Ancient tomb excavation traces

I thought the storm had passed, but after hearing Lan Quexi's words, I felt like I'd been struck by lightning again. I followed her gaze and saw several dark figures standing silently in the bushes, the shadows of the trees casting eerie light on their faces.

My heart skipped a beat. I remained wary, keeping my eyes straight ahead, and asked Lan Quexi in a low voice, "Have you seen these people before?"

Lan Quexi fiddled with the herbs, pretending to be nonchalant, and said, "These are all our people. I didn't expect them to discover me while I was healing here."

I had no acting training, so my movements while handling the herbs were unnatural and very tense. They didn't appear directly but were spying on us, which meant they didn't have good intentions. Just as I was wondering what to do, Lan Quexi suddenly kicked over the wooden board where the herbs were placed, blocking our way. In an instant, several "clangs" were heard as the hidden weapons hit the door.

Before I could catch my breath, there was a rustling sound from the bushes. They were coming, several dark figures wielding machetes, approaching menacingly. However, to my surprise, there were many people in the bushes, gradually surrounding me and Lan Quexi. At this moment, Chu Ba and the little Taoist priest, who had been resting, came running after hearing the noise.

We were surrounded, with almost no way to escape. Among these Miao people, a tall man stepped out. His eyes were as black as obsidian, cold and ruthless. After scanning us, he fixed his gaze on Lan Quexi and said a few words that we couldn't understand.

Lan Quexi's face was very pale. She shook her head in disbelief and said, "So, Miss Lan's grandmother was murdered..."

I glanced at Chu Ba in astonishment. I hadn't expected him to understand Miao language. But Lan Quexi's grandmother had been killed! Could it be that they think we were the ones who surrounded us?

On the eighth day, listening to their conversation, he kept translating for me and the little Taoist priest: "So this person is Miss Lan's maternal uncle. Her maternal grandmother was killed by the Gu-feeding man who escaped last time."

Speaking of those people who raised Bloodtail Gu, I have a deep memory of them. If we hadn't met our ancestors back then, we would have been killed by them. They hated the Lan family because Lan's maternal grandmother had turned people into something neither human nor ghost. To be honest, if I were in that situation today, I would definitely want to seek revenge on her.

I saw Lan Quexi's eyes redden, tears welling up in her eyes, her expression growing increasingly pained. She looked up, tears falling, and said firmly.

Although I couldn't understand what she was saying, I felt a heavy weight in my heart. I quickly asked Chu Ba to translate what she had just said. Chu Ba sighed and said softly, "Miss Lan asked her uncle to let us go, and she will take responsibility for everything."

Upon hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. I glanced at Lan Quexi, never expecting her to be so loyal.

On the eighth day of the lunar month, they said that because we entered the ancient tomb, we disturbed the peace of their ancestors, and that Miss Lan had failed to guard the tomb, thus betraying her ancestors. In the end, she even colluded with us, leading us to escape from inside. Therefore, they came this time to take our lives, to silence us forever, and for Lan Quexi to return to the ancient tomb to waste her prime years.

Hearing this, I was furious. If this was the end result of all our hard work, then everything had been in vain. We couldn't die, and we would never let Lan Quexi return to that dark and gloomy place. She needed a new life, not to spend her whole life trapped in the ignorant thoughts of her people.

Lan Quexi's uncle, seeing that Chu Ba understood the Miao language, turned his gaze to us. Looking at his strong, rock-like arms, he seemed to be no ordinary man.

Although I know these Miao people have been steeped in outdated ideas for hundreds of years and are beyond redemption, I am extremely disgusted by their self-righteous, aggressive, and ruthless attitude. I felt indignant and stood in front of Lan Quexi, disregarding whether they could understand me, saying, "Don't you think it's tragic that you've lived your entire lives in the shadow of an ancient tomb? And you even have to use human lives as sacrifices? Think about what you've gained all these years besides your pent-up resentment!" My whole body trembled as I spoke. After a pause, I continued, "Furthermore, if you really want to make sacrifices, at least consider whether they're your own ancestors. After hundreds of years, you still don't know that the person lying inside has absolutely no relation to you!"

My eyes met those of Lan Quexi's uncle, but he remained silent. I thought he probably couldn't understand me, but a few seconds later, he spoke. As soon as he finished speaking, the men beside him immediately approached us with machetes. Chu Ba pulled out two swords behind me and shouted, "He's given the kill order! Let's fight!"

Upon hearing this, I pulled out my Mongolian knife, grabbed Lan Quexi, and pulled her back a little, intending to find a way to escape.

Lan Quexi's uncle had no expression on his face, like a stone statue. People like him live their whole lives in the shackles of their ancestors and can't experience the joy of being human. Just like when I first saw Lan Quexi, she looked the same.

To my surprise, Lan Quexi's uncle coldly told us in Mandarin, "After you die, I will cut out your tongues... so that you won't spout nonsense in the next world..."

