"Zhe Gu Shao," with lightning speed, upon seeing a golden-armored warrior suddenly raise a massive splitting axe to strike him in the vertical shaft, immediately let out a loud cry and propelled himself backward, slapping against the stone wall behind him. Simultaneously, he deployed his King Kong Umbrella to shield his face and head, while drawing the twenty-shot mirror-cased pistol from his waist. He thrust the barrel forward, using his left hand—the one holding the umbrella—to steady the mechanism, settling into a stance ready for both offense and defense, his muzzle leveled at the golden-armored warrior opposite him.

The reason "Zhe Gu Shao" had cried out just then was that when one's external martial arts reach a certain level, performing vigorous movements involuntarily causes a unique sound to escape the mouth. This is connected to the body’s breathing; failing to shout it out can lead to internal injury, and it was certainly not a cry of fear.

However, "Zhe Gu Shao's" roar was not without consequence; it startled Father Thomas, who was still descending the ladder, causing his foot to slip and sending him tumbling down.

"Zhe Gu Shao" heard the rush of air from above, knew someone was falling, and swiftly raised his King Kong Umbrella to cushion the descending American priest. Fortunately, the drop was not far. Aided by the arc of the umbrella’s crown, Father Thomas was gently guided to the ground. Though he landed with a painful jolt in his lower back and legs, he was otherwise unharmed.

At the same time, "Zhe Gu Shao," illuminated by the faint, eerie blue phosphorescence, clearly saw the golden-armored warrior holding the splitting axe. It turned out to be a false alarm; the warrior was merely a protective, vivid painting applied to the stone wall. Yet, the artwork was incredibly realistic, its colors dazzlingly bright. The warrior possessed the stature of a normal man, a fierce visage with bristling hair and beard, clad in golden armor and wearing a golden helmet, projecting immense majesty. Furthermore, the artist’s skill was exquisite; the golden-armored warrior’s posture was full of tension. Though a static image, the sheer power emanating from the painting was palpable, giving the impression that he might burst forth from the wall at any moment upon a casual glance.

Just then, Elder Liao Chen also climbed down from the shaft. Upon seeing the warrior mural, he too repeatedly expressed his admiration. Elder Liao Chen and "Zhe Gu Shao" carefully examined the features of the painted warrior and concluded that this golden-armored general was a high-ranking officer from the Qin Dynasty, named "Weng Zhong," renowned for his unparalleled valor, feared even by gods and ghosts. Since the Tang Dynasty, images of General "Weng Zhong" adorned the first inner wall of large aristocratic tombs, serving the function of door gods, safeguarding the tomb's security.

But such a colored depiction, exposed on the outermost part of the main tomb structure, is easily eroded by air. Over time, upon exposure, the colors in the painting would dissipate. Moreover, tomb raiders like "Zhe Gu Shao" usually entered ancient tombs from the bottom or sides, rarely passing through the main entrance, so although they had heard tales of this legendary tomb-guarding general "Weng Zhong," this was their first encounter, prompting them to gaze at it for a few extra moments.

"Zhe Gu Shao" turned to Elder Liao Chen and said, "Master, the burial chambers of these Western Xia people are clearly deeply influenced by the culture of the Central Plains; they even copied generals from the ancient Qin state. It seems the wall bearing this guarding general’s painting should mark the ancient stone door beneath the Temple of the Great Buddha, the threshold to the mystic chamber. We are now in the inner sanctum."

Elder Liao Chen raised his lantern, examined the stone wall bearing the painting of "Weng Zhong," and nodded. "There are nine vertical and seven horizontal door studs on the wall—it is indeed a tomb door..." Before Elder Liao Chen finished speaking, the golden-armored Weng Zhong on the stone door flickered twice and then vanished.

Father Thomas, having just entered the gloomy and terrifying passage, was already on high alert. Suddenly seeing the golden-armored warrior on the wall disappear right before his eyes under the light of the lantern, he turned pale with fright and repeatedly made the sign of the cross over his chest.

Elder Liao Chen said to Father Thomas, "Foreign monk, do not panic. The air here is gradually circulating, and the oils in the paint have evaporated; it is not the work of spirits or demons."

Father Thomas, still shaken, felt that every corner of this place exuded a mysterious and eerie aura. He suspected that perhaps even the Omniscient and Almighty God did not know what lay beyond this stone door. Being forcefully dragged in by these two Chinese men today felt like utter bad luck; perhaps this subterranean world led to Satan's domain, or perhaps it was inhabited by werewolves, vampires, or zombies. Although Father Thomas was a priest with firm faith, he could never entirely shake off the primal fear that arose in the face of darkness. He often chastised himself, believing his faith must be weak, and that this ordeal might be a trial set by God, compelling him to conquer his innate dread of the dark by any means necessary. Yet, such an inherent psychological trait is difficult to overcome in a short period.

