A faint, delicate fragrance drifted from afar. Was this demonic flower poisonous? Generally, poisonous flora and fauna boast vivid colors; looking at this Corpse Incense Arum's crimson leaves and verdant bloom, the hues seemed as if freshly dipped in water—it might truly be toxic. Thinking this, I quickly told everyone to don their gas masks.

Fatty scoffed, "I don't think this flower is poisonous. Toxic things are usually small. This one is huge, its root as thick as a barrel. I think it’s a man-eater."

Shirley Yang countered, "It can't be a man-eater. There isn't even an ant around here. If this flower survived by consuming animals, it would have withered long ago. That coffin made from the Kunlun Divine Tree must have provided it with ample nourishment."

Fatty snorted, "Whatever devil bird it is, I'll just shoot it a few times, blow it to pieces, and then there's no danger. Then we can go over and check out what the legendary 'First Beauty of the Western Regions' mummy actually looks like."

Professor Chen exclaimed, "Absolutely not! We'd rather not proceed than destroy this precious Corpse Incense Arum."

I swung my searchlight across the circumference of the sarcophagus, allowing the Professor and the others a clearer view. Under the beam, I discovered numerous characters intricately carved along the edge of the stone beam—dense formations of Ghost Cave script, numbering several hundred characters. This discovery was monumental; the entire ancient city, including the temple and the underground palace, rarely featured writing, relying mostly on murals for documentation. Only the Jade Eyes in the main temple bore some Ghost Cave script, which, unfortunately, I had shattered before I could examine it closely. I hadn't expected to find so much Ghost Cave script etched onto this stone beam.

Writing is the most fundamental symbol for humanity to transmit information. The messages conveyed by ancient murals are intuitive impressions, whereas the information contained in text is far more precise. If we could decipher these Ghost Cave writings, we could bypass many detours in interpreting the Jingjue civilization.

Professor Chen urgently instructed his students to record everything, copying the Ghost Cave script on the beam section by section. Fortunately, the characters were carved quite large, allowing them to be recorded using the searchlight illumination without having to approach closely. Shirley Yang was also taking photographs with her camera.

Only Fatty and I had nothing to do. Since Professor Chen wouldn't allow us to smoke here, the two of us simply sat on the ground and waited for them to finish their work.

It seemed this expedition's archaeological work had reached its peak. The harvest couldn't be called small; the perfectly preserved murals along the corridor of Celestial Bricks alone would shock the global archaeological community for two years, not to mention this bottomless abyss, the coffin made of Kunlun Divine Wood, and the ancient, rare Corpse Incense Arum. Any one of these could keep these intellectuals busy studying for ages. We currently lacked the means to protect everything, making it impossible to open the sarcophagus and view the First Beauty of the Western Regions. When we encountered Prince Pumo’s coffin in the Holy Well a few days ago, Professor Chen had strictly forbidden us from opening it. These actions would likely need reporting to higher-ups for approval before proceeding; I knew I wouldn't get a chance to see inside.

It was a pity that Hao Aiguo died in the valley; otherwise, seeing all this would have filled him with excitement. Thinking of him brought a wave of regret, mingled with some self-reproach. If only I had acted faster back then... Forget it, there aren't that many "if onlys" in this world. Damn it, if I hadn't let my men eliminate those Vietnamese special agents back then, I might be a battalion commander now. The past flashed vividly before my eyes, and the more I thought, the harder it was to calm down.

Fatty noticed me staring blankly and slapped my shoulder: "Old Hu, look what those two kids are up to?"

I snapped back from my chaotic thoughts and looked over. Chu Jian and Sa Dipeng had already stepped onto the stone beam. Didn't the Professor say not to go onto the beam to tamper with the Queen's coffin? I quickly asked what was going on.

Professor Chen replied, "It's fine. They aren't going for the coffin. A lot of dust has accumulated on the beam, obscuring the characters. They're just going over to brush the dust away and will be right back. They are both wearing gas masks; they'll be safe."

I wanted to call those two young students back and go myself, but Professor Chen stopped me. "No need. These Ghost Cave scripts on the stone beam are critically important. You aren't specialists; if you damage them, it would be disastrous. Chu Jian and the others will use soft brushes to gently clear away the dust and debris. They are nimble; they'll be done in a minute or two."

I still felt uneasy, unable to sit still. My intuition is usually accurate—something bad was going to happen. Why didn't that group of British explorers who came here previously take this valuable divine coffin? Where did everyone go except for that one survivor who went mad? This mountain cavern seemed quiet and free of danger, but what might happen when one approaches the Queen's coffin? I couldn't wait any longer; I had to call Chu Jian and the other one back immediately.

