Chapter 005: Mechanisms

A chill breeze swept across the back of my neck. Following the sound with Li Damin, I saw a large black coffin lid slowly moving!

As we walked through, I sensed an indescribable aura of malevolence in the room, while Li Damin appeared to be thoroughly engrossed, particularly in the murals depicting figures, examining them with great care and taking photos with his phone

Recalling her strange symptoms of sleepwalking that night, a chill ran down my spine. The bizarre elements before me had already surpassed my understanding, and no matter how I tried, I could not string them together into a coherent logical chain

He took a lighter out of his pocket and slowly approached the altar, striking the flame and trembling as he aimed it at the wick of the eternal lamp. I watched nervously from behind, seeing the flickering flame ignite the wick, which caught fire. A thin wisp of white smoke rose from the eternal lamp, quickly dissipating into the air, vanishing without a trace

Li Damin illuminated the mural depicting the wizard with a flashlight: "Can't you see it?"

I suddenly thought of something, a key point that is difficult to explain... Just as I was about to ponder it in detail, Li Damin patted me and suggested we go over to take a look. The thought I had just now quickly vanished, and when I tried to think it through again, it had completely slipped away.

What? My throat is moving up and down

The moment I saw this object, my sense of time travel was even stronger than my sense of reality; it truly felt as if I had left the present and found myself in an ancient tomb.

Li Damin shone the flashlight inside again, and I followed to look in. The light instantly illuminated the scene inside the coffin. He and I exchanged glances, both of us wearing expressions of uncertainty and suspicion

Indeed," Li Damin nodded, "what is referred to as seamless. If that is the case, it cannot be opened by brute force; perhaps there are mechanisms involved.

Li Damin seemed to doubt my intelligence and took my phone. I looked at him with annoyance as he squatted on the ground, examining the phone while pondering.

It has a fragrance I said softly

Taking advantage of this moment, I slowly walked along the wall in the bedroom, carefully observing the paintings on the wall, feeling a sense of awe. The skill displayed in these paintings is remarkable, with delicate lines and bold ink application, showcasing the essence of their subjects through splashes of color. After looking for a while, one can become dazzled, with their heart swaying and spirit yearning.

I find myself trapped in a haze where dreams and reality blur, unable to extricate myself. My body remains still while my heart beats violently, signaling that I am still awake

This place does not resemble a bedroom; rather, it resembles an ancient tomb. Li Damin said: These murals are indeed tomb paintings, expressing a certain vision and appeal of the deceased

I shook my head vigorously, took a deep breath, and regained my senses. I shone the flashlight over.

The two of us approached, each of us moving one end, pushing outward with all our strength. To our surprise, the coffin lid was very light, just a thin wooden board. We moved the coffin lid to the ground, thus revealing the entire coffin.

But why is she putting in so much effort on me, setting up all these schemes just for me

As I walked over, I caught a faint layer of fragrance gently enveloping the light above

Should we report it to the police? I asked softly. Things have already begun to spiral out of control, with many incomprehensible elements emerging

I crouched on the ground, using a flame to ignite another perpetual lamp. The flame flickered, and the wick slowly burned, soon emitting a puff of white smoke. I momentarily failed to evade it, and the white smoke rushed directly into my nose, releasing a fragrance that was both subtle and profound, akin to insects burrowing deep into the nasal cavity, leaving one entranced and tingling, with half of my face feeling numb.

Did you figure out what was going on? I asked

Li Damin tapped and knocked on the black coffin, shining a flashlight on every inch of it. The surface of the coffin was devoid of any decorations; it was simply made up of several ordinary black boards assembled into one piece. The joints were tightly fitted, yet not a single nail could be found. The craftsmanship appeared rough but was, in fact, meticulous.

In ancient times, people predicted fortune and misfortune by burning turtle shells and interpreting the cracks in the shells to determine auspiciousness or inauspiciousness. Li Damin said, "The turtle is the most spiritually attuned creature; it is said that a divine turtle emerged from the Luo River, carrying the Luo Book. Fuxi saw it and gained enlightenment, which led to the creation of the Eight Trigrams and the Book of Changes. This represents the earliest cosmology of Daoism"

I had no choice but to follow him to the front of the coffin. Before I could step closer, he stopped me from approaching any further. We stood three steps away, and Li Damin shone a flashlight into the coffin.

The coffin lid was merely moved to create a small gap, which could be considered as opened. Inside, it was still dark and gloomy, with the flashlight beam only able to sweep along the edges, making it difficult to see the scene within clearly. For some reason, I have always felt that there was a person lying inside. It should be Wang Yue.

