As the expert team walked forward, Zhang Tian and the other three had already arrived in a spacious tomb chamber.
In the center of the tomb chamber stood a tree adorned with numerous red cloth strips.
Upon the tree also hung countless bronze bells.
In the dim tomb, these bells appeared exceptionally dazzling.
“Boss, we’re rich! So many bells, each one would fetch a sky-high price if sold,” exclaimed Fatty, whose greedy nature, despite not lacking money, couldn't be curbed.
“Fatty, be careful with these bells. They might be dangerous,” Hu Bayi cautioned.
“Heh heh, haven’t we dealt with all sorts of demons and monsters? What danger could a mere bell pose?” Fatty chuckled, his gaze fixated on the gleaming bells.
“Hu Bayi is right. These bells are suspicious. Best not to touch them,” Zhang Tian stated, his eyes fixed on the bronze tree.
"Item: Bronze Tree"
"Item Ability: The ringing of the bells can bewitch the mind."
A voice echoed in his mind. Zhang Tian approached for a closer look.
“Little Tortoise, come out and greet your kin.”
Zhang Tian patted his backpack, and Little Tortoise quickly crawled out.
Upon seeing the bells hanging behind Little Tortoise, everyone was astonished.
“Huh? Holy crap, Boss, these bells are identical to the ones on your tortoise! They’re just much smaller,” Fatty exclaimed in surprise.
Zhang Qilin had already walked over.
“These bells are identical to those on the corpse worms, and they all have the effect of bewitching the mind,” Zhang Qilin said slowly, his voice carrying a seriousness. “And these bells are even more potent than those on the corpse worms. Their vibrations can kill imperceptibly.”
Fatty immediately fell silent.
“Fatty, what’s wrong? Nervous?” Hu Bayi teased.
“Come on, Old Hu, one bell on Little Tortoise nearly drove us crazy. There are twenty of them! Twenty!” Fatty exclaimed. “This Fatty is not willing to take that risk.” Saying so, Fatty quickly retreated to the rear.
“Can these bells be taken down?” Zhang Tian joined Zhang Qilin, his thoughts on the bells being similar to Little Tortoise’s and potentially useful if brought back.
“Not easily. They’re attached by thin threads. If one is disturbed, the others will ring,” Zhang Qilin pointed to the delicate red threads above the bells.
Little Tortoise had also arrived beneath the bell tree, its small eyes gazing curiously at the bells.
“Right, Little Tortoise itself can emit a similar sound. What if we have Little Tortoise try to take down the bells?” Zhang Tian suggested, and Zhang Qilin’s eyebrows rose. It seemed plausible.
“You can try,” Zhang Qilin said. Zhang Tian nodded and then looked at the others.
“Let’s move back and cover our ears as much as possible. Little Tortoise, try to see if you can get a few bells down.”
As Zhang Tian spoke, Little Tortoise seemed excited and scurried towards the bronze tree.
“Let’s go quickly!” Zhang Tian shouted to Hu Bayi and the others, and they all scrambled back towards the tomb passage.
Upon reaching the passage, Fatty used a mirror to block the entrance. Zhang Tian frantically recited the ‘Lin’ character from Qimen Dunjia, which symbolizes stillness and peace.
Meanwhile, at Little Tortoise's location.
“So many shiny, big bells! Tortoise-Grandpa likes them!” Little Tortoise licked its lips and bit down on a bell. It pulled one bell free.
The next moment, the surrounding bells began to ring with an immense clamor. Little Tortoise was sent flying by the sound. After regaining its footing, Little Tortoise began to vigorously wag its tail. Gradually, the two sounds began to reach a balance. Seeing this, Little Tortoise exerted even more force.
“Clang clang clang…” With the shaking of Little Tortoise’s bells, the bells on the tree began to vibrate and fall. Little Tortoise, exhausted, collapsed onto the ground. If it could speak, the centipede residing within the bells would have cursed Little Tortoise a hundred times. Living within the bells was truly agonizing.
When Zhang Tian and the others heard the intense bell ringing, Zhang Tian was relatively fine, but Hu Bayi and Fatty’s faces contorted in pain. Zhang Qilin, however, seemed to recall something. His memory had gaps, and fragments of the bell tree began to resurface.
Soon, the noise subsided. Fatty wiped his nose. “Damn, what was that? I think I saw King Yama offering me brotherhood.” He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the lingering thoughts. Hu Bayi also shook his head.
“Finally, it’s over. Boss, is Little Tortoise okay?” Hu Bayi asked, still feeling dizzy. He wondered if Little Tortoise could withstand being surrounded by so many bell sounds.
Zhang Tian nodded slightly. Fatty then moved the mirror away, and they cautiously walked back inside.
At this point, all the bells had been dislodged from the bronze tree by Little Tortoise. Little Tortoise, meanwhile, was rolling around amidst the pile of bells, looking quite pleased.
“Good heavens, as expected of Tortoise-Grandpa! One of us calls the Boss ‘Big Brother,’ and I call Tortoise-Grandpa ‘Grandpa.’ We’re all our own masters,” Fatty exclaimed in amazement.
Zhang Tian’s forehead creased. If that were the case, wouldn't he have to call Little Tortoise ‘Grandpa’ too? What kind of logic was that? However, seeing the nearly twenty bells on the ground, Zhang Tian’s lips curved upwards. If any families, like the Wu family or others, dared to make a move against him after they left the tomb, they would have to contend with these bells. With them, Zhang Tian’s influence would undoubtedly rise. He wouldn’t be able to walk sideways in Beili City, but he would certainly gain more confidence when negotiating with major families.
Without hesitation, Zhang Tian stuffed all the bells on the ground into his backpack. His backpack now contained the Celestial Master Stone Talisman and twenty bronze bells, a truly bountiful haul.
“Boss, look how pretty these bells are! Wouldn’t one look great on Little Fox’s neck?” Fatty winked. A vision flashed in Zhang Tian’s mind: Little Fox, with a bell around its neck, strutting around like Da Huang. It was… strange.
“I can’t believe you’d even think of that,” Zhang Tian shot Fatty a look, then turned his attention back to the tomb chamber.
“Let’s see if there are any tomb passages or doors around,” Zhang Tian said. Hu Bayi, holding his compass, stepped forward. In the television program, Wu Tianzhen and his crew dug tunnels. They rarely used existing paths, opting for direct excavation. This was not only convenient but also highly destructive.
Hu Bayi scouted the surroundings while Zhang Tian looked upwards. Eight glowing orbs adorned the ceiling, likely some form of luminescent ore.
“Fatty, look, don’t these stars resemble the night sky?” Zhang Tian said. Fatty looked up.
“Hmm, they look a bit like deep-fried meatballs…” He licked his lips. Zhang Tian was speechless; such a romantic scene was utterly ruined by Fatty.
Zhang Qilin gazed at the glowing ore and then at Zhang Tian. “They are very beautiful,” he commented. Zhang Tian nodded.
While the three admired the scenery, Hu Bayi was diligently at work, not only identifying points for excavation but also constantly deducing the tomb's location. Seeing Zhang Tian and the others stargazing, he was dumbfounded. This was supposed to be tomb raiding, not a leisurely stroll.
However, upon reaching a corner, Hu Bayi stopped. He seemed to have discovered the location of a tomb passage. It was a passage leading upwards, cleverly concealed, making it virtually undetectable to the average person.