Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The next day, before dawn, roosters were crowing in the village.

Fatty Wang was the first to get up from his makeshift bed on the floor. He stretched, looking refreshed, and his stomach rumbled in agreement. "Alright, my hardworking stomach is starting to kick in."

He tiptoed past the still-sleeping group and made his way to the small stove in the corner of the bamboo house. There was still a little bit of leftover rice from yesterday, some diced cured meat, a few eggs, and some wilted greens. The fat man rolled up his sleeves, humming an off-key tune, and began to bustle about with a clatter.

The aromas of rice, cured meat, and fried eggs gradually filled the air. Wu Xie was awakened by the smells, rubbed his eyes and sat up. He saw the broad, busy figure by the stove and pushed up his glasses: "Fatty, the noise you're making is like demolishing a building."

"What are you talking about? I'm here to start a wonderful day for everyone!" The fat man didn't even turn his head, his spatula flying as he worked. "This is called the warmth of home, you know? You naive comrade, with your habit of sleeping until noon, you clearly lack physical exercise."

"Who's lacking exercise?" Wu Xie got up, walked to the water tank, scooped water to wash his face, and said, "I crawled back yesterday, and my calves are still cramping. Unlike some people, who are all fat and have built-in shock absorbers."

"Hey, my fat is a blessing! It's a sign of good fortune!" The fat man scrambled the golden-brown fried egg out. "Unlike you, you'd fall over in the wind, like a little chick. Oh, by the way, didn't Blackie call you a 'little puppy' last night? I think that's quite fitting."

"You're the little puppy!" Wu Xie's face flushed, and he shook the water off his hands. "Hei Xiazi can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!"

"Then why don't you throw up and show me?" the fat man grinned slyly.

"You think I won't spit my water all over your face?"

As the two were bickering, Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu woke up, exchanged a smile, and began tidying up their bedding. A Ning silently organized her gear. Jiang Xun Gu sat up, yawning, and curiously watched the impending "battle" around the stove.

At that moment, soft footsteps came from the bamboo staircase. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" came down. Both of them were still dressed in black, their hair slightly damp, as if they had already washed up. They were full of energy and showed no signs of the great battle and long journey they had just gone through yesterday.

"Hey, you guys are up early!" the fat man greeted. "Breakfast will be ready soon: fried rice with cured pork and egg, my secret recipe!"

Zhang Qiling nodded, walked to the open window, and looked at the gradually brightening mountains and forests outside. "Zhang Qiling" also walked over and stood beside him without saying a word.

Black Bear was the last to get up from his makeshift bed. His sunglasses were askew on his head, and his hair was a mess. He squinted, sniffed the air, and said, "Mmm, smells good! Fatty, your cooking has improved!"

"Absolutely!" The fat man proudly divided the fried rice into several large bowls. "Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!"

Everyone sat down to eat. The fried rice was indeed excellent; the cured pork was savory and fragrant, the eggs were smooth and tender, and each grain of rice was distinct. While eating, Wu Xie asked, "Master Hua, did you figure anything out from that leather map?"

Xie Yuchen put down his bowl and wiped his mouth: "I took a preliminary look last night. The tanning process of the leather itself is very ancient, possibly even earlier than the time of the Prince of Xian. The pigments on it, after simple testing, contain cinnabar, some kind of mineral, and... an unknown organic matter, and are very stable. As for the map content, more data is needed for comparison. I have already taken high-resolution photos and sent them back to have someone help me look up some obscure ancient geographical documents."

"No rush," Zhang Qiling said. He had already finished eating, and his bowl was clean.

"Yes," Zhang Qiling also finished eating, "Let's rest first."

"Alright, I'll listen to you two." After finishing the last bite of rice, Hei Xiazi patted his belly contentedly, put his sunglasses back on, and turned his eyes to the two quiet "door gods" by the window.

He carried his bowl and sat down next to "Zhang Qiling." "Zhang the Mute, wanna chat?"

Zhang Qiling glanced at him, ignored him, and continued looking outside.

"Look," Black Bear said to himself, "we've been through thick and thin together quite a few times, haven't we? But I've realized that my understanding of you two, apart from being good fighters, fast runners, not talkative, and having unusual blood, is basically zero. This won't do; it's not good for team building and it will damage our revolutionary camaraderie."

Zhang Qiling turned his head and looked at him calmly.

Zhang Qiling also turned his head to the side, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

"Look, for example," Black Bear held up a finger, "what color do you two like? I bet it's black, right? You dress like you're going to a funeral every day."

