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墨書 Inktalez
The hidden tomb passage, shrouded in darkness, was solid yet unadorned. The exposed earthen walls emitted a musty odor that made one frown, but they were supported by rough wooden stakes, sturdier than even the royal tombs.
On the coarse ground, traces of rodents were easily spotted, and to their surprise, they also found droppings that were black and white. As they ventured deeper, the filth increased; fortunately, it was winter, and the smell had not yet fermented. Otherwise, this naturally occurring poison could easily incapacitate them if they were unprepared.
"This might be a place for raising crows," Qi Shuo speculated, suggesting that the presence of rats could be intended as food for the crows.
Sang Qingxiao felt differently, noting that the signs of rodents seemed somewhat old, less fresh than those from nearby farmlands. "Could it be that after the crows were exterminated, the rats were released since their purpose as food was no longer needed? Perhaps to avoid disturbing the farmers or maybe for some other use."
"Just in case, we need to eliminate any rats wandering outside," Sang Qingxiao reminded them.
Qi Shuo replied, "We can't clear them all; we can only do our best. The Royal Tomb shows signs of multiple intrusions. The stationed troops are practically useless and cannot be held accountable. Since they can't guard the tombs effectively, let’s send them out to catch rats instead."
After walking about five or six hundred meters, they were blocked by a stone door. Lei Zong'ao skillfully approached the mechanism. Just as he reached the third step and listened carefully to the sounds within, he halted his movements.
"Something's off; the mechanism has been tampered with."
"Can it still be unlocked?" Qi Shuo asked.
Lei Zong'ao's expression turned serious. "Yes, but it will take time."
After half a cup of tea's worth of time, Lei Zong'ao managed to unlock the third step but discovered there was more! This door was supposed to have only three mechanisms—who had added a fourth and even a fifth?
Realizing how difficult this was becoming, sweat began to bead on his forehead. His gaze sharpened as his mind raced through calculations. His thin fingers moved with surprising coordination, creating shadows that were hard for the naked eye to follow.
Moments later, there was a click. Before Lei Zong'ao could breathe a sigh of relief, the gears inside the door began moving again.
"Watch out! There are hidden weapons!" Lei Zong'ao shouted.
As soon as he spoke, the original earthen wall shed its thin outer layer to reveal a stone wall riddled with small holes—each no larger than an eyeball—housing arrows that glimmered ominously with poison!
Seeing this scene left Lei Zong'ao incredulous. This escape route should never have had such traps; it was designed for fleeing without triggering deadly mechanisms in panic.
Who could have set all this up without me noticing? My skills in mechanisms may not match Liu's, but I shouldn't be struggling this much.
The gap didn't seem to stem from technique; rather, their opponent's imagination was too wild for him to keep up with.
A few poisoned arrows should pose no challenge for those from The Office of Censors; however, they showed no signs of stopping.
Noticing that Lei Zong'ao was still lost in thought while guessing at possibilities, Qi Shuo urged him on. "We can handle these minor tricks just fine. Don't worry about casualties; if you don't hurry up, those inside will escape."
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