Ancient tomb excavation traces

Looking at the eternal lamp on the right, it blends seamlessly with the bronze castings on the wall, creating a three-dimensional effect, like several layers of relief. The dragon and phoenix, passing through layers of cloud patterns on the wall, all face the eternal lamp. The "fire" at this moment looks like the sun, foreshadowing their brilliance alongside the sun.

The lamp on the left, however, remained in its original suspended position, not against the bronze wall. Behind the two eternal lamps was a giant bronze painting that could be connected, depicting a magnificent and solemn celestial palace.

These palaces, mostly in the style of Chu, stand majestically on high platforms. They were designed for the beliefs and lives of the Chu people and influenced the high-rise architecture after the Qin and Han dynasties, representing the essence of the national culture.

Speaking of the essence, Chen Yi prefers the Chu-style stilt houses. He exclaimed, "Ah, the architecture of that time was integrated with nature, emphasizing 'harmony between man and nature.' There is a passage in 'Summoning the Soul' that says, 'Sitting in the hall, leaning on the railing, overlooking the winding pond,' which is so poetic and elegant. I really want to live in such a place, drink tea, and appreciate the treasures."

Seeing Lao Tiao lost in thought while gazing at the mural, Bao Cai teased, "Fatty Chen, wake up! If you like this kind of architecture, there are some in the park, and there are some near my house, but the ground floor is used to raise chickens. I can let you stay there for free for a while. And stop acting like some artsy intellectual. Do you even know how to drink tea? You're living like an old man." After saying that, he touched the mural again. Before coming here, he had brought his own eating utensil—a magnifying glass.

Looking at his appearance, Chen Tiao couldn't help but get angry and said, "You rascal, you're supposed to be a plant and animal researcher, don't try to imitate Lao Xue and act like you're an archaeology graduate. I'm asking you, after looking for so long, what have you figured out?" Lao Tiao said disdainfully, snatching the magnifying glass from his hand.

Watching them bicker, I thought to myself that these two must have been sworn enemies in their past lives, and now that they're buddies, they're still entangled. I shook my head and looked at the bronze painting, which stretched to the high bronze ceiling; its magnificence was indescribable.

The most common motifs on the castings are cloud patterns and various mythical birds and majestic beasts with outstretched wings. I've never seen these birds before, let alone the mythical beasts depicted by the ancients in their boundless imagination. The only ones I can recognize are a soaring deer and a crane, with a man and a woman of otherworldly grace sitting atop each of them. They gaze at each other with eyes full of affection, looking perfectly matched, like the "divine couple" that people often talk about.

What's truly remarkable is that the bronze castings are entirely in color, with perfectly balanced tones. The clothing of the figures, and even the carved beams and painted rafters of the palace, are inlaid with gold, silver, and precious stones…

Old Tiao, holding a magnifying glass, said, "Damn, the ancients were really extravagant. These magnificent palaces are mostly made of pigments ground from lapis lazuli and turquoise. How many people today could afford that? And such a large amount of it at that."

I said, "Back then, the ancients used mineral and plant pigments, which were mostly toxic and couldn't be used for long periods. There's nothing to envy about that. Besides, it's a kind of heritage, which is more valuable than the materials themselves. As the saying goes, 'Painting heaven, earth, mountains, rivers, and spirits,' the various aspects of life and mythological stories recorded by the ancients on murals are a treasure left to future generations, allowing us to go back a thousand years and understand what happened back then."

Just as Chen Yi and I were marveling at the exquisite beauty and rarity of the bronze casting, Bao Cai said, "Why are you two saying all this useless stuff? Let's be practical. Let's dig up this priceless artifact, and then we'll be rich." Before we knew it, Bao Cai had pulled out his Mongolian knife. He stood before the bronze casting, baring his teeth, prying at the gemstones.

Seeing him so obsessed with money, I pulled him aside and said, "If we're going to take something, let's take something that's already in use. It's such a waste to damage perfectly good things."

Bao Cai immediately objected, saying, "What are we here for anyway? What does the cultural value of this have to do with a mortal like me? Besides, it's just a single gem! The mural is covered in them. If I were to take a grain of rice from someone's mouth and they wouldn't even give me that grain, wouldn't all the cuts on my body have been for nothing?" As Bao Cai spoke, he gestured exaggeratedly, clearly excited about the gems on the mural and about me.

At this moment, the old patriarch approached and took a pendant from a cloth bag hanging at his waist, handing it to Bao Cai. Bao Cai didn't recognize it, but Chen Cai exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, this is... but..."

