Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Nineteen – Is It a Magical Artifact, or a Funerary Object?

I shook my head helplessly and said to Xu Tian, "After hearing you talk about how sinister this general's tomb is, I think I'm doing well to be fifty percent confident at best."

Before Xu Tian could reply, Li Kun turned to me and said, "Hey, Old Liu, remember when we went to the Ghost Market yesterday? Those two old Taoist priests mentioned that bell of yours might come in handy in the tomb—they even said it could save your life."

At that, I immediately recalled what they'd said. Xu Tian, puzzled, asked, "Bell? What bell could possibly save a life? Old Li, don’t talk nonsense."

As he spoke, I reached into my jacket and took out the small golden bell.

With a clear ringing sound, all three of us, Xu Tian, Li Kun, and myself, lowered our heads to look at the bell in my hand.

Xu Tian looked a little taken aback when he saw me produce the bell, and a frown creased his brow as he asked, "Old Liu, what’s this?"

Holding the golden bell, I placed it on the tea table and said, "I got this bell from the Hundred Coffins Mound."

Li Kun chimed in, "That’s right. According to those two Taoists at the Ghost Market, this bell might actually be some kind of treasure."

Xu Tian was visibly startled by this. I continued, "This bell was clutched in the hand of that shriveled Taoist corpse."

Upon hearing this, Xu Tian immediately bent down to examine the small golden bell on the table with great care.

As he studied the bell, Xu Tian muttered, "If this was taken from that old Taoist’s hand, then it must be a magical artifact."

He looked up at me with a cautious expression and added, "But it could also be a spirit implement."

I asked, "Spirit implement? What do you mean?"

Xu Tian picked up the delicate golden bell and explained slowly, "Magical artifacts are tools often used by Taoists to exorcise evil and capture ghosts—things like the Soul-Calling Banner or the Coin Sword. Such items are specifically designed to deal with spirits and monsters."

"But spirit implements are quite different. These are used by practitioners of dark sects to control or summon spirits, or to refine souls. Spirit implements are fundamentally opposed to Taoist magical tools."

"In ancient times, Taoists and dark sects once clashed in a great conflict. The Taoists suffered heavy losses, and though the dark sects didn’t lose as many, the war severely weakened them and they never fully recovered over the next century."

"The dark sects used spirit implements to command ghosts or corpses in battle, whereas Taoists could only use magical artifacts like coin swords to directly fight spirits or corpses at close range."

"But after that great battle, Taoists gradually developed many spells, talismans, and formations specifically to counter spirits and corpses."

"Even though Taoist techniques advanced, spirit implements from the dark sects have persisted to this day. The most famous one now is displayed in the main hall at Mount Mao—a spirit cauldron called the Soul-Gathering Vessel. But only direct disciples of Mount Mao have access to it; outsiders stand no chance."

The three of us stared at the little bell before us. I said calmly, "Honestly, whether this bell is a magical artifact or a spirit implement doesn’t matter much to us."

Li Kun asked, puzzled, "Huh? What do you mean, Old Liu?"

I picked up the bell and replied, "We’re going down into the tomb to resolve my own doubts and to figure out what exactly this bell is—not to duel with the big corpse in the tomb."

"So if we run into anything foul or if the corpse gets up, we’ll just use this thing—whatever it is—to hold it off. As long as it can buy us enough time, that’s all we need."

After I finished, Li Kun clapped his hands and said, "Right! Who cares whether it’s a magical artifact or a spirit implement? As long as it works on evil things, that’s enough for me."

Xu Tian, however, looked grave. "Old Liu, magical artifacts and spirit implements are different. If you don’t know how to use this thing, you mustn’t act rashly. If anything goes wrong, the consequences could be disastrous."

I nodded. "Don’t worry, I have a sense of proportion."

Xu Tian nodded slightly. "Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll make a call and start preparing our gear."

Li Kun asked, "Xu, how long will it take to get everything ready?"

Xu Tian thought for a moment. "By tomorrow afternoon, we should have it all. I’ll call you then, and I’ll send someone to bring the vehicle straight to us."

