The roof of the Fishbone Temple swayed slightly in the mountain wind, creaking ominously. It made my heart race, but after observing for a while, we noticed that despite its dilapidated state, the temple was surprisingly sturdy, likely due to its beams being made from whole fish bones.
Inside the temple, the Dragon King statue was barely a fifth of its original size, with the upper part long gone. The altar was shaped like a coral plate, also made of clay, but its color had faded, making it look quite unattractive.
I estimated that if there were any hidden tunnels in the temple, they were likely beneath this clay altar. Fatty asked for my reasoning, but I kept to myself that my inspiration came from popular “Wuxia novels” of the time.
I set my belongings on the ground, rolled up my sleeves, and began to help Fatty move the altar. We managed to pry off quite a bit of the clay, but the altar and the remaining piece of the statue remained firmly in place.
I thought that this brute force approach might not work. Could there be some kind of mechanism?
Fatty, however, was not concerned about any mechanism. In a fit of anger, he swung his shovel at the altar. Although the altar was made of clay, it was very hard. After much effort, he managed to break off half of it, revealing a white stone base underneath.
This indicated that there was no tunnel below the altar, and we felt a bit discouraged after all our hard work.
Big Gold Tooth had been helping us from a distance, standing clear while Fatty smashed the altar to avoid being hit by flying debris. Suddenly, he said, “Old Hu, Fatty, why don’t you check behind the altar? There might be a hidden passage on the side, not the straight tunnel we imagined.”
With Big Gold Tooth’s suggestion, I crouched down to look behind the altar. It was over half a person tall, rectangular, and located deep within the temple. The gap behind it was narrow, just enough for one person to pass through.
I had previously thought it was just a part of the altar, and I had assumed the tunnel entrance would be at ground level, so I never considered this possibility.
Upon closer inspection, I knocked on the back of the altar and was surprised to hear a hollow echo. I could feel that behind the outer layer of clay was a thick wooden board.
I kicked it, and with a few cracking sounds, the board came off, revealing a hidden tunnel behind the altar. It turned out that the hidden passage was indeed beneath the altar, but it was built with solid bricks and clay, making it very sturdy. The entrance at the back was covered with a wooden board, coated with the same clay as the altar and painted over, making it nearly invisible from the outside.
I said to Big Gold Tooth, “Well done, Master Jin! You really hit the nail on the head. How did you think of that?”
Big Gold Tooth flashed his golden teeth and replied, “I just said it off the top of my head. I didn’t expect it to be right. Looks like we’re in luck today and might strike it rich!”
The three of us couldn’t contain our excitement and hurriedly moved our things to the tunnel entrance. I turned on my flashlight and shone it inside. The tunnel’s diameter was neither too big nor too small; Fatty could crawl in comfortably, but his size would make it hard to turn around. If he needed to back out, he would have to crawl backward.
I exclaimed, “What a brilliant job, Fatty! Master Jin, look at how well this tunnel is dug. The edges are sharp, and the round parts look like they were drawn with a compass. The shovel marks on the walls are perfectly spaced!”
Big Gold Tooth, coming from a distinguished family, recognized the skill involved and praised it. However, Fatty couldn’t see the significance. Holding two large white geese, he said, “Should we send these two in first as scouts?”
I replied, “Let’s not rush. The tunnel has been sealed for years; we should air it out first before sending a goose in to scout. We’ve been at this for half a day; let’s eat and drink something first.”
Fatty put the two geese back in their basket and took out some beef jerky and white liquor. Since the Dragon King Temple was a fake, we didn’t need to hold back, so the three of us sat on the altar and enjoyed our meal.
As we ate, we discussed the hidden tunnel. Big Gold Tooth had a lingering question: if the mountain was hollow, why go through the trouble of digging a tunnel in the Fishbone Temple? Wouldn’t it be easier to find a cave and dig in?
I explained that while there were indeed karst caves in the area, and they were quite extensive, the information we had gathered suggested otherwise. Locals referred to this place as Longling or Panshepo, but the names were not important; they simply described the complex terrain.
