Tomb Raiding: The Bloodline of Dragons and Snakes, Starting from the Kunlun Divine Palace

"Um...it seems you're all safe and sound. Did that 'roe deer owl' not catch up?"

Chapter 226: Arriving at the exit of the arched tomb passage.

Wang Yueban reached out and patted the other person's shoulder, pursing her lips slightly:

“Jiang Jiaxu, you’re tall and strong, how come you’re so timid? Well, I can’t blame you for that. The ‘goat-bodied, human-faced’ monster didn’t catch up, so this place isn’t suitable for a short stay. From now on, you all need to be on high alert. Next is the main tomb chamber, and the dangers inside may far exceed your imagination.”

"Without my permission, no one should make any rash moves..."

As Wang Yueban spoke, he walked to the front of the crowd, spun his headlamp, and then took out the old silk he had obtained earlier from his pocket:

"Don't rush, let me, Fatty, quietly figure out how to proceed from here..."

However, Wang Yueban's words trailed off midway, his facial expression stiffening, his smile fading, and after a long pause, he stammered out:

"Heh...heh heh...the one-to-one pattern on this silk seems to only extend to the vicinity of this second tomb door...and then...it stops..."

.....

"Damn it! You fatso, you're messing with me!"

The tall, handsome young man, Jiang Jiaxu, couldn't hold back any longer. Lately, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster, first despair, then hope, then despair again, and then hope again...

Provoked by Wang Yueban, he was like a powder keg that had been lit, ready to unleash a torrent of profanities on the other party's family!

......

"Benefactor Jiang, please do not be angry, and listen to what this humble monk has to say!"

Master Yuanxin clasped his hands together, quelling Jiang Jiaxu's anger. He then dusted off his robe and turned to look at Wang Yueban at the front of the crowd:

"Benefactor Wang, I have heard that you tomb raiders are proficient in the 'Dragon-Seeking Technique' and 'Gold-Dividing and Burial Site Location,' and you place great emphasis on technical aspects!"

"Throughout history, the four most renowned methods of tomb raiding have been: observation, listening, questioning, and palpation!"

...

Wang Yueban was momentarily speechless upon hearing Master Yuanxin's voice:

"Master Yuanxin, what exactly are you trying to say? This fat man is getting confused by your convoluted explanations!"

Everyone present was also somewhat puzzled, looking at Master Yuanxin with the same confusion, wondering what he was trying to express:

“Amitabha, Mr. Wang, this humble monk will speak frankly.”

Monk Yuanxin took a step forward, and his eyes, which had been slightly narrowed, opened a crack, revealing a glint of brilliance:

"The four skills of the tomb raiders are observation, listening, questioning, and palpation."

"The first 'look' is to observe the qi and examine the dragon vein and terrain. It is said that you have rich experience in tomb raiding and are skilled in the art of dragon veins, so whenever you arrive at a place, you must first examine the terrain to find a suitable location!"

"The second 'smell' refers to smelling the odor, using the nose to distinguish the scent of the soil layers or their approximate historical age. The third 'question' is scouting, wandering around and perhaps even posing as a Taoist priest, paying attention to scenic spots and the burial sites of wealthy and powerful figures. Finally, the fourth 'diagnosis' is the precise location of the burial site!"

"Before coming here, I heard someone say that you are a descendant of the tomb raiders. These methods should not be difficult for you..."

..........

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Wang Yueban in front of them. Although they had never heard of the title "Tomb Raider Captain", they were familiar with the four-word mantra spoken by Master Yuanxin: Observation, Listening, Inquiry, and Palpation!

Everyone who heard it found it profound and difficult to understand, especially the tall young man Jiang Jiaxu in the crowd. His heart, which had sunk to the bottom, was stirred again. His gaze fell on Wang Yueban, and he thought to himself, "What a load of nonsense!"

So, this Fatty Wang is the "big boss" hidden among everyone, and his previous "reckless" foolishness was all an act?

"Hey! Boss, you're really cunning... You hid it really well!"

The tall young man, Jiang Jiaxu, leaned slightly towards Wang Yueban. He no longer disliked her, after all, she was a "man" who could give him a sense of security. Hugging someone's leg is not a matter of gender!

........

"Uh... well... Master Yuanxin, you seem to know a lot. I, Fatty, won't pretend anymore. I'll lay my cards on the table. I am indeed a descendant of the tomb raiders in the history of the Great Xia Federation..."

"Well, don't get your hopes up too high. When I was little, I was too playful, especially when it came to studying. The four essentials of tomb raiding are observation, smelling, questioning, and palpation—there's just too much to memorize. Even someone like me who gets sleepy while studying..."

At this moment, Wang Yueban's voice froze, and he did not continue speaking. Everyone was a sensible person and understood the meaning of his next words!

"This tomb raider is a complete 'academic failure'! He's not skilled enough to start his career!"

The face of the tall young man Jiang Jiaxu had turned as black as a pig's liver:

"Damn it, I shouldn't have had any hope for that fatso!"

.......

"You only realize how little you know when you need it most! I told you not to be lazy! I told you not to be lazy!"

Many people in the crowd had already mentally bound Wang Yueban to a pillar to feel the whipping of "love"!

...

"Ahem! Don't look at me like that!"