Li Kun nodded and said to me, "Old Liu, let’s rest for today. Tomorrow we’ll scout out Liuxin Mountain."

After bidding Xu Tian farewell, Li Kun and I headed straight to the inn.

It was the same inn we’d stayed at last time, though we were now on a different floor.

Once upstairs, Li Kun and I sat on our beds. Li Kun said, "To be honest, Old Liu, I’m not too confident about this general’s tomb."

I nodded. "Actually, neither am I."

Li Kun was surprised. "Then why do you seem so resolute?"

He lay down with a sigh. "If only we were as rich as Xu Tian’s family."

I dismissed the notion. "Xu Tian’s family only got where they are because of years in the tomb-robbing business."

Li Kun looked at me. "True enough. Xu Tian’s family has specialized in grave-robbing for generations—it’s carried on right to his."

I said, "Yes, but I wonder whether Xu Tian actually likes this line of work, or if he has other motives. Otherwise, why would he come to us?"

Li Kun rubbed his head. "I don’t care why Xu Tian sought us out. As long as we find some treasures and sell them for a good price, I’m satisfied."

I chuckled. "You sound like you’ve been poor too long."

Li Kun sat up and said, "You’re not wrong—Old Li’s been poor all his life. Now that I finally have a chance to make good money, I have to seize it!"

I nodded. "I agree, but our top priority is our own safety. The treasures in the tomb come second. If we get ourselves skewered by traps, all the treasure in the world won’t do us any good—you need to survive to spend it."

Li Kun sighed. "So many master tomb-raiders have died in there. Old Liu, do you think there are giant bugs or spiders in the tomb? Otherwise, how could so many experts have perished just from the traps?"

I nodded. "That’s possible. Those experts weren’t newcomers—they’d seen every kind of trap. It’s unlikely simple mechanisms brought them down."

Li Kun agreed. "Damn, it’s the bugs and creepy-crawlies I fear most. Tomorrow, I’m buying some spray insecticide—if I see any bugs, I’ll kill them on the spot!"

I couldn’t help but laugh. "Alright, tomorrow we’ll go together. We also left our incense in the last tomb. Tomorrow we’ll stop by the incense shop for more."

Li Kun nodded. "I wonder what treasures are hidden in a Song Dynasty general’s tomb. Maybe I’ll get my hands on a Song-era weapon—if so, we’ll strike it rich!"

I rolled my eyes. "Don’t get your hopes up. So many centuries have passed—even the best weapons would have corroded by now. The moment you touch one, it’ll crumble like tofu."

Li Kun turned to me. "Old Liu, you’re seriously undermining our army’s morale. As a superior officer, you should be encouraging your troops, not striking us down. That’s malicious retribution!"

I burst out laughing. "Alright, enough chatter. Let’s get some rest and wake early tomorrow."

Li Kun agreed. "Tomorrow we’ll check out Liuxin Ravine and see what’s special about it. I wonder what’s in that general’s tomb that could bring down so many master tomb-raiders."

Hearing him, I thought to myself that this general’s tomb would be no simple undertaking. We’d need to be extremely cautious—but it wouldn't be easy for anything in there to harm the two of us, either.

Meanwhile, as Li Kun and I lay down, Xu Tian was already making preparations. "Hello, Xiao Zhang, prepare a van for tomorrow and drive it to Liuyun Inn. Call me when you arrive—we need to pick something up."

"Boss Xu, is something happening?"

"Don’t talk nonsense. Be at the shop entrance before six tomorrow morning."

After hanging up, Xu Tian scrolled through his contacts, then dialed a nameless number.

A deep, chilly voice answered, "Who is this?"

The man’s tone was cold as ice, but Xu Tian remained unbothered. "It’s me."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Why are you calling?"

Xu Tian replied, "Same as last time, but this time prepare two Type-87s, both with full magazines, plus a pack of concentrated explosives and a pack of high-yield charges."

The man was silent for a moment. "When do you need them?"

"Noon tomorrow."

"Fine. I’ll have someone deliver the goods to the usual place."

After hanging up, Xu Tian muttered to himself in the car, "I’ve done all I can to help you. Whether you make it out or not, you’ll have to rely on your own luck. Sigh..."