Next to the Outer Coffin were scattered decayed rosewood boxes. Though they were made of rosewood, most had turned black with time, revealing various treasures inside.
Leo asked Domingo in confusion, “What did you just shout?”
Domingo blushed and lowered her head, embarrassed. “I suddenly saw three coffins lying there and got scared.”
Leo found it amusing. Domingo’s timid behavior was like that of a child.
Leo stopped looking at Domingo’s flushed face and walked towards the platform.
Chloe heard footsteps behind her and knew it was Leo. She said, “Give me a hand.”
“Hmm?” Leo stood still and repeated, “Push it open?”
“Yes,” Chloe moved aside to make room for Leo.
Leo asked, “If we push it open directly, won’t the body inside rot if it’s still intact?”
Chloe tapped the rosewood Outer Coffin and said, “Look.”
She pressed down with one finger, and with a light sound, her finger easily went through until the base, as if she had an iron grip.
“This Outer Coffin looks intact on the outside, but it’s dried out inside. Even if there’s a body, it must be decayed. We should open it and see.”
Chloe was an expert in this area, so Leo didn’t argue further. He moved to an empty spot on the ground.
The treasures from the decayed wooden boxes scattered around the Outer Coffin almost filled the entire platform.
Leo had to carefully clear a path with his toes to continue walking inside.
He reached Chloe’s side, and by then, Domingo had recovered from the initial shock of seeing the Outer Coffin.
However, she still didn’t dare approach the three coffins, especially the one on the right, which was twice the size of the one on the left. It seemed as if something terrifying was inside.
Domingo took advantage of the light coming from the top of the tomb and went to a quiet room on the left.
Leo placed his hands on the Outer Coffin. He was taller than Chloe by a head and could see the tiny holes made by insects on the rosewood coffin, revealing some fibrous material inside.
It was indeed almost completely decayed.
This tomb was meant for the dead but was built like a palace for the living. Naturally, these items couldn’t be preserved for long.
However, ancient people often transferred their luxurious living conditions to their tombs, so this setup wasn’t unusual.
Leo and Chloe exerted force together. The coffin wood made a sharp creaking sound, followed by two clear clicks as two black coffin nails popped out.
The nails were covered in rust and could no longer hold in the decayed coffin wood.
With the nails removed, the coffin wood moved more smoothly.
The lid was pushed aside by Leo and Chloe and fell diagonally to the ground.
The force was too great, causing the coffin wood to break apart and raise a cloud of dust.
Leo leaned in to look inside.
Chloe, experienced in such matters, jumped up a few times while holding onto the coffin wood.
Her height matched that of the Outer Coffin, making it difficult for her to see inside.
Leo first saw something golden-a Sunrise Dragon Quilt.
The dragon had five claws and intertwined with a phoenix, surrounded by clouds and moons. The embroidery was exquisite.
Leo reached out to touch it. Though the quilt had decayed significantly, it still felt good to the touch.
Beside the quilt were scattered gold and silver ornaments that looked like items worn by the owner during their lifetime.
Leo lifted the quilt to find another layer underneath, this one sky blue with various auspicious patterns.
At that moment, Leo heard a scraping sound and saw Chloe rolling a stone stool over from somewhere.
She cleared a path beside the Outer Coffin and rolled the stone stool over before lifting it with both hands.
Leo was surprised. Though Chloe struggled to lift the stool, she was quite strong for a woman.
Chloe stepped on the stone stool to look into the Outer Coffin. Now she was taller than Leo by a head and could easily reach inside.
“Is this… Goldmelt Earrings? And Cloudstrider Rings?” Chloe exclaimed in surprise.
Leo couldn’t recognize those items or understand their significance. Most of them were unfamiliar to him.
As an outsider to antiques, Leo relied on his spiritual sense to examine items’ spiritual power.
The items Chloe mentioned had ancient designs and showed no signs of age but lacked any spiritual power under his scrutiny. Hence, Leo wasn’t very interested.
However, to Chloe, a legitimate archaeologist, these were priceless treasures.
Ancient artifacts recorded in old books were often known only by name. Seeing them in person filled her with indescribable excitement.
Just then, Domingo let out another low cry from not far away.
This time, her voice was much calmer, as if she had seen something remarkable.
“Domingo, are you alright?” Leo called out loudly.
“Oh, I’m fine,” Domingo’s voice replied.
Relieved, Leo guessed she had seen something unusual again.
Leo and Chloe continued uncovering layers of quilts.
After twenty layers, Chloe did most of the work as Leo could no longer reach the bottom of the Outer Coffin.
As they uncovered more quilts, various scattered ornaments fell layer by layer and eventually gathered at the bottom of the coffin.
Leo struggled to clear away those ornaments. He leaned over the Outer Coffin so much that if someone pushed him lightly from behind, he would likely fall in.
Suddenly, there was a rush of wind beside him as someone jumped into the coffin and stood at its side to continue uncovering quilts.
Naturally, it was Chloe who had jumped in.
“Are you crazy? Get out.”
Chloe looked up and asked in confusion, “Why should I get out? This is how we always clean up!”
“Don’t worry. This Outer Coffin is big enough. The body won’t be on the side; it must be in the center. I won’t step on it.”
Chloe’s cleaning speed increased significantly after jumping into the coffin.
She cleared a spot for her feet at the bottom of the coffin. Unlike the decayed coffin wood above, the bottom was well-preserved and didn’t give way under her feet.
“This is the last layer,” Chloe’s voice trembled slightly.
Leo also leaned over the edge of the coffin with his heart racing.
The quilts in this Outer Coffin were so numerous that he suspected if a living person lay inside, they would be suffocated by them.