Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The night passed without incident, save for the incessant chirping of insects outside the cabin and the occasional low howl of an unknown wild animal from afar.

As dawn broke, a thick, milky-white fog blanketed the rainforest, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. Inside the cabin, everyone had already woken up, silently packing their belongings and eating some dry rations.

Old Hu stood at the doorway, looking at the swirling fog outside, his face grim. "This fog won't dissipate anytime soon. We need to be even more careful going into the valley. You can't tell if it's a tree or a rock, a road or a ditch, even ten steps away."

He turned around and looked at the group of people who were all ready to go, especially Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling": "I'll stop here. If we go any further, I'm afraid my old bones will be left behind. Remember what I said yesterday: what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears may not be true. If you feel something is wrong, retreat immediately. Saving your life is the most important thing."

"Thank you for leading the way, Old Man Hu." Xie Yuchen handed over a prepared envelope containing the remaining payment.

Old Man Hu took it without even looking at it, and stuffed it directly into his pocket. He took one last deep look at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," hesitated, and finally just sighed, waved his hand, turned around, and quickly disappeared into the thick fog along the way he came.

Only the eight of them remained in front of the cabin, along with three restless mules. The mules seemed to sense the invisible pressure emanating from the fog-shrouded mountain valley ahead, snorting anxiously and pawing the ground with their hooves.

"Let's leave the mules here," Xie Yuchen said, looking at the terrain ahead. Through the thick fog, he could vaguely make out a steep slope and even denser trees. "They probably can't get up there either. Take the necessary supplies and travel light."

The group unloaded their most important equipment and several days' worth of rations from the mules and redistributed the loads. A levitating live-streaming sphere flew out from the corner of the cabin, glowing green, and hovered above and to the side of the group, its camera focused on the all-consuming thick fog ahead.

The comments started scrolling:

The prophet said: "The guide is gone; the real adventure has begun."

A solution to the experts' dissent: The fog is so thick, can we really see the road?

The male fan club: Husbands, watch out!

Can the fat guy carry it? The fat guy is carrying quite a lot this time.

"Let's go," Zhang Qiling said. He took the lead and walked into the thick fog. "Zhang Qiling" followed closely behind, the two of them side by side, their figures quickly being half-swallowed by the white fog.

The others exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and followed.

As soon as you enter the thick fog, the world changes instantly. Sounds become muffled and indistinct, and light becomes dim and distorted. Tall trees are reduced to dark outlines in the fog, like silent giants. The ground underfoot is slippery, covered with thick moss and decaying leaves, making it almost impossible to see the path. You can only follow the back of the person in front of you, stumbling along the way.

What's even more unsettling is that the air here isn't just humid and hot; it also carries an indescribable odor, like old dust mixed with some faint herbal scent, and a hint of rusty, sweet-smelling smell. Inhaling it makes your lungs feel stuffy and astringent.

"Stay close!" Black Bear's voice came from the fog, somewhat muffled. "Don't get separated! In this godforsaken place, if you get lost, you'll really never find your way back!"

Wang Pangzi, panting, strained to see the small fluorescent ribbon tied to Wu Xie's backpack—it had been specially attached before entering the fog as a tracking marker. "Don't...don't worry...my eyesight is fine..."

Wu Xie didn't say anything, but followed closely behind "Zhang Qiling" in front of him, forcefully poking the ground with his hiking stick to test the waters.

Aning and Jiang Xun were tied together with a safety rope behind the hall to prevent them from getting separated in case of an accident. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu walked in the middle, trying to conserve their energy.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" walked steadily. They didn't rely on their sight, nor did they deliberately look down to see where they were going. They simply relied on that increasingly clear and strong pull deep within their blood, like hunting dogs that had caught a scent in the dark, resolutely moving forward in one direction. Their footsteps seemed random, yet they always managed to avoid hidden tree root holes and choose relatively solid places. Occasionally, they would stop for a moment, listen carefully, or reach out to touch the cool, slippery tree trunks and rocks in the mist beside them, as if reading information left on them that ordinary people could not perceive.