The key point was that almost everyone who knew about it said the caves in this mountain were like a maze. The name “Longling Mysterious Cave” came from this. Therefore, I believed that the caves were not a single large space but rather fragmented, with some areas solid and others hollow. The tunnels varied in depth and length, interconnected in a complex way, making it difficult for anyone who fell in to find their way out.
The tomb raider who built the Fishbone Temple must have had exceptional skills to accurately locate the ancient tomb in such a treacherous mountain range. He must have had a unique ability to assess the situation.
This hidden tunnel sloped downward, and tomb raiding involves a method known as “looking, smelling, asking, and cutting.” “Looking” refers to observing the Feng Shui to find the exact location of the tomb, which is the most challenging part; “smelling” involves identifying soil quality to understand the geological structure; “asking” means gaining trust through casual conversations with locals to gather information about the tomb; and finally, “cutting” refers to the technical skill of accurately calculating angles and terrain to dig a straight tunnel to the coffin’s location.
The tunnel before us was slightly angled downward, likely a “cut tunnel.” As long as we maintained a straight line, even if we ended up in a cave halfway through, we could continue digging toward the underground palace without getting lost in the Longling maze.
I admired the skill of the person who dug this tunnel. It was likely the best route to the ancient tomb, but unfortunately, we couldn’t communicate with that predecessor since we weren’t from the same era.
I told Fatty and Big Gold Tooth, “The tunnel might connect to the caves around Longling. These caves are interconnected, and there might be water inside, so we won’t have to worry about breathing. If it’s a solid tunnel, every breath we take would increase the carbon dioxide concentration…”
Big Gold Tooth replied, “That’s indeed very dangerous. Without proper measures to prevent suffocation, we shouldn’t rush in. Since we’ve found the tunnel, we might as well seal it up for now and prepare thoroughly before we proceed. The ancient tomb won’t run away.”
I reassured him, “There’s no need to worry. I’ll lead the way wearing a simple gas mask. I’ll light a candle every so often; if it goes out, that means there are too many harmful gases, and we’ll retreat immediately. We can also tie the two geese to a rope and let them go first. If they start to droop, we’ll retreat right away. My simple gas masks may not be as good as professional ones, but they’ll suffice for a while.”
Seeing my plan was so well thought out, Big Gold Tooth was eager to join us in exploring the underground palace. People in this line of work often have this trait; if they know where the tomb is, they can’t resist the urge to see it for themselves.
Not only Big Gold Tooth, but even scholars have petitioned the government multiple times to open Li Zhi’s Qianling Mausoleum, fearing that it was built on a seismic fault line. They worried that an earthquake would destroy the artifacts inside. In reality, these scholars were just eager to see the treasures in the tomb before they passed away. The longer they worked in this field, the stronger their curiosity grew. The thought of seeing the genuine artifacts among the burial goods made them restless. In the end, the government replied that there would be no excavation for ten years, which left them disappointed.
So, I understood Big Gold Tooth’s feelings well. For someone in the antiques business, being able to see the inside of a grand tomb would elevate their status significantly.
After a few more words of persuasion, I saw he was determined to go, so I gave him a gas mask. Then, Fatty led the way, holding the two geese as we crawled into the tunnel.
I followed closely behind, holding a lit candle, with Big Gold Tooth bringing up the rear. The three of us crawled slowly forward. Inside the tunnel, wooden supports were placed at intervals, so we didn’t have to worry about a collapse. However, the atmosphere inside was dark and oppressive. As we crawled further, I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes. I quickly lit the candle, and since it didn’t go out, it indicated that the air quality was still acceptable for us to continue.
The deeper we crawled, the more suffocating it felt. Just as I was moving forward, Big Gold Tooth tapped my foot from behind. I turned to see him drenched in sweat, gasping for breath. Realizing he was exhausted, I signaled Fatty to stop. I placed the candle on the ground and was about to ask Big Gold Tooth how he was holding up and if he could keep going when suddenly, the candle flickered and went out.
