blank history

With each step downward, my mood had already plummeted to the abyss. Hearing the approaching footsteps behind, the "pat, pat" sounds, my blood surged to my head. I touched the gun on my body, damn it, even if I were to die, I would take a bunch of them with me, eliminating at least one to make it worthwhile.

At this moment, the second master pointed to the remaining doors, weakly saying, "Try them one by one."

Understanding instantly, this equilibrium certainly corresponded to the large urns and the tomb doors. If some urns hadn't fallen, the equilibrium wouldn't have been disrupted, making it impossible to open the doors. I quickly tried the other doors, and indeed, one of them yielded to my push.

No time for joy, I supported the second master and rushed out. Though I didn't look back, I knew those things were now very close to us, as the peculiar scent of "Pancreas" had wafted over.

Outside the main door was the pitch-black tomb passage. Following the direction the second master indicated, I turned several corners in succession. However, we couldn't shake off those resentful corpses. They continued trailing behind us, and ahead, there was another turn. I asked the second master how to proceed, but he ignored me. Was he sleeping? Puzzled, I asked again, and still, no response from the second master. Turning back, I found the second master pale-faced, already unconscious.

Realizing something was amiss, he must have been injured during the struggle with those resentful corpses in the main hall. We urgently needed to find a place to examine his injuries. Any further delay would turn him into another bald guy. The second master was a banner, a crucial figure. Who could withstand his loss?

The strange odor wafted in again, indicating those resentful corpses catching up. I hesitated at the intersection ahead. Finally, I chose the left passage. I prayed I made the right choice; otherwise, even if the second master didn't turn into a corpse, I would have been done for. My stamina had been severely overdrawn, and running further would lead to shock.

While pondering, my foot suddenly sank. I sighed, why was I so unlucky? The stone slab beneath my foot had instantly lost its balance, and I, along with the second master, fell down as if in free fall. In an instant, I realized it was a seesaw.

This sudden occurrence caught us off guard. We fell without any defense. The three to four meters' height made me feel nauseous in the chest, almost fainting.

Fortunately, Old He's sturdy flashlight was ready. I covered my chest, illuminating the surroundings. It was a small stone chamber, with smooth stone walls on all sides. Climbing up was impossible.

I helped the second master up, propped him against the wall, and checked his body. No wounds were visible. Perplexed, I remembered the bald guy's henchman. I carefully searched and eventually found a small wound on his upper shoulder. It had already started deteriorating, the skin turning black and emitting a foul smell.

Examining this wound, I furrowed my brow. Undoubtedly caused by the resentful corpses, but without glutinous rice on me, I couldn't extract the corpse poison for him. Moreover, we were trapped here for the time being, and if the delay continued, the corpse poison would attack his heart, and the second master would undoubtedly be finished.

After contemplating for a moment, I took out alcohol from the medical bag, disinfected the small knife, and then gently cut the skin near the wound. Black blood with a foul smell oozed out. Enduring the stench, I squeezed the surrounding muscles forcefully. But with each action, the unconscious second master twisted almost into contortions. I pressed him down, continuing to squeeze until the flowing blood turned red. Then, I used drinking water to clean the wound and finally applied a bandage to dress it. Afterward, I administered an antibiotic injection to him.

Completing all this, I collapsed to the side. It was all I could do. Beyond this point, it was a matter of fate. I ate a little, fed some water to the second master, and gradually succumbed to drowsiness. Unbeknownst to me, I drifted into a deep sleep.

I woke up in a daze, feeling soreness in my waist and legs. However, my spirits had improved significantly. Opening my eyes, the surroundings were pitch-black. I remembered having the flashlight on before sleeping. Perhaps I had slept for too long, and the battery had drained?

Reaching forward, I suddenly touched a hand. Instinctively, I pulled my hand back, but that hand directly covered mine. I heard the second master whispering, "Shh, listen above."

Joy surged within me. It seemed the antibiotics were effective. I gently patted the hand covering mine to signal that I understood. Simultaneously, footsteps-like sounds came from above. I curiously asked the second master, "Are there people?"

Holding his breath in the darkness, he listened for a while before softly saying, "No, living people wouldn't have such regular footsteps. It should be the things inside the tomb."

Hearing him mention the tomb, I couldn't suppress my overflowing questions. I directly asked him, "What is really inside this tomb that made you all have to come down? What did the group twenty years ago discover down here? And who is 'that person'?"

After firing off so many questions like pouring out beans, he fell silent for a moment, then sighed as if finding some solace. Softly, he said, "In the end, you've still been implicated."

