Chapter 169: Master Jiyun’s Ominous Tomb?

“Master Jiyun? Why does that name sound so familiar?” He Yu stared up at the sky, looking like he was thinking hard. After a long moment, he let out a sudden “Oh!” of realization. “I remember now! He’s that Feng Shui master!”

I noticed that after I voiced my suspicion, Lu Ayao fell into a rare silence. I had a strong premonition that if the records in the Lu Family Ancestral Hall were the only things proving Master Jiyun’s historical existence, then Lu Ayao’s knowledge of the man must far exceed what I imagined.

Seeing his continued silence, I asked him, “What’s wrong? Did you think of something?”

“If this tomb has to be connected to someone, I hope it isn’t Master Jiyun. He was a man of profound schemes, and he was highly accomplished in Kanyu and mechanical contraptions. If the legends are true and he actually obtained an elixir that could bring the dead back to life, who knows what’s waiting in his tomb?” Lu Ayao poked at the campfire with a branch.

As he spoke, I felt a series of cold drafts brush against the back of my neck. This sensation was different from before. If earlier it had been a pure fear of death, now it was a fear of the unknown.

I briefly retraced our steps. The person who designed this tomb was incredibly cunning, calculating every point and every detail. First, there were the patterns painted with toxic pigments inside the Tomb-guarding Beasts, then various hallucinogenic substances, followed by the “Ghost Holes” and Wrapped Ancient Corpses Lu Ayao and the others encountered, and finally the White Corpse Turtle Immortal and the Sea Monk I saw in the research facility.

Right, the Sea Monk. That creature had almost certainly escaped from this tomb into the facility. At that time, I should have still been wandering the outer perimeter. The fact that such lethal monsters were already placed within the tomb’s waterproofing layer meant the tomb owner clearly intended for anyone who entered to never leave.

“I have a question,” He Yu said, raising his hand. I gestured for him to speak, and he leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “I’ve noticed something very wrong, and I wanted to run it by you guys.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He said, “Don’t you think it’s strange? Based on everything we’ve talked about—Xiao Yao, you hallucinating; Old Lu and I getting played by the Ghost Hole; and that 434 Archaeological Team that came in before—it’s clear this place is full of traps.”

I picked up the thread. “And? What do you find strange?”

“Since there are so many traps that even you and Old Lu got played by the tomb owner, what about the grave robbers who came in before? They even dug a tunnel. Why haven’t we seen a single corpse of a grave robber the whole way here?”

I didn’t think this was much of an issue, so I replied, “Maybe they left after taking the goods, or maybe they never entered the tomb proper and detoured through the research facility instead.”

As soon as I finished, He Yu reached over and smacked me on the head. “You and Old Lu both got caught,” he cursed. “Old Lu and I were chased for five or six kilometers by those things before we lost them. How could ordinary grave robbers possibly get out? And you say they might have detoured through the research facility? That place is so dangerous that you and Tian Xiaoqi almost died there. What are the odds a grave robber could make it out?”

After he spoke, I fell into silent contemplation. It was common enough for me to get caught in a trap, but Lu Ayao almost never fell for such things. Yet even he had been toyed with by the tomb owner this time. If those grave robbers really did make it out, were they even more skilled than Lu Ayao?

The three of us fell into a mutual silence. The warmth of the fire began to make us drowsy, until a rustling sound from behind snapped us out of our lethargy.

Tian Xiaoqi was awake.

She was still dazed, pulling a blanket around her as she squinted and sat up, eyeing the three of us and the turtle. I worried she might feel uncomfortable. After all, she was just a young girl who had recently come of age, and she was stuck with three grown men after a very unpleasant encounter last time. To avoid awkwardness, I reached for the bag next to Lu Ayao and rummaged through it, intending to find some clothes.

Lu Ayao watched Tian Xiaoqi for a moment before turning back. He tossed his branch into the fire and stood up, instructing me, “Give her the bag. There aren’t many clothes left, so let her pick for herself. I’m going outside to check the situation.”

With that, he stood up, pulled the wood-cutting knife from his waistband, and walked out alone.

Just as I was about to stand up, He Yu grabbed me and whispered, “Xiao Yao, the brothers really went all out for you this time. Old Lu hadn’t even recovered before he came down here to find you, and the two of us nearly ran ourselves to death for miles. You’d better resist the temptation of a pretty face. You absolutely cannot defect!”

I shoved him. “Damn it, stop talking nonsense. I’m not like you. Who the hell is defecting!”

After we traded a few more insults, he went back to playing with the turtle on the ground. I picked up the open bag, walked over to Tian Xiaoqi who was wrapped in the blanket, and crouched down to set it before her.

