The excavation project unfolded with great fervor. The Cao family members, skilled in their craft, demonstrated their expertise. Some supported the probing shovels, relying on the tactile feedback to determine the presence of hidden objects. In uncertain cases, they brought up soil for closer inspection. The experts among them could discern the nature of the soil and its origins based on its texture and color.
The two shifts worked tirelessly day and night, digging until the following noon. Suddenly, a Cao family member, while excavating, felt a tremor in his shovel and exclaimed, "There is something here." Others swiftly gathered around, and when the soil was unearthed, they discovered a layer at the bottom, about an inch thick, of pale white solid substance. Some speculated it might be a kind of ointment, but others disagreed. One person even broke off a piece, sniffed it, frowned, and suggested it could be clay burned with grass.
Duo Jie observed the scene with curiosity. At that moment, my father approached, touched the white soil, and confirmed it was indeed burned grass soil. Locating this type of soil was equivalent to finding the burial site, prompting the team to commence excavation on the spot.
In ancient times, to prevent theft, a layer of secret material was applied outside the tomb. It was then covered with burnt grass to cool, forming a sturdy outer shell known as burned grass soil. This technique, known as "wooden frame molding," originated from folk traditions.
People would first level the ground, layer it with several layers of dry, sandy grass-mud mixture, and top it with a 1-inch thick layer of fine sand from the wall's outer half-meter depth. They would then dig a palm-length trench at the four walls' positions, insert round wooden stakes into the trench, tie horizontal wooden beams to the stakes, fill the gaps with reeds, creating the so-called wooden frame.
After constructing the wooden frame, they would apply a layer of grass-mud mixture, forming mud walls on both sides. An outer fireproof wall was then added, along with the application of wall plaster on the ground. After allowing the walls and floor to thoroughly air dry, a large amount of wood was stacked inside and outside the house, and a fire was ignited. Through prolonged baking, the walls turned into sturdy brick paper, with the inner wooden frame carbonized, transforming the wooden frame mud walls into layered pottery walls.
Subsequently, this technique evolved into a means of tomb protection. The entire burial chamber, after burning, formed a sealed "pottery," not only moisture-proof but also exceptionally robust. For ancient tomb robbers, dealing with this burned grass soil posed no challenge. However, for the Cao family, a lineage of tomb raiders, it was no issue at all.
More people gathered around the excavation site to collect soil. Several leaders of the team measured the scope of the relic, marked it with white ash, and, before sunset, almost confirmed the extent of the underlying relic.
With no need to worry about prying eyes in the deep mountains, the team worked vigorously. To expedite the excavation, they even built a bonfire around the camp. The Cao family members continued digging throughout the night, and judging from the unearthed artifacts, they would likely break through before dawn.
Duo Jie lay in the tent, unable to sleep. In the latter half of the night, the outside suddenly became noisy. Startled, he saw several figures passing by the tent, illuminated by the bonfire. Soon, many others hurriedly emerged from their tents.
He quickly put on his clothes and followed them outside. A group of people held torches, lifting a massive object from the ground. Ropes were attached, pulling the object out of the pit.
My father, with a solemn expression, observed the object. He instructed to remove the sticky clay on top, and two men rinsed the surface with water. Once cleaned, a gigantic white bone was revealed.
Moans of disbelief echoed around, even my father, experienced as he was, took a sharp intake of breath. Duo Jie, glancing at it briefly, was thoroughly shocked.
Having grown up hunting in the old mountains, he was extremely familiar with animal skins, tendons, and bones. At a glance, he recognized the bone as a rib. However, this rib was at least over two meters long, indicating a colossal creature.
One of the Cao family members, in disbelief, rubbed his eyes, kicked it, and muttered, "What is this?"
Several leaders gathered, puzzled, and turned to my father. He adjusted his clothes, whispered, "Continue digging. Unearth everything there is."
The bone excavation continued until the early hours of the second day. Duo Jie was awakened by Zhao Sanshui from the same tent. When they went out, they saw a display of pale bones outside the camp.
It was an unforgettable sight for Duo Jie. The enormous skeleton, contrasting with the nearby Liberation Army truck, had a primitive aura, as if a colossal subterranean beast lay quietly dormant there.
Cao family members were assembling the bones at the location they were unearthed. The two horn bones on the huge skull and the rib bones, stretching over twenty meters, could be clearly identified. The owner of this skeleton was undoubtedly a dragon!
Everyone held their breath, silently staring at the dragon bones before them. The unexpected discovery surpassed everyone's expectations. Unearthing dragon bones during a tomb raid was undoubtedly unprecedented for the Cao family.
Several leaders gathered solemnly in my father's tent. Duo Jie and Zhao Sanshui squatted outside, smoking, occasionally catching snippets of phrases like "Guardian Beast" and "Kunlun Giant."
