Chapter 10: Rising Coffin, Sudden Fortune

Continuous high-intensity activity had drained our energy, so we needed to replenish it quickly. The underground cave was cold and damp; Wang Yueban pulled a moisture-proof mat from his trekking backpack and spread it over the floor.

We gathered, sitting cross-legged on the mat. Wang Yueban produced several bottles of mineral water and a few bags of spiced beef jerky. The jerky was tough, demanding effort to chew, so we had to wash each bite down with water. Everyone was famished; we barely chewed before forcing it down.

Xueya switched on all the lanterns, setting them to a warm glow. Soon, a gentle warmth enveloped me. Sated, basking in the lanterns’ heat, exhaustion overtook me—I drooped like a frost-stricken eggplant, my eyes barely open, nearly asleep.

The lanterns cast a wide circle of light, enclosing us at its center. Beyond that halo, darkness stretched, pitch-black and impenetrable. The darkness hugged the circle of light, resembling a monstrous beast guarding its prey, poised to devour it at any moment.

Just as sleep threatened to claim me, Xueya tapped my shoulder gently and whispered, “Jiang Yuan, wake up! Don’t fall asleep! Wake up…”

A soft voice, when one is muddled in sleep, can startle more effectively than a loud shout.

Her call, haunting like a spirit’s, jolted me upright. I opened my eyes abruptly, and, upon seeing what lay before me, I was momentarily stunned.

Wang Yueban, Xueya, and Hong Zhaohai—all three—were staring at me intently, their faces grave.

“You… what’s going on?” I blinked, bewildered by their unwavering gazes.

Wang Yueban, assuming the air of an old physician, touched my forehead and felt around my shoulders. “Jiang, you’re remarkable! You closed your eyes and slept a full day and night!”

“What? I slept a whole day and night?” His words shocked me; I shot up from the mat.

Hong Zhaohai added, “It’s true, Jiang. Yueban’s right. You slept for a whole day and night. The three of us tried everything to wake you, but nothing worked. Yueban was about to perform artificial respiration.”

His explanation deepened my confusion. I turned to Xueya and said, “The moment I heard you call me, I woke up instantly. It felt like I’d only dozed for five minutes.”

Xueya’s delicate face grew serious; her brows knitted. “When did I call you?”

At that instant, clarity dawned—I realized I’d been hallucinating. In places thick with yin energy, it’s common to experience auditory and visual hallucinations, as well as phenomena like spirit walls and sleep paralysis.

Sleep paralysis, known as a nightmare, often occurs in such places.

I reached into my pouch for a small gourd containing blood-red cinnabar powder. I tipped a bit into my palm, rubbed my hands together, and vigorously rubbed my face. Cinnabar is a treasure—expels evil and calms the mind, suitable for young and old alike.

After rubbing my face, I sneezed violently several times. The sneezing cleared my head, and I felt instantly refreshed.

“Jiang, what should we do next?” Xueya asked.

“We’ve come so far; we can’t simply turn back. That would be a disservice to our ancestors,” I replied, thinking aloud.

“Heh… Old Jiang, you must have a plan,” Wang Yueban said with a mischievous smile.

“My plan is simple: open the coffin and find fortune!” I declared, each word deliberate.

A white jade coffin had drifted atop the underground river—a clear sign that a tomb lay deeper within the cave. From my experience, the scale of this tomb must be unprecedented. The so-called underground river likely served as a moat outside the tomb’s palace.

We quickly packed our belongings and, each carrying a lantern, ventured further into the cave’s depths.

Soon, we returned to the underground river’s bank. What greeted us made my heart lurch: the river, once unfathomably deep, had vanished. The riverbed was dry as a scorched pot, not a drop of water left.

This confirmed my suspicions—behind the underground river lay a colossal ancient tomb. Its source was within the tomb itself.

Our master once said: when the tomb’s moat suddenly dries up, it means someone has breached the tomb.

The designers of these ancient tombs placed the moat as a barrier, its deep waters deterring tomb raiders. Moreover, these waters often housed ferocious tomb guardians—like the prehistoric giant lizard Hong Zhaohai had crippled with a single punch. Anyone attempting to wade through the river would end up as prey for these beasts, leaving nothing but bone fragments behind.

Additionally, the moat served a hidden purpose: once breached, it triggers a self-destruct mechanism. The river floods the tomb, quickly drowning it.

“Jiang, come quickly!” Xueya’s urgent cry broke my reverie.

I followed her voice and saw Xueya standing at the riverbank, shining a powerful flashlight into the riverbed.

Hurrying over, I peered along the beam’s direction. There, in the moist river mud, was a trail of clear footprints.

They wound along the twisting riverbed, leading deeper into the cave. Strangely, the prints were fresh, as if made moments ago. Most importantly, judging from their depth and outline…