Chapter 100: Dazed, Struck by the Five Thunder Orthodoxy? (Third Watch)

In the tomb, there were some manual labor tasks for excavation; to save time, the archaeological team hired villagers from a nearby village to help.

The pay was not small; after all, it was an official job, the treatment was beyond reproach, and the villagers were also very willing.

Originally everything had been agreed upon, work had already started, but now they suddenly said they wouldn't work, which is really strange.

When Professor Zhang rushed over, voices of argument came from ahead, and he faintly heard words like 'Mountain God'.

If these villagers refuse to work, sending for outside help would also take some time; by then the schedule would be delayed again, which for the archaeological team's current situation is undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

"We had agreed on this before, why are you suddenly refusing? If it's about the wages, we can talk again."

Those villagers just waved their hands, wearing a mysterious, tight-lipped expression.

"It's not about the wages; it's that the Mountain God doesn't want you to excavate this ancient tomb. If we help, the Mountain God will surely get angry."

I thought the villagers were trying to hold out for more money, but I never expected this to be the reason.

The archaeological team members were somewhat speechless; what era is this, still so superstitious about the Mountain God? But since they needed help, they couldn't speak bluntly.

"The Mountain God has no say in this; this falls under the jurisdiction of the Grave-robbing Colonel. Moreover, we excavate these ancient tombs for research and to better protect the cultural relics—this is a good thing."

No matter how the archaeological team members talked until they were hoarse, those villagers remained unmoved, sticking to their own ideas.

"The Mountain God has sent those animals to stop you; it definitely disagrees, so no matter what we say, we cannot continue."

The archaeological team had repeatedly been disturbed by animals, causing such a commotion that the villagers also knew of it and regarded it as the Mountain God's decree.

"You are good people too, and you even pay us wages; it's not that we don't want to, we really can't do it. Let me advise you: hurry and leave this place, don't keep digging, or else something might happen later."

After saying a few more words, the villagers also went down the mountain and left.

The archaeological team members were indeed somewhat speechless; now they lack enough manpower, the villagers have left, and the remaining people are also low in spirits.

"Professor Zhang, what should we do now?"

Professor Zhang gritted his teeth and said, "Even if the work is difficult, we must carry it on. If the villagers don't come, we'll contact the township; if that really fails, we can go to the city! At worst, we'll do it ourselves."

"Also, regarding the nightly animal disturbances, from now on we'll form patrol teams, with everyone taking turns on duty!"

The solution was thought up by people; since night patrols began, whenever they saw a small animal, they would immediately drive it away.

This indeed eased the nighttime animal disturbance problem; indeed, no animals came to bother their sleep anymore.

Tonight is the second patrol group; the patrol squad has five people total, and in the second half of the night someone will take over the watch so they can rest.

Several people patrolled the surroundings while lowering their voices to chat.

"To be honest, Professor Zhang's method is still quite useful; since we set up the night patrol, those animals that used to come cause trouble at midnight have indeed become fewer."

"But speaking of which, why do these animals keep coming to cause trouble? And they don't seem very afraid of people, and we haven't provoked them either."

"Didn't those few villagers who left say that there is a Mountain God here? Anyway, I don't believe it—what era is this?"

Just as they were discussing, a faint rustling sound came from the nearby grass, as if something was moving.

"It must be those small animals coming again to cause trouble."

Several people tiptoed over, but the grass suddenly stopped moving, just as they were feeling puzzled.

A black shadow suddenly darted out, almost bumping into them.

"It's just a rabbit; it probably just happened to pass by."

They exchanged smiles, all feeling a bit jumpy, just as they were about to turn back.

More and more animals poured out from the grass in all directions—small ones like squirrels and field mice, large ones actually including hyenas and jackals.

They were only five people; they had never seen such a scene, and for a moment they were frightened into standing frozen, not daring to move.

Previously the animals that disturbed them were only a dozen or so, but now looking out they saw a dense mass that was impossible to count.

Moreover, they were just archaeologists, not braver than ordinary people; before they mostly did desk work, so they could be said to have no strength to truss a chicken.

Although there were no large beasts among them, if those jackals and hyenas gave them a bite, the few of them could not withstand it.

