Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The sound of the coffin lid sliding open was very slow.

The metallic crunch against the stone sent chills down the spine in the deathly silent cave. The strange fragrance grew stronger, a sweet aroma mixed with aged herbs and some indescribable, metallic scent.

The swarm of insects receded completely. Only the dark golden insect corpses and slime remained on the ground. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood beneath the central bronze pillar, their bodies covered in insect excrement, gazing at the top of the altar. Neither of them moved, merely adjusting their breathing.

The people on the steps dared not breathe. Dozens of beams of light from flashlights and headlamps were directed at the open metal coffin.

The lid slid open halfway and then stopped.

It was pitch black inside. When the beam of light shone in, it seemed to be swallowed up by something. Only the cold, hard metallic luster of the coffin rim could be seen.

"Go...go up and take a look?" Kun's voice was dry.

Lin Guoce gripped his gun tightly and looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling".

Zhang Qiling nodded and stepped onto the stairs. "Zhang Qiling" walked beside him. The two walked steadily, their footsteps making a sticky sound as they stepped on the black stone steps, which were covered in insect sap.

The others slowly caught up. The wounded soldier was being helped along, wincing in pain with every step. Kun Ge's leg wound was still bleeding, and Chen Man tore off a piece of her clothing to bandage it for him. Fatty had several cuts from insects; they weren't deep, but they stung painfully. Wu Xie supported him.

The ten "Vulture" team members followed in the middle and back of the group, their eyes scanning back and forth between the coffin and the two Zhang Qilings.

The levitating sphere rises, overlooking the entire altar and coffin.

The number of comments surged:

[ID Prophet: It's about to launch! It's about to launch!]

[ID: Definitely a Cure for Dissenting Experts: Jade Terracotta Warrior! It's definitely a jade terracotta warrior!]

[ID Guy's Fan Club: Honey, watch out!]

[ID: Tomb Raider: People light the candles while ghosts blow them out; the rules can't be forgotten!]

They reached the platform at the top of the altar. The platform was large, large enough to hold dozens of people. The metal coffin, about three meters long and one and a half meters wide, was placed in the very center. It was dark gold in color and its surface was engraved with intricate cloud and thunder patterns and animal face patterns. The coffin lid was slid open halfway, revealing the pitch-black interior.

The aroma comes from inside.

Zhang Qiling walked to the left side of the coffin, while "Zhang Qiling" walked to the right. The two looked into the coffin at the same time.

Concentrate the flashlight beam.

The coffin was lined with thick, blackened, and decaying silk fabric. On the silk fabric lay a "human" body.

The reason for the quotation marks is that the thing looked like a human, but not quite. Its entire body was covered with a layer of jade pieces. The jade pieces were pale yellow, each about the size of a copper coin, strung together with extremely fine gold thread, tightly wrapping every inch of its body. A human-shaped outline could be vaguely seen beneath the jade pieces, but it was very shriveled. Its face was also covered with jade pieces, revealing only two dark eye sockets.

Jade figurines.

At the chest, the jade piece bulged slightly, and beneath it, something seemed to be slowly and extremely faintly rising and falling. Like... breath.

"My God..." Professor Zhou Xu'an squeezed to the front, his flashlight beam trembling as it shone on the jade figurine. "It really is a jade figurine! Warring States period craftsmanship, the prototype of the jade burial suit... no, even more refined! Look at the cutting of these jade pieces, the way the gold threads are strung... it's so well preserved!"

Jiang Shouyi's lips trembled with excitement: "Professor, is this...is this really King Lu Shang? Or Iron-Faced Scholar?"

"It's hard to say..." The professor leaned closer, wanting to see more clearly, but not daring to get too close.

Wu Xie squeezed in, his eyes wide behind his glasses. He examined the details of the jade figurine and then looked at the other burial objects inside the coffin. In the four corners of the coffin were some jade and bronze artifacts, all covered in a thick layer of dust. But what was most striking were the bamboo scrolls placed on either side of the jade figurine's head. The bamboo scrolls were a dark yellow color, bound together with black silk thread.

