The Unorthodox Tomb Raider

Wu Xie said softly.

Old Yang nodded.

“You should be very clear about the current situation. We don’t even know where we are right now. Even if we give you everything and let you leave with your backpack, where can you go? It’s better if you come with us to explore this ancient tomb. If there’s anything good, we’ll give you whatever amount Old Tai gives you. Our chances of survival are better if we travel together. If we encounter something strange here and wet our pants, that’s a small matter. Dying here is the real big deal.”

Wu Xie said slowly and deliberately.

"However, if you don't want to go, we won't force you. Just take off everything you can and leave only something to cover yourself."

Old Yang immediately said.

The two of them were singing in unison, which amused Fang Yun. He never expected that these two lads had such talent.

One played the good cop and the other the bad cop, making the seemingly cold advisor in front of them tremble with fear.

A hint of greed appeared on his face, subtle yet very obvious to Fang Yun.

"No, no, no, let's talk this over. Since you two think so highly of me, it's not easy for me to refuse. In fact, with my talent and your experience combined, the effect will definitely be greater than three times the result. Our collaboration will surely be very pleasant."

"Master Liang said quickly."

"That old guy is really a weather vane, he bends whichever way the wind blows. His change of heart is faster than the face-changing in Sichuan opera. Grandpa was right after all. People's hearts are treacherous. You can meet all kinds of people and all kinds of people can live in this world."

Wu Xie couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"I can share what's in my backpack with you. Actually, it's just some food and a change of clothes. Small fry like me wouldn't carry important equipment on me. The important equipment is carried by Lao Tai and Er Mazi, the two core members. This flare gun is something we agreed on before we came down, so we can use it to call for help if we get separated."

Liang Shiye opened his backpack and said.

"It seems you're just a dispensable person in this team. It's such a waste that you still followed them down here after how they treated you."

Wu Xie said in a sarcastic tone.

Chapter 318 The Fifth Person! The Storyteller, Master Liang!

Liang Shiye could only shake his head helplessly.

"Old Yang, there's something I need to ask you. How did you climb up here? It really takes several years of experience climbing steep cliffs to get up here."

Wu Xie quickly asked.

“You only know one side of the story. It seems like there’s nowhere to put your feet right now, but once you start climbing, you’ll find it’s quite easy. There are plenty of places to put your feet. Although climbing down from the top is a bit harder, it’s not too difficult, as long as you have a light source.”

Old Yang quickly explained.

"I see there are quite a few branches here, and some of them should be dry. Why don't we find some branches and make a few simple torches? Using the torches for lighting shouldn't be a big problem. Let's rest for a bit. It's been about ten hours since we came down, and our burns are quite severe. Let's rest for the night and decide tomorrow whether to go down into the ancient tomb or go to heal our wounds."

Wu Xie said.

“That’s right. This ancient tomb is different from other things. Some things can be dealt with one step at a time, but if you don’t have a well-thought-out plan and just rush in like a headless fly, the chances of dying are very high. In the ancient tomb, the knowledge on paper alone cannot help you avoid all the dangers. You should all get a good rest tonight, and I will plan the rest of the trip.”

Fang Yun said calmly.

Wu Xie and Lao Yang nodded.

"Sigh, we've been brothers for over a decade, but now when we meet, we can't see into each other's hearts. I have no idea why Old Yang brought me here. He keeps saying it will bring me great benefits, but I don't value money as much as I do. My interest in antiques is only because of my family. I wouldn't say I personally like antiques. I don't know what this great benefit is all about."

"And that old Tai and the so-called Boss Wang, there's no news at all whether those two are alive or dead. Both of them have guns. If we run into each other, even if we have the numbers, we won't be able to subdue them easily. We still have to be careful."

Wu Xie's mind was full of questions and thoughts.