Being stared at by so many greenish beast eyes, the few patrol members felt a chill all over, like little chicks, huddling together for warmth.

They wanted to shout, but under such great fear they could not make a sound from their throats, as if someone had choked them.

Time passed second by second; although only a few seconds had passed, it felt as long as a century.

Those animals did not attack proactively; they just stared at them, then turned and ran toward the campsite.

"Everyone be careful!"

Someone reacted and shouted a warning, but it was already too late.

At the tents, people were instantly thrown into chaos, a scene of chickens flying and dogs jumping; many opened the tents, turned on flashlights, and saw large and small animals outside converging into a black river that flowed between the tents, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.

"How can there be so many."

Even someone was accidentally knocked over by an animal, and even the flashlight fell to the ground, its wobbly light shining on the treetops.

Plants that were clearly outlined in daylight now, in the darkness, turned into towering figures; as the mountain wind blew, ghostly shadows loomed, making people even more uneasy.

Everyone panicked and tried to dodge; someone attempted to pick up tools to drive them away, but the animals were simply too numerous, thick as a swarm.

The black tide had no beginning or end, blending into the night, appearing boundless.

It seemed like a carnival night of animals.

Fear, dread, and panic mixed together, various negative emotions blending and growing without limit in the dark night, leaving the archaeological team members somewhat desperate.

No one knew how long it had been, but those animals finally left.

By then the sky was already lightening, but they had been tossed about for most of the night; fortunately, after checking, no personnel were injured, only some were frightened.

After a night of torment, everyone looked utterly exhausted.

"Professor Zhang, those animals have damaged many tools."

Although no one was hurt, the equipment suffered; even Professor Zhang's glasses had one leg bitten off, with a clear row of tooth marks visible.

Even the cooking pots, bowls, and utensils were not spared; besides people and relics, anything that could be damaged was destroyed by them, even the generator's wires were bitten through.

Their destructive power was truly immense.

The archaeological tools were damaged, making it impossible for them to go bare-handed; to get a new batch would take time.

Professor Zhang rubbed his temples, "Investigate and see what's been damaged, contact the research institute and have them send new ones quickly."

An archaeology team member glanced nervously at Professor Zhang, "Everything's been destroyed."

Looking at the pile of tools that resembled broken copper and rotten iron, with hardly any intact spot, Professor Zhang sucked in a breath of cold air and stepped back a few paces.

If someone beside him hadn't been supporting him, he would have already collapsed and sat down on the ground.

Apart from not biting people and damaging artifacts, one could say that every place that could be bitten had been completely destroyed by these animals.

"Not good, Professor Zhang!"

Professor Zhang shuddered, almost having a stress reaction, his tone extremely heavy as he said, "What's happened again?"

The messenger looked at his complexion, seeming to hesitate whether to continue speaking.

"Go ahead, what blow could there be now that I can't bear?"

"Part of that ancient tomb has collapsed!"

Professor Zhang's eyes went black, he almost fainted, "What are you saying, how could an ancient tomb possibly collapse?"

Everyone rushed over to inspect the situation, only to see many animal footprints on the ground above the tomb; the soil here was soft and not firm, and with so many animals passing in herds.

Thus causing partial collapse, the area they had painstakingly dug out earlier was buried again.

The only good news is that this amount of collapse doesn't count as damaging the tomb, and the relics inside won't be affected.

But their work over the past few days amounted to nothing; now there aren't enough hands for excavation, and the tools have been damaged, which has delayed them considerably.

Although they say good things come after hardship, there has never been an archaeological project like this, with problems constantly arising, making it very hard to continue the work.

Earlier it was just animals coming to disturb and cause trouble; later, seeing them form a patrol team, the animals imitated them, and with so many animals, even if the entire archaeology team were combined, they couldn't resist.

Those animals' target was clear: destroy every visible tool, yet they didn't bite anyone.

It felt to the archaeology team as if the animals didn't want them to continue excavating the tomb.

One can't help but suspect whether someone is secretly controlling these animals, or whether the animals have truly become spirits.

A series of events has consumed most of the archaeology team's energy, and the subsequent progress can be described as extremely slow.

