Sitting in the airport lounge, Shen Mo had an uneasy feeling in his heart. Gazing at the dark, overcast sky outside, he couldn’t shake the worry of an impending storm. Xiao Tang was beside him, relentlessly munching on sunflower seeds, while Lin Qiang was chain-smoking. Shen Mo felt that if he stayed with them any longer, his lifespan would be cut short. He was headed to Yunnan to resolve the matter of the Purple Seal Emblem and to lift the curse from his students. Meanwhile, Xiao Tang and Lin Qiang were investigating their case.
Xiao Tang, between bites of seeds, was still talking non-stop. Shen Mo wondered how many mouths he had.
“Professor Shen, didn’t you say your students would relapse into the curse if they got too far from the tomb? Why not bring them back with us?”
“Returning to the area of the curse might alleviate their symptoms, but that’s only a temporary solution. Over time, it would only make things worse.”
“It’s time to board. Where’s Shen Koudan?” Lin Qiang put out his cigarette and checked his watch.
Just as he said that, someone came running over, carrying a bunch of bags—it was Jiang Xiaosi.
“Professor!”
Shen Mo frowned. “Why are you here?” Hadn’t he instructed her to stay at school and attend classes?
“Practical experience is far more valuable than classroom theory!” Jiang Xiaosi chuckled. “Besides, with me here, I can help you find the location of the blood faster and more accurately.”
Knowing this trip would be dangerous, Shen Mo was about to order her to go back when he looked up and saw Jiang Liu also approaching with a bag. Was she seriously bringing her father along?
“Uncle, I asked Jiang Liu to come and help.” Shen Koudan quickly explained.
“Help?” Shen Mo wasn’t pleased. But Xiao Tang was delighted, warmly greeting Jiang Liu. After all, Jiang Liu had saved his life before, and his skills were well-known.
Jiang Liu smiled faintly and nodded at the others. He hadn’t intended to get involved in this matter, but since Jiang Xiaosi was going, he couldn’t rest easy and decided to come along.
Shen Mo said nothing more and turned toward the boarding gate, still carrying his sandalwood box. With six people in tow, they set off. After landing, they rented a small minivan.
“Xiao Mao, you drive.”
“Okay, meow!”
Shen Koudan opened a small cloth bag she carried, and a barely visible wisp of a ghost floated into the car’s control system. Seeing that everyone was a bit bored, Xiao Tang suggested they play cards.
Shen Mo, prone to motion sickness, closed his eyes to rest. Lin Qiang was flipping through case files. Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaosi, Jiang Liu, and the others started playing cards. Xiao Tang grumbled that the space was too small for mahjong.
Their destination was the Gaoligong Mountains, on the border of China and Myanmar. Running from north to south, the range started at the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and extended to northern Dehong in Yunnan, covering over 500 kilometers and spanning five latitudinal zones. The area was rich in volcanic hot springs and had long been considered a sacred mountain, home to many ancient temples and a favored resting place for high-ranking officials, lords, and chieftains throughout history.
The car stopped at a small Hani village at the foot of the mountain. Since an archaeological team had been here before, finding accommodations wasn’t difficult. They rested in the village for the night, planning to head into the mountains early the next morning.
That night, Jiang Xiaosi shared a room with Shen Koudan. Shen Koudan was washing up when she noticed Jiang Xiaosi peeking in.
“What’s up, little rascal?” Shen Koudan smiled warmly.
Jiang Xiaosi, scratching her chin, observed Shen Koudan’s face, which was different from how she looked during the day—her voice was slightly different too.
“Koudan-jie, is this your real face?” Although bare-faced, she still looked stunning.
“No.” Shen Koudan shook her head.
“I feel like you look kind of familiar…” Jiang Xiaosi scratched her head.
“Haha, did you recognize me? Do I look good?” Shen Koudan proudly showed her phone, which had a string of trinkets attached.
“This face is modeled after my favorite celebrity, Nie Xiaoen. You know her, right? She’s the one who recently won the Best Newcomer award in movies. But the lips, those are from my favorite singer.”
Jiang Xiaosi was speechless as she took the phone and looked at the celebrity photo on the trinket.
“What kind of features do you like? If you want, I can help you create a new look.” Shen Koudan tossed her a small notebook filled with pictures of handsome men and beautiful women from all over the world, cut out from fashion magazines she flipped through out of boredom.
“Really? Can you make me taller and more mature, like a twenty-year-old?”
“Of course.”
Jiang Xiaosi felt a surge of excitement. She really wanted to grow up quickly.
“Why do you never show your real face? Sometimes, it seems dangerous. If someone random walked up to me pretending to be you, I wouldn’t know if I should believe them.” Shen Koudan always disguised herself as someone else, but that made her the easiest person to impersonate.
Shen Koudan was taken aback; she had never considered that before and was momentarily lost in thought.
“Koudan-jie, has Professor always been this way?”
“What way?” Shen Koudan climbed into bed as Jiang Xiaosi snuggled under the covers, shivering from the cold. There was no air conditioning, no heating—it was freezing. She wanted to sleep with her dad, but since they weren’t at home, she felt too shy to ask.
