Chapter 10 Following the Trail

Following the hole dug by the grave robbers, we jumped down into the tomb chamber below. I couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap!" as I looked around.

There were three corpses in the chamber, all killed by sharp crossbow bolts through the chest. One, smaller in stature, was even pinned to the wall by the bolts!

Xiao Liang gasped, covering her mouth at the terrifying sight.

Old Wei said softly, "Looks like the rats ahead of us triggered the traps in the tomb."

Jiang Yongguang nodded slightly. "Indeed. Ming Dynasty tombs are dangerous. Even a seasoned tomb robber like Yang Guo lost a few brothers down here."

As he spoke, I deliberately examined the arms of the three corpses. They had no missing limbs, so they clearly weren't Yang Guo, the *zhiguo ren* (disabled veteran).

The three looked young, likely grunts in the tomb-robbing gang. These types were usually sent in first and became cannon fodder.

Jiang Yongguang scanned the chamber, but saw no coffins or burial goods.

"This isn't the main chamber, but a side chamber." He pointed deeper into the tomb. "The main chamber should be ahead."

Old Wei nodded and cautioned, "Dayong, be careful. The traps in the side chamber were deadly enough; the main chamber will likely be more dangerous!"

"Don't worry, I know my limits," Jiang Yongguang replied.

He took the lead again, picking up two bricks from the floor, ready to test the path ahead.

After walking three or four meters along the tomb passage, we arrived at a larger chamber. In the beam of our headlamps, I could make out numerous coffins.

"The main chamber should be ahead," Jiang Yongguang said. "Based on the structure of a vertical shaft tomb with a vaulted ceiling, the main chamber is in the center of the side chambers."

Unsure, Old Wei went forward to take a look, nodding. "Yes, judging by the number of coffins, this should be the main chamber, but are there a few too many coffins? One, two, three, four, five, six…wow, there's seven or eight!"

I was shocked. So many coffins in one chamber must mean there were plenty of burial goods.

I never expected this Ming tomb to be such a lucrative find!

Jiang Yongguang agreed, "So many coffins. It looks like the tomb occupant was quite extraordinary. Yang Guo truly is a cunning old rat; the tombs he targets are overflowing with riches."

As he spoke, Jiang Yongguang crouched down at the entrance to the main chamber and skillfully tossed the bricks inside, testing the path.

The first brick tumbled five or six meters, without triggering anything.

Jiang Yongguang listened intently, then threw the second brick.

The second brick flew further, landing in the center of the chamber. It echoed when it landed, but still, no traps were triggered.

Jiang Yongguang waited a moment, then nodded to us. "It's safe. I'll go first, you follow."

With that, he stepped into the main chamber.

After his thorough check, we relaxed a bit. Old Wei went second, followed by me, Uncle Mei, and Xiao Liang.

Upon entering the main chamber, we saw it was completely empty, save for the coffins. Not a single burial item remained.

Jiang Yongguang scoffed. "Good old Yang Guo cleaned the place out. Such a big chamber, and not even a spittoon or chamber pot is left!"

Old Wei turned to explain to us, "Ming Dynasty main chambers were usually designed like the tomb occupant's bedroom. Burial goods, mostly everyday items like beds, wardrobes, offering tables, and washstands, were placed around the coffin. Of course, wealthier occupants would also have a chest of gold and jewels."

I looked around the empty chamber and said, "Looks like the rats took everything."

"Definitely," Old Wei said helplessly. "Those rats sure are greedy. They didn't leave a single piece of furniture."

Xiao Liang pointed at the coffins in the main chamber, exclaiming, "Heavens, how are there seven coffins? Did seven people die in the family all at once? That's terrible!"

Uncle Mei also examined the seven coffins and frowned. "Why are the coffins placed so crookedly? Did the rats mess them up?"

Hearing this, I turned to look at the coffins in the chamber. There were large and small coffins, not neatly arranged, but crooked and disordered. At first glance, it looked like the tomb robbers had disturbed them.

But upon closer inspection, I realized the seven coffins were arranged in a mysterious pattern, resembling the Big Dipper.

"Seven Star Suspicious Coffins!"

Before I could speak, Jiang Yongguang, with his keen eyes, saw through the mystery.

He walked to the largest coffin, grabbed onto the lid, and climbed up. Looking down from above, he said, "Look, the seven coffins are arranged in the order of the Big Dipper, which is why they seem disordered. In feng shui, this arrangement is called Seven Star Suspicious Coffins."

Old Wei mused, "So this is Seven Star Suspicious Coffins. I've heard of it, but never seen it."

Xiao Liang asked curiously, "Old Wei, what exactly does Seven Star Suspicious Coffins mean?"

Old Wei said, "I'm not sure of the exact meaning, but I know this arrangement appeared as early as the pre-Qin period. It reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty. Not long ago, a Ming tomb was unearthed in Guangyuan Village in Guangxi, and the occupant used Seven Star Suspicious Coffins. At the time, the general consensus in the industry was that arranging the coffins in the pattern of the Big Dipper could bless descendants with good fortune in everything."

Jiang Yongguang added, "There's another theory about Seven Star Suspicious Coffins in the industry, which is that it's a common anti-theft mechanism. There's only one tomb occupant, but several coffins are placed, with only one containing the actual occupant. The other six coffins contain deadly traps, and any tomb robber who opens the wrong coffin will die on the spot."

Hearing this, I gasped. "Wow, only a one in seven chance of being correct. That's ruthless!"

Uncle Mei looked at the seven coffins and said, "These coffins are all tightly sealed. It means even Yang Guo and his crew didn't dare open the Seven Star Suspicious Coffins."

"Haha, doesn't that mean they only took the furniture in the main chamber and didn't get the real treasure?" Old Wei scoffed. "The truly valuable treasures must be in the occupant's coffin."

Jiang Yongguang narrowed his eyes. "That's not right. If Yang Guo and his crew didn't open the coffins, then where did they go? They didn't just vanish into thin air, did they?"