In the depths of the Taklamakan Desert lies Mount Zagalama, a black mountain shrouded in countless secrets. The name “Zagalama” means “mystery” in ancient Uighur, and some interpret it as “sacred mountain.” For the ordinary people living around Zagalama, understanding its mysteries is nearly impossible.
In ancient times, a nameless tribe, later referred to as the “Zagalama Tribe,” was born there. The tribe’s members migrated from distant Europe and lived peacefully at the foot of Mount Zagalama for many years. However, everything changed when they accidentally discovered a bottomless ghost cave within the mountain. The tribe’s shaman told them that in the ancient East, there was a giant golden eye that could reveal the truth of the ghost cave. Inspired, they crafted a similar jade eye to worship the cave, and from that moment, misfortune began to plague the tribe.
The Zagalama Tribe was abandoned by the gods, facing continuous disasters. The tribe’s leader, the “Saint,” believed these calamities were linked to the ghost cave. Once the door to disaster was opened, it was hard to close it again. To escape the terrifying misfortunes, they had to abandon their long-time home and migrate eastward, gradually blending into the civilization of the Central Plains.
What were these “disasters”? From a modern perspective, they could be seen as a form of radiation. Anyone who approached the ghost cave would develop red spots shaped like eyes on their bodies after some time, which could never be removed.
Those who bore these red spots would find that after turning forty, the iron content in their blood would gradually decrease. Blood is red because it contains iron; as the iron slowly vanished, the blood would thicken, oxygen levels would drop, and breathing would become increasingly difficult. By the time of death, their blood would have turned yellow.
This painful process would last for ten years. Their descendants, though free from the red spots, would still suffer from iron deficiency, ultimately dying in extreme pain like their ancestors. Thus, they had no choice but to leave their homeland. After migrating to the Central Plains, they observed a pattern over generations: the farther they were from the ghost cave, the later the onset of symptoms. However, the affliction persisted, and each generation faced unbearable suffering, with no words sufficient to describe the agony of their blood turning into a yellow, coagulated state.
To find a way to break this cycle of pain, every member of the tribe tried various methods. Many years later, during the Song Dynasty, they finally found an important clue: a massive bronze tripod buried in the silt of the lower Yellow River, dating back to the middle Shang Dynasty. This tripod was deep and hollow, with four sturdy legs and exquisite cicada patterns. In ancient times, such tripods were significant ceremonial vessels, especially during the Bronze Age when bronze resources were controlled by the government. The level of bronze smelting technology indicated a nation’s strength. Emperors cast tripods to honor heaven, earth, and ancestors, inscribing important events on them. They were also often given as rewards to nobles and loyal subjects, who would then create commemorative items from the bronze to remember these significant events.
The descendants of the Zagalama Tribe discovered this bronze tripod, which recorded a significant event: the Shang Dynasty ruler Wu Ding had once obtained a jade eye filled with gold, said to have been found in a collapsed mountain along with a red robe.
Wu Ding believed this ancient jade eye was a relic left by the Yellow Emperor after his transcendence, and he named it the “Mysterious Dust Pearl.” He ordered the casting of the tripod to commemorate it, and the inscriptions on the tripod were limited to this event, with no additional information.
The Mysterious Dust Pearl, the Dust-Repelling Pearl, and the Red Elixir are three legendary pearls mentioned in ancient Chinese texts. The Mysterious Dust Pearl is made from a mysterious material resembling jade, said to have been obtained by the Yellow Emperor during a heavenly sacrifice. It was later used as a burial item for Emperor Wu of Han, but its whereabouts became unknown after the tomb was destroyed by peasant armies. The Dust-Repelling Pearl may be the earliest discovered radioactive material, found in Shaanxi, China, but it disappeared after a violent looting incident. The Red Elixir is the most legendary, said to originate from the Three Divine Mountains, possessing miraculous transformative powers, and was kept secret in the imperial court until it was lost at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Many descendants of the Zagalama Tribe were skilled in divination. Through their practices, they believed that the ancient jade eye filled with gold was the “Eye of the Gods.” They thought that only by using this jade eye to worship the ghost cave could they counteract the disasters brought upon them by the shaman’s earlier creation of a jade eye that had peered into the cave’s secrets. This ancient jade eye, once owned by Wu Ding, had changed hands multiple times during wars and was likely buried in the tomb of some royal noble, becoming a burial item. However, the limitations of their divination meant they could not pinpoint its exact location.
