While Old Ming and the others stood guard outside the whale bone, feeling increasingly uneasy, they observed the row of corpses inside the tomb covered by skin mottled with scales, resembling a single, massive quilt stretched taut. The contents of the "Dragon Wrap" were unusually bulging. He assumed the five thousand-year-old, unrotted bodies must all possess burial artifacts, and even if he couldn't take them, it would be enlightening to at least lift the covers and glimpse the antiquities preserved for millennia in the Guixu. Unexpectedly, upon lifting the Dragon Cover, they discovered that the three central female corpses, laid side-by-side, had all suffered abdominal evisceration while pregnant. The fetuses inside, at least eight or nine months developed, had been violently carved out and placed atop the women's gaping bellies.

The abdominal cavities of the deceased were stuffed with round stones known as "Cold Jade." Due to the contents filling their abdomens, the female corpses appeared still distended, as if on the verge of labor, their cheeks slightly puffed and their mouths holding luminous pearls. The dead infants seemed untreated, yet thanks to the Cold Jade and Youth-Retaining Pearls within the female corpses beneath them, their forms remained, carbonized into blackened clumps. The sight made the hairs on one's neck stand on end. A closer inspection with the flashlight revealed that each infant was missing an arm or a leg; they appeared to be congenital deformities. Old Ming was startled, sensing a profound strangeness.

Among tomb robbers who carried corpses, tales of infant ghosts and fetal spirits were rampant. Some tomb masters intentionally interred fetuses that died with grievances, swearing that any robber who stole artifacts or damaged the corpse would be haunted day and night until their life was taken. Seeing this, Old Ming immediately signaled for me to check if this Hentian Shi had nurtured petty ghosts within the tomb. As he spoke, cold sweat poured down him; his terror was palpable. Hearing this, I immediately examined the stiffened figures covered by the "Dragon Skin." As predicted, the three extracted dead infants seemed to retain the posture of their final, agonizing struggle.

However, they were missing a limb—either an arm or a leg—and it didn't appear to have been cruelly severed; rather, it was due to congenital malformation. Upon closer inspection, one could discern tiny hands, the size of a rat's paw, which, for unknown reasons, had failed to develop alongside the rest of the body. The presence of petty ghosts in tombs was not common, appearing only in certain remote regions of the South. Most tomb explorers never encountered them in their lifetimes, though legends were plentiful in the eastern and western regions of Guangdong. During the late Qing and early Republic eras, a group of tomb robbers operating in the Guangxi and Guangdong areas, specializing in corpse recovery and vault raiding, actually carried such infant spirits home, resulting in their deaths—recent occurrences, not baseless ghost stories.

This indicated a regional custom, rumored to have emerged only during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Guangdong and Guangxi, being relatively remote, only saw significant cultural and economic development around the Ming and Qing periods, leaving the origin of this tradition of using infant ghosts for tomb defense untraceable. However, this practice was extremely rare in other provinces, suggesting it might not stem from ancient methods. How could such an evil art exist in Guixu, a ruin thousands of years old? Yet, why were these nearly fully formed infants subjected to such brutality?

Moreover, the fact that all three were congenitally deformed seemed too coincidental. Though we were in a perilous situation and couldn't dismiss the notion of malevolent spirits, some matters demanded practical precaution. With this in mind, I was already leaning toward destroying the evidence. I asked Old Ming and the others what to do. Old Ming, who always held deep faith in the ancestral lore he carried, eagerly responded when asked for countermeasures: "We shouldn't be soft-hearted now, or even if we return to the sea, at least three of us will carry those clinging little ghosts.

Why raise petty ghosts in a tomb? Because the fetuses were already formed, with solitary spirits already attached. When they are ripped alive from the pregnant woman's womb, those spirits cling to their physical shells and refuse to leave. Fetal ghosts are the most petty and malicious; they won't rest until they've plagued the living to death. So, following Uncle's advice, we must finish what we started: incinerating the little thieves' shells is the best course." As Old Ming spoke, he patted the mermaid lantern candle in his hand; the candlelight made his face extremely grim, suggesting a deep, inherent dread of carrying infant ghosts home.

Fatty also urged starting the fire, but he insisted that whatever the dead men held in their mouths should be retrieved first, lest it go to waste. I looked at Gu Cai; the simple-minded fellow hadn't grasped the connection between his status as a Long Hu and this ancient tomb beneath the sea-eye, and he cared little about burning the remains of these dead infants. Duo Ling, being the most timid of the group, dared not even approach the stiffened corpses within the whale bone. Based on my experience, the matter of carrying infant ghosts is one where it is better to believe than to doubt. There must be something sinister about the dead infants in the tomb.