“Is this another ghostly encounter?” I thought, feeling a chill run down my spine. We were still crawling through the long tunnel, far from the ancient tomb’s underground palace. I touched my simple gas mask, realizing it shouldn’t have been my breathing or movements that extinguished the candle.
Could it be that there was a draft in the tunnel? I took off my gloves and felt around, but I didn’t sense any strong airflow. Regardless, I decided to try lighting the candle again.
I struck a match, but to my shock, I found the ground empty where the candle had been. My heart raced; I had thought entering the tomb would be as easy as pie, but now it felt like I was in a nightmare. The candle had vanished in an instant while I was lost in thought.
I reached out to where the candle had been, feeling a hard surface—smooth stone. Where did this stone slab come from?
I didn’t have time to ponder. I pulled off my gas mask and tapped Fatty’s leg, saying, “We need to crawl back. Something’s not right with this tunnel.”
Big Gold Tooth, who was panting behind me, heard my words and quickly curled up to turn around. This time, Fatty struggled; he couldn’t turn around in the narrow tunnel and had to drag the two geese behind him, using his elbows to push himself backward.
We had barely crawled back five meters when Big Gold Tooth suddenly stopped. I called out, “What’s wrong, Master Jin? Just grit your teeth and hold on. We can rest once we’re out; now’s not the time to take a break.”
He turned to me, his face pale. “Old Hu… there’s a stone door ahead. It’s blocking our way out.” His voice trembled, and I could see the fear in his eyes.
I shone my flashlight ahead, and sure enough, there was a large, flat stone blocking the path. As I moved closer, I carefully examined the area, but I didn’t see any grooves or mechanisms. The walls were smooth earth, and I had no idea where this heavy stone slab had come from.
Seeing that we had no way to retreat, I signaled Big Gold Tooth to turn back again and pushed Fatty forward, urging him to crawl ahead.
Fatty, confused by the back-and-forth, shouted in frustration, “Old Hu, are you trying to kill me? I can’t move anymore! If you want to go forward, you’ll have to crawl over me!”
I realized we were facing something unusual, but I couldn’t explain it to Fatty right now. We couldn’t afford to stop, so I urged him, “Stop with the complaints! Just move forward, quickly! Follow orders!”
Fatty sensed the urgency in my tone and stopped complaining. He pushed the geese ahead and crawled forward again. We hurriedly crawled nearly two hundred meters when he suddenly stopped.
I thought he was tired and wanted to rest, but then I heard him say, “Damn it, Old Hu, there are three tunnels ahead. Which one should we go into?”
“Three tunnels?” I was baffled. Tunnels usually followed a single path; I had never heard of a fork in the road. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make sense of it.
I instructed Fatty to enter the tunnel directly in front of us, clearing the junction for me to examine the three connected tunnels. I crawled into the middle, and Big Gold Tooth followed, utterly exhausted and unable to speak. I gestured for him to rest while I figured out what was going on with these three tunnels.
I carefully examined the three tunnels ahead. They formed a crossroads with the one we had entered. The tunnel straight ahead was smooth and well-constructed, just like the one we had come through.
However, the two side tunnels were a chaotic mess, clearly dug in a hurry. Despite the disorder, the digging technique resembled that of the main tunnel. There was a large pile of dirt in this section, likely accumulated while digging the side passages.
I wondered if these tunnels had been excavated by the same person who funded the Fishbone Temple. Had he dug the tunnel to the tomb, taken the treasures, and then found his escape route blocked by the stone door? Perhaps he had tried to dig out through the sides to escape?
Speculating wouldn’t yield any results, so I told Fatty and Big Gold Tooth to rest in place while I tied a long rope around my waist and crawled into the left tunnel to investigate. If anything happened, I would blow my whistle, and they could pull me back.
Just as I was about to enter, Big Gold Tooth grabbed my arm and handed me a gold amulet. “Old Hu, wear this. It’s been blessed, so it can protect you from any evil spirits you might encounter.”
