Chapter 99: The Terracotta Figures

To conserve battery power, Liu Dashao dimmed his flashlight to the lowest setting. As a result, the illuminated area became very small, but it was still enough for everyone to realize they had entered a tomb chamber.

The tomb was circular in shape, with a pair of tall stone pillars symmetrically placed on opposite sides. Between the pillars stood another tomb door, its destination unknown.

The chamber was filled with many groups of terracotta figures. These life-sized statues, both male and female, appeared to be servants of the tomb’s owner, dressed in elaborate and uniform clothing.

In the center of the terracotta formation stood a golden-framed chariot pulled by four terracotta horses.

The entire formation faced the opposite tomb entrance, their backs turned toward the group.

In one corner of the chamber, neatly stacked ceramics, bronze vessels, and jade artifacts lay scattered.

Liu Dashao examined the surroundings carefully.

Suddenly, a beam of flashlight swept over a spot, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly called out, “Master, look!”

Among the orderly rows of terracotta soldiers, one figure faced the opposite direction, its expression twisted into a strange grin, staring directly at Liu Dashao and the others. The grin looked unnatural, as if someone had forcibly pulled the corners of its mouth upward from behind.

The moment Liu Dashao saw it, his skin prickled with unease. He stammered, “Wha… what is this? How come one of them is so different?”

Zhang Enpu remained silent for a moment, tightened his grip on the sword strapped to his waist, signaled Tian Guoqiang and others to stay calm, and then slowly approached the figure.

Watching his light steps, Liu Dashao followed nervously.

As they moved, the others curiously glanced at the faces of the surrounding terracotta figures and discovered that all of them wore the same eerie smile as the odd one.

This made Liu Dashao swallow hard and stick even closer to Zhang Enpu.

Zhang Enpu reached the terracotta figure and carefully examined it.

Minutes passed, and nothing happened.

Liu Dashao secretly relaxed. Perhaps it was just a careless mistake by the ancient builders.

He shifted his flashlight beam toward the nearby chariot.

Could there be someone inside?

Liu Dashao couldn’t help but laugh at his own thought. The chariot’s owner must be resting in the coffin within the inner chamber. There was no way he could be here.

Zhang Enpu continued observing the figure for a while, then suddenly turned his gaze toward the chariot and walked toward it without a word.

The others quickly followed.

Standing before the chariot, Zhang Enpu appeared deep in thought.

Liu Dashao, not wanting to interrupt but unable to suppress his curiosity, stepped toward the chariot window and shone his flashlight inside.

There was nothing inside.

Liu Dashao chuckled at his own imagination. But could there be hidden treasures inside?

With this thought, he stepped closer to peer inside, sweeping the flashlight beam beneath the window.

Suddenly, a mummified face appeared before his eyes.

“Ahh!” Liu Dashao screamed, quickly stepping back and accidentally knocking over a terracotta figure.

The statue crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces. The sound echoed throughout the chamber.

“What happened?” From behind, Zhang Enpu quickly pulled Liu Dashao away and stood in front of him, sword in hand.

“There… there was a mummy inside the chariot!” Liu Dashao exclaimed, still shaken.

Tian Guoqiang turned on his flashlight and scanned the interior of the chariot. It was completely empty.

“How can that be!” Liu Dashao cried in disbelief. “There was definitely a mummy just now…” Before he could finish, a chill ran down his spine. “This tomb is too strange… Let’s leave first…”

Just then, he suddenly felt a cold, piercing gaze fixed on his back, making his skin crawl.

Liu Dashao quickly turned around, sweeping his flashlight across every corner of the chamber, but found nothing unusual.

Yet the unease in his heart refused to fade—it only grew stronger.

Suddenly, a realization struck him. Earlier, at the tomb entrance, there had been a terracotta figure facing them. Now, standing near the opposite entrance, when he looked back, none of the figures were facing away from them.

