Chapter Fifty-Four: A Strange Encounter in the Tomb

Wei Qi and I did not return home; instead, we drove straight to Fulaishan in the State of Ju. Circling the mountain by car, we stopped at various spots to observe, finally settling at one location.

“Dachuan, what do you see?” Wei Qi pointed toward a hollow between the hills.

“Nothing really—just three peaks,” I replied. I had no knowledge of geomancy, and to me, it was just a trio of mountains.

“Feilai, Fulai, and Fulaishan—the names of these three peaks. They stand for Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity. The three mountains embrace each other, and before them runs a clear stream—this is the dragon vein. The rocky hills are typically barren, yet the central area is shaded with dense trees, a sign that soil has been added later—most likely to create a burial chamber. That's why, as Shangguan Wan'er said, it’s highly probable that an ancient tomb lies here, and not just any tomb, but a grand one,” Wei Qi explained with conviction.

His reasoning made sense. This unassuming, portly man truly had hidden talents.

But I thought the task before us was daunting. In such a vast gorge, where could we even begin to search for a tomb? This was nothing like the small graves I’d seen before, nor comparable to Shang Xiaoyun's husband's tomb. This was the tomb of Zi'ang, sovereign of the State of Ju—a monarch’s resting place, whose grandeur I could hardly imagine.

No matter how difficult it would be, I was determined to bring Wang Ying back to life, even if only for seven days. At this point, merely restoring her soul was not enough. I wanted her alive—we had so much to do together in those seven days.

Back in Wei Family Village, Wei Qi pulled me into his house and slammed the door shut. He led me to his inner room and hauled out a pile of objects from beneath his bed. I was utterly astounded. What on earth had this man done in the past? There was a Luoyang spade, a whirlwind shovel, a fire hoe, a tomb-raiding rope—all tools of the grave robber’s trade. I’d never robbed a grave myself, but dealing with corpses and mingling with tomb raiders as often as I did, I certainly recognized them. The presence of these tools told me Wei Qi must have been involved in this business before.

I asked him, half-joking, where he’d gotten all this. He replied that his master, Duan Sandao, had once been in the trade before becoming a spirit-walker.

That was enough for me. A hero’s worth is not in his past. Whatever his history, the present Wei Qi was a man worthy of respect.

Since Fulaishan is a tourist destination, bustling with visitors during the day, we could only act at night. After dinner, Wei Qi and I prepared to sneak out. Upon hearing our plan to search for the king’s tomb, Shangguan Wan’er insisted on joining. Since it was night and another person would be helpful, we agreed.

It was high summer, and the air was stifling, but Fulaishan was truly a cool haven. We parked the car and climbed up the rear of the mountain. The moonlight, pale and ethereal, filtered through the trees, dappling the forest floor with shifting patterns. A breeze rustled the leaves, adding a tranquil stillness to the night.

Wei Qi inspected the ground for a while, then began to dig with the Luoyang spade. It’s not a shovel as one might imagine, but a probing tool for extracting soil samples—a long rod that pushes into the earth, bringing up soil bit by bit. For actual excavation, you’d need the whirlwind shovel.

I couldn’t discern anything from the soil the spade brought up. Wei Qi tried several spots before suddenly exclaiming in delight, “Dachuan, come look!”

I leaned in close, peering at the soil he’d fished out, but saw nothing unusual. Wei Qi, however, pointed to a tiny white bead. “Look, a pearl! Where do you find pearls? In ancient tombs, of course. That means there’s a tomb below us.”

His words sent a thrill through me. “Let’s start digging then.”

“Dachuan, we need to divide the work. I’ll dig the tunnel, you’ll be in charge of removing the soil. Take the earth I bring up and scatter it elsewhere—the farther, the better.”

“Why do we need to do that?” I asked, puzzled by his arrangement.

“It’s so no one discovers us. The tunnel is about half a meter wide and straight down. If we leave heaps of earth nearby, it’ll be obvious. If we remove all traces, a bit of grass will cover the opening. That’s why the soil must be carried away,” Wei Qi explained.

Then I understood—even tomb robbing has its own sophistication.

Digging was hard for Wei Qi, but carrying away the soil was even harder for me. A thousand miles, no load is light—this stuff was crushingly heavy. I lugged the baskets over half a ridge before dumping the load into a ravine.

I was utterly exhausted, heart pounding out of my chest as I slumped down to rest. Shangguan Wan’er came over, handed me a bottle of mineral water, and said, “Brother, rest a bit, have some water. I’ll take a turn for you.” Before I could react, she’d shouldered the baskets and darted off, returning within moments—her speed was astonishing.

“Sister, that was fast!” I marveled at her lightning pace.

She grinned mischievously, “Did you think ghosts are useless? We have our own abilities.”