Rather than waiting for trouble to find us, it was better to burn them clean immediately. Why probe the root of the matter further? I hardened my resolve and nodded at Old Ming. Old Ming, Fatty, Gu Cai, and the others surged forward, intending first to take the Youth-Retaining Pearls and then set the "Rebirth Fire." Just as they were about to move, Shirley Yang stopped them. She had been focused on the nine-legged tripod and urgently told Old Ming and the others to halt when she heard them planning to set fire to the stiffened corpses.

She mentioned that tales of carrying infant ghosts from tombs existed even among the Banshan Taoists, but these were folk evils that only appeared in the mountains over the last two or three centuries—how could they exist in Guixu? Furthermore, she had never heard of tomb guardians specifically choosing congenitally deformed fetuses; did such a logic exist in the world? Rushing to burn them might actually invite real trouble. Her words left us speechless. The missing limbs of the fetuses were deeply bizarre and hard to comprehend, as no one had ever truly seen the layout of a tomb concealing infant ghosts.

Shirley Yang stated, "The Hentian Shi inscribed this matter upon the Nine-Legged Tripod. If we are to escape this coral cave wreckage beneath the ocean, we likely still have to rely on these Southern Sea stiffened corpses." Hearing that there was a plan, everyone was moved. Old Ming’s eyes blurred with tears of excitement: "Miss Yang, your uncle is old, and his mind is slow. Are you saying these ancient corpses can take us back? What is your strategy?

Please enlighten this humble mind so my confusion may be cleared..." Shirley Yang directed everyone to the back of the Nine-Legged Tripod. It turned out that this coral cave, isolated beneath Guixu, was not an ancient tomb. The matter of the missing limbs on the fetuses was linked to a lunar eclipse that occurred in antiquity. The five ancient corpses in the whale bone, covered by Dragon Skin—one old, one young—were individuals about to be interred. The three pregnant women whose stomachs were cut open were sacrificial victims due to the misfortune of having witnessed a lunar eclipse.

Solar and lunar eclipses are major astronomical phenomena. Although ancient people did not understand the mechanics, their recognition of these celestial anomalies was long-standing. A widespread legend held that pregnant women must not witness a lunar eclipse; if they did, their unborn children would be born with limb defects. This mystical belief was not unfounded; even in this modern age of scientific advancement and developed medicine, its underlying mystery remains inexplicable. A high, almost incomprehensible proportion of infants born to mothers who witnessed an eclipse were malformed or disabled.

In the superstitious understanding of ancient times, a total lunar eclipse was considered a "Great Rupture," and other eclipses a "Minor Rupture." The moment the moon was ruptured, its yin essence was believed to be injured by heaven and earth, and those carrying tai qi (fetal energy) would inevitably be affected. Ancient civilizations originated along great rivers, and the Hentian Shi originated in the Yellow River basin. After migrating south across the sea, they retained their ancient mythologies and totem worship, which included not only sun-shooting, symbolizing war and slaughter, but also moon-chasing, in pursuit of immortality. The name Hentian Zhi Guo (Kingdom of Hentian) was coined by later scholars based on inscriptions found on a bronze cauldron from the era of King Mu of Zhou, and may not be accurate. The Kingdom of Hentian utilized Dragon Fire, forging an unprecedented Bronze Civilization.

However, perhaps due to excessive superstition regarding the legend of the elixir of life in the Moon Palace, they poured the entire nation's resources into excavating underwater divine wood and casting bronze. Ten thousand people felled trees, yet no one ascended to heaven, resulting in the ancient city sinking into the sea. According to the records on the Nine-Legged Tripod, there was an even larger bronze cauldron beneath the water in this coral cave. To collect three deformed children damaged by a lunar eclipse and cast them into the great cauldron underwater was believed to allow their souls to travel via a wooden mechanism (jian mu) to the Moon Palace where the elixir of immortality was kept. Shirley Yang explained, "The disabled fetuses caused by the eclipse were called Shi Tian (Eclipse Heaven) during the Shang and Zhou periods; they served as the 'medicine guide' for refining the elixir of immortality.

This concept was extremely common in antiquity, with traces related to it found on numerous artifacts from the Yin-Shang to the Qin-Han periods." I nodded: "The Qin and Han eras were the most zealous in seeking immortality. It’s understandable. Where a person is in life and where they are after death—these are beyond the comprehension of mortals. Life is fleeting; black hair turns white in the blink of an eye. Compared to limited time, people naturally focused more on whether eternal life could be achieved in the boundless void.

