Ma Xiong could no longer hold back upon hearing this. He urged anxiously, "Just spit it out already! I can’t wait that long. Tell me what you saw that was so secretive, so much so that you burned it immediately without letting us see? It’s been driving me crazy with curiosity all this way. Hurry up and tell me! I want to see what could possibly scare you this much. I wonder which damn bastard it was."

Lu Zong cleared his throat, then fixed his gaze intently on Ma Xiong’s face and said, "Do you know? When the eyes of that infant corpse returned to normal, I suddenly realized that person’s face... it was your face. Yes, yours. I wasn't mistaken at the time; it was absolutely your face. That’s why I didn't let you look—I was afraid you would be frightened or worried if you saw it."

A profound confusion crossed Ma Xiong's face. He quickly questioned, "What? You’re saying that person’s face was mine? How is that possible? Even if I had a twin brother, he couldn't have ended up in that era! The only explanation is that my twin brother somehow time-traveled right after birth, but who among you would believe that? Lu Zong, I don't believe a word you're saying."

Lu Zong suddenly grew somewhat agitated. He looked at Ma Xiong and said, "Ma Xiong, what did I just say? I said even if you don't believe me, don't press me for details. I'm already completely helpless regarding this matter. Don't force me. Even if you don't believe it, just pretend I’m talking nonsense." Then, without turning back, he stalked off, nursing his frustration alone.

But having gotten this far, how could they let it drop? Especially given how intensely curious Ma Xiong was. He quickly pressed again, "What you said still feels incredibly hazy. Why don't you describe the exact situation back then? Maybe your eyes weren't seeing clearly?"

Lu Zong shook his head emphatically. "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. I was focusing so intently on that matter that I examined the person very closely. Yes, there was no mistake. Her face was identical to yours, not off by a hair—as if stamped from the same mold. There could be no error."

Ma Xiong did believe Lu Zong, but he couldn't accept it himself at that moment. Imagine if someone told you they saw a corpse exactly like you in a tomb; how utterly unlucky would that person be? The thought sent a chill down his spine. He shook his head quickly, then looked at Lu Zong’s helpless expression, realizing Lu Zong was truly frustrated by his refusal to believe it. Yet, Ma Xiong felt just as helpless; after all, no one wants to believe there’s a corpse identical to themselves lying in a coffin.

Still, determined to figure things out, he asked Lu Zong with lingering doubt, "Lu Zong, let’s try to retrace exactly what happened then. What was the situation? Maybe we can analyze the cause." He then squatted down on the ground, sinking into deep thought.

Ultimately, this event involved him directly; he needed to get to the root of it, or he would never feel at ease. He glanced at Lu Zong, who wore a look of bitterness. Coincidentally, Lu Zong noticed Ma Xiong looking at him and could only offer a helpless, sorrowful smile. "Actually, I’ve been pondering this all the way here too, but I still haven't come up with a reliable explanation. However, I do have a few things to say that might help everyone."

Ma Xiong quickly retorted, "Since when did you become so long-winded, Lu Zong? If you have something to say, just say it! Don't you know someone here is getting anxious?" He rolled his eyes at Lu Zong, glaring with an expression that threatened violence if Lu Zong didn't speak. Seeing such fierce intensity in Ma Xiong’s eyes, Lu Zong dared not stay silent. He stammered slightly, "Elder Qian just mentioned we possess some kind of special ability, right? I wonder if this is the doing of that ability. Perhaps one of our minds was thinking about the person lying in there being Ma Xiong, and therefore, we saw the infant with fox eyes transform into Ma Xiong. Does that make any sense?" He then looked toward Ma Xiong and the other two with devout expectation, wondering if they would accept his theory.

Indeed, Ma Xiong began to waver in belief. His eyes filled with fear, and he looked at Lu Zong’s confident face, speaking with a touch of disbelief, "Hmm, what Lu Zong said has some merit. But I still find it strange. Just who would be so malicious as to think of me inside that coffin?"

Elder Qian burst into laughter. "Ah, that depends on who you have enemies with. Whoever you’ve quarreled with is likely the one who imagined you in that coffin. Think about it—who do you usually clash with the most? If my guess is right, I’d pick that fatty. Look at all that bulk he carries; it radiates sinister energy. That man definitely harbors no good intentions toward you. Yes, it must be that fatty."

