Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The days that followed remained peaceful.

But beneath the calm surface, unseen undercurrents are surging.

Huo Xiuxiu spent almost all her time in the temporary research room on the outskirts of the city.

Together with several senior experts invited from various places.

Various tests and analyses were conducted on the "Source Heart Cane" and those bone plates.

Xie Yuchen dispatched his most capable men to be in charge of security.

That place is now considered impregnable.

Not even a strange fly can get in.

The research is progressing slowly, but it is not without its rewards.

That evening, Huo Xiuxiu returned from the research lab.

His face showed some fatigue, but his eyes were bright.

She didn't go back to her room.

Instead, they went directly to Xie Yuchen, Wu Xie, and Fatty Wang, who were having tea and chatting in the flower hall.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" sat quietly to the side.

"A discovery?"

Xie Yuchen poured her a cup of tea.

Huo Xiuxiu took it but didn't drink it right away.

He nodded first, then shook his head.

"It's complicated, and also...weird."

She put down her teacup.

I pulled out several enlarged photos and spectral analysis charts from the folder I was carrying.

Spread it on the table.

"First, there's the material of the short staff."

Huo Xiuxiu pointed to the black short cane wrapped in strips of cloth in the photo.

"Neither metal, nor wood, nor stone."

"We used every non-destructive testing method available."

"Including the latest elemental spectroscopy, microscopic imaging, and energy field detection."

"The conclusions drawn are all contradictory."

"It has a structure that shows properties similar to those of a certain meteorite."

"But it also contains unidentifiable organic matter."

"Deeper... there seems to be a faint energy reaction similar to biological activity."

"But not a living organism."

"It's more like a... solidified and sealed 'field'."

"A site for solidification and sealing?"

Wu Xie frowned, not quite understanding.

"It can be understood as a special kind of energy that is forcibly bound and fixed in a material form."

Huo Xiuxiu tried to explain it in simple terms.

"This energy is very gentle, or rather, it is currently in a dormant state."

"But its properties and composition are completely beyond our current understanding of physics and materials science."

"Those senior experts all said..."

"This thing doesn't look like something from Earth."

"At least, it doesn't seem like something that could be produced through normal natural evolution or artificial means."

Fatty Wang smacked his lips.

"Wow, an alien product?"

"It's hard to say."

Huo Xiuxiu continued.

"Then there are the symbols on the bone plate."

"Several paleography experts have confirmed this."

"This is an extremely ancient and long-lost independent writing system."

"It does not belong to any currently discovered lineage of civilizations."

"They are more like... a medium for recording 'information' in a specific way."

"Not just words."

"What do you mean?"

Xie Yuchen asked.

"This means that these symbols themselves may carry some kind of 'instruction' or 'code'."

Huo Xiuxiu pointed to another photo.

The image above is a magnified view of a portion of the bone plate.

Some of the engravings appear to have a very faint halo under special imaging.

"We tried using energy of different frequencies, sound waves, and even light of specific wavelengths to stimulate the bone plates."

"Some symbols will emit a faint glow for a brief period of time."

"But it cannot be stabilized, nor can its meaning be deciphered."

Experts speculate that deciphering these symbols is crucial.

"A specific 'key' may be required."

"Or meet some special 'condition'."

"for example……"

She looked at the short cane that Zhang Qiling had placed beside him, still wrapped in strips of cloth.

"For example, this."

"Is the short cane a key?"

Wu Xie looked at the short staff.

"Possibly."

Huo Xiuxiu said.

"The 'All-Seeing Stone' at the top of the short staff."

"And the patterns on the bone plates and the jade cong."

"Energy characteristics share a certain degree of homology."

"But how exactly it's used involves physical contact."

"We still need to activate the power of the short staff in some way."

"I don't know."

"We dare not try it lightly."

"I'm afraid it will lead to uncontrollable consequences."

Huo Xiuxiu's tone was solemn.

"What about the 'source species' mentioned by the ancient corpse? Are there any clues?"

Xie Yuchen was more concerned about this.

Huo Xiuxiu shook her head.

"The records about the 'origin species' on the bone plate are very fragmented."

