Chapter 67: A Unique Legacy

I know there are many intricacies and traditions within the tomb-robbing profession, forming a unique kind of heritage, but it is exceedingly complex, and I never delved deeply into it.

We entered the tunnel, with Black Sunglasses below and me above. The shaft had already been fitted with numerous iron rods, essentially forming a ladder, sturdy and expertly constructed—a truly professional setup. It wasn't long before, as we climbed down, the tunnel shifted to a horizontal direction. Black Sunglasses explained that this likely meant they'd encountered some issue or peculiarity with the tomb's outer wall and changed course. I asked what sort of peculiarity, and he replied:

"There are many possibilities—things like fiery traps, acid-filled walls, concealed flames, hidden fires. All sorts of mechanisms designed by the ancients to deter tomb robbers."

I asked if Black Sunglasses was a frequent tomb raider. He didn't answer, but I was certain he was. The man was obviously no stranger to underground tombs, displaying remarkable skill and knowledge.

Old Ghost and his crew had entered more than an hour before us; I had no idea how far they'd gone. Black Sunglasses and I proceeded cautiously through the tunnel. Nothing unusual appeared along the way; the tunnel was quite long, and, according to Black Sunglasses, constructing it would have taken at least five days. Soon, we reached the tunnel's end—a wall stood before us, with a hole in the center, clearly breached. On the ground lay syringes and some buried pits.

Black Sunglasses said, "See that? It's a trap. The wall is filled with alum acid used in alchemy. If broken, the strong organic acid would pour instantly onto any tomb raider, burning them to the bone. They used syringes to drain the acid and buried it."

I was startled. Clearly, this wasn't a trade for just anyone. Had someone unknowingly broken the wall, the consequences would have been horrific.

We squeezed through the wall, entering the burial passage. The corridor wasn't wide or tall, just enough for normal passage. The walls were unadorned, plain and ordinary.

"This is the path used to carry the dead," Black Sunglasses explained. "Nothing worth seeing. The Loufan tribe were nomads at the time—even though they'd established a state, they lacked deep cultural roots. So, there's no mural or carvings here. Most nomads didn't care for such things. For the Loufan King to build his own tomb is already unusual, and this tomb is quite grand—definitely fit for a king. Clearly, this Loufan King was ambitious."

I thought Black Sunglasses would make a fine commentator, explaining everything with clarity and insight. I followed him, listening as we proceeded. I'd been underground several times before, encountering odd phenomena, but here everything seemed ordinary, with no traps. I asked if, like in some tombs, arrows might suddenly shoot out.

He laughed. "Impossible. Some tombs do have such mechanisms, but the arrows never fly. They were iron, and after so many years, they've rusted through—it's common knowledge."

His words made me, a proper university graduate, feel slightly embarrassed. After a while, Black Sunglasses motioned for us to stop and gestured for me to listen. I strained my ears; faint voices echoed from within the passage—people talking. We must be close to Old Ghost and his crew.

After some time, the voices faded. We began moving forward cautiously, and Black Sunglasses whispered, "You, an educated university graduate, why not take a proper job? Society needs people like you. I can't fathom why you'd be drawn to this—just to save Wang Wenshan?"

I fell silent, not answering immediately. After a few steps, I spoke: "Some things, I simply have to do. There's no real reason. Even if there were, I wouldn't tell you."

I laughed at my own words. Black Sunglasses grunted and said nothing more. Soon, the passage ended, and before us lay an underground river winding through the tomb, flowing slowly. Black Sunglasses clicked his tongue and said:

"What remarkable feng shui—an inner hidden dragon. This is a top-tier location for a tomb. I wonder how the Loufan King found it. With such grand feng shui, his descendants are destined for wealth and nobility. Truly fortunate."

I couldn't make sense of the feng shui talk. The river wasn't wide—easy enough to jump across. I prepared to leap, but Black Sunglasses grabbed my arm, his expression serious.

"I don't know much about feng shui, but a tomb with an underground river is called a hidden dragon's lair. It's prime feng shui, but also conceals dangers. The tomb owner likely used it as a focal point, setting up traps. Be careful."

I checked; Old Ghost and his crew must have jumped across as well—it's not wide, anyone could manage it. But just as we were about to jump, a piercing, anguished scream echoed from ahead, chilling to the bone, making my scalp tingle.

Gunshots followed, loud and chaotic, reverberating in the underground chamber, the echoes lingering.

"Looks like there's trouble up ahead. Interesting," Black Sunglasses chuckled beside me.

We pressed onward, and soon heard hurried footsteps. A single figure appeared, running frantically, oblivious to our presence. Black Sunglasses signaled caution, but before we could react, the person stumbled toward us, covered in blood, panic etched across his face—a look one wears only after witnessing true horror. He stared at us wide-eyed, then rushed forward, heedless.

Quick as lightning, Black Sunglasses tripped him. The man screamed wildly, and Black Sunglasses slapped him several times, but he didn't respond. Clearly, he was in shock.

"This kid's been scared out of his wits," Black Sunglasses said.