Just as I opened my mouth to shout for them, it was too late. I saw the two students walking down the center of the stone beam, one ahead of the other. Sa Dipeng, who was behind, suddenly bent down, picked up a piece of rock, rushed forward two steps, and violently smashed it onto Chu Jian's head. Chu Jian let out no sound; his body listing sideways, he fell into the bottomless chasm beneath the beam.

The whole thing happened so suddenly that no one could intervene. Before we could even process what had occurred, Sa Dipeng turned around, ripped off his gas mask, and flashed a smile at us—a smile impossibly evil and strange. Then, he spun around and strode quickly toward the sarcophagus at the end of the beam. He used the rock in his hand to brutally smash his own temple. Blood streamed from his head like a bursting dam. He staggered, then collapsed onto the coffin of the Jingjue Queen, his fate unknown.

The rest of us were stunned by this bloody, bizarre spectacle. What happened to Sa Dipeng? The usually quiet and reserved young man had suddenly turned into a murderer, killing his closest classmate and then committing suicide next to the coffin?

I shouted, "This is bad! That bespectacled kid must be possessed by an evil spirit! Fatty, quickly grab the Black Donkey Hooves! He might not be dead yet; there might still be time to save him."

Professor Chen watched as, in an instant, both his students were accounted for: one dead, falling into the abyss without even a bone left behind; the other lying motionless at the beam's end, bloodied, his life hanging in the balance. These facts were too hard to accept. Overwhelmed by sudden fury, he fainted, collapsing to the ground. Ye Yixin rushed to support the Professor; she was also terrified, capable of nothing but crying.

I thought saving a life was paramount; even if there were ghosts on the stone beam, I had to face the fight. While telling Fatty and Shirley Yang to assist the Professor, I grabbed my weapon, secured the gas mask over my face, and thought, No matter how potent the evil spirit, it must fear the potent repellents of Black Donkey Hooves and three parts sticky rice. If the Corpse Incense Arum was poisonous, I was protected by the mask.

I didn't have time for further thought. I stepped onto the stone beam. It was three meters wide, suspended over the bottomless pit. Looking down sent chills running down my entire body.

Halfway across, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned back to see Fatty and Shirley Yang following. "Aren't you going to look after the Professor?" I asked, "Why are you following me?"

Fatty replied, "We don't know what kind of ghostly thing is on this beam; I worry leaving you alone. Besides, it’ll be too hard for you to carry Sa Dipeng by yourself. Let’s lift him together and get back quickly to avoid any more accidents."

I realized time was critical; if we delayed, Sa Dipeng would bleed out and be beyond saving. I beckoned them to follow, and the three of us hurried toward the sarcophagus at the end of the beam.

Now that we were closer, I could truly feel how exceptionally enchanting the rare Corpse Incense Arum was. The vividness of the flower's and leaf's colors was breathtaking. I remembered Professor Chen saying that the souls of evil spirits were hidden within this demonic flower. The situation being what it was, I cared little for its rarity; I cursed loudly, "Damn it, maybe this enchanting flower is causing trouble!" I swung my entrenching tool and chopped wildly at the giant flower, hacking it into a mangled mess, releasing a quantity of black sap before finally stopping.

Shirley Yang saw my swift action in destroying the flower and couldn't stop it in time. She sighed helplessly, "Forget it, it’s already done. Saving him is the priority."

I agreed, "Exactly. Quickly, stop the bleeding for Sa Dipeng." As I spoke, I reached for the first-aid bandages, intending to wrap him haphazardly and then carry him back for proper treatment.

Fatty reached out to feel Sa Dipeng's carotid artery and sighed, "Don't bother, it's over. No pulse. We were a step too late."

Furious, I slammed my palm against the coffin: "Damn it, how am I going to explain this to their parents when we get back? It'll break their hearts."

Unexpectedly, as my hand struck the coffin, Sa Dipeng’s body, lying on the ground, suddenly sat bolt upright as if electrocuted. His eyes were wide and crimson. He pointed at the Jingjue Queen’s sarcophagus and whispered, "She... she's... alive..."

Shirley Yang, Fatty, and I all jumped in shock. We had clearly felt no pulse on Sa Dipeng just moments ago; how could he suddenly sit up? Was he reanimating?

I instinctively reached into my pocket for a Black Donkey Hoof to strike him, but as soon as Sa Dipeng finished speaking, he kicked his legs out and fell back down stiffly. This time, he looked truly dead.