Ancient tomb excavation traces

<Thank you to reader Bai Qingzhu for the generous donations these past few days. It's been a bit hot, and I've been sick (you all should take care of yourselves too). I'm slowly recovering and will try my best to update regularly to keep readers of Ancient Tomb Sweeping Day satisfied.>

Bao Cai understood what the young Taoist priest meant, but before he could think, he said, "In heaven? Don't people all go to heaven when they die? But that woman is so wicked, she's probably in hell."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi scoffed, "You always claim to be clever, but the heavens you speak of, Little Celestial Master, aren't really there; they're just symbolic."

To confirm his idea, the young Taoist priest ignored their bickering, picked up the ever-burning lamp placed on the ground, walked to the bronze casting on the west side, and said, "After entering the main coffin chamber, I found that all the castings, statues, including the coffin reliefs, are centered around a single point."

The ancestor seemed to have sensed something as well, and said, "Heavens?"

The young Taoist priest nodded and said, "Based on Miss Lan's description of the ancient tomb route, logically speaking, this place is indeed the main coffin chamber. But if I'm not mistaken, this place should be a sacrificial site."

Upon hearing this, I gasped in shock. As I listened to the young Taoist priest's reasoning, I suddenly realized that we had overlooked many details.

In ancient times, history was recorded by historians, but the life of the owner of the tomb was actually depicted in the ancient tomb, becoming a way for later generations to unravel historical mysteries. Many scholars are drawn to this because the records in the ancient tombs are more realistic, and many details that are overlooked in historical records are revealed in the inscriptions and patterns on funerary objects.

Earlier, we arrived at the main coffin chamber and saw the dragons and phoenixes on the eternal lamp shining brightly with the sun, and the bronze casting depicting a celestial palace. The shaman kneeling on the ground held a deer antler that seemed to connect heaven and earth, representing the Chu people's belief in "the unity of heaven and man." He was in a state of infinite reverence, his head tilted back to the sky, wearing a golden mask with three malachite beads. Our ancestors once said that the three eyes on the malachite symbolize "heaven, earth, and man."

The character "地" (earth) is carved at both ends of the coffin. The ancients often said that burial brings peace, and since the coffin was made of stone, it was connected to the earth's energy, thus naturally being associated with "earth." The reliefs carved on the coffin depict all the officials and common people, including Sima Yan's three female disciples, all facing the sky. On the altar of the four-eyed god, there is a bundle of thatch and wine, indicating that this was a grand sacrificial ceremony.

The ceremony was not presided over by Mi Ling, because she had passed away. This may have been a scene after Mi Ling's death, in which three witches were sacrificed to her, representing "humans".

The main coffin chamber is designed with a round sky and a square earth, with the seven celestial bodies above, representing "heaven". The coffin is made of wood, which is like a bridge to heaven, leading to a higher place, symbolizing "ascension to immortality".

In an instant, everything became clear. We looked up, not excited by the discovery of the mystery, but with an indescribable sense of loss. Sima Yan was too meticulous. If we really found Mi Ling's main coffin, could we still get out alive? Although he had been dead for a long time, at this moment, there was an ominous premonition. I felt that this ancient tomb was Sima Yan himself, guarding his beloved, knowing everything about us, watching us step into the abyss, becoming one of Mi Ling's sacrificial victims.

The old man put on a bitter face and said, "I worked so hard to plant rice seedlings, but the wind blew them away. I don't want to farm anymore, but I still have to keep looking for food and clothing."

The old ancestor feigned helplessness, a stark contrast to his fierce and murderous demeanor when dealing with the female zombie; he even seemed a bit glib. His meaning was clear, and it was exactly what frustrated me. We'd finally reached this point, expended tremendous effort to open the coffin, only to be disappointed.

Originally, we could have taken a few funerary objects and left, as Bao Cai suggested. However, our ancestor and Chen Yi were poisoned in Wu Xia's tomb. They came here to retrieve Mi Ling's body and perform a "second burial" with the musician.

Some encounters are destined by fate. I don't know how Mi Ling will give the ancestor and Chen Tiao the antidote, but the idea is indeed a bit risky. What if she encounters someone like Wu Zixu, who whips corpses to vent his anger? Then her plan will ultimately lead to complete failure.

However, what troubles me now is not these things, but how do we reach the so-called "heavenly heights"? Just as I looked up, the ancestor had somehow walked to the door of the east room, turned on the ever-burning lamp mechanism, and pointed inside, saying: "Like houses, the east is more valuable than the west. Now that we have come this far, let's take some valuable funerary objects first, everyone rest for a while, and then find a place for the coffin of the heavenly beings."

Upon hearing the word "expensive," Bao Caiteng sat up from the ground. Chen Yi excitedly walked over to my ear and whispered, "Liuzi, your ancestor was truly a wise man. He knew that to make a horse run, you also need to feed it..."

Just as I was about to retort that his analogy was over the top, he had already trotted off to the east wing room.

