The light illuminated the pitch-black surroundings, but it also carried an eerie atmosphere.
This scene left an indelible shadow in the hearts of Elder Tang, Professor Lin, and the others.
It felt less like a path to survival and more like a bridge to the underworld. Anyone seeing it would tremble.
What made it particularly unsettling were the candles, lit as if commemorating the departed.
"Let's go, we're out."
Zhou Lin took the lead. As his foot landed on the bridge, the enormous bird's nest behind them vanished, leaving only a solitary bridge.
It was as if everything they had seen before was an illusion.
The group grew even more tense; this was truly terrifying.
As Zhou Lin stepped forward, they followed close behind.
They cautiously observed their surroundings, the only movement being the flickering flames of the candles on either side, adding a splash of the macabre to the darkness.
In the live stream:
"Holy hell, this is supposed to be a way out? It looks like a path to hell."
"Upstairs, shut your jinxing mouth and stop talking."
"But anyone would find this terrifying. How many years have these candles been burning?"
...
Zhou Lin's feet touched solid ground. He turned back to see the last person descend from the bridge, which then instantly disappeared.
This made Elder Tang and the others feel even more uneasy.
"Don't be afraid, this is a formation. It disappears when its time is up," Zhou Lin said, sensing their fear and offering an explanation.
His words helped to calm their nerves.
They proceeded further inside, the surroundings a dark, empty expanse. Holding their flashlights, they surveyed the gloomy scene.
After half an hour of walking, a white speck of light appeared ahead.
The sight of light instantly lifted their spirits.
Having been in darkness for so long, the prospect of light was incredibly welcome.
Their pace quickened considerably.
However, as they neared the entrance, a faint scent of perfume wafted into their nostrils.
"Is this perfume? Why is the smell so pungent?" Professor Lin sniffed, looking back at the group.
"I smell it too, but it doesn't smell like perfume. It's more like incense from a censer, very much like the kind women use for fragrance," Captain Lin said, also sniffing. The scent was far from pleasant.
"Could there be someone alive in here? No way?" The metaphysics professor, upon hearing this, felt not fear, but a flicker of anticipation.
"How could that be? There's nothing in here, and it's likely been years. How could anyone be alive? And what would they eat or drink?" Elder Tang quickly dismissed the idea, but the unsettling sights they had witnessed earlier made him uneasy.
The mercenaries and the archaeological team behind them became more vigilant, trying to bolster their own courage.
At least, if they encountered something terrifying, they would have some mental preparation.
They moved towards the light and found themselves facing a stone chamber.
The chamber was decorated like a woman's boudoir. Tables stood on either side, laden with pastries. Opposite them was a writing desk with bamboo slips and a censer.
The censer still emitted wisps of pale green smoke, filling the chamber with a faint floral scent.
A bookshelf stood in the room, with a zither in front of it. At the very back was a screen, beyond which lay darkness.
The oil lamp on the writing desk flickered, illuminating the space.
The warmth of this side chamber stood in stark contrast to the darkness outside.
The more they looked, the more uneasy Professor Lin and Elder Tang felt. The stillness only amplified their dread.
In the live stream:
"Damn, I don't know why, but the more it's like this, the more I feel scared. Do you guys feel the same?"
"Yeah, I think so too. It's so terrifying outside, and so peaceful inside. Could it be the calm before the storm?"
"Don't say that. The more I think about it, the scarier it gets."
"I'd better be mentally prepared later. We might encounter something terrifying. For safety, I've decided to just protect myself."
...
In the dean's conference room.
Everyone in the conference room was watching the large screen, their hearts filled with the same dread.
The more serene the situation, the more dangerous it seemed.
"Um... Dean, they'll be alright, won't they?" Professor Hu finally managed to ask.
The dean looked speechless. How could he possibly know?
"You should ask Zhou Lin, not me," the dean replied, exasperated.
Professor Hu felt his question was redundant, but he couldn't shake off his unease, sensing something terrifying was about to happen.
Professor Wen and the other professors fell silent, their eyes fixed on the screen.
Inside the tomb.
Zhou Lin surveyed the surroundings and casually picked up a bamboo slip, examining the writing on it.
There were some characters on it.
"Elder Tang, see if you recognize these characters?" Zhou Lin handed the bamboo slip to Elder Tang.
Elder Tang looked at the slip. The characters were familiar.
"These are characters from the Jin Dynasty. Look," Elder Tang said excitedly after a long examination, handing the slip to Professor Lin. They both looked at it, quickly taking out their flashlights to get a closer look.
"Elder Tang, what does it say?" The metaphysics professor had limited historical and cultural knowledge. He knew some basics, but nothing too profound.
"The inscription here seems to describe some kind of dark art?" Elder Tang was having trouble deciphering it.
"You, for eternal life, must cherish the five senses, destiny, and fortune, all of the highest order..."
The rest of the text was like gibberish to them.
"This looks like a spell, Elder Tang, look." Professor Lin gently shook the bamboo slip. At first glance, it resembled the precursor to drawing a spell.
Elder Tang then handed the bamboo slip to Zhou Lin.
"Professor Zhou, does this belong to your Taoist school?"