaven Park. However, it occupies a much larger area than the latter and boasts a rare seven-tiered eaved circular roof.
As known to all, in ancient times, a building reaching seventy to eighty meters was already considered quite tall. The ancient temple in Luoyang during the Northern Wei period was the tallest, standing at over forty-nine zhang. Yet, in comparison to the Zhenling Platform before us, it stands not lower but higher.
What's even more astonishing is that the area around the Zhenling Platform is isolated. It is surrounded by a dark and profound circular trench, about twenty to thirty meters wide. Iron rope bridges extend from the four directions toward it.
We were standing at one of the entrances, facing the conspicuous stone monument across the iron rope bridge, bearing the inscription "Yonggui Youlu."
As we exchanged glances, excitement overwhelmed us. After enduring countless hardships, we had finally found the lair of the Fox Huhu King.
Big Head stood at the cliff edge, absentmindedly shining his flashlight downwards, exclaiming, "Hey, look at this."
It turned out that the ravines surrounding the Zhenling Platform were filled with grotesque corpses, scattered haphazardly. Li Xin's face turned pale, and he whispered, "How many dead bodies are there? It's almost filling up."
Han Sheng's expression changed slightly as he murmured, "When we pass later, everyone keeps silent. I have a bad feeling. You must have noticed; in this tomb, you can hardly see any bodies. I believe most of them are below. The bodies here are quite unusual and likely related to the Zhenling Platform."
At this point, I felt a sense of unease. The Zhenling Platform before my eyes resembled an upright giant coffin. The cave walls were adorned with many cow-nose buckles, tied with iron chains around the tower body. The chains were adorned with numerous yellow talismans, seemingly preserved with an unknown method, still intact. It looked like a strange figure bound with limbs locked.
Though called an iron rope bridge, it was, in fact, four iron chains. Despite being only twenty meters or so, it swayed with a touch, making even Big Head swallow nervously.
Han Sheng rubbed his hands and said, "Let me try first."
I asked him to remove his backpack to reduce weight, but he shook his head, saying it was okay. He only took a mountain-climbing rope, tied it around his waist, and hung a carabiner on the iron chain as a safety measure, then slowly walked across.
The iron chain initially swayed, making me sweat with anxiety. However, after a few steps, Han Sheng stabilized. He walked steadily and reached the other side.
He gestured 'OK,' and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Later, Old Wan and others safely crossed.
Big Head gestured for me to go first. I took a deep breath, rubbing my face, and stepped onto the iron rope. Suddenly, someone on the other side shone a flashlight directly at my face, causing me to curse. When I squinted to look, the light extinguished, and before I could see clearly, it lit up again.
I got annoyed and was about to ask them to stop playing, but Big Head beside me muttered, "Not good."
I instinctively turned to look, and on the rock wall behind us, countless "ghost-face" gu insects, previously parasitic on Zhao Min's head, had densely spread. I shouted to Big Head, "Let's go together."
Without waiting for Big Head to attach the carabiner, he used the rope to traverse the bridge. Despite his bulky appearance, he was surprisingly agile, quickly reaching the other side.
Hearing the rustling sounds on the wall behind us, I felt my hair stand on end and hurriedly climbed onto the iron chain. For that moment when my feet left the ground, my nerves tensed instantly.
The iron bridge was not as easy to walk on as it seemed. With each step, it swayed and made an uncomfortable "swoosh" sound.
Big Head stopped in front, shouting, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up; we're all here."
I looked back and was terrified. Those gu insects, resembling "ghost faces," jumped over the wall like spiders. Although most fell into the corpse trench below, quite a few landed on the iron chain and crawled toward me.
I began to crawl forward, using both hands and feet. The iron chain seemed to have been smeared with some oily substance, making it slippery. However, those insects crawled swiftly. In just a short while, the closest one was less than two meters away. The eerie "human face" on its back was vivid, sending shivers down my spine.
Suddenly, I felt heat behind me, turning to see Big Head tearing a piece of his camouflage uniform, tying it to the iron chain, and igniting it with a lighter. He jumped to another iron chain, shouting, "What are you waiting for? Come over."
I thought it was a good idea, watching the insects unwilling to approach the flames, making hissing sounds. I urged Big Head to hurry; when the cloth burned out, those creatures might come over.
Zhao Min and I were pulled up by Big Head. Han Sheng's face looked somewhat grim as he said, "I feel a change in the corpses below. Let's go quickly; things might take a turn for the worse."
From this vantage point, the Zhenling Platform appeared even more magnificent. It was hard to imagine how such an architecture was constructed in that era.
Without further ado, we climbed the Han Baiyu-carved circular platform, with ninety-nine steps, flanked by cloud dragon terraces, leading directly to the main entrance.
