Old Jin's medicine truly worked. After Long Feicheng woke up, Yan Shouyi gave him more of Old Jin's wound-healing powder. With the medicine applied, Long Feicheng was back to his usual lively self, even clamoring to visit the sacrificial burial pits.
However, Yan Shouyi sternly stopped him, lecturing Long Feicheng with utmost seriousness. He explained that the tomb was not like the outside world; one might think they were just visiting, but the tomb's owner had gone to great lengths to kill outsiders. A single misstep could lead to eternal damnation.
Upon hearing this, Long Feicheng finally showed some understanding and dutifully followed Yan Shouyi, though he occasionally craned his neck to look around.
After everyone had rested for a while, Yan Shouyi and Ma Xingping approached Boss Zhou, asking him to provide details about the sacrificial burial pits. If Boss Zhou was still clueless now that they were inside King Jian's tomb, it would surely indicate he had ulterior motives.
To their surprise, Boss Zhou actually had answers. He explained, "The sacrificial burial pits are located in the southwest corner of the main tomb chamber. If we can find the exit on the east side and pass through two doors, we'll reach the main tomb chamber where the "roulingzhi" is."
Yan Shouyi and Ma Xingping exchanged glances, both convinced that Boss Zhou indeed possessed knowledge of King Jian's tomb.
Ma Xingping then inquired, "Are there any mechanisms or dangers along the way?"
Yan Shouyi interjected with a warning, "We're all in the same boat now. Even if you could enter the main tomb chamber alone, you wouldn't be able to escape the giant otters outside. So, I advise you not to play any tricks. I also promise that any personal grudges we have will be settled after we leave King Jian's tomb."
Boss Zhou chuckled, "Why would I be so foolish? I understand the principle of mutual benefit!"
He paused before continuing, "Outside the sacrificial burial pits, there seem to be many terracotta figures. According to ancient texts passed down by my ancestors, these figures are extremely dangerous, and the living must keep their distance. Besides that, there are some mechanisms inside the main tomb chamber. If I guide you, there shouldn't be any problems."
With Boss Zhou's explanations, Yan Shouyi immediately began searching for the exit to the sacrificial burial pits. Compared to the world above, the underground world wasn't as complex as one might imagine. Excavating caves required labor and resources, so underground tombs were mostly square, with exits easily visible.
The trouble was that King Jian's tomb was built within a natural cave. It was not only cold and damp but also had a very complex terrain. Any inconspicuous corner could be an entrance or exit. Numerous holes of various sizes were distributed around the sacrificial burial pits, creating a dizzying, honeycomb-like effect.
Lin Zhitong took out her compass, but some magnetic field underground interfered with it, causing the needle to swing erratically, making it impossible to determine direction.
However, Yan Shouyi's talent proved useful. Despite the recent chaos, he still remembered all the paths and knew where east was. Looking in that direction, behind a cluster of stone formations, he indeed found a long-sealed stone door.
He called everyone over, and they all tried to push it, but the stone door remained unmoving.
Ma Jinxuan told everyone to stop, saying, "It seems this stone door cannot be opened by brute force. It should be controlled by some mechanism."
Long Feicheng grumbled, "Why do these dead people always like to set up various mechanisms in their tombs?"
Ma Xingping explained with a smile, "Ordinary people, when they die, are simply cremated and buried. But these ancient emperors and ministers are different. They enjoyed wealth and status in life and didn't want to leave alone in death. So, they built their tombs like houses for the living. And figures like King Jian, not only met those conditions I mentioned earlier but also had something very special: they firmly believed they would come back to life. If he truly did come back to life only to be trapped in his own tomb, wouldn't that be a joke?"
"Therefore, the tombs of emperors and ministers must have entrances and exits. This is what gives us opportunities and has allowed the tomb-raiding sect to survive for so many years, giving rise to numerous schools."
After Ma Xingping's explanation, everyone found it much more logical. Moreover, they understood from his words that stone doors like this were definitely not meant to block passages but rather indicated the presence of mechanisms nearby that could open them.
As they were analyzing, Long Feicheng suddenly glanced behind them. He saw that Boss Zhou, who had always been timid, was quietly separating himself from the group and walking towards the altar behind the sacrificial burial pits.
"Hey! What are you sneaking around for!" Long Feicheng immediately shouted.