This trend slowly faded after the Tang and Song dynasties; even the emperors stopped deceiving themselves that one trip into the world was inescapable from birth, aging, sickness, and death, let alone immortal deities. The superstitions of the ancients can be forgiven, but ours should not be. Are we truly expected to gain the elixir of eternal life on the Moon by tossing these three armless and legless infants into the great cauldron underwater?" Fatty chimed in, "Exactly. If that's the case, why build moon rockets? Did the US and the Soviet Union toil in vain for so many years?

Perhaps Gu Cai's ancestors climbed to the moon by climbing trees thousands of years ago..." Old Ming exclaimed nervously, "You two good-for-nothings never believe anything; can't you let Miss Yang finish before you start talking nonsense?" He then turned to Shirley Yang: "Miss Yang, please don't take offense at these two. Uncle trusts you the most. Please continue. After we eat the elixir of immortality on the Moon, can we come back down? Immortality is certainly wonderful, but it's best if we can return to enjoy wealth and status below..." Shirley Yang replied, "I never said we could actually climb from the seabed divine wood into the Moon Palace.

I am only interpreting the carvings on the Nine-Legged Tripod: this method of burial, evolved from the legend of immortality, might be a form of sea burial. The great cauldron underwater is a mechanism, bearing the marking of the Zhen trigram, which perhaps could activate the undertow... or something else. In any case, it should be able to lift the corpses out of the Guixu and onto the sea surface. The only question is whether the mechanism still functions after all these years." I quickly examined the engravings on the cauldron.

Just as Shirley Yang said, there was a great cauldron underwater marked with the "Zhen Trigram" mechanism. Looking at the Zhen over Zhen symbol now, it seemed to be some sort of mechanism. Once activated, the water in this coral cave might lift the enormous jian mu to the surface. Whether this was true required us to dive down and ascertain the facts. I suddenly thought of the tattoo on Gu Cai's back.

This coral cave with the stiffened corpses should be the tomb of the Mermen, and deeper still was a dragon skeleton. I wondered exactly where the giant cauldron marked with the "Zhen Trigram" was located. The Tou Hai Zhen (Sea-Penetrating Array) passed down through generations on his back held the truth of the Guixu ancient tomb. Perhaps his ancestors hoped a descendant would return to the sea-eye to properly inter their remains. Only with Gu Cai, the last Long Hu, did the opportunity arise for us to mistakenly enter this place.

Observing the water currents in this coral cave, it seemed isolated from the outside world. We had no idea how deep the water was beneath the tomb, and if the great cauldron was beyond our diving depth, we wouldn't be able to reach it. I decided that Fatty, Gu Cai, and I would immediately dive to scout the location of the underwater cauldron and see if we could activate this massive mechanism. However, I knew this was sheer luck; how reliable could vague records from thousands of years ago be? Moreover, perhaps these ancestors of the Deng people had simply concocted some tale to fool others on a whim.

Therefore, I instructed Shirley Yang and Old Ming to stay on this reef, not just worry about us, but to continue thinking of other solutions. Shirley Yang and I quickly discussed the diving plan. We took the Hentian Shi's Water-Parting Swords for self-defense, which should be adequate to handle any underwater contingencies. Shirley Yang cautioned, "You must not forget; this is reconnaissance only. The moment you see the great cauldron, return immediately..." I knew if she kept talking, she would follow.

We had limited scuba tanks and had to conserve our efforts; we couldn't all dive in while the situation was unclear. So, I quickly changed the subject, asking her to look after Old Ming and Duo Ling. The surface was calm and still, suggesting the underwater situation wasn't immediately dangerous—a reconnaissance dive shouldn't be risky. Then, after sharing some compressed biscuits with Gu Cai and Fatty and getting geared up, each of us tucked the carbonized remains of an Shi Tian fetus into our personal dive carry bags before approaching the water's edge. Due to continuous action in a short period, Gu Cai had developed a tacit understanding with us.

I didn't need to give him further instructions. Furthermore, his eyesight underwater in the total darkness was superior; we would rely on him to search for the great cauldron and confirm the route. He still wore no scuba gear, stripped to the waist, with the sharp blade used by Dan Ren to scrape clams held between his teeth. Seeing Fatty and Gu Cai ready, I pointed to my own diving mask to signal them to observe carefully, and then the three of us entered the water simultaneously. The water depth in the coral cave was unfathomable and utterly dark.

