Dust billowed up as the stone door slowly opened, lifting dust that had been sealed for a thousand years.
Ye Fan and Shen Bao, equipped with gas masks, were unafraid. Shen Tianyin and the others, however, kept their eyes fixed on the stone door, not letting any slightest movement escape their sight.
"Be careful."
Glancing at Shen Bao, Ye Fan whispered a reminder.
Shen Bao nodded heavily. Then, gripping their hiking poles, the two slowly entered the tomb chamber.
"Hoo."
The ever-burning lamps instantly lit up, illuminating the entire main burial chamber.
Within the main chamber stood three coffins, lying quietly on stone beds.
"So it's a joint burial tomb. No wonder so many mechanisms were set up outside," Ye Fan murmured, walking slowly towards the stone coffins.
Besides the three stone coffins, the tomb contained only eight human-shaped stone figurines standing erect on either side.
The central coffin, carved from a single piece of bluestone, bore intricate, flowing dragon and phoenix patterns.
The lid of the coffin was completely covered in inscriptions.
After scanning the surroundings and seeing no immediate danger, Ye Fan signaled for Elder Lei and the others to enter.
In a place like this, Elder Lei, being the professional, deserved a good look.
Eagerly awaiting outside, Elder Lei, Shen Tianyin, and the others rushed in upon hearing Ye Fan's call.
Upon seeing the layout, Elder Lei couldn't help but frown.
"This shouldn't be. Why is it so empty in here?"
His brow furrowed, his face filled with confusion.
"Is something amiss?" Shen Tianyin asked, puzzled.
In his view, a tomb was simply a tomb, a place to bury the deceased. What else could there be to it?
Elder Lei shook his head. "This is a Liao Dynasty general's tomb, and of extremely high status. Judging by the external specifications, this main chamber should contain a vast amount of burial goods. But here..."
Elder Lei sighed repeatedly, his expression one of disappointment.
There were dozens of sacrificed slaves, yet not a single burial item. This was contrary to their understanding.
Hearing Elder Lei's words, Ye Fan casually replied, "Perhaps the burial goods are all inside the stone coffins. The ancients went to great lengths to prevent tomb raiding."
What Ye Fan said was plausible. Elder Lei was simply disappointed at not seeing the expected treasures.
"The inscriptions on this stone coffin should be the epitaph of the tomb's owner, right?" Shen Bao asked softly, moving closer to Ye Fan and looking at the text on the main coffin.
He was not an expert in such matters.
Elder Lei also hurried forward and examined it closely. "So it's him."
"Who?" Shen Tianyin couldn't help but ask curiously.
Elder Lei glanced at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan was quite displeased with Elder Lei repeatedly handing over questions to him while he himself remained idle.
However, remembering Elder Lei's shameless demeanor at his home earlier, Ye Fan understood. The old man was thick-skinned and utterly unconcerned with face.
Shaking his head helplessly, Ye Fan sighed and said, "The owner of this tomb is Yelü Xiuge."
In the Great Liao dynasty, Yelü was the imperial surname, signifying extremely high status.
"Who is Yelü Xiuge? I've never heard of him?" Shen Tianyin frowned, his face full of bewilderment.
Even Shen Bao beside him wore a doubtful expression.
The construction of such a luxurious tomb indicated that the owner must have been either wealthy or noble.
Yet, this name was utterly unfamiliar to them.
Ye Fan sighed, realizing that Shen Bao and Shen Tianyin's historical knowledge was too limited, making many things unclear.
However, with time on his hands, Ye Fan patiently began to explain.
"In the early years of the Great Liao dynasty, there were internal strife and external threats. Internally, nobles controlled the court, and externally, the Northern Song dynasty was constantly advancing. It was at this time that a military genius emerged – Yelü Xiuge. He was originally the emperor's uncle and should have inherited the throne. However, this man was not interested in political affairs, only in warfare. Over more than ten years, he led his troops to quell internal rebellions and annexed much of the Central Plains land. He was enfeoffed as the Southern Courtyard Great King, holding immense prestige, second only to the emperor, above ten thousand men."
After detailing Yelü Xiuge's life, Ye Fan couldn't help but exclaim, "Such a genius was highly valued by the emperor, hence the construction of such a magnificent tomb after his death. The stone coffins on either side are for Yelü Xiuge's wives."
Hearing Ye Fan's explanation, Shen Tianyin nodded. "So the tomb's owner was so noble. But why are there no burial goods?"
Ye Fan did not answer him but turned to look at Qiao Ping.
"Sister Qiao, if my guess is correct, your lineage should be of imperial descent, holding a very distinguished status."
Qiao Ping gave a wry smile. What was the use of noble status? It was all from thousands of years ago. Now, wasn't he just an ordinary person?
"It's all in the past. The glory of our ancestors has long since faded. As for us, we should live in the present."
Her words were quite profound, leaving even Ye Fan somewhat puzzled.
However, seeing that Qiao Ping didn't seem inclined to elaborate, he didn't press further.
"Brother Ye, Elder Lei, let's open the coffins and take a look. If there are treasures, they must be in these coffins," Dong Dabiao said eagerly, walking over with great interest.
Ye Fan, however, frowned. With Qiao Ping present, Yelü Xiuge was, after all, her ancestor. Opening the coffin would be a grave disrespect to the deceased, and Qiao Ping would likely not be comfortable with it.
Indeed, upon hearing Dong Dabiao's words, Qiao Ping's expression suddenly darkened, a cold glint appearing in her eyes.
Ye Fan shook his head. "Let's forget it. The deceased are paramount, and we must show respect. Moreover, our purpose here was to locate this tomb. The subsequent matters should be handled by professionals."
Although he also wanted to explore further, after considering various factors, Ye Fan decided to forgo it.
Dong Dabiao knitted his brows, a hint of displeasure on his face.
So many people had died in pursuit of finding treasures.
Yet, now that they had reached the main chamber, Ye Fan was unwilling to open the coffins to search for treasures. Wasn't this akin to saying their previous sacrifices were in vain?
"Brother Ye, don't forget you promised to share the burial goods with us. Do you intend to go back on your word?" Dong Dabiao's voice suddenly deepened, and he looked coldly at Ye Fan.
Dong Dabiao's attitude startled Ye Fan. He turned to look at the cold expression on his face and said sternly, "Village Chief Dong, what do you mean by this?"
Dong Dabiao responded with a cold laugh. "My meaning is very simple. Since the tomb has been found, it's natural to search for treasures. If Brother Ye is unwilling to be the villain, then I shall be."
His attitude was extremely firm, and a chilling glint flashed across his face.
Seeing this, Ye Fan furrowed his brow. "Is Village Chief Dong planning to abandon us and act alone?"
Looking at Dong Dabiao coldly, Ye Fan's expression was one of displeasure.
Dong Dabiao had been very polite, even exceptionally courteous, towards him before. He never expected that it was all to use him to find the tomb.