"And it was recorded using symbols that cannot be directly interpreted."

"We can only speculate based on information from the murals and the jade cong."

"It is probably an ancient, non-human 'source' with powerful pollution and transformation capabilities."

"Those ancient people tried to study and utilize it."

"But it eventually spiraled out of control, leading to its own mutation and the partial destruction of its civilization."

"The short staff may be one of the tools they created to control and stabilize the power of the 'Source Seed'."

"But clearly, it was only partially successful, and at a huge cost."

"Is the Wang family looking for this thing to control the power of the 'Source Seed'?"

Fatty Wang stroked his chin.

"Very likely."

"But more likely, they know something we don't know about the 'source species' and the true purpose of the short staff."

Huo Xiuxiu looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling".

"Mr. Zhang, what are your thoughts?"

"What special sensations did you experience when you handled the short cane?"

Zhang Qiling remained silent for a moment.

Road.

"The energy is chaotic."

"There was guidance, but also... rejection."

"Zhang Qiling" added.

"Like a lock, incomplete."

"There might be more than one key."

"More than one?"

Wu Xie grasped the key point.

Zhang Qiling nodded.

"Feel."

"The short staff is only one part of it."

"There are others... similar, or complementary ones."

This news sent a chill down everyone's spines.

If the "Scepter of the Source" is just part of a larger "key".

That means there are many more similar items.

Or more complex usage conditions.

The Wang family probably knows much more than they have revealed.

"The Wang family has been very quiet lately."

Xie Yuchen tapped his fingers on the table.

"But the quieter it is, the more something feels off."

"They're waiting, either for us to produce results in our research, or they're planning something else."

"We can't just wait around."

"you mean?"

Wu Xie looked at him.

"Actively collect information."

Jie Yuchen said.

"Regarding the 'origin species,' and similar ancient tombs, ruins, and legends."

"Regarding the Wang family's past activities."

"We will use our connections with the Nine Gates, the Huo family, and myself to investigate."

"In addition, some of those senior experts mentioned..."

"In folk tales and surviving ancient books in some parts of Southwest China."

"There seem to be descriptions similar to 'seeds of all things' and 'heart of Mother Earth'."

"Although the wording is different, the characteristics are somewhat similar."

"This could be a direction to take."

southwest?

Wu Xie's heart stirred, and he thought of that mysterious and complex land.

The discussion has temporarily come to an end.

Huo Xiuxiu needs rest, and she also needs to continue working with the experts to overcome the challenges.

Xie Yuchen was going to arrange intelligence gathering.

Wu Xie and Fatty Wang were also lost in their own thoughts.

Night was falling.

Xie Yuchen arranged an exquisite family dinner.

This is a way to give everyone a break after days of hard work and intense research.

The menu is very extensive.

It mainly features light and fresh Hangzhou and Huaiyang cuisines.

There are also a few main dishes.

The atmosphere at the table was much more relaxed than before.

Fatty Wang has returned to his usual lively and comical self.

While eating, he boasted about his "glorious deeds" of "single-handedly" venturing into a certain ancient tomb back in the day.

Although most of them were exposed by Wu Xie.

Black Bear listened with a smile.

He would finish off the enemy from time to time.

This made Huo Xiuxiu cover her mouth and chuckle.

Xie Yuchen dined elegantly.

Occasionally, I'll chime in with a couple of words.

Aning and Jiang Xun Gu ate quietly.

But he also seemed much more relaxed.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" are still not talkative.

But he ate very seriously.

Especially when a dish of steamed chicken with lotus leaf and a dish of braised crab meat lion's head meatballs are served.

The two of them started eating much faster.

"This lotus leaf steamed chicken uses free-range chickens from the West Lake area."

"The meat is tender and juicy, and it is steamed in lotus leaves to preserve its original flavor to the greatest extent."

"Please have some."

Xie Yuchen explained.

Zhang Qiling picked up a piece of chicken.

Put it in your mouth and chew it slowly.

Then he nodded almost imperceptibly.

Zhang Qiling also took a bite.

He didn't say anything.

But the chopsticks reached out again.

Black Bear saw this and chuckled.

