The Eve of Departure from Nanyang

  After finishing his work, Dr. Hai Fa stood up and was about to leave when Liao Dongfeng reached out and grabbed his arm, asking: "What is your full name?"

  "Sea morning." He took two steps forward, then stopped and continued: "To eradicate the resentment of these ancient women and prevent them from continuing to wreak havoc, you must cooperate with us. Besides, don't you want to know the secret of the Lu Ban lock?" After finishing speaking, he quickly walked away into the distance.

  As soon as Hai Chen returned to the team, he heard Liao Dongfeng shouting from a distance: "Where will I go looking for you in the future?"

  "If it's for a short while, then go find me at Mount Li!"

  "Qīu Mountain?" Liao Dongfeng was slightly surprised, but his next question shocked Hai Chen even more. "Are you all grave robbers?"

  Hai Chen listened, turned around and took out some documents from his pocket, placed them in front of Liao Dongfeng, then grabbed his ear and said loudly: "It's archaeology, understand? A noble profession, has nothing to do with your family...has nothing to do with the Liao family."

  The pause in the middle of Hai Chen's speech made Liao Dongfeng extremely suspicious. If he continued to speak in the original direction, it would definitely be said that their family was different from others, which means that the Liao family was not engaged in a noble profession. Could it be that Grandpa was really involved in tomb raiding? Moreover, Hai Chen must know something about Grandpa's affairs. Since he could lock onto the Rulian Lock at the first time, he must also know the secret of the Rulian Lock, and maybe even have a connection with the arson case. Thinking of this, he said disdainfully: "Yes, you are doing a noble profession, which has nothing to do with our Liao family. So you go your way, I'll go mine, we don't interfere with each other. Goodbye, no, not goodbye." After finishing speaking, he called Peng Jianjun to carry Dong Juan and was about to leave.

  Hai Chen lowered his head and thought for half a day, then limped quickly to the front of Liao Dongfeng, stretched out his hand to block their path, pulled him aside, and said in a low voice: "I'm a forensic doctor, I also know your grandfather is still alive. If this matter gets out, what do you think will happen?"

  Liao Dongfeng suddenly raised his head and stared at Hai Chen fiercely, saying word by word: "You dare to blackmail me?"

  "This isn't blackmail, I'm actually inviting you to join me, it's just that the reason is a bit excessive. I know you grew up with your grandfather and have an extraordinary relationship, only this could move you, hope you forgive me!"

  Hai Chen's attitude was still sincere, and Liao Dongfeng didn't get angry again, but instead asked quietly: "What do you want me to help you with?"

  "The archaeological work at Yishan Mausoleum has been ordered to be terminated, we need to excavate in secret, I need your help to find the hidden passage into the mausoleum."

  Liao Dongfeng listened, turned his head to glance at Peng Jianjun and Dong Juan, then turned back to say: "Dong Juan's body is a bit weak, let's talk about it when she gets better. And that fat big guy, I'll take him along too."

  Hai Chen tilted his head and glanced at Peng Jianjun before turning back to ask: "What's so special about him?"

  "He can guarantee my safety at all times, no matter how dangerous."

  Hai Chen glanced at Peng Jianjun again with a somewhat disdainful look and asked again: "Are you sure?"

  Liao Dongfeng nodded vigorously.

  The educated youth from the capital encountered a major event before arriving at Xiahe Village, as mentioned earlier. Many people were killed or injured, and it shocked the higher authorities, who attached great importance to this matter. The work team led by Old Duan was withdrawn from Xishan after that incident. Everyone has heard of the Great Mausoleum in Xishan, but considering the manpower, material resources, and technological level at that time, trying to shake the Great Mausoleum was simply absurd. Of course, if one were to promote the spirit of Yu Gong moving mountains, it might not be impossible, but who has the leisure and inclination to do so? People are busy all day with struggles and criticisms, without any time to deal with such trivial matters. Most importantly, the heavens are high and the emperor is far away, even if someone were to intervene, they would be suppressed along the way.

