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20 - A Thousand-Year-Old Armor

20 - A Thousand-Year-Old Armor

At the end of the pit of thousands of terracotta warriors, there was a hidden door. The door was covered with tiny squares, each engraved with symbols of bows, spears, swords, and axes. Xiang Yu stood in front of the door for a moment and said, "This time it’s a push puzzle." Zheng Rong awkwardly replied, "Don’t remind me of the Sphinx's riddle... Hurry up." Xiang Yu stood before the door, silently calculating something, then reached out with his finger to push the tiles. All was quiet except for the sound of Xiang Yu's fingers pushing the tiles; the noise of stone sliding was continuous, a succession of scraping sounds.

After pushing ten thousand tiles, Xiang Yu arranged them into a perfect formation of an ancient military array. He stood like a monarch commanding the world, and in a deep voice, he said, "Open." The stone door rumbled backward, stopping with a loud thud, revealing a longer passageway inside. As soon as the air flowed into the tunnel, torches along the sides instantly lit up! Brilliant and magnificent, the pit of the terracotta warriors connected to an unexplored secret passage. Every ten steps along the passage, there was a lit torch. Zheng Rong explained, "According to historical records, the fuel for the lights in the First Emperor's tomb was the oil of polar mermaids, capable of burning eternally..." "That’s absolutely impossible, according to the law of conservation of energy..." Ugos interrupted. Zheng Rong replied irritably, "Come on, it’s just a legend." Between each torch, there were weapon racks, each holding a weapon. Some were halberds, others spears; these kinds of weapons were already rare in modern times.

"It's called a wrist shield, and the edges are sharp, so don’t touch it," Xiang Yu explained kindly as he led the group forward. Lannie was using a mirror-like small shield to groom her eyebrows. Ugos, seeing such a grand corridor for the first time, was stunned. Every weapon seemed to have weathered a thousand years yet remained as fresh as ever, not a speck of dust on them. Ugos reached out to touch a horizontally placed spear, but Joseph grabbed his hand, pulled out a strand of hair, and placed it on the spear. The hair floated gently through the air and, upon touching the blade, split in two. "Sharp enough to cut hair with a breeze, like slicing through mud," Xiang Yu said in a deep voice. Ugos looked on in disbelief. "The metallurgy of that time was already at this level?" He reached out and picked up the spear.

"Please, respect the artifacts. The items you're handling might just be the sword used by Li Mu, the spear of Meng Tian, or the halberd of Wang Jian," Zheng Rong cautioned. "Or perhaps the divine weapons crafted by Ou Yezi." Zheng Rong passed by the weapon rack near Lance, picking up a sword. Joseph asked nonchalantly, "Do you think we’ll find that Chinese weapon hidden in a fish's belly here?" "That weapon is called the Fish Intestine," Zheng Rong explained. "Even though it's said that Ying Zheng melted down all the weapons in the world to make golden men... I think he wouldn’t have destroyed everything."

The passage was long and endless, leading to a staircase. The team was initially very curious, but as they kept going deeper, their interest gradually waned, and they started feeling bored. The stairs first descended, then ascended. The seemingly never-ending walk lasted almost five to six hours, wearing everyone out. When the weapon racks were gone, they encountered suits of armor hanging from iron rods. Some were rusty and mottled, others as bright as new. Under each suit of armor, it seemed as if a soul was watching the uninvited guests.

Zheng Rong, however, remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the armor and weapons along the way, as if he were searching for something. Finally, they reached the end of the passage and arrived at the last stone chamber. The group halted. Inside the chamber, armor was scattered everywhere, mixed with piles of powder and white bones, as well as many arrows embedded in the ground. Xiang Yu stopped them, glanced at the ceiling, and then took the first step into the hall, which was silent as the grave. "This is where I stopped back then," Xiang Yu said. Lance asked, "Is there a trap?" Zheng Rong frowned, "There shouldn’t be any left." He followed Xiang Yu into the chamber and looked up. The ceiling was full of round holes—the outlets from which the arrow mechanisms fired. Xiang Yu explained, "When I entered this hall years ago, moving that sword triggered the trap."

Xiang Yu pointed to the opposite side of the chamber, where there was a deep green marble wall. In front of it was a wooden sword stand, and on it lay an ancient sheathed sword. The wall was covered in dense seal script. Zheng Rong instructed, "All of you, step back. Give me the grappling gun." The team retreated to the passage, and Zheng Rong fired a shot at the wooden stand, hooking the sword's scabbard. With a swift tug, the sword arced through the air toward him, and Xiang Yu reached out to catch it. A few stray arrows clattered to the ground, their trap ammunition spent.

Zheng Rong instructed, "Everyone, take an hour to rest. Joseph, translate the text." Joseph took out his notebook, pen in hand, reading and writing as he went. He chuckled, "I thought you knew how to read this." Zheng Rong said, "I learned a little, but I can’t remember it clearly."

The team sat down again, and after a while, Xiang Yu said, "I know how to read it. Should I recite it for you?" Joseph responded, "It’s fine. I need to write it down first, and our translator will verify it later." Xiang Yu nodded, looked around, and walked to the side of the stone chamber.