He picked up the serving chopsticks and put a piece in each of their bowls.

"Eat more, look how thin you are."

"Dumb, Qiling, I'm not trying to be mean, but you two need to eat better to have the strength."

"Next time Fatty brags, you two throw him in the pond to feed the fish, and I'll treat you to extra dishes!"

"Hey! Blackie, how dare you talk like that!"

Fatty Wang quit.

Wu Xie laughed loudly.

"I think that's a good idea! Fatty, you'd better eat more and lose some weight, otherwise those two guys will have no trouble throwing you around!"

The crowd burst into laughter.

Even Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" seemed to have a very slight smile at the corners of their mouths.

It was so fast that it seemed like an illusion.

The floating live-streaming ball captured this rare, heartwarming, and lively moment.

The comments section also became active:

These home-style dishes look delicious!

Do these two guys like playing PUBG?

The fat guy is bragging again, hahaha.

The atmosphere is so nice.

I hope it stays this way.

Just then.

Xie Yuchen's phone vibrated.

He glanced at it; it was an encrypted number.

His expression remained unchanged.

He made an apologetic gesture to everyone.

He got up and went outside to the porch to answer the call.

He returned a few minutes later.

His expression didn't show much change.

But those who know him well can sense the subtle seriousness in his eyes.

"There's a new development."

Xie Yuchen sat down, lowering his voice.

"I sent someone to the southwest to gather information to bring back news."

"Things haven't been peaceful over there lately."

"Strange things have been reported in several remote villages."

"They say someone heard strange noises coming from underground at night."

"It's like many people are talking in hushed tones at the same time, but you can't understand what they're saying."

"In other places, livestock are becoming inexplicably restless, even going berserk."

"Some locals say it's the mountain god's anger."

"Some say it's a sign of an earth dragon turning over, but there are differing opinions."

"Voices from underground? Livestock going berserk?"

Wu Xie frowned; this sounded somewhat familiar.

Huo Xiuxiu's expression changed slightly.

"It's somewhat similar to the signs of mutations that occurred in the ancient city of Jingjue due to the influence of the 'Source Seed' power."

"Although the forms of expression are different."

"But the root cause may be some kind of abnormal, disruptive energy field."

"southwest……"

Black Bear stroked his chin.

"There are quite a few things underground in that area."

"The ancient Dian Kingdom, Yelang, Nanzhao, and even more ancient..."

"If the 'source species' truly exists, and there is more than one, or its influence is widespread."

"The southwest is indeed a place that needs special attention."

"besides."

Xie Yuchen continued.

"The Wang family has been active in the southwest more frequently lately."

"Although it was well hidden, our people still managed to catch a glimpse of it."

"They seemed to be looking for something; they were moving very quickly."

"really."

Wu Xie sighed.

"They haven't been idle."

"Then we..."

Fatty Wang looked at Xie Yuchen.

"There's no rush yet."

Jie Yuchen said.

"The information is not yet complete; rushing over there could put us at a disadvantage."

"Wait until Xiuxiu makes further breakthroughs in her research."

"We'll make plans once we have more information about the 'origin species' and the situation in the southwest."

"Everyone should rest well these next few days, but also remain vigilant."

"The Wang family won't have to wait long."

The atmosphere became slightly more subdued in the latter half of the banquet.

Even though delicious food is right in front of you.

But the things weighing on my mind diminished the sense of relief.

After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms.

Wu Xie walked to the door of his room.

I couldn't help but look back at the depths of the courtyard one last time.

The direction of the courtyard where Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" are located.

The lights there were dim and the place was as quiet as ever.

But the vague unease in his heart grew stronger.

Unusual activity in the southwest.

Traces of the Wang family.

The short staff and the unsolved mystery of the "Origin Seed"...

All of this seems to be weaving an invisible net.

And they are right at the center of the net.

The night breeze blew through the courtyard.

The bamboo leaves rustled.

It carries the unique humidity and coolness of a summer night in the south.

The calm may really be coming to an end.

The levitating live-streaming ball followed Wu Xie into the room.

The live stream signal was slowly turned off.

However, the online discussions did not stop.