The Chen brothers were adept in this aspect, promptly stepping aside to avoid danger, and at the same time, the bluestone slab tilted, one end falling down.
A strong smell of rotten eggs instantly spewed forth, indicating the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas, and the concentration was not insignificant. We would soon lose our sense of smell, then unwittingly progress towards death.
Upon descending, each of us brought a bottle of water and a towel, quickly dampening the towel with water and covering our mouths and noses to utilize the property of hydrogen sulfide dissolving in water to neutralize its effects on the body.
However, this was only temporary, and time was not on our side; we had to act swiftly.
"The concentration is not small; it seems there should be more than one body inside."
"Forgetful, brother, didn't Mr. Zhang say that the Yong Tomb is the joint burial tomb of Emperor Wen of Western Wei and two empresses, Yu Jiulu and Gong Fei?"
I said to the two brothers, "Three bodies wouldn't produce this much hydrogen sulfide. If I'm not mistaken, there should be many more bodies inside."
Chen Lao Er pondered and said, "The Lusha Tomb is generally untouched. Could it be a sacrifice?"
I nodded, "That's very possible."
The continuously emerging gas, even through the towel, was still detectable with a strong smell of rotten eggs. We were teary-eyed and quickly withdrew.
Back in the tent, everyone ate some food to replenish their strength. I took a piece of bread in my mouth and kept changing positions outside, but there was no network signal on my phone.
During that era, mobile phones were not yet widespread, and the infrastructure for mobile networks was very backward. In crowded places, the signal was intermittent; in the wilderness, there was simply no signal at all, and the idea of checking the weather online was shattered.
Zhang Wenjie walked over and said, "Are you seeking inspiration?"
I nodded, then quickly shook my head, "I don't have the abilities of Zhuge Kongming, but I do need a gust of wind. The wind can accelerate the airflow at the mouth of the hole, creating a pressure difference. This way, the toxic gases in the tomb can be brought out. Without wind, the toxic gases inside won't be replaced, and we'll be stuck tonight."
Zhang Wenjie then grabbed a handful of corn husks, twisted them into a rope, and looked up at the sky, suddenly seeming excited.
"Guangting, the sea breeze is coming up. Not only will it be windy today, but it will also rain lightly."
I looked up at the sky, but it was as if I were a dog staring at a cluster of stars. Although it wasn't scorching, the sun was still clearly visible. Was I exaggerating a bit?
"Oh, damn it, my eyes hurt so much."
Chen Duoyu blinked involuntarily as he spoke, his eyes already swollen and teary, as red and swollen as two tomatoes.
"You've been injured by hydrogen sulfide. Quickly rinse your eyes with clean water; otherwise, you might go blind."
A whole crate of mineral water was used to flush Chen Duoyu's eyes. It was truly fortunate. If not handled promptly, Chen Duoyu's eyes might have been in real trouble.
"Guangting, why are you and the second brother okay?"
"Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air. You're the shortest, so you're standing in the lowest place. Naturally, you're the most severely affected."
Chen Duoyu nodded somewhat understandingly.
A cool breeze mixed with moisture blew into the tent. Stepping outside, I saw that the sky was overcast, indeed, the wind had picked up, accompanied by a light rain.
For two consecutive nights, I couldn't sleep well, utterly exhausted. My eyelids were battling each other, and as soon as I lay down, I started snoring thunderously within minutes.
I woke up to find it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. With a full bladder, I emerged from the tent. Just as I was about to relieve myself, I noticed a green bug nibbling on an ear of corn. I aimed at the bug and bombarded it with a barrage from my makeshift cannon.
Night quickly descended, and the village quieted down early. The rain was light, but the canopy of the tent was covered in fine droplets, and the ground was somewhat muddy. Our feet were caked with mud, resembling duck's feet.
Pushing aside the camouflage covering the entrance to the tunnel, I poked my head out and took a sniff. There was no smell from the outside, but hydrogen sulfide, being heavier than air, must still be lingering below. Everyone needed to remain vigilant.
This time, except for Uncle Ding, all five of us entered the tunnel, crawling through the crack in the bluestone slab.
With the light illuminating the surroundings, everyone was excited. Behind us was a tomb door sealed with giant stone bars. To the left and right were side chambers, or ear chambers. Directly ahead was a massive stone door, behind which should be the main burial chamber. We were standing right in the center of the large tomb in the shape of the Chinese character "中."
Unable to contain his excitement, Chen Duoyu hugged me tightly, making me nauseous. I quickly wiped it off with my sleeve.
"This move is incredibly accurate, even more so than that American 'GPS' thing. Impressive."
I replied, "That's the GPS satellite positioning system, uncultured, truly terrifying."
"Who cares? Let's see if there are any burial objects."
Chen Duoyu rushed toward the left ear chamber without a care in the world.
Zhang Wenjie hurriedly shouted, "Stop, beware of hidden weapons!"
Chen Lao Da grabbed Chen Duoyu by the collar and kicked him in the rear.
"Third Brother, you need to be more steady. You've already lifted the lid; don't let the cooked duck fly away."
Ancient people, in their efforts to prevent theft, spared no effort. With the evolution of history, they devised secret burials, fake tombs, lavish funerals, and even the phenomenon of emperors in the Yuan Dynasty leaving no sealed soil.
Of course, as the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way. Tomb raiders constantly innovated to ensure that they could enter but never leave. Inside the tomb, there would likely be quicksand, mercury, hidden weapons triggered by panels, rolling stone crossbows, and other mechanisms.
Zhang Wenjie looked around and his gaze fell on the long-life lamps on the walls. The lamps were in the shape of dragon heads, finely crafted and lifelike.
"One, two, three..." Chen Duoyu extended his fingers, counting like a little chicken.
I said, "Stop counting. The burial books say '阳动阴定,' odd numbers are yang, even numbers are yin. When a person dies, they enter yin. Eight is the greatest yin number, so there must be four on each side, eight in total."
Zhang Wenjie continued, "Guangting is right. Everyone, take a closer look. The directions of these eight dragon heads are not all perpendicular outward; they point in different angles, all toward there."
As he spoke, he pointed his finger at a spot on the ground about two meters away. We followed his finger and were surprised to find a blue brick on the ground that stood out. While the other areas were smooth and even, that spot had sunk slightly, looking out of place.
I asked, "Mr. Zhang, are you saying that the blue brick is the trigger mechanism?"
Zhang Wenjie nodded, "Exactly. This is because the mechanism below has undergone deformation over the course of nearly fifteen hundred years of history, causing this situation. Everyone, step back."