Chapter 7

 Chapter 7: The Tomb of Hui Wang of Pixian [5]

Translator: Xah

The robber’s hole was less than one meter in diameter, very deep and serene pitch-dark. Only by standing on the edge, one could feel the ghastly chilliness. It was also mingled with thick earthy smells and other odors. Zhang Qiu could not smell it. He was somewhat afraid for the first time in his life, the tomb down there would be just like the last time Gu Mu Country. But at that time it was a team of people whom were a firm believer of scientific materialism. Now it was different. A Jiangshi’s carcass was still in the underbrush.

However, he was more afraid of being left alone.

Li Shu had already gone down.

Because the bearing of the hole was a narrow precipice, they could only crawled into it. Zhang Qiu was originally wearing shorts and short sleeves shirt, but Li Shu had asked Jin LaoDa that they needed a tight fit clothing. The clothes were really handy; all four limbs were tightly fitted that there were no space for dirt to go inside. Furthermore there were many pockets, used to load equipment, and Jin LaoDa and the rest equipped it with whatever food they did not give him.

Li Shu was tall. He was crawling to the forefront and his movements were neat that it didn’t look awkward at all. Zhang Qiu trailed behind and tried not to drag his back, because as long as he was slowing down, Jin LaoDa would yelled at him later, because the hole was small, he could not turn his head, he could only endured the fire and sped up to keep up with Li Shu.

Going down more deeply, the soil became sticky. Zhang Qiu’s chest was a bit stuffy and his eyes were a bit blurred. From time to time, he looked up to the front at the lights which Li Shu aimed at the front. He didn’t know how long the light in front had been swayed. After sometime, Zhang Qiu heaved out a sigh of relief. At long last, they came to an end.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, in the paved tunnel, there was a shout. It was brief but sound very heartrending; as if it was too late to call for help, unable to say anything.

Zhang Qiu’s hairs raised and he heard the confused voices behind him.

“What happened?”

“It was LaoWu who shouted. Big Brother, LaoWu’s gone!” LaoSi’s horrified voice.

“Don’t scare yourself. The tunnel is so narrow. How could a big living person disappear? Take a good look and calm down.” Jin LaoDa sounded calm.

Regardless of what, Zhang Qiu quickened his speed; he stepped forward and crawled behind Li Shu. He heard the sound of rustling clothes friction behind him. Behind him was Jin LaoDa. Obviously, Jin LaoDa was only talking empty, he moved about in dread, waiting until later to quickly get out of the tunnel first.

Finally crawling towards the end, Zhang Qiu discovered that the tunnel was indeed the real tomb passage, furthermore it was a 2 meter height. Jin LaoDa and his group reached the end, casting sideways and straightforwardly bolted into the tomb.

Li Shu had already jumped down, standing on the ground with a flashlight in one hand and the other hand reaching out. Now Zhang Qiu wouldn’t feel embarrassed either; he held out his arm and held Li Shu’s hand. With a bounce, he was filled in Li Shu’s embrace.

Inside the underground tomb was really too cold. Li Shu’s body temperature was too low, just like holding a lump of ice. Zhang Qiu’s thought was at sixes and sevens[1], nearby, he heard words being transmitted inside the tunnel. “Big Brother, there is a hole in the ground, LaoWu fell in it.” –“It’s okay, let’s wait until we come out first.”

[1](idiom) = in a mess

It went without saying that inside the tunnel, a person had disappeared without rhyme or reason and the atmosphere became strange. Zhang Qiu had crawled for a short of ten meters, and since he had drink milk it gave him strength. Now hearing about the falling down, it explained that it was not because of any filthy ghost things. The terrified atmosphere just now had become slightly better.

After the four people all went down and stood in the middle of the corridor, Zhang Qiu could not distinguish between the southeast and the northwest. Jin LaoDa fetched a compass from his pocket and gave it to Zhang Qiu. The corridor was dark so Zhang Qiu could not see the pointer.