Fatty Wang shrugged helplessly and turned to head deeper into the tomb passage:

"Anyway, I've been through the main tomb chamber before, so my memory is pretty reliable. Stay close!"

...

Although everyone was uneasy, they didn't have any good solutions. After all, Wang Yueban had indeed escaped from the main tomb chamber and possessed some skill.

"Da da da!"

Footsteps echoed softly in the arched tomb passage, where the walls, made of perfectly fitted Shoushan stones, appeared neat and uniform at first glance.

Wu Tianjiao followed in the group, his expression occasionally sweeping across the faces of those around him, carefully scrutinizing them to find the one who might have secretly taken the "Mandala".

The Datura flower is a very potent and highly toxic plant. If we wait until the effects of the Three-Flower Jade Dew Pill wear off, there is a possibility of unforeseen complications.

After advancing about twenty zhang, Wu Tianjiao stopped, realizing that he had reached the exit of the arched tomb passage.

The group shone their lights ahead in an attempt to broaden their view, but unfortunately, the visibility in the main burial chamber was extremely low. Even with powerful flashlights, they could only vaguely illuminate a small area of ​​four or five meters ahead. The environment of the main burial chamber further away was blurry or even pitch black.

The beam of the flashlight seemed to be blocked by something. When everyone looked closely, they saw it was a rectangular Shoushan stone tablet.

The surface of the stone tablet was covered with lines of blood-red seal script. Upon seeing this, Wang Yueban suddenly exclaimed:

"Clang! This is a tombstone! But wait, why is it here? Wasn't the inscription in the very center of the main burial chamber?"

Chapter 227: A beautiful arm like Xi Shi's; a heart as deep as Bi Gan's.

Wang Yueban subconsciously looked at Kong Zhengye beside him. He clearly remembered that the mutton fat jade in his hand was peeled off from the top of this tombstone. Now, as soon as he entered the main burial chamber, he saw the deceased's epitaph, which was really hard to accept.

Kong Zhengye nodded. His mind was already somewhat numb. There were just too many strange things about this Qin Empire tomb. The statues that looked like people could move, and the inscriptions that were placed in a different location were not unacceptable for a while.

..........

"Hey! My little darling, come and take a look. What do these blood-red seal characters mean? I can understand the individual characters, but when they're put together, I just can't figure it out!"

Wu Xie stepped out from behind Wang Yueban, adjusted his headlamp, and began to carefully examine the "Epitaph for the Deceased" in front of him, muttering unconsciously:

General! Chang Shiwan, also known as Sheng, was a worthy general of the Qin Empire. He died in the Changping year of the imperial calendar, before the age of sixty!

[The victim suffered knee injuries, was cut off, had a short body and large legs, unable to reach the ground, and lived a disrespectful life, fearing death before him. Therefore, workers were made to make timber to attach his feet!]

............

[The general was always victorious, capturing Haizhou and conquering 16 Jiqing. He refused to kneel before the emperor to offer his congratulations; he deserved to die.]

[The victim suffered knee injuries, was cut off, had short legs and could not reach the ground, lived disrespectfully, and feared death. Therefore, workers were made to make timber to attach his feet! If you do not believe this, please show it to me.]

[May you enter the Ming Dynasty]

[To disrespect the king, who commands you, is a grave offense! Death is the punishment, not pardon. I dare not speak further.]

[Those who refuse to kneel will be executed; no subject may commit suicide in the palace!]

"Chang Shiwan, with ink and blood on his face, passed through the Xuanguan and Mamen gates, drew his sword, and stood outside the court to stab himself!"

A person who is loyal, trustworthy, benevolent, righteous, thoughtful, and constantly strives for self-improvement is a virtuous person!

......

The epitaph sculptor inscribed a couplet as a gift:

[A beautiful arm like Xi Shi's; a heart as full of wisdom as Bi Gan's!]

....................

Wu Xie stared at the epitaph of the deceased, his voice changing from solemn to hoarse, and finally even tinged with a sigh. It was a deep sense of loneliness, helplessness, and tragic grandeur.

It's a pity... General Chang Shiwan, who made great contributions, suffered such treatment!

.......

"My little naive one, why are you sighing like that? Although I, Fatty, don't have a very high knowledge base and can't quite understand what's being said up there, I can still understand the blood-red seal script from before."

At this point, Wang Yueban pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. It was a picture he had casually taken when he first saw the Shoushan stone sculpture "Phoenix Seeking a Mistress."

The back of the "Seeking a Mate Phoenix" stone sculpture in the phone's photo album is inscribed with the following text.

[A renowned general of the Qin Empire. A victorious general, he won every battle, capturing Haizhou, conquering Jiqing, defeating Chen Liang, attacking Zhangye, and leading a northern expedition to capture Han Dadu. He boasted that he could conquer the world with an army of 100,000.]

"Hey, I can understand this sentence. General Chang Shiwan was definitely a formidable figure during the Wang Qin Empire, and the kind who was invincible!"

Wang Yueban waved his phone to show the text to those around him, but his wrist was suddenly pressed down.

"Alright, Fatty Wang, stop showing off your meager knowledge! Anyone here who was born within the Great Xia Federation and has a decent IQ can understand this!"

"Also, if it's not something urgent, let's put it aside and let Wu Xie finish what he has to say!"