The “Muffled Oil Bottle,” no, it should be said that it is Zhang Qiling. His tone was calm, devoid of any emotional color. From his narration, I gradually caught a glimpse of a corner of this enormous mystery. However, I had no way of understanding what he thought or heard throughout the entire event, nor could I grasp his true background. For now, let us imagine him as a silent and wise young man.
Deep in the ocean, one cannot hear the raging winds on the surface, yet one can still feel the suffocation that precedes the storm. Zhang Qiling quietly sat in the corner of the ear room, watching his companions eagerly studying the blue-and-white porcelain on the ground. These porcelain items held no allure for him, while a few seniors who appeared to be older than him were completely captivated by these objects.
They passed the items around, some trying to sketch the patterns on them, while others discussed the meanings of the designs. At that moment, someone suddenly exclaimed, “You all come and take a look! There’s something strange about the bottoms of these porcelain pieces
He casually picked up another piece, turned it over and found that it indeed had markings, but they were different from what he had seen before. At this moment, he suddenly felt that these porcelain items seemed to be more than just simple burial goods.
Huo Ling noticed the change in his expression and thought that this blockhead had finally figured something out. She asked, “Xiao Zhang, what is this thing?”
Zhang Qiling regarded her as if she were transparent. He picked up these porcelain pieces and examined more than a dozen of them in succession, discovering that each one had different symbols on the bottom, and these symbols changed in a regular pattern, seemingly representing a fixed sequence of numbers.
Why did these porcelain items have numbers? Was their arrangement so strict? Or, if they weren’t arranged according to these numbers, would they fail to achieve a certain purpose? Countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Qiling’s mind, prompting him to scrutinize the porcelain items carefully.
Upon closer inspection, he was astonished again, because the patterns on the porcelain depicted not spring plowing or courtyards, but rather a scene of craftsmen chiseling a giant stone statue. Such imagery would not have been considered elegant in ancient times—why would it be depicted on porcelain?
As he continued to examine them, he gradually discovered some clues. When viewed individually, these porcelain paintings seemed unremarkable, but once arranged in order, it became evident that the images were continuous, seemingly depicting the progress of a massive project.
At this moment, everyone was drawn in by his peculiar actions. Several boys, unsure of what he was up to, stared at him in confusion.
Zhang Qiling paid no attention to them; instead of continuing to examine the pieces like I did, he walked directly to the last small double-handled porcelain vase. He picked it up and examined it closely, feeling a stir in his heart. On this final vase, the scene of the completed project was already sketched out.
It depicted a palace that could not be described in words, floating in the sky, with clouds swirling below. The builders of the palace stood on the ground, gazing up at the sky, while on a nearby mountain, a Taoist figure smiled contentedly.
This small double-handled vase could not express any grandeur of the project, but Zhang Qiling still felt an uncontrollable excitement, for he knew he had found something significant.
He could almost conclude that the content depicted was the cloud-topping palace designed and constructed by the legendary craftsman Wang Zanghai during the early Ming dynasty!
This legendary palace, said to float in the sky, had long appeared in folk tales from the Ming era. At that time, it was explained that Wang Zanghai used a giant kite combined with a lot of golden threads to create the illusion of a magnificent palace in the air to entertain Zhu Yuanzhang.
But if the legend was true, then what was the scene depicted here? If the legend was not true, did these porcelain paintings indicate that Wang Zanghai really did build a palace that floated in the sky? The line between legend and fact began to blur for Zhang Qiling, leaving him feeling perplexed.
He pondered for a while, feeling utterly lost, and decided to share these matters with his equally bewildered companions. Naturally, they didn’t believe him and hurriedly began to examine the porcelain one by one as he suggested. To their astonishment, they found themselves utterly speechless; this was not only a unique discovery in Chinese history but also one that defied belief. When Huo Ling saw that her discovery had led to such a significant find, she couldn’t help but feel ecstatic and gave Zhang Qiling a quick peck on the cheek. This immediately made the other men jealous.