By this time, the Zagalama Tribe had dwindled from five thousand people at the time of their migration to the Central Plains to just over a thousand. They had long been assimilated into Han civilization, even adopting Han surnames. To escape the shackles of their affliction, they had to scatter across the land, searching for the Mysterious Dust Pearl in ancient tombs. These individuals became a branch of one of the four major tomb raiding sects of the time.
Historically, professional tomb raiders were divided into four factions based on their methods: Faqiu, Mojin, Banshan, and Xieling. The descendants of the Zagalama Tribe primarily practiced “Banshan” techniques, disguising themselves as Taoist priests and calling themselves “Banshan Daoists.”
“Banshan Daoists” differ significantly from “Mojin Tomb Raiders,” as their names suggest. “Banshan” employs a more forceful approach to tomb raiding, relying on brute strength, while “Mojin” focuses more on skill and experience.
Over the years, the Banshan Daoists from the Zagalama Tribe searched countless ancient tombs, following leads that often came to abrupt ends.
In this piecemeal search, the Mysterious Dust Pearl remained elusive. As time passed, the art of Banshan began to decline, and talented practitioners became scarce. By the time of the Republic of China, only one young Banshan Daoist remained in the entire country. He was the most famous tomb raider in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, known for his exceptional ventriloquism, earning him the nickname “Zhegushao.” Over time, people forgot his real name and only referred to him as Zhegushao. He was skilled in lightness techniques, adept at disarming various traps in ancient tombs, and had a formidable reputation not only in the tomb raiding world but also in the Lulin.
Following his ancestors’ teachings and the faint clues that occasionally surfaced, Zhegushao tirelessly searched for the whereabouts of the Mysterious Dust Pearl. Eventually, he set his sights on a treasure cave in the Western Xia Kingdom. Legend had it that this cave was not far from the abandoned ancient city of Heishui, built as a tomb for a high-ranking official of the Western Xia. However, the Western Xia was ultimately destroyed by the Mongols, and the official had not yet been buried when he hid the court’s important treasures inside, possibly including the Mysterious Dust Pearl. Unfortunately, the surface showed no signs of burial, making it extremely difficult to locate.
As a Banshan Daoist, Zhegushao lacked knowledge of Feng Shui and astrology, making it nearly impossible for him to find the treasure cave. With his tribe’s numbers dwindling, if he could not find the Mysterious Dust Pearl, the ancient bloodline of his tribe might face extinction. Witnessing the suffering of his dying kin, Zhegushao had no choice but to seek help from a Mojin Tomb Raider skilled in Feng Shui and site selection.
However, during this chaotic time, the four major factions—Faqiu, Mojin, Banshan, and Xieling—had nearly all lost their lineage, and only Zhegushao remained who understood the Banshan techniques. The Faqiu and Xieling factions had long since disappeared.
At that time, there were also very few Mojin Tomb Raiders left, with no more than ten across the country. Most tomb raiding activities were now conducted by official thieves under warlords or scattered civilian raiders.
Zhegushao went to great lengths to find a retired Mojin Tomb Raider who had become a monk, asking him to teach the secrets of site selection. This monk, known as Elder Liaochen, had once been a Mojin Tomb Raider, having raided many significant tombs. In his later years, he sought enlightenment and became a monk.
Elder Liaochen advised Zhegushao, saying, “All worldly matters are fleeting, and everyone has their own troubles. I find peace in Buddhism, and a smile is all I need. Why can’t you let go? In my past as a Mojin Tomb Raider, most of what I obtained was for the people. However, in my old age, I find it hard to be at peace, knowing that revealing those precious burial objects could lead to more conflicts and bloodshed. Whether for personal use or charity, it’s never a good thing. The tomb raiding profession is steeped in sin…”
With no other options, Zhegushao revealed the truth of his situation. Upon hearing his story, Elder Liaochen felt compassion and decided to teach him the rules and techniques of Mojin. However, according to tradition, Zhegushao first had to write a life-and-death pledge before receiving the Mojin talisman.
Tomb raiding has always been conducted in darkness, and regardless of the motives, it must remain concealed. Therefore, the rules of the trade are strict and cannot be taken lightly. Elder Liaochen advised Zhegushao, “When I became a monk, I noticed an ancient tomb nearby that has never been raided. It’s located ten miles northwest of the temple, in a desolate area. There’s a half-buried, unmarked stone tablet, beneath which lies a Southern Song Dynasty tomb. The only external feature left is that half tablet, and below it is a tomb passage. This tomb is remote and has never been disturbed, but the burial site is poorly chosen, resembling a broken sword. Follow my instructions and go to that tomb tonight to retrieve a set of burial clothes for the tomb owner as your life-and-death pledge. Whether you can successfully bring it back depends on the blessings of the ancestors.”