We had lost all our underwater floodlights and could only rely on our dive torches for illumination. Anything more than a few meters ahead was swallowed by darkness, indistinguishable. The underwater space of the coral cave was profound and vast, momentarily disorienting. Occasionally, some bioluminescent aquatic creatures approached, but before we could identify them, they zipped past like shooting stars and vanished into the blackness. Suddenly, a flashing light appeared in the darkness.

Though underwater, it felt like being immersed in a sea of stars. My vision blurred, and focusing, I saw that thousands upon thousands of Ghost Octopuses were swimming in and out of sight below. These creatures emitted a ghostly blue luminescence that attracted small aquatic life, allowing them to find opportunities to devour their prey. Their light organs could also scare off marine predators, but they did not actively attack the divers; instead, they provided excellent illumination for us. The deeper we went, the clearer the water became, but the Ghost Octopuses clustered and dispersed, stirring up waves of shimmering, dazzling light fog on the seabed.

We clung to a fossilized ancient coral tree to take stock of our surroundings. Anything too far away was invisible. All around us were fossilized corals, with large groups of crustaceans scrambling rapidly in the crevices and holes. Just as I was about to lean over and dive further to explore, I noticed that the fossilized coral tree beside me was riddled with countless holes, like a sieve. Each cavity was large enough to accommodate a person, and something seemed to be hidden within.

I beckoned Fatty and Gu Cai over, and the three of us clustered together, shining our dive torch beams inside. Within the hollows of the coral tree structure, we saw the skeletal remains of a Merman. The flesh had been entirely consumed by fish, leaving only disordered bones draped with scales still attached to sinews, their serrated fangs exposed, looking terribly ferocious. Looking into several more cavities, we found that nearly all the countless holes in the fossilized coral tree were filled with Merman corpses; this single coral tree was the tomb of the Scaled Tribe. Seeing thousands of Merman skeletons, I couldn't help but feel a chill.

Fortunately, they were all dead; otherwise, encountering such a horde of vicious spirits underwater would have meant certain doom. However, the Mermen's faces and bodies had been gnawed away by small fish, yet their bones hadn't dissolved. Legend held this was due to the "Fish Pearl" in their brains. There were Sea Pearls and Lake Pearls, and like the Fish Pearl, these were rare treasures of the water. The reason Fish Pearls were rarely seen was that their essence dissipated shortly after leaving the water, making them less valuable than (clam pearls).

I didn't know if the legend was true, but contemplating that the Long Hu's tattoo marked a Merman tomb, this had to be a site of immense importance, and naturally, I had to understand it clearly. I signaled to Fatty, reached into a cavity, and pulled out a Merman skull. Fatty then used the Water-Parting Sword to pry into the Merman's eye socket. The dark blade of the sword emitted a faint, dim glow underwater. Crafted in the image of a Merman spitting a blade, it was likely an ancient tool for dealing with vicious Mermen spirits.

As the blade flipped, it split the hideous fish-head in two. Inside was a black, lusterless bone sphere the size of a walnut. When the Merman first died, the Fish Pearl must have possessed a brilliance that preserved the skeleton for many years. Now, after its essence had faded, it crumbled into dust when I crushed it between my fingers. Gu Cai watched curiously in the water and, emboldened, reached an arm into another cavity, intending to pull out a Merman head that looked vaguely human to check for a Fish Pearl.

However, the moment his hand entered, a dry, black-scaled claw silently emerged from the tomb within the coral tree and firmly gripped his wrist, dragging him inward. Gu Cai’s one hand was firmly seized, but his other hand gripped his air siphon, and he still held the sealed bag containing the dead fetus remains in the crook of his arm. The bag remained slung on him, yet the rash fellow didn't drop the dead infant or use the blade in his mouth to free himself. Instead, he braced his foot against the coral tree and strained backward with all his might, resulting in a tense stalemate. Fatty and I were startled by the sight.

Had a Merman in the sea come back to life? Forgetting everything else, I raised the Water-Parting Sword and swung. The sword was marvelously crafted; it moved through the water with absolutely no resistance. The ancient blade struck down, instantly severing the claw protruding from the hole. A stream of dark blood immediately followed.

As the bloody cloud diffused in the water amidst the light waves stirred by the Ghost Octopuses, we saw countless black-scaled Mermen rising from the densely packed holes of the coral tree, surging out like torrents of black sludge.