Zhang Qiling turned his head back expressionlessly. "Zhang Qiling" also turned back.

"That's an admission!" Hei Xiazi slapped his thigh. "Next question, besides fighting and finding your way around, what other hobbies do you two have? Can you play chess? Cards? Or... singing? Hey, you two have pretty good voices, how about a song?"

Wu Xie and Fatty Wang were trying not to laugh. Xie Yuchen shook his head, and Huo Xiuxiu covered her mouth. A Ning's lips curled slightly. Jiang Xun Gu's eyes widened, his face showing an expression that said, "Blackie, you're awesome."

Zhang Qiling closed his eyes, as if trying to block out the noise. The corner of "Zhang Qiling's" mouth turned down by a mere 0.5 millimeters, his expression clearly saying: Are you sick?

"Fine, we won't sing then." Hei Xiazi said undeterred. "Then tell me, what are your plans for the future, besides finding that damn bronze door? For example, what do you want to do with the money you make? Buy a house? What kind of location do you like? Hmm, I think Hangzhou is pretty good, and Wu Xie's hometown..."

"Hey, Blackie," Wu Xie couldn't help but say, "if you keep talking, the guys might get physical."

"Make a move?" Black Glasses looked completely innocent. "Make a move? I'm just showing concern for my comrades and exchanging feelings. You guys, you're all right, aren't you?"

Zhang Qiling opened his eyes and glanced at Hei Xiazi for a second. His gaze was emotionless, but Hei Xiazi inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine. The "Zhang Qiling" beside him also looked over, his eyes icy.

"Fine, never mind." Black Bear raised his hands in surrender, picked up his bowl, and scurried back to the dining table, muttering, "These two are so boring to tease. Tianzhen and Fatty are much more fun."

"What does this have to do with us?" Fatty Wang glared.

"Exactly!" Wu Xie chimed in.

In the morning, Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu continued studying the photos of the leather map and searching for information on their laptops. A Ning was maintaining her weapons. Jiang Xun Gu went to the village and traded some small items he carried with him for some fresh vegetables and a live chicken, saying he wanted to improve their meals.

Wu Xie, holding his notebook, wanted to find Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" to verify some details in the tomb, but found that they were not in the bamboo house. He went out to look for them and saw the two sitting under a huge old banyan tree behind the village. One was meditating with his eyes closed, and the other was leaning against the trunk, looking at the distant mountains. They still didn't talk much, but there was a strange harmony in the atmosphere.

"Brother," Wu Xie walked over and sat down a little further away, "Did I disturb you?"

Zhang Qiling opened his eyes and shook his head. "Zhang Qiling" also looked at him.

"I just want to ask, do you remember the patterns on the base of that bronze statue in the tomb clearly? I drew a rough sketch, but it looks kind of familiar..." Wu Xie opened his notebook.

Zhang Qiling leaned over to take a look, pointing to a few spots on Wu Xie's sketch: "Here, the connection is wrong. Here, there's an extra stroke."

Zhang Qiling also pointed to a spot: "This turn is an arc, not a right angle."

The two of them chatted back and forth, and although they didn't say much, they accurately corrected several of Wu Xie's mistakes. Wu Xie quickly made the corrections, inwardly full of admiration. They had remembered such intricate patterns perfectly.

"By the way," Wu Xie said, looking up after finishing the revisions, "is the bronze door on that leather map the same as the one you... saw before?"

Zhang Qiling paused for a moment, then nodded, then shook his head. "It's similar, but... more ancient."

Zhang Qiling added: "It might be an earlier 'door'."

Wu Xie seemed to be deep in thought. It seemed that there was more than one bronze door, or perhaps they had different forms and dates.

Lunch was cooked by Jiang Xun Gu, with Fatty Wang assisting. He made a pot of chicken soup, stir-fried some vegetables, and steamed rice. Surprisingly, it tasted quite good.

"Not bad, Xun Gu," Black Bear said, gnawing on a chicken leg. "Your cooking skills are almost as good as Fatty's."

"That's right, we're the kind of people who travel all over the country and feed ourselves," Jiang Xun Gu said with a smile.

During mealtime, it was time for Hei Xiazi to "exchange feelings" again. This time, he changed his target.

"Master Hua," he said, placing a piece of chicken on Xie Yuchen's plate, "look at our team, doesn't it need a more impressive name? Always calling us 'we' isn't grand enough."

Xie Yuchen elegantly finished his chicken, wiped his mouth, and asked, "What brilliant idea does Master Hei have?"

