Chapter 27 - Unexpected Gains

Chapter 27: Unexpected Gains

“Damn, Fatty, did you just deploy a biochemical weapon?” Hu Yifei and Lingzi immediately bolted far away, while Fatty covered his nose, staring at the crow in the fire.

Fatty poked the crow with a stick. “What’s going on? Why does it smell like this? This isn’t what I expected. I wasn’t hoping for sparrow-level quality, but this is way off. How are we supposed to eat this?”

Chen Yuze tossed the feathers into the fire and patted Fatty’s shoulder. “Fatty, I’d advise against eating that thing. It’s already had its fill of meat.”

“Had its fill? Isn’t that normal? What bird doesn’t eat bugs? Brother Chen, you’re just joking around.” Fatty didn’t grasp what Chen Yuze meant by “had its fill,” but Hu Yifei and the others seemed to catch on.

Old Hu shot Fatty a glare. “What Brother Chen means is that these crows have eaten solid meat. We can’t eat them. Looks like we’ve actually stumbled upon some good luck this time.”

“Solid meat… What’s that? Is it tasty?” Fatty had never heard of solid meat before. Old Hu and Chen Yuze were deliberately speaking euphemistically since there were girls present, and some things couldn’t be said outright.

Chen Yuze sighed. “No idea if it’s tasty—we’ve never had the guts to try. As for solid meat, it’s basically human flesh. That stinky foot odor you’re smelling? It’s actually the stench of rotting corpses. These crows ate that stuff, which is why they reek so badly. And since the smell is this strong, they probably live close to the tomb—maybe even inside it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be this pungent.”

Old Hu dusted himself off and stood up. “We’re close enough, and we’ve eaten. Let’s get moving. We should make the most of the daylight so we can see clearly.”

Chen Yuze stood as well, gathering his gear before handing Hu Yifei her backpack. “Let’s go, Yifei. Time to get to work. The sooner we finish, the better—otherwise, Meijia and the others will start worrying.”

Hu Yifei slung her equipment over her shoulder while Fatty finished his preparations. The group set off in the direction from which the crows had flown, while Lingzi stayed behind to guard the camp.

They hadn’t gone far when Old Hu raised his hand. “Stop. We’re here. There’s a hole—looks like a tomb-raiding tunnel.”

“Stay sharp. Those crows might still be nearby. Keep your eyes open,” Chen Yuze warned. The earlier encounter with the crows had been unsettling, and there was a chance they might still be lurking inside.

Old Hu and Chen Yuze crouched by the entrance, peering into the pitch-black tunnel. Chen Yuze held out his hand. “Yifei, glow stick.”

Hu Yifei rummaged through her backpack and handed him something resembling a firework. Chen Yuze instinctively moved to snap it but stopped midway when he realized what it was. He immediately tossed it aside. “A glow stick, not a flare! What if this ignites something inside? Weren’t you listening earlier? There’s fire dragon oil in there!”

“Oh, I forgot.” Hu Yifei sheepishly handed him an actual glow stick. Fatty and Old Hu stared in amazement—their equipment was seriously professional. They’d never even seen some of this stuff before, like the glow stick. Compared to them, these guys were the real experts, while they were just amateurs.

Chen Yuze bent the glow stick, shook it a few times, and tossed it into the tunnel once it lit up. “Careful, everyone. Step back.”

Shortly after the glow stick landed, a few crows burst out in a panic, too disoriented to attack before fleeing. The four cautiously gathered around the entrance to inspect the interior. The space inside looked vast, with the tunnel entrance about a meter in diameter.

“About three to five meters deep. Fatty, you’re up first. Yifei, bring up the rear,” Old Hu ordered.

Fatty clapped his hands. “Got it! Watch and learn, folks.”

He tied a rope to a nearby tree and carefully descended. Before long, his voice echoed from below. “Oof!”

“What’s wrong, Fatty?” Old Hu and Chen Yuze tensed, staring into the hole.

“Nothing, nothing. Just slipped. All good—come on down.” After a pause, Fatty reassured them. The two above sighed in relief.

Chen Yuze went next. As soon as he landed, he saw Fatty squatting nearby, examining something. Thinking Fatty might be hurt, Chen Yuze approached. “What’s up, Fatty?”

“Nothing major. Brother Chen, what the hell is this thing? It’s creepy.” Fatty poked a strange statue’s head with a stick. The statue was just a beast’s head—ghastly green with bared fangs, its eyes glaring menacingly at them.

Chen Yuze scanned the surroundings. They stood in a corridor-like space, the tunnel entrance facing a wall that likely once bore intricate murals. But due to exposure to air, the colors had faded, leaving only faint traces.

“This should be a tomb guardian beast. Normally, Yuan Dynasty tombs don’t have these, and this one looks like Yazi. I’m not entirely sure, but something’s definitely off here. Don’t touch anything.” Chen Yuze frowned. Even in his memories, he’d never encountered something like this.

“What’s wrong, Brother Chen?” Old Hu and Hu Yifei had descended by now, noticing Chen Yuze’s unease.

“Nothing major. This Yuan Dynasty tomb just feels… off. But I can’t put my finger on why. Let’s all be careful.” Chen Yuze couldn’t shake the discomfort. The whole place felt wrong in a way he couldn’t explain.

Since this was their first time in a tomb, caution was key. The group moved slowly along the corridor, but the further they went, the stronger the unsettling feeling grew.

Click!

“Trap! Fall back!” Old Hu felt a floor tile sink under his foot and immediately pulled everyone back. Just then, the walls began to shift.

Clank… Clatter…

With the sound of mechanisms activating, rows of iron spears extended from the walls, and they were still spreading.