Chapter 36: Splitting the Big Coffin

Chapter 36: Splitting the Big Coffin

This mine shaft was very deep, and had been dug at a thirty-degree angle. The footholds were all grooves that had been smashed out of the stone, which were worn and slippery after being used for so long.

Old Man Zhang had been here for a long time and had some experience in climbing these kinds of tunnels, so he was further ahead.

The old man was second in line, with the others following, making it very cramped. The biggest issue with crawling in the tunnel was everyones shadows. The light from the torches and lanterns up ahead was blocked by peoples bodies, which created indiscernible shadows everywhere.

Zhang Qishan took off his gloves, touched the tunnel wall, and found that it was different from grave robbers tunnels from before. These tunnels had been made in a much cruder fashion, only focusing on speed and stability. When they were on the cliff, they could see a lot of scattered snake-eye stone clusters, which were the scattered minerals that hadn't formed on the vein. They had been left there because they had a lot of impurities and werent valuable enough to mine.

They had been walking for almost an hour, but didn't seem to be close to the bottom. There werent any signs that the tunnel had stopped or branched off anywhere, and the sound of the opera singing was flickering in and out with the changing airflow in the tunnel.

"Why is it so long?" Zhang Qishan asked.

The pockmarked old man replied, "Sir, this isnt long at all. Snake-eye stones are buried deep, so it takes several miles to find a vein."

A nearby soldier asked: "If were holding torches in the mine, will it explode?"

"Its not a coal mine. Theres air flow. The miners even used flame lanterns for many years. You have nothing to worry about." Old Man Zhang said.

He had just finished speaking when the opera singing up ahead suddenly became louder, startling everyone. The pockmarked old man tried to retreat, too frightened to go down any further. Old Man Zhang stopped and said, "This is it. He then told the people behind him to hold his feet while he hung upside down and held the torch out to look around.

Zhang Qishan pushed aside the people in front of him to get a look, but couldn't see past the overlapping silhouettes. All he could make out was the exit of the tunnel, which led to a huge space that must have been the main mine. When the torch was lowered down, the firelight reflected off something that appeared to be water.

Old Man Zhang jumped out of the exit and slid down the rock wall, landing in the water that reached his waist. As soon as it was stirred up, it gave off the stench of stagnant water.

Zhang Qishan also jumped into the water, leaving Qi Tiezui alone at the exit. Zhang Qishan raised his torch and found that the mine was about four or five meters high, indicating that this vein was quite large.

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Annnndddddd that's it! The end of the "Mystic Nine" book. Honestly not the worst stopping place *cough*TibetanSeaFlower*cough*. We've got Chen Pi's novel-esque story up next. The author made a "Mystic Nine" drama spoiler post so I'm sticking it down below because I'm too lazy to make another post lol.

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I have to post some spoilers:

The core of the Mystic Nine's story is an ancient tomb under a mine outside Changsha, which was mined during the Qing Dynasty and acquired by the Japanese in Chinas early Republic period. According to the Japaneses Hatoyama Report from that year, a meteorite was hidden in the ancient tomb deep in this mine.

This huge meteorite split into three pieces as it fell: one in Changbai Mountain, one in the Queen of the Wests country, and one near Changsha. Special ancient buildings were constructed around all of them.

This meteorite has a great power, which lets people enter it to see the world of the dead.

The Mystic Nine story has been written, and the TV series is already being filmed.

Yin Xinyue is an original character, as well as Zhang Qishan's wife. In the original work, Zhang Qishan lights the sky lanterns to ask for her hand in marriage, which will be emphasized in the TV drama and novels.

The Mystic Nine TV show hopes to fill in the pit of the Queen of the Wests meteorite.

PS:

1. Yin Xinyue is just a nickname, not her real name. It has something to do with her birth. In addition, the meteorite in The Mystic Nine is called "Bronze Mirror Stone".

2. I'm sorry, everyone, but I have to spoil a part of the plot that might cause a bit of a jam. My specific plot setting is still different from the common plot, but there really is a plot to enter the meteorite and reach the world of the dead to find Ya Tou. The book will be published soon, anyways, so it doesn't matter if I say it here.

3. Of course, the world of the dead isnt the final explanation.