Reborn As Super Heiress

The position of the passage entrance is opposite to the direction of the tunnel dug by the Oil Rat. The passage extends thirty to forty meters deep, essentially penetrating into the core of the mountain peak. With such a deep ancient tomb, it’s no wonder that for over a thousand years, no one has been able to find the entrance.

It’s important to know that Ge Hong was a very famous alchemist, with extensive historical records documenting him. Any tomb thief with some sense would know that after his ascension, his vast wealth would definitely be buried with him in the tomb. Such a tantalizing lure would invariably attract tomb robbers to Luofu Mountain in search of treasure.

However, apart from the Oil Rat, no one has ever visited this ancient tomb, indicating that it is buried deep enough. Otherwise, knowing Luofu Mountain is where Ge Hong ascended, and given how small Luofu Mountain is, there is no reason why they wouldn’t be able to find it.

Ge Hong was also a smart person and understood that many people would covet the wealth he left behind after his death. To prevent his corpse from being destroyed, he chose an inconspicuous mountain peak as his tomb site, and during the construction process, he likely carried it out in secret. Otherwise, there would be some unofficial records.

He deliberately left behind traces of his life, including the Medicinal Herbs Washing Pond and Alchemy Stove, to divert the attention of those searching for his ancient tomb and mislead them into thinking it was nearby.

This strategy was undeniably effective. For centuries, people have been zealously venerating the Ge Immortal Shrine, without knowing he had built another tomb deep within the forest to conceal his body.

If it weren’t for the Oil Rat, an expert in unconventional tunneling, finding the entrance to this tomb would be mere wishful thinking.

Of course, this is assuming the archaeological team is made up of ordinary people. If someone like Huo Sining, with special aids, were involved, it would be a different story.

It should be noted that Huo Sining once single-handedly mapped out the entire structure of Yunling Ancient Tomb and drew the structure diagram, bringing great benefit to Xie Daoyuan and others who were responsible for the Yunling archaeological excavation.

Huo Sining, Xie Daoyuan, and others joined the Oil Rat at the entrance to the ancient tomb.

This was at the site of a massive stone door. The stone door was a double door, and it seemed to be made of solid serpentine stone. The doors fitted together incredibly tightly, with a gap barely able to fit a few blades in between.

On each door, there was an embedded crane, each bird with its neck extended and mouth open in a forward posture. The side feathers slightly raised, creating an image of wings ready to take flight.

In the crane’s beak, each held a bronze ring. However, after more than a thousand years of corrosion, accompanied by the Oil Rat’s lack of protection during his last incursion into the tomb, these rings were now rusted and fragile.

The work Xie Daoyuan and Ding Liang did was still very methodical: one wearing gloves began brushing the stone door continuously to take samples, while the other was responsible for photographing the process, never paying attention to the Oil Rat and Huo Sining standing nearby.

Huo Sining didn’t feel embarrassed. After some contemplation, she too donned gloves, reached out her hand, and touched the stone door.

Upon touching the serpentine stone, a cool, thick surge of spiritual energy coursed from her palm towards Huo Sining. She felt a warm sensation in her heart, and her expression softened noticeably.

Gradually, the internal structure of the stone door appeared before her eyes. In both the top and bottom of the door, there were slots holding the serpentine stone doors in place. In these slots, several copper balls were embedded, clearly serving as rollers for the doors to glide on.

Huo Sining had seen stone doors like this before during her childhood in the countryside, so she didn’t find them strange. But she was amazed to realize such mechanisms existed seventeen centuries ago. She couldn’t help but marvel at the wisdom of the ancients, which was no less advanced than modern times.

Given that the Oil Rat had entered the tomb, it was enough evidence that there was nothing peculiar about the stone door. After taking samples and recording footage, Xie Daoyuan signaled for the Oil Rat to push open the stone door.

A stone door of this size couldn’t simply be forced open. The team had long noticed a mechanism resembling a combination lock at the central point where the two doors met, much like a modern lock.

Huo Sining had also inspected it; the lock was not particularly complex, seemingly a very simple lock. But it connected to an unusual gear, and a copper wire from the gear extended deep into the tomb.

Huo Sining didn’t know the purpose of the gear, but generally speaking, a tomb would have pre-set traps. So she could somewhat guess: perhaps if someone forced their way in without knowing the door’s unlock code, it would trigger the gear, consequently connecting with something inside the tomb.

It could either spring a trap, causing the intruder harm or deterring them. Alternatively, it might self-destruct, eliminating the tomb’s most significant artifact and leaving the intruder empty-handed.

Nonetheless, regardless of which situation it might be, Huo Sining and the others needn’t worry. The fact that the Oil Rat was able to retrieve a Medicine King Cauldron from inside indicated he had some method.

Despite not knowing the code, the Oil Rat had a nimble mind. With rich tomb raiding experience, he recognized the lock was not to be casually tampered with. Yet, modern technology afforded him a powerful tool: the hydraulic jack.

His Luoyang Shovel came equipped with a hooked tip, which just managed to pry open the gap in the door a bit. Then, he inserted the hydraulic jack, gradually pressing down to lift the serpentine stone with significant force.

This method was clever, and even Huo Sining found it unprecedented. Yet, it was remarkably effective.

Once the stone door was lifted, the interlocking slot on the lock made a clicking sound, and then it opened!

Xie Daoyuan and Ding Liang turned to look at the Oil Rat, their expressions peculiarly intriguing.

The Oil Rat wasn’t embarrassed at all, shrugging his shoulders as he said, ”Don’t assume we tomb robbers only understand the old ways of Kanyu. We’re moving with the times too, and the hydraulic jack is far more useful than a shovel.”