Ancient tomb excavation traces

When we entered the main coffin chamber (the sacrificial site) earlier, we thought that was where Mi Ling would rest in peace. However, when we reached the "high place in the sky", everyone stopped in place and felt that the previous sacrificial site was too small.

This place is as big as two basketball courts, and it's impossible to estimate how far it is from the beam of natural light overhead. But facing this light, I felt a sense of holiness for some reason, as if I were a person who had lost my way in the darkness and was being comforted by holy light.

Our group of seven split into two groups: Lao Tiao and Lan Quexi stayed behind to take care of Chu Ba, while the rest of us went ahead to find out what was going on.

We walked slowly through the open space, each step cautious. Everything was eerily calm, so calm that we dared not even breathe. Upon arriving here, a strange fear welled up inside me, as if I were facing a cold-blooded killer. You never know what she'll do next; you fear you might die silently before you even realize the danger.

The tomb guardian beast in the ancestor's hand had mostly burned away, leaving only a small part. Although there was a white light above, it couldn't illuminate everything and instead added to the eerie atmosphere. He held up the torch and probed around. As the torchlight swept across, we could see a tall, dark shadow standing silently not far from us.

My heart pounded wildly, and I nervously swallowed, because in the area illuminated by the firelight, there stood not just one person, but several, and those people were taller than us. I wondered if they were stone figures?

The old ancestor handed me the torch and calmly said, "Little rascal, follow me..." As he spoke, he drew the red copper scimitar from his waist and said to the young Taoist, "I'll use the crossbow, you use the knife..."

The young Taoist priest nodded, and Bao Cai followed behind me, trembling and not daring to breathe. I took a deep breath and brought the torch closer to the tall, strange figure not far away, but all I saw was that person standing imposingly, without moving, as if it were a dead object.

Logically speaking, if these were truly some kind of formidable monster, they wouldn't just stand there seeing us, several living people. With that thought, I mustered my courage and approached with my ancestor. We discovered that these shadowy figures were bronze statues, each about two meters tall. Their faces were a deep, bronze-green, rusted and mottled, resembling a decaying human face. This face, coupled with their chilling expressions, sent shivers down our spines.

The bronze statues hold weapons and wear leather armor. Our ancestors said, "The Chu people used sharkskin and rhinoceros hide to make armor, which was as hard as metal and stone. It seems that these people were soldiers going to battle. Why would there be bronze soldiers in a woman's tomb?"

Previously, I had briefly explained Mi Ling's love triangle to my ancestor, but I hadn't mentioned a word about the King of Chu ordering soldiers to be buried alive with Mi Ling. Now I quickly explained it again.

Upon hearing this, the ancestor suddenly understood. He stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "The Underworld Palace is fraught with danger. With this mermaid leather, if there are any traps or injuries, there's little chance of survival..." Before he finished speaking, he tore off the leather from the bronze statue with his bare hands and put it on himself, instructing each of us to keep one. I felt like crying, realizing the ancestor had a particular fondness for changing clothes. But thinking about it, what he said made sense. After all, this was the true main coffin chamber, and no one could say what we might encounter down there.

Thinking this, I handed the torch to Bao Cai and stripped off a garment for myself. When I was dressed, I discovered that the bronze statues stood in a row from the entrance we came in to a darker place. Their lifelike appearance was spectacular, but also eerie and terrifying.

A chill ran down my spine, and a thought flashed through my mind: would these bronze statues be angry that I had stripped them of their armor, grab my neck, and demand my return? Just as this thought crossed my mind, Bao Cai, ignoring his inner trembling, reached for a piece of armor to save his life. But as he removed his own piece of armor, he seemed to sense something amiss, bending slightly as he looked towards the source of the strangeness. Upon seeing it, he screamed in terror, staggered backward, and fell to the ground. Hearing the scream, the ancestor rushed over. Bao Cai, his fingers trembling, said, "I saw his waist…it looks…it looks like a pile of rotten flesh!"

Upon hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. Following Bao Cai's pointing finger, I brought the firelight closer and discovered that this section of cast bronze had no joint. It seemed to be a careless oversight by the craftsman. Inside this unfinished section, we saw rotting flesh. Where the rotting flesh piled up, there seemed to be the shadow of something. I thought it was just the shadow cast by the firelight on the flesh, so I didn't pay much attention. I said to the ancestor, "This might be the soldiers that the King of Chu arranged to be buried alive with the Chu princess..."

The ancestor nodded, and just then, a soft and clear melody was heard. The ancestor's ears twitched slightly, and he said, "The konghou!"

The konghou is an ancient court instrument; how could I hear it in an ancient tomb? This thought sent chills down my spine. The young Taoist priest beside me said in a deep voice, "You've been possessed by a demon; be careful..."

The old ancestor nodded. At this moment, Chen Yu, unable to contain himself any longer, walked over, looking completely bewildered, and asked, "What's going on?"

Before anyone could answer, flickering candlelight appeared in the otherwise empty main coffin chamber. Beneath the candlelight stood bronze figures, also known as "candle figurines," each depicting a woman dressed in a deep robe with her hair in a bun. The woman supported the lamp pillars, which held bronze plates, where the flames glowed.