The main door was an uncommon jade, of excellent water quality, showing no signs of wear, seemingly carved as a whole. The two jade doors depicted two goddesses holding half-covered faces, mysterious and dignified.
However, the door was already open, revealing a gap wide enough for a person to pass through.
Big Head patted the jade door and asked me, "Little Second Master, do you think this door is valuable?"
I replied, "Selling one of these could ensure you eat and drink without worry for the rest of your life."
Big Head's eyes lit up, contemplating where to start disassembling it. I warned him to stop and explained that this jade needed to be sold as a whole. However, I promised that if he dared to move it, he'd be singing behind bars for the rest of his life.
Han Sheng examined the main door, then turned to say, "The mechanisms on the door have been destroyed. The craftsmanship is quite sophisticated, probably done by the Imperial Mountain."
Big Head, raising his flashlight, exclaimed, "What are we waiting for? Let's not miss the hot food."
Saying that, he rushed in, shouting in
surprise, "Is this a world war?"
We followed him inside, and Han Sheng lit a flare, increasing the illumination. The first floor was quite high, at least over twenty meters. Twelve extremely eerie black jade statues were erected in the hall, some with human bodies and snake tails, nine hands behind them; others with snakes in their mouths, wings on their ribs, all very bizarre.
Behind these statues were twenty-eight golden nanmu pillars arranged in a circle. The main hall was remarkably without large beams and rafters, supported solely by these nanmu pillars and brackets, creating a unique architectural style. It was challenging to infer the corresponding historical background from the building style and statue images. At least, such culture did not exist in the ancient Central Plains region.
Inside the main hall was a mess, arrows scattered on the floor, along with some broken swords and shields. Strangely, there were no bodies.
Han Sheng stopped us, furrowing his brow, "Be careful. These twelve statues are not just decorations. Judging from the shooting angles, the arrows on the ground were shot from the statues. There might be gravity mechanisms on the floor. A slight misstep could trigger the mechanism." He scanned the surroundings, "At least in one aspect, the old soldier didn't lie to us; this place is no longer a tomb for the dead."
Li Xin shivered, saying, "I suggest we find the way to the next floor. It's too cold here and somewhat creepy."
Thinking of his knowledge of Western Region culture, I asked him, "By the way, have you seen these statues before?"
Li Xin, a bit timid, took a quick glance and shook his head, "I haven't seen them. According to my understanding, ancient statues for worship generally depict specific figures, such as tribal totems or mythical heroes. Alternatively, they embody abstract symbols, such as heaven, earth, or the sun. I have never encountered these statues before, and their terrifying images don't match any characters from myths or prophecies. Therefore, I assume these statues represent some kind of allegory, perhaps akin to the Seven Deadly Sins – you know, greed, plague, envy."
I nodded, aligning with my speculation. This culture undoubtedly didn't originate from the Western Region but was likely related to the person from Bashu.
Han Sheng checked, confirming that the mechanisms on the door were destroyed. We split up to search for the way to the upper floor.
Arrows and weapons were scattered on the ground, indicating that Imperial Mountain had indeed faced a surprise attack here. It's easy to imagine the terrifying scene of twelve giant statues releasing a barrage of arrows. This round would likely result in many casualties.
Moreover, the floor was paved with golden essence, the so-called green gangshi. Many arrows were only partially embedded, indicating the terrifying force of these arrows. This round would probably claim many lives.
Big Head found nothing after a round of searching and complained to me, "I spent so much effort, and I found nothing. Is this old guy too stingy?"
Seeing his expression made me laugh. I joked with him, "Let me tell you, considering the size of this Zhenling Platform, the treasury of the Fox Huhu Kingdom may have already been emptied. Moreover, the Fox Huhu King is wholeheartedly devoted to cultivating, treating wealth as something external. Maybe, in the end, we'll only find bamboo scrolls and Daoist texts. So, don't get your hopes too high."
"What?" Big Head widened his eyes, punched the nearby pillar, and said, "If that's the case, I'll really dismantle these two doors."
Before he finished his words, the hall echoed with the clattering sound of mechanisms running. Big Head looked surprised as he watched a piece of wood he had pressed inside slowly retract, revealing a staircase spiraling upwards.
He nonchalantly shook his hair, "Big Brother did it on purpose."
As the passage was about two meters wide, the stairs spiraled upward around the Zhenling Platform. The wooden steps were somewhat decayed, emitting a creaking sound when stepped on, making people feel uneasy.
Han Sheng took the lead, with us following closely. He was careful to save battery power, leaving only his flashlight. The surroundings were pitch-black, and the silence was eerie. Suddenly, Han Sheng stopped and whispered, "Someone ahead."