Chapter 45

Huang Hong and his companions, who were puzzled, continued to look at the tombstone, hoping for some explanation on it.

‘My name is Gong Sun De, styled Ziming. I am the 97th generation leader of the Gong Sun clan, which is a descendant of Lu Ban. Due to the greed of the Japanese pirates for the Lu Ban manual, fortunately, General Song arrived in time to save the bloodline and ensure its continuation. This monument is erected here for that reason.’

The few words left on this tombstone only introduced the relationship between the Gong Sun clan and Song Yingchang, and the reason for erecting the monument, without providing any other information, which was truly frustrating.

Huang Hong was also enlightened, realizing that they were descendants of Lu Ban. No wonder there were countless traps and mechanisms; this was what they were best at.

Fortunately, there were still five more tombstones in the entire tomb. The main tombstone of the central tomb had already been seen; it was a cenotaph erected by the Gong Sun clan for Song Yingchang, with no other words. They decided to leave it for now and look at the other stone tablets first.

Approaching another stone tablet, they used a brush to clean the surface bit by bit. This tablet told a story.

When a family becomes large, there will always be wastrels and incapable heirs, which is the most delightful thing for enemies. By exploiting these weaknesses, they can gradually gain control over the Gong Sun family.

The Japanese pirates did just that, using threats, inducements, and torture. The few wastrels of the Gong Sun family could not bear it and revealed everything.

Upon hearing about the magical tools and practical gadgets, the Japanese pirates, who were already greedy, could not hold back. They sent an army disguised as pirates to openly attack the Gong Sun clan.

A country against a family, there was no need to think; the Gong Sun clan suffered a crushing defeat. Even the most secret Lu Ban manual was eventually seized. If Song Yingchang had not arrived in time, the Gong Sun clan would have been wiped out. However, such a blow was enormous. Apart from the deaths of the craftsmen, the greatest loss was the interruption of the lineage.

Later, the appearance of ninjas among the Japanese pirates was also due to the Lu Ban manual. In the twisted minds of the Japanese pirates, all the formulas and tools in the Lu Ban manual were adapted into weapons of murder, leading to the emergence of ninjas, who replaced the original samurai of the Japanese pirates.

Several consecutive stone tablets told this tortuous story, and the years of their erection differed by several decades. It seemed that this might be the ancestral tomb of the Gong Sun family.

Finally, Huang Hong and his companions found on a stone tablet why the soldiers of the Song Dynasty were here, and the mystery was revealed with the stone tablet.

As they had guessed, this was the ancestral tomb of the Gong Sun family. Before each generation's leader died, they would come in to carve a stone tablet to record their outstanding contributions or significant events.

There was a period of turmoil, and those soldiers of the Song Dynasty came to raid the family. They were tricked into the ancestral tomb and killed with a colorless and odorless poison gas, maintaining their death postures as they were in life.

The stone tablets from before the Song Dynasty were also almost completely destroyed, which was the greatest loss in archaeological history. Even the composed elder Huang Hong, upon seeing this, burst into curses, completely disregarding his image.

The last stone tablet narrated the blood-soaked history of the Gong Sun clan being massacred by the Japanese pirates. The surrounding coffins were all those of the leaders of the Gong Sun clan, each marked with a number representing the generation. In front of each leader, there was a stone tablet recording their deeds for future generations to refer to.

The last leader, Gong Sun De, who established the cenotaph, was placed in the center as a sign of respect. This was also to thank Song Yingchang for saving the last bit of the Gong Sun clan's bloodline, allowing the clan to continue.

In ancient times, the greatest form of filial impiety was having no descendants. Even though the Gong Sun clan declined under Gong Sun De, he could close his eyes in peace because the lineage was not cut off.

The fallen Gong Sun clan was no longer a clan but a small family. The map to enter the ancestral tomb was completely destroyed in the clan-exterminating battle, so the descendants of the Gong Sun clan never entered again.

After reading all the stone tablets, Huang Hong and the three professors felt a heavy heart. The meaning conveyed by these words was so profound.

They called the students to record all the information and take photos. Huang Hong then began the most important task, which was to open the coffins.

Except for the cenotaph in the center, which contained nothing, all the other coffins held the leaders of the Gong Sun clan. This was one of the greatest discoveries in archaeological history, proving that China is an ancient country.

The bodies here ranged from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, with no interruptions, making them the most important treasures in archaeological history, unparalleled.

Therefore, opening the coffins was of utmost importance and could not be taken lightly. Huang Hong asked everyone to step back and put on a gas mask, fearing that the decayed gases inside the coffins might cause trouble. If inhaled, they could cause vomiting and diarrhea for several days, or even require hospitalization. Everyone understood and stepped back to a safe distance.

The stone tablet indicated that this was the coffin of a leader from the mid-Song Dynasty.

As expected, after opening the coffin, the three professors waited for the decayed gases and other substances to dissipate before gradually approaching to carefully examine the body inside.

A typical Song Dynasty person, the body was almost mummified. The nearly rotten clothes still showed that it was a Song Dynasty ceremonial robe. Several porcelain containers held gold and silver, filled to the brim. Clearly, these were burial goods.

"It seems our guess was correct. This is a Song Dynasty ceremonial robe. Although the body is unrecognizable, the robe has not completely decayed. The porcelain containers also prove that they are from the Song Dynasty. Tang Dynasty porcelain is different from Song Dynasty porcelain, and these clearly bear the characteristics of the Song Dynasty."

Understanding porcelain is a basic skill for every archaeologist. How could they identify the era and history if they couldn't recognize these?

The students under Huang Hong's command were busy taking notes, recording the process of opening the coffin and Huang Hong's words, analyzing the era and uncovering history. Some were taking photos of everything inside the coffin from all angles.

...

On the other side, Lin Xiao, driven by intense curiosity, was exploring on his own, touching and examining everything. After knocking over a soldier, he moved on to other areas.

Everything here was new to Lin Xiao, who had never been exposed to it before. Relying on his martial arts skills, he boldly explored alone.

Seeing the statues next to the coffins, Lin Xiao had no interest in the stone tablets but was fascinated by the statues. He spent most of his time comparing the differences between each statue. When he saw a comical face, he might touch it. Some statues had particularly large noses, and Lin Xiao would poke them with his fingers, enjoying himself immensely.

Even if Huang Hong saw him, he did not intervene, letting him be as long as he did not cause any damage.

Suddenly, Lin Xiao stopped, standing still and staring at a spot, like a statue, motionless.