Seeing this scene, Gu Gang smiled softly, looking somewhat satisfied.
Hu Bayi, standing to the side and witnessing everything, could not help but offer a wry smile. He sighed to himself, thinking that perhaps only someone with superior strength and extraordinary methods could accomplish such a feat.
Suddenly, a sharp "crack" echoed through the air.
Immediately following, a rumbling sound shook the tomb chamber as the mechanism was triggered once more.
"It worked!"
The group’s faces beamed with joy.
With a soft hum, Gu San moved with agility; his four flying daggers returned to their positions in an instant, and he retreated to guard the side chamber.
At the same time, the tomb chamber trembled slightly. The mural on one of the walls split open automatically, revealing a massive, hidden coffin.
"A coffin hidden within the wall! No wonder I always felt something was off when looking at the murals before." Hu Bayi shook his head and gave a bitter laugh.
"Since the coffin has appeared, it is time to open it." Gu Gang stepped out from the side chamber, his eyes flickering as he gazed at the coffin.
He had already been calling out to the system repeatedly within the main tomb chamber to request a check-in, but there had been no response. He surmised that the opportunity for a check-in would only arrive once the coffin was found or opened. Now that it had appeared, could a check-in be far behind?
"Master, shall we open the coffin?" Gu San and Gu Si were filled with anticipation. After all, this was their first time treasure hunting in an ancient tomb, and there was a chance they might see a legendary Dried Corpse.
Just then, Hu Bayi stepped forward and said, "Wait! Boss Gu, you know I am a Mojin Captain. The Mojin school follows the rule of 'no looting if the candle is extinguished at the crow of the rooster,' so we must light a candle in the southeast corner as a sign of respect before opening any coffin. Shall we wait a moment while I go light it?"
"Oh? Old Hu, the Mojin school has such a rule?" Wang Fatty asked, full of confusion.
"That is correct." After a moment of thought, Gu Gang smiled. "Times change. While Brother Hu must not break the ancestral rules of the Mojin, one can adapt to the situation. If a flashlight can provide light, why can’t it replace a candle?" He pointed to the flashlight placed nearby.
"What? A flashlight?!" Hu Bayi’s eyelids twitched, unable to grasp the profundity of this idea for a moment.
"The times have developed. In ancient times, when there were no lamps, they relied on candles. Today, using a flashlight for illumination leads to the same result."
Upon hearing this, Wang Fatty immediately caught on and laughed. He pulled a small flashlight from his jacket, clicked it on, and stood it upright. Facing this procedure, Hu Bayi looked helpless and could only nod with a wry smile, acknowledging that Gu Gang’s way of thinking was indeed superior.
"Alright, let's begin!"
At Gu Gang’s gesture, Gu San and Gu Si both exerted force, slapping the coffin lid. With a crisp cracking sound, the heavy lid was thrown aside by their immense strength and landed with a thud on the floor.
At that very moment—
A cold, electronic tone suddenly rang out in Gu Gang’s mind: "Ding... Given that the host is currently raiding the tomb of a Jin Dynasty general, shall I initiate the check-in procedure?"
Hearing this, Gu Gang’s heart leaped with joy. He had finally waited for this moment. Without hesitation, he replied decisively: "Check in immediately."
"Processing... Please wait... Check-in complete! The host has received the 'Dragon-Elephant Prajna Sutra,' a top-tier martial arts inheritance. Congratulations!"
This technique originated from a high-martial world with metal-element attributes. It was a Buddhist ultimate art consisting of thirteen levels; once perfected, one could manifest the combined strength of thirteen divine dragons and white elephants. The incredible power values flooded his mind, and Gu Gang could not help but be stunned into silence: this reward was nothing short of luxurious! There was no doubt that this "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Sutra" was the supreme method for training physical strength.
"Ding, does the host choose to claim the reward?"
