Chapter 403 - 403: A Heaven -Defying Trap! From 1800 Years Ago! Cao Cao l s Curse! (1)
The inaccessibility of the tomb’s upper entrance forced the team to proceed through one of the 72 tomb passages scattered throughout the hillock. For Luo Feng, this marked his first exploration of a tomb of such grandeur, rivaling only the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang.
The real challenge lay in determining which passage to venture through. Judging from the tomb’s depth, it was estimated to be around five meters below the surface. A speedy excavation might unearth it within three to five hours, but opening a passage could consume half a day or more. The idea of unveiling three passages within two days was purely fanciful.
Beyond simply opening a passage, they faced the daunting task of exploration. False tombs were rife with traps, making the task of locating the authentic tomb considerably more challenging. Given these hurdles, successfully exploring a single passage in a day would be a feat. Among the maze of passages, only one led to the main tomb chamber, with the remaining 71 potentially serving as decoys. A wrong choice would waste an entire day.
Luo Feng began outlining the entire structure of the tomb on the ground using a tree branch. He depicted the main tomb chamber as a central circle, likely surrounded by side chambers for storing burial items. The circular design of the tomb chamber was unusual, as the ancients embraced the principle of a square earth and round heavens, with altars typically portrayed as round.
Ancient tombs were customarily square or of another shape but rarely round. If the tomb had been cubic, the corners would have been optimal entry points for tomb passages, but the round design offered no clear guidance.
“I’ll go with you, then!”
Alter exnausung ms reasomng, LUO reng was now rorcea co aepena on LUCK.
Once he had selected a tomb passage, Luo Feng trekked down the hill over three hundred meters, with the passage estimated to be around 200 meters long. Once the passage’s entrance was confirmed, Luo Feng commenced his digging efforts.
By late afternoon, Luo Feng signaled for a break and some nourishment. A crowd of eager archaeologists watched, itching to contribute, but the timing wasn’t right. Luo Feng was still in the process of making sense of things.
“Clang! ”
Upon resuming work at half-past seven, Luo Feng’s hoe struck an unexpected object. He unearthed a stone tablet inscribed with an abundance of characters. After brushing off the soil, Luo Feng deciphered the ominous inscription.
“He who raises the mound shall be extinct, not leaving behind descendants!”
“He who steals the tiles shall die under the curse!”
Stunned by the vicious curse, Luo Feng felt a chill run down his spine.
“Can we have an expert translate this? What does it mean?”
“It essentially implies that any theft, even a single tile, will invite the wrath of an enduring curse, spelling doom for the entire lineage!”
“Hahaha, that’s tough! That’s our Boss Cao!” “Is Boss Cao feeling desperate?”
“Host, keep digging! Don’t be scared!”
“Yeah, Boss Cao is just trying to intimidate people!”
Uncovering the entire stone tablet, Luo Feng discovered its impressive dimensions, approximately two meters in length and 1.6 meters in width, deeply embedded in the soil. Clearly, it was masking the entrance to the tomb passage.
“Let’s take a breather!”
Luo Feng wisely decided to wait for additional supplies and reinforcements before venturing into the tomb. At nine o’clock, a helicopter delivered much-needed supplies and ten sturdy, young archaeologists.
“Is that… Our national flag?”
The sight of the flag among Luo Feng’s supplies stirred curiosity.
What’s the purpose?
“Of course, it’s meant to be draped over the clothes!” Luo Feng replied, grinning.
But the chat room of his live broadcast erupted with laughter.
“Hahaha, I thought you weren’t afraid of anything? Why rely on the national flag now?”
“Yeah, I’m shocked. I never knew such a trick existed!”
With a light smile, Luo Feng remarked, “Against the backdrop of Chinese tradition, all demons and ghosts are mere bull demons and snake spirits. Make way!”
“Master Gu, how about we locate the tomb passage today and venture in tomorrow?” suggested Luo Feng.
“That sounds sensible!” agreed Gu Santong.
Swiftly, all attention was directed to the stone tablet at their feet. With the combined strength of the expanded team, they managed to move the hefty tablet aside, revealing a brick wall underneath.
Luo Feng swiftly set to work prying open the bricks, a task at which he was highly skilled. With his trusty Swallowtail Hoe in hand, no obstacle stood a chance.
“An entrance more than a meter wide; that should suffice for entry!” After prying an opening of over a meter, Luo Feng paused. “It’s already eleven. Let’s rest now and make our descent tomorrow. Someone should stand guard at the entrance.”
“Wait! The passage is ready, why not proceed? Aren’t we supposed to work into the night?”
“You can’t just tease us like that, Old Luo! It’s not right!”
“Hahaha, it’s totally inappropriate! Old Luo, please consider working overtime tonight!”
“Please, overtime!”
“Darn it! I doubt I’ll sleep tonight. I’ll return tomorrow to watch Old Luo enter the tomb!”
“Cao Cao’s tomb, I can’t wait!”
With that, Luo Feng ended the live broadcast.
Tents had already been erected on a nearby flat area. That evening, Luo Feng stealthily facilitated Li Shishi’s entry. However, her visits were brief, limited to two one-hour stints. Lacking any safety equipment, Li Shishi assured Luo Feng that she could protect herself with a small pill..