The tomb passage was broad enough for five men to walk abreast, a testament to the sheer scale of the engineering involved in its construction. However, Ma Xiong found such wide passages deeply worrying; their very size made them ideal for concealing traps—concealed crossbows, quicksand, or worse.

Ma Xiong cautiously took the lead, sweeping his flashlight beam ahead while testing each step slowly.

Lu Zong, likely bored with the silence, broke it. He looked left, then right, then turned back to Ma Xiong. "Ma Xiong, what do you think we’ll run into this time? The gold cloth that Earth Mole got mentioned a 'Serpent’s Lair.' Surely this place isn't crawling with snakes, is it?"

Ma Xiong shrugged. "How would I know? There’s definitely danger lurking. Just keep your eyes sharp and don't get distracted. Like you are now, chatting away—that’s irresponsible."

Lu Zong’s face fell at the criticism. "Hold on now, I have to criticize you for saying that. Irresponsible? I’m just setting the mood, you understand? Tomb raiding is all about atmosphere. Look at our last two jobs—it was the oppressive atmosphere that killed everyone’s morale…"

"Hold it!" Before Lu Zong could finish, Ma Xiong felt the brick under one of his feet sink sharply. He knew instantly he'd triggered something, but dared not lift his leg, interrupting Lu Zong mid-sentence.

The others were startled by Ma Xiong's sudden halt. Nervous, Ma Xiong quickly pointed downward before they could ask questions. Lu Zong lowered his flashlight and saw that the paving brick under Ma Xiong’s foot had dropped significantly. Being seasoned professionals, they immediately recognized the trap.

Liu Quansheng seized the opportunity to blame Lu Zong. "Setting the mood? See what happens? You hit the jackpot!"

Ma Xiong’s foot remained fixed in place. He didn't dare move it, speaking urgently to the others. "Stop talking! Quickly check the surroundings—has anything changed?"

The group immediately looked up and around, sweeping their beams through the shadows. The area was utterly silent, save for their own controlled breathing. Ma Xiong followed Lu Zong’s light, scanning the perimeter, but observed no immediate difference.

Seeing nothing amiss, Lu Zong relaxed. "Looks like it wasn't a trap. Oh, Ma Xiong, I get it! It must be this ancient tomb falling into disrepair, causing some sections to collapse. Nothing to worry about, definitely just that!"

The moment Lu Zong finished speaking, Ma Xiong heard a distinct shh-shh-shh sound from directly above. The others heard it too and quickly angled their lights skyward. Ma Xiong looked up and saw that fine grains of sand were beginning to leak from the gaps between the ceiling bricks.

"Quicksand!" Liu Quansheng gasped the words upon seeing the scene, then added, "Looks like Brother Ma Xiong hit the grand prize after all! Damn, that was close. Good thing you didn’t lift your foot, or that sand pouring down could have buried us all alive right here!"

Cold sweat beaded on Ma Xiong’s forehead. Unable to lift his foot or dare to step further, his leg was locked in place, already beginning to cramp painfully. Stepping on that brick was as terrifying as stepping on a mine!

Seeing Ma Xiong trembling, Lu Zong shouted to the group, "Damn it, this won't do!"

The others stood frozen, afraid to make any sudden move. Cold sweat continued to stream down Ma Xiong's back; he was frantic but saw no immediate solution.

As everyone wrestled with the dilemma, a series of hissing sounds erupted from behind them. Ma Xiong jumped and spun around. At that moment, Lu Zong swung his light back, and they all saw it: out of the stone wall of the passage behind them, countless vividly colored venomous snakes were suddenly emerging!

These snakes poured out of the rock face in surging waves; there was no telling how many there were. Soon, the path behind them was transformed into a sea of serpents. They were several feet long, possessing triangular heads and brightly patterned scales, clearly radiating potent poison. They continuously flicked their bright red tongues, emitting a spine-chilling hiss as they slowly advanced toward the trapped group.

Seeing the sudden onslaught of vipers behind him, Ma Xiong cursed inwardly. One trouble hasn't ended before another begins; one disaster subsides only for the next to arrive. Not only had he triggered quicksand, but now a horde of snakes was attacking from the rear. He truly was cursed! Lu Zong raised his pistol, but quickly lowered it, addressing the team. "Guns are useless here. If we don't run, we're finished!"

Liu Quansheng shook his head grimly. "No, if Brother Ma Xiong shifts his weight, the quicksand will collapse instantly. We definitely won't escape!"

Ma Xiong’s anxiety was peaking. The foot stuck to the brick was screaming with fatigue, and he knew he couldn't hold on much longer. Just as despair mounted, his gaze fell upon the dagger tucked into Lu Zong's belt. An idea sparked instantly. Ma Xiong called out urgently, "Lu Zong, the dagger!"