However, Zhang Qiling seemed oblivious to this; he likely didn’t even know who had kissed him and didn’t care to find out. He walked directly to Wen Jin and suggested they immediately search the inner hall, believing that more clues could surely be found in the coffin.
Wen Jin, being the person in charge, thought about it and deemed the action too dangerous. She quickly said, “No way, absolutely not! Without the leader’s guidance, we can’t go into the ancient tomb on our own!”
Seeing that Wen Jin disagreed, Zhang Qiling didn’t bother to argue further. He busied himself with packing his gear and headed towards the corridor. Wen Jin, being a strong woman, felt displeased by his apparent disregard for her authority and decided to teach him a lesson. After all, she often practiced some martial arts at the research institute to deal with those who disrespected her.
With that thought, she suddenly stepped forward and attempted to grab Zhang Qiling’s slender wrist, a move known as “locking the pulse point.” Once this point was locked, it could easily incapacitate a person. Although she was a woman and lacked great strength, the element of surprise would be enough to make a man like Zhang Qiling beg for mercy.
The other men, having fallen victim to Wen Jin’s move before, couldn’t help but chuckle, eager to see Zhang Qiling’s embarrassment. This move had always worked for her; usually, those without martial arts training were completely defenseless against it. However, this time, she failed to catch him, leaving her utterly shocked. At that moment, Zhang Qiling had turned around, his expression calm as he said, “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself!”
Wen Jin sneered and replied, “What are you going to use to take care of yourself? Little Zhang, you’re notorious for being disorganized and undisciplined at the institute, but this is an ancient tomb. Please think not only of yourself but also of everyone’s safety.”
Zhang Qiling nodded and surprisingly said, “I will consider it. I’ll be back soon.”
Wen Jin’s face turned red with anger, thinking, “How did I end up with such a stubborn person?” His calm demeanor made it difficult for her to express her frustration. She stepped forward and grabbed him, stating, “No, you can’t go. No matter what you say, you’re not prepared to go. We’ve already lost one person; how can I explain to the institute if you go back?”
Zhang Qiling seemed a bit impatient, turned his head, and with a cold gaze said, “Let go.”
Wen Jin looked at him resolutely. I believe any man would compromise when confronted by such a charming woman looking at him with that kind of intensity. However, Zhang Qiling suddenly widened his eyes, and his expression transformed into one resembling a fierce ghost. Wen Jin was so frightened that her grip loosened, and he easily shook her off.
When she looked again, Zhang Qiling’s gaze had returned to its previous calm, inscrutable state. He nodded at her and said, “Thank you!”
Others who witnessed this scene thought that Wen Jin had actually agreed to his request, and they became dissatisfied. That’s how people are; as soon as one person breaks the rules, others will rush in. When they saw Zhang Qiling enter the passageway, some were worried that he would take all the credit, while others, driven by their suppressed curiosity, clamored to follow him.
Wen Jin was, after all, a woman. She knew that as soon as she let her hand go, she had lost control over these people. At this point, unless she had a gun in her hand, there was no way to stop these young people. San Shu had a bad temper, and if she were to wake Wu Sanxing at this moment, his temper would surely lead to a fierce conflict with Zhang Qiling for the sake of his pride. Things could spiral out of control. Weighing the pros and cons, she decided to lead them into the rear hall to take a look and return as quickly as possible. With her years of experience in tomb raiding, she believed that if this was just an ordinary tomb, there would be no problem.
The subsequent process was basically the same as what we experienced. As for how they navigated through the heavily trapped passageway, discovered the steps in the pool, and descended to the bottom of the pool, although it was quite winding and bizarre, it was not the focus of the narrative. Zhang Qiling summarized it in one sentence. The key moment was when they reached the mist-covered bottom of the pool and saw the stone tablet with no inscriptions.
