Chapter 183: Analysis

Looking back, my words really did have that “waking a dreamer with a single sentence” effect. Everyone’s mood was terrible. If I hadn’t restrained myself just now, and my first thought after He Yu hit me had been to strike back, we would likely be a tangled mess of limbs fighting in this tunnel right now.

The most ridiculous thing wouldn’t be getting hurt by an accident, but being beaten senseless by your own teammates and then bleeding out until everyone died here. That irritability had flared up almost instantly, which was why my first thought went to these murals surrounding us.

Ever since we started passing these murals, the ones with the clearest heads were often the first to lose their minds. Lu Ayao was likely the one with the most mental fortitude, so the first to snap became He Yu. Usually, he was the one who loved studying things like murals the most.

“You’re right. It seems like ever since we discovered these murals, our heads haven’t been clear,” He Yu said, scratching his head with delayed realization.

Seeing that he had regained his composure for the time being, I quickly wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with my sleeve and said, “Everyone, stay sharp. We haven’t seen the bodies of the other team here. Since the concrete was poured, that group must have successfully made it out. But the Stone Tortoise Mouth can only open and close once, which means they didn’t take the Yin-Yang Thirteen Palaces. There must be another way out of here, but it’s likely hidden and we haven’t noticed it yet.”

I opened a bottle of mineral water and handed it to He Yu. “You’re the only one here who understands murals. Go see if there’s something coated on them. We need to find a way out as soon as possible. I have a feeling that if we stay here, these murals alone will drive us mad.”

After gulping down the water, He Yu immediately turned around and leaned in close to the murals to conduct a detailed inspection. Lu Ayao sat alone to one side, his eyes downcast. He said to me, “I’m sorry. I led us the wrong way. I didn’t know such a massive change had occurred in this passage.”

I wasn’t a jerk. I couldn’t bring myself to blame the scout for taking a wrong turn. I leaned over and patted his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You pointed us toward the most likely path to the Main Hall. The Can Tong used to walk this path constantly, which proves our direction was correct. No one could have anticipated a concrete wall. Without you, we might still be wandering in circles back in the Yin-Yang Thirteen Palaces.”

Just as I finished speaking, a bolt of lightning seemed to strike my brain. Inspiration flashed past, and I slapped my thigh, sitting bolt upright. Can Tong? I thought.

“So that’s how it is!” I exclaimed as the realization hit me. I called out to He Yu, asking, “Are they different from ordinary murals, but you just can’t quite pin down what’s wrong?”

He Yu felt the wall for a long time before looking back at me with a sharp nod. “There might be something extra brushed onto these paintings. If you get close and sniff, the pigment has a very fragrant scent. What did you think of? Is this what’s causing us to lose control of our emotions?”

Hearing him say that made me even more certain of the idea that had just surfaced. I organized my thoughts and sat cross-legged in the tunnel. “We’ve all been played by the builder of this tomb. These murals of large-headed people shouldn’t exist.”

Tian Xiaoqi didn’t understand. “What do you mean? What do you mean they shouldn’t exist?”

I said, “Let’s assume that during the construction of the tomb, in order to limit the number of people entering the Main Hall, only the Can Tong raised from childhood were allowed to enter through the caves, traveling back and forth through this passage. Based on our current understanding of this tomb, is this the only passage into the Main Hall?”

He Yu and Tian Xiaoqi both nodded.

“Then, does this suggest that only those with physical defects can successfully pass through here to reach the Main Hall? Every Can Tong capable of entering this passage would have some kind of defect, and there’s a ninety percent chance that defect was the same for all of them, right?” I asked.

“Right. Didn’t we discuss this before? Setting up a passage like this is a disguised anti-theft measure. Generally speaking, there are very few tomb raiders with physical defects. If you aren’t a Can Tong, you’ll end up in the situation we’re in now,” He Yu said.

I nodded. “So, what kind of defect do you think the Can Tong who entered here had?”

Sure enough, as soon as I posed the question, everyone fell silent.

I took a breath and continued, “I suspect the purpose of these Can Tong entering the Main Hall was to transport small decorative items, which proves they had to perform tasks once they arrived. If they weren’t a group of blind people, then the scenes they saw upon entering the passage would be the same as what we see now. But if they were blind, how would they perform tasks in a completely unfamiliar place like the Main Hall?”

He Yu’s eyes widened. “I get it! Building the Main Hall was the priority, so they couldn’t have been blind. Ultimately, this passage is just a road for people to pass through. The builder had no reason to create obstacles for his own workers.”

“Exactly. They couldn’t have been blind. That proves that once they entered the cave, they would see the things on these walls just like we do. If staying in a place like this would drive us mad, wouldn’t it drive them mad too?” I asked again.

Lu Ayao looked at me. “So, if these murals exist, they would actually disturb the Can Tong. These murals shouldn’t be here.”

He Yu was blinking rapidly on the side, occasionally closing his eyes and then forcing them wide to look closely. He strained his eyes for so long that tears were almost coming out. He quickly rubbed them and said, “Hey! That’s not right. We haven’t all been hit by Ghost Blinding, have we? Like, we didn’t actually enter the cave and we’re still in the Yin-Yang Thirteen Palaces? Why can I still see these unlucky things?”

Lu Ayao thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at me. “Shengxi Material.”

I suddenly remembered that I still had half a piece of Shengxi Material. It hadn’t finished burning back in the Yin-Yang Thirteen Palaces. Our successful exit from the Yin-Yang Thirteen Palaces back then was all thanks to this piece of Black Hoof Iron.

He Yu gave a shout and hurriedly fished that half-piece of Black Hoof Iron out of his pocket. He then pulled out a lighter, intending to light it immediately. I quickly grabbed his hand.

“Wait a second!”

The last time we lit this Black Hoof Iron, those strange Ancient Corpses had swarmed around us. I had no idea what horrors might be unleashed if we lit it again. If it turned out like last time, with those corpses constantly dogging our heels, we’d be in trouble. This place wasn’t nearly as spacious as the Yin-Yang Thirteen Palaces. Before we lit it, we needed to prepare ourselves mentally and think this through. We couldn’t afford to rush.

“Old Lu, swap places with me.” I retreated to the back. If things went south, I was turning around and crawling out of here immediately.

He Yu crouched at the very front, closest to the concrete wall, holding the Black Hoof Iron in one hand and a lighter in the other. He looked utterly ridiculous. “Wait, guys, the way you’re acting is starting to freak me out. A pack of Ancient Corpses isn’t going to suddenly appear behind my ass the moment I light this, right? Maybe someone else should do it?”

He was clearly hinting for Lu Ayao to take over.

I spoke up immediately. “This grand responsibility must fall to you, Great Uncle He. You’ve got the tastiest meat. Once you’ve fed them your fill, they won’t bother coming after us.”