Chapter Twenty-One: The Black Tumored Stone Coffin (Seeking Favorites and Recommendations)

(Whew, that was close—we almost didn't make it back in time. On the drive back today, there was a car accident up ahead on the road. A van had been slammed into a crumpled heap of metal by a truck—a gruesome sight. We were stuck in traffic for three hours, but at least we made it back. Hope all the drivers out there stay careful—wishing everyone a lifetime of safety.)

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That coffin was pitch-black all over. When the flashlight hit it, the densely packed relief carvings on the stone sarcophagus actually gave off a faint glimmer. I was so taken aback that for a moment I couldn't make out what the carvings depicted—all I could see were clumps upon clumps of something.

Looking closer, I realized those weren't carvings at all. They were lumps, every single one about the size of a palm, clinging to the surface of the stone sarcophagus like fleshy tumors.

The sarcophagus was nearly four meters long, and those lumps were crammed together so thickly that the sight was utterly nauseating.

What baffled us even more was that there seemed to be nothing securing the massive coffin from above. From where we stood, it looked as though it was simply suspended in midair.

The people behind tried to shine their flashlights above the coffin, but the angle was bad, so no one could see what was up there.

We walked over, all of us craning our necks to stare up at the thing.

"Damn, this coffin's got psoriasis or something—what the hell are these things?" As he spoke, Fatty was already getting ready to jab at one of the lumps overhead with his dagger.

"Don't touch it!" Professor Chen shouted immediately. "We still don't know what we're dealing with here. If there's toxic gas inside, we'd be in real trouble."

Fatty reluctantly pulled his hand back. "Then what do we do? This weird thing is lying right across the front burial chamber—are we just supposed to pretend we don't see it?"

"You can't just go at it recklessly like that either," Zhuge Xuan said. "We don't know what's holding this coffin up. What if you bump it and it comes crashing down?"

"What 'what if'? I think the real danger is not figuring this thing out." Fatty couldn't stand being contradicted by Zhuge Xuan, and he was ready to make a move again. "All of you, back off a bit. With guts like this, what the hell are you doing going into ancient tombs at all? Might as well just go home."

Professor Chen was about to say something else when Peanut spoke up.

"Uncle, actually, Mr. Cao has a point. We're not dealing with an ordinary situation here. We still haven't figured out what happened to Yang Lang and the three people before him. If we keep stumbling through this blindly, something's bound to go wrong eventually."

After Peanut finished, even Professor Chen seemed to think there was some sense in it.

"Now that's what a professional archaeologist ought to say." Fatty patted Peanut, then jerked his chin at the rest of us to signal everyone to back up.

I still wasn't entirely comfortable. "Hey, don't you think using that dagger is a bit... flimsy? Grab something longer. At least if something happens, you'll have an easier time getting away."

Fatty figured I had a fair point, so he put the dagger away and pulled a shovel out of his gear instead.

"Everyone, step back a bit," Professor Chen said. The six of us retreated two or three meters.

Fatty stood alone beneath the coffin, taking a look at it first, then reaching the shovel blade up toward one of the lumps above.

"Clang, clang, clang."

Three light metallic sounds rang out, and we all froze.

"Are those things made of iron?" Zhang Yadong asked, puzzled.

Fatty turned back to us. "I think this coffin's pretty solid—like knocking on a truck. Probably won't come down that easily. What do you say I try prying one off?"

The last part was directed at Professor Chen. After all, he couldn't bear the charge of damaging cultural relics on his own.

Professor Chen thought it over, then nodded to Fatty. "Just give it a light try. If it's stuck too tight, or if those things turn out to be part of the sarcophagus itself, pull back right away."

"Got it." Fatty turned back around.

I let out a bitter laugh inwardly. Professor Chen clearly hadn't gotten a read on Fatty's temperament. Telling him to go easy? Ha, not likely. If he said he was going to pry one off, he'd be putting everything he had into it.

Since those lumps were all irregularly rounded, there were gaps between them and the sarcophagus. Fatty wedged the shovel blade into one of the gaps, planning to use leverage. He pressed down hard on the handle—that should tell him whether the lump could be pried loose.

We all watched the scene with rapt attention. The surroundings grew quiet.

"Ssss... scratch, scratch..."

Faintly, I thought I heard that strange sound again. Slowly, I turned my head toward the spot where we'd set down our packs. Nothing was there.

I was wondering what could be making that sound when, suddenly, one of the equipment bags on the very edge of the pile shifted slightly.

I jumped in surprise, forgetting about Fatty for the moment, and ran straight back to snatch up that backpack.

When I looked, there was nothing underneath but bricks.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Yaxi asked, noticing my odd behavior.

"Nothing. I... I just wanted a drink of water." I was about to explain, but the movement had been so faint, and with just the one flashlight beam, I couldn't illuminate things all that clearly—maybe I really had just imagined it.

Just then, Fatty got his answer too.

"Damn, these are definitely part of the sarcophagus." Fatty set down the shovel and caught his breath. From the looks of it, he'd really been giving it everything he had.

"Professor, could these things just be a structural feature of the coffin?" Zhuge Xuan asked.

"Unlikely," Professor Chen said, stepping forward and pointing at the coffin above. "Look—the sarcophagus itself has regular inscriptions in the gaps between these black things. That means they could only have been attached later. Besides, search every historical record we have, and you won't find any coffin with this kind of construction."

When he heard that, Fatty banged his shovel against one of the lumps three times—"clang, clang, clang." "In that case, I'll climb up and see how this thing is hanging up there. Maybe I can get it down."

"Get it down?" Zhang Yaxi laughed. "Even if you got it down, who's going to catch it? Do you have any idea what you'd owe if you destroyed a rare artifact? Hmph. Amateur..."

The moment those words left her mouth, I saw Fatty's face darken.

Professor Chen knew exactly what kind of person Fatty was. The way Zhang Yaxi was talking, who knew what Fatty might do. Without hesitation, he shoved Zhang Yaxi aside. "Mr. Cao is just trying to find a solution. If you don't agree with him, fine—but what's all this useless talk for?"

From the perspective of the two brothers, Professor Chen's reaction seemed a bit excessive. But I understood—he was trying to keep Fatty from losing his temper. That shove was essentially Fatty's punishment delivered on his behalf.

Fatty was an old hand at reading situations, and that kind of gesture still worked on him. I saw him about to charge over a moment before, but after hearing what Professor Chen said, the fire in his eyes finally died down. Though that flame probably hadn't been fully extinguished, and Fatty didn't seem inclined to consult us further. He said flatly, "Whether you all agree or not, Lord Fatty's going up there today."

I was about to step in and smooth things over. "Alright, Fatty. If you're going up, at least do it on a full stomach. Can't you see everyone here is just about dead on their feet?"

As I spoke, I started to set down the bag. But just as my flashlight beam swept across the underside of that equipment pack, I suddenly caught a glimmer—something like gold dust.

Fatty picked up the thread of my words. "Lord Fatty here isn't like you fine young ladies and gentlemen. If you want to eat, go ahead. Old—"

He didn't get to finish. Suddenly, from up on that coffin above us, came three sharp metallic clangs.

Everyone flinched simultaneously, and I saw the six people ahead of me scramble back several steps.