He helped Lu Zong up, and together they stepped out of the room, wanting to see if the corpse of the "monkey" they had just killed was still there. If what they had seen earlier was truly a monkey, then the person from moments ago hadn't actually died, meaning the body shouldn't be in the same spot.

Yet, to their utter surprise, they saw the figure still lying on the floor as before. The two were utterly stunned, at a loss for an explanation.

Ma Xiong stammered, "Are you sure what you saw just now was the monkey?" Lu Zong nodded. "It's this late; why would I lie to you?" Ma Xiong pressed on, "Then that's not right.

Is the jade pendant you wear still there?" Lu Zong considered it. Right, there couldn't be two identical jade pendants.

Checking if the one on him was real or fake would settle it. " Saying that, he frantically rummaged through his pockets, finally pulling out the milky white jade pendant, slightly yellowed with age.

He held it in his palm, meticulously examining every aspect of the pendant, terrified of missing even the smallest clue. But if the artisans were determined to make the pendants look exactly the same, others wouldn't be able to tell them apart unless there was a chip or a missing corner.

However, this jade pendant had been preserved perfectly by the monkey, completely undamaged. The two fell into deep thought again.

Suddenly, Ma Xiong spoke up. "If we can't tell by the jade itself, we can look at the characters carved on it.

Handwriting always differs from person to person, right?" This reminded Lu Zong. He hastily flipped the jade pendant over, trying to see if the writing matched the monkey's script.

Since he and the monkey usually hung out together, he was very familiar with his handwriting; this shouldn't be too difficult for him. Indeed, after studying the script for a moment, Lu Zong frowned, as if he had found a clue.

Ma Xiong asked excitedly, "What is it? Did you find something?

Is this the monkey's jade pendant?" Lu Zong nodded and explained, "I distinctly remember the time the monkey was carving the character, he accidentally slipped, drawing an extra horizontal stroke below the 'Zi' (), which made it connect to the character 'Hou' (), turning it into 'Lian' (). This proves this one is the real monkey's..." Ma Xiong pulled out the jade pendant he had picked up from the room and examined it closely as well.

But surprisingly, he found the exact same flaw Lu Zong had just described on that pendant too. He quickly snatched the pendant from Lu Zong's hand, wanting to see if they were truly identical.

But the reality was, both jade pendants were exactly the same. He looked at Lu Zong in astonishment, then handed both pendants back to him.

Lu Zong understood Ma Xiong's intent and examined them carefully. Finally, he lifted his bewildered face and answered without hesitation, "Both of these are real." "Damn it," Ma Xiong sighed, cursing, "What the hell is this?

It's giving me a headache. If you have the guts, come out and fight us one-on-one!

Hiding and sneaking around—what kind of man are you?" Lu Zong consoled Ma Xiong for a few moments, then re-entered the room. The mummified corpses remained as if nothing had happened, still peacefully dormant.

Only the sound of their breathing echoed in the vast tomb chamber, an eerie and chilling atmosphere spreading between the two. They looked at the tunnel, unsure of their next move: proceed or retreat.

But the way that person emerged earlier was strange. Why did he come out?

And why did he want to draw their attention? Was he trying to guide them deeper?

But what if there were traps down there, designed to kill them? Or perhaps, he intended to rescue them, it was also possible.

With this thought, the two exchanged a glance and quickly settled on a decision without words: Screw it, let's go. There was no turning back anyway; at worst, death was just a massive scar.

They prepared their gear thoroughly, each gripping a semi-automatic pistol, with three or four incendiary sticks clipped to their belts—a good way to bolster morale if things got desperate. Once everything was ready, they cautiously stepped inside, immediately feeling as if their souls were suspended, facing the constant danger of falling to their deaths.

Thus, they moved with extreme caution. Their breathing was rapid, but they tried their best to minimize the sound they exhaled.

In this place, any noise could awaken the slumbering spirits, or worse—curses, or monsters. Just as they were sweating from tension, they suddenly found a wall blocking the passage ahead.

They nervously glanced around. Only when they perceived no immediate danger did they turn back, tucking their pistols into their belts, their eyes fixed on the barrier before them.

"What in the world? That wall wasn't here before.

Why has it suddenly appeared?" Ma Xiong muttered curiously. Lu Zong was equally perplexed, staring at the strange wall, completely baffled.

As they stood there in confusion, a deep rumbling sound echoed around them, startling them into swiftly retreating, watching the opening intently, wondering if it was a sign the ancient structure was about to collapse. But the tunnel showed no signs of imminent collapse.

