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墨書 Inktalez
In the four corners of the coffin, four candles were lit, their flames flickering higher and higher, dancing in harmony with the light of the searchlight, casting a somber atmosphere.
"Let's get to work!" Fat Ma said, his playful demeanor replaced by seriousness.
We took out some basic tools—crowbars, daggers, and the like—and gathered around.
This 'Gem Casket' was a first for me, so I had no idea how to approach it. Usually, coffins are tightly sealed with nails.
We moved closer to search for the positions of these nails, but soon we were disappointed. The gems were densely embedded in the gaps between the coffin lid and the coffin itself, making it impossible for us to effectively locate the coffin nails.
Just as we were about to get rough with it, Fat Ma suddenly declared grandly, "Protect the artifacts!"
His words left us momentarily speechless.
Through the colorful and dazzling gems, their pure and transparent colors proclaimed their value.
From Fat Ma's eyes, one could see the insincerity behind his words.
Thus, we refrained from being forceful. Moreover, this coffin was not as simple as it appeared; otherwise, why hadn't those who came before us managed to open it?
Fat Ma grasped a dagger and tried to pry off the gems surrounding the coffin, but they seemed as if they were grown onto it.
Fat Ma sighed in disappointment.
"What do you think we should do?" I asked Niren.
"Let's check other parts of the coffin!" With that, we began to explore this wooden casket, which showed signs of damage.
Most of its original lacquer had faded away, and some carved patterns were barely visible.
"Something's not right. The Fat Master feels like this coffin has been opened before, but why wasn't it opened just now?" Fat Ma muttered to himself.
But his words fell into our ears.
We all looked at Fat Ma in surprise.
Feeling our sudden gaze, Fat Ma became momentarily speechless.
"Speak up, Fat Ma," I urged him.
"What should I say?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Fat Ma turned his head and slapped his forehead, exclaiming that he understood.
Pointing at the coffin like a seasoned master, Fat Ma said, "Generally, coffins are sealed with a special paste. You all know that, right?"
I nodded.
"Now look at this coffin. Is there any seal?" Following Fat Ma's direction, we indeed noticed that there seemed to be no seal.
"But that's not hard to explain. After all, so much time has passed; it's normal for the seal to be gone," I countered.
"Old Sun, that statement shows you're an outsider."
I was taken aback by Fat Ma's remark.
"The sealing paste is made from special plants. It might not be obvious now, but this kind of substance is basically impossible to disappear completely. When the coffin is first buried, the paste is applied generously. This way, it maintains the coffin's closure and ensures that the body inside doesn't decay too quickly."
I was almost convinced by Fat Ma's explanation.
However, he wasn't finished yet. He pointed out a layer of nearly invisible dark yellow substance on the coffin. Under the light, I could see more clearly that there was an indistinct dividing line between the Coffin Lid and the Coffin, separating the overall dark yellow appearance.
After observing it, I felt enlightened. I had never paid attention to these details before when I went underground; now I had to admit that I had gained new knowledge.
After Fat Ma finished speaking, he took a sip of water.
At that moment, even the Mud Man's gaze towards Fat Ma changed. It seemed that the Mud Man also did not understand this aspect, and at this point, Fat Ma's image suddenly grew larger in stature.
"Fatty, you're right; we learned about this before," Zhang Tong said as he noticed us frozen in place and spoke to wake us up.
"You learned about it too?"
"Yeah." Zhang Tong nodded.
Since both Fat Ma and Zhang Tong, who graduated from a professional archaeology program, had said so, it must be correct.
"Since this coffin has already been opened, why is it sealed again now?" I asked the question that had been on my mind, waiting for Fat Ma's answer.
Fat Ma couldn't respond immediately but said, "This coffin has been resealed."
"Then why were these gems taken away in the first place?"
Upon hearing this, all the flesh on Fat Ma's face seemed to bunch together as he replied, "These gems were likely used to reseal the coffin."
I couldn't help but gasp; this was indeed a bold move!
After saying this, Fat Ma was startled by his own speculation and spat out a mouthful of saliva, cursing, "Damn it!"
The Mud Man then asked, " Fat Ma, what do you think we should do now?"
Fat Ma's big eyes spun like wheels before suddenly stopping, revealing a pained expression on his face. "Damn it, let's just force our way through!"
It seemed he had made a monumental decision. "What do you all think?"
Neither the Mud Man nor I answered directly but silently agreed.
We quickly took action, pulling out our crowbar and forcefully prying off several colorful gemstones. Although the gems didn't completely shatter, they did sustain some damage. Fat Ma picked up the few damaged stones with a look of deep sorrow, as if he had lost his parents, and stuffed them into his pocket.
If you ask why we didn't just destroy the coffin directly, I can only say that such actions would be bad karma. After all, there are certain rules to follow in this line of work.
We managed to clear about ten gemstones in total. These gems were secured to the coffin by metal fixtures, which were also attached to the coffin itself. Thus, the gems were firmly embedded in the coffin, serving as locks for it.
Once we cleared the ten gemstones, a ten-centimeter gash appeared on the coffin.
Just as we were about to proceed with our next move, all the candles at the corners of the coffin suddenly extinguished.
This unexpected event plunged us into a chilling silence. We knew what it meant; it was a sign that the Old Ghost inside the coffin was displeased with us taking its belongings.
Zhang Tong was also startled by this abrupt situation. There was no wind here; how could the candles have gone out?
"Don't panic!" I urged everyone.
We had experienced similar situations before. We could either back off now or continue, but since we had started this venture, we had never been ones to retreat midway.
We steadied ourselves. Fat Ma went on to relight the candles around the coffin. The flames flickered back to life. Although reigniting them didn't hold much significance, it provided at least a sense of psychological comfort.
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