“Xiao Fei, what do you think this is?” Wang Yang pointed to the carvings inside the coffin.
The inside of the coffin was covered in many carvings, which would not have been noticed if not for a close inspection.
I leaned in and discovered that the patterns on the coffin bore a striking resemblance to the map I had obtained earlier.
This caused me to pause in surprise!
Could this be another map?
The thought made me uneasy.
If this was indeed another map, did that mean I had to get this coffin out of here?
But how could it be easy to move such a large coffin?
“Shopkeeper Xiang seems very interested in these patterns?” Zhou Yongxiang asked, a wide grin on his face, as he approached.
His objective for this trip had been achieved, and he was in high spirits, no longer looking so glum but instead beaming with joy.
I nodded, not offering too much explanation, knowing that too much talk could lead to mistakes.
Especially since Zhou Yongxiang was a shrewd old fox; saying too much would only be detrimental.
“This sarcophagus certainly cannot be taken out, but these patterns…” As he spoke, he took out a film camera and handed it to me, “Shopkeeper Xiang, take this and use it.”
Seeing the film camera in his hand, my heart leaped; it was truly a glimmer of hope.
I should have realized earlier that he would surely have a camera with him.
He had come prepared this time, so bringing a camera into the tomb was perfectly normal.
I took the camera without betraying any emotion, thanked him, and then handed it to Wang Yang. I used my flashlight to illuminate the patterns inside the sarcophagus, and he began to photograph them.
After finishing, I took out the film. Just as I was about to return the camera to Zhou Yongxiang, he suggested, “How about we all take a group photo?”
This was my first time taking photos in an ancient tomb, but since he had proposed it, I couldn't refuse.
So, Wang Yang volunteered to take the picture for us.
The four of us – myself, Zhou Yongxiang, Da Jun, and Li Zhasi – stood by the stone mill in the courtyard. Wang Yang pressed the shutter, taking a few photos of us.
It felt as if we weren't here to explore a tomb, but rather on a sightseeing trip.
After the photos were taken, Da Jun slung the bronze statue onto his back, and we prepared to follow the same hole the lizard had crawled through to find an exit.
Everyone seemed a bit weary, and our conversations gradually became less frequent.
Not to mention them, I didn't feel like talking either.
My back hurt, and my feet hurt.
Without even taking off my shoes, I could guess that my feet were almost entirely covered in blisters.
The group slowly proceeded through the cave. I wasn't sure if it was a hallucination or something else, but I vaguely heard the sound of children laughing.
“Hehehe…”
The laughter was intermittent, sometimes clear, sometimes faint.
I asked Wang Yang, who was walking in front of me, “Did you hear anything?”
He turned to look at me, his expression puzzled, “What sound?”
“You didn't hear it?”
Wang Yang shook his head.
I assumed I had misheard and didn't say anything further, letting him continue walking.
However, just as Wang Yang turned his head, the sound echoed clearly in my ears.
I could swear I hadn't misheard!
I spun around abruptly and saw that behind me, apart from Li Zhasi, there was no one else.
“Boss Xiang?” Li Zhasi looked at me, confusion etched on his face.
Seeing his expression, my suspicion grew. Was it truly my imagination?
I took a deep breath, telling myself not to be jumpy.
Little did I know, the moment I turned back, the laughter sounded in my ears again. This time, I reacted faster. Almost as soon as the laughter began, I turned my head and saw Li Zhasi looking at me with a sinister expression, a bizarre smile on his face. And the laughter was coming from his mouth!
Suddenly, goosebumps prickled my skin, and a chill ran up my spine.
Abruptly, a hint of resentment appeared in Li Zhasi's eyes. He lunged at me, pinning me to the ground. His hands, like iron clamps, dug into my throat, squeezing tightly.
I forcefully pushed up with my knees, trying to shove him off, but it had no effect. Soon, a sense of suffocation spread through me.
At this moment, Wang Yang noticed our struggle and rushed over, grabbing Li Zhasi, “What are you doing?!”
Li Zhasi showed no reaction, continuing to choke me with all his might, the resentment on his face undiminished.
Seeing that he couldn't pull him away, Wang Yang delivered a chop to the back of his neck, finally knocking him unconscious.
My neck loosened, and I couldn't help but start coughing.
Damn it, what was wrong with this guy?
Da Jun and Zhou Yongxiang, who were walking ahead, heard the commotion and came over to ask what was happening.
I recounted the events briefly. Everyone looked at each other, clearly finding the situation quite uncanny.
“Could this be a lingering side effect from the hallucinogenic drugs he inhaled in the main hall earlier?” Wang Yang suggested.
It was quite possible. Back in the main hall, we had lit oil lamps, and the fumes they emitted could cause hallucinations.
“What do we do now?” I asked, looking at Li Zhasi lying on the ground.
Zhou Yongxiang directly offered his opinion, “Let's leave him here for now and continue. Once we're out, I'll send people to find him.”
“Leave him here alone?” I was taken aback.
Zhou Yongxiang seemed to think nothing was wrong with this, replying, “We must find a way out now. The longer we stay here, the greater the danger.”
While that was true, I felt I couldn't just abandon a living person.
Seeing my silence, he seemed to guess my thoughts and said, “Shopkeeper Xiang, how about this: Da Jun and I will go ahead to find the exit. You stay here to watch him. Once he wakes up and is alright, you can catch up.”
His meaning was quite clear. Wang Yang glanced at me, seemingly waiting for me to make a decision.
A surge of anger rose within me. This old man was truly a fair-weather friend.
“Fine, then please trouble Elder Zhou to scout ahead,” I said sarcastically.
Zhou Yongxiang flashed a smile, nodded to Da Jun, and the two of them continued forward.
As soon as they left, I couldn't help but curse.
Wang Yang consoled me, “For him, Li Zhasi’s fate doesn’t matter. What matters is his own objective… Forget Li Zhasi, if something happened to us, he probably wouldn't bat an eye.”
“Damn it, I knew we shouldn’t have bothered with him earlier!” I said indignantly.
“This is also good,” Wang Yang chuckled. “They think we are a burden, but I think they are a burden too.”
I was a bit confused.
“Think about it, Zhou Yongxiang is so old, and Da Jun is carrying a bronze statue. If something were to happen, do you think they could handle it?” Wang Yang asked.
Hearing this, I felt much better and replied, “Now that you mention it, it’s true…”
As soon as I finished speaking, a loud noise echoed from ahead.