  Also, the old team leader of this archaeological group used to be a teacher at Hai Chen Middle School. As for how he ended up in archaeology later on, it's not easy to say, and it seems quite complicated. This Hai Chen is from a military family just like Liao Dongfeng, and was injured during his time as a soldier, leaving him lame in one leg. Fortunately, he has skills that can save lives, so even if the higher-ups didn't recommend him for a job, he wouldn't starve to death. He and his teacher had always kept in touch, and Hai Chen only brought the Lu Ban lock all the way to Shaanxi after learning that his teacher was doing archaeology.

  Moreover, ordinary people are generally not allowed to get close to the Bronze Lu Ban Lock; those who can come into close contact with it are absolutely not ordinary people.

  Three days later, at noon, Liao Dongfeng and Peng Jianjun handed over the other educated youth who came with them to take good care of Dong Juan, and also left the red fluorite that fell from the old mouse's body, ensuring that she would not have any more problems. After that, the two packed up their luggage and went straight to find Hai Chen's archaeological team.

  As he walked halfway, Peng Jianjun kept muttering to himself. He kept asking Liao Dongfeng if there was anything else he didn't know about his skills. As a result, Liao Dongfeng told him many things in one breath until he thought it was just bragging. At this time, he suddenly asked Peng Jianjun a question: "If I'm really in danger one day and you can't rescue me, what will you do, Junzi?"

  Peng Jianjun was taken aback and quickly laughed, waving his hand: "Absolutely won't happen. Absolutely won't."

  "Just in case."

  "It won't happen even in ten thousand times." Peng Jianjun's answer was like a reassurance to Liao Dongfeng. This person seemed a bit rough and stupid on the surface, but since he came out of the pit, Liao Dongfeng had already looked at him with new eyes. If it were true that he would encounter danger as he said, this person would definitely risk his life to save himself, and in this regard, he might not be able to do it himself.

  Liao Dongfeng also burst out laughing and said with a smile: "Junzi, from today on you are the company commander under my command, so I order you to lead the way ahead."

  "Alright!" After finishing speaking, Peng Jianjun happily ran forward, but just a few steps out, he hesitated and turned back to ask: "What makes you the commander, while I'm just a regimental commander? Besides, who has ever seen a commander like you, such an unlucky one?"

  Liao Dongfeng ignored his doubts and continued to walk and talk: "From now on, you big guy will follow this commander to eat well and drink spicy food. This commander guarantees that he will not disappoint you."

  Upon arriving at the archaeological work group's residence, team leader Lao Duan warmly welcomed the two and introduced them to several members of the team. Just as they were chatting, three more people entered from outside - one woman and two men. Liao Dongfeng and Peng Jianjun immediately recognized them as Feng Le Tian, Qin Lai, and Tu Gouzi An Yue Min, whom they had met before. It wasn't until Lao Duan introduced them that they learned these three were also here to help the work group, each with their own unique skills, which will be mentioned later in the story.

  At this time, Liao Dongfeng turned his head to look outside the door, hoping to see Old Man Yu, but he didn't see anyone, and returned to his seat with a sigh. At this moment, he saw Feng Leitian take out a rough sketch and spread it on the table, gathering everyone together to say something. Peng Jianjun was not interested in these things, sitting in his original place sipping tea, occasionally looking around for something that interested him. Qin walked to the door to keep watch, so as not to let anyone suddenly rush in and leak out news, causing trouble.

  Feng Le Tian saw Liao Dong Feng didn't come forward to join in, and immediately shouted: "Brother High Hand, aren't you coming over to take a look?"

  "You didn't invite me, what makes you think I'll go?" Liao Dongfeng said disdainfully.

  The words were sharp and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. At this time, Hai Chen hurried up to mediate, saying: "Okay, okay, we're all here to solve problems together. Brothers unite and benefit each other, breaking through difficulties. What we need is unity of purpose, collective interests above everything else. We are all cultured people, no need for me to say more about the big picture, right?"