"I feel that recent strange events seem like there's a behind-the-scenes manipulator; you say those animals couldn't possibly have spontaneously organized to cause trouble and oppose us, right?"

"'Could it really be that someone is controlling them behind the scenes? Don't joke—could humans possibly communicate with animals?'"

"'I don't mean that; do you still remember what those few villagers said before they left?'"

"'You wouldn't really believe there's a Mountain God in this world, would you? We're all people who have received higher education.'"

"'What I mean is, could it be those villagers pulling a trick?'"

"'That's not impossible; speaking of the Mountain God, maybe the villagers just don't want them to dig.'"

"'But the problem is, if it really were the villagers, why would they do this, and how would they drive those animals?'"

"'This point is again incomprehensible.'"

"'Without any evidence, they can't just accuse those villagers baselessly.'"

"'Although those animals didn't attack them last night, for safety's sake, who can guarantee they won't attack humans next time?'"

"'After all, yesterday's scene left everyone shaken, and nobody wants to see a second occurrence.'"

"'The entire archaeology team plans to move to the mountain base; that way, those animals probably won't come over to disturb them.'"

"'Although going up and down the mountain is a bit troublesome, for the sake of personal safety, running a few extra mountain stretches is no problem.'"

"'If earlier they could barely understand it as human-caused, then what happened later is even more bewildering and incomprehensible.'"

"'They originally thought that after moving to the mountain base they would be able to sleep well.'"

"'But the archaeology team still couldn't sleep soundly; some people the next day still showed up with huge eye bags and dark circles, working.'"

"'The reason is simple: they had nightmares every night.'"

"'Logically, being so tired, they should just fall asleep as soon as they lie down, but after finally managing to fall asleep, they ended up having nightmares, which is truly exhausting both mentally and physically.'"

"'I don't know what happened yesterday, but I dreamed of being chased relentlessly by a White Bone; it was terrifying, and several times that White Bone almost hit my face.'"

"'One of them couldn't help but complain, recounting last night's dream.'"

"'His companion nearby, however, slightly changed expression: 'How coincidental—I also dreamed last night of being chased by a White Bone frame.'"

"'What a coincidence, me too.'"

"'After this exchange, everyone's faces turned extremely grim.'"

"'All of their dreams were actually quite similar; they all dreamed of a White Bone!'"

"'Could it really be this spooky? Everyone had the same dream last night.'"

"'Could it be because we entered the tomb during the day? But the problem is we haven't recently come into contact with ancient human remains, so it shouldn't be that our subconscious would all dream of this.'"

"'One person having a nightmare is normal, but so many people at the same time having dreams with little difference makes it seem rather eerie.'"

"'But some people, on the other hand, slept soundly without dreaming, and we don't know why.'"

"'Maybe it's just a coincidence.'"

"'Some of those who didn't dream, however, aren't quite believing what they say: 'How could it be that strange? Maybe you're just too fatigued and misremembering.'"

"'Hardly had those words been spoken when they were proven wrong, because that very night they also dreamed of the White Bone their companion had mentioned.'"

"'Moreover, the dream was incredibly vivid, almost making them feel as if they were actually there.'"

"'Being relentlessly chased by a gloomy White Bone.'"

"'The archaeology team members can't even remember when they last had a good, full night's sleep.'"

"'Since arriving here, strange events have occurred one after another, making archaeological work impossible to continue.'"

"'Damn it, have we encountered a White Bone Spirit?'"

"'Professor Zhang, maybe we should just give up; you've seen the strange events of the past few days too—although we don't believe in gods and ghosts, some things truly cannot be explained by science.'"

"'Those animals that keep coming to disturb them, plus the nightly identical nightmares, all these things are affecting the archaeology team's nerves.'"

"'They are just ordinary people; their bodies simply can't withstand such blows—although the surface harm isn't great, it subtly and covertly affects everyone's nerves.'"

At night they couldn't get rest; how could they have the energy to work?

Moreover, those animals would still fill dirt onto the graves; when they went up the mountain to look, they could always find animal footprints and traces of fresh soil near the graves.

