I Have a Date with a Thousand-year-old Female Corpse-Chapter 46 King Chu Shang_1

You originally thought Du Xishan would have learned from last time and wouldn’t touch the stone door again, but the moment he saw the pictographs on it, he pounced on them like a hungry wolf spotting a little white rabbit.

You were holding your forehead, about to caution him to be careful, when he quickly deciphered the information on the stone door and turned to you, saying, "Mu Yun, do you know of a historical figure named King Chu Shang?"

"King ChuShang? As in the merchant’s ’Shang’?"

"No, the ’Shang’ of national mourning."

You shook your head, but after pondering for a moment said, "Chu was officially recognized as a feudal state during King Zhoucheng’s reign. However, the Chu clan already existed in the late Shang Dynasty and early Western Zhou period. Since they used Oracle Bone Script to record information, it’s probably a leader from the Chu clan in the late Shang Dynasty."

Du Xishan nodded, "Hmm, that’s very possible, not bad, knowing such obscure knowledge."

"Well, even though I study science, I’m quite interested in history, so I tend to come across a broader range of information. You know, these days, one of the tools boys use to pursue girls is history, after all, history is a blind spot for many girls."

Du Xishan smiled. He pointed to the Oracle Bone Script on the stone door and said, "The text here tells us that just ahead is the main tomb chamber of King Chu Shang."

"Is there anything like ’trespassers will die’ or ’keep out’ messages?"

As you said this, you didn’t forget to glance at Xu Sha, who had been floating beside you all this time.

"No such thing."

"That’s a bit strange," you said, slightly furrowing your brows. Then you covered your right eye with your right hand, hoping to perceive any prohibitions on the stone door through your left eye.

After carefully examining it twice, you stepped forward and tentatively pushed on the stone door, which, to your surprise, moved.

As the stone door opened, all that presented itself was an ordinary stone chamber — not very large, about forty square meters.

However, what you found unusual was the chamber’s extraordinary height.

Standing at the entrance with Du Xishan, you were atop stairs that descended downwards.

From this angle, the interior structure of the stone chamber was clearly visible.

First off, in the center of the chamber was a Bagua Formation consisting of eight stone slabs about four meters tall each. The slabs weren’t connected on their sides and were separated by gaps wide enough for a person to pass through freely; also, directly under each slab was a chest, and atop each chest sat a bronze beast figurine, which appeared to hold significant research value.

In the middle of the eight stone slabs was a rather large sarcophagus, roughly four meters long, three meters high, and two meters wide.

Besides, the chamber walls were also inscribed with many murals and texts.

"Let’s go down and take a look."

Seeing the bronze ware, Du Xishan’s eyes reddened, but you grabbed him after he took just two steps.

"Don’t rush down there; what if there’s poisonous gas? You’d be done for as soon as you set foot in it."

Du Xishan chuckled awkwardly, "Occupational habit, these eight pieces of bronze just by looking them from afar are already so refined, if I could study them up close, heh heh..."

Seeing a man past forty salivating over bronze made you speechless.

Taking two gas masks from your backpack, you cautiously descended the steps.

To your mild surprise, there was no poisonous gas stored within the main tomb chamber, and no traps either. The master of the tomb’s sarcophagus laid bare before you without any difficulty.

"Lao Du, before you study the bronzes, translate the text and murals on the walls and slabs for me. I think all the information is right here."

Du Xishan nodded and walked to the first wall you came across, carefully studying the texts and murals as he said, "As you said earlier, the period of King Chu Shang indeed dates back to the Shang Dynasty, not its last phase, but rather during the reign of King Wu Ding."

"Wu Ding? Wow, that era is too ancient; it’s been over three thousand years from our time."

"Right, because a king during the Shang era was also the overlord of vassal lords. Wu Ding reigned during a time of revitalization, creating what was known as the ’period of great prosperity’ under Wu Ding. During his rule, the economy and culture of the Shang people reached a certain height. However, despite this, the Shang Dynasty still faced pressure from the peoples of the west, north, and east, while the Chu were seen as southerners and barbaric tribes. From the perspective of maintaining stability in the rear, expelling the Chu was necessary. This King Chu Shang once fought a severe battle against Wu Ding north of the Han River, even holding his own against Wu Ding, who eventually made concessions, agreeing that the Chu could recuperate along the Han River, but they were absolutely forbidden to cross the boundaries of Fang City and Ji Gong Mountain."

Du Xishan continued looking and moving around, while you closely observed the exquisite murals, nodding in agreement.

The murals mainly depicted King Chu Shang leading his tribe southward, struggling against the harsh environment there.

However, because he wasn’t accustomed to the humid and hot climate of the south, King Chu Shang contracted a severe illness at the age of thirty-three and after struggling for half a year, he passed away.

