Ancient tomb excavation traces

We felt as if we were in a fantasy world where everything made of stone was extraordinary. For example, there was a type of stalactite called a "swan's stalactite," which was as white as jade and hung down from the top of the rock. Over time, the ends of the stalactites had formed snowflake-like crystals, making it look incredibly dreamlike.

The cave ceiling features layers of eaves extending outwards, composed of ancient and intricate arched brackets that blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape without any stiffness or unnaturalness.

A natural stone waterfall connects to a clear pool on the ground. The pool is not deep, and it reflects the stunning beauty of the entire cave ceiling in the water.

The bizarre stalagmites, flowstones, and various stalactites resembling marine corals inside the cave were not what truly amazed us. What we saw was a red and black lacquered wooden bridge spanning the stone shields on either side of the pool. The bridge was decorated with colorful paintings resembling cranes, leading to a stilted pavilion of the same color over the water—an architectural style favored by the Chu people. Inside the pavilion was a zither table and exquisitely embroidered cushions. On the table sat a bronze incense burner and a jade vase containing a translucent chalcedony flower.

There is also a viewing pavilion here, surrounded by rows of freely growing crystal-clear stone flowers. The pavilion is connected to a covered walkway that extends to every part of the underground palace.

The stone cave, resembling the ribs of a Yin dragon, is integrated with all the Chu-style architecture. The exquisite craftsmanship and stunning beauty embody the Chu people's philosophy of "harmony between man and nature."

We stared in disbelief. The injured Chen Yi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets upon seeing the treasures. Bao Cai's rapid breathing seemed less due to his earlier fear and more to the surge of adrenaline from the allure of the rare artifacts. He let out a sound of utter astonishment, seemingly completely swayed by the promise of wealth.

Just as the young Taoist priest had said before, the feng shui layout here is such that if the world outside the waterfall is the outer garden of the Chu Kingdom witch, then the world behind the curtain is her private little paradise, no, it should be called a small palace.

This place has everything imaginable, a dazzling array of treasures. After the initial shock, our ancestor deduced that the cave entrance we had just passed through might be the tomb passage of this Chu tomb, and this place was the antechamber, a place similar to a mortuary.

Beside the pool in the Underworld Palace are stalagmites and stone plates of various shapes, on which perch bronze cranes, deer, and snakes. The snakes are cast in bronze and are lifelike as they are wrapped around the stone pillars.

Judging from this grand display, I believe the witch must be a high-ranking noble from the Chu Kingdom. However, none of the treasures here have been taken, obviously because of the skeletons. I saw corpses lying in this beautiful place, their flesh torn and bloody, unrecognizable. Judging from their decomposition, they must have been dead for some time.

When I saw these people, the first person I thought of was Wang Laohan's son, Wang Yu. But then I thought, Wang Yu had come back from the dead and become a moving, decaying corpse, so he shouldn't have ended up like this.

The skulls were a similar color to the cave, and they were hidden in the jagged crevices of the cave, making them difficult to spot. Moreover, the oxygen content in the cave was low, and we only had two torches for lighting, so the fire was not burning brightly and we could not immediately see the creatures.

Another thing I don't understand is how something like human bones, which have no soul or flesh, can move so freely? Is it some kind of sorcery?

There was no time to worry about that, because the skeletons sensed the life force emanating from us, and so they twisted their joints and emerged one by one from the gaps.

"Black aura..." The young Taoist priest stared intently at the skeletons.

I asked him what he meant, and he looked at me very seriously, saying, "Resentment. These people suffered greatly before they died!"

Resentment? Upon hearing this, my heart skipped a beat, and I quickly looked at the skeletons, but I didn't see any black aura. I thought to myself: Could it be that only the young Taoist priest can see such supernatural things? Just as I was still trying to figure it out, the old ancestor beside me said: "Those with extremely deep resentment in the ancient tomb are either those who died unjustly or those who were buried alive with the dead."

"To be buried alive with the dead!" The mere mention of those two words sent chills down my spine.

In early ancient times, human sacrifice was a common funeral custom. In modern terms, this brutal practice of burying living people with the dead was utterly inhumane. Some of those pushed into this abyss by fate did so voluntarily, while others were tortured to death and then dragged to the underworld to be buried with them.

This kind of death is very unbearable and often accumulates a lot of resentment, which will increase the danger and terror of the ancient tomb to the highest level. This also means that the skeletons we are facing are extremely ferocious. According to superstition, the young Taoist priest is a descendant of the ancestral master, and he may have seen things that we cannot see, such as the vengeful spirits of those skeletons.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, a chill running through me. The young Taoist priest glanced at me and said, "Those evil spirits came so suddenly, their resentment has tainted you..."