"There are written records!" Wu Xie pointed to the bamboo slips.

"Don't move!" Lin Guoce shouted. "Check for any traps first!"

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" were already inspecting the inside and outside of the coffin. "Zhang Qiling" ran his fingers along the inside of the coffin rim, feeling the engravings. "There are no mechanisms. The sliding lid is the last trick. Once triggered, this place will be safe."

"It's safe for now," Zhang Qiling added. His gaze fell on the slight rise and fall of the jade figurine's chest, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The fat man had recovered by now, his small eyes fixed on the jade artifacts in the coffin, their light shining. "Good heavens... the quality of this jade... this bronze artifact... this trip was worthwhile!" He rubbed his hands together, eager to try it out, but after glancing at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," he shrank back.

His eyes darted around, and after rummaging through his backpack for a while, he pulled out half a candle—it was unclear when he had prepared it. Then he pulled out a windproof lighter.

"Fatty, what are you doing?" Wu Xie asked.

"Rules, do you understand the rules?" The fat man said sternly. "Humans light candles, ghosts blow them out. Before touching any funerary object, you must light a candle in the southeast corner. You can only take it if the candle doesn't go out. Once the candle goes out, you have to put the item back exactly as it was, kowtow, and leave."

As he spoke, he actually walked to the southeast corner of the coffin—actually, the location was hard to discern on the platform, but he estimated the approximate spot—placed the candle on a flat stone, and lit it with a lighter.

The dim candlelight flickered on, appearing as insignificant as a soybean in the vast, dark cave.

Everyone watched his actions. Even Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" glanced at him.

"Will this... will this work?" Kun asked in a low voice.

"The rules passed down from our ancestors are always right!" The fat man patted his chest, but his eyes remained fixed on the candle flame. The flame burned steadily without flickering.

He breathed a sigh of relief, chuckled, rubbed his hands together, and moved closer to the coffin, his eyes scanning over the jade artifacts as he pondered which one to take first.

"If that idiot Sun were still alive, he definitely wouldn't let us take it," the fat man muttered, reaching out to grab a jade cong next to the jade figurine's head.

"Wait a minute," Xie Yuchen said calmly. "You can take the items, but it's best not to touch the jade figurine itself. Also, look at the bamboo slips first."

The fat man paused, then sheepishly withdrew his hand: "Master Hua is right, let's check the records first, maybe there's a list of treasures!"

Wu Xie had already put on gloves—these were what he had prepared before going down into the tomb; although thin, they were better than going bare-handed. He looked at Lin Guoce: "Captain Lin, may I take a look at the bamboo slips? Be careful not to damage them."

Lin Guoce looked at Professor Zhou Xu'an. The professor nodded: "Comrade Wu comes from a family with a long history of scholarship and understands ancient characters. Let him take a look. My old eyes are failing, so I can just look at it up close."

With permission, Wu Xie carefully leaned forward, gently pinched the edge of a bamboo scroll, and slowly removed it from the coffin. The bamboo scroll was brittle, so he moved it very lightly and placed it on a waterproof cloth that had been laid out on the platform beforehand.

He untied the black silk thread binding the bamboo slips—the thread was worn and would break at the slightest touch. He carefully unfolded the bamboo slips.

The characters above are in ancient seal script. Some are blurry, but most are recognizable.

"King Lu Shang... recounts his own account..." Wu Xie read in a low voice, his eyes quickly scanning the scene, "He obtained a map of King Mu of Zhou's tomb... excavated it... and found a jade figurine... believing it to be a means to achieve immortality... However, the jade figurine was flawed and needed to be nourished with the essence and soul of living people... Every sixty years, ninety-nine people must be sacrificed..."

His voice turned cold as he read this.

Those around felt a chill run down their spines. Every sixty years, ninety-nine people are killed to nurture this jade figurine?

"Then..." Wu Xie continued reading, "...Iron-Faced Scholar, a sorcerer, offered a plan: 'We can find a substitute...using the yin energy of the earth's veins, supplemented with medicine, to reduce the number of sacrifices...' The king believed him and appointed him to take charge..."

