The debate between Song Laosan and the monkey both had some merit, but neither seemed to be very convincing.
By this point, we have a basic understanding of Jinji Cave and Jinyang Cave.
The two caves were almost identical, with the only similarity being that there were no written records inside.
As we walked, I kept observing the passageway we were in. Apart from the exquisite murals, there were no written signs on either side.
The further I went in, the less I felt that this cave resembled an ancient tomb.
As the final resting place of the deceased, a tomb should at least be marked so that future generations know who is buried here and what their achievements were during their lifetime.
The cave we were in had nothing on either side except for the murals. It was not only hidden deep in the mountains, but the entrance was also completely sealed off.
It gives the impression that it never wants anyone to turn it on.
If the tomb owner was truly so without desires, then he could have simply buried himself in a barren land instead of going through all this trouble.
With this question in mind, we walked forward for about twenty meters and finally passed through the spiked area.
Shining a flashlight ahead, you see a circular cave, about 100 square meters in size. Inside the cave are several pillars that reach the ceiling. Each pillar is as thick as two people can hug, and it is also carved with two large snakes that coil upwards, wrapping around the stone pillars like twisted ropes.
These snakes give the impression of emerging from the floor or ceiling, so you can't see their tails or heads; only their bodies are coiled around the pillars.
The monkey looked at the six pillars in the room, and the snakes painted blue on them, and didn't make a move: "Young Master Duan, are these pillars part of a feng shui arrangement or just decoration?"
"This room contains nothing but pillars and no objects marked with directions, so it does not constitute the basic elements of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams."
I shone my flashlight into the space inside and found that apart from the six stone pillars arranged in a circle in the middle of the cave, there were no other objects inside.
Old Song shone his flashlight on me for a while, then gave me an incredulous look: "Xiao Duan, what's going on? So the stone gate outside was designed to be so sturdy, just to protect this empty cave?"
The monkey thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He guessed, "Is it possible that we guessed wrong? This isn't an altar or a tomb at all, but just a dwelling from the Miao period. They moved away later and abandoned this cave!"
"Impossible. There isn't even a path on this cliff. Who would be so bored as to live here?"
Old Song shone his flashlight around the cave walls: "Besides these pillars, there are no decorations in this cave. It looks like a half-finished project. Could it be that a tribe once planned to build an ancient tomb or altar here, but had to abandon the plan due to some special factors? That would explain why they sealed the entrance, because it was simply abandoned!"
Song Laosan's words reminded me of the crudely made Golden Rooster Cave. After confirming that there were no traps on the ground, I walked into the cave with a flashlight.
After touring the site, I was extremely disappointed with the situation.
This cave was carved out by hand, so it's easy to see whether there are gaps at the edges or any hidden passages.
The monkey, who was beside me, said with a gloomy expression, "Young Master Duan, it seems we've come to the wrong place. This isn't Golden Bull Cave; it really does look like an abandoned cave! We've come to nothing!"
At the same time, Manjing shouted, "Brother, there are flashlight beams coming from the other side of the passage! The pursuers are climbing up!"
Looking at the only passage in front of us, a hint of worry flashed in Song Laosan's eyes: "What should we do now?"
"I'll go talk to them."
I thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "These people are coming for me. They are looking for me for revenge. Now their only way out has been blocked. We definitely can't get out if we force our way out. The only way is to sacrifice me to save everyone else."
"No, this method is too risky!"
After hearing what I said, the monkey was the first to object: "We're all team members. It's not our style to betray our teammates when trouble comes! Young Master Duan, let's fight these bastards!"
Seeing the monkey's agitated state, I shook my head at him: "It's no use. Acting rashly in this situation will only make everyone's situation more dangerous! The ultimate purpose of our search for the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace is to help me find Duan Jinyan. Since this matter started because of me, I have no choice but to take responsibility! Don't try to persuade me!"
Before anyone could reply, a flashlight beam shone from a distance, accompanied by a shout: "It's a tomb passage inside, filled with fixed spears, impossible to pass through. Bring the chainsaw!"
I heard shouts outside, so I went to the cave entrance and called out loudly, "Friends outside, let's have a chat!"
The man outside roared angrily, "You little brat, we have nothing to talk to you about! You wait for me inside! If I catch you, I'll skin you alive!"
Ignoring his insults, I continued shouting, "Friends, as far as I know, you should be from the He family of Shanxi, right? I wonder if He Hai, the current head of the He family, has arrived yet?"
The other man continued cursing, "I'm on a death row ship, I can lie down and die anytime, so don't give me that swear word!"
The "torture boat" mentioned by the other party refers to people who have nowhere else to turn. Once arrested, they will definitely face death, so they put a price on their lives and sell them. As long as the employer transfers the money to their family, their lives belong to the employer. When tomb raiding gangs encounter large tombs that are difficult to raid, they will use the torture boat to hire these people who are willing to die to work for them.
These people risk their lives to do one last thing in order to leave some wealth for their families, so employers will also investigate their family backgrounds in detail to prevent them from turning against them.
Hearing that the other party was a member of the execution ship, I became even more certain that the attackers were He Hai's gang. I shouted again, "Friend, since you are on the execution ship, the boatman must have given you orders to capture a man named Duan Shenxing, right? I am the target you are looking for. Tell the boatman that I want to talk to him, how about that?"
The person outside was silent for a few seconds, then shouted, "If you want to talk, come out here yourself, and I'll take you to see the person involved!"
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