6.
Watching the comments whiz by, Chu Kỳ’s lips curled into a smile, but it stiffened on her face almost immediately.
【So Chu-jie is at the bottom of a tomb? That sounds even scarier.】
【Right? Why is there an animal making noises inside the tomb? It can’t be some ancient tomb ghost, can it?】
I hurriedly cleared my throat.
“Ahem. Don’t talk nonsense. There are animals that hide in graveyards. Civets like to live in ancient tombs. It’s not some ghost or anything.”
However, civets mainly live in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Judging by how damp the walls of this tomb-raider tunnel are, that doesn’t seem likely. That roar was probably from the legendary tomb-guarding beast.
The tomb-guarding beast was extremely dangerous. If I couldn’t find Chu Kỳ tonight, there was a nine-in-ten chance she wouldn’t live to see tomorrow’s sun.
“Hey, Chu Kỳ, wipe that coin dry and hold it up for me to see.”
Chu Kỳ rubbed the coin against the hem of her shirt, then held it up in front of the screen.
It was dim at the bottom of the cave, but the light from the screen let me make out the four large characters on the coin.
A chill ran through me.
They read “National Treasure of the Great Yuan.”
The “National Treasure of the Great Yuan” was minted by Nguyên Vũ Tôn Hải Sơn during the Yuan dynasty. People suspect it was a trial coin used to open a mint, or perhaps struck to commemorate some occasion. It’s extraordinarily rare.
Paper money circulated during the Yuan dynasty, so coins were scarce to begin with—not to mention this limited-edition coin. On today’s antiques market, each “National Treasure of the Great Yuan” sells for at least a million.
My expression darkened.
“This could be the tomb of a Yuan dynasty noble.”
Chu Kỳ excitedly rubbed the coin.
“That’s wonderful, Mộ Dung Nguyệt! Does this mean you’ll find me soon?”
I lowered my eyes, not daring to look at her.
“I’m sorry, Chu Kỳ. Yuan dynasty tombs are almost impossible to find.”
7.
【What does that mean? Didn’t someone just say they could use feng shui to locate the tomb? So now they can’t find it?】
【Yeah. If the streamer isn’t capable, she shouldn’t brag! Giving someone hope only to dash it—isn’t that cruel?】
【Don’t just insult her, commenter above. If you can do better, go ahead! Streamer, please try again.】
Chu Kỳ’s lips trembled as she stared intently at the screen.
“Why can’t you find it? Mộ Dung Nguyệt, if you can save me, I’ll pay you whatever you want.”
I shook my head and sighed.
“This isn’t about money.”
“Over the years, countless countries and teams have searched for the tombs of the Yuan imperial family. They haven’t found even the nobles’ tombs, let alone the royal ones. It’s all because the Mongols had a very unusual burial custom.”
“When Mongols died, they didn’t even use coffins. They took a thick log, split it in two, and hollowed out the middle so a person could lie inside. Then they placed the body in it, joined the two halves, and wrapped them with three bands of gold to hold them together. Finally, they dug a deep pit, put the log inside, and added a few grave goods.”
“Next, they filled in the pit and had a thousand horses trample the ground flat. They camped nearby for about a year, waiting until the land was covered in wild grass and looked just like the surrounding area. Only then did the soldiers consider the job done.”
Chu Kỳ couldn’t help but cut in.
“But the people guarding the tomb knew where it was. Why can’t anyone find it?”
I gave an awkward smile.
“If only it were that simple. Take Genghis Khan, for example. After the soldiers guarding his tomb returned, a cavalry unit killed them. Then, after the cavalry unit completed its mission of ambushing them on the way back, another cavalry unit killed them. And that unit was then ambushed by yet another cavalry unit.”
“After that happened three times, no one could know where he had been buried.”
“But after Nguyên Võ Tông, the nobles of later dynasties were increasingly influenced by Han culture. Their funerals and coffins became more elaborate, and they began building tombs. They still kept the custom of burying nobles on the grasslands, though. They didn’t believe in feng shui, and wouldn’t allow any Han officials to attend the funerals.”
“The grasslands stretch for hundreds of miles, vast and almost identical in every direction. So feng shui and the flow of energy are no help at all when it comes to finding a dragon’s lair.”
“Very few Yuan dynasty tombs have been found, which is why cultural artifacts from that period are especially valuable. Take Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, for example. Only about three hundred pieces remain in the entire world, and each one is worth well over a hundred million.”
