Initially, when villagers near Luoyang unearthed artifacts from ancient tombs, they treated them as ill omens, placing them directly in village temples. But once word got out that these items could fetch a price, the ancient relics previously stored in the temples across the villages of Mount Mang vanished overnight.

Inspired by the fortunes made by tomb robbers, dozens of villages on Mount Mang began emulating one another, furiously digging up ancient graves as a quick path to riches. Vast quantities of cultural relics were exhumed from beneath Mount Mang, flowing across the entire nation, even being "dumped" overseas.

According to some historical records, every autumn after the harvest, tomb robbers on Mount Mang would gather like attending a massive fair, digging up ancient tombs as easily as digging up sweet potatoes. The jade and bronze objects unearthed were transported in baskets and by horse-drawn carts; just how much was dug up, no one truly knew.

Especially during the period of warlord conflict, armed organizations like the local militias and the Red Spear Societies formed in the outskirts of Luoyang. Local gentry, relying on firearms, coerced the poor into changing nighttime grave robbing into organized, daylight excavation.

Suddenly, many areas on Mount Mang ceased farming entirely, dedicating themselves solely to digging up tombs. Yet, this wasn't even the worst of it. The Luoyang garrison, seeking to hoard wealth to fund their operations, levied a twenty percent tax on antique dealers, setting a precedent for taxing the antique trade.

Some warlords even established "Special Tax Bureaus for Antiques," mass-issuing permits that functioned essentially as licenses, thereby legalizing the act of grave robbing. From then on, the practice of excavating and trading illicitly obtained artifacts became even more rampant.

Under these circumstances, the frenzy of illicit excavation intensified, with over ten thousand people on Mount Mang making a living solely through tomb robbing. It could be said that this was an era of "universal grave robbing." Furthermore, driven by profit, the techniques used by Luoyang tomb robbers to excavate ancient graves became increasingly sophisticated; the renowned Luoyang shovel was invented during this time.

It must be said, the person who invented the Luoyang shovel was truly a genius.

Considering that ancient tombs, due to their age, rarely retained their original burial mounds, making them invisible on the surface, finding the exact location of a tomb was exceedingly difficult for the average person, often relying on random digging and luck.

But after the invention of the Luoyang shovel, this tool became the ultimate magic weapon for grave robbers. A single thrust of the shovel, and the color of the soil brought up on the head could indicate whether a tomb lay beneath.

With such a convenient tool, countless deep, buried mausoleums surely suffered. It wasn't until after the founding of the People's Republic, when the government strictly banned tomb robbing and the market for such goods dried up, that the grave robbing craze, which had persisted for nearly half a century, naturally came to an end.

However, in the [Decade Number], with the revival of the antique market and the growing demand for ancient artifacts, some people once again began setting their sights on the Mount Mang tomb clusters, repeating the vicious cycle of history. This is precisely why, knowing how rampant grave robbing was, Yu Feibai still felt it was cause for celebration that the great tombs here hadn't been plundered.

"Indeed, we were fortunate."

At this moment, Elder Hou also expressed some emotion: "When we confirmed the map pointed to Mount Mang, my heart sank by more than half; I held only a one-in-ten-thousand hope. I sent people to check the situation. I never expected that this great tomb was so deeply hidden, and located in a relatively remote area, that it actually remained untouched by robbers. It truly is a blessing from heaven."

"It's not heaven's blessing, but the merit of this mountain itself."

Just then, someone lifted the door curtain outside and walked in. This was another elderly gentleman, full of vigor. His hair was frosted with the passage of time. He was rather lean, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, radiating an air of sharp competence.

"Brother Wen, you finished so quickly."

Upon seeing this person, Elder Hou immediately broke into a smile, quickly gesturing: "You've worked hard, come in for a cup of hot tea and a rest."

"Good."

The man was unceremonious, sitting down right next to Elder Hou. After taking a sip of tea, he wiped his mouth casually, his gaze sweeping over Wang Guan and Yu Feibai, then he asked with a smile, "Brother Hou, are these the reinforcements you called? Aren't they a bit too young? I fear they won't be able to hold the line."

"Brother Wen, rest assured, since I dared to call him, I certainly have confidence in him," Elder Hou sighed. "If even he can't manage it, then I defer to whatever arrangement you see fit."

"Elder Hou, I know you cherish that object, but you must also realize that object itself is the stumbling block. If we don't move it, we can't enter the subterranean palace." The man's expression was helpless. "News of a great tomb here has already spread; many people are starting to get restless. We must act quickly to avoid complications."

"It is precisely because I know this situation that I called someone over for a final effort."

Elder Hou nodded slightly, but Wang Guan and Yu Feibai were left utterly confused, having understood only fragments of the conversation.

"Elder Hou,"

At that moment, Yu Feibai, his head slightly damp with sweat, asked, "Why did you call Wang Guan here? Can you tell us now?"

"No rush yet."

