The group looked up, startled to find the pit walls slowly beginning to fracture, the cracks spreading inch by painstaking inch, on the verge of breaking apart entirely.

Fatty yelled, "What the hell is this thing? Why is it starting to explode? It was fine just a moment ago."

Lu Zong suddenly noticed a dark smear of blood seeping out from one of the wider fissures, standing out starkly against the dim stone.

Fatty asked, "Hey, look, what is that?"

Just as everyone turned to look where Fatty pointed, he suddenly snatched up a rock from the ground and slammed it down hard onto the head of one of the company commander's subordinates, knocking the man unconscious.

Seeing this, the others immediately raised their guns, pointing them at Fatty’s head, awaiting the company commander’s order.

The company commander cursed, "Damn it, Fatty, what are you doing?"

Fatty grinned, "Nothing much, just borrowing him for a moment. Relax, I guarantee he's safe. You have to trust me, we're running out of time."

The company commander looked at the widening cracks and the increasing flow of blood, then nodded. "Fine, but you absolutely must guarantee his safety."

In truth, the company commander cared little for the soldier's life; it was merely posturing for the sake of his image. If the soldier actually died, the commander knew he wouldn't make much of a fuss. After all, half his life was currently in Fatty’s hands; without Fatty, he wasn't sure he could make it out alive.

Fatty hoisted the fallen soldier and dashed to the center of the plaza. He placed the man onto the platform and commanded everyone, "Hurry and crouch down. Do not open your eyes, no matter what happens."

They crouched down exactly as Fatty instructed and squeezed their eyes shut, remaining perfectly still.

Soon, they felt a chilling dampness beneath them—the blood must have reached their lower bodies. It felt strangely gentle at first. After a while, the blood pooling beneath them grew thicker, eventually creeping upward to engulf their entire bodies. They felt unable to breathe properly. But for the sake of their lives, none dared to open their eyes.

Finally, after enduring it for what felt like an eternity, the blood slowly receded, vanishing completely from their bodies. Only when Fatty let out a long, heavy sigh did they slowly dare to open their eyes.

Fatty walked over and said, "Alright, we’re clear now. We found the exit."

The company commander quickly asked, "How is my soldier now?"

Fatty carefully carried the man down from the platform. Because Fatty was built with layers of solid fat, lifting the soldier was surprisingly easy.

Fatty roused the soldier from his stupor. The moment the soldier saw Fatty, rage flared across his face, and he moved to attack Fatty with his gun. The company commander’s sharp yell stopped him instantly. "Enough, stop your damn shouting! If it weren't for Fatty just now, we’d all be drowned in that blood."

The soldier ceased his cursing, but the hatred for Fatty multiplied in his heart. The way he looked at Fatty was akin to a scorned woman eyeing a client who had defaulted on payment.

The company commander said, "Fatty, you said you found the exit. Let’s head there now."

Fatty replied, "I took a look just now. Every hole outside the one that swallowed your soldier is bleeding. That means only that specific spot is safe."

Ma Xiong glanced over, his voice laced with concern. "How is that spot safe? If it were safe, the company commander’s soldier wouldn't have died there."

Fatty countered, "Of course, 'safe' is relative. Think about it—how safe can a tomb that’s been bizarre for over a thousand years truly be?"

Lu Zong frowned, made a gesture towards Ma Xiong, and said, "For now, we should listen to Fatty; after all, Fatty is the expert. Fatty, you said we go through that hole, so you lead the way."

Fatty glared at Lu Zong, grinding his teeth internally. This guy always seemed to kick him when he was down.

Fatty approached the opening, but before he could slip inside, a deep rumbling sound echoed from all around them. He quickly asked, "What is that noise? What's happening?"

The others exchanged bewildered glances. Fatty instantly realized his folly. If even he, the supposed expert, didn't know, what could these laymen possibly know?

But just as they stood in confusion, Dongzi suddenly shouted, "Holy crap, look! The wall is actually moving!"

They all turned to the tomb wall and saw that it was indeed advancing slowly. Though not immediately obvious, they watched the bloody trail on the floor gradually disappear beneath the moving structure.

Fatty’s eyes darted around, and he said, "Could this be the legendary 'Grinding Wheel'?"

"Grinding Wheel? What Grinding Wheel?" the others asked immediately.

