**Chapter 271: Clear Thinking, Methodical Approach**
When Zhou Yongxiang suggested entering the tomb, I immediately refused.
After my previous experiences underground, I’d developed a genuine fear of those places. Burial chambers were no joke—booby-trapped, eerie, and downright unnerving.
Zhou didn’t press me. He just asked me to stay awhile longer while he searched for the "rubbing" from the photograph.
I didn’t object to that. As long as I didn’t have to descend into the tomb, hanging around for a bit was fine.
By the time we finished talking, the sky was already tinged with dawn. Wang Yang and I were assigned to a stilted bamboo house to rest.
Lying in bed, too wired to sleep, I struck up a conversation with Wang Yang.
*"What’s your take on all this?"* I asked.
*"Have you ever seen a bride placed inside a coffin?"* he countered.
I blinked, thrown by the question. He continued, *"Li Zhasi mentioned it—the female corpse in the inner coffin was dressed in a phoenix crown and bridal robes. Since when did ancient burials include wedding attire?"*
*"Are you saying she was a sacrificial burial?"*
He nodded.
I’d heard of ghost marriages—families marrying off deceased, unmarried men to living women, then entombing the brides alive to accompany them in the afterlife.
*"We don’t even know which era that underground palace belongs to,"* Wang Yang mused. *"If we could pinpoint the period, we might deduce whose tomb it is."*
Then he shot me a sidelong glance. *"You *really* don’t want to go down and see for yourself?"*
So *that’s* where this was heading. My interest evaporated. *"If you’re curious, tag along with Zhou Yongxiang. I’m not going."*
*"What, last time scared you straight?"*
Was he seriously trying to provoke me? Too bad it wouldn’t work. *"Yep. Terrified. No more tombs for me."*
He sighed. *"Pity. Who knows what unexpected treasures might be hidden there?"*
*"What kind of treasures?"* I asked despite myself.
*"Didn’t you notice the script on those bronze fragments looked familiar?"*
*"Where’ve we seen it before?"*
*"That tomb we entered with Wu Tingxiu in Yuncheng..."*
His words jogged my memory. The hallucination-inducing murals from that expedition bore similarities to the writing in Li Zhasi’s photo.
Back then, we’d been searching for the Suihou Pearl. Could this tomb also be connected to it?
The thought of the seven encrypted maps flickered in my mind. So far, we’d only recovered one. If another lay hidden here...
I quickly dismissed the idea. There was no guarantee the map was even in that tomb.
Plus, judging by Li Zhasi’s account, the underground palace was far from straightforward.
I voiced my concerns. Wang Yang smirked. *"You *actually* think the place is haunted?"*
*"Didn’t you hear Li Zhasi? That Lao Gao and Xiaojuan—"*
*"Their deaths had nothing to do with the tomb,"* he interrupted. *"Pretty sure it was murder. As for those ‘experts’ the mine owner hired? Amateur grave robbers, most likely. They probably triggered a trap."*
*"Then who killed Lao Gao and Xiaojuan?"*
*"Think about it—who stood to gain from their deaths?"*
*"Xiaojuan’s fiancé?"*
*"Bingo,"* he said. *"From Li Zhasi’s info, suspicion already pointed to him. And that apprentice of Lao Gao’s? Bet he was faking insanity."*
*"So the fiancé and the apprentice conspired to stage this whole charade?"*
*"Very possible,"* Wang Yang said. *"The story’s full of holes. If vengeful spirits were involved, why kill them *outside* the tomb? Why not just trap them inside?"*
*"That... actually makes sense. But the police investigated, didn’t they?"*
*"With the mine owner muddying the waters, who knows? All *he* cares about is keeping production steady."*
He added, *"Truth is, Li Zhasi probably knows exactly what happened. He just didn’t spell it out for us."*
*"He knows?"*
*"Think about it,"* Wang Yang said. *"If this were *really* supernatural, would Li Zhasi dare plan an expedition? Would he have brought those photos to Guangling? He’s holding back."*
His analysis clicked into place like a puzzle. I had to admit, his reasoning was solid.
*"So?"* Wang Yang raised an eyebrow. *"Now that you know it’s man-made, feel like taking a look?"*
I hesitated. *"We’ll see. Depends on Zhou Yongxiang’s arrangements."*
With a shrug, Wang Yang yawned and flopped onto the opposite bunk.
Lying there, turning over his words, I eventually drifted off.
I dreamed of descending into the tomb with Wang Yang. Inside, I encountered a woman in bridal garb, a red veil covering her face.
Perched atop a coffin, she called to me softly. When I lifted the veil, a familiar face greeted me—
Zheng Shuxuan!
Her lips curved into an eerie smile as she stared at me. *"Why did you take so long?"* she whispered. *"I’ve waited ages..."*
Then her flesh began sloughing off, revealing grinning bone beneath.
I jolted awake. Sunlight streamed through the bamboo slats, heating my face.
Glancing at my watch, I saw it was past 2 p.m.
Wang Yang was gone. After dressing, I stepped onto the balcony. The tropical sun blazed overhead—Yuncheng’s jungle climate meant even winter days scorched.
As I stretched, Wang Yang rounded the corner carrying a bamboo basket.
*"Where’d you go?"* I asked.
*"Scrounged up some food."* He jerked his chin toward the house. *"Eat first."*
Inside, he unpacked boiled potatoes, eggs, and milk cartons.
Between bites, he dropped a bombshell: *"Zhou Yongxiang left."*
*"Left? Where?"*
*"Didn’t say. But Li Zhasi mentioned he’d be back by tonight."*
I chewed an egg thoughtfully. No doubt Zhou was prepping for their tomb raid.
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