"Steel-Faced Scholar did indeed participate," Professor Zhou Xu'an murmured, "but in the end..."

Wu Xie turned to the later part, his expression growing even uglier: "...Iron-Faced Man deceived the King! The so-called substitution method was actually a soul-shifting technique! He used drugs to disturb the King's mind, and while the King was inside the terracotta warrior, he used the 'Substitute Peach Blossom' technique... When the King awoke, he was already controlled by the terracotta warrior, his soul about to dissipate... I angrily recorded this, hid it in the coffin, and waited for the next generation..."

"So, is the jade figurine now depicting King Lu Shang or Iron-Faced Man?" Jiang Shouyi asked.

"Let's look at the other volume," Black Bear said.

Wu Xie carefully put away the first volume and took out the second volume. He unfolded it.

This scroll has different handwriting, it's more messy, and it exudes a sinister aura.

"I, Iron-Faced Scholar... have achieved my wish... but the secret of the jade terracotta warrior is far beyond my imagination... this is not immortality, but a prison... my soul is trapped in the jade, unable to escape, unable to break free... every day at midnight, the yin energy pierces through me, causing unbearable pain..."

"The remnant soul of King Lu Shang has not yet dissipated, and he still contends with me... I have searched for a way to break this curse for a hundred years, but to no avail... I finally realized that this terracotta figurine is an extremely ominous object, and whoever possesses it will suffer eternal torment..."

"Those who come after, if they see this letter, remember this: Do not approach the jade figurine, do not harbor any greed. Destroy it quickly! With fierce fire and heavy weapons, shatter its jade, break its metal, and scatter its soul... Remember this! Remember this!"

The last few "remember this" phrases almost penetrated the bamboo slips.

After Wu Xie finished reading, the platform fell silent.

Therefore, the jade terracotta figurine now contains Iron-Faced Life. But the remnant soul of King Lu Shang remains, the two souls trapped inside, fighting each other and enduring endless pain. And this jade terracotta figurine is not for immortality, but for eternal torture.

"No wonder those golden beetles are guarding this place..." Huo Xiuxiu said softly, "They're not guarding the treasure, they're guarding this cage, preventing the things inside from coming out, and preventing outsiders from getting close."

"Then...should we still take the funerary objects?" The fat man swallowed hard and glanced at the candle in the southeast corner. The candle was still burning.

"Take it," Xie Yuchen said calmly. "The bamboo slips record that the jade figurine is a sign of great misfortune. But the other burial objects are of Warring States level, with extremely high historical value. Just be careful not to touch the jade figurine."

"But...but what about this jade figurine?" Kun Ge looked at the slightly rising and falling chest inside the coffin, a chill running down his spine. "Just...just leave it like this?"

"Zhang Qiling" looked at Zhang Qiling: "What do you feel?"

Zhang Qiling's gaze never left the jade terracotta warrior's chest. The faint rise and fall was very slow, about two or three times a minute. But as time went on, the amplitude of the rise and fall seemed to be... increasing.

"It's awake," Zhang Qiling said.

"We've been alerted," Zhang Qiling continued.

Almost at the same time the two finished speaking.

"Hmm..."

A very faint, hoarse sound, like the sucking of a broken bellows, came from the jade figurine.

Everyone froze.

The jade figurine's chest heaved noticeably more. Beneath the jade pieces covering its face, within the two dark eye sockets, there seemed to be extremely faint, dark red specks of light that flashed by in an instant.

The candle in the southeast corner suddenly dipped downwards, almost going out! But after a few flickers, it stubbornly stood up again, only the flame had turned a ghostly green.

"Holy crap!" The fat man's face turned pale. "Ghost Blows Out the Light! It really happened!"

"Back off!" Lin Guoce shouted.

People hurriedly backed away, but the platform was only so big, and there were steps behind it.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" did not retreat. The two stood on either side of the coffin, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

"Click."

With a soft crack, a piece of jade on the chest of the jade figurine split open. Fine cracks spread out like a spider web.

Then came the second piece, the third piece… the cracks spread from his chest to his entire body. The gold threads connecting the jade pieces began to break one by one.

