Ye Chen noticed that as Lu Shixun stepped forward, his demeanour changed completely. The hesitation and worries were gone, replaced by precision and confidence. His movements became careful, his eyes scanning every inch of the door.

He watched him with a faint smile. ’So this is the call of the profession...’

Then something caught his attention.

Near the corner of the door, faint markings were etched into the metal. The ancient characters were worn but still visible.

"Shixun," Ye Chen called, "can you read that?"

Lu Shixun glanced over briefly before shaking his head. "No. That’s not something I can decipher."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you supposed to be a tomb robber?"

Lu Shixun gave him a dry look. "If I could read ancient scripts like that, I’d be working in a university, not risking my life here."

Ye Chen chuckled lightly. "You don’t seem like someone who’d enjoy that kind of life."

Lu Shixun smirked. "You’re not wrong."

A few moments later, Lu Shixun straightened up. "Found it. I know what kind of trap this is. Move back."

Ye Chen didn’t hesitate. He stepped away immediately.

Using a long stick, Lu Shixun carefully triggered the mechanism.

*Click.*

The sound was subtle—but what followed definitely wasn’t.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A barrage of poisoned darts shot out from hidden holes, slicing through the air with deadly precision. They struck the opposite wall with sharp, metallic thuds.

Ye Chen felt a cold chill run down his spine.

If he had been standing there...

He exhaled slowly, glancing at Lu Shixun. "Good thing you’re here."

Lu Shixun didn’t respond. His attention was fixed on the now-open door, his expression slowly shifting into a frown.

"What’s wrong?" Ye Chen asked.

"...There’s something off," Lu Shixun said quietly.

He stepped closer, shining the flashlight inside.

"This tomb... it has oxygen."

Ye Chen frowned. "And that’s a problem?"

Lu Shixun nodded. "Think about it. A sealed tomb that’s been closed for centuries shouldn’t have fresh air. There should be stale air, or even toxic gases."

Ye Chen crossed his arms. "So what does that mean?"

Lu Shixun’s voice became more serious.

"It means one of two things."

"There’s another open passage somewhere inside..."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"...or someone has already been here."

Silence fell between them once again.

The weight of that possibility settled heavily in the air.

If it were the first, then they might have another way out.

But if it was the second...

Then they might be in big trouble.

---

They moved forward cautiously after passing the metal door, the narrow corridor stretching endlessly ahead as if it had no intention of letting them leave easily. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.

After several minutes of walking, Lu Shixun suddenly raised his hand, signalling Ye Chen to stop.

"Pressure plates," he said in a low voice, shining the flashlight toward the ground.

Under the thin layer of dust, faint outlines of square tiles could be seen, barely distinguishable from the rest of the floor. Without years of experience, it would have been impossible to notice.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes. "What happens if we trigger them?"

"Arrows would shoot from the walls, maybe even poison-coated," Lu Shixun replied. "And judging by the density of pressure plates... it won’t be just a few."

There was no safe path clearly visible, and avoiding them entirely was nearly impossible. After a brief exchange of looks, they understood. There was no choice but to move through carefully and react quickly if needed.

"Stay sharp," Ye Chen said.

They began navigating the corridor, stepping lightly and testing each move. But even with caution, accidents were inevitable.

*Click.*

The moment a plate sank slightly under Ye Chen’s foot, a sharp sound echoed.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows shot out from both sides of the wall without warning.

Ye Chen’s body reacted instantly. Years of life-and-death combat experience took over. He twisted his torso, narrowly avoiding the first volley, then stepped forward and leapt, his movements fluid yet explosive. Another set of arrows followed, forcing him to duck and roll.

One arrow grazed his sleeve, tearing the fabric apart, but his skin remained untouched.

Behind him, Lu Shixun struggled but managed to keep up, relying on instinct and sheer focus.

The corridor turned chaotic for a few moments, with the arrows flying, their footsteps scrambling, and quickening breaths.

Finally, the mechanism ceased.

Silence returned, but it was far from calm.

Ye Chen bent slightly, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Cold sweat dripped down his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Lu Shixun wasn’t much better; his grip on the flashlight tightened as he steadied himself.

After a while, they moved again. This time, Lu Shixun reacted quickly and determined they might encounter poison gas traps later, so he made both of them wear gas masks. Which they had stolen from the prison armoury.

"Damn..." Ye Chen muttered. "Is tomb robbing always like this?"

Lu Shixun let out a dry breath. "If it were, I’d have died long ago."

Before Ye Chen could respond, a faint sound broke the silence.

*Hiss...*

Both men froze.

Ye Chen’s expression hardened. "Did you hear that?"

Lu Shixun nodded slowly, his face turning serious. "Sounds like snakes..."

Without hesitation, he reached for the gun they had taken during the prison break. The cold weight of the weapon in his hand brought a slight sense of reassurance, even in this suffocating environment.

"Point your torch up there," Ye Chen said, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

"Alright."

The beam of light shifted upward.

The next second, both of them felt their scalps go numb.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of snakes were coiled within small holes embedded in the walls and ceiling. Their bodies overlapped, scales glistening faintly under the light, tongues flicking in and out as they sensed movement.

And just ahead of them...

A dark, murky pond blocked the path.

The surface of the water rippled unnaturally.

As the light focused on it, the truth became clear.

The pond wasn’t just water—it was filled with writhing, venomous snakes, their bodies twisting over one another in a sickening display.

For the first time since entering the tomb, even Ye Chen felt a chill run deep into his bones.