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墨書 Inktalez
I returned to the hotel arranged for us with the big guy. As soon as we entered the room, he mysteriously handed me a stack of information he had gathered.
"Is this about Wang Kun?" I asked.
He nodded proudly, a smug expression on his face.
Wang Kun graduated with a degree in archaeology, comes from a respectable family, and has had a steady career without any notable incidents. On the other hand, Director Chen seemed to have risen through the ranks quite rapidly. He was originally the owner of an antique shop and was introduced to the Cultural Heritage Bureau, gradually climbing to his current position.
"You're pretty quick, huh? You managed to gather all this information in no time," I remarked.
Receiving my rare compliment, he beamed with pride. "Well, it’s easy for someone from Qilin Island to get this kind of information. By the way, Yan Xi, who do you think poses more of a problem between these two?"
On the surface, it seemed like Director Chen was the one with issues, but I couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that Wang Kun gave me; it was the kind of eerie vibe that made one feel uneasy.
"I think it's Wang Kun," I replied.
After I finished speaking, he laughed and told me to get some rest before heading out.
The next day, after He Zhi Yong's arrangements from last night, we were finally set to visit Qin Wang's Tomb.
The tomb was located in a remote area on a hillside far from town. If it weren't for a villager accidentally discovering a Bronze Sword and selling it to an antique shop, this tomb would likely have remained hidden.
The surroundings were tightly guarded, and when we arrived, the caution tape had not yet been removed.
Today, it was still Wang is in charge who accompanied us. He pointed ahead to a hill and said, "This is where Qin Wang's Tomb was discovered."
After observing the area, I noted that the terrain was open and the scenery was beautiful, making it a place with excellent feng shui. However, it seemed somewhat unworthy for the burial of an emperor. Of course, feng shui has many variables; fortunes can change over time. What was favorable thirty years ago might not be so today.
The Qin Dynasty was over two thousand years ago, and no one knows what changes have occurred since then.
With Wang Kun from the Cultural Heritage Bureau leading us, we didn’t need to report anything and smoothly reached the entrance of the tomb.
Standing at the entrance, a strong smell of damp earth mixed with decay rushed toward us. The tomb door was closed, but the surrounding carvings and inscriptions were indeed in the seal script of the Qin State.
I carefully traced my fingers over the engraved stone tablet nearby; it must be over two thousand years old. Could this really be Qin Wang Ying Ziying's Tomb?
Wang Kun introduced, "Several Taoist priests, your master entered here and never came out again. Also, the first senior brother who came here, Li Daozhang."
If someone entered and never returned, there are only two possibilities: either there is another exit leading to somewhere else that no one noticed, or everyone who went in met with misfortune—only the dead do not speak.
"Wang, can you tell us what strange events occurred here that even the Cultural Heritage Bureau invited my master?"
Upon hearing my question, a flicker of fear crossed Wang's surprised expression as he trembled slightly.
He leaned closer to me and whispered, "This matter is quite mysterious. According to reports, all the villagers who first discovered those bronze artifacts died suddenly. Moreover, several colleagues who were responsible for the initial rescue efforts also met with disaster; none of them showed any signs beforehand."
"There's one more thing I've heard, though it's not confirmed. Do you want to hear it?" Wang Kun looked at us with a smug expression.
A burly man approached and affectionately hooked his arm around Wang Kun. "Brother Wang, what kind of relationship do we have? If there's something to say, just say it. No need to hide anything from me; I don't play those games."
Under the man's persuasion, Wang Kun began to mumble, "According to someone who went inside and came back, this time we might be in trouble. Because once he entered, he saw a curse inside the door, just like in the Tomb of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. Anyone who harms Wang Anxi will face punishment."
His vague words left us feeling bewildered.
He asked if we wanted to enter the tomb. After some discussion, we decided not to go in just yet.
"Surely you gentlemen aren't scared by what I said? I only heard it too; I don't know if it's true since I've never been inside," he added.
Seeing the look in Wang Kun's eyes, it was clear he thought we were frightened. Just yesterday we were eager to enter the tomb, and now we were backing out—wasn't that a clear sign of fear?
Let him think what he wanted; as long as our plan wasn't disrupted, that was all that mattered.
After returning to the hotel, Wang Kun arranged for us to have dinner.
During the meal, I had the burly man add something extra to Wang Kun's food.
By the time we finished eating, he was already unconscious.
The four of us discussed and decided to head to the tomb after dark.
Initially, it was too crowded to enter comfortably. Once it got dark, we just needed to avoid those guarding the area.
A strong man stepped forward, and in an instant, the ragtag group transformed from a poor, clattering guerrilla band into a fully equipped regular army.
"Hey, big guy, what's that in your hand?" Mingyue asked curiously, eyeing the green soda can the man was holding.
"This is a good thing, military-grade," he replied with a grin. "Watch me show you how it works."
With that, the man pulled the tab on the can and tossed it toward the guards.
As it hit the ground, the tab released a light puff of green smoke. Before long, all the guards collapsed to the ground.
"Impressive, right?" the man boasted proudly.
With the guards taken care of, they could now freely enter the tomb.
This tomb seemed to have not been fully excavated yet. As they approached Wang Kun's Taoist Sect entrance, they indeed saw his curse inscribed there.
It warned that anyone who dared disturb Wang's peace would face severe punishment.
Since it was written in seal script, the rough translation conveyed that meaning.
Many ancient tombs had similar inscriptions to scare off potential grave robbers.
The stone door had already been opened, saving them some effort; they just needed to step inside.
The air inside the Tomb was extremely humid, filled with a putrid smell. In such conditions, it was impossible for Zombies to appear, as their evolution required a very dry environment to ensure that the corpses would not rot.
The entrance to the Tomb was somewhat long, allowing only for people to walk side by side. The traps along the way must have already been disarmed, which was why we encountered none after entering.
Once we passed the entrance, the footprints here were significantly fewer and appeared particularly chaotic, as if someone had run through. I instructed them to follow the footprints, but when I turned around, I found no one behind me—only three wooden stakes remained.
Had I not noticed that people were missing? How could these three wooden stakes have moved? I turned back and walked over to examine them closely. To my surprise, the builder of this Tomb was a master of Qimen Dunjia; beneath these wooden stakes were living tracks. It seemed that a mechanism had been triggered when we entered.
As for why this disappearance had not been reported, it could either be that some people intentionally kept it from us or that those who entered had no chance of leaving.
He Zhi Yong need not worry; his Qimen Dunjia skills surpassed mine. The only concern now was for Da Han and Ming Yue, as both had limited knowledge in this area and I wondered if they might encounter trouble.
Unable to find them, I could only continue forward. Not long after, there were hardly any footprints left ahead of me, and there were still numerous bloodstains on the ground.
The blood was fresh, definitely not left by the Ancients, but rather from the recent group that had come in.
Both my master and senior brother were capable; it was unlikely they would encounter trouble here. Only those from the Cultural Heritage Bureau or villagers sneaking in to take advantage could be in danger.
At least it served as a reminder that danger had begun, and I needed to be cautious.
After walking for a while, I spotted two dark figures ahead. As I approached, I realized they were two dead bodies.
From their attire, one appeared to be a member of the Cultural Heritage Bureau, while the other seemed to be a local villager.
The cause of death for both was likely the same, as they exhibited identical symptoms.
Their faces were grotesquely rotting, and their bodies were drained of blood.
No wonder the stench was so overwhelming when we first entered; it was emanating from these corpses.
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