"Claim it, of course!" Gu Gang replied immediately, having regained his composure. Such a powerful training method naturally needed to be acquired at once.
"Ding, reward is being issued..."
Hum! As the system’s voice faded, Gu Gang felt his mind tremble, followed by a massive influx of information. This state lasted for only three seconds before dissipating. Feeling the cultivation methods now present in his mind, Gu Gang could not help but admire their power once again.
"Sigh, Old Hu, look! The corpse in the coffin is actually clutching two pieces of jade. Since the deceased is gripping them so tightly, these must be worth a fortune."
Just as Gu Gang recovered from the system’s notification, he heard Wang Fatty shouting loudly. Seeing Wang Fatty and Hu Bayi staring with burning eyes at the pair of jade pendants held by the armored, black-masked corpse, Gu Gang could not help but curl his lips. He wasn't sure if these two guys had bad luck with wealth or simply didn't understand the value of antiques.
Every treasure in this tomb was more valuable than that pair of jade pendants. The black mask alone was made of pure gold, and with the value of the Burial Artifacts themselves, it would be a loss to sell them for anything less than a million. There were also many other pieces of porcelain; while not rare treasures, each was an exquisite work, and any single piece could fetch nearly a million. If placed in his Gujin Pavilion, he could surely sell them within days once the word got out.
Meanwhile, Gu San and the others also began to move, quickly opening their backpacks to pack the porcelain. Gu Si took the black mask directly, stowing it away without a second thought. Having followed Qi Yuanfu for so many years, their knowledge of antiques was not something someone like Hu Bayi could compare to, so they naturally wouldn't make the same mistake. Watching Wang Fatty clutch the two jade pendants as if they were treasures, the two found it amusing, though they didn't point it out.
*Click.*
However, at that very moment, the flashlight placed to the side suddenly burst, and its light was instantly extinguished. Seeing this, a chill gripped everyone, and a feeling of hair-raising dread crept over them.
"Old... Old Hu, didn't you say 'no looting if the candle is extinguished'? We're using flashlights, so this shouldn't count, right?" Wang Fatty’s voice was already trembling, clearly lacking confidence.
"Brother Hu, Brother Fatty, maybe we should leave quickly? This place is really terrifying." Yingzi couldn't help but shrink her neck, looking around in terror and instinctively hiding behind Gu Gang.
"Mr. Gu, what do you think?" Hu Bayi was also feeling uneasy, casting a questioning glance at Gu Gang.
"Continue," Gu Gang said, his expression calm as usual. He had originally thought that a flashlight would ensure safety, but he hadn't expected the corpse in the coffin to be capable of such things.
*Woo, woo, woo...*
The moment Gu Gang finished speaking, a sinister, bone-chilling wind swept through the entire tomb chamber.
"Stubborn to the end, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Gu Gang glared coldly at the corpse in the coffin, his tone indifferent. "Little Si, have you finished packing the items?"
"Master, everything has been secured in the backpacks."
Hearing their exchange, Hu Bayi and Wang Fatty were confused. Gu Gang’s words seemed to be directed at the corpse in the coffin. But it had long been dead—how could it die again? Despite their confusion, Wang Fatty still felt a sense of dread. In contrast, Hu Bayi suddenly sensed that something was wrong and watched in shock as the corpse began to mutate.
Sure enough, before their eyes, the previously shriveled corpse suddenly swelled, and thick red hair sprouted all over its body. A violent, ferocious, and sinister aura erupted from within, instantly filling the space of the mausoleum.
"Master, it is reviving into a Zombie. Is this the legendary big Zongzi? It doesn't look simple by the looks of it." Gu San watched the entire process of the Zombie's revival with great interest. Although he could feel the extraordinary aura of the opponent, he felt not the slightest bit of fear himself.
Beside him, Gu Si did not show much surprise. He quietly tidied up his luggage and carefully stepped behind the group, fearing that the upcoming battle might affect the precious items in his backpack.