Chapter 103: Cruelty

However, most of the silver had already turned faintly black. According to Black Glasses’ explanation, the treasures here had been perfectly preserved until recently, when the influx of air caused them to deteriorate rapidly. Otherwise, if this silver had been exposed for thousands of years, it would have turned black long ago.

It seemed that the ancient corpse had drifted out from within this very space. This confirmed the environment here; it must have been a sealed chamber, otherwise, it would have been impossible for the gold, silver, jewelry, burial objects, and even the bodies to remain so well-preserved.

The water underfoot grew deeper as we pressed on, and the further we went, the more alarmed I became. The wealth here was truly staggering. While gold and silver might not hold immense value in the modern era—often being fit only for melting down and recasting, especially since the purity of ancient metalwork was limited by the technology of the time—this treasure would have been enough to rival the wealth of a kingdom back then. It could easily have funded the establishment of a small nation. And this was merely the area washed out by the river; the main chamber lay ahead. One could only imagine what level of riches awaited us there.

The path was difficult, and the deeper we ventured, the more water there was. Yet, it was clear that the drainage system was remarkably sophisticated; otherwise, the place would have been completely submerged by the river long ago. When the water reached our waists, Black Glasses and I caught sight of the gateway to this treasury. It was a massive, pitch-black door. It was impossible to tell what material it was made of, though it was likely bronze, as that was the most durable construction material of that era.

Given the tomb owner’s wealth, constructing such a massive bronze door was entirely feasible. The floor was paved with stone bricks, still slick with water, suggesting that the flooding had been much worse previously. Now, however, the water had receded significantly. The great black door had cracked; though it was impossible for human strength to force it open, we could slip through the gaps on either side.

Black Glasses and I exchanged a look. Since we had already come this far, there was no reason to turn back. Besides, since the tomb had already been breached, it likely held little danger. One had to realize that mechanisms in ancient tombs would invariably fail upon contact with water. The traps often depicted in movies and literature were largely fictional; the older the tomb, the more corroded its mechanisms would be. The idea of hidden arrow traps, so common in novels, was complete nonsense—any iron components would have rusted away over time, rendering them incapable of firing.

We squeezed through the gaps on either side of the gate. As I raised my flashlight, I instinctively recoiled two steps. The scene before us was shocking, even harrowing.

The interior of the gate was lined on both sides with corpses dressed in white. It was evident that these bodies had once been arranged in fixed positions, but the collapse of the mountain and the flooding of the river had displaced them, leaving them scattered across the floor. From where I stood, the sight was truly grotesque.

Burial corpses were everywhere. They had likely been perfectly preserved, but upon contact with the air, they had begun to rot. The stench of decay filled the air; while we had smelled it faintly outside, here it was suffocatingly pungent.

"I didn't examine them closely before, but looking now, it’s just as I thought: these bodies were filled with mercury, and while they were still alive. This burial practice is common, but it is also the most cruel."

I had heard of mercury-filled corpses—a method where mercury is poured into the body through a hole in the top of the skull while the victim is still alive. The technique is unimaginably brutal. It acts as a preservative for the remains. In my youth, I had heard tales of young boys and girls buried this way who, upon excavation, appeared to be merely sleeping, maintaining their living appearance. It was a practice that defied human decency.

Even Black Glasses, usually so stoic, couldn't help but remark, "There must be hundreds of women buried here. What a miserable fate."

I nodded. As we continued to move forward, I suddenly noticed a figure standing ahead, facing away from us. She was dressed in white with long hair hanging down her back. At that sight, my scalp tingled. I had experienced many strange things, but this was the first time I had encountered something this eerie—and it was happening right before my eyes.

I instinctively reached for my black gold ancient blade, but a cold sweat broke out on my back, and the temperature of the room made me shiver. Black Glasses quickly pressed his hand down on mine, signaling me to stay silent. As the flashlight beam swept over her again, I saw that the woman remained motionless, facing away from us, about fifty meters away.

"Is... is that a female ghost?" I whispered to Black Glasses.

He remained composed, though he whispered back, "Ghost or no ghost, remember this: in our line of work, you cannot believe in ghosts. Perhaps this woman was standing there when she died, just... like a statue. It’s fine."

I cursed him silently. *Give me a break,* I thought. *Who are you trying to fool? If she was standing there all along, why don't you go stand next to her? And what’s this 'our line of work'? I’m not a tomb raider; I was forced into this tomb, but I’m no thief.*

However, I wasn't in the mood to argue. I followed behind him, creeping forward. Suddenly, Black Glasses asked, "Did you bring a black donkey hoof? Or perhaps some sticky rice?"

I wasn't a professional tomb raider; why would I carry such nonsense? I ignored him.

Seeing my silence, Black Glasses muttered to himself, "Right, why would you have such high-end gear? It seems this female corpse has quite a bit of cultivation."

"What cultivation? Didn't you just say that in your line of work, you can't believe in ghosts?"

Black Glasses coughed and replied, "Better to be safe than sorry."