Chapter 100: The Hidden Chamber Within the Coffin

One or two smokers took a couple of drags, and Grim Face Zhang pondered for a long moment: “Second Brother, let’s not rush into smoking just yet. Take a look—what should our next move be?”

Hou Qiankun held a cigarette in one hand, while that same hand rhythmically toyed with two steel balls, as if he hadn’t heard a word.

Grim Face Zhang, seeing he said nothing, remained silent and lit another cigarette. He smoked hastily, finishing it in no time. Casting a sidelong glance at Hou Qiankun beside him, he nearly twisted his nose in irritation. Hou Qiankun still held half a cigarette, savoring it deeply with each puff, completely indifferent to the fact they were standing inside a tomb passage.

Grim Face Zhang didn’t ask again immediately but waited a long while. Only after Hou Qiankun finished his cigarette did he nod slightly: “Second Brother, you’ve finished your ‘Zhonghua.’ What do you think we should do next?”

Hou Qiankun smiled and pulled another cigarette from his pocket. “Third Brother, lend me a light.”

Grim Face Zhang was momentarily taken aback but nodded, producing his lighter and igniting the second ‘Zhonghua.’ He smiled wryly: “Don’t worry, don’t worry. These are just three coffins. We just need to break them open to understand what’s going on.”

Before Grim Face Zhang could speak further, Iron Crutch Liu sneered and stepped forward a couple of paces. “Second Brother, you saw how fierce that coffin was just now. I almost got blown to pieces by the thunder trap beneath it. Who knows what’s going on with the second and third coffins?”

Hou Qiankun glanced at Iron Crutch Liu with a teasing smile. “Ah, Old Eight, I gave you the first look. Now it’s your turn to shed some blood and probe those three tiger-head coffins. This isn’t like the five-bottle coffins from back in the day—how hard could it be?”

Though the words sounded encouraging, there was a subtle sharpness beneath them. Iron Crutch Liu hesitated, then said, “Fine, since you say so, Second Brother, and I promised Third Brother I’d check the third coffin anyway, I’ll give it my all for this look. But I can only go up if you two—Second and Third Brother—cover me. I need a shield for my advance. What do you say?”

Hou Qiankun chuckled, cleared his throat, and looked to Grim Face Zhang. “Third Brother, what do you think?”

Grim Face Zhang lit a cigarette and took a puff. “I’m with Second Brother on this.”

Iron Crutch Liu cupped his hands and, moving like an old zombie, advanced without another word toward the second coffin—the one in the middle. He wielded his large awl and jabbed it into the coffin’s nail groove as before. But before he could pry it open, the coffin suddenly creaked, and its upper half swung open like double doors. Three short bamboo-staffed iron-tipped spears shot out, their silver glints flying straight toward Iron Crutch Liu’s face, chest, and lower abdomen—a precise “three-pronged strike” that caught him off guard. He withdrew his awl in shock, only to find it caught fast in the coffin’s nail groove.

“Ah!” Iron Crutch Liu screamed, letting go and dropping his awl as he crouched down—but it was already too late.

Creak… thud… thud…

Iron Crutch Liu opened his eyes and focused. Grim Face Zhang had appeared beside him without anyone noticing, slicing the three spears in half with his long knife. The three strikes came down like lightning simultaneously, splitting the spears with astonishing speed and precision.

Crack! Snap!

The three poisoned spears hit the ground. The coffin’s upper door slammed shut, and the lower half swung open in the same manner, releasing three more spears aimed at the waist, groin, and knees.

“Second Brother!” Grim Face Zhang called.

Hou Qiankun nodded knowingly and cleared his throat as Grim Face Zhang swung his long knife to the side and snorted. With a sudden leap, he executed a “Yaksha Probes the Sea” maneuver. Hou Qiankun advanced a few steps, spun around, and with a forceful flick sent a steel ball flying beneath Grim Face Zhang’s airborne form. Suspended momentarily, Grim Face Zhang then performed a rapid series of slashes called “Moon Fishing at Sea,” the blade’s light flashing like a dance of swords. The spears shattered like vegetables under a chef’s knife, reduced to bamboo splinters and iron scraps. Hou Qiankun’s steel ball soared like a cannonball into the coffin’s double doors, and with a “crack,” punched a huge hole, as if the coffin had been blasted like a rotten egg. Though the steel ball had no explosive power, it seemed to create a vortex effect, tearing off more than half of the coffin’s boards. Had he not been there himself, Hou Qiankun thought he must have been watching Naruto Uzumaki use a Rasengan.

Creak, creak… the coffin’s mechanisms whirred but finally halted under the assault of Hou Qiankun’s steel ball.

“Third Brother, your skills put us old-timers to shame,” Hou Qiankun praised with a smile.

Grim Face Zhang waved it off but couldn’t hide his pride. “Second Brother, I’m just a warrior of this generation; I can hardly compare to you and our eldest brother.”

Iron Crutch Liu wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Everything that had happened in these twenty seconds had left him, a martial arts expert, frozen in place as if watching a gripping novel unfold. Gathering himself, he scratched his head and took a couple of cautious steps forward, drawing his awl tentatively. Seeing no danger, he helped Hou Qiankun retrieve the steel ball that had landed by the coffin, awkwardly handing it over: “Se… Second Brother, here’s your steel ball.” He returned to the coffin to pull out his awl but gasped sharply.

“Second Brother! Third Brother! Come take a look!”

Hou Qiankun accepted the steel ball and, along with Grim Face Zhang, lit a cigarette to steady their nerves, only to hear Iron Crutch Liu’s urgent call. They exchanged a glance and walked toward the coffin together.

“What is it, Old Eight?” Hou Qiankun asked with a faint smile.

Iron Crutch Liu pointed below the coffin. “Second Brother, Third Brother, look—there’s a secret here. It’s a tunnel, leading straight down underground.”

They were stunned. Hidden tunnels inside the coffin—this was truly unexpected. Without hesitation, Grim Face Zhang moved close to Iron Crutch Liu, pushing him aside. Squinting through the red light, he peered down but couldn’t see clearly after a long while. He took a drag from his cigarette and surveyed the surroundings. “Kaleidoscope, give me the flashlight.”

Kaleidoscope responded and bent down beside the equipment box, reaching for the flashlight.

“Wait!” Hou Qiankun’s sudden voice stopped him. His cheerful smile vanished, replaced by a frown. “Listen! Do you hear that?”

Everyone froze as silence fell over the tomb passage.

Tap, tap, tap… creak, creak, creak…

Amid the silence, the sound of wooden clogs echoed, accompanied by a chilling, seemingly unconscious grinding of teeth—an eerie, involuntary gnashing.

The sound grew closer and closer, reverberating through the tomb passage, suffocating in its intensity. Hou Qiankun steadied himself, quickly spinning the steel ball several times in his hand, signaling Grim Face Zhang to fall back.

Grim Face Zhang nodded, drawing his long knife, ready for any sudden attack.

Hou Qiankun stepped swiftly to the tunnel’s entrance, holding a steel ball in his right hand. He aimed to throw it down to crush whatever mysterious creature was coming.

Just as he prepared to release it, Kaleidoscope whispered twice, waving him to wait. “Hold on, Second Brother, Second Brother.”

Hou Qiankun paused and looked at him without speaking.

Kaleidoscope pointed downward. “Could it be Fourth Brother down there? Don’t throw your steel ball and give him a send-off.”