  Seeing that the two of them had nothing more to say, Hai Chen continued: "Xiao Feng and his three companions are professional talents invited by Duan Lao to solve the unknown mechanisms of the Da Ling Mausoleum. Their teacher is a hermit sage, whom we respectfully call Yu Lao Jing Wang. Xiao Liao is even more exceptional; his grandfather, Liao Lao Xian Sheng, was one of the greatest mechanism masters of our time, with footprints all over the world and countless mechanisms solved by him. His specialty was live mechanism transplantation, greatly reducing the casualties of archaeological personnel during excavations. However, Liao Lao Xian Sheng thought that this technique was not very humane, so he retired and washed his hands of it, which is a pity. Today, Liao's grandson, Liao Dongfeng, has joined our team, and he has inherited the essence of Liao Lao's skills, which will be extremely helpful to us in our future work. Since everyone has their own strengths, our subsequent work will surely go smoothly."

  Hai Chen put high hats on both sides, thinking that their dispute had also subsided. But then Peng Jianjun suddenly popped out with a sentence: "So what is your specialty in forensic medicine? And who is your benevolent teacher?"

  Hai Chen smiled slightly and said, "To be honest, my mentor is Duan Lao from the work group. Unfortunately, I didn't learn anything from him, not because his skills are not worth mentioning, but because I'm not very interested in this line of work. This time I came to take charge of our team's medical affairs. I am a doctor and with me here, everyone can receive timely treatment if they get injured unexpectedly."

  Everyone spoke one after another, with sharp words and endless chatter. Director Lao Du stood up, laughing loudly: "Let me say something, you are all young and talented, the pillars of our motherland, and the rare talents in our archaeological field. It's an honor for me to invite you all today, and I can also give you a chance to showcase your abilities. Come on, gather around the table and take a look at the two cross-sectional maps of the Rui Mountain Grand Mausoleum that we drew based on our speculation and on-site investigation."

  Old Duandai spoke with some weight, and the others were very respectful to this elder, so they temporarily put aside their dispute and gathered around the table to look at the diagram. Without mentioning how others looked at it, Liao Dongfeng was extremely surprised as soon as he saw it, because he seemed to have seen these two diagrams somewhere before. After careful thought, he realized that his grandfather had used a red notebook to record the method of dismantling the Luban lock, which had more detailed records than these two diagrams.

  Liao Dongfeng's surprise caught Old Duan's attention, and then he heard him ask: "Little Liao, what do you think? It doesn't matter if you share it with everyone."

  Young people all have a bit of competitiveness, and Liao Dongfeng is no exception. Moreover, Hai Chen had previously praised him so highly, so he spoke freely: "Firstly, I feel that the two pictures are not very different, the biggest similarity being that both pictures indicate that there is an underground water vein connecting the inside and outside of the Sima Mausoleum. As for whether this water has penetrated into the interior of the mausoleum, we can only clarify by going to take a look. Secondly, the old emperor would not have left any flaws in his mausoleum to prevent it from being robbed, but it is said that the craftsmen who built the underground palace were never able to come out. Since they are alive, they will naturally want to find a way out, so the secret passage leading out of the underground palace may or may not exist, and it may or may not be an important clue to uncovering the mystery of the Sima Mausoleum."

  At this time, Feng Le Tian just wanted to speak, but suddenly remembered a sentence that Yu Lao said that night: "Without him, you can't go anywhere." Even Yu Lao was so sure of Liao Dongfeng's ability, so she didn't say out her own doubts. What made her even more doubtful was how Yu Lao saw Liao Dongfeng's ability? Was it just because of his good attitude when facing Hong Yan Hao Zi Wang that night? Such an attitude is only possessed by very experienced hunters and veterans who have seen great storms, but how could it appear on this 18-year-old young man in front of her? Is he originally hiding his true self? If so, then the rescue that night was just his own play? Feng Le Tian thought more and worried more, and the words that reached her lips were swallowed back into her belly.

  To be honest, many people present at the time looked down on Liao Dongfeng, and Li Chongliang, a key member of the team who had worked with Duan Lao for many years, was the first to raise questions, which just happened to express Feng Le Tian's doubts in his heart.

  "So I'd like to ask Comrade Xiao Liao, if you say that there may be a water vein connecting the inside and outside of the tomb at the foot of Mount Yu, then since there is flowing water, there must also be air. If it's really as you said, wouldn't the cultural relics inside the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang completely rot? This also greatly contradicts the historical records!"

