Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The corridor with the stone tablet was eerily quiet.

Rows of stone tablets, each engraved with a name, stood on both sides, like countless eyes watching over the living people in the darkness. The light from the bronze lamps was faint, illuminating only a few meters around them; beyond that, it was an impenetrable blackness.

Xie Linyuan leaned against the innermost corner of the wall, sitting down very slowly.

He gently placed the black gold ancient sword at his feet, then leaned against the cold stone wall and slid down little by little. The wound on his left shoulder was still bleeding; the cloth strip was soaked through, a dark red stain. He glanced down at it, then ignored it.

My right arm was also injured, scratched by the green-haired zombie's claws. The wound wasn't deep, but it was long, running from my elbow to my wrist. The skin was torn open, the blood had congealed, and a thin scab had formed.

He closed his eyes.

His breathing was a little heavier than usual, but still steady. His chest rose and fell with his breath, not much, but you could tell he was tired.

I'm really tired.

He hasn't stopped since he entered the ancient tomb.

Clearing paths, probing traps, slaying mountain demons, beheading water monsters, battling corpse puppets, fighting green-haired zombies... every battle was a tough one, and every one required his full effort. His physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, but he was still human after all; he would get tired and get injured.

He just never said a word.

He frowned slightly.

It was very slight, just a moment. His forehead was covered in sweat, beads of sweat sliding down his cheeks, down to his chin, and dripping onto his collar. He raised his hand to wipe it, but his left shoulder hurt as soon as he moved, and he stopped.

He raised his right hand and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

Then let your hands hang down and rest them on your knees.

There were tiny cuts on his fingers, and the skin at his knuckles was broken and scabbed over. There were also dark red stains under his fingernails—blood, whether his or the monsters', he didn't know.

He just sat there, eyes closed, without saying a word.

Lin Guoce is inspecting the remaining supplies.

Food: There are eight packs of compressed biscuits left, enough for one person each. If eaten sparingly, it should last two days. Water: Four water bottles, each only half full. Medicine: The first-aid kit is more than half used, there are two rolls of gauze left, and the disinfectant is almost gone. Batteries: The flashlight is barely bright enough to last another two hours at most.

He walked over to Xie Linyuan and squatted down.

"Mr. Xie, please have your wound treated."

Xie Linyuan opened his eyes.

He glanced at the shoulder and shook his head.

"Need not."

"It can be infectious."

"Won't."

Lin Guoce didn't try to persuade him further. He knew Xie Linyuan had a special constitution; his wounds healed quickly and the chance of infection was low. But looking at those wounds, he still felt a tightness in his chest.

He took out the last bottle of water and handed it to Xie Linyuan.

Xie Linyuan took it, drank a small sip, and handed it back to him.

"You guys drink."

Lin Guoce handed the water bottle to the others. Chen Man took a small sip and handed it to Wang Yihan, who took a sip and handed it to Kun Ge... After going around in circles, everyone only dared to take a tiny sip; water was too precious.

Professor Zhou Xu'an sat in front of a stone tablet, studying the names on it by the dim light.

"The ninth generation gatekeeper of the Zhang family, Zhang Shouyi... the tenth generation, Zhang Shoucheng... all have single-character names, and all contain the character 'Shou' (守, meaning 'to guard'). Guarding the gate, guarding the gate, truly generation after generation guarding..."

He pushed up his glasses and turned to look at Xie Linyuan.

"Mr. Xie, are you also a member of the Zhang family?"

Xie Linyuan did not open his eyes.

"I guess so."

"And the people on these stone tablets..."

"ancestor."

The professor fell silent. He looked at the densely packed names, then at the young man in the corner, dressed in black and covered in wounds, and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

A thousand-year-old tradition.

Generations of people have stayed here, and died here.

The last stone tablet was empty.

"to be continued".

To be continued... To whom?

Should it be given to this young man named Zhang Qiling?

There were fewer comments in the live stream than before.

Many people are watching silently.

[ID's heart aches: This guy's shoulder is still bleeding...]

[ID is exhausted: He hasn't had much rest]

[ID Heritage: The names on those stone tablets are all his ancestors]

[ID: Depressed] This place is so depressing.

Jiang Shouyi was flipping through the book "A Collection of Secret Feng Shui Techniques." The pages were almost falling apart, but he still turned the pages carefully. He stopped when he reached a certain page.