The dense fog seemed to have a life of its own; as they ventured deeper, it would sometimes thin, allowing them to barely see the shadows of trees a dozen meters ahead; at other times, it would be as thick as porridge, making it almost impossible to see people face-to-face. The temperature also fluctuated, sometimes warm, sometimes cold, with no discernible pattern.

After walking for about an hour, the fog ahead suddenly began to churn violently, as if stirred by an invisible force. At the same time, a more pronounced wind, carrying the scent of old wood and peculiar minerals, blew from the depths of the fog, bringing with it a faint, ethereal, and eerie tinkling sound, like countless wind chimes ringing softly in the distance.

The sound was very soft, but in the absolute silence and thick fog, it was so clear it sent chills down your spine.

"What's that sound?" Fatty Wang asked in a low voice, looking around nervously, but he couldn't see anything except for the fog.

"The sound of wind?" Wu Xie said uncertainly, but he knew in his heart it didn't sound like it. The sound had rhythm and layers.

"It's not the wind," Zhang Qiling stopped and listened intently. "It's... a mechanism. An old one. Turning."

"Over there." Zhang Qiling pointed in the direction from which the sounds of wind and bells came. The fog there seemed to be thinner than in other places, and the outline of a huge, steep rock wall could be vaguely seen.

The group cautiously approached. As the fog dissipated, the scene before them caused everyone to gasp in shock.

It was a massive, almost vertical rock wall that soared into the clouds, its entire surface a somber blue-green, smooth as a mirror, covered with vertical grooves eroded by flowing water and the mottled marks of time. And about thirty meters above the ground, a huge "gatehouse" was prominently embedded in the rock wall, built entirely of stone of the same color as the rock wall.

The gatehouse is extremely ancient in style, with flying eaves and brackets, and is carved with intricate cloud and thunder patterns, animal face patterns, and some abstract patterns that are difficult to decipher. The most eye-catching feature is the two tightly closed stone doors in the very center of the gatehouse, each about five meters high and three meters wide. The stone doors have no handles or keyholes, only a huge, sharply defined relief of a qilin head carved in the center. The qilin's eyes are wide open in anger, and it holds a round stone bead in its mouth, lifelike, as if it might burst out of the door at any moment.

The ethereal and eerie tinkling sound came from several peculiar "wind chimes" hanging from the eaves above the gate tower, made of bronze tubes of varying lengths and thicknesses. There was no strong wind at the moment, yet the bronze tubes trembled slightly, colliding with each other and making a sound.

"Zhang Family... Ancient Building?" Wu Xie looked up at the majestic, ancient gatehouse that blended seamlessly with the mountain rocks, his voice trembling. This was completely different from the architecture he had imagined hidden deep in the mountains; it was clearly a gatehouse carved from an entire mountainside!

"It's an entrance," Xie Yuchen said, barely able to hide his shock. "Judging from its structure and carving style, its age may far exceed our expectations. This is not just ancestral land, but possibly a... fortress, or even a sacred site."

The levitating live-streaming sphere rose, zooming out to capture a panoramic view of the magnificent gatehouse embedded in the cliff face. However, shrouded in mist, only the lower half and the imposing head of the qilin (a mythical creature) could be seen. The live-stream chat exploded with comments:

Prophet: My God! Is this a door? This must be the mountain gate!

A testament to the experts' skepticism: a building embedded in the mountains! This project!

Qilin! The Qilin! The symbol of the Zhang family!

The wind chimes are ringing on their own: No wind chimes are ringing! There's a mechanism involved!

How do I get up there? It's 30 meters high! How do I get up there?

"How do we get up there?" Fatty Wang stared dumbfounded at the smooth, steep rock face. The rock face was almost vertical, covered with slippery moss, and there was no foothold to climb.

"There's a path," Zhang Qiling said, walking to the foot of the rock face. He crouched down and parted a thick layer of humus and vines. Below, several stone steps, almost level with the ground and buried in soil, were revealed, carved with simple patterns. The steps followed the base of the rock face, extending to the left and disappearing into the thick fog and dense bushes.

"Go around it," Zhang Qiling said.

They trudged along the stone steps, navigating the foot of the cliff face. The steps were intermittent, often completely obscured by fallen trees or overgrown vegetation, requiring careful clearing to find them. In some places, the steps were suspended in mid-air, overlooking a misty valley below, requiring them to cling tightly to the cliff face and move cautiously.

