Ancient tomb excavation traces

Escaping from this would be ideal, but Bao Cai was now cornered by a large number of cocoon-like corpses. Most of them wore wooden plaques, indicating they were waves of gravediggers. The only thing I was certain of now was that these were substitutes. After one group of tomb raiders entered, they encountered the ancient corpses just like us, and a battle ensued. Something must have happened during or before this, leading to their transformation into the living dead.

I don't understand, but if we can't grasp this key point of "the living are dead, the dead are alive," then in the end we will suffer the same fate as them. This potential danger is inevitably worrying. With unease, I asked the priestess, "Where is the way out?" Time is of the essence; we need to deal with the surrounding corpse cocoons and prepare to escape.

The priestess said, "I only remember fragments of the way out. If I want to get out, I'll need the help of that young master Zhang..."

Upon hearing this, I glanced at the young Taoist priest, while on the other side, Bao Cai was screaming in terror, making my heart race with anxiety. I entrusted Chen Tan to the witch, telling her to stay far away, try not to make any noise, and not to attract the attention of the corpse cocoon. She nodded, and Chen Tan mumbled incoherently, "Zixia, are you going to abandon me?"

Seeing his expression, I felt a pang of sadness. I turned back, forced a smile, and snapped, "Get lost! You're obsessed with your goddess, aren't you!"

Chen Yi chuckled and said, "Oh, it's Liu Zi. I was just lost in thought and mistook myself for the Monkey King..."

I smiled wryly and said, "Supreme Treasure? You're more like Pigsy at best!"

Chen Yu said weakly, "Sigh... Liu Zi, I don't have the strength to argue with you right now... Be careful..."

When he said those words, my heart clenched. We've been bickering and arguing since we were kids, and we've never said anything so pretentious. Besides, Chen Yi's energy is stronger than Xue Wei's, so he wouldn't be this weak unless he really couldn't hold on any longer. With that thought, I nodded to the witch, who understood and led him to a corner.

There was no time to consider the lethality of the corpse cocoon in front of Bao Cai, because at this moment, my heart was filled with nothing but rage for the son of my benefactor who was covered in wounds, for the methods of the people in the darkness, and for my injured brothers. All the evils in this space brought my fighting spirit to its highest point.

Without hesitation, I ran to the corpses surrounding Bao Cai and pushed them aside one by one. When he saw me, Bao Cai stopped swinging his knife. His eyes looked at me as if he had seen light in the darkness. I smiled slightly at him, the blood and pain flowing down my back washing over me. I never imagined that we, who usually only knew how to laugh and joke, eat, drink, and have fun, would one day encounter something like this. These corpses were far more disgusting and terrifying than the monsters in horror movies. But at this moment, facing such corpses, I felt no fear. Although I was just a mortal in their presence, in this life-or-death situation, I truly realized how powerful the courage and strength within me were. And what made me realize this was the kind of friendship for which I could risk everything.

"Young Master!" I pulled up the excited Bao Cai, just as seven or eight corpse cocoons surrounded us.

Seeing this, I hurriedly said to Bao Cai, "Let's hurry and make our move before they're completely free from the bandages!"

Bao Cai gripped the bronze sword in his hand and nodded. In this team, the two of us had little combat experience and had never seen a large-scale battle. Our teaming up to deal with the corpse cocoons was a miracle. This miracle might be like fireworks on a midsummer night, fleeting, but if it's going to bloom, it should bloom spectacularly. I nimbly picked up a wooden shield covered in leather from the shelf and tossed it to Bao Cai, while I chose a painted lacquer shield with dragon and phoenix patterns. These things are usually displayed in archaeological museums in modern times, but holding them in my hands now made me feel radiant.

Just when I felt full of fighting spirit, the horde of corpses started moving. A stench fell like a huge barrier in front of us, and my throat and mouth felt very loose. If I hadn't been so eager to kill, I would have vomited uncontrollably.

"Let's do it!" Suddenly, I raised my Mongolian knife and aimed it at the head of an old corpse. It stretched out its claws at me with a sinister look, making "uh uh" sounds, with a hint of resentment and sorrow. I used my shield to block its attack, but unfortunately, its hand blocked my direct hit on the target.