"It's coming out!" Wu Xie's voice trembled.

"Everyone! Prepare for battle!" Lin Guoce aimed his gun.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The bullets struck the jade figurine, shattering and scattering jade pieces, but the withered body inside seemed completely unharmed. The bullets made dull thuds as they hit the figurine, like hitting old cowhide.

The jade figurine's "hand" moved slightly. The jade pieces covering the arm rustled off, revealing a dry, blackened hand with long, sharp nails. The five fingers spread open, then clenched again.

Then the other hand.

Then, it sat up.

Yes, sit up. The jade plaque covering his head fell away, revealing a withered, distorted face, indistinguishable between King Lu Shang and Iron-Faced Man. His skin was deathly black, clinging tightly to his skull. His eye sockets were deep-set, with two points of scarlet light flickering within. His mouth contained jagged, black teeth.

It was adorned with numerous fragments of jade and gold thread, which jingled with its movements. Sitting in the coffin, it slowly turned its head, its scarlet eyes sweeping over everyone on the platform.

That gaze was filled with endless resentment, pain, and...hunger.

"Heh...heh..." It made an unintelligible gasping sound from its throat, and then, little by little, it stood up from the coffin.

It was very tall, over 1.9 meters, but skin and bones. When it stood up, a hole the size of a bowl was clearly visible in its chest, the edges charred black, as if it had been pierced by something. The hole was empty; there was no heart inside.

"This...this is Iron-Faced Scholar?" Professor Zhou Xu'an's voice trembled. "Or...a mixture of two souls?"

No one answered.

Ironface—let's call it that for now—stepped out of the coffin. Its movements were stiff at first, like a rusty machine, but each step on the black stone platform produced a heavy, muffled thud. Where it went, it left wet, black footprints, emitting a strong stench of decay.

Its gaze finally settled on Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling".

To be precise, I was staring at them, or... somewhere on them.

The tattoo on Zhang Qiling's shoulder blade was burning hot. The Qilin tattoo on Zhang Qiling's left arm was also burning. Both of them could feel that this thing was reacting to their bloodline.

Iron-Faced Man tilted his head, a hint of doubt flashing in his scarlet eyes, followed by a deeper ferocity. He opened his mouth, letting out a hoarse roar, and pounced on Zhang Qiling!

The speed was astonishing! It didn't look like a dried corpse at all!

Zhang Qiling moved the instant it moved. Instead of retreating, he advanced, sidestepped the attack, clenched his right fist, the knuckle of his middle finger protruding, and delivered a fierce short punch to Iron Face's ribs.

"Bang!"

It was like hitting a metal plate. Iron-Faced Sage swayed, then swung his claw at Zhang Qiling's face. Zhang Qiling ducked to avoid it, then kicked out with his left foot, striking the side of its knee.

Iron-Faced Man staggered a step but didn't fall. He swept his other hand across, his nails like knives, aiming for Zhang Qiling's neck.

"clang!"

The black gold ancient sword was drawn half a foot from its sheath, blocking the claw. Sparks flew.

At the same time, "Zhang Qiling" attacked from the side, sweeping a whip kick into Tie Miansheng's waist. Tie Miansheng was kicked two steps to the side, turned around, stared at "Zhang Qiling" with scarlet eyes, and let out a strange, hoarse laugh.

"Blood... Qilin blood... the gatekeeper's blood..." It uttered indistinct syllables, but the meaning was surprisingly understandable: "Eat you... and I can... get out..."

It pounced again, this time using both hands to grab at "Zhang Qiling". "Zhang Qiling" swung his knife to block, the blade and claws clashing with a piercing sound. Iron-Faced's strength was astonishing, forcing "Zhang Qiling" to take a step back.

Zhang Qiling attacked from behind, his blade aimed straight for Tie Miansheng's nape. Tie Miansheng, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, didn't even turn, instead kicking backward, striking Zhang Qiling's blade squarely. The immense force sent Zhang Qiling tumbling backward to the ground.