Fatty explained, "The Grinding Wheel. It was a torture device Cao Cao used long ago to punish mutinous soldiers or prisoners of war. I never thought they’d actually installed one in a tomb."

Lu Zong chimed in, "I’ve seen this device before, though the design is slightly different. Legend says during the Battle of Guandu, all the prisoners Cao Cao captured were forced into these things, ending up pressed into human jerky. That batch of prisoners was the first to 'enjoy' this punishment. But since this device requires levers and gears, it was expensive to produce, so they only made a few, not large batches. This must be one of them."

Fatty remarked, "Lu Zong, I didn't know you had such knowledge. I thought only us tomb raiders passed down tidbits like that through generations."

Lu Zong gave an embarrassed, slight smile. "It's nothing. It’s just the result of my diligent study, combined with my inherent intelligence, wisdom, gentle nature, and dashing charisma."

Ma Xiong quickly cut him off. "Stop shamelessly praising yourself! Gentle and charming? Is that why you flicked snot onto the television screen?"

Lu Zong, realizing Ma Xiong had caught him out, couldn't retort much, and a blush actually crept onto his face, leaving him momentarily flustered. Luckily, he noticed the approaching tomb wall, seeing it as an escape. He let out a breath and urged, "Everyone, look! That thing is getting closer! If we don't squeeze in now, we’ll be flattened into jerky. Hurry up and get inside!"

Fatty also saw that the wall was accelerating towards them, maybe fast enough to surpass the speed of light next second, leading to a sudden, confusing death. He glanced at the Ge Mei sisters and said, "When I get in, you two follow right behind me. You perverts!"

Even facing imminent death, he couldn't resist damaging others’ reputations. Lu Zong cursed that Fatty was better suited to be an online novelist or a stand-up comedian in his next life.

Fatty swaggered into the opening. Before entering, he snatched the gun from Dongzi’s hand, reasoning that they didn't know what dangers lay ahead and a weapon could offer protection.

After the Ge Mei sisters followed, Lu Zong ushered his own men in, and the company commander brought up the rear.

Surprisingly, the hole was quite spacious. Even after everyone squeezed through, there was still room left.

Ma Xiong asked, "Fatty, it’s closing up fast! What do we do now?"

Fatty suddenly cursed, "Damn it, I know what’s happening!"

Lu Zong looked at Fatty curiously. "What is it, Fatty? What do you understand?"

At that moment, the two tomb walls had not fully sealed; the narrow gap between them allowed only a sliver of dim light into the passage. The dim light illuminated Fatty’s face, making him look almost sinister, especially with his current expression, which instinctively made the others adopt a defensive posture.

Fatty explained, "Remember the blood flowing out of those other holes? Damn it, are we now in the same predicament as those poor souls who died? Why is only this hole empty, while the others are filled with blood? Could it be that those people were also tomb robbers, faced the same situation we did, made the same decision I did—to slip into a different hole—and then the walls closed, turning them into those bloody meat patties?"

The others exchanged looks, staring at Fatty. "Damn it, Fatty, don't say it, but there’s a real possibility of that. Only you could come up with such a terrible idea. You’re a walking jinx, man! You’ve been getting cursed lately, bringing us all down with you. Think of a way out, fast!"

Fatty maintained a calm demeanor. "Don't panic. There will always be a solution. Let's analyze the situation. Since we entered this passage, the main walls definitely won't crush us. The only way we become meat paste is if the walls of this small passage close in on us. That means this small wall will also move inward. As long as we can hold back the small wall, we’re saved."

Just as a glimmer of hope dawned on their faces, Ma Xiong posed another mood-killing question: "The key is, how exactly can we stop the wall from advancing?"

They paused to think. Indeed, the crucial issue was how to prevent the walls from meeting. Relying on their physical strength alone would certainly not be enough. The groups who attempted tomb raiding before them were likely no smaller in number. Even if the mechanisms had weakened over the years, they would still be more than sufficient to deal with a few mortals.

Fatty’s gaze swept across the plaza, searching desperately for some strategy. The entire tomb chamber was enveloped by a deafening, rumbling roar—a sound that now felt like the call of death itself. The vast, empty plaza held nothing but swirling white mist above, thick and boundless.

Just as despair began to set in, Fatty’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if struck by an idea. He turned to the group and announced, "I’ve got it! We are saved!"

That statement acted like Viagra for everyone; every person straightened up, eagerly awaiting Fatty’s explanation.