Chapter 526: The Deadly Victim

"What's wrong?" Zu An exclaimed in surprise, instinctively tensing and preparing for danger.

But then Mi Li said, "According to funerary customs, the number of tomb passages reflects the deceased's status and honor during their lifetime. The highest rank involves four tomb passages—north, south, east, and west—forming a shape similar to the ancient Chinese character 'ya' (亚). These 'ya'-shaped tombs were reserved exclusively for the Son of Heaven. The next tier features only two passages, north and south, creating a 'zhong'-shaped (中) tomb. These typically belonged to kings or high-ranking nobles, with the size of the tomb varying based on their specific status. The lowest tier consists of a single passage, forming a 'jia'-shaped (甲) tomb, usually reserved for other nobles."

"Generally, the occupants of these three types of tombs held very distinguished positions during their lives. However, this tomb before us has only a vertical shaft and no passages at all, which, by traditional rites, suggests an ordinary status for the occupant. Yet, considering the grand scale of the offering hall outside, the abundant burial goods surrounding it, and its proximity to the royal mausoleum, it appears from every angle that the tomb owner must have been an extremely high-ranking official during his lifetime. Why then is his tomb so... so rudimentary?"

Zu An replied, "Perhaps funerary practices in the Yin-Shang period differed from later eras. I'll go check first if there's the jade *cong* Jiang Jiang is looking for."

A large pile of burial goods was placed around the coffin, making it hard to see clearly from above.

Worried for his safety, Pei Mianman also jumped down into the tomb pit with him.

The tomb pit was filled with various burial items all around. Most of them were bronze artifacts, along with some jade artifacts, pottery, bone tools, ivory carvings, shell ornaments, and more.

To the north of the coffin, various bronze *ding* tripods were arranged. In ancient times, *ding* were not merely cooking vessels; they also symbolized power and status.

In the trench to the south of the coffin, everyday items belonging to the tomb owner during his lifetime were placed, such as *fangzun*, *fangjia*, *fangyi*, *yan*, *lei*, *yu*, *gu*, and *jue*. Ancient burials adhered to the principle of 'serving the dead as one serves the living,' so these items were interred with the tomb owner.

Naturally, Zu An didn't recognize these strangely shaped bronze vessels; Mi Li was there to explain them to him.

As the former empress of Great Qin, she was widely knowledgeable and, having read extensively from the imperial library, was exceptionally learned. Explaining these artifacts gave her the pleasure of finally showcasing her talents.

Unfortunately, Zu An wasn't interested in these. Unwilling to interrupt her enthusiasm, he could only change the subject: "The east and west sides seem to be full of weapons. Hmm, what's that weapon?"

Zu An noticed numerous bronze weapons on both sides, including many long *ge* (halberds), spears, and arrows. However, another type of weapon looked strange—somewhat like an axe, but with the blade facing upwards.

"That's a *yue*!" Mi Li's expression turned serious. "This isn't an ordinary weapon; it wasn't typically used for combat on the battlefield. It's primarily a symbol of authority, often granted by the Son of Heaven to generals, empowering them to campaign across the land and punish military officers at will. One, two, three... there are actually seven *yue*! This shows how incredibly high the tomb owner's status in the military must have been during his lifetime. But why have I never heard of him?"

"Unlike later eras when historical records were preserved, it's normal for you not to have heard of him," Zu An said. "Since the jade *cong* isn't here, let's look elsewhere." Zu An had initially considered taking some of the bronze artifacts; after all, in his original era, these would be priceless national treasures.

But then he thought better of it. These items weren't valuable in this world, and they were just ordinary artifacts without anything special about them; taking them would be pointless.

Just then, Pei Mianman's voice rang out: "Oh, this thing is so cute!"

Zu An quickly rushed over, initially thinking she had found the jade *cong*. To his surprise, she was gazing at a bronze artifact, her eyes full of amusement.

The bronze artifact was quite unique; it was shaped like a water buffalo. However, it wasn't entirely like a typical buffalo. This buffalo was robust, with its head extended forward and its mouth slightly agape. Its eyes, ears, nose, horns, belly, tail, and other physical features were all vividly and realistically depicted.

Its body was adorned with various animal patterns, including dragons, birds, tigers, and elephants. The craftsmanship was peculiar yet magnificent, and the intricate patterns were exquisite.

Although it looked formidable overall, its head was slightly tilted, and its mouth was open just a crack. It truly had a charmingly clumsy appearance, no wonder Pei Mianman found it so endearing.

