Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

Early the next morning, Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, and Jiang Xungu drove to the town at the foot of the mountain. They arranged to meet Director Qin at noon.

The remaining people in the villa continued their work. The equipment was mostly complete, piled up in the living room and side hall, neatly categorized. Aning was in the yard testing the mountain bikes, the engines sputtering loudly.

Fatty Wang was brandishing a newly arrived entrenching tool in the yard, gesturing with it and making cheerful noises. "This shovel's pretty good, heavy enough, it'll be great for smashing those zongzi!"

Wu Xie was organizing the medical kit, packing various medicines, bandages, and disinfectant into different waterproof bags and labeling them. "Fatty, save your breath. With your strength, you'll be out of breath after just a couple of swings."

"You underestimate me!" the fat man retorted, waving his arms twice more, this time a little slower.

Zhang Qiling was inspecting the ropes and safety buckles. He picked up a coil of nylon rope, rubbed its texture between his fingers, and carefully checked the springs and teeth of each buckle. Meanwhile, Zhang Qiling was checking the lighting equipment and batteries, testing the power of the high-powered flashlight, headlamp, and cold light stick one by one, and packing the spare batteries in waterproof bags.

The levitating live-streaming ball floated out of Zhang Qiling's room and hovered in a corner of the living room. Its indicator light was flashing slowly yellow, indicating that it was in standby mode and not recording.

At noon, Xie Yuchen and the others returned. Their expressions were somewhat complicated.

"So? Did Old Qin agree?" Wu Xie asked.

"I agree," Xie Yuchen sat down and took a sip of water, "but there are quite a few conditions."

"What are the conditions?" Fatty Wang put down his entrenching tool and came over.

"First, we need to increase the price by another 30%," Black Bear said. "He said the place we're going to is the most dangerous place in the old forest, and he's risking his life to play with us."

"Secondly, once we're in the mountains, we have to do whatever he says," Jiang Xun Gu added. "We have to do whatever he says we should do, we absolutely cannot touch anything he says we can't touch, and we must stop whenever he says we need to."

"Third," Xie Yuchen rubbed his temples, "he only wants cash, not bank transfers. And... he requires us to send at least two people to accompany him the whole time, saying it's to look after each other, but I think it's more like he doesn't completely trust us."

"This old man is quite vigilant," Fatty Wang clicked his tongue.

"It's normal for someone who spends most of their time working in remote mountains and forests to be cautious," Ah Ning said as she walked in from outside. "When did he agree to set off?"

"Tomorrow morning," Xie Yuchen said, "he needs time to prepare his own things, and some other things... he said are 'rules for going into the mountains' that need to be followed."

"rule?"

"Yeah, worshiping the mountain god and the tree ancestor, it's all the same old stuff." Black Bear shrugged. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do, as long as it doesn't interfere with our work."

In the afternoon, everyone did a final check of their equipment and packed their personal belongings. They would be staying in the deep mountains and forests for quite some time, and everyone had a limited load limit, so they had to be very careful with their packing.

Zhang Qiling returned to his room, where his backpack was almost fully packed. It was a large, black professional mountaineering backpack, but it didn't hold much. Several sets of quick-drying underwear, a thermal jacket, necessary medications and emergency food, a water bottle, a dagger, a glow stick, and the combined jade eye and black bone fragment, all carefully wrapped in soft cloth and placed in an inner compartment.

He weighed the backpack in his hand; its weight was moderate. With his strength and agility, the load was almost negligible. But he knew that conditions in the mountains were unpredictable, and he needed to conserve his energy for unexpected situations.

He walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and inside was the levitating live-streaming sphere, which was in standby mode. He picked up the sphere and put it into a mesh pocket on the side of his backpack. The mesh pocket had elastic bands to secure it. It would activate automatically once inside the target area.

After doing all that, he stood by the window, looking at the leaves outside that were glistening in the sunlight.

Qinling.

I have to go again.

Last time, I was with the officials, completely bewildered, my mind a jumble of Xie Linyuan's chaotic thoughts and Zhang Qiling's instinctive, fragmented memories. That time, we went down into a tomb on the outskirts, with many traps, but not too dangerous. We dealt with a few "puppets" and found some odds and ends, marking the beginning of my "playing" the role of Zhang Qiling.

