Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

Push open the stone door, and inside is a gentle downward slope.

The slope wasn't steep, but it was very long, and the flashlight beam couldn't reach the top. There was a peculiar smell in the air, like aged spices or some kind of mineral; it wasn't pungent, but smelling it for too long made you feel a little dizzy.

Zhang Qiling was the first to walk in, his steps slow but steady. "Zhang Qiling" followed behind him, keeping a half-step distance between them. The others followed one after another, their footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet slope.

The ramp walls were made of solid blue flagstones, with black adhesive at the joints that had dried and cracked. At intervals along the walls were grooves containing luminous stones that emitted a soft blue light, like stars in the night sky. Although the light was dim, it was enough to see the path clearly.

"This light..." Wu Xie looked at the stone on the wall, "is different from the one above."

"It's fluorite," Xie Yuchen said, "but something has been added. Look, there's a flowing luster inside."

Indeed, it seemed as if liquid was slowly flowing inside those stones, and the pale blue light flickered with the flow.

"King Xian really knew how to enjoy life," said Fatty Wang. "Even after he died, he still had a starry sky ceiling."

"He's the guide," Zhang Qiling suddenly said.

"Okay." Zhang Qiling nodded. "Follow the light."

The slope wound its way downhill, making seven or eight turns. The glowing stone remained on the right, like a road sign. After about twenty minutes, a platform appeared ahead. The platform was small, about ten square meters, with a stone tablet standing in the center.

The stone tablet is black, made of a material like ink jade, with a smooth surface that reflects a blurry image. It is inscribed with characters in ancient Dian script, in a single line.

Xie Yuchen stepped forward to examine him and softly read aloud, "Only now can I see my true self."

"What do you mean?" Wu Xie asked.

"It might be the boundary," Aning said. "Beyond here lies the true core of the Xianwang Tomb."

Behind the stone tablet, the ramp splits into two. One continues downwards, while the other stretches horizontally into the darkness. Both paths have glowing stones embedded at their entrances, but the one leading downwards is brighter.

"Which way?" Black Bear asked.

Zhang Qiling walked to the fork in the road, squatted down, and placed his hand on the stone slab to feel it. "Zhang Qiling" also squatted down and looked at the ground of the two roads.

"Down," Zhang Qiling said.

"It's windy," Zhang Qiling added.

The meaning is clear: there is airflow down the path, indicating that it is open.

The group chose the downhill path. This slope was steeper, requiring them to hold onto the wall. The glowing stones were still on the right, but fewer in number, and the light was dimmer. After walking about a hundred meters, they heard the sound of water ahead.

It's an underground river, very narrow, with black water flowing slowly. There's a stone bridge over it, very narrow and without railings. On the opposite bank, you can vaguely see a larger space, from which a faint blue light shines.

"Cross the bridge," Zhang Qiling said.

He was the first to step onto the bridge. The surface was slippery and covered in moss, but it was very stable. When he reached the middle of the bridge, he stopped and looked down at the river. The water was still, but shadows flashed by quickly in the depths.

"There's something there," he said.

Zhang Qiling also saw it and nodded: "Fish."

"These aren't ordinary fish." Xie Yuchen walked to the bridge and shone his flashlight on the water. The beam shone half a meter into the water, revealing several black shadows swimming around. They resembled catfish, but had large heads, round mouths, and fine teeth inside.

"Man-eating catfish," Black Bear said. "If you fall in, you're gone."

The group carefully crossed the bridge. On the other side was a huge cave, larger than any they had seen before. The cave ceiling was so high that the top was invisible, and it was inlaid with countless glowing stones arranged in a star map, casting a ghostly blue light that illuminated the entire space. The cave floor was a flat stone slab, engraved with intricate patterns, like some kind of array.

The most striking feature is in the center of the cave. There is a stone platform with nine steps. On the platform lies a coffin, but it is not the usual shape; instead, it is an oval cocoon-like object, entirely white and translucent, with fine veins on its surface, resembling blood vessels.

"That is..." Wu Xie was stunned.

"The jade cocoon," Xie Yuchen said, "is likely inside the body of the King of Xian."

The jade pupa was very large, about three meters long and one and a half meters wide. Under the dim blue light, a human-shaped outline could be vaguely seen inside, curled up like an infant in the womb.

"Still alive?" Fatty Wang asked in a low voice.

"I don't know," said Zhang Qiling.

Zhang Qiling walked up the steps to the jade cocoon. He reached out and gently touched its surface. The texture was warm and smooth, unlike the coolness of jade; instead, it had a slight warmth. Inside the cocoon, the human-shaped outline seemed to move slightly.

"Alive?" Black Bear also climbed the steps.

"Not necessarily," Zhang Qiling said. "It could be... some kind of preservation state."

"Look here." Huo Xiuxiu pointed to the bottom of the jade cocoon. There was a groove there, the shape of which was exactly the same as the jade eye, and the size was also the same.

"Should we put it in?" Wu Xie asked.

Zhang Qiling took out the He Yi Jade Eye, compared it, and nodded.

"Wait a minute," Xie Yuchen said, "the bamboo slips say that the jade eye should be placed on the chest of the true body of the King Xian. This jade pupa... how do we open it?"