“I mean, cold and distant, like he doesn’t care about people.”
“Uncle’s actually a very kind person.” Shen Koudan patted the space next to her, inviting Jiang Xiaosi to come sleep with her. Jiang Xiaosi eagerly jumped out of bed and crawled under her blanket.
“Does he… have a girlfriend?”
“I don’t think so. Uncle really dislikes women.”
“Huh?” Jiang Xiaosi was shocked. “Does that mean he likes men?”
“Of course not. He just doesn’t like interacting with women. At least, I haven’t seen any female friends around him these past few years.”
“I feel like Professor finds me annoying sometimes, but he’s still pretty nice to me.”
“That’s because he sees you as a kid.”
“Could it be that Professor was dumped by a woman before?”
“I wouldn’t say dumped—more like betrayed…” Shen Koudan’s mind drifted back to many years ago. Flames flickered before her eyes, and she closed them, but the fire continued to blaze.
“Uncle used to be cold, but not heartless. After that incident, he almost completely stopped trusting anyone.”
Jiang Xiaosi felt as if someone had squeezed her heart. “Did that woman cheat on him?”
Shen Koudan laughed. “You’re thinking too much. They were just friends.”
“And then? Did she ever apologize? Did Professor forgive her?”
Shen Koudan’s expression darkened, and she sighed softly.
“It’s all in the past now. Let’s sleep…”
Jiang Xiaosi closed her eyes but couldn’t fall asleep. She could faintly smell a familiar scent—just like the calming incense Shen Mo always burned in his room.
The next day, the group geared up and set off into the mountains. It was winter, and the higher they climbed, the stronger the winds grew. Everyone was bundled up, making movement difficult. The path was treacherous, and after five or six hours of hiking through dense forests, they finally reached the mountain peak where the ancient tomb was located. Out of the group, Jiang Xiaosi and Xiao Tang had the weakest stamina. The two started the journey chatting and laughing, but by the end, they were too tired to talk.
Whenever Jiang Xiaosi got tired, Jiang Liu would either hold her hand or carry her. Xiao Tang, on the other hand, had no one to support him and lagged behind.
“Come on, Xiao Tang! Look, Pink Peony is up there on the mountaintop waving at you!” Jiang Xiaosi suddenly shouted.
Xiao Tang stumbled and fell flat on his face, struggling to get up.
Lin Qiang turned around and scolded him, “You can’t even handle a simple hike? How do you expect to be a cop!”
Embarrassed, Xiao Tang nodded repeatedly, trying to catch up with the group, all while glaring at Jiang Xiaosi.
Back when they were investigating the Ye Miao case, Xiao Tang had crossed paths with Pink Peony, a reporter for Peach Oddities. She claimed to be psychic and, for some reason, seemed to take a liking to Xiao Tang, constantly asking him out. Initially, Xiao Tang was thrilled to have a beautiful woman as company, but her interests were a bit too extreme—haunted houses, roller coasters, rock climbing, bungee jumping. Plus, strange, harmless paranormal occurrences seemed to follow her everywhere they went. Xiao Tang, not having a strong heart, couldn’t handle it. Yet, he was too soft-hearted to avoid her clinginess.
One day, Jiang Xiaosi caught them together and declared that Pink Peony was Xiao Tang’s girlfriend. Xiao Tang was confused—since when did he have a girlfriend? But Jiang Xiaosi clapped her hands in delight, claiming she had foreseen Xiao Tang’s romantic future.
Xiao Tang was on the verge of tears. This particular blossom of romance was way too bright pink for him to handle. Pink Peony even had a habit of talking to empty spaces during their dates, making him feel like he wasn’t just on a date with her but with a whole group of invisible entities.
Shen Koudan, intrigued, asked, “Who’s Pink Peony?”
“Xiao Tang’s girlfriend, a reporter for Peach Oddities.”
“Xiao Tang, you’re dating now?”
“No, no…” Xiao Tang shook his head vigorously. “We’re just friends.”
“But I saw you holding hands.” Jiang Xiaosi teased him, making a face.
From the side, Lin Qiang coldly remarked, “I sent you to investigate a case, and you ended up picking up women.”
Xiao Tang nearly cried, quickly running ahead to offer an explanation.
They entered the dense forest and located the specific spot of the ancient tomb. The surrounding area had been cleared to about the size of a basketball court.
As if lecturing during class, Shen Mo explained to Jiang Xiaosi, “This is a rare underground pagoda-style tomb. It doesn’t cover a large area, and its structure is simple, but we’re not sure how many levels there are. Due to technical limitations, excavation has only reached the third level underground, so we can’t confirm whether grave robbers have already been here. The upper three levels were mostly empty, and no records or clues were found to identify the tomb’s owner. It likely dates back to the Tang or Song dynasties.”
“What about the architectural style?” Jiang Xiaosi asked as she snapped photos.
