Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1045: Chapter 89: Where Is the Path to Immortality? (51) – Recognized Gaze

The tomb was opened using something similar to a clay bomb.

A low rumble was heard, and then the soil suddenly sank a little. After that, Mr. Aqi’s men began excavating in this area.

There’s no such thing as a Luoyang shovel… It’s said to be a high-tech era now, and that ancient tool is only used by small workshop experts or some lone wolves.

After digging out the entrance, it was time to measure the oxygen content in the pit and eliminate the gases inside first—no one knows if there are any harmful substances caused by chemical reactions in a tomb that has been silent for over a thousand years.

The waiting time was not long.

The map brought by Mu Xianghua is said to have been left by Xu Fu back then, and it contains a secret passage leading directly to the main tomb chamber. According to the record of this secret passage on the map, converting to modern units, it’s about more than three thousand meters.

Not only is a huge tomb built underground, but countless traps have to be set inside the tomb, plus this over three-thousand-meter-long secret passage.

At the technical level of that time, it is unimaginable… Like the Great Wall or the pyramid.

“Based on our current understanding, such high-difficulty ancient constructions probably could only be achieved by making up for the technological gaps with countless lives,” Zhang Qingrui sighed when talking about the construction skills problem before setting off.

“It would probably have taken the efforts of an entire nation. If not backed by a royal family, it’s unlikely anyone else had that capability,” Mr. Aqi said casually.

He was more concerned about the situation inside the mausoleum—after all, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is a millennial obsession for The Li Family… As early as the Song Dynasty, an ancestor of The Li Family had participated in an excavation of the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum—but it was not the real imperial tomb.

“Manpower alone is insufficient. Achieving it requires more labor and sweat, and more sacrifice might be necessary. However…” Song Haoran made a smacking noise with his mouth—he was chewing betel nut.

This was from a snack bag he got from an old mate in The Li Family’s crew… Song Haoran easily got along with others.

“…But what if, beyond manpower, technology also became feasible? Or, what if certain technologies could replace manpower?”

“Young Master Song, you jest.” Mr. Aqi laughed, saying, “This kind of underground palace, even with contemporary technology, presents many challenges. The structure of the mountains, the solidification of the muddy ground, the transportation of materials, the choosing of support points, and the overall design of the palace… Merely the preliminary preparations alone could require years of investigation and research, let alone the various problems encountered during construction. Creating such an enormous underground mausoleum is not something that could be accomplished in a mere three or five years… And how much time was there from the unification of the six kingdoms to the death of Emperor Shihuang?”

“I was just speaking casually,” Song Haoran chuckled, not saying more.

He picked up a bit of dirt from the entrance, rubbing it in his palm, then threw it into the entrance of the tunnel.

Song Haoran dusted off his hands and laughed again, saying, “It should be about time to go in… Who’s first?”

“Let’s go,” Mr. Aqi said solemnly, “We are somewhat more familiar with domestic tombs.”

Song Haoran had no objections; after nodding, he gestured to the Song Family Descendant Soldiers—all of whom acted swiftly and with strict discipline, proceeding to prepare some infrared night-vision goggles and gas masks for The Li Family’s crew.

Song Haoran’s kindness quickly won the goodwill of The Li Family’s crew, who in return took out small gifts for the Song Family Descendant Soldiers—all kinds of strange things.

For example, unknown beast horns, folded triangular amulets, and black donkey hoofs, among others.

Meanwhile, the Suzuki-kai members seemed to be left out.

In fact, apart from the Suzuki father and son, several senior cadres of the Suzuki-kai were quite indignant—only, when they looked at the sophisticated equipment of the Song Family and then at what they themselves had in hand… mainly handguns, more often than not empty hands, though some had knives (these weapons were already quite formidable firepower in the organizational forces of the insular country), they didn’t even dare to show them off.

As for The Li Family, although not as extravagantly equipped as the Song Family Descendant Soldiers, the tomb was entirely opened by The Li Family’s crew… With their rich experience, they were talking and laughing, while over here there was really no room to speak.

The senior cadres all felt entirely useless, not to mention the large group of subordinates… It was no problem for these guys to bully others, collect debts, manage venues or brawl, but to travel this far to rob an ancestor’s tomb was really a bit strong-arming.

