How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Chapter 128 Cliff Coffin

The servant took a knife and slashed and hacked, but the coffin didn't budge.

Master Huang then took it seriously, got up to examine it, and found knife marks on the coffin lid, though not deep, indicating that it was made of hardwood.

I took the knife and slashed it across the opening of the coffin; it seemed to have loosened up a bit inside.

"Hey, you guys start." Old Master Huang seemed to have thought of something and quickly took a step back.

The servant stepped forward and pushed with all his might, and he actually managed to move it. It seems that the cover had been closed for too long before; as long as some air was let in, it would be easy to move.

"Master...uh..." Before the servant could even claim credit, an arrow pierced through his chest.

"Ah..." Everyone exclaimed in surprise. Master Huang also rushed over to check. The servant was lying on the ground convulsing. "Master...I..." Before he could finish speaking, he was already gone.

Everyone was greatly shocked, but Master Huang sighed inwardly, thinking that his sister was a born thief, even scheming to steal treasure.

Composing himself, Master Huang said with a heavy heart, "Alas, I never imagined that this brother was doing this for such a reason. From now on, his family will be brought to our mansion to live in comfort. Steward, make a note of this matter."

"Yes."

After mourning the servant, Master Huang quickly urged the other servants to open the remaining coffins.

He had already looked inside the coffin; apart from the switch containing the feathered arrow, it was empty. It must have been hidden in another coffin.

"This..." The other servants looked at each other, none of them wanting to be the sucker.

The butler kicked him, saying, "That was an unexpected accident. Now that everyone knows it's dangerous, can't you avoid it?"

That being said, why don't you go yourself? The servants are all pushing and shoving, none of them wanting to be the first to step forward.

Master Huang frowned and said, "A hundred dollars will be awarded to anyone who can open the coffin, and a thousand dollars to anyone who finds something inside."

People die for money, birds die for food; as soon as Master Huang set his price, people were immediately tempted.

"Sir, is what you're saying true?"

"really."

The dark-faced man who had asked the question swallowed hard, steeled his resolve, slashed open the middle coffin with his knife, and then forcefully lifted it...

A fragrant breeze wafted by, and nothing unexpected happened.

"Hey, even God is on my side, sir, nothing's wrong," the man said happily.

"Then why don't you hurry up and check if there's anything inside?"

"Oh!" The man rushed over to look, and the man who hadn't even shown his face earlier couldn't help but regret it and also hurried over to see what his master was looking for.

“A… jar? Sir, there’s a jar in this coffin.”

Seeing that they were truly unharmed, Master Huang got up and came over to check on them.

Inside the coffin lay a grayish-yellow earthenware jar, crudely made, much like the kind of jar used by rural families to pickle sauerkraut. Its large belly must have contained quite a few things.

The dark-faced man was about to pick up the pottery jar when Master Huang stopped him, saying, "Don't move it. This is the ashes of my ancestors. Just carry it away like this."

The man withdrew his outstretched hand, looking quite troubled. "Sir, this mountain path is so narrow, how can you carry this jar?"

Mr. Huang stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought. He had originally assumed the body would be buried underground, so he had prepared bags, but they were no longer of any use.

Just as he was in a dilemma, he suddenly saw the body of the servant lying on the ground. Master Huang went over and stripped off his clothes and gave them to the man.

"Tie it to your body and take it with you."

The man was about to refuse when Master Huang sternly said, "What, does my word not count? Your indentures are still in my hands. Don't think that just because I'm being nice to you, you've forgotten your place."

The man had no choice, especially with Master Huang watching him intently from the side. He had to take the jar out, wrap it in his clothes, tie several together, and secure the pottery jar tightly to his body.

"Is it tied tight?"

The man stood up and jumped a few times, but the jar remained perfectly upright. "Tie it up tight, sir."

"Yes, let's go down the mountain." Master Huang waved his hand and prepared to go down the mountain.

The butler quickly reminded him, "Master, there's still one coffin left. Shall we stop looking at it?"

Master Huang, thinking of the saying "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," didn't want to hand over all the hidden treasure at once, so he generously said, "No need, let's go."

Master Huang took out the map again. From his recessed platform, he could see a stream flowing below and a dense forest in the distance. Behind him was the dangerous path they had just come from, but who knows what new path lay ahead?

I took a look at the edge; it was steep and imposing, and the higher you went, the colder it felt. Falling down there would surely mean certain death.

But the map's guidance ends here. Do we have to go back the way we just came from?

Mr. Huang fell into deep thought. How did his sister find this place in the first place?

However, the fact that a coffin could be transported down here must mean that there are other routes to take, otherwise how did the coffin get up there? Moreover, even the mountain path we just passed through can be seen to have been carved by someone, otherwise how could there be footholds on the straight mountain walls?

Master Huang ordered his men to search everywhere, for there must be other paths here.

The butler was very curious about the remaining coffin, but the master wouldn't allow it to be opened, so he could only secretly grope around, wondering if he could see what was hidden inside through the gaps in the coffin.

As the butler touched it, he suddenly felt a bump.

"Hmm? What's this?" The butler pressed down with curiosity.

A loud crash echoed as the butler looked up and saw a large patch of thick moss fall from the top of the cliff, revealing a copper stake, from which a large roll of rope hung down.

Master Huang was overjoyed; it was like a pillow being delivered just when he was sleepy. His sister was truly thoughtful.

"Quickly, pull the rope over here!" Master Huang shouted.

The butler yanked, and the rope broke in his hand. "Master...this...it's been too long, the rope has corroded."

Master Huang didn't believe it; there must be other ways. His sister had even left behind the rope and the copper stake, so there was no reason she hadn't considered the problem of the rope rotting.

"Look again, see if there's any rope nearby."

The group had no choice but to search again, but unfortunately they found nothing.

The butler hesitated, "Master, why don't we try the remaining coffin? Maybe it's there."

Old Master Huang had no choice but to agree; there were other routes available, and he absolutely did not want to take the mountain path anymore.

"open."

As soon as Master Huang gave the order, the others didn't hesitate any longer. They quickly used their knives to pry open the coffin lid and then pushed it open forcefully.

With a "whoosh," an arrow was shot out, but fortunately everyone was prepared and dodged it.

"Yes, there is one," the butler said happily. "This coffin is placed at the very back, where it won't be exposed to wind or rain, and the ropes are very strong."

The butler took a roll of rope out of the coffin; it wasn't hemp rope, but cowhide rope. It had been there for so long that the rope had stiffened, but fortunately, it still retained its strength.

I tested it, and the rope can still bear weight.

"Sir, it still works."

Master Huang tested it on his hand, "Find someone to try it, there will still be a reward."

At this point, more people stepped forward, saying, "Sir, please let me try it."

The thin, small man was the most agile and was the first to emerge.

Master Huang raised his chin and told the steward to give him the rope.

The thin man asked the other servants to lift him up, tie the leather rope to the copper stake, secure it, and then get down and tie the other end of the rope to himself.

“Sir, this rope is at least twenty meters long, enough for us to jump to that platform.”

Old Master Huang craned his neck to look and saw a platform about twenty meters to the left and below. He could go down from there and climb into the woods. Otherwise, he would have to jump off the steep cliff. It was about one or two hundred meters from the stream, and jumping down there would be certain death.