The scene at the bottom of the pool was simply bizarre and inexplicable. The dense fog, illuminated by the flashlight, constantly transformed into various faces, evoking an involuntary sense of fear. As they descended the last step of the stone ladder, the group suddenly became united, not daring to make a sound. In the mist, they tugged at each other, trembling in fear, worried that something might suddenly leap out at them.
Seeing Zhang Qiling’s fearlessness, Huo Ling couldn’t help but develop a bit of fondness for him, especially as the other so-called senior students, who usually exuded confidence, now shrank back behind him. She said to the boys, “Look at you guys, all older than Xiao Zhang by several years, and you can’t even compare to him. How embarrassing!”
At their age, they were in that fearless phase of youth. Huo Ling’s words stirred their blood, and they recklessly rushed to the front of Zhang Qiling. The space at the bottom of the pool wasn’t large, and after a few steps, seeing nothing happen, their courage grew, and they boldly walked into the center of the mist. After just a few steps, the leader suddenly shouted, “There’s a monster inside!” and fled back.
This shout nearly scared everyone out of their wits. The others, regardless of whether they had seen anything, felt their scalps tingle and retreated as well. Zhang Qiling ignored them and led the others inside, where they encountered what was referred to as the monster—the Dinghai Stone Monkey.
Soon after, they saw several other Dinghai Stone Monkeys and the mysterious stone tablet with no inscriptions. In an instant, everyone was deeply shocked. Although what lay before them was not spectacular, it held extraordinary significance in their eyes. Everything in this ancient tomb overturned the textbook-like, unchanging concepts of Chinese burial customs over the millennia. It possessed immeasurable archaeological value.
Lian Wenjin was so astonished that she couldn’t find her words, murmuring, “My God, these things are incredible. This could very well become another milestone in Chinese archaeology.” After the initial shock came overwhelming joy. In that era, a significant discovery meant immense opportunities. Once they announced this finding, their names would become household names. Thinking of this, a few of the more naive ones started to grin foolishly, while one person, unable to contain their excitement, began to dance.
At this moment, however, Zhang Qiling, who had caused this commotion, furrowed his brow deeply. He observed more carefully than anyone else and had already seen the ancient script carved on the base of the stele.
“This stele is for those destined to find it. It reveals the gate to the heavenly palace. Enter, and you shall attain the realm of immortals.”
This sentence shocked him far more than any of the other discoveries. He was not at all influenced by the frenzy of those around him; instead, he fell into deep contemplation. In his mind, such words could not have been inscribed here without reason. Where there are objects, there must be purpose. The tomb owner must have had a compelling reason to place these things here.
So, where exactly is the gate to the heavenly palace mentioned in the stele? What does it mean to be “destined”? He stood in front of the stele, searching inch by inch, but it remained just a stele, with no signs of mechanisms or hidden writings.
After a while, the others calmed down, and Wenjin felt it was about time to leave. It would be inappropriate to linger any longer, so she called for everyone to head back. The few people had enjoyed themselves enough, seen enough, and began to gather their thoughts, chatting and laughing as they walked towards the steps. Wenjin counted them one by one, but when she reached the last, she realized Zhang Qiling had not come over.
Zhang Qiling had initially resisted following the team leader’s orders to go to the rear hall, and now he was refusing to regroup. This thought made Wenjin very angry, but given her responsibilities, she couldn’t just leave him behind. She spoke sharply to the others and instructed the team to quickly return to the mist.
After walking a few steps, they saw Zhang Qiling still crouched in front of the stele, studying something. Wenjin’s anger flared up, and she shouted, “Aren’t you leaving yet? How stubborn can you be—?” Before she could finish, Huo Ling grabbed her hand, desperately urging her to be quiet. Wenjin was puzzled and looked at the others, noticing their anxious expressions, which left her very confused.
Seeing that she still hadn’t reacted, Huo Ling quickly pointed into the mist. Following her gesture, Wenjin looked over and saw a massive figure emerging from the depths of the fog, less than two meters away from Zhang Qiling.
