After activating his Heavenly Eye, Ye Qiu stared twenty metres underground.
Seeing Ye Qiu’s grave expression, Master Longbrow asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Old man, just wait and see. Once the tomb is opened, it’ll definitely shock you,” Ye Qiu said, then walked to Tang Fei and instructed, “Old Tang, get more people to help dig the tomb.”
“The only way to completely eliminate the corpse poison is to dig up the tomb.”
“Oh, and make sure everyone prepares protective suits and gas masks to avoid being poisoned.”
“Got it,” Tang Fei replied, immediately pulling out his phone to make a call.
After hanging up, Tang Fei said, “I’ve notified the local garrison at Changbai Mountain. They’re sending a company to assist. It’ll take about half an hour for them to arrive. No rush, right?”
“No rush. We’ll dig once they’re here,” Ye Qiu said.
While waiting, Tang Fei asked, “Ye Qiu, what did you and the Master find?”
Ye Qiu said, “There’s indeed a large tomb under the seven pine trees, but the corpse poison has already seeped through the trees. If we don’t deal with it, this place will soon become a cursed land.”
Tang Fei’s heart sank, and he said, “Should I notify the archaeology department to send someone over?”
“No need,” Master Longbrow said. “This tomb is quite strange. Let’s dig it up first.”
At this point, Ye Qiu asked Master Longbrow, “Old man, who do you think this tomb belongs to?”
Master Longbrow shook his head, “I don’t know, but once we open the tomb, we should find out who the owner is.”
Time passed quietly.
In just twenty-five minutes, a team of soldiers arrived in a hurry.
The leader was a middle-aged man in camouflage, with the rank of lieutenant colonel on his shoulders.
“Greetings, sir!”
The man approached Tang Fei, stood at attention, saluted, and said loudly, “Qin Feng, commander of the Fierce Tiger Company, reporting as ordered. Please give your instructions, sir.”
Tang Fei returned the salute and asked, “Did you bring the protective suits and gas masks?”
Qin Feng nodded, “Yes, they’re all in the backpacks.”
Tang Fei said, “Have the men put on the protective suits and await further instructions.”
“Yes, sir!”
Qin Feng gave the order, and in less than three minutes, the entire company had donned protective suits and gas masks.
Tang Fei said to Qin Feng, “Commander Qin, let me introduce you. This is Ye Qiu, from the Nether King’s Hall, with the rank of colonel. Follow his orders for what to do next.”
Qin Feng looked at Ye Qiu, barely hiding his shock.
Ye Qiu was just too young.
Uncle Shoushan’s eyes also filled with deep astonishment. He had long suspected Ye Qiu was no ordinary person, but hearing Tang Fei’s introduction sent waves of disbelief through him.
“So young and already a colonel? In a few years, won’t he become a general?”
“My goodness, thank heavens I didn’t offend him earlier, or I’d be done for.”
“To be a colonel at such a young age, besides having exceptional skills, he must have powerful backing.”
Uncle Shoushan glanced at Ye Qiu, his eyes shifting as he thought, “I need to find a way to latch onto this future general. With his protection, wealth and honour are assured.”
Meanwhile, Qin Feng saluted Ye Qiu respectfully, saying, “Greetings, sir.”
Ye Qiu smiled, “No need for formalities, Commander Qin. I’m younger than you, so just call me by my name.”
Qin Feng hesitated, “Is… that appropriate?”
Ye Qiu said, “If I say it’s fine, it’s fine.”
Seeing Ye Qiu’s straightforward manner, Qin Feng smiled slightly and asked, “Ye Qiu, what do we need to do? Just give the orders, and we’ll get it done.”
“Thank you,” Ye Qiu said, then added, “Commander Qin, please divide your company into seven teams.”
“Yes, sir!”
Qin Feng followed Ye Qiu’s instructions and split the company into seven teams.
Ye Qiu pointed at the seven pine trees and said, “Commander Qin, have the seven teams dig downward along the roots of the seven pine trees. Make sure not to damage the trees.”
“Yes, sir!”
Qin Feng immediately directed the Fierce Tiger Company’s soldiers to start digging.
Ye Qiu had warned Qin Feng not to damage the pine trees because if they were destroyed, the blood inside would spill out, severely slowing the excavation.
Uncle Shoushan approached Ye Qiu and said, “Mr. Ye, I’m just standing around. Can I help with the digging?”
“Sure,” Ye Qiu agreed.
Free labour was not to be wasted.
Uncle Shoushan got a protective suit and gas mask from Qin Feng, put them on, and joined the digging.
Ye Qiu reminded everyone, “The blood contains corpse poison. During the excavation, do not remove your gas masks. If you’re tired, take a break. We’re not in a hurry.”
“If anyone feels unwell, don’t push through. Come to me. I’m a doctor.”
Over a hundred soldiers from the Fierce Tiger Company, led by Qin Feng, dug swiftly.
Time passed quietly.
After four hours, the soldiers finally reached twenty metres underground.
Almost simultaneously, everyone stopped digging.
In their view appeared seven massive bronze coffins.
Each bronze coffin was about ten metres long and three metres wide, less like coffins and more like blood pools.
Every bronze coffin was filled with human blood.
The seven giant bronze coffins were arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper, corresponding to the seven century-old pine trees above. The tree roots, soaked in the blood coffins, were bright red, giving off an eerie vibe.
“Fall back!”
The soldiers retreated in fear.
“No retreating!”
Qin Feng shouted, “Every soldier in the Fierce Tiger Company is a tiger, not a coward.”
“I’ve told you, no matter the danger, we charge forward, even through a mountain of blades or a sea of fire.”
“Keep digging!”
Qin Feng led by example, grabbing a tool and digging along the blood coffin.
Seeing their commander’s actions, the soldiers stepped forward and resumed digging.
“How many people must have been killed to produce so much blood? Whoever owns this tomb must have been a brutal tyrant.”
Master Longbrow, both shocked and angry, said, “Such a heinous act defies the heavens. They’ll be condemned to the eighteen levels of hell after death.”
Ye Qiu was pondering another issue, saying, “Both the seven century-old pine trees and the seven bronze blood coffins are arranged in the Big Dipper pattern. Old man, what do you think the tomb’s owner was trying to do?”
Master Longbrow said furiously, “Whatever the tomb’s owner was planning, since I’ve encountered it, I won’t let them succeed…”
At that moment, Ye Qiu let out a surprised, “Huh?”
His eyes fixed on the far north, his expression growing even graver.