The ancestor seemed to know what Chen Yu was going to say, and nodded. Bao Cai stared blankly at the treasure in his palm and asked, "What is this thing?"

The old ancestor said, "These are the relics of 'Luo Laosan' from my sect."

Bao Cai, puzzled, asked, "Then what do you want?"

"Here you go..." The old ancestor said calmly, but Chen Tiao and I looked at each other in shock.

The stone in Bao Cai's hands is called "Heavenly Eye Stone," which is said to be a "stone fallen from the sky." It is a rare treasure formed by sedimentation during the Earth's diagenetic processes. According to historical records, "Heavenly Eye Stone" has enormous magnetic energy that can benefit people both internally and externally.

In our time, most "heavenly eye stones" were man-made. Natural ones like this were rare, and even if you encountered one, a good one wasn't guaranteed. Looking at Bao Cai's stone, its lustrous color and pattern resembling milk candy, with three eye-shaped markings, it must be an ancient wonder, far rarer than the gemstone he was trying to extract. As for this treasure, I also have one at home, belonging to my great-grandfather. It has nine eyes and is incredibly valuable. My grandmother said she would give it to me to keep when I turn thirty.

However, what surprises me right now is not the rarity of the "Heavenly Eye Stone," but the attitude of our ancestor. He gave away such a treasure as if it were just a scallion, showing no concern whatsoever. Bao Cai, on the other hand, was completely bewildered, "blind to the treasure bestowed from heaven."

Chen Yan snatched the "Heavenly Eye Stone" from his hand, saying incredulously, "Boss! This is such a rare treasure, are you sure you want to let this ignorant monkey ruin it?"

The old ancestor said nonchalantly, "These were originally the tomb raiding talismans of our sect. Each of the nine brothers had one. The bead was first obtained by the third brother and his brothers. They said it could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and was a treasure to ward off evil. But it's useless to me if I keep it. I might as well give it to this brother."

The ancestor's generosity was undoubtedly intended to dissuade Bao Cai from stealing the gems from the murals. This reflects the awareness of the tomb raiders: to preserve the original appearance of the ancient tomb and leave traces for future generations. Given the ancestor's character, he would never hide anything he possessed.

At this moment, Bao Cai finally realized the value of the "Heavenly Eye Stone". He snatched it from Lao Cai's hand, thanked the ancestor repeatedly, and then proudly put it around his neck.

Seeing his smug look, Lao Tiao was indignant and cursed, "You thieving monkey, don't give me that smug look, or I'll beat you up!" His strong emotions were not because his ancestor had given such a rare treasure to Bao Cai, but because Bao Cai didn't recognize its value and felt it was a waste to give it to him.

I didn't pay much attention at first, but then the ancestor turned his gaze to me, smiled meaningfully, and even winked at me. That look made me realize something instantly. I secretly wondered: Could it be that the ancestor gave Bao Cai the Heavenly Eye because of me? Was he afraid that Bao Cai and I would have a conflict, so he gave the Heavenly Eye to Bao Cai at this crucial moment?

Obviously, this idea is a bit strange, even a bit narcissistic. But for some reason, lately I've had a feeling that my ancestor has been quietly taking special care of me, as if he knows I'm his descendant. But that shouldn't be the case, I frowned. Chen Yu can't speak, and even if he did, my ancestor shouldn't understand. But why does this feel so odd?

I figured I was probably overthinking it, so I calmed myself down and continued studying the bronze casting.

I walked to the left of the hidden bronze door and looked at the bottom of the mural, where I saw a vast, boundless sea. The waves rolled and surged towards the horizon. Cast atop the waves were many dark faces. These faces were strangely shaped, with their faces and necks joined together, and split gills resembling those of a fish.

Their upper bodies look like women, but their robust physiques suggest they are men. Their lower bodies are submerged in the waves, with only a portion visible, revealing layers of distinct fish scales, finely crafted to look almost real.

They stretched out their hands, lifting a young merman towards the celestial palace. The merman's facial features were clearly defined; I saw longing in his eyes, yet his entire expression also held a grotesque greed. Combined with the expressions of all the mermen in the waves, I sensed a chilling cunning, a feeling as if some profound conspiracy was brewing beneath the calm surface, sending a shiver down my spine.

