Chapter Forty-One: Peril

"Watch out!" The Taoist Qiu lunged forward, grabbing An Wu, who was at the front, and flung him aside with all his strength!

Right at that moment, as the outer gate was pried open, two massive iron-stone doors inside crashed down heavily. Two subordinates who failed to dodge were instantly crushed beneath them, their bodies flattened.

An Wu and his three remaining men were left dumbfounded.

Fang You was thoroughly shocked. "I never imagined Cao Cao would employ such cruel methods to build his tomb. These double stone doors are actually 'live doors.' As soon as the outer gate is opened, they slam down to crush whoever enters. Yet this is the only way forward to the main burial chamber—the only door of life!"

"Historically, Cao Cao was notoriously suspicious. It seems this tomb is riddled with traps and dangers," Bai Ling sighed from the side. "Still, when you think about it, compared to the other two—the quicksand door and the water prison door—these double stone doors do count as the door of life."

"Thank you, Taoist, for saving my life!" An Wu hurriedly bowed in gratitude. If it weren't for Qiu just now, he would have ended up like those two unfortunate men.

Qiu Daoist merely waved his horsetail whisk. "Let's not waste any time."

Qiu appeared to be about forty or fifty, while Fang You, Bai Ling, and Fang Zhong were only in their early thirties. It seemed Qiu took pride in his age and status.

At this moment, Qiu Daoist no longer seemed as disagreeable as before.

The group passed through the double stone doors and entered a small burial chamber. Hundreds of black jars of varying sizes were arranged throughout the room. Each jar was about half as tall as a person, thick and sturdy, inspiring awe.

"What are these?" Fang Zhong asked, feeling a strange sense of oppression as he gazed at the black jars.

"Don't touch anything in the tomb. This place is fraught with danger. Let's find the main chamber as quickly as possible," Bai Ling, descendant of the Mo Jin clan, cautioned as she moved forward.

Suddenly, a crisp "bang" echoed. A subordinate behind An Wu accidentally bumped into one of the jars. An Wu turned angrily and scolded, "Be careful!"

The subordinate immediately apologized, "S-sorry!"

At that moment, from the jar he had struck, a pair of slender white hands suddenly reached out and dragged the subordinate inside.

An Wu rushed forward, grabbing his subordinate's legs and pulling desperately, but only managed to retrieve half a body.

Meanwhile, the other jars began to shake and bang, as if something inside had awakened.

From one jar after another, pairs of eyes emerged, gazing out into the empty, eerie burial chamber.

"Bad news—it's a living corpse tomb!" Fang You cried out in alarm.

This tomb of living corpses was documented in ancient texts.

The first recorded case appeared in the historical chronicles.

It is said that after Liu Bang seized the empire, Empress Lü, aging and losing her beauty, fell out of favor. Liu Bang would always travel and campaign with Lady Qi, leaving Lü behind in the palace, rarely meeting her. Their relationship gradually faded.

He doted on Lady Qi, keeping her by his side for amusement. Lady Qi was as beautiful as Xi Shi, tall and graceful, skilled in music and dance, especially the "Fluttering Sleeves and Twisting Waist" dance. Judging from Han dynasty stone carvings, her movements were elegant, her sleeve-tossing and waist-twisting highly skilled and varied.

After Liu Bang died, Empress Lü took power and captured Lady Qi. She first made her a servant, shaving her head, chaining her feet, dressing her in rags, and locking her in a damp, dark, dilapidated room. Lady Qi was forced to grind rice all day, and if she didn't meet the quota, she was denied food.

As Lady Qi lamented her fate and that of her son, Empress Lü summoned her son, Prince Zhao, from his fief to the capital, intent on killing him. Emperor Hui, upon hearing his mother had summoned his brother, realized Lü meant to harm him. He quickly brought Prince Zhao into the palace, keeping him close day and night. The two had played together since childhood, and Hui loved his brother dearly, doing everything he could to protect him. Though Lü was furious, she found no chance to act for several months.

One morning, Emperor Hui went hunting while Prince Zhao, still young, overslept and stayed behind. Seizing her chance, Lü sent poisoned wine and killed him. When Hui returned from hunting, he found Prince Zhao dead, blood pouring from his mouth and nose, his body stiff and cold. The shock and sorrow had only just begun.

Suddenly, a palace attendant, bearing orders from the Empress Dowager, summoned Emperor Hui to see the "living corpse." Hui, never having heard the term, was curious and followed the attendant through winding corridors to a latrine. The attendant opened the latrine door and said, "Inside is the living corpse." Hui looked in and saw a human body: a mottled face, no hair, no hands or feet, hollow eyes without eyeballs, no nose or ears—just two bloody holes. The body could still move a little, and the mouth gaped wide, but no sound came forth, for it had no tongue. Horrified and frightened, Hui recoiled and asked the attendant what it was. The attendant dared not explain.

When Hui returned to the palace, he pressed the attendant for the truth. Only then did the attendant whisper the name "Lady Qi." Before he finished, Hui nearly fainted. Struggling to compose himself, he demanded the details. The attendant explained in a hushed voice: Lady Qi's hands and feet were severed, her eyes gouged out, her ears deafened, her throat drugged mute, and then she was thrown into the latrine. Thus was she given the title "living corpse."

But to return to the present—

This chamber was guarded by living corpses: criminals transformed and stationed before the main burial chamber to atone for their sins by eternally protecting the tomb's master.

Many were also war captives, similarly transformed and forced to guard the tomb.

All around, laughter and groans echoed from the jars. In the next instant, long hands stretched out from every jar, reaching toward the group.

"These corpses have become demons—their limbs have regrown. We must leave this chamber immediately!" Fang You drew his twin swords and shielded the others as they retreated.

Behind them lay a wall filled with mechanical traps and rotating devices. Opening it would require both time and skill.

"I'll lend you a hand!" Qiu Daoist shouted, tossing his spirit monkey and chanting, "Spirit beast born of heaven and earth, myriad energies return to you. Today, return to your true form. Spirit monkey, follow your fate—go!"

As his incantation ended, the spirit monkey before him swelled dozens of times in size, its jaws sharp and fierce, its eyes wild.

"Everyone, be careful!"