Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Thirty – The Hidden Door

As Li Kun was grumbling, I had already walked beneath one of the stone pillars. I looked up at it; the pillar was unadorned, not even bearing the most basic dragon motif. It was a pristine black column, reaching straight to the ceiling and fitted perfectly into the beam above. Seeing that these pillars were all load-bearing, I could only smile wryly. Just then, Li Kun called out behind me, “Liu, look over there.”

Hearing his shout, I turned to see Li Kun shining his flashlight onto the platform ahead. From where I stood, the pillar blocked my view, so I hadn’t noticed anything unusual on the platform. Following the beam of Li Kun’s flashlight, I saw a long staircase leading up to the platform, and at its summit sat a massive stone chair.

What surprised me was that to the left of the chair stood a stone rack nearly two meters high, and hanging from it appeared to be a piece of clothing.

I waved at Li Kun and said, “Li, doesn’t that look like ancient armor hanging on the rack? The kind used on battlefields long ago?”

Li Kun nodded, “Hey, now that you mention it, it really does look like ancient armor.”

I said, “Let’s check if it’s damaged. If it’s intact, we could sell it for a fortune.”

Li Kun rubbed his hands eagerly, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go see. If it is, we’ll strike it rich this trip.”

I nodded, and together we ascended the platform. When we reached the top, we both froze. The armor was indeed ancient, but only the chest piece remained in decent condition; the back and sides around the waist were badly damaged.

The armor itself was a vivid green, and inside, there were faint traces of crimson. It was clear this was the burial owner’s battle armor, worn in life, for nothing else could explain its battered state.

Seeing the armor, Li Kun grimaced, “No wonder none of the tomb robbers bothered to take it—it’s ruined beyond recognition. And Liu, look at it, why is it so green? What is that?”

I was curious myself about the color. I reached out and touched the chest of the armor, then gently tapped it a few times. A muffled metallic sound rang out. I thought for a moment, then clapped my hands and said, “Li, despite the damage, this armor is valuable. Do you know what it’s made of?”

Li Kun scratched his head, “Come on, Liu, don’t keep me guessing. You sound like a stall vendor at the ghost market. Spill it.”

I smiled, “The entire armor is cast from bronze.”

Li Kun’s interest was piqued. He examined the green armor up and down, “Bronze? Really? Don’t fool me, Liu. I know what copper looks like, but this armor is green!”

I explained, “The most famous ancient copperware is the bronze cauldron, and also the bronze swords from the Three Kingdoms era—the power of those swords, you know well. Bronze armor is not only tough, but also resistant to corrosion and wear.”

“The reason for the green color is the dampness in the tomb. Copper left in moist, cold places for a long time changes color. That’s why this bronze armor has turned green.”

Li Kun nodded, “Hey, Liu, if we bring this out, how much would it be worth? It’s a Song Dynasty bronze armor, but honestly, it doesn’t look very appealing.”

I looked at the bronze armor and sighed, “Let’s not worry about it for now. When we’re ready to leave, we can take it with us. It’ll be safe here; nobody’s going to steal it.”

Li Kun agreed, “Fine, let’s leave the junk here. We’ll grab it on our way out. Who knows what else we’ll run into; carrying this now would only weigh us down. It’s not light, after all.”

I replied, “Right, let’s leave it. For now, let’s search for any hidden doors.”

Li Kun said, “Alright, let’s split up. I’ll take the left, you take the right.”

I said, “Be careful. If you see anything, call me. Don’t touch any mechanisms.”

Li Kun reassured me, “Don’t worry. If I spot anything, I’ll shout right away.” I nodded, and together we descended from the platform.

I moved to the left side of the hall, probing the walls with my flashlight. If there was a hidden door, it would surely be in the wall.

I swept the beam back and forth. Suddenly, as I turned the light to the right, I noticed a flat protrusion. Quickly, I swung the flashlight back, searching for the black stone brick I’d glimpsed.

But after searching for a while, I couldn’t find it. Then an idea struck me: if I couldn’t see the protrusion head-on, perhaps from the side, pressed against the wall, I might spot it.

I pressed myself against the wall and shone the flashlight along its surface. Sure enough, I saw the slightly raised stone brick. I placed my palm beneath it and stood before the wall.

I called out, “Li, come here! I’ve found the hidden door’s mechanism!”

Li Kun’s face lit up and he hurried over from the other side of the hall. Seeing me bracing the wall with my arm, he paused, “Liu, are you sure? What kind of pose is that?”

I shot him a look, “The stone brick above my hand is the mechanism. If you don’t believe me, check it yourself.”

Skeptical, Li Kun pressed against the wall and looked at the brick above my hand.

Upon seeing the protrusion, he grinned, “Well done, Liu. You spotted that? Your eyes must be sharper than a hawk’s!”

I said, “Enough chatter. Hand me the crowbar and go hide by the pillar.”

Li Kun hesitated, “Liu, you’re really going for it?”

I replied, “I don’t think there’s a trap here. If there were, the tomb robbers before us would’ve triggered it, and there’d be signs. But to be safe, I’ll be cautious. I only have one life.”

Li Kun nodded, took off his backpack, handed me the crowbar, and hurried off to hide behind a pillar, “Liu, be careful. Once you press it, run over right away.”

I took a deep breath, gripped the crowbar tightly, and smashed its end onto the protruding black brick. The moment it struck, the brick sank inward.

I spun and bolted, fearing even a second’s delay might mean being shot by arrows. I rushed to Li Kun’s side and peered around.

We shone our flashlights onto the wall, but to our frustration, nothing happened.

Li Kun and I exchanged glances. He said, “Liu, are you sure that’s the mechanism? There’s no reaction at all.”

I was puzzled, scratching my head. “That’s strange—it definitely went down. Why isn’t anything happening?”

I scanned the area with my flashlight, then suddenly remembered something. “Wait, the mechanism must be double-sided. There should be another on the opposite wall. Let’s check there.”

I dashed to the other side, Li Kun following close behind. We pressed against the wall, shining our flashlights back and forth.

After a moment, Li Kun said, “Liu, look, there’s one just like before.”

I followed his beam and saw the protruding stone brick. “This must be it. Li, get clear.”

Li Kun ran off again. I hefted the crowbar and drove it into the brick. It sank inward, and immediately a deep rumbling echoed through the hall as stone scraped against stone.