The large number of Suzuki-kai members were only useful for adding to the numbers, creating a presence?

“I really can’t understand what the Old Master’s intention is.”

Several senior cadres started to whisper among themselves.

“Could it really just be to create a presence?”

“You’re silly, think carefully, what good is cramming so many people into a broken tomb? Treasure hunting is enough with the professional people of the Song Family and The Li Family, and we’re very likely just baggage… So then, why did the Old Master and Young Master bring so many of us?”

“Big brother, you mean…”

“Shh… Don’t forget what we do. I think, the Old Master’s and Young Master’s intention, is definitely not now, but later!”

“Later on… Do you mean, the Old Master and Young Master intend that, after they dig up the treasures, we then…” This person made a throat-cutting gesture.

This unexpectedly received the agreement of the cadre members.

Double-cross!

This instantly excited their otherwise bored selves.

“But, the Song Family’s people are so heavily equipped, can we actually overpower them?”

“That’s hard to say,” one of the cadres squinted, “You see, they’re starting to go into the tomb one after another, leaving not many guards… But they left a lot of equipment. Then, we can do this… and this… and then this… this…”

“That’s a good idea! Should we chat with the Old Master and Young Master first?”

The voices of the conspirators.

Several senior members of the Suzuki-kai were scheming here, while ‘Suzuki Haruxin’ and ‘Suzuki Yuuichi’, who were meditating, were actually feeling quite confused.

What kind of heads do these Suzuki-kai thugs have on their shoulders?

Quite capable of filling in the gaps…

‘Suzuki Haruxin’ had brought so many people from the Suzuki-kai, with a quite clear purpose—supplies, bodies to swap at any time, and a crowd to mask the presence of the two of them. In essential moments, they could even serve as decoys.

“But actually, this might work too.” ‘Suzuki Haruxin’ suddenly turned their eyes.

This immediately made ‘Suzuki Yuuichi’ look over in perplexity.

‘Haruxin Suzuki’ chuckled softly and said, “I still can’t find out where the Guardian of that human girl is hiding. But I believe this person must be nearby. Since these fools from Suzuki-kai like to stir up trouble, they might inadvertently alert the Guardian lurking in the shadows.”

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll provoke them and get yourself into trouble? You know you’re quite weak right now.” ‘Suzuki Yuuichi’ frowned.

‘Haruxin Suzuki’ shrugged and said, “Don’t worry, they probably haven’t noticed. Otherwise, how could we still be safe? The spiritual thread I initially implanted in that human girl wasn’t deliberately hidden, but since they were able to detect and erase it outright, their skills must be quite advanced. A person like that must be very confident in their abilities. If they had discovered us, how could we still be here?”

‘Suzuki Yuuichi’ thought about it and felt that the words of Yamata no Orochi made some sense.

Soon after, a few senior members of Suzuki-kai quietly approached ‘Suzuki Yuuichi’ and ‘Haruxin Suzuki’, tactfully discussing some matters they had temporarily deliberated.

Initially, the cadres were somewhat anxious—’Haruxin Suzuki’ was always very cautious in handling affairs. If they were really going to do this, they would undoubtedly have made thorough preparations rather than waiting for someone to ask.

But unexpectedly, the Old Man and the Young Master were quite pleased and readily agreed!

…

On the other hand, the Li Family had already sent a few seasoned experts into the tomb first, while the group gathered outside waiting for news from the pathfinders inside.

Song Haoran stood with his eyes closed, seemingly resting… But he suddenly opened his eyes, and in the darkness, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Song Haoran summoned a Song Family Descendant Soldier and whispered in his ear, “There are three paths under the burial chamber. The secret passage shown on the map is on the left. If nothing goes wrong, the Li Family should use the secret passage to go straight to the main burial chamber. Later, have some people quietly explore the center and right paths… Just be careful, there aren’t many traps along the way, and our equipment can detect them. Bring anything valuable back to me, especially things like ancient books or anything with writing on it, understood?”

“Understood, strategist!”

Song Haoran nodded and then squinted his eyes again, “Also, it seems the Suzuki Family people are making some small moves. Have the brothers on guard pay attention. If they try anything, just deal with it discreetly… our equipment is quite expensive.”

