I countered Inley Yang, "You've always been the pinnacle of science; why ask such a flimsy question now? I fully believe in the existence of a soul, but when it comes to immortals and such... I think that's all nonsense."

Inley Yang replied, "I too have religious beliefs; I believe there is a God in this world, but..."

Fatty suddenly interjected, his speech slurring, "But what? Let me tell you, immortals—didn't a certain philosopher say that killing one person makes you a criminal, killing a million makes you a king, and killing everyone makes you God?"

I hauled the waterproof backpack out of the water, distributed the weapons and tools among us, and told them, "Don't overthink things. Those of us who rob tombs are beyond all taboos. Don't bother much with any talk of immortals or gods—that's just creating myths to fool the common folk. Times have changed, and our view of deities and immortals has changed too. I think in the modern age, the divine is merely a cultural element, a symbolic presence, something to lean on spiritually. Of course, there's another view: humans can become gods. Anyone who can create miracles is a god. That's why some great figures are put on pedestals. But no matter how great or distinguished they are, they can't escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. So, purely from a biological standpoint, there are no gods in this world; humans are, after all, just human."

Fatty, having just finished packing up, laughed, "Alright, Commander Hu, your theoretical prowess has improved again. As the saying goes, you come into the world with nothing and leave with nothing. This King Xian has been dead for two thousand years; becoming an immortal who never dies is probably a lost cause. It’s a miracle he hasn't rotted into dirt. His burial treasures in the underground palace have accompanied the dead for this long; it's time they saw some sunlight and fresh air. What are we waiting for? Grab your gear and let's go." I touched the Mojin Talisman around my neck and said, "Agreed. May our Ancestor manifest his spirit and bless us with smooth sailing. Same words apply: Ten thousand years is too long; seize the day and the hour. Let's knock open the gates of heaven right now, dive in headfirst to dig for gold, and climb the ranks to wealth."

Inley Yang gritted her teeth and murmured, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; may your blessing be upon us..." She had finally reached her final decision. This decision hadn't been easy. Entering the ancient tomb meant bidding farewell to an innocent past, becoming a true Mojin Xiaowei, and forever carrying the title of a 'tomb robber.'

Inley Yang retrieved the Flying Tiger Claw, threw it upward, and snagged the lintel of the 'Heaven's Gate.' After pulling down hard to confirm it was secure, she was the first to climb up. From the top, she beckoned to me, and I grasped the chain of the Flying Tiger Claw, becoming the second to ascend to 'Heaven's Gate.'

Once I reached the gate tower, I carefully inspected the bronze-cast, openwork 'Heaven's Gate' for any hidden mechanisms. Assured there were none, I took out the Black Folder of the Mojin Xiaowei. This object has an esoteric name, but it's actually a specially designed crowbar that can telescope and retract, folding up compactly for easy carrying. It's exclusively used for prying open tomb doors, walls, or bricks, designed to work in conjunction with the 'Yin Probing Claw' for coffins.

The door of 'Heaven's Gate' was meant to be movable, just like a real city gate, capable of being pushed open from the inside. However, it was bolted shut from within. It took seven or eight tries with the Black Folder before it showed any give. Just then, Fatty arrived, panting heavily. I handed the leverage over to him, steadying his back to prevent him from falling off the tower due to excessive force.

Fatty shook off his lethargy and applied the brute strength of a wild ox. With a loud crack, the bronze door finally gave way. I quickly pulled him aside. The environment within the tomb's inner chamber was absolutely sealed, with stagnant, uncirculated air. The accumulated Yin energy and corpse miasma posed a serious threat to human health. Old Gold Head, Da Jinya's father, hadn't just had his legs paralyzed by the cold; his lungs were like a broken bellows, his every breath sounding like iron brushes scraping copper, and he constantly coughed up black phlegm. Although he claimed it was from the freezing conditions on the Korean battlefield, we all knew the truth: he never smoked. It was a permanent ailment caused when he was choked by the concentrated stench of decaying corpses inside a coffin during his younger tomb-robbing days.

After waiting a few minutes, Inley Yang lit a candle, placed it on her entrenching tool, and slowly sent the blade into the black maw of 'Heaven's Gate' to test the intensity of the tomb's Yin energy. The candle burned steadily, though its flame flickered and dimmed from the occasional draft, it never extinguished. Inley Yang reported, "There's a bone-chilling cold wind in the tomb, mixed with an intensely putrid, damp odor. For safety, let's all put on gas masks before we descend."

My estimation was that this tomb entrance was situated within a funnel-shaped cliff face, likely processed and carved out of a natural rock cave. It was ancient; there might be areas where water seeped in. However, these large tombs structured in a 'well' or ' ' pattern have unique internal architectures where each section can form a sealed space. Areas with no air circulation were significant. Entering without a gas mask was out of the question. So, the three of us retrieved and donned our masks, lowered the climbing ropes, and swung over the threshold of 'Heaven's Gate' into the inner area behind the main door, a space called the Qiandao (Insertion Path), which connected the door to the burial chamber. Here, several rows of bronze chariots and horses were displayed. The bronze horses were majestic and tall, rearing their heads forward, far superior in quality and craftsmanship to the first batch we had seen. The military figures carried Yue blades with hollow shafts characteristic of the Dian Kingdom, and Convex-Bladed Axes; the expression on every single face was stern and imposing. These silent bronze warriors stood guard before the Xuan Palace, awaiting orders to clear the path for the tomb owner's ascent to immortality.

