Chapter 5: The Ultimate Mystery
**Shaanxi · Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang**
**Main Burial Chamber**
**04:33**
Lin Shuyue stood at the center of the Bagua diagram, her fingertips lightly brushing the trigram symbols on the tomb walls. Zhulong's men pointed guns at her back, but her attention was entirely focused on Lu Mingyuan—kneeling outside the array with his hands bound, his white shirt stained with blood, yet still mouthing the words "Don't be afraid" to her.
"Kan represents water, Li represents fire..." She forced herself to concentrate. "The Qin dynasty revered water, but Qin Shi Huang specifically preserved the I Ching when he burned the books. This mechanism must work in reverse."
As the trigrams shifted, the star map on the chamber's dome suddenly projected a blue light. The Twelve Golden Men slowly rose, and a jade seal emerged from the central coffin, the He Shi Bi glowing with mysterious patterns in the dim light.
"The Key from Beyond!" Zhulong stepped forward in ecstasy, only to be interrupted by Lu Mingyuan's shout: "That's a seal! The Nine Tripod Cauldrons were melted down to form the Golden Men, suppressing the earth's veins. Activating the key will trigger an earthquake!"
"So what?" Zhulong raised the jade seal. "A new civilization should rise from the ruins!"
Lin Shuyue suddenly lunged toward the trigram panel, the sandalwood bracelet Lu Mingyuan had given her slipping from her sleeve. "You forgot that relics from the Xia dynasty can disrupt resonance!"
The moment the bracelet fell into the array's core, the mausoleum shook violently. Lu Mingyuan broke free and rushed to her, shielding her beneath him as beams collapsed around them. "Hold on to me!"
She smelled the sandalwood scent mixed with blood on him, feeling the vibrations in his chest. "You planned this all along, didn't you? Using yourself as bait to lure him into the mausoleum?"
"Yeah," he said, rolling with her through the falling debris. "But I didn't plan on dragging you into it."
A massive stone slab crashed down, and Lu Mingyuan flipped over, covering her completely. Lin Shuyue heard him grunt, warm blood dripping onto her neck. "You... self-righteous jerk!"
He actually chuckled. "Well said."
---
**Terracotta Army Passage**
**04:50**
The three of them tumbled into a hidden passage, surrounded by rows of terracotta warriors. Cheng Xiao led the way, his dagger glinting coldly in the moonlight. "This way!"
Lin Shuyue supported Lu Mingyuan, his body temperature scorching in the icy passage. Suddenly, shouts came from behind: "They're over there!"
"Move!" Cheng Xiao pushed open a hidden door. "There's an exit ahead!"
Lin Shuyue glanced back. The terracotta warriors seemed to come alive in the tremors, their bronze swords gleaming coldly under the moonlight. She suddenly stopped. "Wait!"
"What is it?" Lu Mingyuan frowned.
"These terracotta warriors..." She pointed at one. "Their arrangement matches the I Ching trigrams!"
Cheng Xiao urged impatiently, "This isn't the time for research!"
"No, this is the clue to the exit!" Lin Shuyue calculated quickly. "The Kan position corresponds to the north. The exit is that way!"
---
**Underground River**
**05:20**
The three of them plunged into the raging underground river. Cheng Xiao led the way: "Hold on! There's light ahead!"
Lin Shuyue clung tightly to Lu Mingyuan's waist, his body temperature burning against the icy water. When moonlight finally bathed her face again, she saw a shard of bronze embedded in his back.
"Med kit!" She tore open his shirt with a sob. "How dare you... use your body as a shield!"
Lu Mingyuan's pale fingers brushed her cheek. "You're more important than the Nine Tripod Cauldrons."
Cheng Xiao stood guard with his back to them, his voice hoarse. "Save the flirting for after we escape. Zhulong's men are still chasing us."
---
### **Epilogue**
**Hangzhou · Xiling Seal Society**
**June 15, 2023, 09:00**
Lin Shuyue pushed open the door to the ancient book restoration room and found a black sandalwood box on the windowsill. Inside was a jade cong engraved with the Liangzhu deity emblem and a note: "Civilization is eternal. Await our reunion."
Familiar footsteps sounded behind her, and Lu Mingyuan's arms, carrying the scent of medicine, enveloped her. "Friend or foe?"
"I don't know," she leaned back against his chest. "But you said exploration never ends."
He kissed the on her forehead. "This time, I'll follow you."
Outside the window, West Lake was shrouded in misty rain. The jade cong glowed faintly in the morning light, reflecting the patterns of the bronze sacred tree from Sanxingdui.