Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 532 Mechanical Arts!
The three of them jumped one by one from the stone slabs into the water, ignoring the icy cold water, staring blankly at what was directly above them.

It was an indescribable object, its material appearing to be bronze, and at first glance, its shape was roughly similar to a honeycomb.

In addition to the ancient, tight, and strange patterns, the irregular surface is covered with countless dense holes.

It looks like a miniature version of the giant meteorite deep underground in the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West.

However, unlike the meteorite jade, the holes on this bronze block are not for people to pass through.

Countless chains extend from the holes, leading to small openings in the underwater stone walls, connecting to countless hidden mechanisms deep within.

Several chains extending from the iron plate in the distant stone chamber also connect to the five holes directly below this strange nest.

"My God, this is a huge and ancient cipher module!"

Wu Xie could hardly believe his eyes. He rubbed them again and again, exclaiming in surprise.

It's hard to imagine that such a sophisticated modular technology existed in ancient China.

In many historical sites, the wisdom of the ancients often makes modern people, who call themselves part of the technological age, feel ashamed of their inferiority.

"These chains extending from the bearings control the mechanisms inside. Only one chain activates the correct decoding; the others represent errors."

"Once the wrong chain is broken, the consequences are obvious, aren't they?"

Hu Ming squinted and shone the light on the five chains below.

In theory, Hu Ming and his two companions only need to pull all five main chains and numerous sub-chains to one side to finish the task.

But the problem is, the Zhang family isn't stupid.

A wrong chain is bound to be linked to a deadly trap or hidden weapon.

Logically speaking, such a core area, even in order to protect the core of the mechanism module, would not contain anything deadly.

At most, the madman hanging in the stone chamber in front might have been hit by a sieve or corroded by some kind of poisonous gas; it's impossible for it to have affected this place.

The problem is coming.

Since the iron plate could be easily pried open to allow outsiders to come here, and ferocious red-haired armadillos, crested snakes, and pottery jars of unknown purpose were "raised" along the way, the situation was quite different.

All of this suggests that there must be something deadly hidden here, and it wouldn't be a loss to destroy this place.

Never doubt how ruthless an ancient family with a thousand-year-old tradition can be in protecting a secret!
“That’s right. Nowadays, passwords usually have error limits. Only when the number of errors exceeds a certain number will there be a penalty procedure. However, the ancients were not so merciful.”

"Judging from the current situation, this place is not used that frequently, so if even one thing is done wrong, the result could be fatal."

"We need to know exactly which one it is before we can pull it."

After thinking for a moment, Wu Xie sighed.

This is quite awkward, precisely because the three of them have no idea about the correct combination of the password to unlock the device, which is also the reason they came here.

"What's going on, Dr. Third Master? Are you just using your brain? Is that your specialty?"

"I think you could totally open a course called 'Academic Tomb Raiding' in The Mystic Nine and have you give a few lectures."

Even in this situation, Xiaohua maintained an optimistic attitude and was still in the mood for lighthearted jokes. "Get lost, I have a headache!"

Wu Xie rolled his eyes and laughed irritably.

"I think you've probably forgotten one thing."

Just then, Hu Ming smiled, took off his coat, leaving only a close-fitting short-sleeved shirt, removed his useless tool backpack, and stretched his body.

"What's the meaning?"

The two were taken aback and looked at Hu Ming with great curiosity.

They're not bragging, but in the current situation, without precise intelligence, no one would dare touch any of the chains here.

Risking your life for a chance to activate a mechanism. This thing is more thrilling than any roulette game in the world!
The chance of dying in the Hungry Kingdom's roulette game is only one in six.

And what about here?
Wu Xie roughly counted them; besides the five main chains, there were thirty-one sub-chains. Who knows how many permutations and combinations there are in total?
If you rashly touch these things, rounding up, it's almost a guaranteed disaster.

Of course, given Hu Ming's mysterious methods, he might escape with his life, but he and Xiao Hua are definitely doomed.

"I've been thinking about it, and I don't think I've ever given you a detailed self-introduction before?"

Hu Ming shrugged, then stomped his foot, creating a large splash in the water at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

He soared into the sky, using the rock wall as leverage, and leaped onto the bronze module in mid-air.

With his hands and feet moving rapidly on the bronze module, his movements were more agile and precise than those of the most nimble feline, and in the blink of an eye, he had climbed to the very top of the bronze module.

During this time, Hu Ming did not touch any of the chains and made almost no sound.

Do you know the origins of mechanical arts?

After doing all this, Hu Ming squatted on top of the bronze block, lightly tapping his knuckles to produce a crisp knocking sound.

"I know, some people believe that the art of mechanical devices was popularized by the Mohists during the Warring States period."

"Among them, at the end of the Warring States period, when the Mohist school was in extreme decline, a genius of unparalleled talent combined the essence of the Mohist school and the Gongshu school's domineering mechanical arts to create the legendary 'Thousand-Machine Mechanical Arts.'"

"Unfortunately, this masterpiece has not survived... Wait a minute!"

Wu Xie was talking about the origin of mechanical arts when suddenly his pupils contracted as he remembered something.

Wu Sansheng seemed to have told him a story about Hu Ming before!
"I know all the unique skills related to the Mohist school! I also have some knowledge of the 'Thousand Machine Mechanism Technique'!"

Hu Ming grinned and quickened his pace.

Close your eyes and concentrate on listening.

Hu Ming carefully analyzed the information brought back from the sounds emanating from inside the bronze module, and devoted himself to analyzing its many structural combinations.

Upon seeing this, Wu Xie and Xiao Hua instinctively shut their mouths, hiding their surprise and shock, and quietly watched Hu Ming operate.

For a moment, apart from the sound of Hu Ming lightly tapping the bronze module, no other sound was produced.

A full quarter of an hour later, Hu Ming opened his eyes and smiled confidently.