The "candle figurines" are arranged horizontally in rows on the steps of the base, their flames directed at the tall pillars on both sides, which are entwined with mythical birds such as cranes and phoenixes. Each bird has a curved lamp in its beak, and the pillars also have candles on them, the light illuminating the main coffin chamber with a dazzling glow.

Miraculously, auspicious energy slowly emerged from the darkness. In front of us was a pool, which also emitted ethereal energy, and in the center of the pool were clusters of pure white lotuses.

Faced with such a fairyland, I was speechless with amazement, thinking that I might have fallen into a hallucination again. But then I heard the ancestor remind me, "This is not a premonition, but something that is happening right now. You must be careful not to fall into the illusion of this 'Immortal Palace'."

As the music lingered and the fragrance filled the air, I couldn't resist, my eyes glazed over. Lost in reverie, I nodded, and just as I was becoming intoxicated, I suddenly saw several exquisitely beautiful young women, their faces beaming, seated beneath a pedestal in a magnificent, palace-like hall. Their embroidered robes had slipped down, revealing their fair wrists, their hands plucking the strings of the zither, their eyes sparkling. They were truly the epitome of "beautiful women, fragrant herbs, and elegant attire..."

Chen Yi was already completely captivated by the sight, muttering to himself, "They say the King of Chu favored slender waists, so all the women of Chu have beautiful figures. Look at this tiny waist and slender neck, so delicate it could be grasped in one hand..." As he spoke, his desire became unbearable, and he took off running towards the beautiful and alluring woman. He looked like Pigsy entering the Land of Women, his pig-like stench practically emanating from him. He sat down among the women playing the zither, grinning broadly, and the women didn't even try to hide.

Bao Cai had little interest in these stunning beauties; his eyes were fixed on the tables arranged on either side of him. On the tables were lustrous white jade bowls and pale green glass cups. He knelt beside the tables, picking them up one by one, his eyes gleaming, excitedly shouting, "I'm rich! I'm rich!" His laughter was somewhat manic, somewhat greedy...

I stared at the pig's trotters laid out on the table, my mouth watering. The last time I ate pork was when Ge San prepared some dried, cured meat for me. These big, fat trotters were so greasy; I knew they would be incredibly delicious. Lost in my fantasies, I couldn't resist any longer and hurriedly sat down, ready to feast. Just then, the young Taoist priest coldly slammed the trotter I was holding onto a small bronze cauldron. The cauldron hit the ground with a crisp sound, jolting me awake. I finally remembered the instructions from my ancestor and the young Taoist priest. I swallowed hard, stood up, and looked towards Chen Tiao. He sat beside a maid, looking completely absorbed in the moment. I was about to call him when my ancestor stopped me, saying, "He'll reveal his true form soon. Give Tiao a lesson; it'll help curb his lust."

"Revealing their true forms?" I didn't understand what that meant, but I was really confused right now, and my thoughts were constantly being swayed by the strange and beautiful singing... And just then, I saw several women dressed in gorgeous robes emerge from behind the pillars and dance a strange dance.

Seeing my confusion, the ancestor explained, "This 'Immortal's Palace' is an illusion created by the vengeful spirits of the ancient tomb, specifically designed to deceive people's minds. Judging from their current appearance, they are performing music to worship the gods, so it seems that Princess Chu's main coffin is on the platform..."

I noticed that the place was brightly lit, but the base was dark and gloomy, and I gradually sensed that something was wrong.

The melody at the beginning of the piece was quite gentle, but it became more and more mournful as it went on. Although I was mentally prepared, I still felt an indescribable unease as I watched the women dancing and twirling around with sly smiles on their faces.

Before long, their flawless, white skin began to loosen as they spun, and lividity gradually appeared on their faces. Their laughter was shrill, strange, and out of control. As they spun wildly, I witnessed the most shocking scene I had seen in the past twenty-six years.

They watched as loose skin and flesh were flung off their faces, interspersed with eyeballs, yet they continued to laugh and spin until their heads and slender arms were flung off, falling to the ground with a splatter of flesh, like a puddle of mud. Only then did they stop.

I watched the whole thing, utterly horrified. I collapsed to the ground, vomiting uncontrollably. Looking at Chen Tiao again, the stunningly beautiful women playing music around her had long, slender fingers and looked like snake spirits in disguise. They swayed their hips and stretched their necks. Even though Chen Tiao was incredibly audacious, the sight of this bizarre scene terrified her, and she jumped up and ran towards us.

Bao Cai, who was already prone to being possessed by ghosts and monsters, saw that the things he was holding had turned into masks with blue faces and fangs. He was so frightened that he withdrew his hand, screamed, kicked over the table, and hurriedly got up from the ground.

The drifting clouds have vanished, and the once bright candlelight has been swallowed by darkness, leaving behind only desolation.

This sight horrified me. The so-called celestial palace within this underworld was nothing but a mirage. King Chu, Sima Yan, and Mi Ling were inhuman, corrupt, and gloomy. They trod a path to immortality built of countless bones, ultimately creating not a world of salvation, but a bloody and cruel hell on earth. People kill each other, a sea of ​​blood churns; how could Heaven, with its mercy, accept these sinners as gods and immortals to redeem humanity?

The people of Chu wore armor made of sharkskin, rhinoceros hide, and hardened with metal and stone. (From Xunzi, "On Military Affairs")