The business of tomb robbing has been around since ancient times.
It can be said that with the formation of funeral customs, tomb robbers also emerged and have been entangled with each other for thousands of years.
The oldest record in history is that Shang Tang Tomb was stolen.
This kind of behavior is naturally not encouraged.
Especially those in power want to be buried well, but they also don't want their bodies to be exhumed and exposed after death. Therefore, since the pre-Qin Dynasty, there have been regulations on "punishment for thieves" and "punishment for those who uncover graves."
Tang Era<Tang Law Subcommentary> even stipulates, "If you climb the mausoleum without any reason, you will also be punished by entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple chamber."
Anyway, I'll kill you if you even get close.
This is the meaning of the existence of the Tomb Guard Army, trespassers will be killed!
However, everything is in vain.
Li Yan's friend Zhao the Donkey once told him about this.
Tomb robbers are not divided into Grave Touching and Mound Raising or Mountain Moving and Ridge Unloading factions, but are divided according to their class.
The top level is naturally the royal family.
Liu Qu, the king of Guangchuan in the Western Han Dynasty, was extravagant and licentious. He loved to rob tombs and excavated countless ancient tombs...
Cao Cao was the most professional. He set up "Mound Raising Lieutenant General" and "Grave Robbing Colonel" in the army to dig graves everywhere for military expenses...
Golden Horde Wolf Country also got entangled with a bunch of scum, and stole the tombs of many Great Song Imperial Tombs and famous officials, Gan Er clean...
In troubled times, there is no scruple.
Dong Zhuo entered Chang'an, and robbed Mao Tomb, which Red Eyebrow Army had visited, again, and Lu Bu dragged out Emperor Wu of Han's corpse to expose it...
Huang Chao only likes to pick heavyweights. One is to imitate Xiang Yu and dig Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum. The second is to learn from the Red Eyebrow Army, Dong Zhuo and the Emperor Wu Mao Tomb. The third is to dig Qian Tomb.
He didn't have much, but he gained a bad reputation.
Eighteen Tombs of Guanzhong, Wen Tao pouted most of them, triggering the mechanism left by the Mystical Arts Sect, causing Guanzhong Zombies ghosts to run rampant, and there was a turmoil.
No matter whether the royal family or the warlords take action, they usually mobilize troops and mobilize the masses, blatantly, without caring about the consequences, and no mechanism can stop it.
This second level is some Jianghu forces.
They are usually Greenwood Path, Wuthering Mountains and Forests, and if they find a hidden tomb, they will definitely not let it go.
In a peaceful world, those who do it will usually be more secretive, or in groups or organized, for fear of being caught by the court.
And the worst of all, there are some petty thieves who steal the tombs of wealthy gentry and merchants to support their families.
Of course, this business is also quite dangerous.
Not only do they have to face the laws of the court and the guardians of the mausoleum, but they also have to face various agencies and evil spirits in the underground. Very few people get a good death.
Li Yan As soon as he entered the inn, he noticed something strange.
Regardless of the wealthy businessman or the group of entertainers, all of them smelled like earthy corpses. They were experienced veterans who often went to the grave and were well-organized.
And depending on the situation, there are still two groups.
I'm afraid they have received some news and gathered here.
The most famous one nearby is naturally Dragon Spring Mountain Chu King Tomb, but there is Tomb Guard Army there, who is very familiar with tomb robbing methods.
With these people, we still can't get in.
On normal days, I would not bother to pay attention to these Grave Robbers and Li Yan, but the situation is different now.
There is indeed something strange around this Liangzi Lake.
The county town sunk in the lake, Late Tang Dynasty Xuan Troops secret fight, Book of Jin strange incident, the body of the unknown monk...
Li Yan has an inexplicable feeling that these things should be related.
Boom, boom, boom!
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
However, the waiter came in with a plate of wine and food, and said with a flattering face, "Guests, there is nothing good in this country store, so don't dislike it."
As he spoke, he put the plate down.
It's just simple roasted chicken, roasted fish, seasonal side dishes, a big plate of steamed buns, and a pot of old Yellow Wine.
Li Yan nodded slightly and asked casually, "Xiao Er, I am going to visit a friend. Is there a village called Bai He Wan nearby?"
There was a trace of surprise in the waiter's eyes, and he smiled and said, "Bai He Wan is indeed not far away. It's only a dozen miles away to the east. Guest... you want to go there too?"
"Oh?"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, took out some scattered silver and put it on the table, "There is something in your words..."
"The guests were joking."
The waiter calmly put away the plate, took away the money, and said in a low voice, "Young man, you don't know anything. It's just that the guests at the two tables below are also asking about Bai He Wan, and they are just curious."
After that, he smiled and neither walked nor spoke.
Li Yan laughed dumbly, took out another two taels of silver, and threw it casually, "You are smart, tell me what happened."
The waiter quickly took it and whispered, "Bai He Wan The village is not big, and Bai Clan has been living there for generations. On weekdays, there is no mountain or water leakage, and most of the people in the village are salesmen walking in the streets."