Lu Zong paused, bewildered, but fortunately, they shared an unspoken understanding. Ma Xiong pointed sharply at the brick beneath his foot. Lu Zong instantly grasped the intent, quickly drew his dagger, crouched down, and jammed the blade into the seam of the brick.

Ma Xiong saw the nearest snakes were closing in and urgently asked Lu Zong, "Can you wedge it tight?"

Lu Zong worked the dagger in gently while replying, "Don't rush me. If I force it too hard, the brick will just push further down!"

Just then, a viper reached them, raising its head in a threat display. Everyone except Ma Xiong and Lu Zong involuntarily took a small step back. Soon, more and more snakes crowded close.

Fortunately, Lu Zong finally managed to wedge the dagger securely. Seeing the snakes right at his feet, Ma Xiong didn't hesitate; he yanked his foot free and stepped back quickly.

At that moment, there was a sharp crack from the ground. Ma Xiong looked down to see that the dagger hadn't held the brick fast enough; the slab had already lifted slightly.

As the shh-shh-shh intensified, the sand leaking from above grew heavier. Seeing this, Ma Xiong ignored any potential traps ahead and yelled to the others, "Run!"

Instantly, the four of them spun around and bolted deeper into the passage. After only a few steps, they heard a massive CRUMP from behind them as the ceiling bricks fully gave way, unleashing torrents of sand. Moreover, sand was already beginning to pour down from the ceiling ahead as well. Ma Xiong realized the entire passage roof must be compromised by quicksand, spurring them to run even faster.

"Run! Quick! Don't stop!" Ma Xiong shouted to the group as he charged forward.

Behind them, the sound of crashing brickwork was intermittent, as huge volumes of quicksand instantly filled the rear section of the tunnel. Ahead, the passage was experiencing a constant sandstorm. If they didn't clear this tunnel quickly, survival was impossible!

This time, they ran with the fastest pace of their lives. Behind them, waves of quicksand chased them down. Lu Zong cursed mid-stride, "Damn it, this sand is unfair!"

After running a short distance, they spotted the exit. The group accelerated again, headlong toward the opening.

The sand was nearly sweeping over them. As Ma Xiong reached the edge of the exit, he leaped forward without hesitation, and the others surged out after him.

Just as they cleared, they heard a deafening BOOM from behind, and the sea of sand instantly filled the passage to the brim, squeezing a mound of sand out through the exit opening.

Having narrowly escaped death, the group collapsed onto the ground, their legs giving way.

Lu Zong panted heavily. "No wonder I thought this passage was so long—it was designed so people couldn't run out! I get it now, in the minds of the ancients, human life was worthless! We’re just here to raid a tomb, and they send hundreds of tons of sand to drown us? Unbelievable, what bad karma!"

Liu Quansheng wiped his brow, breathing hard but silent, muttering a prayer to Cao Gong for protection.

Ma Xiong surveyed their surroundings and realized they had reached a tomb chamber. It was wide, but empty, save for some shattered pottery scattered in the corners. Ma Xiong guessed it was an ancillary chamber next to the main tomb. Just as he was looking for a way to proceed further in, he discovered this chamber had no other exits.

Lu Zong scanned the walls and shook his head with a wry smile. "Heh heh, trapped, trapped, trapped. The moment we enter an ancient tomb, we’re confined."

Ge Mei took a swig from her water skin, wiped her mouth, and addressed them. "If there's no entrance here, where did those Zhenhai monkeys, who got here before us, go? Did they enter, find nowhere to go, and then retreat?"

Ma Xiong asserted, "These Four Great Forbidden Zones won't be designed to trap people permanently. There has to be a way forward, likely a hidden mechanism or secret passage."

Lu Zong collapsed onto the floor, spreading his limbs wide, gasping for air. "Let's rest a bit before we figure it out."

Ma Xiong took a drink of water, thinking how perilous the Serpent’s Lair truly was. The giant leeches they encountered earlier were nothing compared to this passage, which held both quicksand and snake swarms. If they hadn't been so experienced, they would have certainly perished in that tunnel. Seeing that the immediate danger had passed, Ma Xiong finally relaxed to rest properly.

After resting for quite some time—some sitting, some lying down—they finally rose to search for an exit.

Ma Xiong walked a full circle around the chamber but found no opening, nor any sign of a hidden door. A troubling thought surfaced: what if they truly couldn't get out of this place?

Not daring to dwell on the worst outcome, Ma Xiong called the others over to systematically feel along the walls for any mechanism.

The four searched for a while without success, until Ge Mei discovered some inscriptions on one wall and called them over. As Ma Xiong approached, he heard Ge Mei's sharp gasp. She was pointing frantically at the characters etched into the stone, exclaiming, "Look, look! It’s that poem!"

Not knowing which poem Ge Mei meant, Ma Xiong quickly bent down for a closer look. What he saw startled him immensely: carved into the stone wall was none other than the poem titled Sheng (Life)!