Zheng Rong drew the ancient sword from its scabbard; its blue blade was like a pool of autumn water, reflecting his eyes. "Is that the sword that seals the tomb?" Lance asked. "I know you Chinese really like these kinds of weapons." "I recognize these two characters," Zheng Rong murmured, holding the hilt of the sword in his left hand and revealing two large seal characters. Despite the similarity in names, the greater seal script and the lesser seal script were vastly different; even Joseph couldn’t understand the stone drum script. Zheng Rong said, "This sword is the top of the Five Famous Swords of the Warring States period, named Zhanlu. I never expected to find it here."

Lance asked with a frown, "It wasn't taken to the historical and cultural heritage center?" Zheng Rong shook his head. "The path Xiang Yu led us on was a different secret route. In the archaeological history of the Qin Emperor’s tomb, no one in China has ever been here." "They’re the first, and the only ones." Zheng Rong added, "Where are you going?" Xiang Yu said, "I’m looking for the item I left behind last time. Don’t worry." Xiang Yu walked to a side of the passage wall, feeling around with his broad hand, and finally pushed open a hidden door to enter a secret chamber.

Zheng Rong twirled the ancient sword in his hand, creating a flash of shining sword light, causing everyone to instinctively take a step back. He beckoned to Li Ying, crouching with Zhanlu held in both hands in a swordsman’s ready position, and ordered, "Come here." Li Ying whispered, "Are you going to stab it into my chest?" Zheng Rong replied coldly, "Yes." Before Li Ying could respond, Zheng Rong raised the sword, and with a clang, the blade came down, slicing through the metal of the handcuffs. "Zheng Rong!" Lance exclaimed. Zheng Rong, with his back to Lance, sheathed the sword and silently mouthed the word: Run. Li Ying’s eyes were filled with confusion. After a long while, he silently mouthed back: No. He reached out as if to touch Zheng Rong's face, but Zheng Rong swiftly sheathed the sword and tossed it to Lance, who was getting up. Lance was about to say something, but Zheng Rong said, "His skills can help us detect tomb traps. Cuff him again when we’re out."

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Zheng Rong turned and walked toward a small door on the other side of the passage, leaving Lance with no choice but to comply. "A pair of handcuffs can't stop me." Li Ying said nonchalantly, then gave Lance a dangerous smile.

Xiang Yu stood in a side room of the passage, and Zheng Rong pushed the door open and entered. The stone door rumbled shut. The dark room was small, and at its center was a suit of armor and a golden spear.

"Whose is this?" Zheng Rong asked. Xiang Yu answered solemnly, "Mine."

Zheng Rong frowned, examining it for a moment. Xiang Yu continued, "Years ago, when I led my soldiers into this place, we were nearly annihilated, leaving only me. After following Meng Tian’s last words on the wall, I activated the mechanism, opening the path behind the wall, but I could go no further. So, I had to abandon my armor and spear to leave the Emperor’s tomb." Zheng Rong was moved. "What lies beyond the wall?" Xiang Yu said nothing, gazing at the armor as if contemplating something. "Do you want to put it on again?" Zheng Rong asked, turning to inspect the armor on the rack. The copper armor, even after a thousand years, still gleamed. Xiang Yu said, "Forget it..." "Try it on," Zheng Rong insisted, "I’ve never seen you in armor." Xiang Yu’s handsome face showed a faint flush, and Zheng Rong stepped forward to help him unbutton his shirt. Xiang Yu removed his shirt, revealing a white vest beneath. His muscular arms and shoulders were strong and well-defined. Zheng Rong undid his belt, then suddenly paused. Xiang Yu chuckled. He was wearing boxer briefs under his jeans. Zheng Rong nodded approvingly, "That won't get caught in the armor."

Xiang Yu burst out laughing and put on the outer armor himself, fastening the straps. Qin armor resembled golden scale mail, styled like a vest, with thousands of small copper plates strung together with ox tendons, reflecting metallic glimmers like scales. "Like a bulletproof vest," Zheng Rong commented. The armor was connected to a battle skirt, and when donned, it hung down to the knees. However, Xiang Yu’s tall frame only allowed it to cover the front of his legs, revealing his strong thighs, making his exposed shoulders and arms appear even more imposing. Zheng Rong knelt on one knee to fasten his knee guards.

Xiang Yu sat down and put on iron boots. The wrist guards and battle boots were shaped like gluttonous beasts, with spiked heels to injure the enemy when kicking downward. Zheng Rong marveled at the weight of the armor, which must have been at least fifty to sixty pounds. Xiang Yu, fully armored, bent down to test his movement, landing steadily with a loud thud. He smiled, "Not a bit of rust."

Zheng Rong nodded with satisfaction. "You look stunning."

Once the armor was on, Xiang Yu seemed to return to his former glory, with the aura of a king who would advance regardless of the multitudes before him, exuding the valor and power of a hero. "Come here," Xiang Yu said softly. He reached out to Zheng Rong. In that moment, Zheng Rong almost had an illusion. Xiang Yu’s gaze seemed to be inviting—the gaze of a warlord returning from the battlefield, inviting his beloved.

