Exploring the Illusory Tomb Part 1 [Ancient Times Version] - Chapter 11: Suspended Coffin

Chapter 11: Suspended Coffin

“You…” 

Before I could finish my sentence, Luo Shen raised her index finger to her lips. She was signaling me not to make a sound. It forced me to swallow my words back down. I was startled to see her chest rise and fall intensely. It was as if she were a bit nervous, or perhaps angry. The droplets of water from her hair fell onto the water surface, making hollow echoes. It was like the sound of midnight soul-summoning gongs.

We were in a relatively spacious karst cave; to the right was a jagged stone shore. The water flowed further into the distance, with no end in sight. And that huge Imperial Maiden Silk was already long gone.

Xiao Jian and the others surfaced one by one from underwater. And just like me, they were silenced by Luoshen’s gesture. This woman was mysterious. But among us, she was the most skilled. So we had no choice but to obey.

Everyone dragged their soaked bodies ashore. This place was dark and damp; staying here too long would probably leave one with lasting ailments. In the darkness, Xiao Jian lit a fire starter. The small flame flickered. It cast our giant shadows on the walls. It was giving a haunting and eerie feeling.

By the faint firelight, Luo Shen made a hand sign: 

“Be careful when walking later.”

I responded with a gesture: 

“Why?”

“Just follow me, don’t ask so much.” 

Luo Shen looked a little impatient. It was as if she wanted to leave this place quickly. After replying to me, she turned and walked forward on her own. Her cold aura was making Xiao Jian grimace. He exaggeratedly gestured at me. It made me almost burst out laughing.

Below the stone wall to the right, loose rocks were piled up. Six elongated shadows were cast on the wall. With the bizarre shapes of stones flashing by, it was like a shadow puppet play telling a folk ghost tale. I was soaked to the skin. And the sight only made my hair stand on end.

There are many strange things in ancient tombs, I had long known that. But encountering a monster like the Imperial Maiden Silk earlier still made my scalp tingle. It made me want to turn back and leave. But thinking of Kunlun, still under house arrest in that prince’s mansion, I could only grit my teeth and endure.

Suddenly, I saw a long and huge shadow cast on a section of the stone wall. Looking up along the shadow, I vaguely saw a large rectangular box-like object. I signaled Xiao Jian to raise the fire starter higher so I could see more clearly. Xiao Jian did as I asked. And immediately, his eyes lit up. He even dropped the fire starter to the ground.

“Ah!” 

Xiao Jian exclaimed. And the group abruptly stopped, breaking the taboo of remaining silent.

Xiao Jian completely forgot the rule. His eyes were sparkling with excitement: 

“Good stuff!”

On the high stone wall hung a large stone coffin. Under the flickering firelight, it shone softly. It revealed a faint glow. One look at the texture made it clear it was no ordinary item. It was actually a jade coffin made from high-quality jade material.

There’s an old saying in the tomb-robbing trade: “Open a coffin, get rich.” Tomb raiders have always had a special affection for coffins. Though coffins often contain malevolent things, the priceless treasures are all hidden inside them. Especially those made of rare materials—they often hold unimaginable valuables inside.

“Damn, this is Yao jade!” 

Xiao Jian’s tomb-raiding instincts were instantly triggered. And he sighed, 

“Tsk tsk, we’re gonna strike it rich this time.” 

From the look of him, he was one step away from rolling up his sleeves and climbing up there for action.

Upon hearing “Yao jade”, Qing Songzi and the others turned back and looked up too. They all became equally excited.

They’d spent years crawling through ancient tombs. Coffins were the source of their fortune. Tomb raiders all dream of sudden wealth—why else would anyone risk their life in a monster-filled tomb unless tempted by huge rewards?

A small piece of Yao jade alone is already incredibly valuable. Let alone a whole coffin carved from a massive block. And beyond the jade itself, who knows what kind of priceless treasure might be buried within that coffin?

I’m not a tomb raider; I’ve always been indifferent to such things. But Kunlun insisted on teaching me the arts of geomancy and strange divinations. It might mean I was destined to become entangled with the underground, sleeping world.

I don’t understand Kunlun’s obsession with tomb-raiding. I know she’s not after riches. She’s searching for something—so obsessively that she never tires. But what is it that matters so much to her, that she would pour her heart into the search, even at the cost of her legs—and now even her freedom?

My thoughts were a mess. Thinking of Kunlun while staring at the jade coffin before me, I started to feel something was wrong. Such a fine jade coffin—why would it appear here in this karst cave, suspended high on a stone wall? If someone noble lay within, why not place it inside a proper tomb chamber?

Just then, a strange rustling sound came from the jade coffin. It was like many silkworms chewing on mulberry leaves. Xiao Jian and the others seemed to hear it too. They fell silent, puzzled expressions on their faces.

“What… sound is that?” 

Even Xiao Jian’s voice trembled—he’s the type to be brave for money but a coward when facing ghosts.

“If you don’t want to die, run now! You trying to get rich in the underworld?” 

Luo Shen’s voice was cold and filled with anger. We had completely forgotten her warning. And now it seemed we had stirred up some serious evil.

Just as she finished speaking, the jade coffin on the stone wall suddenly started shaking violently. Sensing something bad, we all bolted at top speed. Xiao Jian screamed, 

“Damn it! There’s actually a living corpse grandpa in there! Living so high up—isn’t he afraid of breaking his old bones?!” 

And yet he was running faster than anyone.

To me, the sound didn’t seem like a corpse. If it was a corpse, and we hadn’t opened the coffin, why would it awaken? Luo Shen originally told us not to make a sound—could it be that this thing awakens and attacks when it hears noise?

I had no idea what was happening behind us. But it felt like many things were rushing down the stone wall. I didn’t dare look back and just fled in panic. I regretted not practicing the “Shifting Flower Steps” Kunlun taught me more thoroughly—otherwise, I wouldn’t be in such a pitiful state.

I didn’t even know why we were running. Xiao Jian was using all his strength. The moment Luo Shen shouted “run,” fear took over. Nobody knew what came out of the jade coffin—only one thing was certain: we had to run for our lives.

It’s pitiful how people are—panic makes us lose all reason.

By the time I realized it, I had no idea where I was. It was pitch black all around. But I could tell the environment was gradually getting drier. I took a fire starter from my leather pouch and lit it—and what I saw nearly scared me to death.

There was no one around—only me!

Despair set in instantly. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. This made no sense. We were all running in the same direction. How could I end up alone? All my life, I had never imagined I’d end up alone in a spooky, ancient tomb like this—it was beyond belief!

Trembling, I raised the fire starter and swept it around. I found myself in a stone-paved corridor. The walls on both sides had scattered old lamps—those same Yaksha lanterns as in the tunnel before. A thick, musty scent stung my nose. The corridor stretched into the distance. It ended in more unknowable darkness.

I calmed myself and recalled the chaos as we escaped. Maybe there were many similar corridors—and I ran into the wrong one?

Now, I had no idea if the thing from the jade coffin was still nearby. I was all alone. One misstep and this could be the end of me. Judging from this corridor’s structure, it was the most basic type of passage in a tomb. It symbolized the path to the resting soul of the tomb’s owner. I had finally entered the tomb’s interior.

Fortunately, I had rations and tools with me—enough to survive for a while.

Right now, the most important thing was to find out whose tomb this was, what burial system it used, and what its historical background was. That way, I could locate the clue left by the gold foil. Following the gold foil’s trail, I would surely reunite with Luo Shen and the others.