I took the amulet and examined it. What an antique, and I replied, “This amulet is quite valuable. You two should keep it for your own protection. The tunnel feels ominous, but it doesn’t seem like it’s haunted. It might just be some kind of mechanism we haven’t seen before. I’ll check the side tunnels; don’t worry about me.”
Big Gold Tooth seemed less panicked now. He smiled and reached into his collar, pulling out over twenty charms, all depicting various deities and symbols, some made of gold, jade, ivory, and emerald. He said, “I have plenty more of these, all blessed. I’m not afraid of any evil spirits!”
I thought to myself, no wonder he was so eager to explore the tomb; with all these charms, he felt invincible. I said to him, “You’re right. If you’re not afraid of ghosts, you can’t be afraid of tomb raiding. My only concern is encountering something beyond our understanding. But for now, I’ll check the left tunnel.”
I accepted the gold amulet and hung it around my neck, secretly thinking, “I’ve dealt with enough antiques lately to have a good eye. This amulet doesn’t seem fake. I won’t return it just yet. The last two charms he gave us were cheap imitations, and maybe that’s why my previous attempts at tomb raiding didn’t go well. Sometimes, it’s better not to wear a charm than to wear a fake one. I’ll wait for Big Gold Tooth to find us some real charms before returning this one; for now, it’s my insurance.”
As I crawled into the tunnel, I could feel a noticeable breeze, indicating that it connected to another area. I instructed Fatty to use the same signals we had used before.
With Fatty and Big Gold Tooth resting behind, I ventured into the left tunnel, secured by the rope to avoid getting lost. If anything happened, I could pull the rope or blow my whistle to communicate.
Once everything was set, I donned my gas mask, turned on my flashlight, and crawled into the left tunnel. This tunnel was clearly dug in a hurry, narrow and difficult to navigate, barely allowing one person to crawl through. If someone had a weak mindset, the low ceiling could easily induce feelings of being buried alive, leading to a mental breakdown.
Worried about the air quality deeper in the tunnel, I didn’t dare linger. After all, the gas mask only protected my mouth and nose; my eyes and ears were exposed. If there were any toxic gases, they could easily affect me.
The narrow tunnel made me lose all sense of direction and distance. I hadn’t crawled far when I encountered a thick stone slab blocking my path. The slab was impossibly thick, seemingly fused with the surrounding earth, not something that had been buried later. Its size was indeterminate, completely sealing off the exit.
The end of the tunnel suddenly widened, indicating that the previous digger had attempted to break through from below or the sides. They had dug deep all around, but the massive stone slab seemed endless, making it impossible to find a way out.
I had been trapped before, and while it was strange, I didn’t feel disheartened. I crawled back the way I came. When Fatty and Big Gold Tooth saw me return, they asked what I had found.
I explained the situation at the tunnel’s end, and the three of us were puzzled. “Could this massive stone slab be a natural formation?” they wondered. But it was too perfectly shaped; it would be extremely difficult to carve a stone slab weighing thousands of pounds.
What was most baffling was that we hadn’t noticed this stone slab when we entered the tunnel. How could it have appeared out of nowhere on our way back? It was said that ancient tombs were filled with traps, but this was beyond strange.
Now we faced two tunnels: one leading downward and the other similar to the narrow tunnel I had just explored. I suspected it would also be blocked by a stone slab, leaving us with no way to proceed.
But I was determined not to give up. I thought, “I won’t lose hope until I died.” That saying was a bit ominous, I couldn’t let myself think that way. The thought of being so close to the treasures kept my spirits up, even as I faced this dead end.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts. I couldn’t let fear take over; the last thing I wanted was to scare myself into inaction. After resting for a few minutes, I decided to crawl into the right tunnel. I needed to see if it too was blocked by a massive stone.
As I crawled to the end of the narrow tunnel, I found, to my dismay, another large stone slab blocking the way. Frustration bubbled up inside me, and I felt the urge to curse. But then I noticed something unusual about this slab.