I wondered, "Me?"

"If you hadn't come down, it would have been much better. I could have arranged for you to live an ordinary life." I was a bit angry, "How do you know that's the life I want? Do you enjoy deciding others' destinies so much?"

The second master looked somewhat melancholic. "This tomb involves too much, far more than you can imagine. If I tell you that this tomb not only concerns our generation, would you believe it?"

Surprised, I didn't understand his meaning for a moment. The second master continued, "I and your father tracked it for a long time, almost exhausting half our lives without finding the source of this 'wool'."

"Wool?" I interrupted, not understanding.

"Yes, we call it 'Wool.' Because this mystery is like a ball of wool with many threads. We found many perplexing clues, and the information entangled in them was astonishing. It seemed all these clues pointed to a blank period in history."

I was astonished again. "A blank period in history?"

The second master nodded. "We sought many resources but found no source for the clues pointing to a blank period. It's as if someone intentionally erased that part, leaving no trace. It's like a blank period in history. These things are related to the time when your father ventured into the underground..."

"Wait," I interrupted, surprised. "Are you saying my father also ventured down here?"

"Of course," the second master confirmed. "And your entire Cao family originated from tomb robbing. It was only a few generations ago that they began to transition, but still,

 they're somewhat involved. Once you get into this line of work, it's impossible to be completely clean. Your family's internal rumors have always circulated a secret about Qing Mountain. A generation of ancestors from the Cao family dug a mysterious tomb, filled with vast treasures. Later, he hid the treasure in Qing Mountain, which became a haunting place for your Cao family. Many Cao family members have gone in pursuit, dying in strange lands. However, in the end, it was all an illusion. Until your father's generation, he finally discovered the secret."

The second master paused for a moment, his words carrying a faint smile. "In his generation, your father was an outstanding figure. He deciphered the mystery of the Cao family's Qing Mountain and ultimately found a large tomb. That ancient tomb was extremely perilous. Your father found some 'truths' at the bottom. He sensed that the Cao family had been harboring a mysterious force. After coming out, your father started to investigate, and the more he dug, the more alarmed he became. He found that every historical turning point of the Cao family seemed to have some strange aspects, as if those places lacked something, and he didn't believe the Cao family. He found me, and we were both young then. Through our investigation and deduction, we seemed to have obtained an astonishing result."

"That is, an invisible force or person has been secretly driving the Cao family's operations, and every missing piece is related to that invisible force. We continued our investigation, vowing to find that invisible force. Surprisingly, many clues led us to various ancient tombs."

Listening, my whole body developed goosebumps. Could it be that people who died hundreds or thousands of years ago were manipulating the Cao family?

Allowing me some time to digest, the second master continued, "Not long after, your father disappeared. Even I didn't know where he went. Two months later, he reappeared, telling all Cao family members that he had found the ancestor's treasure. At that time, almost half of the Cao family mobilized, following him into the tomb. Communication was primitive then, and it took almost half a month for any news. Later, according to those who came back, they seemed to have found something inside. Just before they were about to come out..."

Here, the second master paused. Although in darkness, I could sense him looking at me. Then he continued, "According to the people who returned, your father seemed to have dropped seventeen sets of Dragon Breaker Stones at the critical moment."

I was shocked. Dragon Breaker Stones were the final defense in ancient tombs. Each one was a huge stone weighing tens or hundreds of tons, and there was absolutely no hope of opening them. Once dropped, one would surely die.

I also looked at the second master, asking him in confusion, "He... my father, how could he drop the Dragon Breaker Stones? Was he crazy? If he dropped the Dragon Breaker Stones, wouldn't those who went with him all..."

"Yes," the second master took over my words. "Your father discovered something, so he led almost half of the Cao family to death inside."

"What did he discover?" I muttered in a daze, then "Ah" as I looked at the second master. "You mean, the two months my father disappeared were spent here?"

The second master confirmed, "Yes. Over these years, I have used almost all my connections. My good brother disappeared for two months, and when he came back, he triggered what the people in the Taoist world call the 'Cao Family Day.' How could I ignore this? Moreover, before he left, he sent me a letter, in my study drawer, a chance for you to see. And I, in the end, also found this place."

It seemed he saw my hesitation and spoke softly, "Don't ask me where that troublesome tomb is. I won't tell you. I'm telling you all this in the hope that you can live peacefully. Your father has sacrificed everything for this. For over twenty years, it's like a cycle. Here, I seem to be just like your father back then."