This Descendant Soldier seemed to realize something, then sneered, “Is there anything else, strategist?”

“Hmm… Let me think.” After pondering for a moment, Song Haoran suddenly gave a radiant smile and said, “Prepare some champagne and women at the lodging. Once back, let the brothers relax a bit.”

The Descendant Soldier chuckled softly a few times and then walked away from Song Haoran.

Often, the warriors from the village liked this Young Master a lot. Besides his formidable abilities, more importantly, he understood what his subordinates needed and could bond well with everyone… This was different from the supreme majesty his father held.

A master who can always venture into the most dangerous places with the warriors, how could they not like him?

“You seem quite happy?”

Luo Qiu slowly walked over at this moment.

“Oh, not watching them open the tomb?” Song Haoran casually patted Luo Qiu’s arm… He really liked this youngster who had just acknowledged his ancestry.

Because in Luo Qiu’s eyes, he found something similar to himself—curiosity.

Curiosity about everything, fearless, daring. It really suited Song Haoran’s taste.

Song Haoran spat out the betel nut in his mouth and then smirked, “Luo Qiu, are you afraid of seeing blood?”

Song Haoran’s eyes seemed a bit bright as he stared into Luo Qiu’s eyes, “Even if I don’t say some things, I believe you have already thought about them, thought carefully. We have investigated your birth background—born into a family of domestic police. In fact, we don’t know how much sense of justice you possess or how you view things that aren’t lawful. But as you can see, the Song Family is in this business.”

Luo Qiu said nothing, knowing that Song Haoran, as a chatterbox, had more to say.

Song Haoran shrugged and said, “Your relatives who share the same ancestral blood, their hands are stained with blood, they’re dirty. We… our bloodied hands cannot be cleaned, and they’ll only gather more blood in the future. So, can you accept it? Or do you plan to experience it yourself?”

Luo Qiu also looked at Song Haoran, softly saying, “Song Ying has been working hard to expand the Song Dynasty Group. She says it could be a possible path for the Song Family’s future.”

Song Haoran was taken aback, looking at Luo Qiu, he remained silent for a long time.

After a moment, Song Haoran sighed, patted Luo Qiu’s shoulder, and spoke softly, “Do you know, looking back, it’s still unbelievable why I met you in Brazil. I still can’t figure out what drove me to strike up a conversation with you, as if it was a predestined arrangement. My intuition is usually accurate… but with you, I’ve never had any intuitive feelings.”

He walked past Luo Qiu, whispering in his ear, “Regardless of Father or Song Ying, how much can I trust you?”

“Rest assured, as of now, I still like you all very much.” Luo Qiu gave such a response.

An answer that surprised Song Haoran a little.

Pondering thoughtfully, Song Haoran furrowed his brows, then nodded, “Be careful later, stay close to me… If anything dangerous occurs, I won’t consider your female classmate; I’ll only care for your life.”

“There shouldn’t be any problems.”

Luo Qiu turned around, giving a casual smile, and discreetly snapped his fingers with the hand behind his back.

…

…

“Old Man Suzuki, Young Master Suzuki, the expert pathfinders from the Li Family have returned, saying it’s all clear. We can officially enter the tomb now.” Mu Xianghua came running back eagerly.

‘Suzuki Yuuichi’ and ‘Haruxin Suzuki’ exchanged a glance, nodded, and stood up.

As part of the leadership, after regrouping with people from the Zhang Family and Song Family, they became the first group to enter the tomb.

A folding ladder had already been set up at the entrance.

‘Suzuki Yuuichi’ and ‘Haruxin Suzuki’ followed a Li Family expert into the tunnel, while Song Haoran and the others from the Song Family trailed behind.

As soon as they landed, ‘Haruxin Suzuki’ suddenly stood still, his face changing dramatically.

Simultaneously, ‘Suzuki Yuuichi’s expression also turned grim… he hurriedly glanced at Yamata no Orochi, speaking in a low, somewhat cold voice, “What’s going on?”

‘Haruxin Suzuki’s voice was unsteady, sounding a bit panicked, “I don’t know… all the markers disappeared. And…”

And what’s worse, for some unknown reason, Yamata no Orochi’s soul was entirely trapped within Haruxin Suzuki’s body, unable to escape.

Lian Zhen was the same!