Baebaexin

I don't think he's a loser, I think he found ways to defend himself, looks like his brother plotted against him and his own father despised him because he grew up to be weak and didn't met his dad's expectation on becoming a military man. Here comes out ML's aide.

Thank god he is so smart, he anticipated it. I want to see how he's gonna free himself and make the marquis believe he's the chosen one from the fake fortune teller... So funny :D

Amazing, amazing, amazing drama! 2 episodes a day are really not enough to placate my thirst, I want to watch more, like right now omg how can wait until tomorrow!... Just brilliant show, love it so much already.
The realistic show off of the construction site, preps and executions of the tomb's repair caught me off guard, so great to see. Anyway, this script writer is a genius. Can't wait to see more!

Not sure if you read my comments I posted before, but I think Kuai Duo, Zhang Hai's dad, had on him only the copper fish artifact when their clan was killed by the marquis, but in the tomb ther copper fish bracelet was definitely sitting on the ghost seal, and we saw him grab it before being reached and slain by the ghost soldiers. That second artifact, the ghost seal which looks like a cube, has the power to command the undead soldiers, so I'm not sure if it was his dad to make all the set up for his son in advance or it's someone else using the artifact to command the undead soldiers to help Zhang Hai. Certainly we will get to find all this out as the series release new episodes.

OMG this explains some stuff...
I just rewatched some scenes and in the second episode, we are let to get a glimpse of the word "dead" tattooed on the Master Xingdou's wrist. That tattoo means these people training and protecting Zhang Hai were dead soldiers left there especially for him, they were dead before and/or were supposed to be dead long ago, that's why after Zhang Hai left, the Master set the house on fire and closed himself inside, he was already meant to be dead...
Also, according to the books, all the members of the Zhang family have tattoos, made from a special mixture of herbs and blood, described as being black. Zhang Hai's master having a tattoo, makes of him a Zhang Clan member. Also, I think I've seen a scene in the series with the flags having the Qilin mythical creature depicted on them, not sure who these flags belongs to. Will have to do a deeper search.
I'm a bit shocked by these revelation and so so intrigued... Can't wait to see how these things will unfold, I'm sure Zhang Hai's other master Gaoming to have a similar tattoo, no wonder the camera panned intentionally on the master's wrist to let us see that tattoo.

Zhang Hai from the series cannot be Wang Zhanghai from the books. The original Wang Zanghai created the copper fish, the item that Zhang Hai's father Kuai Duo stole from that tomb in the beginning of the first episode and for which the marquis exterminated his clan. As Wang clan was opposed to Zhang clan, we can only presume Zhang Hai was part of the Zhang clan, or else his dad wouldn't need to rob that artefact and the ghost seal from the tomb.
Or we can presume the script writers created a new character, blending the two Zhang's into one (the Wang Zhanghai and the Zhang Qilin). We'll see.

The bracelet the Marquis took was the Snake browed Bronze fish, the key that grants access to the tombs. I didn't see him taking the ghost seal, I think the father hid that somewhere else, hence he killed himself to not reveal where it is.
I don't think we will see much on this side of the story, the producers said the plot is focused on Zhang Hai's revenge and has very little connection with the rest of the book.

I wrote a really long reply then I hit the wrong button and the comment was gone... won't type everything all over again but every scene has its meaning if you watch with interested eyes. Anyway, commenter before me is right, you should really use spoiler, many people doesn't want to know what's happening in advance.

How are you gonna distinguish between fans or haters? Is a person who loves c-dramas not a fan? What else would people do here if they were not fans...

He thought his sister was safe there and remember he was prohibited to go to the underground by his mom earlier, so he went there thinking he would only sneak a peek, he also needed to dig the entrances he closed earlier too so his sister was better hidden there, who could have thought...