"But just some time ago, several Miao Village young people gathered to cause chaos, calling themselves Jiangxia Barbarians, destroying Kiln Site everywhere, and killing people in blood sacrifices."
"They ran to Bai He Wan. Unexpectedly, there were many practitioners in the Bai Clan. They beat the demon away, but many clan members also died."
"The funeral was just held a few days ago, and the next two waves just arrived today. That's all I know..."
"Well, don't mention us to anyone."
"Don't worry, I understand."
After some questioning, the waiter went out and closed the door.
"There is a problem with Bai He Wan."
Lu San said with certainty.
"Of course there is a problem."
Li Yan picked up Yellow Wine and poured it down, and whispered, "Those Bai family members were clearly killed by wild beasts, but they pushed it on Jiangxia Barbarians. They must be embarrassed."
"Let's not rush to Bai He Wan yet, keep an eye on these people, they must know something."
Lu San didn't talk nonsense and looked at Rat One Rat Two who was squatting on the ground and chewing a bun.
The two mice were eating happily, but when they saw Lu San's gaze, they reluctantly put down their buns and ran up to the rafters in twos and twos.
Rats are naturally inevitable in an inn.
Especially this inn is quite old, with rat holes in the cracks in the wall extending in all directions, and they all popped up as Rat One Rat Two squeaked and screamed.
Some were guarding the corners of the guest rooms, while others ran along the holes in the ground outside the inn and hid in the grass to monitor.
This is why Li Yan and Lu San work together.
With Lu San, the reconnaissance capabilities are immediately overwhelming. In battles, Li Yan can attack head-on, and Lu San can assist from the side, which is enough to deal with most complex situations.
The strange thing is that the two groups of people in the inn lobby did not leave in a hurry after finishing their meal. Instead, they each asked for a room to stay without even speaking to each other.
Before I knew it, the night was getting darker.
In the room, Lu San stood next to Wu Ba, whispering and patiently teaching him how to speak human language.
As for Li Yan, he sat on the table, took out a piece of brocade silk from his arms, and carefully looked at the lines on it.
This is what Shen Jinghong wrote to him.
Hearing that the other party said that he had learned Ghost Script Blade Fighting, Li Yan, he became interested in it. He was not very interested in the secret military text of sword fighting, but he couldn't miss the ghost book.
There are also ghost books in Xuanmen.
It is a secret language similar to oracle bone inscriptions. It has been popular among wizards since the Xia Dynasty. It is also known as Tiǎn inscriptions. It is often used in sacrifices to communicate with ghosts and gods. It has incredible magical effects.
To this day, many dharma traditions still use this secret text.
There is obviously something wrong with the ghost book in front of me.
According to Shen Jinghong, the origin of this book is also very strange.
In the year Song Yuanjia, someone was struck to death by lightning in Jingkou. After his death, four characters were left on his arm, "Karmic Fate Killed", which was called a ghost book by calligraphers.
But Li Yan knows that this statement is a bit wrong.
Looking closely at these lines, it is obvious that they are vertical crosses struck by lightning, but they form large square characters, a bit like ancient seal script.
It seems that the calendar has nothing to do with the Yinsi, but more like the Xuanmen thunder method.
After all, some lightning talismans were also made by observing the traces of lightning strikes.
But being able to form fonts still puzzled him.
Since there is Netherworld Underworld in this world, there must be heaven. Is it possible that it is influenced by the power of heaven?
Unfortunately, the ghost book mentioned by Shen Jinghong only has these four words.
Even if I want to study it, I can't understand anything.
But I can definitely pay more attention to it in the future.
After all, thunder method is also the foundation of his foundation.
"Squeak!"
At this moment, Rat One suddenly stood up and shouted twice.
Lu San immediately whispered, "Two people went out."
Li Yan suddenly understood, just moved Mystical Gestures, picked it up lightly with his little finger, and a Chuling Paper Figure flew out from the leather bag around his waist, spun in the air, and flew into the night sky along the crack of the window door.
At the same time, Li Yan also closed his eyes.
Chuling Paper Figure floated silently over the inn, and Li Yan also saw the two people leaving.
One is the merchant,
The other is an old man carrying a fishing drum.
The two jumped out from the windows of their respective rooms, clawed at the cracks in the wall with their hands, and jumped to the ground like geckos swimming around the wall.
After they landed, they first glanced at each other, and then looked at the room where Li Yan was at the same time. When they saw the figure in the candlelight, they turned around and left, running towards the nearby dense forest.
In the night sky, Chuling Paper Figure followed closely behind.
The two entered the dense forest one after another, obviously on guard. They were several meters apart and exchanged words with each other.
"It turns out to be Third Master Chen from Yuzhou."
The middle-aged man who looked like a businessman slightly cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Our industry is not visible to the public. Since we have bumped into each other, we must make our words clear to avoid misunderstandings. What do you think?"
The old man also said calmly, "Wang Lao Bie from Xiangzhou, I have also heard of you. Divide Gold and Determine Location is very skilled..."
