Guanzhong Tomb Robbery Notes

Chapter 454 is about to begin, let's start practicing!

The sudden explosion left us bewildered and uncertain.

The three of us looked at each other, and then, without prior arrangement, we all looked toward the door.

To find out what's happening outside, you have to open the door and go out.

But outside the door, someone had just died.

Ma Dong's body is still lying outside.

Going out now... might end up like him, dismembered.

Han Bin shrank back against the wall: "As the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat."

"They're making loud noises outside, maybe to lure us out."

"If they go out, they might end up like Ma Dong!"

This guy is quite good at making excuses.

The possibility of them making a scene to lure us out is not entirely nonexistent, but it's certainly not high.

Moreover, I think the sound of that explosion was somewhat like the sound of a firecracker exploding.

Two-stage firecrackers are more powerful firecrackers.

When lit, the gunpowder at the bottom explodes, propelling the firecracker into the air, and then the gunpowder at the top explodes in mid-air.

Because it makes two sounds, with the second sound exploding in the air as if it were kicked into the sky, it is called "two-stage kick".

In the past, older boys liked to set off firecrackers during the Lunar New Year.

These days, it's even difficult to set off ordinary firecrackers during the Lunar New Year.

I ignored Han Bin's words and said to Uncle Zheng, "It sounds like a firecracker, but it only went off once."

Uncle Zheng nodded slightly: "It sounds like it to me too, maybe it's a thunderbolt."

Leizi is also a type of firecracker.

It already existed during the Tang Dynasty and was called "Maleizi".

The explosion was loud, but it only happened once.

The Er Tijiao (two-stage firecracker) was developed based on the Ma Lei Zi (a type of firecracker).

"But why are they setting off firecrackers so late at night?"

"Has someone died?"

In many places, there is a custom of setting off firecrackers when someone dies.

Whether it's day or night, as soon as a person passes away, their relatives will set off firecrackers that they have prepared in advance.

At this time, no matter how many kinds of firecrackers are set off, there will always be a whole string of firecrackers.

There are several explanations for why firecrackers are set off after someone dies.

Some say that setting off firecrackers is a way of announcing a death to the neighbors.

Some say it's to drive away evil spirits and clear the path to the underworld for the souls of the dead.

Some say that the sound and light from the firecrackers are meant to protect the living...

Regardless of the reason, this custom has been passed down to this day.

The sudden sound of firecrackers exploding in the middle of the night is likely related to the custom of setting off firecrackers to commemorate a death.

But if someone really dies, according to custom, they wouldn't just set off firecrackers.

I pondered, "The custom of setting off firecrackers when someone dies does exist, but at the very least, there should be a whole string of firecrackers."

No sooner had I finished speaking than a series of crackling and popping sounds rang out.

It's the sound of whips being hung!

I paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Shaanxi is just weird."

There's an old saying: Shaanxi is a strange place; if you mention a turtle, you'll find a soft-shelled turtle.

Shaanxi is indeed a place with a bit of an eerie atmosphere.

Things like "speak of the devil and he appears" are very likely to happen here.

But that's not the weirdest part.

The strangest thing is that this place is unlucky; good things don't come true, but bad things do.

What we fear and are afraid of happening often comes true soon after we voice our concerns.

I had just said that there was a whole string of firecrackers when, strangely enough, I immediately heard the sound of firecrackers being set off.

Uncle Zheng said in a deep voice, "It seems that this is really a cannon shot fired at a dead man."

Han Bin huddled in the corner, his voice trembling as he said, "So Ma Dong is dead."

"Do you think these firecrackers... could they be for Ma Dong?"

"Hiss!" Uncle Zheng and I both gasped at the same time, our expressions becoming extremely serious.

Ma Dong was killed!

According to custom, only relatives set off firecrackers for the deceased.

But there's never a case of a murderer setting off a cannon for the victim!

If that cannon fire was really aimed at Ma Dong, then things are completely beyond our imagination!

Bang! Bang!

A series of impact sounds came from inside the iron cage.

I looked back at the iron cage.

But then Old Yu went crazy and started banging his shoulder against the iron cage, as if he wanted to smash it open with his body.

Professor Zhang, looking puzzled, grabbed Lao Yu: "Why are you banging the cage?"

Old Yu shoved Professor Zhang aside in a fit of rage and continued ramming into the cage.

A voice, tense and terrified, cried out, "Don't pull me!"

"It's starting! It's about to start!"

"The firing of cannons means they're about to start!"

Old Yu's words were completely unfounded.

But I'm certain he withheld crucial information from his account!

What is he hiding?!

Uncle Zheng raised an eyebrow and strode to the iron cage.

He stared at Old Yu and asked, "What's starting?"

"Explain yourself, and I'll release you immediately!"

Old Yu stopped banging on the cage and began to pant heavily like a trapped beast.

He gripped the cage bars with both hands and poked his head out like a venomous snake.

Bang!

His face slammed hard against the cage with a loud thud.

The pain from the impact made him grimace, but he still didn't turn back.

Instead, it pressed its face even harder against the cage bars, as if trying to squeeze through the cage and get out.

A stream of blood flowed from my nose, likely caused by the impact that ruptured a blood vessel in my nasal cavity.

Blood flowed from his nose down his lips and chin.

Old Yu seemed completely oblivious and didn't bother to wipe it clean.

It still pressed its face firmly against the cage bars.

"It's starting! The ritual is about to begin!"

"What kind of sacrifice?!" Uncle Zheng, Professor Zhang, and I asked in unison.

Clearly, Professor Zhang also didn't know what the sacrificial ceremony that Old Yu was about to begin was all about.

Old Yu remained silent.

Professor Zhang grabbed Old Yu's arm and shouted excitedly, "Say something!"

"Speak! Speak!"

"what is going on?!"

I frowned slightly as I looked at it.

In my understanding, Professor Zhang is a very refined and cultured person.

Previously, when Professor Zhang was being harassed by a lazy man in the village, I couldn't stand it and wanted to take a broom to help him chase the man away. However, he spoke to the man in a gentle and reasonable manner, without making any extreme remarks or actions.

But now, Professor Zhang has taken action.

Could there be a hidden story between Professor Zhang and Lao Yu?

"Sigh!" Old Yu sighed helplessly and said quietly, "Now that things have come to this, I'm like a fish on a chopping board... there's no point in hiding it anymore."

"I lied to you before."

"You're lying to me?" Professor Zhang's eyes widened, filled with surprise and disbelief.

Old Yu closed his eyes and nodded vigorously: "Yes, I lied to you."

"I'm actually in cahoots with Yang Gou Dan."

"I tricked you into coming to my house partly so I could show you the dynasty and value of the ancient jade, and partly because..."

Old Yu stumbled a couple of times, then shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Professor Zhang became anxious, grabbed Lao Yu by the collar, and forcefully pulled him in front of him.

He roared, "What is it?!"

Old Yu said with a wry smile, "On the other hand, we encountered some very strange situations when digging the tunnel."

"Yang Gou Dan and I discussed it and we estimate that there are powerful evil spirits in the tomb."

"We were thinking of tricking someone into going into the tomb... It would be too easy to expose us if we tricked someone from a nearby village, so we decided to trick someone from out of town."

"What a coincidence, I just happened to run into you."

"But who would have thought that man proposes, God disposes? I, the mantis that catches the cicada, never expected that there was a bird lurking behind me."

"The village chief had you, me, and Yang Gou Dan locked up, actually with the same scheme I had before."

"We'll use our lives to fill the tomb raiders' tunnel and drive living stakes into the ground!"