Startled by the shout, Boss Zhou trembled and froze in his tracks. Everyone else also came back to their senses and stared at Boss Zhou. This unusual behavior immediately aroused everyone's suspicion. Even Boss Zhou's four subordinates, the "curious and unusual people," stared at him unpleasantly, fearing for their lives.
Boss Zhou cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "I don't understand your tomb-raiding theories, so I was just looking around, hoping to discover a mechanism."
Ma Xingping walked towards Boss Zhou, saying, "Boss Zhou, King Jian's tomb is full of dangers, and you know that. If you accidentally trigger a mechanism, I won't be able to save you."
"Yes, yes, you're right. At most, I'll just stay put obediently!" Boss Zhou said, dejected, and walked back down.
However, his earlier actions had already drawn everyone's attention. Yan Shouyi walked directly towards the altar. If viewed from above, the altar was triangular, with steps on all three sides, totaling thirteen steps when combined.
When Yan Shouyi reached the altar, he found a wooden box in its center, secured by a snake-shaped lock. The design of this snake lock was unique, resembling the red snake from the "Shou Ling She Gui" (Guardian Snake Ghost), coiling into a circle, its mouth biting its tail, forming a closed loop.
Yan Shouyi tried to move or turn the wooden box, but there was no result. It seemed the box was completely embedded in the altar. The others gathered around, discussing animatedly. There was nothing else around the sacrificial burial pits, making the appearance of this wooden box very abrupt. Placed at the highest point and center of the altar, it must have a specific meaning. Regardless of what it was, unlocking the snake lock offered a potential solution to the puzzle.
Ma Xingping said, "Jinxuan, you handle the unlocking. I'll help keep watch." Among the Ma siblings, Ma Xingping was the one with physical strength, while Ma Jinxuan was the intellectual. Therefore, for difficult problems like this, Ma Xingping would pass it on to his sister. His main task, besides guarding against any impending dangers, was to keep an eye on Boss Zhou.
Ma Jinxuan squatted beside the wooden box, carefully observing the design of the snake lock, and then tried various methods to unlock it. In the past, she had encountered and solved many mechanism puzzles in other tombs. However, the snake lock before her was too peculiar; Ma Jinxuan had never seen anything like it. Furthermore, the lock fit perfectly, not seeming to have been attached later, but as if a real small snake had passed through the wooden box, bitten its tail, and turned into an iron lock.
Since clever solutions failed, Ma Jinxuan also tried brute force, but the small, slender snake lock was frighteningly hard. Not only could it not be broken, but not even a scratch was left. Yan Shouyi also tried, with the same result.
Long Feicheng suggested smashing the wooden box, but Yan Shouyi said, "It's useless. The material of this wooden box is Xuan Tie Chen Mu (Mysterious Iron Sinking Wood). Unless you bring a drill, it's absolutely impossible to damage it even a little."
"My Cai Wei sword can't do it either?" Long Feicheng asked.
"I just made the Cai Wei sword for you, can you please cherish it a little?" Yan Shouyi replied. "Lightning-struck peach wood swords are also very hard, but nowhere near as hard as Xuan Tie Chen Mu. Legend has it that Xuan Tie Chen Mu is a plant from the Kunlun Divine Mountain. To grow it, you cannot use soil; instead, you must use iron soil, which is soil mixed with iron fragments. As Xuan Tie Chen Mu grows, it absorbs the power of this iron soil. Once mature, you use the iron soil it was grown in to forge an iron saw to cut the wood. To shape Xuan Tie Chen Mu, you need to soak it in ice water for a full three years. After being taken out of the water, within three days, Xuan Tie Chen Mu will be like ordinary wood. After three days, it will regain its steel-like hardness."
"This is the first time I've seen Xuan Tie Chen Mu, although I've only heard my grandfather talk about it. I didn't expect it to actually exist."
Hearing Yan Shouyi's explanation, everyone's faces turned somewhat helpless. If what Yan Shouyi said was true, then it was impossible for them to damage the wooden box. And this snake lock was so bizarre that it was unlikely they would find a way to crack it anytime soon. Could it be that they were going to stop right here, just after entering King Jian's tomb?
In fact, Yan Shouyi was more anxious than anyone else, as reaching the main tomb chamber was crucial for Lin Zhitong's survival. Just as everyone was at a loss, Lin Zhitong suddenly said, "Let me try."
Ma Jinxuan said nothing and moved aside to give Lin Zhitong her place. Although she didn't have much hope for Lin Zhitong, at this point, they had to try anything, no matter how slim the chance.