General of the Heavens

Chapter 96 The Tomb of the Deposed Emperor [4,000 words]

"Chief, we two brothers are strong and smart, we don't need to be temporary workers, do we?"

Fatty Wang felt very sad that he had let Hu Bayi down, so he begged Ning Chen to take better care of him.

"Meals and accommodation are provided, the monthly salary is 800 yuan, and temporary workers have far fewer restrictions than permanent employees. If you can't accept this offer..."

"Eight hundred a month? We'll do it! We'll do it. Just tell us what to do. As long as it's not murder or arson, we two brothers can handle it."

Are you kidding me? A monthly salary of 800 yuan? In today's society, 100 yuan is enough for a family of four to live a very luxurious life for a month.

What does a salary of 800 mean? After two years, that's a sure thing to be a 10,000-yuan household. These days, 10,000-yuan households are all celebrities.

Seeing Wang Pangzi's ecstatic expression, Hu Bayi keenly realized a problem and asked Ning Chen uncertainly, "How much is the salary for a full-time employee?"

Ning Chen picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "The salary of a full-time employee at our research institute is generally around three thousand."

Hu Bayi: "..."

The two of them felt something was off. They were both temporary workers, each earning 800 yuan a month, which added up to only 1,600 yuan a month. Ning Chen had previously said that Hu Bayi could become a permanent employee with a salary of 3,000 yuan...

Oh dear, I lost 1400!

And we also lost a worker?

Hu Bayi decisively said, "I regret it. How about you sleep under a bridge for a month, Fatty? I'll come pick you up when I've earned some money..."

"Go to hell, Lao Hu, you heartless bastard! When we were kids, if I had a piece of meat, I'd always share half with you. How could you bear to let me sleep under a bridge?"

Wang Pangzi's long rant made Ning Chen laugh. This pair of clowns was indeed amusing, and Ning Chen even suspected that Shirley Yang was the third party...

Ning Chen sent someone to complete the onboarding procedures for the two of them and assigned them dormitories, so that they could live in the same room.

The day before, the two were sleeping under a bridge, but today, they have moved into a clean and spacious house. This must be what it means to be in heaven one step and hell the next.

Hu Bayi and Wang Pangzi had just entered the research institute and thought they would have to study for several months, but unexpectedly, Ning Chen arranged for them to go on a business trip together the very next day.

Destination: Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.

"Really? Can we be temporary workers? Will it interfere with your work?" Fatty Wang was a little flattered.

Ning Chen smiled jokingly: "You guys don't think it's just the three of us doing archaeological excavation, do you? We're going to cooperate with the local archaeological institute. You two are responsible for protecting my safety."

In reality, Ning Chen didn't need their protection at all. Over the past ten years, Ning Chen had cultivated martial arts, and his qi and blood were surging, having long since broken through to the peak of the Dark Force realm.

Now, Ning Chen's internal energy is perfectly unified, with a powerful force capable of breaking metal and stone, and a hidden force capable of penetrating three-tenths of an inch into the body, killing people invisibly. He is a master of martial arts in this era.

Even if Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang fought Ning Chen together, they couldn't last more than two rounds. If that's the case with traditional Chinese martial arts, then Ning Chen must have other tricks up his sleeve.

So, the reason Ning Chen took Hu Bayi and Wang Pangzi out this time was simply to test how much skill Hu Bayi had learned from the "Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Technique".

Ning Chen bought three sleeper train tickets to Nanchang. Wang Pangzi seemed to really want to make archaeology a career and had been cramming on archaeological knowledge these past few days.

Hu Bayi, on the other hand, had nothing to do. In his view, archaeology and tomb raiding were essentially the same thing, except that archaeology was supported by the state, while tomb raiding was a private activity.

The reputation of tomb raiding is bad, but that's because it's been ruined by some low-life thieves in the industry.

They weren't even in the tomb raiding business, they didn't know the rules, and they were destructively digging and smashing things everywhere. How could they not be hated?

Hu Guohua once said that the history of tomb raiding is very long, probably no less than three thousand years. Back in the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao had a unit that specialized in excavating the treasures in ancient tombs to fund his army.

Among them, the General of the Tomb Raiders, holding the Heavenly Seal of the Tomb Raiders, led ten Tomb Raider Captains wearing Tomb Raider Talismans, specializing in excavating the tombs of kings and emperors of past dynasties, making them feared by all.

Before the liberation, the trade was divided into four schools: east, south, west, and north. By the 1980s, the number of talented people had dwindled to almost nothing, and the few remaining had all retired from the trade.

Nowadays, tomb raiders are mostly idle country bumpkins who have no idea about the traditional rules of not taking anything from either side, or the custom of offering incense and making three bows before blowing out the lamp and touching the gold...