I didn't expect him to speak Mandarin. He understood what I said, but he refused to accept or admit it. Indeed, he's rotten to the core, and no matter how much I try to cleanse him, I can't wash him clean. Lan Quexi's uncle won't accept the truth because his clan has been worshipping Princess Chu and guarding her tomb for hundreds of years, and many people have died in the process. When the truth is revealed, they will probably completely collapse.

I saw murderous intent in his uncle's eyes. Just then, Lan Quexi took out her bamboo flute, and in an instant, a clear and melodious sound rang out. I wondered if she was going to summon that little mongoose from last time? Where exactly does that thing live?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!

As I was thinking this, I suddenly heard a buzzing sound coming from behind me, very dense. I turned around and saw a gray blur, and it turned out to be a large swarm of bees. I was suddenly startled. These bees were all very large, and if I were stung, I would either die or be seriously injured.

At this moment, Lan Quexi wiped away her tears, coldly staring at her uncle. Seeing that negotiations had failed and she was prepared to fight to the death, she said to us, "They are my pets, extremely intelligent, and can hold them off for a while. Young Master Feng... you should leave quickly..."

Now that things have come to this, I'm not a fool who can't see things clearly. Miss Lan is kind to me, but I never expected that she would risk offending her own people for us. In ancient times, girls' feelings were expressed subtly, but they were extremely fierce at critical moments, making me feel grateful while also feeling a little guilty.

The buzzing bees formed a protective wall in front of us. The people of the Miao village instinctively ducked at the sight of the bees, their expressions filled with panic. Only Lan Quexi's uncle stood motionless, still coldly watching us. Lan Quexi also remained rooted to the spot. I thought to myself that if she stayed here, she would plunge back into darkness. I grabbed her hand and urged, "Let's go!"

When she heard me call her name, she paused slightly, then turned around and gave a bitter smile. Tears streamed down her face as she said sadly, "Go, I can't leave..."

Seeing her pale face and tear-streaked cheeks, my heart clenched. Seeing that I remained unmoved, her eyes still blurry with tears, she yelled at us, "Go!"

As she shouted, her uncle calmly said to the people behind him, "Light the fire!"

On the eighth day of the lunar month, she grabbed me and said urgently, "The smoke will drive away the bees, and all of Miss Lan's good intentions will be wasted. Let's run away quickly!"

Seeing Lan Quexi's despair, I held onto her hand tightly. She looked at me, then suddenly pulled out a dagger from her waist and slashed my hand, leaving a bloody gash. My hand instinctively loosened. She smiled sadly and whispered, "Remember me..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised the dagger and plunged it into her own chest. I was startled and cried out, my whole body tensing up. Even my usually expressionless uncle showed a strange look on his face.

The knife was plunged into her chest, blood and tears dripping from her...

Time seemed to stand still for a moment. My heart sank, and I caught her slumped body, kneeling on the ground in shock. Her eyes were glazed, and she let out a soft moan, then said weakly, "Young Master Feng... I don't want to go back anymore. I'm scared... really scared..."

This was the first time I had ever heard the word "fear" from Lan Quexi. My impression of her had always been that she was stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat, but now she was so weak and helpless. Looking at her frail appearance, I felt burning inside and my heart ached.

She turned her head toward her uncle and called softly. Her uncle froze for a moment. Lan Quexi smiled. At that moment, she was like a white cloud in the sky, gentle and beautiful, yet so unreal.

She slowly raised her gaze to the sky. A gentle breeze rustled through the branches, carrying the vibrant energy of spring's renewal. Blue skies, white clouds, and refreshing air—everything was so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful… Gazing at the beauty of the world, she spoke with childlike longing, "I want to see this scenery forever… to be a happy person, without so many burdens, without my loved ones dying tragically, they're all still here… I know you love us very much, Uncle, but Uncle… we've all been wrong, wrong for centuries… We are living, breathing people, why can't we live differently? Let the task of guarding the grave… end with me…"

The clansmen stared at her unmoved. She coughed, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, her appearance resembling a red plum blossom blooming in the snow. With trembling hands, she took out a stack of blood-stained silk scrolls from her bosom, and said in a weak voice, "Uncle, you'll understand once you read this..."

Lan Quexi's uncle had a gloomy expression. He stood there for a long time before stiffly walking over, reaching out, and taking the silk book from his niece's hand.

At the same time, Lan Quexi smiled gently, the azure sky reflected in her eyes. She said softly, "We're all living such tiring lives... so tiring... I miss my parents, and I miss my brother who died because of this... I'm tired... I want to go find them..." As she spoke, her smile faded, and she slowly closed her eyes...

A booming sound filled my head, and a chill ran through me as an unprecedented fear enveloped me. My voice trembled, tears welling in my eyes, and I cautiously called out, "Miss Lan..."

However, she did not answer...

Lan Quexi's uncle stared blankly at his niece, his cold expression finally crumbling. He staggered, then his eyes sharpened, and he shouted urgently to the people behind him, "Save her! Quickly!" (To be continued.)

I like tomb raiding.