“He Yu didn’t know you were with me, so he only brought men’s clothes when he came down. They’re all new, though. It’s too cold here, and it’ll only get colder as we go deeper. Pick out what you can wear and make do for now.”

Lu Ayao had built the fire in a good spot. The distance was enough to respect her space without being chilly. Tian Xiaoqi had been within the firelight’s reach while she slept, so we wouldn’t have missed it if something happened. By now, her hair had stopped dripping, and she was relatively dry.

I set the bag down and walked back to sit by the fire. He Yu started to look back, but I slapped his face and made him turn back around to sit properly. Soon, the sound of blankets and clothes rustling came from behind us.

“Quite the gentleman, aren’t you?” He Yu teased, raising an eyebrow.

I shot him a sidelong glance. “Not everyone is like you.”

He Yu chuckled and leaned in close, whispering, “While you were underwater, guess what news I picked up?”

I was all ears.

He continued, “The winds have shifted in the underworld. Tian Yuqing disappeared in Inner Mongolia, and Tian Xiao followed suit. Tian Tinghan’s whereabouts are unknown. The Tian Family is in a total mess right now. I heard from my family that half of their Pankou have been seized by their top man, Thirteen. Now Thirteen is leading men everywhere to hunt down this girl, Tian Xiaoqi. She probably fled here to hide.”

“I know that,” I said.

I wasn’t overly shocked. In our grey industry, when the pillar of a family falls, it’s perfectly normal for subordinates and family members to be dragged down. That’s why people in this line of work usually have either a vital confidant or a massive sum of wealth that only they know about, serving as capital for a future comeback.

He Yu poked me with a finger. “Why aren’t you getting my point? I’m saying that once you get out, you’d better draw a line between you and this girl. Thirteen of the Tian Family is famous in the underworld right now. Don’t go looking for trouble with him.”

“But Thirteen is seizing the Tian Family’s Pankou.”

“Bullshit! Their family isn’t like yours. Your family has the Black Hoof Iron. Whoever holds the Black Hoof Iron, the Pankou listens to them. The Tian Family doesn’t have anything like that. Their Pankou doesn’t have Tian Xiaoqi’s name written on it, so who’s going to recognize her? When the head of the house disappears, whoever can hold down the fort is the next head!”

The rustling of fabric behind us stopped. He Yu quickly shut up and moved away from me. Tian Xiaoqi, clutching the bag, came over to sit by the fire. She was wearing an oversized windbreaker and trousers. Fortunately, the trousers had a drawstring, so even though they were a size too large, they wouldn’t fall off.

The atmosphere was quite awkward for a time. He Yu was still brooding over what had happened before, but since I’d only been saved because Tian Xiaoqi gave me all her rations and dragged me through the tunnels for so long, he was feeling conflicted. He didn’t want to be the first to speak, and Tian Xiaoqi, knowing she was in the wrong, also kept her mouth shut. I knew a team couldn’t function like this for long, so I had to take it upon myself to break the ice.

“So, where exactly are we right now?” I asked He Yu.

He Yu used a stone to draw a few lines on the ground for me. Pointing at the crooked, square pattern, he said, “We dug you two out of the wall and followed the Spirit Path for a long time before finding this relatively safe Side Chamber. Old Lu says this was a temporary storage room for funerary objects. Most of the offerings here were likely moved to the Main Hall or the side halls long ago, which is why it’s empty now.”

As he spoke, Lu Ayao returned from outside. I only then realized he had gone out without a flashlight. He had essentially navigated the pitch-black darkness both ways. Seeing this made me a little angry; he was already injured, and I worried about what would happen if he tripped or bumped into something again.

Seeing him return, we all stood up. I stepped forward first, intending to scold him, but he spoke before I could. “Pack your gear. This place isn’t safe anymore. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

“What’s wrong? Why isn’t it safe?” I asked.

He looked at me. “Come with me for a moment. There’s something in the tomb passage I need to show you.”

Lu Ayao specifically asked for only me to go with him. Tian Xiaoqi showed no intention of following, instead bending down to help He Yu organize the wet clothes and oxygen tanks in the corner.

After speaking, Lu Ayao ducked out of the Side Chamber. Fearing something was wrong, I quickly switched on my flashlight and followed.

Outside the Side Chamber was a horizontal Spirit Path. It was built very wide, but the floor bricks were cracked into small fragments. Once outside, I felt a chilling breath rising from deep underground. The cold air rushed up my ankles and into my pant legs; I wasn’t used to it yet and couldn’t help but shiver.

Lu Ayao walked quickly down the Spirit Path, using his flashlight on its dimmest setting. I followed closely behind. The broken bricks were scattered irregularly, and if I wasn’t careful, I could easily take a nasty spill.

