Chapter 14: The Venomous Insect and the Stone Gate

“Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, but the thing kept toying with me.
I was certain it was something filthy, so I gripped the rope tightly. As it charged at me from behind, I spun around, trying to bind it to myself with the rope.
Just as I turned, I heard a series of shrill squeaks, and then something soft and fleshy was tied to me. A wave of nausea swept over me, but I forced myself to endure it.
The creature clung to my back. Gritting my teeth, I tugged hard at the rope. Soon, I heard footsteps echoing through the tomb corridor—Zhao Zhiqiang and Ma Xu, coming quickly toward me.
“Brother, you…” I saw Ma Xu and the others approaching, but their expressions were oddly unsettled.
I frowned, puzzled: “What’s wrong? Aren’t you coming?”
The quickest to react was Black Jacket. Without hesitation, he dashed straight toward me, drew a knife from his boot, and came closer. Just as I was wondering what he was about to do, he slashed twice, and a pained animal howl erupted from behind me. The rope was quickly untied.
I spun around and saw a yellow, furry creature sprawled on the ground, blood trickling from its leg.
It was a weasel. I recognized it immediately—it had been the cause of all the trouble.
“I didn’t expect it to be the culprit,” I sighed, casting a grateful glance at Black Jacket.
He glanced at me, then fixed a fierce stare on the weasel and cursed harshly, “Today I cut your tendon as a lesson. Don’t mess with us again!”
With that, the weasel got up, limped away, and soon disappeared into the depths of the tomb corridor.
“What a strange affair—turns out it was a weasel,” Ma Xu chimed in, belatedly.
Zhao Zhiqiang also limped over, patted my shoulder, and asked, “Brother, are you alright? Just now, Ma Xu and I saw an old woman tied behind you and it scared us witless.”
“An old woman? Looks like you were bewitched by the weasel,” I realized instantly. It’s said that weasels are highly spiritual, and this one must have been cultivating in the tomb, becoming a spirit.
I brushed off the lingering stench on my clothes, wrinkling my nose in distaste.
“Let’s go. We still have important things to do.” I glanced at them. My main purpose here was to protect Black Jacket and to seek the treasures in the tomb—only by accomplishing these could I earn the money I needed. My father outside was still waiting for money to pay for his treatment.
Thinking of my father, a touch of melancholy colored my face.

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Black Jacket came over, clapped my shoulder, and comforted, “It’ll be alright. We’ll make it out alive. If this job pays well, I’ll give you a little more.”
I quickly composed myself, nodding quietly.
Here, I had to banish all distractions. Otherwise, not only would I fail to earn money, I might die here, buried with the tomb occupant. I couldn’t let that happen—I still had my father and little sister.
With this resolve, I believed all the more that this exploration would end in victory.
Before long, we reached the entrance to the underground palace. The grand doors looked magnificent—a subterranean castle. Towering gates bore a plaque inscribed with four characters: Heaven, Earth, Man, Spirit.
Twin columns flanking the entrance were carved with dragons and phoenixes, inlaid with gemstones that glimmered in the dark tomb corridor. The massive stone doors appeared heavy and formidable.
Ma Xu, eyes greedy, stepped forward to touch the gemstones on the pillars, grinning, “Finally, some treasure! This trip hasn’t been in vain.” He wiped the stones gently with his sleeve.
Black Jacket, displeased, frowned. Ma Xu was always so restless.
“Don’t touch anything here. One wrong move and you could lose your life!” Black Jacket, seasoned in tombs, knew well that the palace doors hid deadly mechanisms—anything could trigger a fatal trap at any moment.
Chastened, Ma Xu reluctantly withdrew his hand.
Black Jacket examined the door for a long while, then turned to me and asked humbly, “Brother, what do you see?” His manner was respectful, almost as if seeking advice.
I leaned in to study the stone door. The carvings bore the style of the Western Han Dynasty, making me question my initial judgment—could this really be a Han tomb, not a Tang one?
I reached out and gently touched the door. It was solid, the patterns inscribed in small seal script, crafted from white jade and exquisitely detailed. Yet something about it felt odd.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my palm.
“Hiss!” I let out a soft gasp, quickly withdrawing my hand to inspect it.
There was a tiny red spot in my palm. The pain faded quickly, but I didn’t take it lightly. Something wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong, brother?” Black Jacket hurried over, grabbed my hand, and saw the red mark.
I shook my head, indicating I’d never encountered this before, then said gravely, “Looks like an insect bite. I’m worried it might be poisonous.”
“Poisonous? Quite possible! I have antidote pills—take one!” Black Jacket’s eyes widened as he pulled a pill from his pack and pressed it into my mouth.
I already had some idea—my father had given me a universal antidote before I came, so I should be fine. Still, since Black Jacket offered, I swallowed it—no harm in having another.

Seeing I was alright, Black Jacket stepped toward the stone door, wanting to examine it more closely, but I stopped him.
“Don’t get too close—there’s something odd about this door!” At my warning, Black Jacket, Ma Xu, and Zhao Zhiqiang grew tense, casting wary glances at the stone door.
I moved slowly toward it, then called out to Ma Xu. He hurried over, asking cautiously, “Brother, how can I help?”
“Do you still have the sulfur powder I gave you earlier?” I asked quietly.
Ma Xu’s eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled out the paper packet from his backpack, handing it to me. “Here—I kept it safe!”
Without hesitation, I took the sulfur powder, opened the packet, and sprinkled it lightly over the stone door. Immediately, the door seemed to glare white, and a strange sizzling sound filled the air. A pungent, rotten odor spread.
Black Jacket instantly understood. He frowned deeply, his voice grim, “There are insects on the door!”
“That’s right. I was bitten by one just now.” I spoke calmly. The wound no longer hurt, but when I opened my palm, the spot had turned purple. Luckily, I’d taken two antidote pills—otherwise, I’d already be on my way to the underworld.
Seeing this, Ma Xu and Zhao Zhiqiang grew even more anxious.
“Insects? I didn’t see any. Where are they?” Ma Xu edged closer, but no matter how he looked, he saw nothing.
I explained, “These things are invisible to the naked eye. Anyone who touches the door gets bitten—and they’re highly poisonous. Anyone who touches the door is doomed.”
At my words, Ma Xu and Zhao Zhiqiang drew sharp breaths and stood frozen.
“The sulfur powder we brought isn’t nearly enough. We need another solution.” I sighed, looking at the almost-empty packet and fell silent. Had I known, I’d have brought more.
Ma Xu slapped his thigh in regret, “If only I’d gathered more earlier. Now I realize I wasted so much.”
“Regret won’t help. We can’t go back for more sulfur powder. We’ll have to think of something else.” Black Jacket quickly shattered Ma Xu’s hopeful illusion.