"Zhe Gu Shao" had no time to concern himself with the American priest’s complex feelings. He carefully inspected the tomb’s mystic entrance, recognizing it as a quicksand door. The principle behind this design was ingenious: behind the door lay a large amount of sand. After the tomb owner was interred, the stone door was closed from the outside. Tracks beneath the door would activate a mechanism upon closing, releasing the stored sand to automatically backfill the passage behind it. The force of the flowing sand would wedge the door shut, filling the entire passage with sand. This simultaneously backfilled the tunnel and provided an additional safeguard for the door; although the door itself wasn't thick, it could never be forced open from the outside again.

However, "Zhe Gu Shao" and Elder Liao Chen soon noticed a small detail that was easily overlooked: there was no leaked sand visible in the gap beneath the stone door. No matter how cleverly or precisely a mystic entrance was built, there had to be a slight gap under the door for the sliding track. When a quicksand mechanism was activated, a small amount of fine sand would always be squeezed out through this crevice.

The absence of fine sand clearly indicated that the quicksand mechanism behind the door had not been triggered. If this were a tomb sealed after interment, this situation would seem utterly bizarre. But this tomb contained no body, only the rare treasures of the Western Xia court; the Western Xia people had presumably intended to retrieve these items after regaining their kingdom, thus they couldn't have completely sealed the door.

This discovery saved them considerable effort; there was no need to dig a ventilation shaft to enter. They could simply push the stone door open to access the treasure chamber via the passage. "Zhe Gu Shao," Elder Liao Chen, and the American priest all applied force to the mystic door simultaneously.

The door was not sealed, and the quicksand mechanism behind it had been manually disengaged. Although the stone door was heavy, it was not the immense, multi-ton barrier found in imperial mausoleums; it was merely a partition at the mouth of an aristocratic tomb passage, requiring only a few hundred pounds of force. Before the trio exerted their full strength, they managed to push the stone door open just enough to create a gap wide enough for one person to slip through.

"Zhe Gu Shao," holding the King Kong Umbrella forward, entered the mystic entrance first. He immediately fired a Fire Spirit, and in a flash of light, the entire passage was illuminated. He saw that the sand reservoirs on both sides were completely empty. The tomb bricks on the passage floor were laid perfectly flat. "Zhe Gu Shao" knew that the more orderly and level the passage appeared, the more hidden the dangers—likely ambushes involving hidden arrows, flying blades, or poison gas.

Elder Liao Chen, following behind, cautioned "Zhe Gu Shao" to be extra vigilant. The quicksand door being unsecured might be due to the Western Xia people fleeing in haste and neglecting it, especially since the Great Buddha Temple had long been swallowed by the ravaged natural environment, leaving no ground markers for anyone unfamiliar with the site to locate it. Alternatively, it could be a trap designed to lull entering tomb robbers into a false sense of security. As the saying goes, mystic entrances are easy to enter, but the paths within are deadly. Some heavy mystic doors, sealed by stone balls or quicksand, relied on brute force—easily overcome with sufficient external power. True mechanisms and hidden weapons were primarily located in the burial chamber and the passage connecting to it—both being critical points for any raider.

"Zhe Gu Shao," naturally, dared not be careless; having never explored a Western Xia tomb before, he calmed his spirit and trod forward on the bricks. The passage extended for about twenty-three zhang, ending at another great door.

The area around this second door was extraordinary. The door was tall and wide, forming an arch like a city gate, spanning the entire cross-section of the passage. The entire structure was carved from white jade, devoid of any carvings, inscribed only with numerous Western Xia characters. Although "Zhe Gu Shao" and the others couldn't decipher the meaning, they surmised they were excerpts from Buddhist scriptures. A copper crossbeam spanned the jade door, centrally secured by a massive lock. There was no key; the chamber behind this door was undoubtedly the treasure vault.

Strangely, on either side of the front white jade door were two deep, arched, circular openings that appeared to extend far back. "Zhe Gu Shao," along with Elder Liao Chen, had never encountered such features in a tomb passage before. However, it was clear these two perfectly symmetrical openings, situated on opposite sides, were man-made. They were constructed with immense solidity, the stone slabs on their interior walls smooth as mirrors. Each opening was about one zhang high and wide, clearly not an afterthought but an integral part of the original tomb design.

