Exploring the Illusory Tomb Part 1 [Ancient Times Version] - Chapter 12: Lone Shadow

Chapter 12: Lone Shadow

The passage was like a winding sheep’s gut. It was so long it seemed endless. I held up a fire striker and carefully moved forward. I was constantly on guard against any traps that might be hidden.

In certain key passageways, the tomb builders often set up obstacles. These traps were bizarre and unpredictable. They were impossible to guard against. This was one of the main reasons Kunlun had me focus on studying trap mechanisms.

Under the flickering firelight, everything around became shadowy and ghost-like. The lonely shadow stretched longer with the swaying flame. It cast a grotesque shape on the stone wall.

Looking at that lonely shadow on the wall, I gave a bitter smile. Now that I was alone, was I even scared of my own shadow? Hadn’t I always walked step by step on my own before?

Kunlun once told me, ghosts and monsters in the world may be terrifying. But no matter how terrifying they are, they cannot compare to the treachery and coldness of the human heart.

The human heart—just one move can bring about death.

*Tap, tap… tap, tap…* Hollow footsteps echoed in the passage. It was as if someone had been following me all along. But I knew very well, in this narrow space, I was the only one moving forward with a flame in hand.

Gradually, I noticed the stone walls on both sides were mottled. It was as if it was decorated with a layer of something, parts of which had peeled off. Looking closer—it was actually some murals.

I couldn’t help feeling a bit of joy. Murals and reliefs in ancient tombs usually reveal the life story of the tomb owner. Though sometimes exaggerated, they still allow us to make general deductions. That way, we can figure out which noble person is buried here.

Because the passage was near an underground pool, and due to the long passage of time, the murals were badly damaged. I could only faintly make out the general content.

The first mural depicted a grand royal wedding ceremony. A man wearing a golden crown was leaning down to kiss a gorgeously dressed woman. Her face was damaged. It was hard to see clearly. But judging from her graceful figure, she must have been a beauty of stunning allure.

The woman’s clothing was different from the others. The man and the attendants wore Han Chinese attire. But the woman’s dress was clearly not in Central Plains style—she wore bells and dazzling ornaments. She was likely a foreign princess sent in marriage.

The next few murals showed the daily life of the man in the gold crown and the woman. The man was at least of princely rank, judging from his luxurious dress—clear even in the paintings. But later, the scene changed: the crowned man sat in grief by a bed. While the woman lay on it, barely breathing. The final mural showed a grand burial ceremony. The woman was placed into a jade coffin by several men. And eight black long snakes were buried with her.

These murals described a common story—some prince or emperor married a foreign woman, cherished her dearly, but she passed away. The man then built her this resting tomb. But royal marriages with foreign women were common through history. And with just these few paintings, I still couldn’t tell which historical figure this was.

After looking at the murals, I was just about to move on when I saw a red shadow flash past in front of me like lightning. My heart skipped a beat. None of us wore red—who was this figure who moved so swiftly?

Or perhaps… it wasn’t human?

I didn’t dare think further. I gently blew out the fire striker to avoid being seen. And I cautiously walked to where the red shadow had disappeared—only to find it was a dead end. The passage had already reached its end.

It was as if I had been hit over the head. Did that red shadow pass through the wall?

A chilling cold brushed over my skin layer by layer. I carefully approached the wall. I was afraid that red figure might suddenly pounce out from it and kill me on the spot. I placed my hand on it—and quickly realized something was different. The surface felt slick and smooth compared to other places. I couldn’t help but chuckle—turns out a hidden mechanism was buried here.

I blamed myself for being too jumpy and forgetting my own trade in a panic.

When it comes to trapcraft, the key is “observe, touch, listen.” That means sharp eyes, sensitive hands, keen ears. Ancient traps and hidden weapons were mostly made of wooden components. They were fitted with intricate gears—such wonderful techniques were astonishing. Since ancient times, countless schools specialized in trap mechanics, with the Mo School being the most renowned.

I held my breath and focused. One hand groped around the wall while my ear pressed against it. I listened carefully for the sound of moving mechanisms.

With a calm heart, I searched inch by inch—sure enough, I found a hidden compartment. I gently pulled the latch inside. And a soft mechanical sound followed. A hidden door on the right wall opened.

I quickly slipped through the door and was surprised to find another passage identical in scale to the last. But a sickening stench of bl00d rushed to my nose. I held up the fire striker—bloodstains were splattered on the walls and still not dry. Clearly, a brutal fight had taken place here just moments ago.

