238: mural

The pre-arranged cold light illumination equipment extended along the passageway, lighting up the interior. Where the light reached, everyone was awestruck by the sight before them.

The passageway was not a roughly hewn cave as one might imagine, but exceptionally neat and regular.

The floor, walls, and ceiling were all constructed from large, precisely cut stone slabs or finely polished rock faces. The seams were straight and tight, the surfaces smooth, possessing an almost geometrically simple beauty.

This was completely different from the typical perception of ancient ancestors using natural caves or rough carvings for dwellings or ceremonial sites. There were no common chisel marks or burrs, no undulations following the rock's natural grain. Everything seemed overly... 'modern' and 'precise.'

"This... this is impossible?!"

Professor Chen's voice trembled with disbelief. He practically threw himself against the wall, running his hand over the smooth stone surface, then carefully examining the seams and corners with his flashlight. "This level of processing precision, this mastery of stonework... based on our current understanding of that era's productive capabilities, this is completely impossible to achieve!"

"Not a single trace of the natural rock face remains; it's all been modified! Look here, this corner is a perfect ninety-degree angle! And the flatness of this floor... what incredibly advanced measuring, cutting, and polishing techniques would this require? It... it's almost as if it were machine-made!"

His shock was palpable. This defied all his lifelong learning and archaeological experience. The two students, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, were also dumbstruck, holding their cameras but forgetting to take pictures.

Even more striking were the large murals covering the walls on both sides of the passage. Although their colors had severely faded and peeled, their lines remained clearly discernible. The mural style was ancient yet dynamic, depicting grand narrative scenes.

Forcing down his astonishment at the construction techniques, Professor Chen shifted his attention to the murals. His professional instincts kicked in. He leaned close to a relatively well-preserved section and, using the lighting, carefully studied the simple yet powerful lines.

"Here... this seems to depict... a piece of history, or perhaps, a mythological epic," Professor Chen adjusted his glasses, his voice tight with excitement and concentration.

"Look, this part. The people in the scene are living in crude huts or caves, their expressions fearful. Surrounding them are... creatures with twisted, aggressive forms. Some resemble beasts, but they possess unnatural features. This is likely the ancients' exaggerated representation of ferocious animals or incomprehensible natural forces. The people live in fear and oppression."

His finger moved to the next panel. "The turning point is here. A figure appears, depicted as taller and more prominent than the others. He seems to be rallying and leading the crowd. Look, the people are picking up tools, perhaps stone implements or torches, following behind him."

The next scene was even more intense. "Battle... or rather, expulsion. The leader stands at the front. The painting uses sweeping lines to convey motion and power. Those terrifying creatures are retreating, scattering. The people gather around him, raising their hands in celebration."

The murals continued:

"Here... order is established. The people begin building more regular houses, gathering together, forming what looks like a settlement.

The leader is at the center, receiving the people's reverence. This likely describes a story of a hero leading his tribe to drive away threats and establish a home, even a nation."

Professor Chen's gaze followed the murals deeper into the passage. The style of the final few panels changed, shifting from intense external conflict to internal unity and ritual solemnity. The scenes showed people lining up, carrying tools and items, marching into the mountain's interior—precisely the direction they were now in. The procession was solemn and dignified, as if engaged in some sacred migration or pilgrimage.

"This last part..." Professor Chen took a deep breath and turned to Shen Mingyuan and the others, his eyes flashing with a mix of sudden realization and deeper confusion.

"...doesn't depict burial, but... entry. This hero, or perhaps the community he saved and founded, ultimately entered this mountain interior collectively. The place we are in now... might not be a tomb at all."

He looked around at the exceptionally neat passageway, his tone grave:

"This place seems more like a meticulously constructed... sanctuary? Holy Land? Or perhaps... their chosen 'new homeland'?"

"It likely served both ceremonial and residential purposes. But in any case, it is definitely not a simple burial mound.

What we are stepping into may be the core Holy Land of a lost civilization, the forgotten site of an epic about survival and migration."

