Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

Chapter 603 Tomb Gate

Jiang Shangxian also felt a little cold. It was clearly just a piece of adjacent land, but the place where the sunlight did not reach seemed to be much colder.

"Have you been here before?"

Qiqige also took a torch and walked forward while saying, "I've been here a few times, but I didn't go too deep."

She was still young and didn't have the worries of the golden jars. She just happened to be passing by and took a look. "This cave is different from ordinary caves. My tribe has always had the custom of offering sacrifices to the gods in this kind of cave."

However, there are many caves like this in the mountains, and the tribesmen often hold sacrifices in those fixed places. Few people come to this place, so naturally they will not come here to hold sacrifices.

This cave should have been formed naturally, and the shape inside was a bit strange. They didn't walk far before Jiubai and others had to bend over to walk.

It was only at this time that Jiang Shangxian discovered that at some point, the ceiling of the cave had become lower and lower, and the space on both sides had become narrower and narrower. This change did not end, and gradually, everyone present, except Yingzi, was unable to walk upright.

"Just walk a little further. In fact, there are many caves like this in this mountain. You have been here for a short time, but if you live here for a year or two, you will get used to it." Qi Qi Ge still has a certain authority on this section of the road ahead.

The fact was just as she said. After walking about fifty meters forward, the narrow space suddenly became larger.

Jiubai and others breathed a sigh of relief. It was okay for the woman to be petite, but the guards were all tall and strong, and it seemed particularly cramped for them to walk like this.

"Is there an underground river here?" A drop of cool water fell on Jiang Shangxian's forehead. She subconsciously raised her hand to wipe it, and then sniffed it carefully at the tip of her nose.

It's just ordinary water, at most rich in minerals.

At the same time, water droplets kept dripping on people, and everyone stopped and looked up at the top of the cave.

"Is it really an underground cave?" Jiang Shangxian looked at the stalactites hanging upside down from the top like pillars and couldn't help but open his mouth wide.

This was the first time in her past and present lives that she had seen such a spectacular sight. As she continued walking, stalactites of various shapes appeared before her eyes. When she looked closer, she could see starlight twinkling on the milky white stones.

The ground beneath my feet also slowly changed, like wrinkles, like layers of solidified waves.

This is the result of countless years of water and carbon dioxide.

Everyone was amazed and stunned by the scene before them. This was a completely different world, just like the mysterious world of Cthulhu. They didn't know how long they walked in the darkness following the light of the torch, so long that it seemed as if time had stopped there.

The roads inside were interconnected, with forks appearing from time to time. She didn't know how Qi Qi Ge could determine the correct direction in such a complicated network of roads. No one spoke, and the sound of breathing was particularly obvious in the silent environment.

The mother Gu had been lying on top of her head, and she gradually got used to this mysterious environment. It was not until a passage about 80 centimeters wide appeared before her that Qiqige stopped and said, "We're almost there."

Jiang Shangxian looked at the passage that was less than two meters high and took a deep breath. They were finally there!

Although she didn't know how long it took to get here, it was definitely not short. Her calves were aching, and it must have been at least an hour. There were so many forks in the road. No wonder so many forces went to Lingnan to look for Zhao Tuo's tomb but returned empty-handed.

That’s it, it would be strange if you could find it!

This passage is completely different from the previous one. There is a small bend almost every three steps, and the height of the top is constantly fluctuating. At the lowest point, even Jiang Shangxian has to bend down and bend his legs to pass through, but the highest point suddenly rises to ten meters.

The silence here is different from that outside, it is more like a dead silence.

Faintly, she smelled a rotten smell. Jiubai squatted down and shone the torch on the ground: "Madam, the color has changed."

Jiang Shangxian, who had been busy looking at the top and surroundings of the cave, only then realized that the ground under his feet had turned black at some point, and there was muddy material when he rubbed it with his toes.

Jiubai reached out and wiped it, sniffing it carefully, then said, "Some animal or...person must have died here before."

"Qi Qi Ge, have any of your ancestors ever worshipped here?" If you don't understand a question, you should ask others, maybe they can solve it.

"I do not know."

Qiqige's expression was also somewhat serious. She had not noticed this when she came here before, but said: "The absence of bones does not necessarily mean that the body has rotted."

Dead branches and rotten leaves will become like this after hundreds of years.

Jiang Shangxian shook her head and continued walking forward. She wasn't a professional archaeologist, so she didn't need to figure out what this thing was. Fortunately, this time, after only ten minutes, Qiqige stopped and said, "We're here."

"This is..." Jiang Shangxian, who had been following her, looked at the scene in front of him and his breathing slowed down.

A tomb door that was more than one meter wide and about two meters high suddenly appeared in front of them.

The lintel above the tomb door is carved with ancient yet spiritual cloud patterns. Although the stone carvings and paintings on the door have faded after hundreds of years, you can still see the exquisite craftsmanship and bold and bright colors.

The stone carvings on the entire door are divided into three parts: upper, middle and lower. On the upper part, there is an immortal riding a dragon and a phoenix floating among the clouds. In the middle is a standard golden chariot pulled by four horses, with the driver's position empty. In the back room are a man and a woman, both dressed in luxurious clothes, sitting hand in hand, with the front of the chariot pointing towards the immortal among the clouds.

At the bottom were twenty-four ladies, kneeling respectfully on the ground in two rows.

Jiang Shangxian looked left and right but didn't see any threatening words, and he felt relieved instantly.

It seems that this old guy Zhao Tuo is quite kind. He doesn't have any written curses like other tombs that say anyone who trespasses will be killed.

The question now is, how to open this tomb?

Jiubai and Jinyun stepped forward at the same time: "Madam, please step aside for a moment. Let me give it a try."

"Yeah." Jiang Shangxian felt that the two of them probably couldn't open the door, but it was a good thing that her subordinates were motivated, so she decided not to discourage them.

Qi Qi Ge moved to the side but did not retreat. His determined expression seemed to coincide with Jiang Shangxian's: it can't be opened.

Sure enough, no matter how hard Jiubai and the others pushed or pulled the bronze Taotie door knocker on the tomb door, the door didn't move at all, and even the amount of dust that fell down was very little.

Several guards refused to give up and rushed forward together to attack.

Qiqige finally couldn't help but retreat to the side of Jiang Shangxian and said, "Let's tell them to save their energy. We'll have to dig a tunnel later."

"Jiubai, please stop first."

Jiang Shangxian was squatting on one side, studying the stone wall, poking at it with a small flat shovel. After confirming it, she clapped her hands and stood up. "There must be a door stone behind this tomb door. I'm afraid we can't enter through this main entrance."