Then came the ancient city of Jingjue, deep in the desert, the Ghost Cave and the Serpent God, where I saw the eye symbol clearly for the first time and obtained the clue to the Muchen Pearl.

Then came the Tomb of the King of Xian, deep in the mountains of southern Yunnan, filled with poisonous insects, corpse monsters, and a golden-armored corpse king. Finally, he crushed the Muchen Pearl to break the curse and obtained a map pointing to the Bronze Gate.

Next, we'll explore the underwater wonders of the Xisha Islands and Wangzanghai, including the bronze tower, the secrets of the observation room, and the many mysteries surrounding the "gatekeeper."

Each time, it felt like walking from one thick fog into an even deeper one. But the clues in my hand and the direction in my heart seemed to become a little clearer.

This time, it's deep in the Qinling Mountains, at the legendary "Bronze Tree".

Will it connect with the previous clues? Will it be related to the "gatekeeper"? Will I find fragments about that door, or about my origins?

do not know.

But I have to go.

The door to Zhang Qiling's room opened, and he came out, carrying a similar black hiking backpack. He walked to the door of Zhang Qiling's room, but didn't come in; he just leaned against the door frame.

The two exchanged a glance.

"Ready," said Zhang Qiling.

"Mm." Zhang Qiling nodded.

No further words are needed.

In the evening, Aunt Chen prepared an exceptionally lavish dinner, saying it was a farewell meal for everyone. Braised pork knuckle, spicy chicken, boiled fish, and various stir-fried dishes filled the table.

"Eat more, you won't have this kind of luck once you get into the mountains." Xie Yuchen served everyone food.

Fatty Wang ate heartily, his mouth greasy. "Don't worry, Flower Master, with Fatty here, you won't go hungry! There's plenty of wild game in the mountains; I'll hunt a pheasant for you to roast later!"

"Don't brag yet," Wu Xie put a piece of fish on his plate, "Don't end up not even being able to catch a rabbit."

"Hey! Naïve, you just wait!"

The atmosphere at the dinner table was fairly relaxed, but there was a subtle restlessness before departure. Even Hei Xiazi told a few jokes, though he still maintained his usual lazy tone.

After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms for a final rest. They agreed to depart at five o'clock the next morning, first driving to the town at the foot of the mountain to meet Lao Qin, and then transferring to mule carts and walking into the mountains.

Zhang Qiling lay down early, but didn't fall asleep immediately. He listened to the faint chirping of insects outside the window, quickly going over possible scenarios and coping strategies in his mind. This was a habit he had developed after "playing" Zhang Qiling—to anticipate as many possibilities as possible before getting out of bed.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally fell asleep.

The next day, before dawn, the lights in the villa were on. Everyone got up, washed, ate a simple breakfast, checked their belongings, and then loaded the larger pieces of equipment into the two off-road vehicles outside.

The levitating live-streaming sphere floated out of Zhang Qiling's backpack side pocket, its indicator light turning green as it began operating. It hovered above everyone's heads, its camera slowly rotating.

The live stream had been suspended for several days, and as soon as it started, a large number of viewers flooded in, and the chat exploded instantly.

Prophet: It's airing! It's airing! Where are we going?

Deterring the so-called experts: Look at the equipment, another big move!

Brother's Fan Club: Good morning, husbands! Where are we going on our adventure this time?

Zhang Qiling glanced at the live broadcast ball but ignored it. The others were used to its presence and went about their own business.

At five o'clock sharp, two cars drove out of the villa and disappeared into the thin pre-dawn light. The streets were deserted, with only early-rising cleaners and a few scattered vehicles.

After driving for more than two hours, it was just getting light. The car left the main road and turned onto a highway leading into the mountains. The scenery on both sides gradually changed from towns to fields, and then to rolling hills.

We arrived at Laolin Town at the foot of the mountain around 8 a.m. The town was small, with only one main street lined with old shops and houses. The air was filled with the smell of firewood and cooking smoke.

The car stopped in front of a small inn at the edge of town. An old man with gray hair, dark skin, and thin, wearing a faded old military uniform was squatting on the stone steps in front of the inn, puffing on a pipe. Beside him was a bulging canvas backpack and a hardwood cane that had been worn smooth.

Seeing the car stop, the old man raised his eyelids and glanced at it, but didn't move.

