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墨書 Inktalez
I was taken aback. Old Mountain had mentioned the legend of the "Ghostly Heavenly Palace" before, saying that there were still a group of people pursuing this secret. Hearing Hills bring it up at this moment, she must be involved in this matter as well.
At that moment, Fat Ma shouted, "Old Sun, have you two made a decision yet?"
I felt a bit awkward upon hearing this. I smiled sheepishly at Hills and muttered under my breath, "This Fat Ma just knows how to stir up trouble."
Hills, however, didn’t seem to care and continued to ask me, "Have you decided?"
"I can only make a decision for myself," I pondered for a moment before replying.
Hills acknowledged with a nod. I called out to Fat Ma and the clay figure Xiao Nan, "I'm not planning to back down; you should take the chance to leave now!"
"Are you just going to stay here and wait to die?" the clay figure retorted.
Fat Ma was furious and replied, "Old Sun, you bastard! You’re going off to seek fortune while leaving me behind, huh?"
I couldn't help but chuckle; even Xiao Nan was unwilling to leave. Since they all wanted to stay, I had to find a way for them to survive. Given our current situation, if we didn't leave now, once the wood burned out, we would be doomed. I couldn't let them jump into a fire pit knowing full well it was dangerous.
So I asked Hills, "Is there a way out?"
"A way out has to be sought for oneself," Hills replied after a pause. Just as I felt a chill in my heart, Hills added, "But I know there must be a way out in this Golden House."
"Really?" I asked heavily.
Hills nodded. I felt a sense of hope rising within me. After that, we used wood to create a barrier of fire, temporarily keeping those deadly black insects at bay outside.
The original bed had been dismantled to the point where only the frame remained, and we stepped back a little.
Taking advantage of this moment, Aran was busy preparing explosives while Fat Ma rushed over with a barrage of questions. I didn’t call out to Fat Ma; he was never good at coming up with solutions.
“If we don’t retreat now, we might miss our chance,” the Mud Man expressed his concerns.
I looked at the raging flames; they truly were our greatest hope for escape. If we missed this opportunity, it would be hard to say what would happen next.
I sighed and reassured the Mud Man, “Don’t worry, we won’t die so easily.”
At that moment, Hills had already pulled out her map and was studying it.
Time passed in just a few minutes.
Suddenly, Fat Ma shouted, “Old Sun, it’s bad! The fire is dying down!” I turned around sharply to see thick smoke billowing up while the flames were dwindling.
Meanwhile, the swarm of black, viscous insects continued their unsettling cries.
My anxiety grew stronger. I kicked the bed frame in frustration, and unexpectedly, the spot I kicked caved in slightly. I braced my foot against it.
Suddenly, a hidden door behind the bed swung open. A surge of joy filled my heart as I stammered, “You guys, look!”
They all turned their attention toward me. Hills put away her map but maintained a calm demeanor, as if everything was going according to her plan.
The Mud Man’s previously furrowed brow relaxed instantly.
I shouted, "You all go in first!" I was afraid that if I let go of the door, it would close.
At that moment, no one was pushing or yielding anymore, as time was running out; the flames were about to be completely extinguished. Only the burning embers of the wood were releasing a fiery glow.
Once they all entered, the thick black creature was already creeping towards my feet. I tightened my resolve, took a deep breath, and pushed the Secret Compartment inward before lunging toward the door behind me.
Sure enough, as soon as my foot left the Secret Compartment, the door began to fall. But I was a moment too slow—damn it, was I really going to die out here? Just as despair began to set in, thankfully, the clay figure grabbed me and pulled me in. As soon as my foot crossed the threshold, the door closed behind me.
I lay on the ground, gasping for breath; it was another narrow escape! After a while, I managed to roll myself up.
"What kind of place is this?" Fat Ma grumbled.
"Who knows!" I replied weakly.
It was yet another tomb passage, dim and dreary. "Damn it, one tomb chamber isn't enough; now we have this mess. Is this really meant for burying people?" Fat Ma complained.
I recalled how in martial arts novels, the male protagonist would accidentally fall into a cave and emerge with extraordinary skills. If that were true, we treasure hunters should have long become unparalleled masters by now—if not more than that. I found myself inexplicably smiling at the thought.
Fat Ma suddenly said, "Old Sun, what are you grinning about?"
My smile vanished instantly. " Fat Ma, can you let me have some peace for once?"
Fat Ma pulled out a cigarette and offered it to me. "Old Sun, here, Fat Master is treating you."
Hearing Fat Ma's voice, I couldn't help but say, "Shouldn't it be Fat Lady?"
Fat Ma was instantly furious upon hearing this, and sensing the situation was off, I immediately took off running, with Fat Ma shouting behind me that he would chase me down.
"Brother Sun, don't be afraid of him, I've got your back," Xiao Nan yelled from behind.