"Hey, Master, it's already around eleven o'clock outside. We haven't stopped to rest along the way. Let's not go down tonight. Let's get a good night's rest, clean up our wounds, and make plans tomorrow. We definitely can't let our bodies get too tired before going to the ancient tomb. If we're too tired, the risk of dying in the ancient tomb will be a few times higher."

Old Yang said to Master Liang.

Master Liang nodded fearfully.

Seeing that Wu Xie seemed to be thinking about something, Lao Yang didn't disturb him. He took a can from his backpack, put it on the campfire to boil some water, and soaked some of the dry food he carried with him until it softened before eating it.

They shared some more chocolate to replenish their energy. Old Yang was really exhausted. Wu Xie told Fang Yun and the others to rest for a while while he watched the fire, but Old Yang waved his hand, thinking there was no danger here.

"I'm not just here to watch the fire, but more importantly, to see that Liang Shiye. He looks like a complete coward on the surface, but these kinds of people are often the kind who hide their true colors. If the three of us fall asleep and he reveals his true colors, then we'll all be unjustly killed."

Wu Xie said softly.

"Since you're worried about that kid, why don't we tie him up and get a good night's sleep, then untie him the next day?"

Old Yang said, looking sleepy.

"Alright, you two go and rest. I'll keep watch here. I need to sort out some things. I'll call you to switch shifts when I get sleepy."

Fang Yun said calmly.

Wu Xie and Lao Yang nodded.

Wu Xie's burns were quite severe, and he was naturally very grateful to Fang Yun for being willing to take the shift.

Before resting, I wiped my wounds clean and applied some medicine to the areas that needed it.

The three of them slept together for the night, while Fang Yun sat on the edge of the cliff, seemingly deep in thought.

Wu Xie didn't know how long he had slept, but he vaguely felt someone calling him awake. When he looked up, he saw Fang Yun.

"The canned food is already warming up on the campfire. Get up and eat it quickly, and then we'll be ready to enter this ancient tomb."

Fang Yun said calmly.

Wu Xie nodded quickly.

The group ate breakfast together.

"Master Liang, I have a question for you. What is the background of your group?"

Wu Xie asked.

“Brother Wu, we’re all in this together now, so there are some things I don’t need to hide from you. When we first came here, there were five of us. Of those five, only Lao Tai and Er Mazi specialize in this kind of business. I just came with Boss Li and Boss Wang. First, I wanted to satisfy my curiosity and find out how those items were unearthed. Second, the two bosses wanted me to pick out the most valuable items from the ancient tomb. So, I really am just a small fry.”

"That's what Master Liang said."

"Wait a minute, there's something wrong with what you said. When I first saw you, there were four of you in your group. So where's the fifth person?"

Old Yang quickly asked.

"The person you're talking about is Boss Li. When we came down from the mine, I don't know why Boss Li insisted on washing his face in the puddle, and he ended up washing his head off..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xie and Lao Yang quickly covered Liang Shiye's mouth. What followed was exactly what Fang Yun and his group had experienced before.

If this strategist keeps talking, Wu Xie and Lao Yang won't be able to eat anything.

"Alright, Mr. Liang, let's end this topic here. But those two bosses must have some connections. They wouldn't have come all this way to this godforsaken place to do this kind of business if they didn't have connections. You know, the higher-ups are cracking down on this stuff very hard now. If you get caught, you could face three to five years at the very least, or even be shot dead. That's no joke."

Wu Xie asked.

"You've come to the right person. I don't know much about the others, but I can talk about those two bosses. They're old acquaintances of mine."

Liang Shiye immediately perked up.

Chapter 319 Crawling is a physically demanding activity!

"You'll be quite surprised when I tell you this. Those two are no ordinary antique dealers. Let me have a sip of tea and tell you slowly."

Liang Shiye took a sip of water.

To be honest, this storyteller's demeanor actually emanated from this clerk.