With her help, our speed increased dramatically. Inspired by Shangguan Wan’er, Xuan Li emerged as well; he dug, she carried the soil. The two of them seemed tireless, and within two hours, we’d reached the entrance to the tomb.

As I prepared to climb down through the dark opening, Wei Qi stopped me. He warned that after centuries, the tomb would be filled with carbon dioxide and devoid of oxygen—entering would be fatal. We would have to wait until tomorrow. Covering the entrance with grass, we returned home.

After a day of rest, Wei Qi and I set out again the next night. Shangguan Wan’er stayed behind to care for Wang Ying, but Xuan Li came along, saying he could help if anything happened.

At the tomb entrance, Wei Qi prepared a hen, tying it with rope and lowering it in to test the air quality. If the oxygen was too low, the hen would suffocate.

Fortunately, the hen survived. The three of us climbed down, with Xuan Li, being a spirit, moving much faster than we could. Inside the cave, Wei Qi and I were stunned. This was no ordinary tomb, but a vast cavern stretching into darkness.

“Dachuan, look!” As I wondered what lay at the cavern’s end, Wei Qi pointed to the ground.

I looked down and jumped—a trail of footprints, clear and bare, marked the earth.

“Uncle Qi, what is this?” I immediately thought someone had entered before us, but dismissed it—no tomb raider would go barefoot.

“Don’t speak, keep your eyes open,” Wei Qi murmured, signaling us forward.

A few steps on, Xuan Li suddenly cried out, “Master, master, look! Isn’t that you?” As I cautiously advanced, he pointed to the side, where a lifelike stone statue stood. Remarkably, the face bore a strong resemblance to mine.

Wei Qi shone his flashlight over it and then at my face. “Dachuan, this statue really looks like you!”

Indeed, the resemblance was uncanny—the face, expression, nose, ears, even the hands, though the clothes were ancient. It was too much of a coincidence.

Unable to resist, I reached out to touch the statue. The moment my fingers brushed it, a faint hum echoed in my ears. The statue collapsed, disintegrating into a heap of grayish-white dust, leaving only a sword in its grasp, with two large characters carved on the blade—Fengchi.

Wei Qi bent to pick up the sword, but as soon as he held it, blue sparks crackled from his hand, smoke curled up, and the scent of burning flesh filled the air. He dropped the sword in fright.

“Damn! That hurts!” he cried, clutching his hand.

I was stunned. What kind of artifact was this? I gingerly reached out, but felt no blue light, no burning. Lifting the sword, it felt no different from my own Longyuan sword, except heavier.

“How can this be? It burns me but not you,” Wei Qi wondered, staring at the Fengchi sword in my hand.

I couldn’t explain it either. To test it, I swung the sword, and a flash of blue light shot out, knocking a chunk of plaster off the wall—like some martial arts movie.

“Dachuan, this is a treasure. This sword’s power surpasses your Longyuan. I can’t control it; it must be yours,” Wei Qi said, a trace of disappointment on his face. Then he asked, “But why does the statue look so much like you, and why did it crumble at your touch?”

All I could do was smile wryly. The resemblance was uncanny, but it wasn’t me. I was from the modern world; this statue must have been carved for the ancient king of Ju. Besides, this tomb was over two thousand years old.

There was no time to dwell on it. Any mysteries could be unraveled later—now, the most important thing was to find the Blood Linglong.

We continued forward, and again barefoot footprints appeared, a fresh trail leading ahead.

As we followed the prints, we heard rapid, panting breaths behind us. Turning, I saw Shangguan Wan’er rushing in from outside. This girl! I’d told her to stay home and look after Wang Ying, yet here she was.

“Wan’er, why are you here?” I asked, fearing something had happened at home.

“Brother, I don’t know why, but after you left, I felt uneasy. Just now, a wave of sorrow hit me, as if I were dying, so I hurried here to find you,” she replied, clinging to my arm as if I were truly her brother.

“Careful, this sword is dangerous—sharp as mud through iron!” I quickly swapped the sword to my other hand.

“Fengchi? How did Ziyi’s Fengchi sword end up with you?” Shangguan Wan’er exclaimed, surprise on her face. She snatched the sword from me, but thankfully, it did not burn her.

Ziyi’s Fengchi sword? Her words floored me. “You’re saying this is the Fengchi sword?”

“Yes! It’s the Fengchi sword. Look at the tassel—I hung it there myself!” she replied excitedly, then nudged my arm, “Brother, tell me, where is Ziyi? Whether man or ghost, I must find him.”

“Wan’er, calm down. Look closely—how am I different from Ziyi?” I asked, worried. The statue’s likeness to me was unsettling; could I be Ziyi’s reincarnation?

Her answer eased my mind. “Brother! Ziyi was much more handsome than you. You two are nothing alike. You’re my brother; he was my fiancé.”