So, to make the best of the situation, Cao Xiu gritted his teeth and, with five or six guards, cautiously entered the tomb.
Lu Yu nodded, reiterating to Cao Xiu, "Remember about the candles."
Of course, Cao Xiu couldn't grasp the depth of Lu Yu's concern.
The saying, "When the rooster crows, the lamp dies; do not touch the gold," meant that its metaphysical significance outweighed its practical application.
But... Lu Yu had read some archaeological books that specifically mentioned the scientific basis behind "man lights the candle, ghosts blow it out!"
As a qualified tomb raider... no, archaeologist.
Upon entering a tomb shaft or chamber, the first consideration should not be whether grave goods can be pilfered, but the safety of one's life.
Because tomb shafts and chambers are deep underground and often lack oxygen, entering them quickly leads to discomfort, dizziness, and blurred vision.
As the lack of oxygen deepens, limbs become severely weak, making it difficult to exit.
However, candles can solve this problem, at the very least by detecting oxygen deficiency.
If the candle can be lit and remains lit, it signifies that one can proceed; if it cannot be lit or extinguishes quickly, it is the so-called "ghosts blow out the lamp," and one should flee immediately!
In Lu Yu's view, Cao Xiu and the guards were his people. Whether they succeeded in their endeavor was secondary; the primary concern was protecting their lives!
Time slowly passed...
Initially, Lu Yu could still hear Cao Xiu and his men's footsteps, but as the footsteps grew fainter, an eerie silence descended upon the valley, devoid even of the chirping of insects.
The atmosphere became somewhat eerie and terrifying.
"Young Master Lu Yu, do you think... this will work?" After about half an hour, Wei Hong's heart was pounding. He had been in business for many years and had done his fair share of unscrupulous deeds, but compared to Lu Yu, his actions seemed like child's play.
The difference, the difference in their caliber! His unscrupulous deeds paled in comparison to "Hidden Dragon!"
"It should, perhaps..." Lu Yu smacked his lips, unsure himself.
After all, having read "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" and "Ghost Blows Out the Lamp" so many times, Lu Yu knew very well...
Some royal tombs were built to mimic the deceased's living environment, with complex layouts and lavish burials. Some tombs even had mercury poured into them to simulate mountains and lakes.
After the deceased was interred, the tomb was sealed with rammed earth, making it incredibly solid.
In addition, quicksand would be poured into the surrounding areas of the tomb. Once someone entered the tomb through the shaft, the quicksand would immediately flood the chamber, burying them along with the tomb raiders.
This was Lu Yu's first time undertaking such a risk-free venture, and there were certainly dangers involved...
However, based on common sense, Lu Yu felt there was a high probability they would be fine!
After all, Liu Chang was not Liu Sheng. If Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan, had set up anti-theft mechanisms in his tomb, it would have been understandable... after all, he was a vassal king.
But Liu Chang was merely a Marquis. Was it worth the effort to set up such anti-theft mechanisms?
Furthermore, given the typical behavior of Liu Sheng's descendants, they would have been better off having more children instead of spending time on such things!
"Let's wait a bit longer..." Lu Yu feigned composure.
Hoo... Wei Hong let out another sigh. This matter was truly mysterious and profound!
Just then.
A faint light appeared at the entrance of the tomb, like a flame, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Lu Yu and Wei Hong's hearts leaped into their throats.
"Young Master Lu, Young Master Lu..."
The echo from within the tomb could be heard from a distance. When Lu Yu saw the approaching figure, he finally let out a long breath. It was not a "zombie," nor a "corpse," nor the legendary "shibi."
Instead, it was one of the guards who had entered with Cao Xiu.
"Did something happen?" Seeing him rush out, Wei Hong grabbed his hand. "Where is General Cao Xiu? Is he alright?"
"He's fine... he's fine!" The guard panted, slapping his chest a few times to catch his breath before shouting, "The coffin... we found the coffin, dozens of coffins! We opened them... opened them one by one, and inside... inside was all gold! There were gold nuggets, gold bars, gold bricks... it was impossible to count! Oh, and... and jewelry, enough jewelry to bury a person!"
Stuttering, the guard's mouth was trembling.
He felt as though he hadn't seen so much gold and jewelry in his entire life!
Of course, he hadn't seen it, and neither had most of the guards present in their lifetimes...
Hiss... gold, jewelry... so much that it couldn't be counted, enough to bury a person?
Everyone's eyes suddenly turned greedy. The primal instinct to pursue and covet gold ignited their primitive instincts!
Hoo... Lu Yu finally let out a long breath. From the guard's words, Lu Yu couldn't determine if this so-called gold was "real gold" or "brass." Ancient people liked to call brass gold!
But, regardless of which it was... this find, or rather, this tomb was truly rich!
"Young Master Lu Yu... this..."
Clearly, Wei Hong was also astonished. He had expected wealthy burials for royalty, but he never imagined they would find it so easily... so easily pilfered?
He also never imagined that now... with just a word from Lu Yu, all the gold and jewelry in the tomb would see the light of day, and it would all be his!
Between being penniless and being a millionaire, it seemed to be just a word away!
The development of events was unexpectedly smooth. Wei Hong felt it was too unrealistic, too unreal.
At this moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on Lu Yu, waiting for his decision.
"Ahem..."
Lu Yu cleared his throat and asked the guard, "Are you sure it's uncountable gold?"
"I would never dare deceive you, Young Master!" the guard replied truthfully...
"Then..." Lu Yu's eyes darted, and he looked back at the carriage behind them. "Can our carriage carry it?"
"Definitely not..." the guard replied...
Hearing this, Lu Yu clapped his hands. "Then what are you all standing around for? Go hire carriages, go move the gold..."
"If this job goes well, each of you gets one, no, two gold bricks!"
Gold bricks...
Although Lu Yu had no concept of the value of these gold bricks, to these dozens of guards, two gold bricks... that was enough to change their lives!
Gold bricks, how much grain could that buy?
Their families couldn't eat it all; if they gave away even a little, they might be able to buy a few young ladies!
Finally, could their "Qilin arms" that had accompanied them for twenty years finally retire gloriously?
At this thought, a vast crowd rushed into the tomb. So much gold had to be moved out first!
Some also went to "borrow" carriages from nearby villages. Their initial awe and fear of "spirits and ghosts" were now completely gone because of the "gold." Ghosts were nothing, money could make ghosts push the millstone!
Not long after, only Wei Hong remained around Lu Yu...
Uh... he felt a little scared!
Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and the surrounding torches swayed violently. Without the protection of others, Lu Yu felt a sudden lack of security. With a rustle, a gust of cold wind extinguished the torches around him, and Lu Yu shivered all over...
Shivering...
Cold with fear!
It truly was:
—— "Mercury stains, artifacts preserved, countless dragon palaces gone!"
—— "Sealed coffins, bronze sarcophagi, those with weak fortune dare not approach."
Fortune?
In this venture, Lu Yu truly hadn't "risen to the occasion"!
However, it didn't matter, this venture... he was "fat" and dripping with wealth!
...
...