The two men, one in front and one behind, engaged Iron-Faced Sheng in fierce combat. Although Iron-Faced Sheng's movements were somewhat stiff, it possessed immense strength, a hard body, sharp claws and teeth, and seemed to feel no pain. Zhang Qiling slashed its shoulder with his sword, the blow penetrating deep into the bone; it merely swayed and retaliated with a claw. Zhang Qiling punched it near the hollow in its chest; it exhaled a breath of black gas, but its offensive did not diminish.

Bullets were almost ineffective against it. Lin Guoce ordered his soldiers to cease fire, fearing accidental casualties.

Hei Xiazi, Xie Yuchen, and Huo Xiuxiu wanted to help, but couldn't get involved. The area where the three were fighting was filled with powerful winds; ordinary people who got too close could be swept away.

Wu Xie and Fatty watched nervously. Fatty was still clutching the jade artifacts he had just pulled out, but he had forgotten about them.

The levitating live-streaming sphere zooms out to capture this amazing battle.

Bullet comments:

[ID Prophet: The Ultimate Boss Battle!]

[ID: This thing is indestructible! It's supposed to kill experts!]

[ID Guy Fan Club: Go, husbands!]

[ID: Tomb Raider: The candle has turned green! A very bad omen!]

The battle lasted for nearly a minute. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" sustained several shallow wounds, but the smell of blood seemed to fuel Tie Miansheng's ferocity. Its movements grew faster and stronger, its mouth constantly hissing, "Blood... Qilin blood..."

"This won't do," Black Bear said, narrowing his eyes. "It's driven by instinct and resentment, and it's not afraid of getting hurt. We need to find its weakness."

"That hole in its chest!" Huo Xiuxiu suddenly exclaimed. "The bamboo slips say that Iron-Faced Man was a soul-transferrer, so the remnant soul of the original owner, King Lu Shang, might still be there. The hole is its fatal wound, perhaps its only weakness!"

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" had clearly thought of this as well. They exchanged a glance and suddenly changed their tactics.

Zhang Qiling launched a frontal assault, his blade flashing like a waterfall, forcing Tie Miansheng to parry with all his might. "Zhang Qiling" then circled around to the side, and the instant Tie Miansheng parried Zhang Qiling's blade with his claws, he crouched low and lunged forward, his left hand forming a claw, stabbing fiercely into the black hole in Tie Miansheng's chest!

"Pfft!"

A finger was inserted into the hollow. Inside was no heart, only shriveled blood vessels and some kind of black, gelatinous substance. "Zhang Qiling's" finger touched a hard object, like… a piece of jade?

Without hesitation, he gripped the hard object with his five fingers and pulled it outward with force!

"roar--!!!"

Iron Face let out an extremely shrill scream, its entire body convulsing violently, its scarlet eyes flashing wildly. From the hollow of its chest, "Zhang Qiling" tore out a palm-sized jade piece covered in black slime. The jade piece was irregularly shaped, but it was engraved with a complex rune, which was now emitting an ominous dark red light.

The moment the jade piece was pulled out, Iron Face froze, and the red light in its eyes quickly dimmed. It looked down at the hole in its chest, then looked up at the jade piece in "Zhang Qiling's" hand, and a bizarre, half-crying, half-laughing expression appeared on its withered face.

"Finally... I'm free..."

It uttered its last few words, then its massive body fell backward, crashing heavily onto the platform and remaining motionless. The remaining jade pieces on its body clattered away, revealing a completely dried and decayed body beneath.

The candle in the southeast corner flickered with its eerie green flame and then went out with a puff.

A wisp of smoke rose up.

The platform was deathly silent.

Only the heavy breathing of people could be heard.

Zhang Qiling opened his hand, looking at the jade piece stained with black blood in his palm. The runes on the jade piece were rapidly dimming, eventually turning into an ordinary, cracked, grayish-white stone.

Zhang Qiling walked over, glanced at it, and then looked at Tie Miansheng's corpse on the ground.

"Is it over?" Kun asked cautiously.

"This one is over," Zhang Qiling said. He looked up into the depths of the cave, into the boundless darkness. "But this one isn't over yet."