The news of King Chu Shang’s death reached Wu Ding, who, to commemorate this once-enemy and adversary, personally crafted eight stone slabs for him and bestowed upon him the title "King Chu Shang."

After learning about King Chu Shang’s deeds, you and Du Xishan stood together over a piece of bronze ware.

"Lao Du, aren’t bronze artifacts generally meant to be used? Why does this one seem decorative?"

Du Xishan nodded, "Indeed, the bronze items we know are usually everyday utensils, like the Li for cooking rice, the Ding for boiling meat, the Gui for storing food, the Zun for drinking wine; the use of this bronze figure with a beast’s head and a human body isn’t clear at first glance."

As he spoke, Du Xishan put on gloves and prepared to grab the bronze piece, but you quickly yanked his hand away, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Just a quick look, it’s only for a moment."

"No!" You shake your head decidedly, not knowing why, but ever since you entered the main tomb chamber, you’ve been feeling like you’re being watched.

At that moment, Xu Sha, who had been fairly quiet, suddenly said in a slightly trembling voice, "Guys, I think we should get out of here, I suddenly feel my soul starting to tremble, as if something is about to come out."

You nod in agreement, Xu Sha is not wrong. Even though you are not a spiritual body, you can also feel that breath which makes the soul tremble, and your left eyelid has been twitching since you came in, now the frequency is getting faster.

"Cluck, cluck cluck."

There’s a sudden strange noise coming from the bronze ware, you grab Du Xishan and quickly retreat as a wisp of fog emerges from the bronze ware, which quickly coalesces into a figure floating in mid-air.

"Ah!"

Xu Sha, frightened, hurriedly hides behind you.

"What is that?"

Now, Du Xishan also falls back behind you.

At this moment, you don’t even have the heart to curse; an extremely ominous feeling spreads in your heart. When you turn your head to look, you find another wisp of fog is rising from the bronze ware on the other side!

"Let’s get out of here, I don’t want to stay here any longer!"

Xu Sha, already timid, immediately rushes towards the entrance.

You would like to run away just as Xu Sha did, but the sight of the box under the bronze ware makes you reluctant to leave empty-handed.

Since you are here, you absolutely cannot leave without anything!

With that thought in mind, you steel your heart and the runes on your right thumb begin to emit golden light. Under the control of your mind, a golden longbow appears in your hands. You hook the bowstring with your right thumb, and soon, a golden arrowhead is nocked!

You aim the golden arrowhead at the fog that has started to take shape in front of you. With a "whoosh!" the golden arrow flies out and hits the fog squarely!

A sharp, piercing scream!

In that instant, risking the danger of your eardrums being ruptured by the sharp sound, you dash forward, grabbing the bronze ware to throw it to Du Xishan, while your left hand swiftly opens the box below.

The moment you open the box, you find only a round dark golden Jade inside. Without thinking, your right hand quickly reaches in and takes it out.

"Run!"

As you turn your head to yell at Du Xishan, your right foot takes a step, and you sprint towards the entrance!

A dash for your life!

You and Du Xishan sprint with all your might; the stairs you took slowly on the way down, you now seem to take in two or three strides!

"Roar!!!"

Suddenly, you feel the entire floor trembling!

As the situation becomes increasingly dire, you and Du Xishan seem to forget to breathe, running wildly back the way you came!

Xu Sha flies quickly. When you reach the stone chamber where she was before, she looks at you with an anxious expression and says, "The sunlight outside is too strong, I can’t get out!"

Without a second thought, you point to the bronze ware in Du Xishan’s hand and command, "Get in there!"

In that critical moment, Xu Sha doesn’t hesitate and really scrambles inside.

You take the opportunity to toss the Jade into your backpack. Seeing this, Du Xishan says in a grave tone, "Don’t sell this item on your own. I know a collector, and when the time comes, you can trade with him!"

You nod and follow Du Xishan out of the tomb.

"The professor is out!"

When the two of you emerge from the tomb, the workers who had been waiting outside for over two hours immediately crowd around you.

You’re about to tell them to leave when a roaring sound comes from behind, and the ground suddenly bulges!

"It’s not good, those things are coming out!" Du Xishan, abandoning his usual relaxed demeanor, shouts in panic to everyone, "Run, run fast!"

Though they don’t understand the situation, the workers still follow Du Xishan and run towards the mountain’s exterior.

"Mu Yun, what are you doing, come here!"

Running about ten meters, Du Xishan turns his head to find that you haven’t followed; instead, you are heading towards the ancient peach tree.

"We can’t let them out, or the nearby villages will suffer."

To tell the truth, you’ve never considered yourself a hero, nor have you ever tried to act like one, but at that moment, you suddenly realize that sometimes it’s not about wanting to be a hero, it’s about having to be one!