8.
After hearing me out, everyone fell silent.
【Wait—there’s no feng shui on the grasslands, so what do we do now? Are we just going to leave Chu-jie there?】
【I don’t think it’s necessarily a noble’s tomb, right? Maybe a Han official collected the coin. Chu-jie, look around a little more and see if there’s anything else that could help identify the tomb’s owner!】
【Yeah, yeah. It might not even be from the Yuan dynasty; someone from the Ming or Qing could have collected it. Chu-jie, look again. We can’t give up hope!】
The viewers tried to comfort Chu Kỳ, but she only shook her head, sitting motionless with a drawn, despondent look.
“It’s the Yuan dynasty. I’m on the grasslands.”
“They set up tents. I thought it was some desolate wilderness. But now that I think about it, it really was an endless grassland. I clearly remember the aquatic plants brushing against my calves as I ran away. There might still be some caught on my clothes.”
As she spoke, Chu Kỳ felt around her clothes. Suddenly, she touched something and let out a piercing scream.
She rolled up her pant leg and saw a long gash on her shin, fresh blood trickling down and mixing with the mud.
The viewers went pale.
【Oh my God, that wound is so deep!】
【Chu-jie must still be groggy from the anesthetic and hasn’t fully registered it yet. Hurry and tear off a strip of cloth to tie over the wound and stop the bleeding.】
【A wound like that could lead to tetanus. If she spikes a fever tonight, that’ll be a serious problem!】
The situation was getting worse by the minute. Chu Kỳ sobbed as she tore the leg of her pants open.
“Mộ Dung Nguyệt, is there really nothing you can do? Please, help me—”
As if things weren’t bad enough, her phone suddenly beeped to warn her the battery was low. Chu Kỳ’s face instantly filled with panic.
“If I stay in this cave all night, I’ll d.ie, Mộ Dung Nguyệt. I’m going to d.ie—”
The fans in the comments section had started crying.
【What now? Chu-jie is hurt! Everyone, help think of a way—we have to get her out tonight!】
【Absolutely. Once it gets dark, you won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face here. She has no phone, and there’s an ancient tomb and wild beasts nearby! Just thinking about it makes my heart ache!】
【Stop, my claustrophobia is acting up again.】
【Can everyone stop making things worse and talk like normal people?!】
The comments flew by in a frenzy. Everyone sympathized with Chu Kỳ, but no one knew what to do.
9.
I sighed in disappointment too. Just then, my grandfather’s impatient voice came from outside.
“Hey, kid, you sit in front of that computer and shut out the whole world, then make this injured old man wait on you. Can’t you hear someone pounding on the door?”
When my grandfather went to open the gate, he saw Kiều Mặc Vũ and Giang Hạo Ngôn standing there with a bag of fruit.
Kiều Mặc Vũ sniffed, her eyes lighting up.
“That smells amazing. Is it braised lamb ribs?”
My grandfather laughed heartily.
“It’ll be ready in half an hour. You and Tiểu Nguyệt go chat in the living room. Tiểu Nguyệt, Master Kiều is here—What are you standing around for? Go make some tea.”
Seeing the serious look on my face, Kiều Mặc Vũ poked my arm.
“What’s wrong? Don’t want to treat me? Don’t be so stingy. I’ll have Giang Hạo Ngôn treat you next time.”
“It’s not that.”
I gave a rueful smile and told her what was happening to Chu Kỳ. I’d barely said a few words before Kiều Mặc Vũ frowned in disapproval and said:
“Who says there’s no feng shui on the grasslands?”
“Feng shui means that the heavens form patterns and the earth takes shape; mountains and rivers are formed by celestial patterns, with heaven and earth reflecting one another. Your grandfather can identify burial sites, can’t he? Didn’t he teach you this?”
My grandfather chuckled ingratiatingly.
“Ha ha, reading the celestial patterns is something only a geomancer can do. Not everyone knows how.”
“Reading the celestial patterns? But the Yuan imperial family didn’t believe in that, so it would be useless anyway.”
Kiều Mặc Vũ gave a cold snort.
“Who says they didn’t believe in it? Hmph. If it weren’t for the Mongols, do you think we geomancers would have fallen into such decline? They slaughtered every last one of us!”
“What?”
I stared in shock. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Genghis Khan had killed three cavalry units to conceal the traces of his tomb. If geomancers had really been responsible for finding burial sites, they certainly wouldn’t have escaped death either.