After running for several dozen meters, we finally stopped. I offered the cigarette that Fat Ma had given me back to him, lowering my head to admit my mistake.
Fat Ma immediately broke into a smug grin.
" Fat Ma, do you have any more cigarettes? Can I have another one?" I asked.
Fat Ma was feeling pleased with himself, so he handed me another cigarette and pulled out a lighter to light it for me.
I took a deep breath.
At that moment, Xiao Nan weakly said, "Brother Sun, can you give me one too?"
I shot him a glare and replied, "Why don't you learn something good instead of something bad?"
But Fat Ma found it amusing and teased Xiao Nan, saying, "Call me Fat Master, and Fat Master will give you a cigarette."
Xiao Nan's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Fat..." Fat Ma looked at him expectantly. "Fat lady," Xiao Nan blurted out quickly.
Fat Ma was so enraged he started hopping up and down while Xiao Nan ran back. Fat Ma chased after him, leaving me standing alone. I waited for them to come back.
Strangely enough, why was it still dripping? I wiped the beads of water from my forehead and looked up the tomb passageway, only to see the ceiling densely covered in moss.
All the moisture seeped out, gathering into a droplet that fell downwards. I could see the process with my naked eye and analyzed in my mind that there might be a spring above this tomb passage.
I looked to both sides of the passage, but they were barren, devoid of any plant life.
At that moment, they were also approaching quickly.
I called out to the Mud Man, "Look up there." The Mud Man raised his head in response, and Fat Ma chimed in curiously, "Old Sun, what did you find?"
"I found a treasure," I replied playfully.
Fat Ma's eyes instantly lit up with excitement as he pushed the Mud Man aside and leaned towards the top of the passage.
Suddenly, a droplet of water fell into Fat Ma's eye. He blinked once, quickly wiped it away, and then focused intently on studying it, asking, "Old Sun, what kind of treasure is hidden up there?"
I couldn't help but smile; Fat Ma was truly unmatched in this regard. I thought to myself that Fat Ma must be feeling like a rich landowner now. Once we got out, I would have to squeeze him for some money.
The Mud Man retorted angrily, "Find it yourself."
Fat Ma glared at the Mud Man and ignored him, turning back to me and asking, "Old Sun, is there a door?"
I decided not to tease Fat Ma any further and said, "You're really obsessed with money; I'm just messing with you." After saying this, I took a few steps back.
To my surprise, Fat Ma didn't retaliate but instead laughed strangely. His odd voice sent chills down my spine.
"Is everything alright?" I asked weakly.
"Nothing, Old Sun, how could I have anything wrong?" After saying that, he grabbed me and hit me a few times. Fortunately, Xiao Nan, this loyal supporter, saved me.
I cursed, " Fat Ma, you hit hard enough."
Fat Ma grinned and said, "Old Sun, please forgive me; I couldn't control myself at that moment."
Looking at his shameless smiling face, I replied, "Alright, if you want me to forgive you, come here."
Fat Ma leaned in closer, and I whispered something in his ear.
His originally rosy face turned pale, then red, and finally green before returning to normal.
After that, I chuckled.
Fat Ma seemed to accept his fate as he nodded with difficulty.
"Truly worthy of being a comrade from the Revolution for many years," I praised Fat Ma.
Seeing me laugh so joyfully, the Mud Man waved at Fat Ma and whispered something in his ear as well.
After hearing it, Fat Ma's expression changed immediately, but then he started cursing loudly: "Dead Mud Man, you think you can blackmail Fat Master? No way!"
The Mud Man was taken aback by the scolding and chuckled awkwardly a few times.
Curious, I asked, "Mud Man, what did you say to him?"
The clay figurine smiled shyly and said to me in a low voice, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just mentioned that what you have, I would like a share of it too."
I was taken aback for a moment, then exchanged a glance with the other person and burst into laughter. I could see admiration reflected in their eyes.
However, Fat Ma wore a face full of frustration.
Let’s skip the small talk…
This tomb passage was damp and dark, and importantly, it was quite long. We had been walking for about ten minutes; of course, we weren't moving quickly, but we had covered a distance of around one hundred meters.
We knew that walking in such places couldn't be like strolling outside, taking big strides, because there could be traps hidden within the tomb at any moment.
Throughout history, tomb raiders and the owners of the tombs have always been engaged in a battle of wits and courage. Many wise individuals have fallen along this path, clearing away numerous obstacles for us.
Suddenly, a cold gust of wind swept through. We all froze in place. Where did that wind come from? White Zhi asked in a low voice.
I was puzzled as well. In a closed space, a gust of wind appearing out of nowhere would make ordinary people wonder if there were ghosts around.
But those of us in this line of work would never think along those lines. We would rather believe that there was a large Zongzi than accept the existence of ghosts.
Our principle is to not believe in gods or spirits, nor in Buddha. If we did, we wouldn't last long before meeting our end within the tomb.
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