Chapter 69: Epang Appears (1/2)
GOR Chapter 69: Epang Appears
The mercury rapidly poured down the valve port’s waterway and the level of mercury within the secret chamber quickly decreased.
The two of them were happy to realize that as the mercury began to pour down the valve port, the mercury flowing down from the holes on the walls also stopped all a sudden! It was likely that a control mechanism was involved in it.
They waited for around 20 to 30 minutes for the mercury to flow away, exposing the bottom area of the secret chamber.
The bottom area was shaped like a bowl, allowing the mercury to flow towards the valve port’s waterway that was located at the centre.
Soon, the mercury level reached the bottom. Chen Xiaolian and Miao Yan were pleasantly surprised to finally see the exit for this secret chamber!
At the most bottom right corner of this secret chamber, there was a hole leading to a passageway. Miao Yan jumped down from the stone platform and quickly ran over to investigate it. Pulling back, she laughed. “It really is the way out!”
Chen Xiaolian breathed a sigh of relief. He held onto Soo Soo and jumped down before running over.
This walled passageway was circular in shape and it went upwards. However, it was a winding path with no end in sight. Chen Xiaolian produced his flashlight and was about to move forward when Miao Yan stopped him. “What are you doing?”
“Opening the path,” Chen Xiaolian replied as a matter-of-factly.
“Your strength is too low. It would be best for me to do it. If we encounter any danger, I will be able to fight back,” Miao Yan shook her head.
Chen Xiaolian glanced at Miao Yan and smiled. “All right.” He smiled as he took two steps backwards, and made a ‘you first’ gesture.
Miao Yan lowered her head and entered the path. Chen Xiaolian deliberately fell back by about 5 to 6 steps, pulling Soo Soo with him as he too entered the passageway.
The walled passageway was very long, winding about up and down, left and right. It does however, give off the impression that it was headed upwards.
The walled passageway was very narrow. In the end, even one person could barely move through it. Additionally, they were also unable to maintain a straight posture with their bodies. Both Chen Xiaolian and the tall and slender Miao Yan had a difficult time there. On the other hand, the little Soo Soo did not face as much difficulty.
After having walked for nearly a quarter of an hour, Miao Yan who was at the front spoke out. “It seems we have reached the end!”
Miao Yan who was at the front pushed with both hands, pushing open a circular shaped stone board. A faint light from the exterior spilled down and Miao Yan poked out with her head and headed out. Chen Xiaolian and Soo Soo quickly followed suit.
The moment they emerged from the mouth of the hole, they caught sight of what lied on the outside and both Chen Xiaolian and Soo Soo became shocked!
Even Miao Yan, who was standing to the side was quietly observing the sight before her…
“This… this is…” Chen Xiaolian gasped!
…
What lied before them was a great mountain cavern that was without equal!
The size of it was simply unbelievable! Chen Xiaolian suspected that only by excavating an entire mountain range would it be possible to create such a big underground cavern!
Raising their heads, they were incapable of seeing the ceiling! All that they would see was the faint fluorescence emitted by some fluorite-like minerals embedded into the structure of the ceiling, seemingly concealed in its design. It shone like the blinking stars and when they saw it for the first time, they believed themselves to be standing under the starry night skies. What a glorious sight!
The mountain caverns area was extremely wide and open, perhaps even vast!
After all, the light from the ‘stars’ were weak. Thus, the surroundings remained mostly dark.
Even so, no edges could be seen when turning to the left or right!
Perhaps they would not have fallen into such a shocked state if it were only the vast mountain caverns they saw. However, the sight that made their eyes turned wide open was the thing that stood before them…
A massive and grand palace!
The only thing they could clearly see was probably the front hall of the palace! They spread out to observe it and saw that it has a width of hundreds of steps! Made of rammed earth upon stone foundation, it rose high above with a height of 7 to 8 metres! Pavilion buildings could be seen everywhere!
Both sides of the front hall, which stood high, were open, revealing corridors; the eaves of the rooftop were ancient yet strong, and the atmosphere of darkness caused it to exude a certain feeling of coldness.
At the centre was a staircase leading to the top with a width of tens of metres! The markings of a pair of Yin Yang dragons were fashioned onto the stairs. On each side, gigantic, ferocious looking sculptures of stone beasts of ancient times were placed to stand guard.
Atop the flight of stairs were two astonishingly enormous black gates! Exuding a dignified aura of vitality, the gates were shut tight.
Chen Xiaolian had visited the Imperial City before, but the old palace of the Forbidden City pales in comparison to the majesty of this palace before him!
Chen Xiaolian had once visited a movie set and observed the architectures involved in the restoration and construction of the imperial palace. Within the famed movie ‘Curse of the Bouncing Breasts’, he had witnessed the imposing majesty of the great hall… [1]
However, this front hall before him was at least 2 times bigger than the front hall of the imperial palace within the movie!
This magnificent great hall was like the firmament of the Heavens standing upon the mountain peak, and this mountain interior was like the outer walls of the palace located within this vast underground hole. This grand palace stood before them!
How such a gigantic interior could be excavated within a mountain, how that Heaven like top of this mountain cavern could resist collapsing upon itself; it was as though everything within this space had overturned Chen Xiaolian’s knowledge of common sense and laws of physics!
Miao Yan stared at the grand hall before them and was also stunned for at least one minute. She then exhaled deeply. “This… is the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang? How spectacular!”
“Not Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang,” Chen Xiaolian’s face turned somewhat peculiar and he suddenly whispered in a low tone.
“Encompassing 300 odd li, severing the light of day.
From the north of Mt. Li to the west, straight to Xianyang.
Two rivers dissolve, flowing into the mighty walls.
A tall building for every five steps, a pavilion for every ten steps.
The twisting promenade forms a long circle, eaves peck high into the air.
Each pavilion in its own terrain, the promenade forms the hook of the Big Dipper.
It coils about, bending and twisting, dense like honeycomb structures form a whirlpool, how many hundred thousand pedestals are there.
The long bridge lies upon the lake, yet without the clouds how could the dragon…” [2]
Hearing that, Miao Yan frowned. “What are you reciting? A poem?”
Chen Xiaolian’s face was one of complexity. Upon it were emotions, of absurdity, of calmness and also a trace of awe.
He took a deep breath and whispered. “Six kingdoms reached their end, the four seas were united, Mt. Shu rose, Epang appeared.”
“What?”
“This is not a mausoleum, this is… Epang Palace!”
Epang Palace!
The palace that had disappeared from history has miraculously appeared before them!