"Is...is that so..." My lips trembled, as did Chen Yi's. He asked, "Then...what will happen?"

"The black energy is gathering above your heads, but thankfully it hasn't penetrated to the bone yet..." the young Taoist priest said, taking out a talisman from his sleeve. He used a wooden awl to prick each of his five fingers, then asked Chu Ba to bring a bamboo jar. As he waved his right hand, the talisman suddenly burst into flames. When it turned into specks of ashes, the young Taoist priest quickly placed it into the bamboo jar and dripped a few drops of blood into it.

He made all seven of us drink it. At first, I felt nauseous, but as soon as the talismanic water entered my mouth, the strange feeling on my body immediately disappeared. I looked at the young Taoist priest incredulously, thinking: What?! The young Taoist priest's blood can ward off evil spirits?

"How is it?" he asked with concern.

The ancestor said, "I feel much better! But after drinking this, will I be less susceptible to evil spirits when dealing with those things?"

The young Taoist priest nodded, which put us at ease. We returned to battle mode and took a closer look at the skeletons that were slowly approaching us. I was surprised to find that they were all missing limbs, as if they had been tortured before they died.

Upon this discovery, I wondered, "It's one thing for the tomb's occupant to be cold-hearted, but to order a group of disabled people to be buried alive with her—how will she be served in the afterlife?"

"She may hate these people!" the ancestor analyzed. "I saw bamboo slips in the musician's tomb before. One passage described how some people received a death order and had the musician torn apart by chariots. Among these people were Tingli, Langyin, Sigong, and some others who were probably indirectly involved in the musician's death. There were about a hundred of them in total, but it's hard to say whether they are the bones in front of us."

Upon hearing this, Bao Cai interjected, "If that's the case, then this woman's identity is too bizarre. How could a witch kill so many officials!" Bao Cai looked at the skeleton, swallowed, and then slowly moved to Chu Ba's side, as if he could find some peace of mind that way.

Chen Yi added, "I must say, this woman's methods are ruthless. Making someone die as a sacrifice is bad enough, but she even had to break their hands and feet!" He glanced at the Miao shaman and raised his voice, "Indeed, women's hearts are as venomous as snakes!"

His words were clearly a sarcastic jab at the Miao girl, but at that moment, the witch, clutching her wound and gazing dreamily at this magnificent yet dangerous world, paid no attention to Chen Yi's words.

Just as we were speculating, the young Taoist priest took out a talisman and reminded us, "Stop talking, those evil spirits are already here. Let's think about how to break through!"

His reminder made me notice that the skeleton was clinging to the stalactite like Spider-Man, its teeth chattering as if calling for its companions.

Seeing this, Chen Yi cursed, "Damn it, they're all skin and bones and still know how to use secret signals!"

Upon hearing this, the ancestor gripped his bronze scimitar and said, "They were all officials in their previous lives, each possessing the wisdom to survive. Even as bones, they are among the best in the bone world!"

"Yes, and besides, didn't Little Celestial Master say that they have grievances, and now they're taking it out on us!" Chu Ba added.

In these critical times, I can't crack a joke, but my ancestors faced many dangers, so they learned to find joy in hardship.

Looking at the skeletons crawling on the ground like spiders, I felt like crying, wishing I had a cannon to blast them to pieces.

The sound of bones hitting stalactites washed over us like a tidal wave. As the first skeleton sprang to its feet and extended its claws, the young Taoist priest flashed before us like a gust of wind, chanting something. But all he had was a clumsy awl, offering no advantage whatsoever. Just as the skeleton was about to touch him, he quickly stuck a talisman on its head. But damn it, this is a skeleton, not a zombie! Can I use it? Just as I was worried he'd be at a disadvantage and was about to step in to help, the ancestor suddenly reached out and stopped me, saying, "These are evil spirits. If the young Taoist priest is truly a descendant of Zhang Tianshi, then he can be the one to deliver the souls of these skeletons."

My ancestor stopped me, and I was extremely anxious. But just then, I heard a loud bang, and the bones instantly shattered.

"No...no way..." I muttered to myself, and Chen Yi exclaimed in surprise as well.

I stared blankly at the young Taoist priest, watching as more and more blood flowed from his five fingers.