“Big Brother, let’s go back first. LaoWu is still there.” It was LaoSan who spoke.

LaoEr looked at Jin LaoDa and didn’t say anything. Jin LaoDa picked up the compass and looked at Li Shu. “Fellow Li Shu.”

Li Shu did not speak, he pulled Zhang Qiu’s hand in the opposite direction. Jin LaoDa gave a sigh of relief and said, “Follow him. My partners, let’s make a raid.”

There was no need for Jin LaoDa to remind them. At the back, several people had let a few bright moves. Even though it was a false alarm, it also made everyone feel vigilant. This tomb was very much different than the previous one they had raided.

The corridor of the tomb itself was wider, about 2 meters, left and right sides were paved with slabstone, and on the walls were smeared in white. It was possibly be used to give protection against the tide. Although it was gloomy and cold, it was not as damp like in the tunnel.

Zhang Qiu told Li Shu while walking side by side. To divert attention away from the two people, he clasped their hands, deliberately did not warn Li Shu let go.

The place where LaoWu had just dropped should be less than 20 meters. Zhang Qiu counted the pace. Almost when Li Shu stopped, the flashlight swept around onto the ground. It was empty of people. There was only some messy blood; it was still fresh, indicating that LaoWu really had fell off.

Zhang Qiu looked up and saw a small hole slanted above, but the mouth of the hole was very strange, it seemed like something had dug it open and lastly forcibly dragged LaoWu down.

LaoEr obviously also found out, lips trembled, he went to the party and suggested: “LaoWu is not here, maybe fell down and come look for us. How about we go first!”

These words, LaoSan did not believe that LaoWu would be lacked in IQ. If he fell down and went looking for them, he should also go forward. How could he go back?

Jin LaoDa grabbed LaoSan before he began to say, “Should be so, touch things matter, go ahead.” He saw Li Shu wanted to go back, immediately stopped, and pointing at the direction which LaoWu seemed to disappear, “Go here.”

Zhang Qiu thought no wonder that Jin LaoDa wanted to return to LaoWu. He was willing to find LaoWu only incidentally.

LaoSan still wanted to say something and eventually shut up.

As the party continued to move forward, inexplicably, Zhang Qiu always felt eyes staring at him. He looked back and glanced down at LaoSan at the back. When he turned his head, he swept to the hole, as if it had a pair of eyes staring at him. There was no one.

Zhang Qiu’s heart tightened. The hairs on the back of his neck were erected and he looked back again. There was no eye or dark hole, but he did not know whether it was just an illusion, he could hear ‘ka cha ka cha’ sound coming from the hole.

“You fucking look back!” LaoSan stared impatiently and blew a fuse at Zhang Qiu.

Zhang Qiu’s eyes were the eyes of those faint clogs. He was a little disorientated. He did not reply back at LaoSan and walked away. Zhang Qiu remembered that the eyes were LaoWu’s!

He didn’t know whether to say it or not. He was cold sweating; his nervous palms suddenly felt like being squeezed.

“Don’t think about it.” Li Shu’s speech was still cold, but the content of this statement made Zhang Qiu think of something more messy. He opened his mouth and found that his throat was dried, he whispered: “How do you know what I think? What do you think?”

Li Shu looked at him with ‘looking at an idiot’ expression: “You just walked away, and your hands are cold.”

Zhang Qiu heard the answer and immediately relieved. He felt that his brain hole was too big. A moment ago, the people around him were all bogus.

After another ten minutes, he finally saw the stone gate of the tomb. There was no thrilling accident along the way. Jin LaoDa saw the gate and felt relieved, followed by excitement and surprises. There was no such things as weird from what the map man said to him!

However, Jin LaoDa was not blinded by the tomb in front of him. Many years of tomb raiding experiences left him a little pause. Unexpectedly LaoSan was more impatient than him. He immediately used the short spade in his hand to pick at the gate.

