Chapter 16: The Terror of the Black Tower

The towering black structure before us left everyone in awe. Constructing such a building with today's technology might not be a challenge, but more than two thousand years ago, it would have been an extraordinary feat. I approached the black tower and lightly touched the stone used for its construction. The surface was icy cold. Upon closer inspection, I realized that these black stones resembled a rare metallic ore, similar to ilmenite. Yet, throughout our journey, we had not seen such stones anywhere. Once we entered the desert, all we encountered was an endless sea of sand. So where had people from thousands of years ago obtained such rare ilmenite ore? "What's wrong? Is there something strange about these stones?" Uncle Li walked over and asked when he saw me touching the wall in silence. I turned to look at him and said uncertainly, "These black stones appear to be a rare type of ore, possibly ilmenite, but I'm not entirely sure." As I spoke, I raised my left hand near the wall. Instantly, the hands of my mechanical watch began spinning wildly. Noticing this, Uncle Li took out his compass and rotated it in different directions. His expression darkened as he said, "The magnetic field here is abnormal. My compass is useless!" Curious, I leaned in to look at his compass. Sure enough, its needle was spinning wildly, just like my watch hands. At that moment, Luo Hai walked over and touched the stone as well. He frowned and said, "These black stones look very similar to a type of extraterrestrial rock I once encountered." "Extraterrestrial rock? What kind of stone is that?" I asked, intrigued. Luo Hai gazed up at the towering structure and explained, "It's actually a type of meteorite. Its most notable characteristic is that it can alter the surrounding magnetic field." Hearing our discussion, Zhao Qiang grew increasingly interested in the black stones. He continuously snapped photos with his camera, saying excitedly, "This is a major discovery! If we bring these photos back, they'll cause a sensation in the archaeology world!" However, Liu Ziping scoffed and sneered, "Archaeology world? How ridiculous. Tell me, who among us here is actually from the archaeology world?" His words carried a sour tone, clearly showing the long-standing hostility between the "grave-robbing" and "archaeology" communities. Zhao Qiang, caught off guard by Liu Ziping's sarcastic remark, looked displeased and was about to argue when Uncle Li intervened. "Enough! Our priority right now is to find a water source. If we can't find water, even if we discover a mountain of gold, it'll become our burial ground!" Seeing Uncle Li's stern expression, everyone fell silent. We circled the black tower and finally found an entrance on the northern side. It was an arched black wooden door, adorned with two stone door knockers engraved with mysterious totems. Luo Hai stepped forward first and pushed with all his might. The door was heavy and barely budged. Seeing this, Liu Ziping joined him, and with their combined effort, the door slowly creaked open. The moment it opened, a wave of decay and rot surged outward. Uncle Li quickly pulled us back and warned, "The air in here has been trapped for over a thousand years. We need to let it circulate before entering, in case there are any toxic gases." Everyone quickly backed away. But as I stood at the doorway, I was drawn to the darkness beyond. It felt as though something—or someone—was crying inside. A woman, sobbing bitterly. Uncle Li noticed my unusual reaction and immediately asked, "What's wrong? Is something strange inside?" I hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure… but I have a bad feeling." He asked seriously, "Could it be the missing person from years ago?" I turned my gaze back to the darkness and murmured, "I don't know. But if someone died here, they definitely entered this place before their death." Half an hour later, Luo Hai cautiously tested the air near the entrance. "It should be safe now. The stagnant air has mostly dispersed." At that moment, Zhao Qiang took out a glow stick, snapped it, and threw it inside. The faint greenish glow revealed that the interior was a vast space. The sound of the glow stick hitting the ground echoed, confirming the hall's large size. Perhaps due to their profession, Luo Hai and Liu Ziping were the first to step inside. Meanwhile, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated, clearly reluctant to enter. I had always been chivalrous, so I walked over to her with a smile. "What's wrong? Scared?" Her face was pale as she stared into the darkness beyond the door. "This ancient city has been here for over two thousand years, but at least we can still see the sky outside. But inside here…" "Don't worry! We're all here. If anything happens, we've got you covered." I flashed the same charming smile I used to use back in school. Behind me, Ding Yi, growing impatient, simply walked past us and entered first. Realizing that only Ye Zhiqiu and I remained outside, I quickly grabbed her hand and led her in. Inside, the space was just as vast as I had imagined. By the glow of the fluorescent stick, we could see that the floor was also made of the same black stone, and just standing on it sent a chilling sensation up our legs. "It's so cold in here!" Ye Zhiqiu shivered, hugging herself. "That's normal," Uncle Li said. "This place hasn't seen sunlight for over two thousand years, so the yin energy must be quite strong. Everyone, be careful, especially with your footing." He swept his flashlight around the darker areas. Luo Hai was also searching for something. Suddenly, he turned to Liu Ziping and gestured toward the western corner. Liu Ziping immediately understood, took out a lighter, and approached the spot. I followed their gaze and saw an oddly shaped lampstand. Liu Ziping lit the wick, and instantly, with a series of "whoosh" sounds, multiple lamps around the hall ignited simultaneously. In an instant, the entire space was illuminated. We were still marveling at the cleverly designed lighting mechanism when Ye Zhiqiu suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Ah… Who—who is that?" Her voice rang out through the vast hall, echoing eerily. She was standing right next to me, and her sudden scream startled me so much that I instinctively hid behind Ding Yi. Not just me—everyone was shaken by her outburst, except Ding Yi, who remained utterly unfazed. All eyes turned to Ye Zhiqiu. Her face was deathly pale, her lips trembling, and she was pointing toward the eastern side of the hall, unable to utter another word. Following her gaze, we all turned—and saw an unimaginably horrifying sight. There, seated motionless in the eastern part of the hall, was a person. A woman. A woman dressed in a bright red wedding gown.