The conversation between the two was all heard by Li Yan.
Zhao the Donkey once said that if tomb robbers in the world are forced to be divided into different schools, there are generally three categories.
This first one is naturally of the Treasure Sniffing and Mystery Exploration lineage.
These people are the descendants of Pre-Qin Mystics, who have inherited secrets and entered various ancient tombs, firstly to hide the treasure, and secondly to find the elixir of immortality.
The remaining two factions are one from the south and the other from the north.
People from the Northern School, mostly from Shaanzhou and Yuzhou, are good at using Luban Ruler and Luoyang Shovel to judge good or bad luck and crack mechanisms.
People from the Southern School are better at borrowing Feng Shui Arts Divide Gold and Determine Location.
The two factions merge with each other, but they basically have special skills.
Tomb robbers also have their own rules.
Sometimes we don't trust our own people, let alone outsiders. When two groups encounter the same target, they must understand the situation.
These two people were obviously the leaders of both parties. After a stalemate for a while, Wang Lao Bie, who was pretending to be a merchant, shook his head and said, "Third Master Chen, you are a senior in the world, so I will tell you frankly."
"We came here this time because we were entrusted by someone?"
"What a coincidence."
The old man carrying a fishing drum also said, "I am also entrusted by someone. I guess our customers are from the same family."
"The Bai family!"
The two spoke at the same time, then frowned.
A flash of murderous intent flashed in Wang Lao Bie's eyes, and he snorted coldly, "Does this Bai family not understand the rules? Third Master Chen, why don't you teach them how to behave?"
Third Master Chen said thoughtfully, "Since they can suddenly find us, it's not a shame. I'm afraid they want us to cooperate."
"Oh?"
Wang Lao Bie showed interest in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment and took something out of his arms. It was half a gilt bronze medal.
And Third Master Chen frowned, took out half a gilt bronze medal from his arms, and said solemnly, "If it weren't for this thing, I wouldn't have come. Brother Wang, palm palm eye!"
As he said that, he threw the bronze medal casually.
Wang Lao Bie took it, put the two bronze medals together, and chanted. "Great Tang Anping Prince Wu..."
"It's Wu Youxu!"
The old man Third Master Chen said thoughtfully, "When Empress Wu was in power, the Wu family dominated the world. It was rumored that this man had 'little ambition, indifferent and few desires'. He once dressed up and sold divination in Chang'an, and he was extremely accurate."
"This man was highly regarded by the Empress Wu and was named King of Anping. He was promoted to Honglu Shaoqing and Qianniuwei General. However, he did not like fighting in the court and escaped to Songshan Mountain to live in seclusion. He is considered an alternative to the Wu family."
"The Wu family is different?"
Wang Lao Bie sneered, "Laozi has lived half his life and has never seen many people who don't love power. I have also been to a few tombs of so-called upright officials. They are more luxurious than ordinary people!"
"This Wu Youxu is probably the same. Could it be his tomb?"
The old man Third Master Chen frowned and said, "I don't know. It is rumored that he was buried in Song Mountain and has never been to Ezhou. I'm afraid there is something wrong with it."
Wang Lao Bie's face also became solemn, "Someone in his family died. He probably went in already. He couldn't get hold of him, so he called us here."
After that, he threw back the half bronze medal.
"Third Master Chen, it seems to be a big fire pit, and there may be bad intentions in revealing it to outsiders. We must be careful not to be tricked!"
The old man took it and said with a smile, "It's easy to say, just pretend not to know each other, and then deliberately dislike it, then..."
The words were not explained, but the two knew what they meant. They cupped each other's hands, looked at the night, and returned to the inn.
Phew~
After they left, Chuling Paper Figure immediately spontaneously combusted.
Li Yan in the inn also opened his eyes and said a little strangely, "Sure enough, we are going to rob a tomb, or a prince's tomb..."
After that, he told what he saw.
Lu San asked, "What should I do?"
Li Yan smiled and said, "Let's not move for now. Let's wait for them to enter the village tomorrow and find the tomb to see the situation."
"If there is no accident, there is Tomb Guardian Beast inside. If it is really 'Wan Yan', let's catch it again!"
The next day, it was just dawn.
The two groups left the inn one after another.
Not long after they left, the three Li Yan also left the inn, but they were far away from the mountain road and walked through the nearby dense forest hills.
In the sky, several birds temporarily summoned by Lu San circled back and forth, always monitoring the whereabouts of the two groups.
They walked for more than ten miles and came to a small village by the lake. They were immediately stopped by someone, who asked a few questions and were led into it.
Li Yan The three of them were not in a hurry and were waiting in the nearby mountains and forests.
Suddenly, Lu San said, "Here comes another person. I saw him at the Shen family!"
"Oh?"
Li Yan Hearing this, he came to the hill and looked down through the branches.
I saw two people coming up the mountain road. Apart from one Old Taoist, there was also a young man in gorgeous clothes.
This person is none other than Shen Jingcan of the Shen family!