Archaeologist Renshu Liu's quiet life working on the site of the Terracotta Warriors is disturbed when he is asked to explore the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China, a tomb that no historian has been able to enter due to vast amounts of mercury and traps set over two thousand years ago. Working in isolation, Renshu begins to hallucinate when he doesn't use the protection of his oxygen mask, and finds the tainted air allows him to experience the ancient tomb as a living place.His wife is alarmed by his change in behavior, but he insists on continuing, claiming he has built a rapport with the presences he encounters, and soon he ponders whether he has the right, no matter how historically significant, to dig up this private burial mound to satisfy peoples' interest.This novel incorporates modern life, mental health, ancient cultural beliefs, and the complexities of exposing historical treasures to the public.