Elder Liaochen then provided Zhegushao with a set of tools used by Mojin Tomb Raiders and reminded him to remember the various rules of the trade. The Mojin faction is the most technically focused among the tomb raiding sects and has the longest history. Many common phrases and techniques in the trade originated from the Mojin Tomb Raiders. For example, today’s tomb raiders often refer to their work as “Daodou”, which means “turning over the tomb.” This term originally came from the Mojin Tomb Raiders’ vivid description of tomb raiding. Most large tombs in China, except those built within mountains, have mounds of earth on top. For instance, the shape of the mound over the Qin Tomb resembles a measuring container turned upside down, with the burial objects inside. The simplest way to retrieve these objects is to flip the container over and take it away, hence the term “Daodou.”
Zhegushao had never heard of such stories or taboos before; as a Banshan Daoist, he was unfamiliar with these intricacies. After listening to Elder Liaochen’s explanations, he felt enlightened.
Elder Liaochen emphasized the rules of tomb raiding: candles must be lit in the southeast corner of the tomb chamber before opening the coffin. If the candle goes out, one must retreat quickly. Additionally, no extra items should be taken, and the coffin must not be damaged. Only one round trip is allowed in a tomb, and when leaving, the entrance should be filled in as much as possible.
That night, Zhegushao found the half-buried stone tablet of the Southern Song tomb. The sky was dark, with clouds swirling, and the moon peeked through intermittently. The night wind rustled the dry branches and leaves, creating an eerie atmosphere.
This time, Zhegushao did not use his Banshan techniques but followed Elder Liaochen’s guidance, employing Mojin methods to create a direct tunnel to the tomb chamber.
He prepared a chalk line, corpse-binding ropes, a probing claw, candles, soft corpse incense, a black donkey hoof, and sticky rice. He took a red pill to ward off corpse gas, opened the mechanism of his German twenty-shot mirror pistol, tucked it into his waist, and covered his mouth and nose with a wet cloth.
Elder Liaochen had warned him that the tomb’s layout was chaotic, with ominous winds and a dangerous atmosphere, resembling a broken sword and a capsized boat. Such a standard cursed site could lead to corpse transformations. However, Zhegushao had faced many dangers before, and no ancient tomb was too daunting for him. Over the years, he had dealt with countless spirits, zombies, and malevolent forces.
He thought to himself, “This is Elder Liaochen testing my courage and skills. I must not tarnish the reputation of ‘Zhegushao’ in the tomb raiding community.” After preparing himself, he looked up at the hazy moon, lit his lantern, took a deep breath, and entered the tunnel.
With his agile skills, Zhegushao quickly reached the main tomb chamber. The tomb was not large and felt oppressive. The ground was littered with burial objects, but he ignored the trivial items and focused on the southeast corner of the chamber. He lit a candle and turned to examine the coffin, discovering that there was no outer coffin, only a copper-cornered gold coffin. This was the first time he had seen such a coffin; he had only heard that these were specially made to prevent corpse transformations, likely because the deceased had shown signs of such changes before burial.
However, Zhegushao was bold and skilled. He used the probing claw to lift the heavy coffin lid and found a woman inside, appearing lifelike and around thirty years old, dressed like a noblewoman. Her cheeks were slightly puffed, indicating she had preserved pearls in her mouth. Her head was adorned with gold and silver jewelry, and she was covered with an embroidered quilt. From the upper body, Zhegushao could see that the female corpse was dressed in nine layers of burial clothes. He planned to remove just the outermost layer to take back as his offering. With determination, he leaped into the coffin, retrieved the corpse-binding rope, and wrapped it around himself twice, tying a knot at his chest. The other end was fashioned into a noose, which he carefully placed around the neck of the female corpse.
Holding his breath, Zhegushao leaned forward, face to face with the corpse. He lit a piece of soft corpse incense and placed it beside her face. This incense was known to quickly soften the rigidity of a corpse. He then adjusted himself to sit on the legs of the female corpse, ensuring the binding rope was the right length. As he straightened his back, the tension from the rope around the corpse’s neck caused her to sit up as well.