Zhang Qiu was unable to do anything along the way, but was a bit curious and he stared at the gate closely. He was followed two steps but was stopped by Li Shu. He was just about to ask, then he heard LaoSan cried “AHHHH —”. The screams, the voices were particularly stern, and it was magnified several times in the narrow corridor; it felt terrible just to hear it.

At first sight, he was shocked and got scared. LaoSan’s arm had been ignited with a green fire in the dark environment. LaoSi did not hesitate, he pulled out a towel from the bag and drenched it with water then wrapped it on LaoSan’s burning arm, but LaoSi was not as fast as the speed of fire.

LaoSan was rolling on the ground. Jin LaoDa and LaoEr also went to help. After the fire broke, it was finally extinguished. But no one spoke again. Only LaoSan’s groaning noise was left.

In the air, there was the smell of burnt skin. Zhang Qiu felt nauseated and held back the rolling in his stomach.

Jin LaoDa glanced at Li Shu. “Do you know there is a problem?”

“He’s looking for death.”

LaoSi couldn’t stand it any longer. He shouted: “Your mother looking for death! I [2] always saw you displeased. Believe it or not I will shoot you.”

[2] Laozi= a superior pronounce that meant to be arrogance and rude

Jin LaoDa didn’t speak out this time. Obviously, he could not tolerate Li Shu. He needed to make use of LaoSi to personally warn him. Li Shu’s skill was nvertheless better. Still, they had guns in many hands. In this tomb he still had to count in him, Jin LaoDa.

LaoEr also understood the meaning of Jin LaoDa. He pulled out a gun from his pocket and pointed at Zhang Qiu.

“Li Shu, if you dare to play tricks, he will die.”

Zhang Qiu didn’t know why LaoEr had threatened Li Shu with a gun against him. What a causal relationship this was, the first time there was some fear. But this time it was really only restless.

LaoEr apparently did not dare to kill Zhang Qiu with a shot. In just over an hour, LaoWu had disappeared; LaoSan’s arm was also abolished, Jin LaoDa had only one map, but it was vague and not really reliable. It seemed that only Li Shu was left, but Li Shu couldn’t be sideways.

Several people just held in the stalemate. In the end, Jin LaoDa spoke first: “LaoEr put down the gun.” This was the first sentence.

LaoEr indignantly put down the gun.

The atmosphere of arrogance suddenly faded away, and Li Shu was not affected at all. It was not him, whom LaoSi had just pointed a gun at. LaoSi supported LaoSan against the wall. LaoEr took out the disinfection alcohol and medicine. He simply helped LaoSan dealt with the wound. LaoSan woke up after the pain and fainted again.

Jin LaoDa walked two steps to Li Shu, still not opening his mouth. Li Shu walked straight to the stone gate, sensing on the door with both hands. He said coldly, “The door is coated with something that has a low burning point and if slightly rubbed it will catch fire.”

“Then how will the gate open?” Zhang Qiu stood Li Shu later asked curiously.

Li Shu looked up and looked around. Zhang Qiu saw Li Shu clicked at something next to the stone gate and the door opened.

Opened!

Zhang Qiu looked aggrieved; so easy?

Li Shu seemed to understand Zhang Qiu’s thoughts. His smile was a little cold and he whispered: “Inaccessible places, you keep a pivot to lock the door, and wait for the outsider to break in.” He paused, with a voice colder than before: “There will be no return.”

Zhang Qiu immediately understood that when the ancient tomb was built, to prevent the tomb raider from breaking in the place, they would place layer upon layer mechanisms. However, this tomb had a pivot to make it easy for you to walk in. He was afraid that after passing through this gate, the road inside would not be like as so straightforward as before.

The owner who built this tomb was confident and sufficient. It was easy for the intruder to come in. There was a confidence that no living person could step out.

Disturbed it, and without an exception the departed spirit of the tomb owner would help to entertain the guest of honor.

Zhang Qiu thought of this again and saw the gate opened. The welcome gesture was like a road to death.

“Leave all these trivial things, Fellow Li Shu, what you want is also inside.”

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