Only our group had entered this tomb. I thought maybe something had happened to Luo Shen and the others. Nervously looking around, I saw someone lying not far away. I rushed over and found it was a man I had never met—his face was covered in bl00d and twisted in pain. It showed that he had endured extreme torment before death.

He carried tools used for tomb raiding. It seemed he was in the same line of work. One of his arms was gone—severed, jagged, and dark red bl00d still flowed from the stump. The sight made my stomach churn. One detail on his chest caught my eye: a bl00d-red lotus flower was embroidered there. It stood out eerily among the bl00d.

It was now certain—another group had entered this tomb. For tomb raiders, this was a taboo. Two tigers fighting—one must fall. Especially over rare treasures buried in the tomb.

As I was thinking, a rustling sound suddenly came from behind—as if many things were approaching. It was the exact same sound as the things that had emerged from the jade coffin earlier. My heart sank. I quickly used my “Shifting Flower Step” to flee. These things must have been the ones who killed that man. They had been lurking nearby. They must have caught the scent of a living human—me.

I didn’t want to end up like the corpse on the ground. I ran with all my might. The terrifying noise crept closer and faster. I even felt as if those things were right at my heels, ready to pounce and tear me apart.

In my panic, something grabbed my right hand. I thought one of them had caught me and instinctively shook it off—but I couldn’t. Instead, I was dragged upward by a great force.

I was pulled to a high place. The back of my head hit something cold. And I smelled a faint, cool scent of a woman. My heart leapt with both shock and joy. I said, 

“Luo Shen?”

“Don’t make a sound,” 

The person behind me said coldly. Who else could it be but Luo Shen?

After wandering alone for so long, to suddenly meet someone familiar—there was no way to describe the joy. But the current situation didn’t allow us to talk. I steadied myself and realized we were standing in a recessed area high on the stone wall. In the dim light, I couldn’t tell the exact position.

Far-off noise grew louder. It was sweeping in like a storm. I could even pick out chaotic footsteps and occasional heart-wrenching screams.

It was clear—we were about to witness a massacre.

The noise quickly reached the area below us. I vaguely saw a few oddly-shaped creatures squatting on the ground. They were making that same harsh rustling sound. A man ran ahead, seemingly using the last of his strength. He stumbled and fell. He was gasping like a bellows—clearly badly injured.

“Bastards!” 

The man croaked hoarsely. 

“Come on, eat me if you dare… I’ve got thick skin and tough flesh, I’ll break your teeth!” 

With that, he spat bl00d. He seemed to give up and collapsed.

Though small, the creatures chasing him numbered five or six. They swarmed him, making greedy sounds that echoed eerily in the silent corridor.

Suddenly, I felt Luo Shen behind me raise her hand like lightning. One of the monsters let out a shriek and fell to the ground.

The others sensed the sudden danger and stopped. They began circling to locate the threat. I noticed their ears were huge—clearly, they had excellent hearing. No wonder Luo Shen had warned us to stay silent near the jade coffin. We hadn’t listened. And we ended up inviting these demons.

*Swish*—another monster dropped dead.

This time, the rest panicked. They relied on sound to locate targets. But we were above them, and Luo Shen’s strikes were swift and silent. Before they could react, everything was quiet again. They grew agitated, making frustrated noises. But there was nothing they could do.

After a while, the remaining creatures seemed reluctant to give up. They lingered a bit, then quickly fled one by one.

Seeing the danger pass, Luo Shen jumped down with me in tow and calmly said, 

“How did you get separated?”

In the dark, I lit the fire striker. Under the firelight, specks of bl00d stained Luo Shen’s white clothes—like red plum blossoms on snow. A faint glow surrounded her. Her face was hidden beneath a white jade mask. It blended into the ancient tomb. She seemed like a resident of this underground city—mysterious and distant.

I didn’t know why, but at that moment, I had a strong urge to lift her white mask and see what she truly looked like.

I was startled by my own thought and momentarily forgot to answer her question.

Luo Shen didn’t notice my oddness and said,

“I told them to wait for us in another tunnel. I’ll take you there in a bit.”

So that’s why—she had come out to find me.

Just then, the man on the ground coughed and seemed to spit out more bl00d. We approached and saw that he was a handsome young man. His clothes were similar to the first dead man’s, though mainly black. I glanced at his chest—and sure enough, there was also a red lotus flower embroidered there.