The booming sound only grew louder, then gradually subsided until it vanished. The two exchanged a look, completely bewildered by what had just occurred.

When the noise stopped, they cautiously stepped forward again to investigate. But when they reached the spot, the wall was gone, leaving the passage as empty as it had been initially.

Ma Xiong stood curiously where the wall had been, trying to figure out where it had hidden itself, but despite turning everything upside down, he found no trace. Suddenly, Lu Zong noticed a stone slowly descending right above Ma Xiong’s head.

His heart lurched. Without thinking, he lunged, tackling Ma Xiong, and they tumbled inside where the stone door had been.

Ma Xiong cursed, "Damn it, trying to ambush me? No way!

Luckily, I..." He abruptly stopped, realizing that Lu Zong had just saved his life, and it had nothing to do with his own abilities, so he held his tongue. Lu Zong smiled faintly and asked, "I'm guessing that wall was what blocked the path of the incendiary sticks we fired from the guns.

I’m sure of it." Ma Xiong nodded, smiling faintly. "This is a major problem now.

As far as I know, during the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese used Chinese people for biological weapon testing, and the mechanisms here are just like what's written in the textbooks. It seems we've stumbled into a Japanese experimental facility.

We might face infection from thousands of viruses; this is disastrous." Lu Zong's heart also jolted. "Viruses?

Their lifespan isn't just a few decades. Moreover, considering their rapid proliferation rate, there could very well be viruses here from decades of testing.

We must be cautious." He asked, "Ma Xiong, do you have any gas masks on you?" Ma Xiong thought for a moment, then said with shock, "Sorry, I forgot to consider that when we came. Who knew we'd crash into a place like this?

But I did bring condoms—wonder if those will be useful?" Lu Zong looked at the smirking Ma Xiong and cursed, "Pervert." Suddenly, Ma Xiong shouted excitedly, "Damn it, forget the masks! Come over here and see what these things are!" Lu Zong, intrigued by Ma Xiong’s excitement, walked over, puzzled, and asked, "What is it?" But when Ma Xiong lit an incendiary stick, Lu Zong was instantly dumbfounded.

What he saw were piles upon piles of corpses. Because the chamber was sealed tightly by the door at the entrance, the environment was dry, preventing decay; some even retained expressions on their faces.

That wasn't the most astonishing part. What shocked them even more was the clothing these bodies wore—not the attire of the Anti-Japanese War era, but garments from the Ming Dynasty or even earlier.

Lu Zong stared at these desiccated bodies, utterly unable to comprehend. He felt only shock and excitement.

What was going on here? Why were these people dressed in Ming Dynasty clothes?

Were these actually Ming Dynasty people? But that idea was immediately dismissed.

Every single corpse was wearing a gas mask. If they were Ming Dynasty mummies, it would be impossible for them to be wearing masks.

Then how could the Ming Dynasty clothing be explained? Perhaps they were actors?

That didn't fit either. At that time, filmmaking in China was still in its infancy, and due to national policies, historical dramas were difficult to produce.

Why would anyone film something like this? That possibility was ruled out.

So what was the reason? Did their experiments require these subjects to wear Ming Dynasty clothing?

It was absurd. He couldn't find any logical explanation, and his head started throbbing painfully.

Ma Xiong, however, showed no panic. He had been focused on the clothing.

After a long pause, he spoke slowly, "Perhaps I can explain this?" Hearing that Ma Xiong had a theory, Lu Zong eagerly leaned in close, urging him to share. Ma Xiong said, "This is just one possibility I'm considering; we'll have to discuss it further to know for sure.

I believe these are all Japanese test subjects. These mummies are experimental material for the Japanese." "Test subjects?" Lu Zong asked, still confused and not grasping the meaning.

"Yes," Ma Xiong stated calmly. "The Japanese weren't just researching how to kill people." Then what else were they studying?

They were also busy trying to bring people back to life. He couldn't help but laugh.

"How is that possible? Saving lives?

Did their conscience suddenly kick in, making them want to atone for the atrocities committed against China?" Ma Xiong was surprised by Lu Zong's emotional outburst and tried to placate him. "Listen to me first.

When I say saving lives, I don't mean healing the sick and helping the injured. I mean saving lives for the purpose of harming others." Lu Zong rubbed his temples, shook his head vigorously, then stared at Ma Xiong with a distant look.

"I don't understand."