Curious, Duo Jie asked Zhao Sanshui what a Guardian Beast was. Zhao Sanshui, extinguishing his cigarette, explained that according to ancient records, there were two kinds of monsters that specialized in digging graves and consuming the brains and livers of the deceased. One was called Wangxiang, and the other was Fangliang. Their natural enemy was a mythical beast called Fangxiangshi, capable of expelling Wangxiang and Fangliang. Thus, the living would place Fangxiangshi beside the tomb to prevent the invasion of these monsters. This evolved into the concept of the Guardian Beast.
Duo Jie inquired if the dragon bones they found were the Fangxiangshi. Zhao Sanshui clarified that it was not. In later periods, the Guardian Beast transformed into a creature that expelled evil spirits from the netherworld, serving the purpose of warding off evil and protecting the peace of the deceased. It no longer had a specific form.
He gestured toward the skeleton, mysteriously asking Duo Jie
if he knew the final step in the transformation of a dragon. Seeing Duo Jie shake his head, Zhao Sanshui revealed that it was the claws. To judge a dragon, one must examine its front claws. Not every creature with horns on its head is a dragon. A dragon has five claws, while a python has four. Looking at this dragon skeleton, it not only lacked four claws, but even one was absent. This indicated that the skeleton was not a genuine dragon corpse, at best a failed transformation of a mountain spirit or wild creature.
Duo Jie was astonished, realizing that there was much more to this than he had imagined. He asked Zhao Sanshui what this creature could be.
After contemplating for a while, Zhao Sanshui speculated that it might be a giant snake.
Duo Jie sighed in relief, grateful that it wasn't some supernatural entity. However, Zhao Sanshui reminded him that it wasn't a good sign either. If something fierce was buried underground, the Guardian Beast's spiritual energy could be overwhelmed. As evident, the unearthed creature might have been twisted into this monstrous form due to the accumulation of Yin energy over hundreds or thousands of years.
Duo Jie was taken aback and asked for an explanation.
Zhao Sanshui gazed at the nearby pit and, in a hushed tone, told him that the Guardian Beast was meant to suppress evil spirits. However, if an extremely malevolent entity was buried below, the malevolent energy could overpower the Guardian Beast. As seen, the unearthed creature had transformed into something grotesque.
Duo Jie took a sharp breath, realizing that the journey ahead might be more dangerous and mysterious than he had envisioned. No wonder my father had warned him thoroughly – the true peril lay beneath. After discussing in the tent, my father and the leaders decided to continue the excavation. With the bones already unearthed, the progress in tunneling increased significantly. By evening, they had almost reached the burned grass soil layer, which proved to be extremely hard. The Luoyang shovel could only excavate thumb-sized chunks.
However, the Cao family had a method specifically for dealing with burned grass soil. Duo Jie observed some members mixing powder into a bucket of water, sprinkling the mixture onto the burned grass soil. Soon, the soil emitted crisp cracking sounds, and fine cracks covered the surface. A tap caused the entire layer to peel off.
Once the burned grass soil was removed, revealing the underlying brick layer, excitement swept through the team. The discovery of wall bricks meant they could pinpoint the final location. Several experts recalculated the tomb's position from different angles, attempting to identify the main burial chamber.
Unfortunately, after much effort, confusion spread among the team. The structure of this tomb was peculiar and defied common expectations. It was not designed in the typical burial layout but rather followed the extremely rare pattern of an "isolated tomb."
Regular tombs emphasized a connection between the past and the future, ensuring benefits for future generations. This practice, known as "ancestral fortune," aimed at securing a favorable fate. The saying "ancestral tomb emits green smoke" expressed a belief in the positive omen of well-chosen burial sites benefiting descendants.
In contrast, the "isolated tomb" had no consideration for the future. It secluded wind, gathered water, claimed all the celestial virtues for itself, devoid of dragon paths. It selfishly enjoyed all the geographical advantages, preserving the spiritual energies of mountains, rivers, and water systems, a practice often associated with "isolated tombs."
Legend had it that Zhao Guangyi, after usurping the throne by killing his elder brother, suffered from restless nights. Seeking a remedy, he consulted a wise monk who revealed that the lingering resentment of his brother, a fearsome warrior, disrupted the balance. With the Underworld repeatedly urging his brother's soul, Zhao Guangyi refused to let his brother's spirit rest. Finally, someone suggested building an isolated tomb for Zhao Guangyi's elder brother, Zhao Kuangyin, in hopes that in the next life, Zhao Guangyi would relinquish the throne to him. This solution brought peace.
While the isolated tomb remained a legend, it was said that one had been unearthed in ancient Changsha City. However, the Cao family had never encountered such a tomb, making the situation challenging. Hastily, they sought my father and a few leaders for guidance.