Elder Hou smiled and made the introductions: "Brother Wen, allow me to formally introduce them. This is Wang Guan; though young, he is highly skilled at deciphering mechanisms. This is his friend, Yu Feibai, a young connoisseur..."

As he spoke, Elder Hou introduced the elder named Wen to the other two: "This is an expert from the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum, a professor at the Archaeology Research Institute of Luoyang University, and the person in charge of this current archaeological excavation."

"Professor Wen,"

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai naturally offered their greetings.

"Hello," Professor Wen nodded, then stated solemnly: "Brother Hou told me that you two opened the mechanism box, and I am aware of the situation with the subterranean palace; that is why I agreed to let them participate."

"However, I must state one thing beforehand: anything you see or hear here cannot be leaked outside until the state officially announces it. Otherwise, you will be held responsible."

Professor Wen cautioned them, sounding more like he was giving strict instructions. Wang Guan and Yu Feibai sensibly nodded, indicating they would abide by the rules and remain tight-lipped until granted permission.

Professor Wen seemed somewhat satisfied but still uneasy, so he added another condition: "Once you understand the full situation, you will likely have to remain here until matters are concluded before you can leave the camp. If you feel this restricts your personal freedom, you may leave now and pretend nothing ever happened..."

Professor Wen saying this, however, successfully piqued Yu Feibai's curiosity. At this point, asking him to leave was out of the question; he intended to stay put even if forced out.

"Professor Wen, don't worry. Since we are on your territory, we will certainly abide by your rules," Yu Feibai declared earnestly. "If you say one thing, we won't utter a second; if you tell us to go east, we absolutely won't dare stray west..."

Based on Wang Guan's understanding of Yu Feibai, he knew those words were best taken with a grain of salt—not entirely untrue, but certainly not wholly reliable. If the situation turned out to be less interesting than he imagined, he would certainly find ways to slip away.

But Professor Wen didn't know this, so naturally, he believed him and praised: "It’s good that you understand propriety. In fact, you won't have to wait long; this should be resolved in a few days at most."

"Of course, provided..."

At this point, Professor Wen looked at Wang Guan: "Provided he can help crack one mechanism door. Otherwise, we will have to exert considerable effort and delay things by another two or three days."

"A mechanism door?"

In an instant, Yu Feibai realized with a flash of understanding: "The mechanism door blocks the entrance to the subterranean palace?"

"Exactly, that's right."

Since the topic was broached, Professor Wen no longer concealed anything and continued to explain: "After we located this hill using the map on the cloth, we immediately drilled several test holes with the Luoyang shovel. By observing the variations in the color of the soil, we confirmed the existence of a major tomb here. Afterward, we organized a team for excavation and quickly discovered the subterranean palace."

It should be noted that the Luoyang shovel is not exclusively the patent of tomb robbers; once its usefulness was established, it became standard equipment for archaeologists. Moreover, some experts possessed unparalleled skill in using the Luoyang shovel; by merely observing, smelling, and rubbing the soil, they could determine if a burial existed, its period, and the size of the tomb chamber.

This level of expertise surpassed that of some master tomb robbers.

"However, despite all our calculations, we never anticipated that the entrance to the subterranean palace would have a mechanism door."

Professor Wen shook his head: "If it were a normal stone door, even one secured by a Dragon-Sealing Slab, we could directly cut it or use other brute force methods to open it. But Brother Hou insisted that the mechanism door is also an extremely valuable cultural relic with immense research value, so he hoped to crack it using the gentlest, most natural method..."

"Isn't that right?" Elder Hou stated earnestly. "This sort of thing is different from others; once damaged, even if it can be repaired, it loses that intrinsic character, causing harm to the artifact itself."

"I know, which is why I allowed you to call for reinforcements," Professor Wen agreed, though with a sigh. "But Brother Hou, you must also understand our difficulty. Although one should not air one's dirty laundry, the situation in Luoyang—other matters aside—is rather turbulent in our field..."

"Is it really that serious?"

Yu Feibai frowned: "Aren't there police guards outside? Are you afraid someone will come to steal?"

"If it were merely theft, that would be one thing; at least we could drive the thieves away," Professor Wen said with a wry smile. "But some people are utterly demented; they dare to use explosives to blast their way in at night, taking advantage of the chaos to fish for treasures..."

"It couldn't be that exaggerated, could it?" Wang Guan and Yu Feibai exchanged glances, clearly filled with skepticism.

"Men die for wealth, birds die for food," Professor Wen said helplessly with a bitter smile. "Some people are so blinded by greed that they have lost all reason. Do not judge their bottom line by your own good intentions. We cannot gamble, nor dare we gamble."

"I’ve always heard that the tomb robbers here are rampant, but I never realized they had become this audacious," Yu Feibai muttered to himself, realizing for the first time that archaeology was a very risky endeavor.

"The inaction, or even the connivance and tolerance, of certain individuals has allowed this situation to persist unchecked, turning it into a malignant tumor," Professor Wen said, his expression animated with visible anger.