Tomb raiding: Today is another day I don't want to go home.

Chapter 187 Taimen Shoals

The river where the water burial site is located flows from the depths of the mountains, where the source is not visible, all the way to the open ground.

The aquatic plants were widespread and grew very lushly. Yan Huai and Zhang Qiling searched the riverbed for nearly an hour before finally finding what they were looking for—an altar completely covered by aquatic plants.

The altar's base was buried in silt, enough to completely engulf Zhang Qiling's Black Gold Ancient Blade without any effort. Judging from its exterior alone, its actual height was impossible to discern. Furthermore, based on the portion of the main structure that the two later cleared, its vertical dimensions were no less than five meters.

In addition, there is a diamond-shaped recess in the center of the altar. Its outline and the surrounding blurred carvings show many signs of wear and tear, suggesting that someone was pulling something into the recess...

A coffin? A wooden coffin is unlikely; it must be a stone coffin.

And this groove, unsurprisingly, is a passage leading to a deeper part.

As for the mechanism to open the passage...

The river isn't deep, but its flow is considerable. To ensure the safe and secure construction of the water burial tomb at the riverbed, the altar would have to be the first part of the project. Furthermore, given that the funeral procession took half a year and lacked the aid of diving suits we have today, personnel rotations must have been frequent. The opening and closing of the passageway must have been manually controlled, but it couldn't be opened and closed at will—

Therefore, the mechanism for the passage must be located on the outside, and there is another passage leading to the outside world inside the water burial tomb. However, the latter was most likely sealed off after the water burial tomb was built...

As Yan Huai pondered this, he used his fingers to tap the edge of the altar through his diving suit, while Zhang Qiling moved in the opposite direction.

Ten minutes later, the two met at the other end of the altar. A glance was all it took for them to understand – neither of them had noticed the mechanism.

Yan Huai glanced at the altar, whose depth was still unknown, gave Zhang Qiling a warning gesture, and then buried himself in digging—there was no other way; if he could still take human form, he could easily overturn the altar, let alone this mud. But the crucial point was, the current conditions didn't allow it...

Yan Huai pulled out an entrenching tool from the space of the Buddhist beads. He controlled his strength and no longer acted as recklessly as he had when digging at stones in the Wang family's underground palace.

But this "obedience"... Zhang Qiling felt a sense of unreality, along with a touch of relief. However, not long after, a sudden unease rose in his heart. Using the limited light from the searchlight overhead, his gaze swept over the water plants surrounding the altar.

Being at the bottom of the river already put them in complete darkness, and the silt was inevitably stirred up, making their murky and blurry vision even more unsettling.

Zhang Qiling was already on guard about his surroundings, but he didn't stop searching for the mechanism. Now, he suddenly turned and swam towards Yan Huai.

Yan Huai had been keeping an eye on Zhang Qiling out of the corner of his eye, and stopped when he saw him approaching, not knowing why.

Hey?

Zhang Qiling didn't respond, but her eyes and the way she pulled Yan Huai to her side said it all—something was wrong.

Pairs of bloodshot eyes, filled with hatred, flickered among the water plants. Soon, streamlined shadows enveloped the two figures before the altar...

It is a group of taimen.

The taimen that initially attacked Yan Huai but failed, and was later killed by Yan Chen, seems to be a member of this group; they have come for revenge.

Zhang Qiling slightly turned his body and slowly drew the black and gold dagger from his waist.

Although Yan Huai didn't move, his gaze towards Zhang Qiling's left was somewhat unsettling—deep in the reeds, there lay a creature even larger than the taimen Yan Chen had slain. It stared intently at Zhang Qiling, as if it were only staring at him...