The Lost Tomb Vol. 7

Chapter 48: Secrets

Xiao Hua compared the two again and told me his idea, "The reliefs around us are only set up in four directions, but the iron plate can rotate. Even if we didn't have these photos, it's easy to deduce the position of the iron plate without checking. If this is a secret hint, it's too easy to test. And there's no combination."

I frowned, still not really understanding what he was saying. He continued, "For example, in our safe deposit box, there are at least three passwords you need to open it. One of the three passwords will have up to ninety possibilities, so the complexity of the passwords is enough. No matter what this iron plate is, if it's combined with the relief around it, then there are only four possibilities for the code. Any three-year-old child could easily try it out." He paused. "If that's the case, then it's useless. For example, if the password to your safe is only one digit that can only be one through four, then it's not a safe because it's not secure at all."

I flicked the photo with my finger and immediately understood that he was right.

Xiao Hua continued, "We assume that the technology at that time could only make a lock with a one-digit password that's only one to four digits. If that were the case, how would you make this lock have an effective safety function?" He looked at me. "Do you know the law of contraction?"

I shook my head. Xiao Hua's tone was calm, as if he were an old artist telling others about a play. "When you don't have enough choices, reduce the number of times you choose. It's just like dismantling bombs. When you only have red, yellow, and blue wires to cut, then you can only cut one at most, and the wrong cut will cause it to explode. If we're right, we'll probably only have one chance to turn this iron plate. If we're wrong, it'll probably activate the traps here, and I don't know what the consequences will be."

As he spoke, he looked at the tunnel, "You can't just try it without full assurance and preparation. There's already been a tragedy here, and it's likely to happen again."

I was a little stunned when I heard this. I suddenly felt like I didn't know him at all. "Do you often use this tone to solve problems?"

He shined a flashlight on the bloody iron plate and said, "In the Xie family, we have to do things meticulously. That's how I was taught since I was a child."

The Mystic Nine's Xie Jiuye was indeed famous for running a tight ship. I thought about it and wondered what kind of rules the Wu family followed when doing such things. My grandfather seemed to be famous for his popularity, which didn't really sound appropriate in this situation.

"Well, Little Master Nine, what should we do now?" I plopped to the ground.

Xiao Hua said, "We have to think from the beginning. There's a reason for everything. It's definitely necessary to set up such a delicate mechanism here. Let's think about it, Little Master Three."

After hearing this long-lost address, I didn't know why, but I suddenly felt a little melancholy. We both glanced at each other and smiled. It seemed like the two of us really did carry a lot of similar burdens.

As we quieted down, I found and ate a packet of beef jerky from the food I brought and then said, "What do you think? How did the descendants of the Zhang family use the mechanisms here? Let's think about it this way. For example, you're a descendant of the Zhang family and your father died. You'll bury him in the Zhang family's building in Guangxi. Let's simulate the whole process."

Xiao Hua said, "I would definitely burn him secretly and then tell them that I already put him in there. My family wouldn't do anything extra."

"But suppose it's the Zhang family. What's the situation?" I asked.

Xiao Hua thought for a moment, "In the beginning, I would definitely get an explanation. The elders of the family would take me to a secret place and tell me that we have a family tomb. I have to bury my father in the tomb, but the tomb has very strict anti-theft measures. We must first go to Sichuan's Siguniang Mountain to find a cave where we can get the key to open the tomb."

"It doesn't make sense. If that's the case, you won't be able see the hint on the relief on the other side of Guangxi. You should go to Guangxi first, find the tomb, find the hint on the relief, and then come to the cave here to find the key."

"Is the hint on that relief sculpture: Please take photos here and bring them to Sichuan's Siguniang Mountain?"

I didn't think it was funny at all. I was just about to give him a bitter smile, when I suddenly had a niggling suspicion and thought of something.

"Photos? Yes, photos."

I immediately grabbed the Guangxi photos, squeezed them in my hand, adjusted my thoughts, and then thought, oh, shit.

This was a very typical preconceived mistake. People would always take the current realistic details as the basis for their judgment, and ignore the various factors of time and place. We had always believed that the relief sculpture on the other side of Guangxi was meant as a hint for here. But at that time, there was no photographic technology in the world.

So, in other words, there wouldn't be a situation where we would be sitting here looking at the Guangxi photos. The most they could convey at that time would be a painted copy or simply using their own memory. And whether it was copying or remembering, there would always be a loss of detail.

In particular, forgeries and other copies of paintings were likely to spread to the public, so if copying could convey any information, it would be very unsafe. As an ancient tomb with such complicated anti-theft measures, it was impossible to make such a mistake. Moreover, how would they ensure that future generations would take drawing tools to the tomb? Was it true that all the Zhang family members were trained in drawing skills and techniques from an early age, and had to bring a full set of drawing tools with them whenever they held a burial?

If that was the case, then this photo didn't just contain a picture. Whatever it was trying to convey should be outside of the picture. For example, when the Zhang family saw the relief sculpture, they might suddenly realize the secret. Another example would be the cartoon "The Sheep Below is Dead." When others saw the picture, they would only see two pigeons and a dead sheep, but those who knew something would immediately understand the tricks in the picture.

It was useless to pay attention to the photos. Instead, we had to understand the meaning of the images depicted in the photos.