In ancient times, the east wing was generally used by wealthy families to receive guests, and the ancient tomb designed by Sima Yan is a testament to this.

The east chamber differs from the other rooms in the tomb; it is entirely constructed of wood, with a rigorous yet magnificent structure, somewhat masculine, unlike anything found in a woman's home.

Upon entering the east wing room, one can smell the fragrance of sandalwood. Chen Yi said, "This east wing room is entirely made of sandalwood and is quite well-maintained. The carving technique of the 'flying canopy' hanging from the beam is probably lost. The carvings on it depict exotic flowers and rare plants. In the depths of the palace, could they be the 'precious herbs and rare flowers' from Journey to the West?"

Bao Cai said, "They're all so desperate to become immortals. How can they possibly reach heaven from this gloomy palace? It's all so eerie and full of old wood. It's unpleasant to look at."

Chen Yu lowered his voice and said sarcastically, "You don't know anything! An inch of sandalwood is worth an inch of gold. This kind of wood takes hundreds or even thousands of years to mature, and very little of it is actually usable. These look purplish-black to me, and they're ancient and vigorous. If they were in modern times, they could buy several apartments in prime locations in Shanghai. And take a few more breaths, don't you feel your soul being elevated?"

Upon hearing this, Bao Cai took a deep breath, looking slightly intoxicated, and said, "Hey, it seems there's something to it. It's just a pity it's inconvenient to take. Otherwise, I could take a piece home and have the young master carve a Bodhisattva statue for me, one that can help calm the mind."

Sandalwood does have such effects, but not to the point of spiritual elevation as Old Jiao claimed. I think Bao Cai is just someone who listens to others without considering his own feelings, and is easily deceived. I shook my head helplessly and said to the two clowns, "Forget about the sandalwood, you can't move it. Just be lucky to see it. There are plenty of funerary objects here..."

Bao Cai looked at the jade artifacts, and before I could finish speaking, his eyes lit up. He wanted to take them all. The old ancestor leaned against the sandalwood wall and said, "The rules of the Tomb Raiders' Sect are that you can only take two items."

Bao Cai turned around and asked, "Is it two items per person?"

I said, "Two items for everyone!" My grandfather had told me about the rules of the Tomb Raiders when I was a child, so I blurted it out.

The old ancestor smiled knowingly. I knew I had spoken too quickly, and I secretly slapped myself in the face. Bao Cai protested, "We risked our lives to retrieve the treasure, how come we only got two funerary artifacts? Even if we split them in half, it wouldn't be enough for so many people." Bao Cai was unwilling to take only two, and said reluctantly, "I'm not from the Tomb Raiders Sect. Taking a few more won't break your rules."

The old ancestor smiled and said, "It will be in the future." After saying that, he returned to the main coffin chamber. I watched him turn around gracefully, exchanged a glance with Bao Cai, and was a little confused.

"What will the future be like?" Does this mean that our ancestors saw the future and knew we would join their tomb raiding gang? Does that imply that we didn't return to the modern world?

Chen Yi, picking through the funerary objects, seemed oblivious to his ancestor's words, saying, "The Tomb Raiders' Sect has many rules. Don't be fooled by your ancestor's casual demeanor; when he really gets angry, even I tremble with fear. I advise you to take only two items, otherwise, breaking the rules will cause trouble. Besides, you rascal, didn't you take Luo Laosan's Tomb Raider Talisman?"

"A tomb raiding talisman?" Bao Cai was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant, stuffing the Heavenly Eye bead that was sticking out of his chest into his clothes, and said, "Hey Fatty Chen, are you jealous that Feng Piao gave me this treasure, and you're envious, so you're being sarcastic?"

Chen Yi sneered and said, "The Tomb Raider Talisman is yours, but there are many disciples in the Tomb Raider Sect. Even if you go in, you'll only be a..." Chen Yi pointed to his little finger and gestured, saying, "I, the third brother, followed Boss Feng through thick and thin, and even after I entered the sect, I was still just a handyman. With your pathetic state, if you were to take the Tomb Raider Talisman and go in, you'd probably only be able to carry foot-washing water. To enter any of the halls and sit in the master's seat, we'd probably have to cultivate for another hundred years."

I swallowed hard. Chen Yi, holding a lacquered wooden box, patted my shoulder and said, "When I was little, your grandfather only touched on the Tomb Raiders' Sect. To be honest, after this trip, I only now realize that the Tomb Raiders' Sect in the late Eastern Han Dynasty was a deep and complex place, difficult to manage. Besides your ancestor, there was also the formidable Qin Wushuang, a top-tier character, as cold as ice. I don't know how your ancestor managed to subdue this big shot and get him into the Tomb Raiders' Sect. I think if your ancestor really dealt with him, he could only manage a draw at best..." As he spoke, he tucked the lacquered wooden box into his waistband, then suddenly blurted out, "Sigh, you've already met your ancestor, but where is my awesome ancestor?"