Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 580 Coffin!

Faced with Hu Ming's deliberate attempt to keep things mysterious, Wu Xie opened his mouth and gave a wry smile, then could only helplessly follow behind Hu Ming.

There was nothing Wu Xie could do; he realized that his elders often harbored enormous secrets.

Hu Ming is a little better; he doesn't mind if Hu Ming knows some things. However, there is one thing about Hu Ming: he has a rather wicked sense of humor and always likes to keep things mysterious and half-revealing.

Following Hu Ming to the garden behind the villa, Wu Xie saw Hu Ming not go forward, but instead go to a pile of messy potted plants.

After ordering the workers to move the dozen or so potted plants away, a rusty manhole cover, clearly showing signs of age, was revealed underneath.

A hint of nostalgia flashed in Hu Ming's eyes. He grabbed the handle on the manhole cover, pulled it open slightly, revealing a pitch-black interior.

Conjuring a flashlight out of thin air, Hu Ming went inside first.

Wu Xie swallowed hard, not having time to think much, and followed Hu Ming inside.

This is a section of sheet metal ladder. It's very dark inside, but you can see water pooling below under the beam of a flashlight.

This really is a manhole.

The manhole was very small; once inside, there was almost no room to turn around.

After going down, there is a space of about one cubic meter, with water and fallen leaves up to your ankles below.

On the left, there is a low opening that looks exactly like a tunnel dug by an experienced craftsman.

"follow me."

Hu Ming took the lead and stepped into the cave entrance, continuing forward.

After advancing about six or seven meters, the space suddenly opened up ahead, becoming more spacious.

This is a room!
The room was on a raised platform, with the underground frame made of iron and wood, and water from the manhole flowing underneath it.

The shelves and wood were badly rotten; stepping on them felt like stepping on cotton.

The environment here is extremely harsh; Wu Xie simply cannot imagine that this is a place where one person lives.

There were several bookshelves, a bed, and a table on the shelf. On the electronic shelf, there was a computer, a video recorder, and a television.

All of these things became very moldy due to the dampness, and there were many mold spots on them.

The network cable and power cord are connected to this computer in the room, but there is no one in sight.

"How did that person disappear?"

Wu Xie stepped forward and looked at the still-lit computer screen, where the image was frozen on an email—Wu Xie's last reply to the email.

“Such a secluded place would naturally have more than one entrance and exit; the manhole cover we used to enter was just a spare.”

"Moreover, although that guy was a bit relaxed tonight, he is a very cautious person because what he is doing is so important."

"At the slightest sign of trouble, he would disappear without a trace."

Hu Ming smiled and said calmly, "Did I accidentally alert the enemy?"

Wu Xie felt a pang of regret; his immature attempt to probe had indeed been too reckless.

That makes sense. Anyone who can cooperate with Wu Sansheng is a cunning old fox. How could he possibly find out anything with his rather immature methods?
"Don't worry, if it were any other time, that guy would have disappeared without a trace."

"But today is a very special day. The final time is almost here, and there's no way that guy will leave. Come with me, let's go find him."

Hu Ming knew Wu Xie too well. He could tell what Wu Xie was thinking just by looking at the resentment on his face. He turned around and tapped on the moldy wall with a special technique.

Click click click.
A dull, mechanical sound came from the wall, which suddenly split open and contracted to the sides, revealing a hidden chamber.

This darkroom was even more rudimentary!
At first glance, the vast space was pitch black, devoid of any living items, except for a sacred wooden coffin in the very center of the dark room!
What's most amazing is that there were even tender green saplings on this coffin!
"A coffin!? How could there be a coffin here? Could it be that important figure inside?"

"Also, what kind of wood is this? It's already been made into a coffin, how could it possibly continue to grow?"

Wu Xie stepped forward and stroked the tender green branches, lost in thought, his mind wandering.

"First of all, you're overthinking it. That person's body is being kept in a much more secret place, and... this is my coffin!"

"I was in a coma here for ten years because of a health problem, and I was that guy's neighbor for ten years."

"Secondly, this is the Kunlun Divine Wood! Have you heard of it? More than twenty years ago, I obtained a piece of wood in the ancient city of Jingjue. Through special methods of cultivation, it eventually became this precious coffin that can sustain life."

Finally, Hu Ming added with feigned seriousness, "To be honest, this coffin is not bad. At least I slept quite comfortably in it for ten years. Nephew, why don't you give it a try?"

Hu Ming's choice of the Kunlun Divine Wood Coffin as his resting place for those ten years was not without reason.

If the human body does not exercise for a long time, the muscles will become weak, but there is a magical power in the Kunlun Divine Wood Coffin.

No matter how long you lie inside, it can keep the person or corpse inside in peak condition forever.

"No thanks, I don't have that kind of fetish. My big bed at home is still the most comfortable."

Wu Xie's face stiffened, and he waved his hands repeatedly, stepping back. Who the hell likes sleeping in a coffin?
As for the Kunlun Divine Tree, Wu Xie had heard of it before.

It was a kind of wood that only existed in legends. Even Qin Shi Huang sought it but could not obtain it. Legend has it that the bodies buried in the Kunlun Divine Wood Coffin did not decay for ten thousand years.

If a miracle occurs, the body buried in the Kunlun sacred wood coffin may be reborn.

Thinking of this, Wu Xie looked at the magnificent coffin in amazement, marveling at Hu Ming's treasured possession.

"If you really like it, I'll give it to you later. After you die, I'll bury you in this coffin, as long as you don't mind that it's one I used."

"Alright, now's not the time for this nonsense. Come with me. Time waits for no one. If we miss this opportunity, we'll never have the chance to see him again!"

Hu Ming arrived at the back of the Kunlun Divine Wood Coffin and opened another secret passage.

This underground space has a total of three entrances and exits.

The path Hu Ming and Wu Xie took to get here wasn't the one they were on yet. There was another path, under the bed in the outer room, leading to a small alleyway behind the villa's residential area.

The passageway in front of us leads to a house about 200 meters to the east!