“It’s not in the style of ethnic minorities. The tomb chambers are made of massive bluestone blocks, forming a square tower. It’s completely sealed, with each level having a similar structure and size.”
Jiang Xiaosi pulled out her phone and pretended to check the GPS.
“The blood is directly below us.”
Xiao Tang exclaimed, “Why would they transport so much blood to a tomb?”
Shen Mo shook his head. “Whatever it is, it’s not for a good reason. There’s a strong aura of evil around this place. We’ll have to go down and see.”
They equipped themselves with oxygen tanks and necessary tools, then descended into the tomb. Shen Mo and Lin Qiang led the way, with Jiang Liu and Shen Koudan at the rear. Jiang Xiaosi and Xiao Tang were in the middle. Shen Mo grabbed a handful of dirt from the walls and brought it to his nose—a deep, rusty brown, with a faint scent of blood.
After his experience with the Long Wanqiu case, Xiao Tang had developed a fear of ancient tombs. Jiang Xiaosi, on the other hand, was already used to them and curiously looked around.
“Is the passage through the top of the tomb?”
“No. The pagoda tomb is completely sealed layer by layer, with no connecting passageways. It’s like a series of airtight boxes stacked on top of each other. The top is a single massive stone slab, at least three meters thick. If we try to drill through it, the entire tomb might collapse, so we had to open a hole in the side.”
“Can’t we excavate the entire pagoda, or dig a tunnel straight down to the bottom? The main chamber should be at the lowest level, right?”
“That’s not possible. The tomb is buried too deep, and the surrounding rock is too hard. Manual excavation isn’t feasible, and bringing in heavy machinery would be too difficult.”
“I’m curious how they managed to build the pagoda underground in the first place.” Jiang Xiaosi frowned. What puzzled her even more was that the location of the blood she had sensed was much deeper down. How did those people get down there?
There was no air circulation in the passage, and the group eventually reached the tomb chamber. Shen Mo was the first to enter. His flashlight swept across the room, revealing a space of less than 100 square meters, eerily empty, with only the walls visible. It felt like a stifling, empty box, or perhaps a giant stone coffin, making everyone feel oppressed and uncomfortable inside.
“Not even a single mural?” Jiang Xiaosi remarked, staring at the bare walls. “Maybe this isn’t a tomb—it could be some kind of ceremonial site.”
“We found coffins on the third level. That’s probably where your brothers got cursed.”
The group then exited the first level, crawled through the passage, and entered the third level. It was also empty, except for several large coffins neatly arranged in a row, giving off an eerie and ominous feeling.
“Have the coffins been opened?”
“Yes. There were some remains inside, but no burial goods.”
Jiang Xiaosi tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the central area as she slowly walked forward. “This isn’t a burial chamber—it’s something else…”
“Don’t touch anything!” Shen Mo quickly warned her.
Jiang Xiaosi carefully examined the waist-high square stone block that was placed there. It looked plain and ordinary—she couldn’t figure out its purpose.
Suddenly, Xiao Tang, standing nearby, shivered and frowned. “It’s so cold.”
Jiang Liu quickly pulled Jiang Xiaosi and Shen Koudan back a few steps, shouting, “Be careful!”
At that moment, Shen Mo waved his right hand, scattering some white powder into the air. A strong musk scent filled the space. Jiang Xiaosi looked down and saw that the ground was suddenly crawling with thumb-thick bugs, pale yellow, rapidly wriggling towards the group—except in Xiao Tang’s direction.
“Get back!” Shen Mo formed a seal with his hands, and silver light flowed from his fingertips like a trickling stream, drawing a boundary line between them and the insects.
It was as if the bugs were restrained by something—they hesitated at the line, buzzing from side to side. More bugs kept emerging from the bluestone, and Jiang Xiaosi realized it wasn’t just stone—it was a giant insect egg.
The bugs that crossed the line were instantly sliced in half by Jiang Liu’s copper coin blade, turning into dust. Shen Koudan used talisman fire, burning a large patch of them.
Shen Mo grabbed Xiao Tang’s left arm, and with a flash of cold light, his right hand cut through Xiao Tang’s sleeve. In a swift motion, Shen Mo extracted a bug from Xiao Tang’s flesh. This one was twice as large as the others. It leaped into the air, trying to burrow into one of the stone coffins.
But Shen Mo flicked his wrist, and his dagger pinned the bug to the coffin, killing it instantly.
“Let’s capture a few bugs to bring back for antidote research.” Shen Mo had already put on black gloves. He reached past the boundary line, swiftly grabbed one of the bugs, and crushed its head with a squeeze before tossing it into a small box. The bugs at the boundary began retreating, crawling back into the bluestone egg.
Once they had all retreated, Shen Mo poured a layer of oily red liquid over the bluestone. With a flick of his wrist, a small flame appeared in his palm. A light snap of his fingers sent the flame hurtling forward, and the bluestone exploded into ashes.
Shen Mo stood in front of the group, his black robe billowing. Jiang Xiaosi, hiding behind him, didn’t feel a single gust of wind—only the deafening sound of the explosion.
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