In the opening episode the viewers are introduced to a world steeped in ancient mysteries and supernatural elements (very much related to the book "The Lost Tomb"). The narrative begins with Kuai Duo, the Imperial Astronomer, descending into a deep tomb where he retrieves a glowing artifact resembling a bracelet adorned with three fish motifs. This act triggers an attack by ghost soldiers, some silent, undead warriors who emerge from the shadows to protect the tomb's secrets.
The artifact's significance is profound.
In The Lost Tomb, the Snake-browed Bronze Fish and the Ghost Seal are two ancient artifacts that represent authority, secrecy, and the control of supernatural forces within the tomb world. The Snake-browed Bronze Fish (the one that Kuai Duo carried with him out) acts as a key, both literal and symbolic, that grants access to forbidden tombs and hidden knowledge. It marks its bearer as someone chosen or connected to the legacy of tomb guardians, particularly the Zhang family. Zhang Qiling carries one, emphasizing his role as heir to an ancient responsibility that stretches far beyond ordinary grave-robbing.
The Ghost Seal on the other hand, (the glowing cube artifact) holds a deeper, more ominous power. It is a sign of command over the dead, especially the ghost soldiers, who are bound by forces few understand. The seal may have been used to control or summon these undead guardians, linking directly to the supernatural side of the tomb-guarding tradition.
In the book, both objects reinforce Zhang Qiling’s identity as more than just a protector; they position him as someone with unique authority over the living and the dead. His connection to the ghost soldiers is not just through blood or destiny, but also through these ancient tools, relics that reflect the burden he carries and the world he was born to defend.
So in the series, we can understand why the Marquis Pingjing wanted to possess those artifacts so badly that he went to such length to sterminate the astronomer's entire clan. Those artifacts belong to the guardian of the emperor's tomb, and have the power to make someone immortal.
At least this is what I remember from The Lost tomb, and this explain many things in the plot.

Let me give some of you a bit of insight about the opening scenes in the first episode, I've seen a lot of people confused.
See spoiler:

Well, then if you already know Chinese I guess you don't really need english or german subs. I also understand mandarin but I still rather prefer to have subs even if they are not perfectly translated. I guess is a matter of habit and a tiny bit of laziness.

I don't think he doesn't have at all, they just altered them like they did with his face.

Nah, they really stripped his fingerprints off for identity purpose.

You can watch here, I tested it with 2 other languages. Put the language of the subs first in English, then change it to automatic translation and choose German, it works well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dct_2wScu_U

I don't think they hate the romance, I guess people think the romance might ruin the intrigue and tight revenge plot by conceding to the FL some stuff for the love of romance and CP. But there will be a bit of romance and the FL looks like a total badass matching well with our ML so far.

I think it's on youtube with multi subs, and on International youku also with multi subs. Not sure on Disney, I watch on Youtube with premium.

So, a summary of (more or less) what the ghost soldiers were in the book:
The ghost soldiers in The Lost Tomb were undead warriors created to guard the ancient tombs of past emperors and their secrets. They were deeply connected to Zhang Qiling (which is Zhang Hai for us) because they shared the same origin and purpose, protecting the hidden truths of the past. While the ghost soldiers have lost all sense of self, Zhang Qiling remained their human counterpart, bound by the same duty, but still retaining his will and identity. Their existence reflects the weight of his legacy and the cost of guarding forbidden knowledge. There's a theory among fans that they are preserved or enhanced via ancient techniques, possibly similar to Zhang Qiling’s own semi-immortality related to Kylin blood (a rare and mysterious type of blood possessed by Zhang Qiling, not just symbolic, it has unique, almost supernatural properties that set him apart from others) and forbidden rituals. (Btw, the Kylin blood grants Zhang Qiling enhanced physical abilities, extreme longevity, faster healing, and resistance to many of the supernatural forces that appear in the tombs. It’s part of what makes him nearly immortal and able to survive conditions that would kill a normal person. But all of this is in the books, not sure if we get to see even a glimpse of any of this though)

Zhang Hai is that "Zhang Qiling" from the books. But this drama is only oriented on the revenge story of Zhang Hai, not on anything else from the books, so we really don't know how much they will pour from that plot into this script, I've been already surprised to see the ghost soldiers in the first episode...