Zhegushao with the female corpseThe technique he used involved tying one end of the binding rope to his chest and fashioning the other end into a noose around the corpse’s neck. This method allowed the corpse to sit upright while freeing his hands to remove her clothing. Since he was positioned on top of the corpse, once she sat up, she would be slightly shorter than him, keeping the binding rope taut and level.
This technique had been passed down among tomb raiders, but many modern raiders had misinterpreted it. They often used ordinary ropes without understanding the proper method, leading to many accidents where inexperienced raiders ended up strangling themselves due to improper tying.
Zhegushao pulled the corpse up with the binding rope and was about to start unfastening the outer burial cloth when he suddenly felt a chilling breeze blow past him. He turned to see the candle flame in the southeast corner of the tomb flickering wildly, as if it might extinguish at any moment. Realizing that he and the corpse were tied together with the binding rope, he thought to himself, “Shit!” It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to retrieve the burial clothe after all. Just then, the female corpse suddenly opened her mouth, and a dark purple pearl fell from her tightly closed lips.
Zhegushao glanced at the corpse, noticing that fine white hairs were beginning to sprout on her face. If the candle went out, she would surely transform into a malevolent spirit. However, even if that happened, he believed the binding rope could still restrain her.
According to the rules of the Mojin Tomb Raiders, if the candle extinguished, no burial objects could be taken from the tomb. Zhegushao had been a Banshan Daoist since he was fifteen, and after twelve years of facing countless dangers, he knew that if he chose to retreat now, he could escape unscathed. But retreating was not his style.
His plan was to keep the candle lit and prevent the corpse from transforming. He had to remove the outer burial clothe from the female corpse to bring back to Elder Liaochen; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to demonstrate his skills.
He eyed the dark purple pearl that had fallen from the corpse’s mouth and recognized it as a special “Corpse Stabilizing Pill,” made from a mixture of vermilion and purple jade. This pill was a secret remedy used in Taoist practices to prevent corpses from transforming. In ancient China, nobles rarely chose cremation. If there were signs of impending transformation, they would ask a Taoist priest to use such pills to stabilize the body before burial, but this was a closely guarded secret known only to the deceased’s family.
The candle flame in the southeast corner flickered ominously, and Zhegushao, sitting on the corpse, pulled on the binding rope. The corpse, having been exposed to the soft corpse incense for a while, tilted her head back and opened her mouth as the rope tugged at her neck.
Seizing the moment, Zhegushao quickly picked up the corpse stabilizing pill that had fallen into the coffin and stuffed it into the corpse’s mouth. He then pressed his foot against her abdomen and pulled the binding rope again, forcing her head down to close her mouth, ensuring the pill remained inside.
Next, he drew his pistol from his waist and fired a shot, hitting a tile on the wall of the tomb. The sound echoed in the chamber as a piece of the tile fell to the ground, landing near the candle. The bullet had struck the tile just right; the hollow cylindrical shape of the tile acted as a windbreak, shielding the candle from the gusts blowing in from outside. As long as the tile remained in place, the candle would stay lit.
Zhegushao, holding the binding rope tightly, was cautious not to let go, fearing the candle might extinguish at any moment. He had taken a significant risk by shooting the tile to block the wind.
As long as the candle remained lit, he wouldn’t be breaking the rules of the Mojin Tomb Raiders. Even if the corpse did transform, he was determined to retrieve the burial clothe from the Southern Song Dynasty female corpse.
Time was running short, and he needed to leave before dawn. One of the many taboos among the Mojin Tomb Raiders was “no raiding after the rooster crows.” Regardless of the motives—whether for justice, wealth, or helping the needy—tomb raiders were still tomb raiders, and their activities must remain hidden. If he were caught in the tomb at dawn, even the ancestors couldn’t protect him.
Although Elder Liaochen had taught Zhegushao various rules and techniques and provided him with a complete set of Mojin tools, he had not given him the most crucial item: the Mojin talisman. Without it, using Mojin techniques was extremely dangerous. Only if he successfully retrieved burial objects from the tomb would he be worthy of receiving the talisman.
Having spent a lot of time digging the tunnel to the tomb chamber, he knew he had to act quickly. Zhegushao estimated that time was running out, so he assumed a position similar to the “Kicking the Dipper” stance, sitting on the legs of the Southern Song female corpse. He secured her in place with the binding rope and reached out to unfasten the outer burial clothe.
Suddenly, he felt a tickling sensation on his neck, as if something furry was resting on his shoulder. Despite his bravery, he felt a chill run down his spine, and his hair stood on end. He quickly froze in place, trying not to move, and turned his head to see what the thing is on his shoulder.