Meanwhile, Bao Cai dodged and shouted, attracting the attention of all the corpse cocoons, who gathered towards his location. Although he was already risking everything, being trapped in such a pile of dead people inevitably caused panic. Therefore, his shouts were incessant, but the more he shouted, the more the living dead moved towards his position.

Seeing that things were going badly, I quickly grabbed the largest knife from the table, banged it against the bronze wall, and shouted, "Come this way!"

Sound was extremely sensitive to the cocoons. Hearing the loud noise, the corpses slowly turned around, staring at me with their blood-red eyes. It was a terrible feeling, like the game of "blind men's bluff" I played as a child, with someone reaching out towards me while I was in a blind spot with no way to dodge. Fortunately, because they had been bound in strips of cloth for years and lacked their own thoughts, their movements were relatively slow. However, seeing a large group of disgusting things approaching me in strange, contorted postures, my heart pounded wildly. But fear was useless now; I had no choice but to grit my teeth and fight. With that thought, I roared to bolster my courage, then raised my double-arched shield and pushed aside the first cocoon that attacked me.

However, even the most skilled martial artist will be at a disadvantage when facing a group of corpses. After I spent most of my strength pushing away one corpse, I found myself surrounded by ancient corpses wrapped in yellowed cloth strips. These ancient corpses were different from the new ones; they were taller and stronger than me. If we attacked at the same time, their arm span would definitely have the upper hand.

The ancient corpses approached me step by step. Although their walking posture was mechanical, it was more agile than that of the new corpses. Moreover, they had a cold aura about them, like the majestic generals on the battlefield. I involuntarily retreated, my injured back hitting the cold bronze wall. To my surprise, one of the corpses was holding a bronze cleaver. This cleaver was long and wide, and not an ordinary person could lift it. I was very surprised. How could these mindless living dead use weapons?

Just as I was filled with doubt, that thing blocked the flame of the eternal lamp, and my scalp tingled, as if I were about to be beheaded by a butcher.

Damn it, how am I supposed to fight this? There are several old corpses surrounding me, and judging from their appearance, each of them could kill me instantly.

I thought to myself, "This is it, I'm doomed. Today is my day." Just then, the old corpse holding the weapon expressionlessly raised its knife. The blade's shadow was reflected on my cheek, forming a dark cutting line. I braced one hand against the bronze wall, holding the knife in the other, but clearly, my momentum had been completely suppressed.

This scene reminded me of a horror movie—"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The most gruesome scene in it was the masked man wielding a chainsaw, hacking down on a terrified victim's head. I used to find it thrilling, but to end up like that myself would be utterly tragic. A chill ran down my spine. In that critical moment, a familiar white figure nimbly leaped onto the bronze wall. Using the momentum, he soared into the air, quickly grabbing the old corpse's head and twisting it forcefully. With a "crack," the old corpse's head was instantly tilted to one side.

I gasped in surprise. The young Taoist priest moved swiftly and expressionlessly, stepping back to my side and saying in a deep voice, "These old corpses are different from new ones. They are filled with resentment, so they probably didn't willingly choose to be buried alive with their dead. This resentment keeps them fighting even after they die."

Hearing the young Taoist's words, I understood immediately. The old corpses, seeing their formidable opponent, all turned their murderous gazes towards the young Taoist. These men were warlike in life, and their nature remained unchanged even in death.

However, just now I only felt that the young Taoist priest was tall and had a radiant appearance, but I did not notice that his white clothes were stained with blood, and there were several wounds of varying depths under the bloodstains.

Seeing the young Taoist priest covered in blood, I sighed inwardly. If he hadn't been so distracted helping us, perhaps he could have gotten out before the bronze gate closed. Now, we'd become a burden, first the ancestor, and now even the young Taoist priest. Thinking about this, I felt incredibly guilty and made a decision. I told the young Taoist priest about the exit and instructed him to make sure Chen Yu, the most seriously injured, got out.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. I forced a smile, tragically held my shield horizontally, and shouted, "Only you can unlock the exit... I entrust my life to you!" With that, I used the momentum of my charge to block the ancient corpses. Before they could react, they were knocked down, their bodies briefly sprawling in the air. I turned to the young Taoist priest and urgently shouted, "Go..."

"You..." The young Taoist priest looked at me in surprise. I urged, "Quick! I can only hold them off for a moment!"