The old-fashioned trains of the 1980s were so bumpy they could practically make you shit your pants. Even in a sleeper berth, Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang were still suffocating.

Only Ning Chen remained expressionless.

Ning Chen would often stand by the window for hours on end. Sometimes Fatty Wang would say that Ning Chen was acting strangely, but Hu Bayi felt that he was different.

"Chief, are you practicing kung fu?"

Ning Chen opened his eyes. Hu Bayi's eyesight was quite good; he had seen through the signs. Having reached the Transformation Realm, Ning Chen no longer needed to be bound by stance training such as the Three-Body Stance.

Often, in the act of walking, sitting, lying down, in the act of moving and stilling, one develops skill, and the flow of energy becomes even more fluid and natural.

At this level, practicing martial arts becomes subconscious. Hu Bayi's ability to see this shows he has some skill. He checked the time and estimated that they would arrive in Nanchang in another half day.

Hu Bayi then asked, "As far as I know, there are very few large ancient tombs in the South compared to the North. I wonder what type of ancient tomb we are studying?"

"Oh, here's what happened. In Guanxi Village, Datangping Township, Xinjian District, the police station received a report from the public."

They said that there were suspicious people digging something in the nearby mountains late at night, and they suspected that they were tomb raiders.

After receiving the report, the police station immediately went to investigate. What they found was quite unusual: the police discovered a cave 40 meters deep in the mountain with a rectangular entrance.

The police are experienced in arresting people, but when it comes to ancient tombs, they have to call in professionals to investigate. However, the local research institute has limited resources and can only confirm that it is a tomb raider's tunnel.

We know nothing about the specific burial details, whether the contents have been looted, or whether a rescue excavation is necessary.

Fatty Wang was completely confused, and finally asked, "Usually when an ancient tomb is excavated, some of the treasures inside can be shared with everyone, right?"

Hu Bayi was extremely embarrassed. Fatty was just greedy for money; he couldn't change that habit. So Hu Bayi said righteously:

"Little Fatty, what are you saying? Our archaeological research is a contribution to the country and the people. How can you think like that? This is intellectual depravity! Spiritual corruption! This is wrong!"

Fatty Wang said longingly, "Not taking a single penny is too unfair. We've come all this way to help them."

Ning Chen interjected, "The items in the ancient tomb don't belong to any individual. However, our research institute still has some influence, so asking them for a few burial items to take back for research shouldn't be a problem."

"Holy crap, you can do that?"

Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang were stunned. Wasn't this someone using the organization's name to freeload? They never expected Ning Chen, who was so handsome, to be this kind of person…

"Alright, that's enough, it's time to get off the bus."

The old, rickety train rattled along for several days before finally arriving at the station. The local research institute had arranged for people and vehicles to pick it up well in advance.

When the three arrived at Guanxi Village, they were taken to a villager's home. A middle-aged man with glasses and a completely bald head ran out.

The middle-aged man looked Ning Chen up and down, then grabbed his hand excitedly and said, "I didn't expect Director Ning to come in person."

"It's truly an honor for our Nanchang Archaeological Institute. I'm Yang Zhihe, the director of the institute. Director Ning, you can just call me Lao Yang."

"Not at all, Director Yang is a senior figure, I am a junior and cannot overstep my bounds. May I ask what the current situation is with the cemetery?"

Yang Zhihe immediately started discussing it with Ning Chen.

Fatty Wang whispered in Hu Bayi's ear, "Old Hu, isn't Yang Zhihe the one who sells stinky tofu? Why does that name sound so familiar?"

Hu Bayi said with a dark face, "You fatso, the one who sells stinky tofu is Wang Zhihe. If you don't understand, just shut up."

"Oh, oh!" Fatty Wang chuckled awkwardly.

On the other side, Yang Zhihe said with a sorrowful expression, "To be honest, we have discovered several more tomb raiding holes in this area in the past few days."

One of them even dates back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. I'm very worried that the entire tomb has already been damaged by tomb robbers.

Ning Chen expressed his understanding. Those who do archaeological research are always afraid of someone getting there first. Director Yang is obviously an old scholar, so it's impossible for him not to feel upset.

"Alright, Director Yang, I brought two new recruits from our station with me to Nanchang this time. Let me assign them some tasks first."

Fatty Wang asked in surprise, "Chief, didn't you say our mission was to protect your safety? Has something changed?"

Hu Bayi retorted to Fatty Wang, "Shut up. We'll do whatever the director says. We guarantee we'll complete the mission."

"Haha! So Director Ning is planning to train new people this time. I'll be able to learn some real skills from Director Ning this time."

Ning Chen smiled, but unfortunately Yang Zhihe guessed wrong. He wasn't there to train newcomers at all, and Ning Chen had already found out the identity of the tomb owner.