"It fits well," Zheng Rong smiled without moving. Xiang Yu replied, "It was crafted by the swordsmiths of Longquan for me." Xiang Yu drew the golden Dragon Coiling Halberd, swirling it through the air, and then flipped it over, lightly pressing Zheng Rong’s shoulder, pulling him close.

Zheng Rong looked into Xiang Yu’s eyes.

"What are you doing? Oh my God! Get the camera, Lannie!" Joseph discovered the scene, excitedly examining it from all angles. Zheng Rong laughed helplessly and turned to leave the secret chamber. Xiang Yu said calmly, "The armor of the Conqueror has been worn once again." Joseph curiously touched the scale armor. "Can you take it off so I can have a look?" Xiang Yu removed a wrist guard and tossed it to Joseph, who reached out to catch it but was knocked to the ground by the ten-pound copper wrist guard. Xiang Yu laughed heartily as he exited the chamber.

Lance was engrossed in studying Joseph’s translation, glanced at Xiang Yu, and commented, "Impressive. You’re a born warrior." Xiang Yu nodded.

"I will sleep here, guarding the First Emperor for millennia," Xiang Yu recited in a deep voice. "From my ancestors to my descendants..." Zheng Rong continued, "Your translation is too archaic. I, Meng Tian, commanded an army of 300,000. The Meng family served the Qin State for three generations, but due to the scheming of traitors, my brother Yi died." "Meng Yi?" Lance asked. Zheng Rong nodded. "I should have died honorably, but I served the First Emperor for thirty-seven years... From when Ying Zheng ascended to the throne at the age of thirteen, to his death at Shaqiu, it was exactly thirty-seven years. The teachings of my ancestors have never left my mind for a moment, and now I entrust my life to Zhanlu..."

"What does it mean?" Joseph asked, puzzled. "To entrust one’s life to a sword?" Xiang Yu explained, "In those days, it was believed that if someone committed suicide with a weapon, their spirit would remain within that weapon forever, becoming a sword spirit." Zheng Rong nodded. "Yes, that’s why Ou Yezi’s swords Ganjiang and Moye got their names. Zhanlu carries the spirit of Meng Tian."

"To guard the soul of the First Emperor for millennia, until the return of the Immortals, the twelve true words will awaken them," Zheng Rong murmured. "So there are immortals, and they’re supposed to return."

Xiang Yu said slowly, "If the souls of past warriors disturb this place, they must know that my spirit guards this area. They must surrender their armor and weapons and leave immediately." "So you left your armor here the last time you came?" Zheng Rong asked. Xiang Yu nodded, and Lance scoffed, "What bold words." Zheng Rong corrected him, "He certainly has the right to say them. Meng Tian was once hailed as China’s greatest warrior. Though Xiang Yu came after him, before him, there was indeed none greater." Joseph rested his chin on his hand, squinting. "So there’s a passage behind this wall, and the translation confirms it. But how do we get through? Do we forcefully break it?"

Lance said, "We’ve already checked thoroughly; there are no more mechanisms." Jin Pul-ai nodded, "Ultrasound has scanned all the walls as well. It seems the only way to get through is to destroy the wall." "What about the Maya mechanical soldiers?" Zheng Rong asked. Jin Pul-ai hesitantly replied, "They’re... stationed in the central burial chamber with no movement."

Lance said, "I’ll try to break it open with a magnetic cannon." Xiang Yu waved his hand, "Listen."

Xiang Yu turned the Dragon Coiling Halberd and knocked on the stone wall with its tail, producing a deep, resonant sound. Behind it was clearly a vast empty space. "Back then, I was the only one left, unable to proceed."

Xiang Yu glanced at Zheng Rong and commanded, "Step back, everyone."

Xiang Yu pressed a mechanism on his wrist guard, and five steel finger rings popped out. He put them on one by one, clenched his fist, testing his strength. A silver-white ring of protective iron appeared on the back of his hand. He weighed his fist for a moment before suddenly punching the stone wall!

A muffled thud, and the wall stood firm. "It’s still no use..." Lance muttered. Xiang Yu’s fist remained against the wall, his body as unmoving as a mountain. After three seconds, spiderweb-like cracks spread from the center of his fist, covering the entire wall, which then collapsed with a boom. As the dust settled, Zheng Rong stepped over the rubble into the final chamber.

Everyone felt an illusion, as if upon crossing the threshold, they’d entered a bizarre space—a space without end. The ceiling of the giant room was covered with sun, moon, and star patterns, and in front of them was a boundless silver sea of death. Following the coastline, where Lance’s flashlight shone, a golden glint was reflected—a towering bronze statue of a golden man. Zheng Rong threw a stone into the silver sea, but no sound of water came back. The stone bounced several times before quietly resting on the surface. "Mercury," Ugos said. "With a density of 13.6 grams per cubic centimeter, this is a... massive pool of liquid mercury."

"We’ve reached the legendary true burial chamber of the First Emperor’s tomb," Zheng Rong said. "And the coffin of the First Emperor most likely lies submerged in this sea."