Ye Qiu stood on the final step, and before him appeared a spacious hall.
In the centre of the hall stood a white jade coffin.
The ground around the coffin was littered with bones, at least twenty or thirty sets.
Dried blood was everywhere.
Near the bones were Luoyang shovels, ropes, and other items.
“These dead must be tomb raiders,” Master Longbrow said, astonished. “These raiders were skilled to have made it this far.”
“How did they die?” Uncle Guardmountain asked, terrified. “Did they trigger some trap?”
Ye Qiu didn’t respond. He crouched beside a set of bones, examining them closely.
Since only bones remained, with no skin, determining the cause of death was difficult.
After a while, Ye Qiu noticed a sword mark on the throat bone of one skeleton.
He then checked a second set of bones, a third…
After a few minutes, Ye Qiu had examined all the bones on-site, then stood and said, “They were killed with a single sword to the throat.”
“I checked, and almost all these dead had old injuries, especially severe wear on the thumb and index finger bones, likely professional tomb raiders.”
“Moreover, their bones are unusually hard, suggesting they were martial arts experts, with strength comparable to his.”
Ye Qiu pointed at Uncle Guardmountain.
Tang Fei’s expression shifted slightly. “So many experts on par with Dragon List masters, killed with a single sword to the throat. The killer must be formidable.”
Ye Qiu nodded. “The person who killed these raiders is no weaker than me.”
Tang Fei said, “Now we have two questions.”
“First, when we arrived, the bronze door to the main chamber was intact. How did these raiders get in here?”
“Second, who killed them? Their accomplices, or someone else?”
Master Longbrow said, “I’m not interested in those questions. I’m more curious about that coffin.”
Uncle Guardmountain had noticed the white jade coffin earlier and, hearing Master Longbrow, quickly chimed in, “Me too.”
Smack!
Master Longbrow slapped Uncle Guardmountain on the forehead, saying, “Don’t mimic me.”
When did I mimic you?
Uncle Guardmountain glared at Master Longbrow, fuming but not daring to speak.
“You want to know the tomb owner’s identity, don’t you?” Ye Qiu guessed Master Longbrow’s intent. “Shall we open the coffin?”
“That’s exactly my thought,” Master Longbrow said, walking to the white jade coffin.
Ye Qiu and the others followed, looking at it. The coffin was carved with nine five-clawed golden dragons on both sides.
Exquisite and magnificent.
At the front and back ends, two “Fortune” characters were engraved, exuding grandeur.
Uncle Guardmountain marvelled, “What a fine piece.”
Smack!
Another slap landed on his forehead.
“Master, why’d you hit me again?” Uncle Guardmountain said angrily. He was well past sixty, yet Master Longbrow kept smacking his forehead, humiliating him.
Master Longbrow said, “Don’t think I can’t see what you’re scheming. I’m warning you, don’t get ideas about this coffin.”
“You’ve misunderstood, Master. I’ve no designs on the coffin. Chief Tang said earlier that tomb items are artefacts, and it’s illegal for individuals to excavate or take them. Why would I break the law?” Uncle Guardmountain explained.
“Best you don’t have such thoughts. If you do, I’ll end you.”
Master Longbrow then turned to Ye Qiu with a grin, “Lad, help me get this coffin to Dragon Tiger Mountain later. When I die, I’ll lie in it.”
Uncle Guardmountain’s face turned green with anger, glaring at Master Longbrow.
So this old man’s scheming for the coffin himself. Shameless!
Before opening a coffin, it’s customary to light three candles in the southeast corner. As the saying goes, “Man lights the candle, ghosts blow it out.” If the candles go out, tomb explorers must leave without taking any burial goods.
“Need to light candles?” Ye Qiu asked.
“No need,” Master Longbrow said. “The raiders made it this far, so candles aren’t necessary. Besides, I didn’t bring any.”
Ye Qiu: “…”
Master Longbrow said, “Tang Fei, old man, step back to avoid any danger when we open the coffin.”
Tang Fei and Uncle Guardmountain retreated immediately.
Ye Qiu thought Master Longbrow would open the coffin with him, but Master Longbrow said, “Lad, I observed earlier. This white jade coffin was cut from a single piece of jade, then carved.”
“Both the material and craftsmanship are top-tier.”
“Be gentle when opening it. Don’t damage it… Alright, it’s up to you.”
Master Longbrow stepped aside.
Ye Qiu glanced faintly at Master Longbrow, then placed his right hand on the coffin lid.
Instantly, his palm felt smooth and warm, like a woman’s skin.
“Huh?”
Ye Qiu let out a surprised sound. Not only was the coffin made of white jade, but it was warm jade, likely worth no less than ten billion.
“What a treasure.”
Even Ye Qiu was tempted. He activated his Heavenly Eye to check for traps or mechanisms inside the coffin.
But all he saw was a white blur; his vision couldn’t penetrate the coffin.
This made Ye Qiu even more intrigued. This coffin was a rare gem.
“Lad, stop dawdling. Open the coffin,” Master Longbrow urged.
Ye Qiu braced himself, then gradually applied force. With a “whoosh,” the coffin lid slid open.
He controlled his strength perfectly, so the lid rested on the coffin’s edge without falling.
As the lid opened, a peculiar fragrance wafted out, quickly filling the entire chamber.
Master Longbrow and the others hurried over and looked inside.
Hiss—
Shock appeared on everyone’s faces.
Inside the coffin lay an old man, dressed in a dragon robe, wearing a crown, a jade belt at his waist, and golden silk boots on his feet.
This wasn’t what shocked Ye Qiu and the others. What truly stunned them was that the old man’s body hadn’t decayed. His skin was rosy, eyes closed, face stern, like a sleeping emperor!
“Is he dead?” Tang Fei asked.
“Dead,” Ye Qiu said, sensing no trace of life from the old man.
Master Longbrow said, “That’s the magic of this white jade coffin. It surpasses all modern preservation methods, keeping the body intact for a hundred years, uncorrupted for a thousand.”
Uncle Guardmountain stared at the old man in the coffin and said, “His attire looks like an emperor’s.”
Tang Fei said, “If he’s truly an ancient emperor, who could he be?”
