In the censer before them, lay corpses that had been burned into a gelatinous state.
There were also some viscous substances on the censer, from which a burnt fragrance could even be detected.
Such a fragrance, which would not disappear for a thousand years, could only be preserved to this day if an excessive amount of incense had been burned.
"These aren't all people in here, are they? Why do they look so greasy even after becoming mummified?"
Fatty spoke up from the side.
His gaze fell upon the censer before him, and he couldn't help but feel curious.
After all, after a thousand years, a corpse would certainly have turned into a dried husk.
Yet, the corpses in the censer before them were the opposite; not only had they not dried out, but they were also glistening with oil.
"This is because they have been continuously nourished by the surrounding corpse oil, which is why they have become like this."
Shirley Yang explained, and then continued.
"The ash made from corpse oil has a unique fragrance. If you smell it for too long, it can induce a peculiar hallucination."
"It's addictive."
Shirley Yang said, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at the censer.
To make the censer so greasy, at least a hundred people must have been burned.
This King Xian was truly cruel.
"This censer should be a relic from the Qin and Han dynasties, a genuine national treasure."
"Fantastic! It's much more valuable than any alchemy furnace we found before!"
Professor Li, looking at the censer, immediately identified its era.
Seeing the excitement of Professor Li and the others, Zhang Tian spoke.
"Professor Li, you can study the censer here. We'll go and examine the murals."
"Call us if you need anything."
Zhang Tian said, leading Hu Bayi and the others towards the murals.
There was nothing much to see about the censer.
After all, it was a furnace for burning people, and there wasn't much to admire.
Zhang Tian's gaze returned to the murals.
In another corner of the mural, the origin of the Mu Chen Pearl was recorded.
Shirley Yang looked at the script on the mural and attempted to translate it.
"It is said that this Mu Chen Pearl was the gallbladder of a phoenix transformed from the Earth Mother, and legend has it that it can help one ascend to immortality."
Shirley Yang translated.
After she finished speaking, Zhang Tian looked around.
The aura they had sensed upon entering might have been carried by the Mu Chen Pearl.
This indicated that the pearl's ability to help achieve immortality likely involved its capacity to generate or purify spiritual energy in its surroundings.
Thus, it could refine more potent spiritual energy.
It was something that aided in cultivation.
Next, Shirley Yang continued her translation.
"In the late Qin Dynasty, the Mu Chen Pearl accidentally fell into the hands of King Xian. The specific reason is not recorded."
"Later, when the Han Emperor learned of this, he dispatched an envoy to demand it. King Xian, unwilling to part with the treasure, seceded the ancient Dian kingdom and relocated his troops and people to western Dian."
"Then, he built a grand royal tomb, expending the entire nation's strength in an attempt to ascend to immortality."
Shirley Yang spoke while looking at the mural.
"Uh, boss, there's another line of small text here."
Fatty pointed to a line of small characters at the bottom of the mural.
Shirley Yang's gaze shifted to it again.
"It says here that after King Xian seceded from the ancient Dian kingdom, he massacred and captured a large number of locals in the foothills of the Shelong Mountains. Later, some mysterious figures wearing green robes came to their aid."
"Subsequently, those robed figures taught the locals a form of poison art, and a conflict ensued between the two groups."
Shirley Yang finished translating the text.
Zhang Tian roughly understood the meaning.
He also clarified the entire chain of events.
"It's likely that the village helped by the Medicine King was the indigenous tribe at that time, and they used poison against King Xian."
"And they obtained the poison from the Medicine King. The Medicine King must be within these Shelong Mountains, otherwise, he wouldn't have come down to help the locals."
Zhang Tian murmured.
It was evident that King Xian intended to build his tomb here, thus infringing upon the Medicine King's interests.
This led the Medicine King to descend and assist the villagers. As the conflict between the villagers and King Xian's forces intensified, the Medicine King's deeds spread.
Ultimately, for some unknown reason, the Medicine King's side seemingly failed, and King Xian succeeded in building his tomb.
As for the Medicine King's whereabouts, Zhang Tian guessed he was somewhere within these Shelong Mountains.
"In that case, it seems the locals must have failed, given that the Medicine King built his tomb."
Shirley Yang remarked.
Zhang Tian nodded.
"It's possible they failed, or perhaps a compromise was reached. A compromise is more probable, because there are still people surviving in the village, aren't there?"
Zhang Tian thought of some of the people in the village.
Everyone shifted their gaze away from the mural.
"Boss, this Mu Chen Pearl, they say it was formed from the Earth Mother and can help one ascend. How can this thing remove the curse from our bodies?"
Fatty asked curiously.
Zhang Tian was also curious about this question.
"The Mu Chen Pearl has the power to generate this kind of aura, so it should also possess the power to cleanse oneself. Therefore, it's highly likely to be effective."
Zhang Tian said, and Fatty nodded, though he didn't fully grasp it.
Shirley Yang gazed around the tomb, then back at the mural.
This was undoubtedly the place where the Mu Chen Pearl was hidden.
And her father was just one step away from reaching it.
Thinking of her father's hardships, Shirley Yang felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
No matter how strong a person is, when they think of their parents, their dearest loved ones, they will shed tears.
Shirley Yang was no different at that moment.
Shirley Yang felt a sense of helplessness and despair for her father.
An image flashed in her mind.
Her father, poisoned, had even risked danger to come here, only to be a step away from his goal.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Shirley Yang's eyes turn red,
Hu Bayi quickly walked over.
Shirley Yang looked at Hu Bayi and instantly felt a surge of emotion, hugging him tightly.
"My father was just one step away, sigh."
Shirley Yang held onto Hu Bayi tightly, her eyes glistening.
But no tears fell.
It wasn't that she couldn't cry, but she was holding back.
Hu Bayi raised his hand and gently patted Shirley Yang's back.
He didn't know what to say.
Fatty covered his eyes.
"Boss, spring is here, it's the season when everything blossoms again."
Fatty whispered.
"Fatty, she's feeling sad right now, can you stop interrupting?"
Zhang Tian gave Fatty a glare.
Such a poignant atmosphere was ruined by this Fatty.
Zhang Qilin seemed uninterested.
He was observing his surroundings, trying to locate the source of the corpse energy.
Soon, Shirley Yang's mood calmed down.
She gently patted Hu Bayi's shoulder, and Hu Bayi wisely let go of her.
"Thank you."
Shirley Yang said softly.
A hint of blush appeared on her cheeks.
"It's nothing, we should continue exploring."
Hu Bayi said softly, his hoarse voice carrying a slight magnetism.
Zhang Tian looked around. While Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang were sharing their moment, he had noticed something amiss.
The entire hall seemed to be of this size, and there didn't appear to be any other paths. If King Xian was buried here, there must be an underground palace!
With this thought, Zhang Tian spoke.
"There should be an underground palace here. There must be an entrance within this space. Everyone, search for it. We might be able to find it."
Zhang Tian said.
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang exchanged a glance, and they began their search.
Zhang Qilin's figure flashed, and he continuously patrolled the surroundings.