The group stared at the old man in the coffin, all eager to uncover his identity.
Who could he be?
Ye Qiu glanced around and noticed that, besides the old man’s body, the coffin contained only a square vermilion wooden box, with no other burial goods.
“What’s in the box?” Tang Fei asked.
“Perhaps it holds something that reveals this old man’s identity,” Uncle Guardmountain said.
Master Longbrow said, “Lad, pick up the box and take a look.”
Why don’t you do it?
Ye Qiu shot Master Longbrow a glance, knowing the old man was likely wary of danger and thus delegated the task to him.
But Ye Qiu wasn’t afraid.
He reached out and took the vermilion box, immediately feeling its weight in his palm.
“So heavy!”
Ye Qiu examined the box closely, turning it over, and said, “This box is made of golden nanmu wood.”
“Golden nanmu?” Uncle Guardmountain’s eyes widened. “In ancient times, only imperial families could use golden nanmu. Could this mean the old man was truly an emperor?”
Tang Fei nodded, “It’s possible.”
Uncle Guardmountain added, “If this old man was an emperor, he’s rather pitiful. His tomb was completely looted.”
Master Longbrow smirked, “What’s pitiful about that? Emperor Wu of Han, a great ruler, had his tomb raided.”
“Even the illustrious Li Shimin’s tomb was stripped bare.”
“The unluckiest was Empress Dowager Cixi. Her tomb was plundered, treasures were taken, and her body was desecrated.”
“Lad, stop dawdling. Open the box and see who this poor soul is.”
Ye Qiu was cautious, inspecting the box carefully. He noticed a small, ornate golden lock on it.
With two fingers, he pinched the lock and gently squeezed.
“Click!”
The lock opened.
Carefully, Ye Qiu opened the box, revealing a jade seal inside.
“It’s a jade seal!”
Uncle Guardmountain exclaimed, “This old man must be an emperor, no doubt.”
Ye Qiu took the jade seal from the box.
The seal was square, its upper half carved with nine golden dragons, and its lower half made of exquisite white jade.
“What a treasure!”
Master Longbrow’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the seal, urging Ye Qiu, “Quick, check the bottom of the seal.”
Ye Qiu flipped it over, and four seal-script characters appeared.
The next moment, Ye Qiu’s expression turned peculiar.
Master Longbrow recognised the characters and frowned, “World’s First? What does that mean?”
Indeed, the four characters on the seal’s base read “World’s First”!
Uncle Guardmountain said excitedly, “This old man must be an emperor. Who else but an emperor would dare claim to be the world’s first?”
Smack!
Master Longbrow slapped Uncle Guardmountain on the forehead, grumbling, “You’ve lived decades and still know nothing.”
“Was I wrong?” Uncle Guardmountain rubbed his forehead, looking aggrieved.
Master Longbrow said, “Since ancient times, imperial seals typically bear the emperor’s reign title. If it’s a personal seal, it might carry the emperor’s name. But this seal, with ‘World’s First,’ defies convention.”
“Even if it’s unconventional, he could still be an emperor,” Uncle Guardmountain said. “He’s wearing a golden crown and dragon robe. Who but an emperor would dare dress like that? And this white jade coffin, worth a fortune. If he’s not an emperor, why such extravagance?”
Tang Fei, after a moment of silence, said, “I think Uncle Guardmountain has a point.”
“See? Chief Tang agrees with me,” Uncle Guardmountain said, puffing up with pride at finally having someone back him.
Smack!
Master Longbrow slapped his forehead again, scolding, “No sense at all.”
“Couldn’t someone other than an emperor wear a dragon robe in ancient times?”
“For instance, rebel leaders like Li Zicheng, Hong Xiuquan of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Zhang Xianzhong, and other usurpers all proclaimed themselves emperors and wore dragon robes.”
Uncle Guardmountain was stunned. “Master, are you saying the man in the coffin is a rebel leader?”
Master Longbrow said, “Whether he’s a rebel or an emperor, I’m not sure. But the grandeur of this tomb and the exquisite white jade coffin suggest this old man was no ordinary figure.”
“This is the main tomb chamber. Let’s search again. We might find something to confirm his identity.”
The group began searching the chamber.
After more than ten minutes, they found nothing.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Ye Qiu let out a surprised sound, his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him.
“What is it? Found something?” Master Longbrow asked.
Ye Qiu nodded, pointing at the wall. “There’s another chamber behind this wall.”
“Oh?” Master Longbrow was surprised. “How do you know?”
Ye Qiu, naturally not revealing he’d used his Heavenly Eye, said, “Old man, shall we open it?”
“Of course we should. There might be something inside to prove the old man’s identity.” Master Longbrow rubbed his hands eagerly, adding, “Even in imperial mausoleums, main chambers usually have just one room. A third chamber here means there’s likely something valuable!”
Ye Qiu gave Master Longbrow a cold glance, then placed a hand on the wall, activating the Nine-Turn Dragon Art. Three streams of true qi surged from his palm.
Boom!
The wall shattered, revealing a pitch-black stone door.
Ye Qiu prepared to smash the stone door with a punch, but Master Longbrow shouted urgently, “Wait, don’t move!”
Ye Qiu turned, looking at Master Longbrow in confusion.
Master Longbrow hurried to the stone door, gently touching its surface, then pressed his face against it, closing his eyes with an expression of bliss, as if nestled in a woman’s embrace.
Pervert!
Uncle Guardmountain cursed silently.
Tang Fei’s eyes showed a flicker of alarm, wondering if Master Longbrow had some odd fetish.
“Old man, what are you doing?” Ye Qiu asked.
Master Longbrow opened his eyes, chuckling, “Lad, you nearly destroyed a treasure.”
“This stone door is made of ink jade.”
“It’s not as valuable as the white jade coffin, but it could still fetch a few hundred million.”
“We’ve struck it rich… I mean, we’ve helped the nation strike it rich.”
“Don’t damage this door. Wait, I’ll find the mechanism.”
Master Longbrow began searching around the stone door.
After a moment, “Found it.”
He placed his right hand on the wall beside the door, tapped three times, and with a “whoosh,” the stone door slid aside.
Instantly, the third chamber of the main tomb appeared before them.