"Let me first talk about that Mr. Li, whose real name is Li Pipa. Li Pipa's background is quite impressive. His ancestors were elite cavalrymen. He was able to become so wealthy entirely because of the Hemu Collection, which records the locations of a large number of ancient tombs. To be honest, the Hemu Collection is really amazing. It can record the locations of ancient tombs over the years in such detail, and even describe what kind of objects are hidden inside them in a very clear way."

"Think about it, where wouldn't a boss with a background like that make it work? He could just give you an address in his book, and that would be enough to feed and clothe your ancestors for six generations."

Liang Shiye paused, his mouth getting a little dry from talking.

"Ahem, this boss surnamed Wang's original name is Wang Qi. Wang Qi's family background is not as illustrious as Li Pipa's, but it sounds more real and believable. Wang Qi's ancestors were engaged in a profession called Chaofeng. What is Chaofeng? Chaofeng refers to the clerk who works in a pawnshop."

"You must have seen the pawnshop clerks of the past. They sat high up on the counter. You would lean over the counter, hand over your item, and the clerk would judge its value and authenticity in a very short time. That skill was truly remarkable."

"There are other intricacies involved. The person in charge of appraising high-end items and handling administrative affairs is called the Grand Master. The Grand Master in a large pawnshop can be said to be the person who has seen the most treasures in the world. He has seen all kinds of strange and unusual things. And Wang Qi's ancestor was a Grand Master named Wang Yu. In his later years, he wrote a notebook called the Record of Strange Jade Robberies."

"This thing is extraordinary. In today's world, it would be considered a rare book. It contains detailed records of the strange items this guy encountered in his life, along with descriptions of the items and his own judgments. This is of great reference value for observing antiques."

"Although Wang Qi himself is not highly educated, this guy is very strange. His memory is quite good. He has read the contents of that book many times, and for some reason, he has memorized everything. Coincidentally, once at a street gathering, he saw a white jade lion that looked very similar to a hidden box described in that book."

"In front of everyone, he placed the white jade lion into the tea according to the method described in the book. Everyone was still looking at Wang Qi in confusion, thinking that he had gone mad. Unexpectedly, in a short while, the lion opened its mouth wide and spat out a gold leaf. From that moment on, Wang Qi began to become famous in the antique world and his fame became unstoppable."

"That's what Master Liang said."

"I know what you're curious about, and you really want to know why these two people got together. But I can't tell you that. I'm just a lowly clerk. How could I possibly understand all the intricacies of their relationship? We're just people who do the work. It's our duty not to ask about the specifics."

Liang Shiye waved his hand.

"Good heavens, according to what you're saying, these two gentlemen are pampered people who could spend all their money even if they indulged in debauchery every day. Why would they come all this way and suffer such torment? Don't they know that there are risks involved in entering this ancient tomb? Especially that Boss Wang, who insisted on coming in even though he clearly saw that Boss Li was already dead. What is it here that is worth taking such a risk for them?"

Wu Xie looked at Lao Yang.

"Who knows? How can the poor like us understand the thoughts of the rich? Maybe they have too much money to burn, or maybe they want to come and find their own value in life. In their eyes, it's probably just about experiencing life. Who can say for sure? What's the use of being curious?"

Old Yang quickly laughed it off.

"At first, I thought the same as this guy, but I found that the two of them were very determined. Based on what I know about them, there must be some hidden reason. I think the huge benefits that this guy mentioned must be the reason why they insisted on coming."

· ·········Request flowers· ···

"That's what Master Liang said."

"Old Wu, stop staring at me. Even if you stare at me and make me lose face, I still can't tell you that I, Old Yang, guarantee this with my life. It will definitely be of great benefit to you. Really, you must believe what my old friend says. Just believe me this once, okay? If I, Old Yang, am lying, you can just kill me right here and now to vent your anger."

Old Yang quickly replied.

"Forget it, there's no use forcing him if he doesn't want to talk. We're already at the entrance of this ancient tomb, so there's no reason not to go. Let's just follow the plan we agreed on yesterday and the plan I made for you. Once we're inside the tomb, all the truths we want to know will naturally be revealed to us."