Lu Zong stammered, "Go ask him if he’s a dead man or a living one, and why he’s standing there scaring us.” Ma Xiong knew Lu Zong was joking, perhaps just venting his inner frustration. Having encountered so much difficulty so soon after arriving, he wondered how they could possibly proceed. Ma Xiong managed a helpless smile, theatrically approaching the corpse and murmuring a gentle phrase in Japanese.

Lu Zong chuckled from behind him. "I never thought we’d be scared by this corpse. What a joke.

Come on, let's finish off this damned little Japanese devil and stop making fools of ourselves here.” Just as Ma Xiong was about to strike, Lu Zong stopped him. “Let’s forget it. This mummy is practically an antique.

Preserving it might actually benefit our nation’s archaeology. Besides, Japan has been trying to revise its history lately; the existence of this corpse serves as significant evidence of the Japanese invasion. Let’s just leave it.” Ma Xiong laughed, knowing Lu Zong cherished these antiquities too much.

He had no choice but to abandon his impulse to take out his frustration on the mummy. Lu Zong pointed toward the doorway and asked curiously, “Ma Xiong, look at the entrance to this tunnel. It doesn’t seem to be fully closed—there’s still a gap.

I saw that the doors to the other tunnels all had iron locks, but why is this one so special? Even with a body placed there, a dead man shouldn’t be able to hold back a solid iron lock.” Ma Xiong smiled dismissively. “These little Japanese are all idiots.

Did they think the gatekeeper would live forever? How could they possibly stop an iron lock and explosives? Tell you what, let’s go inside and take a look.

I have a strange feeling this mummy is inviting us in. Didn’t you think my earlier hallucination was odd? I guarantee you, I genuinely didn't see this mummy just now.

I couldn't make out the exact make of his guntō (military saber) earlier, but look at the weapon in his hand—isn't that a guntō? Maybe he truly intends to give us some kind of revelation by signaling us inside.” Lu Zong, however, didn’t believe the mummy was responsible for the strange occurrences. Subconsciously, he suspected a Shamanic sorcerer was at work.

Nevertheless, to uncover the truth, he agreed to go in with Ma Xiong. For safety, they positioned themselves around a corner more than ten meters from the entrance and hurled a heavy stone toward the doorway. The stone struck the door squarely.

The door crashed down with a bang, sending up a cloud of dust that danced in the air. A powerful gust of wind knocked the mummy at the entrance over, and with a loud clank, the corpse was split completely in two. Ma Xiong turned to Lu Zong, who looked utterly crestfallen, and smiled.

“My apologies, I put a bit too much force into it; I ended up smashing the mummy in half. But don't worry, I’ll certainly arrange for rites to ease its passage.” Lu Zong glanced at the ruined corpse, then at the innocent-faced Ma Xiong, and sighed, “May all the cursed ones perish.” Once everything settled down, Lu Zong stepped out from behind the stone, brushed the dust from the doorway, and peered inside. In just one look, he was stunned.

He saw an entire room packed floor to ceiling with mummies. Seeing Lu Zong’s expression, Ma Xiong knew there must be something significant inside and quickly crowded next to him, hoping to see what treasures were hidden within. If there were any advanced weapons or ancient armaments, that would truly appeal to his tastes.

He rushed to the doorway for a look, but upon seeing only rows of mummies, his interest evaporated instantly. Lu Zong, however, was intensely fascinated. He stood excitedly at the threshold, gazing at the mummies as if famished, marveling, “These are all precious history, Ma Xiong!

Come quickly and look—what can you deduce from their clothing?” Ma Xiong glanced over and replied, “I think their clothes are all too worn out.” Lu Zong, unable to contain his excitement, explained, “Let me tell you, judging by their attire, they must belong to the same dynasty as the ‘Beauty of Loulan.’ That means they are now over three thousand years old.” Ma Xiong looked slightly astonished and peered inside again. “Three thousand years? How is that possible?

You can still see patterns on their clothes; how could they be three millennia old? Mummies from three thousand years ago hidden in this decades-old hole? Impossible.

I think they are just remnants of the late Qing Dynasty, killed by the Japanese decades ago. Those clothes are probably from the Qing era.” Lu Zong patiently elaborated, “Look at how neatly they are arranged; you can tell they were intentionally preserved with care. I suspect the Japanese unearthed them while digging tunnels.

They must have anticipated the importance of these mummies and stored them properly. These are crucial cultural relics; we must not damage them. It’s a good thing you didn’t smash them just now, or I would have fought you to the death.” With that, he carefully stepped inside, gently brushed the dust off one of the mummies, and continued to express admiration for how perfectly preserved they were.

There were about a dozen or so mummies inside, neatly stacked in two rows, all housed within crystal coffins without lids, allowing a clear view of the deceased within. Their garments were laid out neatly upon them; some had long hair cascading over their shoulders, eyes tightly closed, resting peacefully in their sarcophagi. One in particular even held an expression of a slight smile, the corners of its mouth gently upturned, creating a truly serene sight.

To earn a favorable impression from a three-thousand-year-old body was incredibly difficult, yet someone had achieved it. Suddenly, Ma Xiong behind him let out a surprised cry of delight. Lu Zong’s mind snapped to attention, and he turned back, eager to see what had transpired.

Knowing Ma Xiong’s lack of interest in mummies, such a joyous exclamation had to signify something truly remarkable. He watched Ma Xiong intently.