"If you like it, we can just take it with us," Zu An said, taking Pei Mianman's small hand and smiling dotingly.

Mi Li, standing nearby, rolled her eyes.

"No, let's not," Pei Mianman said, shaking her head after a moment's thought. "Since this was buried with the tomb owner, he must have cherished it deeply during his life. We shouldn't take what someone else holds dear, and besides..."

She glanced at the massive coffin nearby, then lowered her voice and leaned closer to Zu An: "This place is really too eerie. What if we take something and the owner gets upset, then pops out to settle accounts with us? That wouldn't be good."

Zu An couldn't help but smile faintly. He usually saw Pei Mianman act so boldly outdoors, but he never expected her to be so afraid of ghosts and the like.

At this point, Mi Li's voice came over: "Stop flirting! There's still one place we haven't checked."

Noticing her gaze was fixed on the coffin, Zu An was startled. "You want to open the coffin?"

Mi Li snorted. "Of course. The best burial goods are often found inside the coffin. The jade *cong* you're looking for might very well be in there."

Zu An swallowed hard. "Isn't this a bit disrespectful? Disturbing the deceased's rest..."

"Nonsense!" Mi Li retorted directly. "This is an opportunity. Only a fool would pass by a mountain of treasures without entering. Not to mention you promised that girl you'd help, and you also need to find a way to leave. This tomb is so unusual; there might be crucial clues inside."

Zu An knew she had a point. Especially recalling the girl's tragic experience, he finally made up his mind: "Alright then!"

Seeing him about to open the coffin, Pei Mianman was startled and quickly tried to stop him. Zu An then answered her using Mi Li's words.

Pei Mianman bit her lip, but ultimately nodded. "Alright then, since you've decided, I'll support you. Just be careful."

Zu An murmured in acknowledgment. He approached the coffin and bowed. "I truly do not mean to disturb your peace, Senior. We are simply searching for a jade *cong* and a way out, and this is a last resort. I hope you will forgive us."

Noticing his actions, Mi Li inwardly snorted. "Unnecessary!"

The coffin set consisted of two layers: an outer sarcophagus (*guo*) and an inner coffin (*guan*).

The sarcophagus was lacquered, primarily in black, with accents of red and yellow.

After bowing, Zu An found a long bronze *ge* (halberd) nearby. He inserted it into the gap and pried open the sarcophagus lid.

The space between the coffin and sarcophagus also contained some burial goods, such as a general's helmet and some exquisite pottery. Unfortunately, there was no jade *cong* as the girl had described.

However, this gave them hope. The items here were more refined than those outside, suggesting the contents of the inner coffin might be even more valuable. The jade *cong* could well be hidden inside.

The inner coffin was lacquered in red, with exquisite patterns primarily featuring *kui* dragon and fish motifs. The edges of the coffin lid were adorned with gold foil. Given the gold output during the Yin-Shang period, the ability to apply so much gold to a coffin spoke volumes about the tomb owner's status during his lifetime.

Zu An had initially thought of lighting a candle in the corner, like in *Ghost Blows Out the Light*, to see if it flickered out, as a precaution against any surprises. However, he then realized that both of them were cultivators; even if there was carbon dioxide inside the coffin, it wouldn't harm them. If a 'zongzi' (zombie) really emerged, they could simply fight it. After all, they had fought many undead creatures recently, so lighting a candle would truly be superfluous.

So, while reminding Pei Mianman to stay alert, he used the long *ge* to pry open the coffin lid.

Indeed, the coffin contained many jade artifacts: *bi* discs and *qi* axes were placed on either side of the deceased's upper body; four dragon-shaped ornaments lay along the deceased's back, forming a roughly straight line from head to toe; jade tubes were mainly placed on the deceased's chest and abdomen, shells beneath the body, and the bottom of the coffin was covered with cinnabar.

Pei Mianman instinctively leaned closer to Zu An. "His... his posture is so strange. Why?"

The tomb owner before them was not a skeleton, but a relatively well-preserved mummy, whose former appearance was still faintly discernible.

But this wasn't the strange part; it was his posture within the coffin.

Instead of lying flat or on his side, as is customary for the deceased, he was face down, prostrate in the coffin. It looked incredibly eerie.

At this moment, Mi Li's voice rang out: "This must be the legendary prone burial. There are two possibilities: one, it's a burial custom for those of low status—but this person clearly isn't of low status. That leaves only the other possibility: he didn't die a natural death; he died a violent one!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than a chill wind swept through the tomb, dropping the air temperature by several degrees. A deep chill ran through them both.