Vines were everywhere, spreading over the stone walls densely, like tentacles.
In front, there emerged a stone platform, covered with dust, debris, and some insects crawling around.
Behind the stone platform stood a gigantic old tree, its branches climbing the stone walls, assuming strange shapes under the bright illumination.
"So it really does exist."
Qin Sisi murmured softly, but the vines and old tree here did not, as described in Lin Chuan's novel, possess any aggressiveness or extreme danger.
"There is an altar here!" Professor Qi's eyes brightened, and he quickly strode over.
The others also gathered around.
"Qin, there's only a sacrificial altar here, nothing else. The main tomb we're looking for hasn't appeared yet," Old Yao said with a trace of doubt on his face, looking at Qin Sisi and asking.
Qin Sisi looked around, already having an idea in her mind.
She stepped forward towards the sacrificial altar, then extended her hand to touch the stone platform.
"Miss Qin, you can't just touch things recklessly," Professor Qi quickly warned.
Qin Sisi turned to look at Old Yao, who understood and said, "Professor Qi, Qin is confident."
Professor Qi looked at Qin Sisi skeptically but then stepped aside.
Qin Sisi's gaze swept the surroundings once more, over the sacrificial stone platform, over the strange tree behind it, and then, her hands rested on the stone platform, pressing down with force.
Just as everyone was puzzled about what Qin Sisi was attempting,
The sacrificial stone platform wasn't as hard as imagined; it couldn't withstand Qin Sisi's strength and sank down, becoming half its height.
Immediately afterward,
Click, clack, clack—
Sounds like those of mechanisms being activated began to echo, spreading from the sacrificial stone platform to the strange tree behind.
To be precise, to the stone wall behind it.
And then,
Whirr, whirr, whirr—
The sounds of chains dragging and grating against stone filled the air endlessly.
Crack!
The strange tree suddenly split open with a large fissure.
Everyone immediately looked over.
They saw within the fissure a massive ancient bronze coffin.
Around it, several chains wrapped around the ancient bronze coffin several times and were fastened to the stone wall, integrated with the strange tree.
"So it's here!"
Old Yao swallowed hard, his eyes glittering with excitement, his face full of joy.
Professor Qi and the other archaeological workers were also shocked, staring at the ancient bronze coffin.
The coffin was covered with densely packed patterns, forming bizarre designs,
And some text that wasn't immediately clear.
The true ancient bronze coffin had now been revealed.
Team Nine archaeologists immediately sprang into action, joining forces with the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and the police, brainstorming ways to move the ancient bronze coffin out of the tomb chamber and out of the mountains.
The stone coffin could be opened on the spot, but the ancient bronze coffin had to be transported back.
More importantly, it seemed that the bronze coffin was a sealed unit, and for the moment, no one could find a way to open it.
Qin Sisi got busy along with the others.
For three consecutive days,
Qin Sisi, Old Yao, and the archaeological team were immersed in the excavation and research of the Seven Stars Lu King Palace.
Many relics were unearthed, and that day, the ancient bronze coffin was successfully transported back to the Linyi City Cultural Relics Bureau, where it was temporarily stored.
The grand scale of the operation startled the local media in Linyi.
However, due to the particular nature of the Seven Stars Lu King Palace—a suspected tomb robber murder case—the media was not allowed to disclose any information.
July 8th.
The focus of Team Nine's work shifted from the depths of the Taiyi Mountain Range, at the Seven Stars Lu King Palace, to the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and also the police station.
Because, the tomb robber murder case and the Seven Stars Lu King Palace were closely connected.
Both lines of work were advancing simultaneously.
"Captain Yao, after multiple examinations, we found that the ancient bronze coffin brought back from the Seven Stars Lu King Palace contains numerous and extremely complex mechanisms. With our current capabilities, we have no way to open it, and forcing it open could potentially damage the entire coffin,"
Qin Sisi, in her archaeological team uniform, reported to Old Yao in their temporary workspace.
Old Yao nodded, glancing at Qin Sisi: "What would it take to open this ancient bronze coffin?"
"At the moment, we haven't figured out how to open the ancient bronze coffin," Qin Sisi answered truthfully.
Old Yao put the materials in his hands down on the table and sighed: "Now that we've almost finished excavating the Seven Stars Lu King Palace, have we summarized the relics stolen by the tomb robbers and the damage caused?"
After thinking for a moment, Qin Sisi replied,
"From the main framework of the tomb chamber, it appears to be intact. Only the burial pit in the chamber seems to have lost a batch of bronze ware, and there's a precious artifact, recorded in the tomb's documents—a Purple Gold Box—that we have not yet found."
Old Yao frowned: "So it's possible that the tomb robbers might have fought amongst themselves over the batch of bronze ware and the Purple Gold Box, resulting in a homicide."
"There... There's that possibility."
Qin Sisi pursed her lips, stammering.
"Are you thinking about Lin Chuan?" Old Yao, though he had never seen Lin Chuan, had heard about him countless times from Qin Sisi.
"Yes."
Qin Sisi nodded.
Old Yao smiled and said, "It's perfect timing. The police are likely to ask for my assistance with that murder case in the next few days. I'll also inquire about the situation."
"Great!" Qin Sisi forced a smile.
"Speaking of which, I haven't read his novel yet. I'll see if he is really a tomb robber," Old Yao said with a laugh.
Qin Sisi's mouth twitched: "I feel like he's not, but then again, he seems very much like one."
"If he is, we will handle it according to the law, if not, we will also vindicate him. Don't worry, Qin!" Old Yao said earnestly.

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