Ma Xiong looked at Lu Zong; he had actually been thinking of the fatty himself but was preempted by Elder Qian. Since one person had already cast suspicion on the fatty, combined with his own suspicion, the fatty was now the prime suspect. Ma Xiong glanced at the teeth-gritting Lu Zong and declared, "I say it’s that fatty. I could tell from the very beginning; that guy can’t be trusted. He’s always so flippant, and when it counts, he’ll definitely betray us."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Ge Mei’s scream from behind him. He quickly turned around to see what was happening. Ge Mei must have seen something she shouldn't have. But in this place, the only things visible besides the three men’s belongings were all sorts of strange and bizarre artifacts. Their curiosity compelled them to turn back and look.

The group stared at Ge Mei with expressions of astonishment. Ge Mei’s face flushed deep red, and she trembled all over. Stuttering, she pointed at the infant corpse that had just been removed from Ma Xiong’s person: "That... that infant... corpse... it’s... it’s exactly the same as Ma Xiong!"

A fresh wave of unease washed over Ma Xiong. He thought that thing must have taken his form again; Lu Zong must have been imagining things again. He walked over to see what was going on.

Since the infant corpse was lying face down, no one could see the actual state of its face.

Wait, wait. Thinking of this, Ma Xiong suddenly felt as if something had struck his head. A flood of confusion rushed into his mind. Ge Mei just said she saw the infant corpse’s face, but the corpse’s face was clearly turned downwards. How could she have seen its face? This made him even more perplexed, and he looked at Lu Zong with growing concern. He figured Lu Zong had probably realized this too, but now wasn't the moment to voice it, because if Ge Mei couldn't offer a clear explanation, or if the explanation was embarrassing, it would imply she was hiding something from them. At that moment, they realized Ge Mei wasn't as simple as she seemed; she was likely far more complex.

But this wasn't the time to expose her. Perhaps he had misunderstood Ge Mei? Maybe she had seen the infant corpse’s face and accidentally flipped it over. Thinking this brought significant relief. After all, having one more friend meant one more layer of safety; having one more enemy meant one more danger. If Ge Mei wasn't on their side either, wouldn't his troubles multiply? They still hadn't figured out who the allies and enemies were.

Ma Xiong didn't stop his hand from reaching for the corpse; instead, he naturally flipped the body over, as if nothing untoward had happened. Seeing Ma Xiong do something that aligned with his own thoughts, a large weight lifted from Lu Zong's heart. For now, he didn't want the others to fall into an awkward situation. Regardless, even if Ge Mei was there to harm him, there had to be a reason. Given all the bizarre things that had happened already, he was determined to get to the bottom of things today, even if it meant death.

His face relaxed slightly as he looked at the corpse. "Yes, it really does look like Ma Xiong. Ma Xiong, I didn't realize you had a twin brother. You two look remarkably alike."

Ma Xiong snapped angrily, "What twin brother? It’s all because your mind isn't pure, imagining such nonsense! Now I don’t know what to do. You tell me, what should we do? How should we handle this infant corpse?"

Lu Zong looked at the mummy, which was now the size of an adult male corpse, and felt genuinely troubled. Indeed, since this mummy was so strangely connected to Ma Xiong, surely they couldn't just burn it to ashes right after meeting it? He fretted internally while racking his brain for a solution.

Elder Qian suddenly slapped his head. "Oh, I have an idea about this. Aren't you worried that this thing’s head looks exactly like Ma Xiong’s? Here’s what I think we should do. It might not work, but perhaps a miracle will happen."

Lu Zong was worried sick about this matter, so when Elder Qian revealed he had a strategy, he immediately pressed him. He asked directly, "Hey, Elder Qian, tell us then, how do we deal with this mummy?"

Elder Qian smiled faintly, much like when he first entered, and said, "This is simple. Since Lu Zong imagined the jar as Ma Xiong, he must have the ability to transform this mummy back into a jar. Lu Zong, you try it. You are sure to succeed."

Lu Zong felt a little uncertain himself. He had thought of many things, but only this one terrifying incident had actually materialized. However, he did relish the challenge; after all, he was eager to know just how high his IQ truly was.