The archaeologists drooped their heads in despair, 'Perhaps, just as those villagers said, the Mountain God does not want us to excavate this ancient tomb.'

Professor Zhang exclaimed in frustration, 'Where have you been reading your books? Listening to this talk, is that what a scholar should say?'

"But our work really cannot proceed; maybe this is heaven's will."

"Yeah, Professor, look at every time we've excavated—when have we ever encountered so many things?"

"Could it be that our ancestors won't let us dig?"

It must be said, the people's words do make some sense.

They have worked in this field for many years; some things cannot be disbelieved, and it cannot be called superstition—it is more like a long‑standing custom.

When the excavation meets repeated obstacles, perhaps it's time to consider giving up.

Professor Zhang thought carefully about what had happened these days and what everyone had said; his old bones couldn't take the turmoil, so he waved his hand and said:

"You go back now; I will give it proper thought."

……

Not long after, while the police investigation was still underway, they suddenly received news that the archaeological team was preparing to leave.

When Sun Zhenbang rushed over, Professor Zhang had already made his decision; he asked, somewhat puzzled: 'How did the archaeological team suddenly decide to leave?'

Professor Zhang sighed, 'We really have no choice—lately strange things have been happening nonstop around the tomb, and everyone on the team has been having the same nightmare; those tormented can't sleep at all.'

Professor Zhang poured out his grievances.

Sun Zhenbang looked somewhat curious, 'Are they being disturbed by animals? Like a beast tide?'

He recalled what the villagers had told him when he previously investigated the mountain village; later, based on beast tracks, they found the grave robbers' corpses, and now the archaeological team is also connected to that.

In this, could there be some hidden secret?

Sun Zhenbang sensed something was off, but he couldn't piece it together; he just felt increasingly strange, and upon hearing Professor Zhang's account, he couldn't help but be even more astonished.

"The same nightmare? What exactly is it like?"

Professor Zhang said helplessly, 'They all say they are chased by white bones in the dream.'

"White bones?!"

Sun Zhenbang stared off a bit; he didn't even catch what Professor Zhang said afterward.

A point in his memory was triggered; it seemed that earlier, when the traffickers reported to the police, they had also mentioned a White Bone Spirit, saying similar things about being chased by white bones.

Now the archaeological team all share the same nightmare, and white bones even appear in it—it's remarkably similar.

First there was abnormal beast activity, then white‑bone dreams……

This is truly too strange.

Sun Zhenbang thought so deeply that even when Professor Zhang called him several times, he didn't hear.

"Officer Sun, what's wrong with you?"

"Sorry, I just thought of something—this mountain really did have strange events in the past."

Sun Zhenbang related the earlier traffickers' incident, half‑jokingly saying, 'You guys shouldn't say it, but it really might be that we've encountered a White Bone Spirit.'

Professor Zhang's face showed astonishment, 'Actually, things like this still happen.'

Could the two be related?

Whether it was Sun Zhenbang or Professor Zhang, they both felt this matter was quite suspicious, but after thinking for a long time they still couldn't figure out the reason.

Professor Zhang sighed, 'Anyway, the archaeological team is leaving regardless; even if there really is a White Bone Spirit, it has nothing to do with us.'

"By the way, Officer Sun, how's the case progressing on your end? Have you recovered the missing portion of the artifacts?"

Upon mentioning this, Professor Zhang pressed further, being very concerned, because the lost artifacts are important and even involve some significant information from Zuoci's lifetime.

Sun Zhenbang's face showed guilt, 'Those grave robbers died under strange circumstances—like they were struck by lightning—but no weapon was found at the scene, and there was no natural lightning that day; it's odd. Because of their deaths, the current leads have been cut off; we only know these grave robbers were hired by an overseas antiquities smuggling syndicate, making it hard to pursue further. As for the lost artifacts, there are currently no new leads.'

"Overseas syndicate hired them?"

"Killed by lightning?"

Professor Zhang seemed to think of something, couldn't help but give a wry laugh, and likewise replied with a jest: 'Zuoci's writings once recorded a Five Thunder Method, called Palm Thunder; you say these grave robbers died strangely—could they not have been struck by that thunder method?'

(End of chapter)