It took us almost two hours to walk this stretch of road. When the last patch of thorny bushes blocking our way was cleared away, the view suddenly opened up before us.

They arrived at the side of the rock face. Here, the terrain was gentler, forming a narrow, man-made platform. At the end of the platform, at the same height as the magnificent stone gate, there was a narrow stone walkway embedded in the rock face, just wide enough for one person to pass through, winding upwards to the side and rear of the stone gate.

In the center of the platform stood a black stone tablet about half a person's height. There were no words on the tablet, only a deep, claw-like scratch.

Zhang Qiling walked to the stone tablet, reached out his hand, and gently ran his fingertips along the engraving. It was cool to the touch, carrying a strange resonance. He glanced back at the inscription "Zhang Qiling."

Zhang Qiling also stepped forward and reached out to touch the engraving. The two looked at each other and nodded.

"This is it," Zhang Qiling said. He walked to the entrance of the plank road. The plank road was carved into the straight rock wall, with a dizzying deep valley on the outside and cold mountain rocks on the inside. It was less than a foot wide and covered with moss, making it extremely slippery.

"I'll go first," Zhang Qiling said, stepping onto the plank road. He walked very steadily, his steps light, as if he were walking on flat ground. Occasionally, his right hand would lightly rest on the slippery rock face for leverage to maintain his balance, the bandages wrapped around his body fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze.

"Zhang Qiling" followed closely behind, also moving with ease.

Those behind watched in terror. Wu Xie swallowed hard, and Xie Yuchen said in a deep voice, "One by one, watch your step. Don't look down. Connected by safety ropes."

The group, linked together by safety ropes, stepped onto the plank road one by one. Fatty Wang had the hardest time; his broad build and narrow path meant he practically pressed his body against the rock face, inching forward, his face pale, constantly muttering, "Amitabha... Infinite Heaven... God protect..."

A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu protected him from the front and back. Hei Xiazi walked behind Wu Xie, occasionally reminding him, "Keep your weight on the inside... keep your feet firmly planted... don't look down..."

A levitating live-streaming sphere flew along the outside of the walkway, and the camera captured this thrilling moment. The live stream chat was filled with "Be careful!" and exclamations of alarm.

The short walkway, only a few dozen meters long, felt like a long march. When the last person stepped onto the extended platform behind the gate tower, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their backs soaked with cold sweat.

The extended platform, though small, connects to the sides of the two tightly closed, massive stone doors. Here, the sheer size and imposing presence of the doors are even more palpable. The relief of the Qilin's head is incredibly close, every single hair clearly visible, and the stone bead seems to possess an inner radiance.

The door was tightly shut. There was no lock, not even a crack.

How do I open it?

All eyes turned back to Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling".

Zhang Qiling walked to the stone gate and looked up at the Qilin's head. He slowly raised his right hand, opened his palm, and gently pressed it against the center of the Qilin's forehead.

Zhang Qiling stepped forward and placed his left hand on the chin of the Qilin.

Both of them closed their eyes at the same time.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Suddenly, the stone bead in the Qilin's mouth lit up without warning! It emitted a warm, moon-like, luminous white light! The light quickly spread along the carved lines of the Qilin's head, illuminating the entire relief!

At the same time, beneath the palms of Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" pressed on the stone door, two clear, dark red palm prints appeared on the surface of the stone door, perfectly matching the size of their palms!

"Crunch—crunch crunch—"

A heavy, slow, teeth-grinding sound of massive stones grinding together came from inside the stone doors. Under the breathless gaze of the crowd, the two enormous stone doors, sealed for who knows how many years, slowly, very slowly opened a crack inwards.

An even more ancient, more somber wind, mixed with dust, decaying wood, the passage of time, and some indescribable aura, poured out from the crack in the door.

The door opened.

Behind the door was a bottomless darkness.

The levitating live-streaming ball flew to the goal, the camera focused on the deep crack in the door. The green light stood out starkly in the darkness.

The comments section froze for a moment, then exploded with messages.

What awaits them inside the door?

No one knows.