“A burial site that attracts the greedy and draws the powerful will bring prosperity; one that lies beneath the broken, ruined stars brings calamity. You don’t think they’d just dig a random hole and bury their dead, do you? Tiểu Nguyệt Nguyệt, you’re so naïve.”
Kiều Mặc Vũ patted my shoulder and headed into the living room. I darted after her, grabbed her arm, and hurried her into the study.
10.
I made Kiều Mặc Vũ sit down. Chu Kỳ looked at us, about to speak, when the beast’s deep, hoarse roar suddenly sounded again. Chu Kỳ had been staring at her phone screen and let out a piercing scream in fright.
Only after she screamed did Chu Kỳ belatedly cover her mouth, but it was too late.
The rock wall shook. Whatever was on the other side seemed enraged and began pounding furiously against it.
In a panic, Chu Kỳ turned the camera toward the rock wall. That was when I noticed several small stones scattered at its base.
Why were there loose stones in a tomb-raiding tunnel?
Could the tomb raiders have blown open the burial chamber and then filled it back in with loose stones?
“Wow, that sounds like a tomb-guarding beast—”
Kiều Mặc Vũ watched the screen with keen interest. The sound gradually receded, and Chu Kỳ turned back to the screen, looking at us anxiously.
“What’s a tomb-guarding beast?”
“Mm, it’s a kind of funerary object meant to protect the spirit of the dead, like a tomb spirit. It’s very evil, and it likes to eat—”
“Ahem, ahem, ahem!”
I quickly gave Kiều Mặc Vũ a pointed look. Chu Kỳ was already terrified; explaining what a tomb-guarding beast was now would only make things worse.
“Chu Kỳ, try wiping the dirt off the rock wall across from you and see if there’s a hole underneath that’s been blocked with stones.”
I told Chu Kỳ that Kiều Mặc Vũ could help her. As if that gave her strength, Chu Kỳ grabbed her phone, crawled over, and rubbed the muddy dirt on the rock wall with her sleeve.
She wiped away the dirt, and the light from her phone camera revealed a hole that had been plugged with loose stones.
“That’s some impressive blasting work.”
Kiều Mặc Vũ praised it, then turned to Chu Kỳ with a serious expression.
“Tiểu Nguyệt Nguyệt just told me what happened. You’re right that a single coin isn’t enough to determine the exact location.”
“First, clear away those loose stones, then crawl into the burial chamber. Look around for an antique, or take pictures of the murals and show us. Tiểu Nguyệt Nguyệt might be able to work out some general information about the tomb, and I can help figure out which way to go.”
11.
Chu Kỳ was utterly dumbfounded.
In disbelief, she pointed at herself, then at the cave entrance blocked with loose stones.
“Clear—clear it?”
“But the tomb-guarding beast is right inside!”
Comments:
【Exactly! What kind of insane plan is that? If the entrance is opened, won’t that wild beast just eat Chu-jie alive?】
【Being in a tomb-raiding tunnel is scary enough. Now she has to go into an ancient tomb? Who knows what even more terrifying things are inside. If it were me, I’d rather d.ie here and be done with it.】
【Exactly! This is freaking terrifying!】
【Master Kiều just got here, and she’s already proving she can’t be trusted at all!】
Kiều Mặc Vũ gave a scornful laugh.
“What are you scared of? The tomb-guarding beast patrols the burial chamber. Think about it—doesn’t it show up about once every twenty minutes?”
“There are a few big rocks at the cave entrance. Go into the burial chamber, take a few pictures, then come back out and seal the entrance again. You should have plenty of time.”
Chu Kỳ shook her head vigorously.
“I’m not going. I won’t go anywhere. What if I run into that tomb-guarding beast?”
“Oh, suit yourself. The tomb-guarding beast is afraid of sunlight. Do you really think those loose stones are keeping it trapped? When the yang energy has completely dissipated at the Hour of the Pig, it’ll come out on its own.”
“By the way, let me ask you something. Do you know what the tomb-guarding beast likes to eat?”
“—Human tongues. It eats all the way down to the root, then keeps going until it reaches the brain.”
“Forget it, Mộ Dung Nguyệt. Let’s go eat braised lamb ribs.”
Kiểu Nguyệt Vũ stood up to leave, and Chu Kỳ immediately burst into tears.
“I’ll go—I’ll go—”
She set her phone down beside her and, sobbing, shakily began moving the rocks.