Li Damin scratched his head, walked around the coffin once, and said that the secret was probably inside this coffin. We need to find a way to open it

Li Damin nodded and said, "I think so too"

Is it really open? I find it hard to believe

It is no longer possible to quietly observe from a distance; one must completely push open the coffin lid.

I quickly stood up and handed the lighter to Li Damin. Li Damin shook his head and said, "We both smelled it; it is best if it is not toxic, otherwise we would be in big trouble." He forced a smile.

Li Damin turned around several times, yet he could not find a way to open the coffin. The lid of the coffin was tightly connected to the body, and despite our combined efforts, we could not lift it. Li Damin said, "This craftsmanship is quite impressive; could it be the legendary carpenter's mortise and tenon joint?"

The most peculiar feature of the entire room is the wall, which is adorned with traditional Chinese ink paintings. The dominant color is a deep yellow, with some depicting rolling white clouds and others illustrating ethereal mountains. One mural is particularly strange, portraying a group of unknown individuals gathered around a figure that appears to be a wizard, who is holding a turtle shell and inscribing characters upon it. The backdrop features a dense forest shrouded in dark clouds.

Are these paintings done by Wang Yue? If they are indeed her work, it is truly unexpected that this young lady possesses such skill

Since Wang Yue is already in the coffin, there is only one possibility: she closed the coffin lid from the inside after getting in. A young girl cannot possibly rely solely on her strength to close the coffin lid so tightly that it cannot be opened at all, which means that the coffin lid must certainly have a mechanism.

"Wait a moment." I waved my hand: "I'm a bit confused. This is Wang Yue's bedroom. She didn't invite me here just to show me this, did she... Could it be that she has already..." I pointed to the black coffin in the middle.

We exchanged glances, both of our faces pale with fear. From the very beginning, when I received the WeChat message to come here to crack the building's password, until now when I am using the everlasting lamp to open the coffin... It seems that I am gradually stepping into an unclear and ambiguous trap, with each step meticulously arranged by Wang Yue.

With him around, I am not so anxious; now I feel more curious and worried. Wang Yue is undertaking such a large project, involving coffins and murals; what exactly does she intend to do? What is her current state?

He swept the entire room with a flashlight and, looking at the murals, said: "Interesting, interesting, do you know what my feeling is?"

Li Damin said: "Wang Yue has sent you several messages before, hasn't she? We were able to smoothly enter the building and reach her home; she provided enough hints. Take another look at the messages to see if there are any mechanisms or codes for opening the coffin."

I watched it twice, shook my head, and told Li Damin that there was none

Above the Bagua altar, specifically at the positions of the black and white eyes of the Taiji fish, there are two bronze perpetual lamps, designed in a peculiar style

"Agency?" I am perplexed

Li Damin stepped back, covering his nose, his expression fluctuating between dark and light.

As I walked, I found myself in a daze, as if I had crossed over into a tomb-raiding novel. Alone in the depths of an ancient tomb, the eerie passageway was empty save for myself, and the terrifying atmosphere was beyond the capacity of words to convey

Li Damin voluntarily put himself in a difficult situation; originally, it had nothing to do with him, but this fellow took the initiative to wade into murky waters

How about trying to light the everlasting lamp? I blurted it out, not knowing where the inspiration came from

I called out: "Damin, come here quickly and see what this is."

I am asking what is going on

Li Damin hurried over and returned my phone, saying: "There really isn't any useful information inside." He saw the altar, exchanged glances with me, and smiled: "This is getting more and more interesting."

We can basically confirm that Wang Yue is in this sealed coffin, and only by opening the coffin can we find her

I understand. I said: "It is connected without nails, using the grooves of the wood itself."

I took out my phone and examined it closely; the numerical password sent by Wang Yue had already been used. The subsequent messages contained no useful information, only frantic demands urging me to come here.

Li Damin's expression was grave: "It may not necessarily be anything, perhaps it is poison."

Li Damin made a gesture, indicating that it was casual

In the corner of the room, there is an altar. This altar is shaped like a bagua, not very large, about the size of a basin, and appears to be made of metal, with a deep black surface that seems to absorb light; no matter what kind of light shines on it, it cannot be illuminated.

At that moment, I suddenly stopped and saw something in the corner of the wall

I originally thought that Li Damin would not agree, but to my surprise, after thinking for a moment, he said: "Let's find Wang Yue and then discuss it." He pointed at the coffin with his finger

You are overthinking it, I said: "This is not a martial arts novel." I took the lighter from his hand and told him that I would light the other everlasting lamp.

Li Damin's throat moved: "I understand now! The everlasting lamp is a mechanism"

At that moment, a sudden "creaking" sound emerged from the darkness