Based on Elder Liao Chen's experience, these were likely related to mechanisms. After discussing the layout with "Zhe Gu Shao," the latter remarked, "There is a copper lock on the jade door. Your disciple is adept at lock-picking, but I fear tampering with the lock might trigger an ambush mechanism..."

Elder Liao Chen waved a hand. "In my view, this lock cannot be opened. Installing a copper lock on a jade door seems like gilding the lily. How could someone who has progressed this far be stopped by a mere copper lock? Legend speaks of the linked-core locks of the Northern Song. See if the body of this lock is integrated with the jade door; moving this lock will certainly trigger something like a poisonous gas trap."

"Zhe Gu Shao" refrained from touching the lock body and examined it repeatedly with extreme caution. Indeed, the copper lock was fused with the copper beam on the jade door. Not only could it not be opened, but touching the lock would likely activate some mechanism, shooting something out toward them. Seeing this, "Zhe Gu Shao" broke out in a cold sweat. Usually meticulous, he wondered why he had been so reckless today. If Elder Liao Chen had not seen through the trap, he would likely be dead right now.

Elder Liao Chen now understood the situation clearly and told "Zhe Gu Shao," "It seems the jade door is a decoy. Despite the exquisite materials, it is a false entrance and must not be forced. The arched holes on either side surely house mechanisms as well. This Western Xia tomb, though not vast in scale, is remarkably intricate. To enter the treasure chamber, we must descend beneath the passage floor. No matter how eccentric the Western Xia people were, they could not escape the influence of Feng Shui, the Five Elements, and Yin-Yang theory. This passage utilizes the principles of the 'Four Gates and Four Aspects' as a model. The stone slabs beneath our feet must be movable, allowing entry to the chamber from below. If I am correct, that is the only entrance."

Following Elder Liao Chen's instructions, "Zhe Gu Shao" pried up the tomb bricks beneath the passage floor, revealing a surprisingly large opening that led directly into the burial chamber behind the jade door. These trifling tricks of the Western Xia indeed could not fool the seasoned expertise of Elder Liao Chen, a veteran grave robber.

"Zhe Gu Shao" again took the lead, carrying the King Kong Umbrella forward to scout. The three of them squeezed through the opening into the burial chamber. Hanging in the passage was a huge, black stone mass resembling a dark honeycomb. Neither "Zhe Gu Shao" nor Elder Liao Chen knew what it was. Shining the phosphorescent tube on it, they saw it looked like stone yet perhaps like jade—an unknown substance they decided was best left untouched, so they edged past it cautiously from the side.

Upon entering the chamber, their eyes were immediately dazzled. The six-zhang-wide room glittered with jewels and treasures piled into small mountains, which appeared strangely vibrant and dazzling under the blue light of the tube. The most striking item was a coral tree in the very center, studded with all manner of gems—truly not an ordinary object, an imperial secret treasure. There were countless scrolls and ancient texts, and boxes of all sizes. It seemed every good thing from the Western Xia imperial palace might be housed here.

The American priest, Father Thomas, stared wide-eyed and consulted with Elder Liao Chen, asking if they could take just one or two items. Any single artifact would be enough to build several church schools outside, providing homeless children with food, education, and a place of worship.

Elder Liao Chen responded to Father Thomas, "Such virtuous intentions, why not? However, these are national treasures and must not cause a stir. Before I became a monk, I possessed some wealth. If you wish to build schools, I can contribute all I have. After all, for a man of the cloth, the Four Emptinesses apply; these yellow and white valuables are useless to me."

"Zhe Gu Shao" cared only for the Muchen Pearl. The other exquisite treasures, though beautiful, seemed to him like straw or paper figures. He stepped across the scattered jewels, walked a few paces, and then suddenly stopped, turning back to Elder Liao Chen behind him to say, "Disaster! There is a dead body in this treasure vault."

Having previously concluded this empty tomb held no remains, Elder Liao Chen was startled by "Zhe Gu Shao's" words and hurried forward to see. In a corner of the chamber lay a set of stark white human bones. The skeleton was considerably taller than an average person. The bones clutched a ring of keys, and behind them stood a statue of a thousand-armed Buddha, pitch black—neither stone nor jade. The phosphorescent light reflected nothing from it, creating a stark black-and-white contrast with the white bones, sending a chill down their spines.

Seeing this scene, Elder Liao Chen's heart sank: "This is bad. Tonight, the moon is in a state of great disruption, the Bodhisattva's eyes are closed, and all sacred artifacts will lose their efficacy. If there are lingering malevolent spirits in this Western Xia treasure chamber, we will find no place to be buried! Even stranger, why is there a thousand-armed, thousand-eyed... Black Buddha here?"