Indeed, the jade pupa was sealed, without any gaps, and was a single, seamless piece.

"There might be a conspiracy," said Zhang Qiling.

The group searched around the jade cocoon. They carefully examined the steps, the stone platform, and the ground. Fatty Wang found a hidden compartment on the side of the stone platform. He opened it and found a scroll of silk inside, which was very well preserved.

The silk scroll was unfolded, revealing ancient Dian script accompanied by simple diagrams. Xie Yuchen studied it for a long time, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

"What does it say?" Wu Xie asked.

"It's a ritual," Xie Yuchen said slowly. "The jade cocoon needs to be watered with the blood of living people to open. Back then, King Xian... used the blood of ninety-nine young boys and girls to seal himself into the jade cocoon, waiting to be reborn."

"Reborn?" Fatty Wang stared wide-eyed.

"Yes," Xie Yuchen nodded, "The silk scroll says that the Jade Eye can transform a person, but it requires a large amount of life force to sustain it. King Xian sealed himself with the blood of young boys and girls, and once the Jade Eye absorbed enough life force, he was able to emerge from his cocoon and be reborn."

"How long will it take?" Black Bear asked.

"He didn't say." Xie Yuchen shook his head. "It could be a few hundred years, or it could be a few thousand years."

"Then he is now..." Wu Xie looked at Yu Yong.

"It might be halfway there," Zhang Qiling said.

"With the jade eye detached from the body, life is cut off," Zhang Qiling added.

The meaning is clear: the jade eye was removed, the process of the King's "rebirth" was interrupted, and he is now stuck in a certain state, neither alive nor dead.

"Should we put the jade eye back?" Wu Xie asked.

"To break the curse," Xie Yuchen said, "we must do as the bamboo slips say. But..."

"But there are risks," Ah Ning added.

"Maybe it will wake him up," Black Bear said.

Everyone fell silent. No one knew the state of what was inside the jade cocoon. If they put it back in the jade eye and the Prince of Xian truly awoke, it would be troublesome.

A levitating live-streaming sphere hovered in mid-air above the cave, filming the jade pupa and the crowd surrounding it. Comments scrolled across the screen:

Prophet: Should we open it? It feels so dangerous.

A solution to the experts' dissent: How can you break the curse without opening it?

The male fan club: Husbands, watch out!

Zhang Qiling looked at the jade pupa, then at the jade eye in his hand. He remained silent for a moment, then looked at "Zhang Qiling".

Zhang Qiling looked at him too. The two exchanged glances without speaking, but seemed to have reached some kind of consensus.

"Open," Zhang Qiling said.

"Give it a try," said Zhang Qiling.

"How do I open it?" Fatty Wang asked. "Does it require my heart's blood again?"

"No need." Zhang Qiling walked to the head of the jade cocoon. There was a tiny hole there, the size of a pinhead, almost invisible. He brought the jade eye close to the hole, and the swirling symbol in the center of the jade eye aligned perfectly with the hole.

The jade eye glowed slightly, and a slight suction force emanated from the small hole. Zhang Qiling released his grip, and the jade eye floated in the air, slowly rotating before gently drifting towards the small hole and embedding itself.

Perfectly fitted.

The moment the jade eye was inserted, the jade pupa trembled. The vein-like patterns on its surface glowed with a ghostly blue light, as if it had come to life. Inside the jade pupa, the humanoid silhouette twisted violently, seemingly in great pain.

"Back off!" Xie Yuchen shouted.

The group retreated down the steps. The light from the jade cocoon grew brighter, bathing the entire cave in a deep blue hue. The tremors intensified, and the stone platform began to crack.

A crack appeared on the surface of the jade pupa. It was very thin, but very long, stretching from the head to the tail. A blinding white light shone through the crack, along with a hissing sound of air leaking out.

The crack widened, and the jade pupa split in two. The white light dissipated, revealing what was inside.

It was a shriveled humanoid figure, curled up, with bluish-black skin clinging to its bones. Its hair was long, grayish-white, and disheveled. Most horrifying of all was its chest, where a large hole, its edges charred black, revealed the ribs and empty ribcage.

This is the true form of King Xian.

The jade eyes hovered above the chest cavity, slowly rotating and emitting a soft light. The light enveloped the corpse of the King of Xian, which visibly became... more shriveled, as if the last bit of moisture had been sucked away.

A few seconds later, the body turned to ashes and scattered on the ground. Only the skeleton remained, still in a curled-up position.

The light in the jade eyes receded, slowly falling onto the skeleton and rolling to one side.

Has the curse been lifted?

no one knows.

Wu Xie touched the red spot on his neck; it was still there. Fatty Wang also touched it, his expression changing: "No change."

"Maybe...it will take some time?" Huo Xiuxiu was unsure.

"Or perhaps the method is wrong," Aning said.

Zhang Qiling stepped forward and picked up the jade eye. The jade eye was still warm and moist, but its luster had dimmed, as if it had exhausted its strength. He looked at "Zhang Qiling," and "Zhang Qiling" was also looking at the jade eye, his brows slightly furrowed.

Just then, a sound came from the cave entrance. It was footsteps, and many people.

The official team has finally arrived.