I kept my eyes glued to my feet and didn’t notice when Lu Ayao stopped. When he did, I walked straight into him. It was a solid collision that immediately made me see stars. I clutched my nose and stumbled back two or three steps.

Lu Ayao paused, reaching out to steady me. “Are you alright?”

Rubbing my aching nose, I waved him off. “I’m fine, I’m fine. What did you find that made you walk so fast?”

Lu Ayao stepped aside. Once he moved, I could see the wall behind him. These were the walls lining the Spirit Path, made of solid stone blocks. I swept my flashlight over them; the walls were bare, with no carvings, patterns, or niches.

I was confused. What does this mean? I thought. He brought me all this way just to look at rocks? Does Lu Ayao know how to grade ore? Is this actually a massive, priceless piece of jade? Is he hinting that I should cut it out and take it home to pay the bills?

“What’s the point?” I blinked.

Lu Ayao sighed deeply. He suddenly stepped forward, took my hand, and pressed my palm against the wall. I watched him, utterly bewildered. I felt that wall for a moment, and then he moved my hand to touch the opposite wall.

This time, it only took one touch to understand what he was trying to say.

“The texture of these two walls is different,” Lu Ayao said, letting go of my hand. “Usually, an underground palace uses the same stone throughout. But starting from here, the material changes. Not only that, but the eras of the two stone types are different. One is coarse, the other fine. These represent two completely different approaches to construction. In all the underground palaces I’ve entered, I’ve never seen this happen.”

I withdrew my hand and rubbed my chin as I looked at the two walls. “Are you saying this palace looks like it was pieced together?”

Lu Ayao seemed surprised by my conclusion. “Why do you say that?”

I explained, “In my field of study, a single assignment should have a consistent style. If two completely opposite styles appear in one work, there are usually only two possibilities. First, someone copied someone else’s work wholesale, resulting in two distinct styles. Second, it’s a ‘stitch-job’ – also copying, but only in parts, adding their own elements onto the original author’s foundation.”

“Regardless of which it is, if this happens, there’s only one conclusion: this work wasn’t completed by a single person.”

As I spoke, the outline of an event began to take shape in my mind.

I ran back a few steps, carefully illuminating the floor of the Spirit Path we had just traversed. After inspecting it, I ran back and said, “The level of damage to the floor tiles changed as I walked. You must have noticed it too. I have a bold theory. Do you want to hear it?”

“Tell me.”

Lu Ayao watched me. I organized my thoughts for a moment and continued.

“The Tomb-guarding Beast from before was terrifyingly large. I suspect this underground palace might have been expanded by later generations. It’s just like that research institute I stumbled into; that was an extension built onto the outer edge of the palace by the 434 Archaeological Team. So, I’m wondering if the structure here has one more layer than we thought.”

As I got into the flow, I became more animated. I shoved the flashlight into my mouth to hold it, then crouched down and picked up a random fragment of broken brick. I used it to draw three concentric circles on the ground.

“The innermost layer is the original, coarse core of the palace. This was built in the earliest period. They didn’t consider waterproofing; they simply put the burial in a ship and sank it into the water. That’s why these bricks are so badly damaged.”

“Then there’s the second layer. This is the critical layer containing the waterproof seal, the drainage channels, and the mechanical bearings for the traps. Clearly, the designer of this layer was incredibly meticulous. He planned for almost every contingency. It was his anti-theft devices that caught both you and Fourth Brother. I think without this layer, the original palace would have been completely destroyed by now.”

Lu Ayao picked up where I left off. “And the third layer is the 434 Archaeological Research Institute. It’s the outermost layer, and its construction materials aren’t as good as the palace’s. It’s unstable. That’s why when we set off the explosives, the outermost institute was the first to go.”

I was right. He understood exactly what I was saying. This level of rapport meant I hardly had to explain anything in detail.

“Then who do you think built the second layer?” Lu Ayao crouched down as well.

“Among the master craftsmen of that era with such skill, who else could it be but Master Jiyun? Perhaps he prepared this tomb for himself long ago. An undersea tomb is no simple feat; it’s not impossible that it was built in two stages.”

After hearing my theory, Lu Ayao fell silent. He looked down, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, he stood up and looked at the brackets and pillars above us, then shook his head. “Something’s not right. This construction feels familiar, like I’ve seen it somewhere before. But the more familiar it feels, the more uneasy I get.”

I stood up immediately. “What do you mean? What did you think of?”

Lu Ayao frowned, lost in thought for a moment. When he finally looked up, his voice had suddenly become very soft.

“It’s too strange,” he said. “Some of the things here… I’ve seen them before.”

“You’ve seen them? Where?”

Lu Ayao hesitated for a beat before answering, “In my family’s ancestral hall.”