"Your hand!" I looked at him worriedly, but he said firmly, "It's nothing! It'll be fine in a moment!"

Hearing him say that, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I looked at the broken skeleton on the ground, with a pool of blood under it. I was a little shocked and thought: A skeleton is just a skeleton with no skin or flesh, so how could it bleed?

Just as they were filled with doubt, the skeletons suddenly let out a collective shriek, like the screams of women being tortured in prison. The sound spread throughout the cave, sounding particularly mournful.

Upon seeing this, Bao Cai trembled uncontrollably, and he said timidly, "It's over, did they go crazy because they saw their companion die?"

"No... If I'm not mistaken, the spirits of these people may have been imprisoned in their own bones, controlled by the hatred of the Chu Kingdom witch. That's why the spirits in the skeleton were freed when the young celestial master used the talisman!" the ancestor explained.

"Indeed, but these spirits cannot control their own thoughts. They want to be free but are powerless to do so, so they are in great pain now." As the young Taoist priest spoke, he took out another talisman and quickly drew a talisman on it with his finger.

Upon hearing this, the ancestor sincerely praised, "You truly are a descendant of Zhang Tianshi, your eyes can recognize ghosts... But how do we break this formation?"

The young Taoist priest, holding a talisman, stood before us with an imposing aura, as if he were a one-man army. He replied, "The tomb's owner is a powerful sorceress. Since these people are imprisoned by her and unable to have their own will, it will be very difficult to break free. With my current magic, I am no match for her. The only option is to seize this opportunity and escape!"

Run? Upon hearing this word, my earlier impression of the mighty Taoist priest vanished instantly. As the skeletons that had stopped suddenly revealed their fierce faces and twisted towards us, I gripped my Mongolian knife tightly, ready to fight for my life.

Just then, my eyes caught sight of several dark figures standing in the corner. Their shoulders slumped, they looked lifeless and somewhat eerie. My breathing quickened, and cold sweat trickled down my neck.

Who were they? I stared in astonishment at the figures, who were also staring at me without moving, a strange smile playing on their lips. Just as I was wondering if I was seeing things and was about to rub my eyes, they vanished…

"Where did they go?" I muttered to myself, composing myself before taking a few steps forward. In my haste, I suddenly heard the young Taoist priest call out anxiously, "Brother Feng! Stop!"

Hearing his voice, my mind went blank, and when I looked ahead, a group of bones had already swarmed towards me.

I was shocked and immediately swung my Mongolian knife. This knife could cut through iron like mud and would fetch a good price even in modern times. Most importantly, when the knife sliced ​​off the skull's head, the thing suddenly let out a hissing sound, as if it was in great pain.

I took a breath, glanced at the precious sword in my hand, and suddenly remembered that someone had once said that some Mongolian swords could ward off evil spirits. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel that I had a discerning eye and had found a treasure.

Just as I was feeling relieved, a heart-wrenching pain shot through my shoulder, and the smell of blood instantly filled my nostrils. I turned my head and saw that a skeleton's teeth were biting into my flesh.

"Damn it!" I cursed, wincing in pain. At this angle, even a Mongolian knife wouldn't be effective. As cold sweat poured down my back, a figure rushed towards me. Looking closer, I realized it was the witch! She held a dagger, leaped up, and stabbed at the skull's head. Unfortunately, her dagger was just an ordinary one, unable to pierce the bone. The witch was instantly strangled.

Relieved, I clutched my wound and suddenly realized that the girl's actions were merely a ploy to attract the skeleton's attention and allow me to escape. This thought ignited a surge of adrenaline within me. I grabbed my Mongolian knife and cleaved the skeleton's ribs. The creature screamed in agony, and a white figure appeared, deftly affixing a talisman to its body. Watching it disintegrate into a pool of blood on the ground, my shock was indescribable.

I looked up at the young Taoist priest in surprise. He told me to be careful, and then went back into the fight.

The witch fell to the ground, clutching her neck. I reached out to help her up, but she gave me a cold look, got up on her own, and didn't say a word. This made me realize that girls in ancient times weren't so pretentious. But the witch's rescue reminded me of Chen Yu and Bao Cai's jokes. Could it be that this girl really has a crush on me?

I shook my head, immediately giving a negative answer. The fire flickered on and off; Liang Jiu and Chu Ba stuck them into the crevices of the cave, while they themselves fought desperately. Bao Cai, meanwhile, dodged and weaved, his Mongolian knife practically useless in his hands. He cried out in alarm as two skeletons cornered him behind a pool of water.