If I hadn't known part of the truth beforehand, I would have definitely thought that merfolk were so ugly. After all, judging by pictures is a matter of preconceived notions. But now, looking at it again, some historical truths are not necessarily what we see or hear. This is Sima Yan's slander against Wu Xia.

Looking at these mermaids, I suddenly realized that Sima Yan played two roles in his own world: a virtuous gentleman and a treacherous saint. These two roles alternated in his world, making him seem like a schizophrenic. And judging from the information gleaned from this mural, it's a high-ranking nobleman satirizing a lowly, despicable person. Perhaps Sima Yan created this mural to depict his own inner self.

For Sima Yan, who was constantly fawned over, there was always a sense of superiority, a feeling of being great. After all, ancient society was very traditional, and class distinctions were very clear. Sima Yan's family was a prominent one at the time, and he himself was known as the "Son of Heaven," receiving all sorts of attention from a young age. His pride was not to be trampled on. Such a person should have been paired with Princess Mi Ling of Chu, but who would have thought that he would be outshone by a lowly musician...

His dual nature can be seen from the posture of the dragon on his left. Just look at the dragon gazing down at the vast deep sea, its eyes flashing with ferocity, its mouth spewing out fury, as if it were about to punish the merman who longed to ascend to heaven.

The mermaid was none other than Wu Xia. As for Wu Xia himself, historical records show that although born into a poor family, he was a learned and talented scholar. He was handsome and elegant, but because he wasn't a particularly powerful figure, there are very few records about him. It's only said that he was proficient in playing the zither, yet offended the King of Chu and was ultimately executed by being torn apart by chariots. Now, looking back at Wu Xia's story from ancient times, we realize that he fell into hell because of his involuntary emotions.

Wu Xia in the mural was portrayed negatively by Sima Yan, but what was the point of Sima Yan doing that? They couldn't be together in life, and even in death, Mi Ling still longed to be with Wu Xia. It's truly tragic.

There's one thing I don't understand: the Yin Palace belongs to Mi Ling, yet it bears too many traces of Sima Yan. I wondered to myself: Could it be that Sima Yan carved himself into it to assert his presence?

The ancestor didn't know about Sima Yan, but before that, he had noticed that the scenes depicted on the left and right sides of the mural were two extremes. The left side was dark, while the right side was beautiful. He pointed to the dragon overlooking the sea and said that the fire breathed by the dragon was the key to opening the door to the west chamber.

He explained that although the dragon's expression was one of intense rage, because it wasn't pressed against the bronze wall, the torch wasn't aimed at the lifelike mermaid on the wall. However, when he pushed the ever-burning lamp towards the mural, the dragon's head was directly aligned with the mermaid's head, and that's how the bronze door to the west chamber was opened.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi said disdainfully, "This old man is so petty! He loves to take advantage of such trivial things. What's the point of a symbolic image? And he's putting on this show for us?"

I speculated: "Ancient art often incorporated realism, and this reflects Sima Yan's true feelings. People called 'geniuses' are often lonely inside, and Sima Yan, being so intelligent and so fond of Mi Ling, had long harbored resentment and even a twisted mind. So the small details on this ever-burning lamp truly reflect his unwillingness to accept his fate."

Chen Yu snorted coldly and said, "He's narrow-minded and vicious, not straightforward at all! I said, if you're so capable, why don't you just compete with Wu Xia openly? Now he's playing the gentleman. If we didn't know the story behind it, people would definitely think that the Yin Palace is so fierce because of Princess Chu."

Hearing this, I smiled and said, "You seem to enjoy making excuses for women, but Princess Chu is no pushover either. She was involved in the design of the ancient tomb to some extent. If you ask me, if the two of them really got together, they would be two masterminds with cheat codes. Whoever they try to mess with will be killed by them."

Just as the two of us were studying it, our ancestor told us about another scene he had witnessed. He said that he was able to discover the secret of the eternal lamp on the left at a glance thanks to the eternal lamp on the right, because when he came in, that eternal lamp was right against the bronze wall.

I was confused and didn't understand what he was trying to say, but when he turned the eternal lamp on his right back to a position closer to us, I heard the sound of gears turning. The sound came from the bronze interlayer in the west chamber, and after that sound, the previously open bronze floor inexplicably closed up.

Upon hearing this, my heart skipped a beat, and I immediately understood why the bronze floor on the mezzanine had suddenly opened. Someone had deliberately sabotaged it. She wanted to use us to feed the "Mountain Demon," and this person was very likely the two women Bao Cai had seen when we entered the western bronze chamber.