  Li Chongliang's words caught Liao Dongfeng's attention, and he also looked up at Li Chongliang. He saw that Li was wearing a pair of deep-seated glasses, with sunken eye sockets and waxen skin, looking like a pedantic scholar who had seen much of the world. Knowing this, Liao realized that his own response must be careful, or else he would become the target of criticism. After collecting his thoughts, Liao slowly said: "Li's question is indeed valid, but I think what we should say is that if ancient craftsmen could create such a magnificent project, they would naturally have thought of ways to prevent corrosion. Perhaps there is another large gate at the end of the water vein under Mount Sui, and rather than speculating wildly here, why don't we go investigate in person and verify the facts? Then we can determine whether the historical records are incorrect or not."

  "If Duan Lao allows it, we are also willing to go." Feng Le Tian also rushed to express his attitude.

  "No rush, no rush. What Liao just said makes sense in two aspects, but Old Li has also done a lot of research on historical materials. You should listen to his views more and unify everyone's opinions to have a clear direction, right?" Duan maintained Liao Dongfeng's statement while still maintaining the face of his old subordinate.

  Here is the translation:

  "Now that Old Du has spoken, Li Chongliang also started talking about the records of the internal structure of the underground palace: 'To be honest, Old Du invited you all here for a reason. On one hand, we are worried that there are many hidden mechanisms and traps inside the underground palace. On the other hand, we suspect that there really is a mercury river, lake, and pond inside the underground palace. The hidden mechanisms are minor, but the mercury poison gas is a major concern. According to historical records, tens of thousands of tons of mercury were poured into the underground palace. After two thousand years, this mercury has already formed toxic fumes. Once it sees daylight, it can make all living things within a hundred-mile radius disappear. Although we cannot confirm these two points for now, we must be cautious.

  The underground palace is an ancient mystery. During the excavation process, our archaeological team discovered that there are many hot springs around the perimeter of the underground palace, which means that there must be water veins beneath it. Since ancient times, imperial tombs have emphasized the importance of feng shui and geomancy. With wind, water, scenery, and support, one can rest in peace for a hundred years. The Qin dynasty's emphasis on these aspects is even more numerous. At least, they would not neglect these basic principles. Moreover, there were many experts in mechanisms back then, and their calculations of dimensions and proportions were precise. What should or shouldn't be in certain places all followed fixed formats. Whether or not there are hidden dangers inside is unknown.

  Everyone in the archaeological community wants to explore it, but no one has the courage to face an unknown world. In other words, this might be a one-way ticket, with a high possibility of no return. Without safety guarantees, who would dare take such a risk? Those who are willing to take risks can be called crazy.'"

  Li Chongliang finished speaking, and Duan Lao nodded repeatedly. The atmosphere on the scene was depressing, and no one spoke for a long time. Liao Dongfeng also thought for a while before saying: "What Li Lao is worried about does make sense, but I have another opinion, everyone can listen to it. There are many experts in the field of mechanisms among us, and the traps inside the underground palace are not enough to be feared. As for the mercury rivers, lakes, and ponds, I feel that they are exaggerated warnings recorded in history books. I also heard that the Longsheng candle was placed inside the underground palace, which would last forever if it were really isolated from the outside world. Moreover, there have been frequent earthquakes in Guanzhong since ancient times, which caused water to seep into the outer walls of the underground palace. Even if the craftsmanship of the ancient artisans was superb, they couldn't have built the entire underground palace with mercury, could they? If the toxic mercury gas were to leak out, an accident should have occurred long ago. After two thousand years, these toxic gases should have weakened to the lightest degree."

  Both sides stuck to their own views and couldn't convince each other, so the archaeological work was stalled again. Duan Lao felt that making assumptions without any evidence was meaningless, so he decided that the whole team would re-enter the Rui Mountain in three days' time, also to give these young people some experience. However, on the second day early in the morning, a big event occurred - the pit where Liao Dongfeng and Da Haozi had fought collapsed, leaving a nearly 10-meter-wide, 10-li-long, and 30-meter-deep ditch on the ground. At that time, many people fell into the ditch, and while the local villagers were rescuing them, they dug out no less than hundreds of terracotta warrior statues and green human skeletons, and also accidentally brought out Da Haozi's body along with the dead people, which was exactly what Liao Dongfeng had been trying to prevent.