Because I wasn't sure what Qu Ruilin and the others had encountered, I couldn't be sure whether what they saw was related to me pulling out the incense stick. However, the cave was chilly, and the coldness wasn't from the outside in, but rather a feeling of unease that arose from within, as if the presence of the gods in this place caused a sense of unease.
I knew that since Duan Jinyan and the others could set up a magic array outside, it meant that this place was definitely a bit eerie. I also knew that this was not a place to stay for long. I asked Wei Shengnan, "Qu Ruilin just said that the thing appeared behind you. How do you feel now?"
"No."
Wei Shengnan shook her head: "However, the Eight Treasures Exquisite in my pocket made a sound at that time. You should know that the Eight Treasures Exquisite only vibrates when it encounters something unclean and is stimulated by a special magnetic field! I was observing these corpses at the time, trying to figure out what the mucous membranes on their bodies were, so when the Eight Treasures Exquisite sounded, I thought it was a problem with the corpses. Then the light here dimmed, so I lit a binding spell and led everyone back to the entrance to form an emergency summoning array."
I looked at Qu Ruilin again: "Did that thing encounter Wei Shengnan back then?"
"No! I was observing another corpse at the time, and I turned around because I heard the bell in Sheng Nan's pocket. The dark figure was standing behind her. I drew my peach wood sword and stabbed at it. When everyone turned around, everything was back to normal."
Qu Ruilin pointed to the ground: "What happened next was just as Shengnan said, and we are all standing here."
Wei Shengnan looked at us and said, "The Wei family specializes in exorcising demons and protecting the righteous path. Although my cultivation is not deep, I have been exposed to it since childhood, so I know more about some special things than you do. Duan Shenxing, there is really something wrong with this place. I can feel it!"
I nodded: "The incense sticks stuck upside down outside the door were placed by Duan Jinyan and his group, which means they've also entered this cave. If we want to find someone, we can only move forward! Since they can go, I believe we can too. I've already set up a simple energy field array outside. If the records in the Judge's Record are true, then the magnetic field here won't change until the incense sticks I lit burn out. In other words, the so-called evil spirits can't see us! Since this place is strange, everyone should avoid touching the corpses on either side. Let's leave this place as soon as possible!"
Song Laosan nodded: "That's right, catching Duan Jinyan is the priority! He's set up booby traps along all the roads we must take, whether out of caution or because he knows someone is chasing them. We've only passed the first gate of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace and we've already encountered this strange thing. Who knows what will happen as we go on? It's better to catch him sooner rather than later. That way, we'll have a choice: advance or retreat!"
I agree!
After confirming that there was nothing unusual around her, Wei Shengnan picked up the rope on the ground that was stained with the blood of a convict, took out a palm-sized scarecrow from her backpack, and then stuck a yellow talisman on it with a silver nail.
After hearing our conversation, Lin Que felt uneasy and looked at Wei Shengnan: "Miss Wei, is this paper doll protecting yourself or everyone else?"
"According to numerology, the more Yin energy a person has in their birth chart, the more likely they are to attract unclean things. This is called the Six Palaces Ghost Locking Curse. You can think of it as the ability to transform this scarecrow into a puppet with extremely heavy Yin energy, suitable for capturing scapegoats."
Wei Shengnan walked up to me and said, “To make this kind of talisman, the person drawing it needs to fast for three days before they can start drawing. Moreover, while drawing the talisman, not a single stroke can be wrong. At the same time, they must silently recite the Six Palaces Evil Ghost Incantation ninety-nine times. Not a single word can be wrong! Currently, in the entire Wei family, only my grandfather can make this kind of talisman. He is old, and unless it is absolutely necessary, I really don’t want to waste what he has put so much effort into making.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Que impatiently urged, "Since you don't want to waste it, what are we waiting for? Didn't my older brother say that once the incense outside burns out, this place might become haunted? Let's hurry up and leave!"
Wei Shengnan, holding a scarecrow in her left hand and a peach wood sword in her right, walked at the front: "You all stay close to me!"
I saw Wei Shengnan take a step forward, take out the dragon-patterned jade pendant from her pocket, hang it outside Jiang Man's rat-patterned clothes, and then take her hand: "The rule of tomb raiding since ancient times is that women are not allowed to go into tombs, because women have heavy yin energy. If you really see something later, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Jiang Man grasped my hand: "Duan Shenxing, do ghosts really exist in this world?"
"Who can say for sure?"
I shook my head: "Thirty years of Buddhas and dragons, sixty years of sentient beings like horses and oxen. The world we see is only a small part. Although most things in the tomb raiding world can be explained by scientific means, there are still many unsolved mysteries! For example, the wax corpses in Ping'an Village are impervious to swords and spears, but the Two Realms Blade can cut through their bodies like tofu. Who can explain this kind of thing?"
"Look!"
Just as I was talking to Jiang Man, the general in front of us suddenly stopped and shone his headlamp on a corpse.
Like other rotting corpses, this one sat cross-legged by the roadside, covered in a thin, viscous membrane. Through the membrane, the flesh appeared to have rotted away like jelly.
The only difference between him and the others was that there was a stick on his legs. The stick looked like stone or rusty iron, but one end was inlaid with an egg-sized, yellow, irregularly shaped gemstone that reflected a dazzling light when illuminated.
"Holy crap! A yellow diamond!"
The sharp-eyed Song Laosan spotted the stone and his eyes widened instantly. He squatted down next to the corpse, his arms trembling slightly: "This thing is bigger than the damn Sundrop Diamond!"
Hearing Song Laosan blurt out a sentence in English, Lin Que reminded him from the side, "What do you mean by 'three grabs' and 'four grabs'! Isn't this place supposed to be haunted? Stay away from those corpses, don't disturb something we can't afford to mess with!"
"What he's talking about is called the Kola Sunset Stone, also known as the Tears of the Sun. It's the world's largest yellow diamond, one of the largest yellow diamonds in the world, weighing 110.3 carats. This yellow diamond has the highest level of 'Fancy Vivid' color among colored diamonds, and its clarity is VVS1."
Jiang Man explained from the side, "The Tears of the Sun fetched a record price of over 12 million US dollars at a Sotheby's auction in 2011 and was bought by an anonymous buyer. Now its value has at least tripled!"
Lin Que counted on her fingers: "Three times... that's over two hundred million!"
Old Song turned to us, his voice trembling with excitement: "The Tear of the Sun is only the size of a pigeon's egg, while this yellow diamond is six or seven times larger! It's an absolute one-of-a-kind gem! This thing can't even be described as priceless. If we can take this diamond out of here, everyone here can retire for the rest of their lives!"
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