"So we're not tomb raiders after all!" Wei Ziqing said, somewhat sheepishly closing the tomb-raiding novel interface still displayed on his phone screen.

Professor Chen was both annoyed and amused:

"Of course not! And even if this were an Ancient Tomb, we are conducting licensed, scientifically-guided rescue archaeology or protective exploration. It has nothing whatsoever to do with 'raiding.' The nature is completely different!"

"Mhm, got it, Professor," Wei Ziqing quickly nodded.

Cynthia glanced at him, a flicker of understanding in her deep blue eyes. Her tone was calm as she delivered the finishing blow: "You're so concerned about whether this is tomb raiding, and you read those novels... you're not actually afraid of ghosts, are you?"

"Wha—what nonsense! How could I be afraid of such things!" Wei Ziqing immediately straightened his back, his voice involuntarily rising half an octave, his eyes darting around. "I'm just... familiarizing myself with relevant knowledge! Yes, familiarizing myself!"

Lu Jianchuan, who had been maintaining vigilance and silently observing their surroundings, didn't participate in their little interlude. He merely uttered a brief "Hmm," acknowledging the professor's analysis. His gaze remained sharp, sweeping over the depths of the passage and the exquisite murals, as if assessing potential risks.

Shen Mingyuan had remained in his transformed state since entering the ruins, his deep red visor glowing faintly in the dim light.

He suddenly raised a hand, making a gesture for silence.

"Quiet," he said in a low voice, the sound emerging through his armor with a metallic quality.

Everyone immediately fell silent, looking at him.

Shen Mingyuan tilted his head slightly, as if listening for something beyond ordinary perception.

"I hear... no, I 'see' something unusual."

As he spoke, he slowly walked forward, stopping before a section of mural that seemed no different from the rest. He extended a finger, hovering it a few centimeters from the mural's surface, tracing paths along some almost imperceptibly fine lines.

"There's something inside... a mechanism. A very delicate, Wire-like Triggering Structure, connected to a... Cavity, or Counterweight behind it."

His voice carried an analytical tone. "If this is truly a Holy Land for ceremonies or dwelling, why set up such a hidden mechanism? To keep out uninvited guests? Or perhaps... to protect something inside?"

He fell silent for a few seconds, seemingly carefully analyzing the mechanism's construction and connection points in his mind through the 3D imagery provided by the acoustic feedback. Then, he turned to Professor Chen and Xiao Wu:

"I need some precision tools. Small hooks, tweezers, maybe a bit of modeling clay or support rods.

We can't forcefully damage the mural or the structure behind it. We need to start from several preset 'access' or 'reset' points and attempt to disarm the linkage."

Xiao Wu hurriedly rummaged through his toolkit and produced a compact set of archaeological tools, handing it to Shen Mingyuan. Although nervous, Professor Chen also nodded in agreement:

"Be careful, absolutely careful! These murals and any hidden structures behind them are themselves precious parts of the ruins!"

Shen Mingyuan took the tools, his movements deft and steady. He closed his visor again, relying entirely on the perspective image constructed by ultrasound. He precisely inserted the tips of the slender tools into several inconspicuous, tiny holes or gaps in the mural lines, beginning an extremely delicate operation.

His movements were slow and patient, as if performing a silent micro-sculpting surgery.

The female student named Xiao Liu, watching from behind, observed Shen Mingyuan's focused and professional back, then glanced at the faint light flowing over his armor. She couldn't help but whisper to her companion in admiration:

"Wow... this is so reassuring! He can 'see' any hidden traps or mechanisms instantly and disassemble them so steadily... Much more reliable than those tomb raiders in the movies!"

Hearing this, Wei Ziqing also secretly breathed a sigh of relief and edged a bit closer to Shen Mingyuan, apparently feeling safer near this expert who could 'see through' mechanisms.

Cynthia shifted her gaze from Shen Mingyuan's hands to the deeper parts of the passageway that the mechanism might be guarding, her eyes thoughtful.

Lu Jianchuan took half a step forward, positioning himself where he could observe Shen Mingyuan's operation while maintaining vigilance both ahead and behind, silently guarding his teammates.