"I wouldn't call it a brilliant idea," Black Bear rubbed his hands together. "Look, we have two martial arts masters, how about we call them the 'Twin Fiends'? Or 'Black and White Impermanence'? Wait, no, they both wear black, how about 'Black Wind Twin Fiends'?"

"Pfft—" Fatty Wang almost spat out his soup. "Brother Hei, your naming skills are just as amazing as your mouth."

"I think it's pretty good," Wu Xie said, suppressing a laugh. "The Black Wind Duo, how imposing. It just doesn't sound like good people."

"Is that called 'Treasure Hunt'?" Jiang Xun Gu interjected.

"Too ordinary." Hei Xiazi shook his head, his sunglasses turning to Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," who were quietly eating. "Hey, you two, what's your opinion? Which one do you prefer?"

Zhang Qiling picked up a piece of green vegetable, ate it slowly and deliberately, and then uttered two words: "Boring."

Zhang Qiling didn't even lift his eyelids: "Let's eat."

"Well, another slap in the face." Black Bear shrugged, but his smile remained, clearly enjoying himself.

In the afternoon, Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" went to the old banyan tree again. This time, Hei Xiazi didn't go to "harass" them. Instead, he pulled Wu Xie, Wang Pangzi, and Jiang Xungu to the open space in front of the bamboo house and set up a simple chessboard with branches and stones. He taught them to play an ancient chess game popular in the southwestern border region. The rules were strange, but it was quite interesting.

As the sun set, Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" returned. Hei Xiazi immediately dropped his chess piece and went over to them.

"Zhang the Mute, what are we doing tomorrow? Should we continue to rest and recuperate here, or go somewhere else? I think this village has nice scenery, but there are a lot of mosquitoes."

Zhang Qiling glanced at the sky: "Let's stay another day."

"Yes, sir!" Black Bear grinned. "Then can I chat with you two tonight about your life goals? Like, do you two have any... funny childhood stories? Or, when was the first time you got into a fight?"

Zhang Qiling finally lost his temper, raised his hand, and brought his index and middle fingers together, making a light tap on a spot on Hei Xiazi's shoulder. The movement was quick, and he didn't touch it.

Black Bear felt a numbness in his shoulder, and his entire arm suddenly felt weak. "Damn it, Dumb Zhang, are you serious? Are you trying to acupuncture me?"

"Quiet." Zhang Qiling withdrew his hand, the corners of his mouth seemingly turning up briefly before flattening them again.

A barely perceptible flicker also crossed Zhang Qiling's eyes, like... a smile?

"Fine, you're ruthless." Black Bear moved his arm, which had regained feeling, baring his teeth, but his eyes shone even brighter. "But your technique is pretty good. Teach me, okay? Next time I meet someone who doesn't know what's good for them, I'll give them a taste of their own medicine too."

This time, even Zhang Qiling shook his head almost imperceptibly and walked straight back to the bamboo house. "Zhang Qiling" followed him in, leaving Hei Xiazi muttering to himself in the spot.

After dinner, everyone sat outside the bamboo house, gazing at the starry sky. The mountain air was fresh, the stars were exceptionally bright, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky.

"From now on, will we have to travel all over the country?" Fatty Wang looked at the starry sky and suddenly felt a little sentimental.

"Are you scared?" Wu Xie asked.

"What's there to be afraid of!" The fat man puffed out his chest. "Do you think I'm that kind of person? It's just that... it's kind of strange. Before, I was just tomb raiding to find some artifacts and make a living. Now, following these guys, it feels like I'm doing something really... really big. I'm a little unsure, but it's also pretty exciting."

"Is it because the curse has been lifted and there's no more pressure?" Ah Ning said softly.

"Maybe," Xie Yuchen interjected, "but more than that, we have a clearer goal. That map, that bronze door... the things behind them may be beyond our imagination."

"Who cares?" Black Bear said, crossing his legs. "The road is under our feet, we'll just take it one step at a time. Anyway, with Zhang the Mute holding the fort, the sky won't fall down."

Everyone turned to look at the entrance of the bamboo house. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood there, also gazing at the starry sky. In the night, the two black figures stood tall and silent, like two ancient mountains, silently bearing everything and guiding the way.

Sensing the gazes of the crowd, Zhang Qiling turned his head, starlight falling into his calm eyes. "Zhang Qiling" also turned his face to the side.

Neither of them said anything, but that invisible, reassuring power was clearly conveyed to everyone.

The night breeze is gentle. Tomorrow will be another new day.