hsntnovel Chapter 11 Snake-Eyebrow Bronze Fish
Chapter 11 Snake-Eyebrow Bronze Fish
Inside the cave, the atmosphere remained tense. The vines of the Hydra Cypress became even more restless with the increasing number of people, writhing slowly like countless awakened giant pythons, emitting a chilling rustling sound as they tentatively approached the central jade platform area. The air was thick with a pungent mixture of blood, the stench of corpses, and decaying plants, making it hard to breathe.
"Third Uncle, what does this key open?" Wu Xie looked at Wu Sansheng, hoping to get an answer from his experienced third uncle.
Wu Sansheng did not answer immediately, but his gaze fell on the jade platform to the left, on the blue-eyed fox corpse whose head was covered by Qin Yuan's coat. The beam of his flashlight moved, carefully scanning the fox corpse's entire body, finally settling on its hands, which were covered with metal gauntlets.
The hands were not naturally crossed in front of the chest, but were placed in an odd position on the lower abdomen, as if embracing something.
"Look over there," Wu Sansheng gestured.
Following the light, everyone noticed that beneath the blue-eyed fox corpse's arms lay a dark-colored rectangular box, almost blending into its tattered armor. Intricate, layered relief patterns were faintly visible on it, but due to dust and the erosion of time, they were not clearly discernible.
"An eight-layered treasure box?" The fat man's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting the danger around him. He moved closer, "Judging by its design and scale, there must be something good inside! Maybe the biggest find of our funerary objects is here! Young man, quick! Try the key!"
Wu Xie also felt that the key was very likely used to open this box, so he excitedly stepped forward and aimed the key at the rather exquisite-looking bronze keyhole on the box.
However, just as the key was about to be inserted, Wu Sansheng spoke up again to stop him: "No! Don't try!"
Wu Xie's hand froze in mid-air, and he turned around in confusion.
Wu Sansheng stepped forward, carefully illuminating the area around the keyhole of the treasure box with his flashlight, and said in a deep voice, "This key is not used to open this box, or rather, not entirely."
He pointed to several tiny, rotating, seal-character-shaped rings next to the keyhole, almost blending seamlessly with the carved patterns, and said, "See that? It's a combination lock! And an extremely precise octagonal clasp! This key is used to lock this treasure box. Once inserted and locked, without the correct combination, forcibly opening it or attempting to destroy it will likely cause the contents to self-destruct. Only by first using these rings to determine the correct combination and unlock the internal clasp can the key be used to open it safely. Otherwise, inserting it will be useless and may even lock it completely."
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank. They hadn't expected the ancients to design such a cunning mechanism! A code? Who knew what a code from over a thousand years ago was?
"Then... what should I do? I can't exactly give it a 110 as a reward, can I?" The fat man scratched his head, looking frustrated.
Wu Xie frowned. Password…numbers… He tried desperately to search his mind for any information related to numbers that he had seen since entering the tomb. Murals, inscriptions, the quantity of burial objects…a jumble of information flashed through his mind, but he couldn't find a clue.
Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept across the cave floor and fell upon a mummified corpse not far away, dressed in modern exploration clothing, who had been previously entangled and killed by a cypress vine. It was someone from Aning's team!
He suddenly remembered that when he fell into the trapdoor, he seemed to have seen a string of numbers on a corpse leaning against the wall! At the time, he didn't understand why and didn't think much of it, but now he recalled it clearly!
That's it! That string of numbers! Could it be...?
"02200059!" Wu Xie blurted out.
"What?" Everyone looked at him.
"It's a string of numbers! I saw it on a corpse before! 02200059!" Wu Xie excitedly pointed in the direction they came from. "Could this be the password to this treasure box?"
A glint of light flashed in Wu Sansheng's eyes: "Possibly! Those who came in before us might have already cracked the code or obtained it from somewhere else! Let's give it a try!"
Wu Xie took a deep breath, suppressing his wildly beating heart, and approached the eight-layered treasure box. There were eight coded rings on the treasure box, each corresponding to a number. He carefully reached out and, relying on his memory, began to move each of the tiny rings engraved with seal script numbers.
0……2……2……0……0……0……5……9！
When the last number "9" was moved to the correct position, a very faint but clearly audible "click" sound came from inside the box, as if some ingenious mechanism had been unlocked!
"It's done!" Wu Xie exclaimed in delight.
"Quick! Use the key!" the fat man urged.
Wu Xie picked up the bronze key again, and this time, without hesitation, he inserted it into the lock and turned it gently.
"Click."
The lock cylinder turned smoothly! It wasn't locked!
He carefully lifted the lid of the treasure box. Inside was a dark red silk lining, which, though faded and decayed, still revealed its former splendor. And in the center of the silk lay something quietly.
It was a bronze fish, about the length of an adult's hand, with an ancient and strange shape. The fish's body was curved, and the scales were carved lifelike. The most peculiar thing was that there were two sea snakes carved on its eyebrows.
"What...what is this thing?" The fat man leaned closer, looking disappointed. "It's not gold or silver jewelry? Just a broken bronze fish?"
Upon seeing the bronze fish, Wu Sansheng's pupils constricted sharply, and a look of extreme shock and solemnity flashed across his face. However, he quickly concealed it, swiftly reaching out to pick up the bronze fish and placing it in Wu Xie's hand. He said in a serious, low voice, "Keep this safe! This is very important. Don't let anyone know about it before we leave!"
Wu Xie held the cold, heavy, and strangely textured bronze fish with snake-like eyebrows. Although he didn't understand what was so special about it, seeing how seriously his third uncle was handling it, he knew that this thing was extraordinary. He quickly nodded and carefully put it into his pocket.
Qin Yuan watched all this silently from the side. He recognized the snake-browed bronze fish and knew it was involved in a huge scheme. Wu Sansheng's reaction was also within his expectations. However, this thing was a hot potato for him, and it was best not to touch it.
They had obtained the Serpent-Eyebrowed Bronze Fish, but figuring out how to leave the cave surrounded by the Nine-Headed Hydra Cypress remained a challenge. The surrounding vines were drawing ever closer, leaving them with little space.
"Damn it, I'm exhausted. I need to rest for a bit and think about how to deal with these ghost vines." The fat man plopped down on the edge of the jade platform where the blue-eyed fox corpse was, panting heavily. The fight and fright he had just experienced had indeed taken a toll.
As he sat down, his weight pressed down on the jade platform, which seemed to trigger something. A very slight click came from under his buttocks!
The fat man jumped in fright, shouting, "What was that sound?"
Before anyone could react, the entire cave suddenly began to tremble slightly! Immediately afterward, a heavy, ancient creaking sound came from the trunk of the enormous nine-headed cypress tree in the center of the cave!
Near the base of the massive, bronze-colored tree trunk, which was as thick and intertwined as a dragon, a crack slowly appeared! The crack widened, as if a double door was opening! Accompanied by the clanging of massive chains, a colder, more ancient wind, carrying a strong scent of sandalwood and decay, surged out from the crack!
The inside of the crack was deep and dark. When the flashlight beam shone inside, a larger and more ornate coffin could be vaguely seen hanging there!
The coffin was entirely black, seemingly made of some special wood, inlaid with golden patterns that reflected a faint light. Countless thick, hydra-like cypress roots coiled around the coffin, like protective tentacles or binding chains.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, staring blankly at the mysterious coffin revealed through the crack in the tree trunk.
Wu Sansheng took a deep breath, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement and solemnity, and slowly said, "Found it... This is the real main coffin..."