The terrain here was extremely narrow. To proceed deeper, we had to pass directly through this formation of bronze soldiers. Their raised, long weapons seemed poised to strike down upon our heads at any moment. Our hearts leaped into our throats as we swiftly squeezed past the bronze formation. I told Fatty and Inley Yang, "I doubt there are any hidden arrows or poison gas traps in this tomb anymore, but we must proceed with caution. Whatever you do, don't touch anything in the Xuan Palace. Disturbing something might summon the tongue of a Grass Ghost Hag, and that’s no joke." Fatty and Inley Yang nodded their assent, but I still felt uneasy. I kept Inley Yang close, sandwiching Fatty between us, probing our way forward, continuing the search for the main burial chamber within the Xuan Palace.

Beyond the Qiandao lay another stretch of smooth passage. Along both sides of this tomb corridor were several stone alcoves filled with all manner of funerary objects: bronzes, bone artifacts, multi-eared pottery jars, gold ingots, silver ingots, jade pieces, and animal skeletons. By their shapes, I recognized horse bones and many types of unknown fowl—all seemingly prepared for the afterlife journey. The alcoves holding the grave goods were propped up with bronze rings, but two had already collapsed, causing yellow liquid to seep down and corrode and damage quite a few of the treasures within.

Fatty wrung his hands in agitation at the sight. If only he had four hands! Every piece looked desirable, but he couldn't possibly carry the artifacts from one alcove after another. Furthermore, Fatty knew well that only the objects inside the tomb owner's main sarcophagus held the greatest value and significance. He had to forcefully suppress his ravenous craving, forcing himself to look away from the hoard filling the passageway. Ahead of the tomb corridor, there were three consecutive short, narrow stone bridges spanning deep trenches filled with murky, yellow water. The water appeared stagnant, showing no sign of flow, like a pool of dead water.

I told Inley Yang, "This is called the Three-Life Bridge. In ancient Chinese legend, after a person dies and ascends to heaven, they must first cross these three bridges to shed earthly entanglements before undergoing transformation and becoming an unfettered immortal roaming the vast void."

Inley Yang remarked, "You really do know a lot of these superstitious names. Look, across the bridges, there seems to be a white wall—where does that lead?"

I explained to Inley Yang, "After crossing the Three-Life Bridge, we will undoubtedly find King Xian's sarcophagus. But look at the reliefs on the bridges; the animals are depicted in male and female pairs. That means the sarcophagus on the other side likely contains two bodies—King Xian and his wife. This is a joint burial tomb."

Inley Yang said, "I can't shake the feeling that ever since we passed through 'Heaven's Gate,' things have been suspiciously smooth. Given the complexity of King Xian's tomb, could his sarcophagus really be this easy to find?"

Fatty addressed Inley Yang, "You must have caught Old Hu's strain of skepticism. I already guaranteed you both earlier; I alone will be enough to open that old mummy's lid. You two just watch from behind."

As Fatty spoke, he stepped onto the 'Three-Life Bridge' and hurried ahead. I thought to myself, Is finding a coffin really that easy? It's best to look on the optimistic side. According to burial rites, crossing the bridge must lead to the sarcophagus; that much must be correct. So I urged Inley Yang to stop doubting. In any case, only after opening the coffin would we know if the Muchen Pearl was inside. Instead of torturing ourselves with endless speculation, it was better to just go forward and pry the lid open to see clearly.

Seeing Fatty move too fast, he was already beneath the white wall by the time I finished speaking with Inley Yang. Fearing he might try to open the coffin without my preparation, I pulled Inley Yang along, chasing after him.

As soon as we crossed the Three-Life Bridge, the underground cavern opened up dramatically. Within this natural cavity, an inner palace had been constructed for the deceased master to rest. The stark white wall was strikingly visible in the darkness. This white wasn't Han white jade; it seemed to be a type of milky quartz, rising directly to the six or seven-meter-high ceiling, blending seamlessly with the cavern. In the wall was a doorway, secured by a massive wooden gate studded with thirteen Tongmu (mother bronze studs). Fatty was already using the Black Folder to pry it open. The wooden gate was nearly decayed, held together only by the bronze studs. It yielded without much effort.

I knew the chamber holding the coffins must be right behind the door. Any mechanisms would be near the threshold. Moreover, the space inside the gate was vast and high, and the tomb was pitch black. We couldn't see anything inside from the entrance. So, I told Inley Yang to fire a flare here first, to illuminate the interior before we proceeded.

Inley Yang took out the signal pistol and fired a blinding white flare into the burial chamber. The harsh light instantly dispelled the heavy darkness, revealing three large sarcophagi placed in the chamber in a remarkably strange and unique 'human' shape. Each coffin was completely different—not just in shape, material, or style, but also in how they were positioned. The outermost one was suspended in mid-air by large bronze rings. Being the closest, it was the clearest to inspect. All three of us gasped. None of us expected to encounter such a bizarre coffin. Fatty lost his nerve and asked me, "Old Hu, what did the Blind Man say? Is this his damn 'Yin Pit Coffin'?"

I told Fatty and Inley Yang, "Things that defy reason are demonic. What we are about to dismantle today are three demon coffins."