Seeing that Qu Ruilin and I responded in perfect unison, the monkey licked his lips and said, "Young Master Duan, isn't a yin house just a grave? We've been looking around for ages, and there's nothing here but tables and chairs. What kind of grave could it be? A table grave?"

Manjing sniffed: "Didn't my older brother say that sky burial is common here? Maybe this place isn't for corpses, but for ghosts?"

The monkey scoffed, "Nonsense! Humans have their own world, and ghosts have their own road to the underworld. Even if this place is a grave, it should be buried underground. What ghost can withstand being exposed to the sun all day long?"

Ignoring their commotion, I asked Qu Ruilin, "What are your thoughts on this matter?"

"Perhaps there was once something enshrined here, but it has been abandoned, which is why it feels so desolate."

Qu Ruilin offered his speculation: "Most ethnic minorities have sacrificial customs, especially in ancient villages like this one. Perhaps this place was once their altar."

"I have a different opinion from yours."

I shook my head: "Do you think it's possible that this place was deliberately made to look desolate, so that even if someone comes here, they won't think it's worth anything, just like we are now?"

After listening to my words, Qu Ruilin remained silent for about two or three seconds, then turned and walked into the courtyard of the council chamber.

Seeing Qu Ruilin take a step, I followed him inside. The two of us tacitly went in different directions and began searching the house.

Our actions had completely baffled everyone. Even Monkey looked at me in surprise: "Young Master Duan, what's wrong with you? How come you and that idiot Qu Ruilin are so in sync? What are you looking for?"

"organ."

I went into a room that was half collapsed and began to examine it in detail: "I suspect that the collapse of this courtyard was not caused by natural factors, but by human intervention, with the purpose of covering something up."

As we were talking, my gaze suddenly fell on the table.

On the table were three plates and four bowls, including a wine glass, all covered with a thick layer of dust.

I had previously visited the council chamber of Ping'an Village. If the layouts of the two villages are the same, then the room I am in now should be the main hall of the council chamber.

How could a dining table be placed in such a solemn place?

Thinking of this, I went over and moved some things on the table, and found that the wine glasses were fixed to it.

"Click!"

As I applied pressure, a slight sound came from under the glass, then silence.

I felt resistance in the glass and said to Monkey and Manjing, "This isn't a mechanical mechanism, but I must have triggered a switch somewhere. Everyone, check it!"

Soon, Manjing noticed something unusual among the collapsed wreckage and turned to me, saying, "Brother, there's a crossbeam here with a groove at the bottom; it can be moved!"

I shone my flashlight over there: "Open it and take a look."

"Squeak!"

With a forceful pull, Manjing yanked the beam out, and I then realized that the remaining debris next to the beam was connected together, like a small door.

Shining the flashlight inside, it was indeed an empty room.

"We've found something here!"

I yelled something at Wei Shengnan and the others, then pulled out my pistol and was the first to climb in.

The space is not large, only about ten square meters. The surrounding walls are covered with murals, and there are many clearly visible footprints on the thick layer of dust on the ground, but they were not left recently.

Soon, Qu Ruilin also entered the room, shining his flashlight on the stairs on the right: "You guessed right, this village on the ground is just a disguise. What Ping'an Village really wants to hide is underground."

I nodded, and quickly walked to the building with my flashlight in hand.

Although there were footprints on the ground leading to this part of the building, I did not go down directly. After a thorough inspection and confirmation that there were no traps, I slowly walked down.

In the deep, dimly lit corridor, I could hear my own breathing clearly. After climbing about fifty steps, I finally entered the underground space.

As I shone the flashlight forward, a hideous face suddenly appeared in front of me, making my heart pound wildly.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a standing statue over three meters tall.

When the flashlight shone into the hall, I was deeply shocked.

In this not-so-large underground space, in the center are statues of Shakyamuni, Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, surrounded by colorful clay sculptures of the Twenty-Four Devas, each one larger than life-size.

magnificent!

Solemn!

Magnificent!

The Vajra glares fiercely, the Bodhisattva lowers his brows.

Each Buddha statue is solemn and lifelike.

Those hideous faces seemed to see through all the evils of the world, and the slightly downward gaze of the statues made me feel ashamed of myself.

Qu Ruilin, who was following behind me, turned his gaze to the room and his spirits lifted as well: "How can these Buddha statues be made so lifelike!"

Song Laosan also felt the overwhelming sense of weight and exclaimed, "It's Ming Dynasty polychrome sculpture! Moreover, these Buddha statues are brightly colored and intricately detailed. They must have been made by a master craftsman. Buddha statues that are so well preserved are probably rare throughout the country!"

None of us present were Buddhists, but seeing these magnificent statues, we didn't dare to speak too loudly, as if afraid of disturbing them.

At this moment, what awes us is not only these gods and Buddhas, but also the oppressive sense of history that spans thousands of years.

"The Three Yin Guardian Hall and the underground Buddhist shrine are both ominous signs!"

Qu Ruilin looked at the Buddha statues in front of him, his breathing becoming heavy: "It seems that Ping'an Village is far more complicated than we imagined!"

"Suppression! Buddha is one of the greatest powers in the world, so naturally he cannot be suppressed by a small formation. Therefore, these Buddha statues are placed here to suppress other things!"

I shared my analysis: "The only possibility for this village to gather yin energy through its formation and set up a Buddhist shrine in such an extremely yin place is to suppress evil spirits! But what incredible thing could make them risk such a taboo by including a Buddhist shrine as part of the formation?"

"If the person who set up the formation did so to utilize the karmic power of Buddhism to achieve harmony between Yin and Yang, then there must be a lower level here!"

Qu Ruilin stepped into the main hall: "I'd like to see what these madmen have been up to here!"