Xie Yuchen got out of the car and walked over. "Uncle Qin, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Old Qin, the old man, slowly stood up and tapped his pipe. "Have you brought enough money?"

"The amount you specified, cash." Xie Yuchen took out a manila envelope.

Old Qin took it, didn't even count it, and stuffed it into his pocket. "Okay. Did you bring everything? Let me see."

Everyone got out of the car. Old Qin squinted and looked them over one by one. His gaze lingered on Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" for a few more seconds. He then looked at the floating live broadcast ball, frowned, but didn't say anything.

"With all these bags and packages, can you even walk into the mountains?" He looked at Fatty Wang.

"I can walk! I'm in great shape!" the fat man said, puffing out his chest.

Old Qin snorted, didn't reply, and turned to Xie Yuchen: "The mule cart is in the alley behind, loading things up. Come with me, we need to pay respects to the mountain god and tree ancestor before we can enter the mountain."

He slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, leaned on his cane, and walked towards the other side of town. The group loaded their equipment onto three mule carts parked in the alley, and then followed Old Qin.

On the edge of town stood a small, dilapidated mountain god temple. Old Qin lit incense in the open space in front of the temple, placed it in the incense burner, and then took out some dried fruit and steamed buns to place on the offering table, muttering incantations in the local dialect that were incomprehensible to him.

After worshipping the mountain god, he led everyone to a huge old locust tree outside the town, where he also placed offerings and chanted some prayers.

"The rules have been followed," Old Qin returned, his face still expressionless. "Once you're in the mountains, remember my words. Don't look at what you shouldn't, don't ask what you shouldn't, and don't touch what you shouldn't... If you do, you'll be responsible for your own life and death."

"Understood, I'll listen to you." Xie Yuchen nodded.

"Let's go." Old Qin waved his hand and took the lead towards the mountain path. Three mule carts followed behind, creaking and groaning.

The group left the town and headed into the depths of the vast Qinling Mountains along a dirt road half-hidden by weeds and shrubs.

The levitating live-streaming sphere rises, and the camera pans across the rolling green hills, winding paths, and the silent, advancing team.

The comments scrolled rapidly:

The prophet said: "They've gone into the mountains! Is it the Qinling Mountains this time?"

A master at dissuading so-called experts: The old guide seems to have quite a story to tell.

The male fan club: The scenery in the mountains is so beautiful, husbands, please be careful!

Zhang Qiling walked in the middle of the group, with "Zhang Qiling" beside him. The two moved with light steps and steady breathing. Old Qin, who was walking in front, occasionally glanced back and saw how effortlessly they moved, and his eyes flickered.

Wu Xie and Fatty Wang were walking behind, already a little out of breath. The mountain path was rugged, though not steep, but carrying backpacks for a long time was tiring.

"Fatty, are you... are you sure you can do it?" Wu Xie wiped his sweat.

"Nonsense! I...I'm conserving my energy!" The fat man retorted stubbornly, but his pace noticeably slowed.

Black Bear and Ah Ning flanked the mule cart. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu walked beside Old Qin, occasionally asking him questions in hushed tones about things in the mountains. Behind Jiang Xun Gu Hall.

As the sun rose higher, the forest grew increasingly stuffy, filled with the chirping of insects and birds. The path narrowed, the trees on either side grew denser, and the light dimmed.

Old Qin stopped talking and just kept his head down, his walking stick tapping on the stone.

After walking for about three hours, Lao Qin stopped by a slightly open stream.

"Let's rest and eat. The road will be even harder this afternoon."

The group unloaded their gear and rested by the stream, eating dry rations. The stream water was clear and cool; washing their faces with it helped to dispel much of the summer heat.

Old Qin squatted on a large rock by the stream, munching on the dry biscuits he had brought with him, his eyes occasionally scanning the surrounding dense forest with a wary look.

"Uncle Qin," Xie Yuchen walked over and handed him a bottle of water, "at this speed, how long will it take to get there?"

Old Qin took the water, but didn't drink it, setting it aside. "It depends on the weather and luck. If all goes well, we should be able to reach the edge of that old forest the day after tomorrow afternoon. As for the 'tree ancestor' you're looking for..." He paused, looking into the depths of the dense forest, his voice lowering.

"You'll know when you get there. But I advise you to just look from afar. That place... is eerie."