Before the stone lions at the entrance, Shen Bao’s face was filled with envy.
Elder Lei, however, quickened his steps and began to carefully examine the stone lions, walking around them.
The more he looked, the more his expression became delighted, his smile gradually deepening.
“A treasure, a true treasure.”
Elder Lei clicked his tongue in admiration, finding himself unable to put the stone lions down.
“Elder Lei, aren’t these just ordinary stone lions? What’s so special about them?”
Kong Weiren frowned and walked forward, asking in confusion.
Elder Lei shook his head. “These are not ordinary stone lions, but Cangzhou lions. A thousand years ago, Cangzhou lions were renowned throughout the land and used by royalty. Ordinary people were forbidden from using them; they were extremely precious. However, with the change of dynasties, the Cangzhou lions that have survived to this day are exceedingly rare, and most have been damaged. Those like these, intact and without any signs of wear, can be considered national treasures.”
“Ye Fan, what exactly is special about these Cangzhou lions?”
Intrigued by Elder Lei’s words, Shen Bao curiously asked Ye Fan.
If Elder Lei possessed considerable ability in appraising ancient artifacts, Ye Fan was gifted by nature.
The profound knowledge accumulated from his past and present lives far surpassed what Elder Lei could compare to.
Taking a couple of steps forward and looking at the Cangzhou lions, Ye Fan smiled.
“Elder Lei is correct. These are indeed Cangzhou lions. The fame of Cangzhou lions stems from their unique design, which is also one of the important criteria for distinguishing them.”
As he spoke, Ye Fan pointed to the tail of the stone lion.
“Generally, the tail tuft of a stone lion has only five strands. However, the tail tuft of a Cangzhou lion has seven strands, with the ends not fully spread. Furthermore, the head of a Cangzhou lion is rounder than that of an ordinary stone lion because the stone material used is local Cangzhou gray granite. This type of granite is very hard, making it quite difficult to carve, requiring meticulous work and slow polishing. Therefore, the craftsmanship of Cangzhou lions is very fine and exquisite. Looking at these two stone lions, both in terms of their tail tufts and the carving craftsmanship, they can be described as flawless. Thus, these two stone lions are undoubtedly Cangzhou lions.”
The reason Ye Fan knew this so clearly was that he had personally carved a Cangzhou lion before, which had taken him a full three months.
Therefore, he was intimately familiar with every detail of a Cangzhou lion.
Elder Lei nodded. “What Ye Fan says is correct. These Cangzhou lions are indeed as described. For this tomb to use Cangzhou lions as guardian beasts, it clearly indicates that the tomb owner was of extremely high status.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go in quickly.”
The main tomb chamber was right before them. Kong Weiren eagerly stepped forward, but when he tried to push the two stone doors with all his might, they didn’t budge an inch.
“These doors are too heavy. Old Dong, come help!”
Kong Weiren urgently called out. The treasure was right in front of them, yet they couldn't enter. Anyone would be anxious.
Dong Dabiao glanced at Ye Fan. Nowadays, his admiration for Ye Fan grew with each passing moment.
If it weren't for Ye Fan, their group probably wouldn't have safely reached this place.
Moreover, whenever they encountered danger, it was Ye Fan who stepped forward at critical junctures, turning peril into safety.
Thus, Dong Dabiao had gradually come to regard Ye Fan as the backbone of their group.
“There is a mechanism on these stone doors; they cannot be opened by brute force alone,” Ye Fan stated calmly.
“How do you know that?”
Dong Dabiao’s face was filled with doubt. Ye Fan hadn’t even approached the doors; could he discern a problem just by looking? This was somewhat unbelievable.
“It seems to be an array in the eyes.”
Elder Lei’s gaze was fixed on the stone doors as he spoke softly.
Ye Fan was slightly taken aback and cast a look of admiration at Elder Lei.
This old man indeed had some substance, managing to spot the array.
Indeed, these stone doors were set up using the Seven Star Locking Gate Array, with mechanisms embedded within. Without understanding the Seven Star Locking Gate Array, one could not decipher the mechanisms.
“To break this array, certain tools are needed, which I do not have on hand for now. Let’s go out first. After dawn tomorrow, we can return to break the array. However, when we leave, tell all the villagers not to touch anything. If any mechanism is triggered, it will be a near-certain death. Do not lose your lives in vain because of this.”
Ye Fan surveyed the situation and finally made a decision.
It was already late at night, and after a whole day of trekking, even he felt a bit weary. Therefore, it was best to rest well for the night, conserve energy, and return early tomorrow to break the array and enter the tomb.
Although Kong Weiren wore a look of reluctance, he had no choice but to follow Ye Fan and the others out of there.
They had marked their path when they came, so the return journey was smooth, with no incidents.
However, as the group reached the cave entrance, Ye Fan suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Kong Weiren asked with displeasure.
“Why is it so quiet? And I smell a strong scent of blood.”
Shen Bao also had a grim expression. “Not good, let’s go out and check.”
Saying that, he and Ye Fan rushed out quickly, moving at an extremely fast pace.
Elder Lei and the others followed closely, their faces filled with anxiety.
Outside the stone cave, more than a dozen bodies lay scattered about. None of these bodies were intact; they had all been torn apart, with limbs broken. The scene was extremely gory and terrifying.
“How could this happen? Where is Tian Yin?”
Shen Bao’s voice trembled, his expression gradually turning ferocious.
Shen Tian Yin held a significant position in his heart; no matter what, he could not allow her to be in danger.
Ye Fan’s face was also grim, his eyes filled with overwhelming killing intent.
He scanned his surroundings and saw traces of footsteps along the mountain path.
“That way.”
Ye Fan pointed in that direction and then quickly followed the tracks.
The grass here had been trampled, and the marks were still fresh, indicating that someone had passed by not long ago.
Ye Fan was moving at an incredible speed, with only one thought in his mind: he would pay any price to find Shen Tian Yin.
He pursued for more than ten miles, and they were now approaching the halfway point of Goddess Peak.
A roar came from ahead, further increasing Ye Fan’s worry.
At this moment, Shen Tian Yin, along with over a dozen villagers and the people Elder Lei had brought, had been forced to the edge of a precipice.
And in front of them, several strangely shaped wild beasts were greedily staring at them.
They had wolf heads, tiger bodies, fangs in their mouths, and their four claws were thick and sharp.
Shen Tian Yin, suppressing her inner fear, looked at the beasts and asked Elder Ji beside her, “What do we do? We’ve been chased all the way, and the abyss is in front of us. We have no way back.”
Elder Ji also had a grim expression, gritting his teeth tightly. “If everyone gathers together and tries to break through, perhaps a few people can get out. But these villagers are probably all terrified. Right now, there’s nothing they can do but wait for death.”
In times of crisis, the wickedness of human nature is revealed.
As they were speaking, a scream was heard.
Then, a middle-aged man was seen with his throat pierced by an iron rod, blood gushing out.
The next moment, two men grabbed the middle-aged man and brutally threw his body towards the wild beasts.
The beasts seemed to go mad, ravenously tearing at the middle-aged man’s corpse.
“As long as we feed these beasts, we can escape alive, so we absolutely cannot be soft-hearted.”
The two villagers had ferocious expressions and their eyes kept scanning the faces of the remaining people.