“Master, I think there’s something wrong with those terracotta figures,” Liu Dashao said nervously, moving closer to Zhang Enpu.

The chamber was eerily silent, and no one responded.

Confused, Liu Dashao turned around, sweeping his flashlight over where Zhang Enpu had stood moments ago.

It was empty. Zhang Enpu was gone.

“Master!” Liu Dashao shouted desperately. “Master! Tian Guoqiang, Bai Er Lai, where are you?”

His voice echoed in the tomb chamber, unanswered.

Now alone in the dark, enclosed space with the vanished mummy and strange terracotta figures, fear consumed Liu Dashao.

He sprinted toward the tomb entrance, only to find the stone door made of solid greenstone, impossible to open. His heart sank.

Where had they gone?

A faint rustling sound emerged from the darkness, followed suddenly by the clash of metal—a battle.

Liu Dashao quickly swept his flashlight toward the source of the sound.

The sound abruptly stopped, revealing nothing in the beam of light.

Moments later, the rustling resumed from another direction.

Liu Dashao shone his flashlight toward each sound, but in vain. The rustling grew closer.

Suddenly, a hand clamped tightly over his mouth and nose, knocking the flashlight from his hand, and dragged him into a corner of the tomb.

Eyes wide with panic, Liu Dashao struggled fiercely, but was overpowered and subdued.

“Shh!”

A faint breath tickled his ear, barely audible—clearly someone deliberately suppressing their breathing.

He noticed that despite the low body temperature, there was still warmth.

“Master!” Liu Dashao relaxed, ceasing his resistance.

The flashlight lying in the middle of the chamber flickered. A dry, skeletal hand reached out and picked it up. The beam turned, suddenly illuminating the grotesque face of the mummy. Liu Dashao’s entire body turned cold—he could barely breathe.

Now he could clearly see the mummy.

It had no lower body!

The rustling sound moments ago was caused by the mummy crawling forward with its hands, its body scraping against the ground.

It turned its head suddenly in Liu Dashao’s direction. Two dark, hollow sockets stared blankly at them.

Liu Dashao’s heart pounded like a drum.

After a long pause, it finally turned back and slowly crawled toward the chariot.

Feeling the hand covering him gradually loosen, Liu Dashao whispered, “Master, what’s going on? Where did you go just now?”

Zhang Enpu didn’t answer. Suddenly, Liu Dashao felt his body slipping downward. He quickly grabbed him and noticed his pale face.

Liu Dashao was terrified now. He shook Zhang Enpu anxiously. “Master… don’t scare me… hey…”

“It’s nothing, just a wound,” Zhang Enpu murmured weakly, slightly opening his eyes. Looking at the blood on his back, the drawn sword, and the two fallen mummies nearby, Liu Dashao immediately understood.

Hearing the familiar voice, Liu Dashao felt a wave of relief, and some of his fear vanished. “Where are the others?”

“Shh, we’re here. Don’t make a sound,” Tian Guoqiang whispered cautiously, peeking out from behind a terracotta figure, his expression alert.

“Turn off the flashlight,” Zhang Enpu said, frowning as he glanced at the flashlight still in Liu Dashao’s hand.

Liu Dashao turned and saw the flashlight still on. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked over and picked it up.

Only now did he realize his hands had been trembling all along.

His hands shaking, he pressed the switch several times before finally turning it off. He hurried back to Zhang Enpu’s side and leaned weakly against the cold stone wall of the tomb.

In unknown environments, people naturally seek light.

But in a place filled with unknown dangers, darkness was the safest, while light was the most dangerous.

How ironic! Liu Dashao thought bitterly, then turned to Zhang Enpu and asked, “Master, what do we do next?”

Zhang Enpu gave him a look.

From their hiding place, Tian Guoqiang and Bai E’rlai couldn’t hold back any longer. In unison, they shouted, “Run like hell!” With that, they pulled their rifle triggers and fired a shot in the opposite direction. The mummies, drawn by the sound, immediately rushed toward it.