This is the tomb of Liu He, the deposed emperor of Han!

"Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan, the three of us will split up and first determine the dynasty and scale of the ancient tomb, then locate the main burial chamber. We'll meet here after dark."

Fatty Wang was completely baffled. "Chief, is this easy? We don't even know what kind of tomb this is... Hey, Lao Hu, don't pull me!"

"Stop talking, just come with me, Chief, let's split up!" Hu Bayi said, then pulled Wang Pangzi away.

However, what puzzled Fatty Wang next was that Hu Bayi had no intention of looking for any tomb raiding tunnels at all. Instead, he lay on a large rock and squinted his eyes.

"Hey, Lao Hu, what are you doing?"

"Conserve your energy, don't waste it. Lie down and rest for a bit. The main event is after dark," Hu Bayi said nonchalantly.

Fatty Wang: "..."

Although he didn't know what Hu Bayi was up to, it was really comfortable lying there, since Hu Bayi would take responsibility if anything went wrong.

Hu Bayi did have a certain understanding of the "Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Technique" and was also familiar with the methods of the tomb raiders, but he had not yet mastered advanced techniques such as geomancy and burial site location.

So at most he knew some celestial feng shui techniques. However, to perform celestial feng shui techniques, one must combine them with the celestial phenomena of the starry sky. Where would stars come from in broad daylight? So Hu Bayi simply decided to take a nap first.

Hu Bayi didn't know how much time had passed, but he was woken up by Wang Pangzi's snoring, and it was already getting dark.

"Hey, Fatty, wake up!"

"Hey Lao Hu, where are we?"

Hu Bayi ignored Fatty Wang, stood up, and took out a compass from his bag, a treasure passed down from his grandfather Hu Guohua.

"The constellations in the east are arranged in an orderly manner, with the Ziwei star shining faintly, like a pearl covered in dust. Although the feng shui is excellent, it has the intention of being suppressed!"

Strange! Very strange!

To the east rise towering green mountains, and to the west, emerald waters encircle the area. Logically, being situated with mountains and water is considered auspicious feng shui. Combined with these celestial phenomena and the shining Ziwei star, this is a feng shui configuration reserved for emperors. So why does the Ziwei star appear to be obscured?

Hu Bayi was genuinely confused for a moment, while Fatty Wang was dumbfounded. "What are you babbling about? I don't understand a word you're saying!"

Patting Fatty Wang on the shoulder, Hu Bayi said, "Little Fatty, it's normal that you don't understand, otherwise you would be qualified to be a full-time employee."

"Damn it, hurry up and figure out what dynasty and scale the main tomb chamber was, as the director instructed. Don't embarrass us temporary workers!"

"Don't worry, Fatty. I told you before that my grandfather left me a book that describes similar feng shui layouts."

Although there are slight differences, there are basically no problems in confirming these common-sense facts, such as dynasties. "What shape is that small hill in front of us?"

Wang Pangzi looked in the direction Hu Bayi was pointing and clearly saw, "It's an inverted cone shape. Is there some special meaning behind it?"

Hu Bayi said, "Let me tell you, this is called a burial mound, an inverted cone-shaped burial mound, which was generally only popular during the Qin and Han dynasties."

The vertical distance between the top and bottom is approximately twenty meters. Only the imperial family was qualified to build a tomb of this scale; it was practically impossible for the Qin Dynasty to do so.

"Why?" Fatty Wang asked.

"Idiot, since the Qin Dynasty royal family was all in Shaanxi, this ancient tomb must be a Han Dynasty tomb. Han Dynasty tombs have a simple structure, consisting of layers stacked on top of each other."

As for the location of the main burial chamber, the stars in the sky have already told us. The constellations Jia and Yi are arranged with the Ziwei star appearing and disappearing, and the center of these three constellations is the main burial chamber.

Fatty Wang was instantly astonished by Hu Bayi. Was this really the same guy he used to play in the mud with as a child?

"Old Hu, are you possessed by a monster?!"

"Damn it, hurry up and find the main burial chamber! I want to go back to sleep; there are just too many mosquitoes in the mountains at night..."

Fatty Wang followed Hu Bayi closely. Guided by the stars, the two quickly found the location of the main tomb chamber. They dug a hole vertically downwards from there, which would surely lead to the main tomb chamber.

Why are there so many people on the rocks in front?

"Old Hu, my eyesight isn't very good, but look, that person looks exactly like our Chief Ning! Could it be haunted?"

Fatty Wang mumbled incoherently.

Ning Chen stood up, dusted himself off, and said calmly, "Why are you so late? Hu Bayi, looks like your skills aren't quite up to par yet!"

Hu Bayi: "..."

P.S.: This is a 4,000-word chapter, please recommend and add it to your favorites!

(End of this chapter)