He looked at me silently, as if he understood my thoughts, and then turned and headed in the direction where the shrine maiden was.

I smiled slightly. At times like these, opportunity is precious. I plunged my Mongolian knife into the anus of an old corpse. Just then, a corpse to my left suddenly tilted its head back and bit my wrist. I was startled and stabbed wildly, only stopping when its face was a bloody mess. But I hadn't expected it to bite so tightly; part of my flesh was embedded in its jagged teeth, impossible to pull out. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I could only quickly regulate my breathing. After a brief respite, I pried open its festering mouth with the knife and carefully removed my trembling hand. A sharp pain shot through my head. I endured it without making a sound, afraid the young Taoist priest would be distracted and come back to save me.

At that moment, I could vaguely hear his conversation with the witch: "You mean, the exit is in one of these holes?"

The priestess nodded and said, "I've seen a map of the ancient tomb before. The map shows the secret passages that exist here, but I'm not sure which one it is..."

"The secret passage..." the young Taoist repeated softly, beginning to examine the hole in the bronze wall. He looked very carefully; few people would remain calm in such a situation, but seeing his furrowed brow, I could sense his anxiety.

I prayed silently and struggled to my feet. Just then, the hand of an old corpse came toward my face. I instinctively blocked it with my Mongolian knife. His hand hit the blade and split in two. I took the opportunity to kick him away.

The pain in my hand came in waves. The wound wasn't deep, but it was extremely ugly. I smiled bitterly, thinking: If I get bitten like this, will I end up like them?

Without a second thought, I attracted more and more cocoons of corpses. Faced with such a formidable force, I lost the courage to continue fighting. Perhaps due to my inner despondency, the entire bronze chamber began to spin. Through the haze, I saw some people: Chu Ba and Bao Cai. We sat heavily in the cave, and I felt warmth in my eyes. I was crying… I was surprised to find tears streaming down my face. But the Ancestor, Chen Yi, the young Taoist priest, and the Miao witch were nowhere to be seen. Where were they? Why was I crying? Could it be… could something have happened to them all?

I shook my head desperately, no… this isn’t real! I forcefully pushed aside my chaotic consciousness, and in this blurry world, I saw shadowy figures before me, exuding a chilling aura. One of these figures was beside me, holding a knife, seemingly about to execute me.

For some reason, I'm not afraid of the cruel word "death" right now, because after seeing what I just witnessed, I felt a heart-wrenching pain. The pain of losing someone you care about is too unbearable; I would rather it was me who was hurt.

"Come on..." I raised my head and forced the words out of my throat.

Just as I was feeling that the scene was incredibly heroic, a fat body suddenly pounced on me, knocking down the corpse that was about to execute me. Before I could figure out what was happening, he ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me away from the pile of corpses. After I was out of danger, several figures rushed towards the corpse cocoon and began a new round of fighting.

Right now, the fat man's large face was facing me, and he called out with concern, "Liuzi, Liuzi!" He urged me on, and I slowly opened my eyes, my mind still foggy. Just then, I heard a loud slap, and my face stung with pain, instantly waking me up.

I stared blankly at Chen Tiao in front of me. Before I could say anything, he exclaimed excitedly, "Oh my god, you scared me to death! It's really the ancestors' blessing!" He spoke with a different spirit than usual, but his complexion was much better than before.

"You..." Before I could even process what was happening, he blurted out, "I was just lying there when I saw that thing trying to chop your head off. I don't know where it got the strength from..."

His words snapped me back to reality, and I yelled, "You bastard, was that the one who slapped me just now?!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi retorted, "I shook you several times, and you were like a dead person."

Seeing his smug look, I blurted out, "Damn it, then go easy on him!"

He chuckled and said, "I was just in a hurry to make sure you confessed. Now that the investigation is complete, if you want to retaliate later, you can slap me all you want!" As he spoke, he gestured a few times to his face.

I waved my hand and said, "Alright, I don't care to hit your fat face. The important thing now is to get out of here."

He said the young Taoist priest had already noticed something, which pleased me, but then I became a little worried. Given the current situation and the sheer number of corpse cocoons, it was hard to say whether we could escape safely. Moreover, I had a bad feeling that some of us would inevitably be left behind.