"Here... there's a record of the 'Gatekeeper Clan'," he read softly. "'The Zhang clan possesses a special bloodline capable of suppressing evil spirits. For generations, they have lived beside the Bronze Gate, swearing an oath in blood to protect the boundary between the human world and the underworld...'"

He looked up at Xie Linyuan.

"Mr. Xie, your blood..."

Xie Linyuan did not respond.

He had closed his eyes again, as if he were asleep. But his brows were still slightly furrowed, and his breathing maintained a light and steady rhythm—a habit developed from years of being in dangerous environments; he didn't sleep deeply and could wake up at any time.

Chen Man and Wang Yihan leaned against each other.

Chen Man's eyes were still red; she had cried too many times and had no tears left. She looked at Xie Linyuan and whispered, "Sister Yihan, Mr. Xie... is he in pain?"

Wang Yihan shook her head: "I don't know."

Why didn't he cry out in pain?

"Because shouting won't help."

Chen Man lowered her head. Yes, shouting was useless. In this place, you have to endure the pain and bear the fatigue. No one will help you just because you're in pain, and no one will carry you just because you're tired.

Everything depends on yourself.

Kun sat on the other side, hugging his knees. He stopped looking at his phone and stopped thinking about the live stream. All he wanted now was to get out of there alive. He looked at Xie Linyuan, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him—awe, dependence, and a little bit of jealousy.

Why is this person so strong?

Why am I so weak?

Time passed second by second.

The oil in the bronze lamp burned slowly, and the light grew dimmer. Shadows danced on the stone tablet, and the names appeared and disappeared in the light and shadow, as if they had come alive.

Xie Linyuan suddenly opened his eyes.

He heard a sound.

A very faint sound came from deep within the corridor.

He sat up straight, his right hand already gripping the hilt of the knife.

But the sound stopped.

It was the sound of the wind.

This underground space has ventilation openings, and occasionally airflow passes through, producing a faint sound.

He removed the incision and leaned back.

But he didn't close his eyes again.

He just sat there, looking into the depths of the dark corridor.

A sharp, throbbing pain shot through the wound on his shoulder, like needles pricking him. He gritted his teeth and didn't move.

Lin Guoce walked over and sat down next to him.

"Mr. Xie, is it possible for us to get out?"

Xie Linyuan remained silent for a while.

"able."

How did you know?

"Feel."

Lin Guoce smiled bitterly. Feelings? In a place like this, feelings are the most unreliable thing. But he chose to trust Xie Linyuan. He had no other choice but to trust.

"What do you want to do after you get out?" Lin Guoce asked.

Xie Linyuan looked at him.

His eyes were calm, but there was a hint of confusion in them.

What will you do after you get out?

He was originally Xie Linyuan, an ordinary transmigrator. But now, he is Zhang Qiling, the last member of the Gatekeeper Clan. He has a mission, responsibilities, and secrets to protect.

But he also has his own life.

Or rather, it used to exist.

"I don't know," he said.

Then she closed her eyes again.

I'm really exhausted this time.

His head was tilted back slightly, resting against the stone wall. The lines of his neck were taut, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Sweat streamed down his temples, across his cheeks, down his chin, and dripped onto his collarbone.

The light shone on his face, half bright and half dark.

The face was young, but the eyes looked old.

He looks old, as if he has witnessed a thousand years of life and death and experienced countless partings.

In the live stream, someone sent a comment:

[ID wants to cry: I really want to hug him]

[ID: I feel the same way: He must be so tired.]

[ID Lonely: Those names on the tombstones must be his relatives.]

[ID: My heart aches for you: The wound must hurt so much]

Another hour passed.

Xie Linyuan fell asleep.

His breathing became lighter and slower. His brow was still furrowed, but his body had relaxed a little. He still held the knife in his right hand, but not tightly, as if he could draw it at any moment.

Lin Guoce arranged for everyone to take turns resting.

He and Jiang Shouyi were on the first shift, while the others made the most of their time to sleep.

Chen Man and Wang Yihan snuggled together and quickly fell asleep. Kun Ge also fell asleep, but his sleep was restless, and he mumbled in his sleep. Professor Zhou Xu'an was still looking at the stone tablet, but his eyes were almost closed, and he eventually fell asleep leaning against it as well.

The light from the bronze lamp grew dimmer and dimmer.

The oil is almost gone.

Lin Guoce looked at the lamp, then at the sleeping Xie Linyuan.

He wondered, if the lights went out, if it became completely dark, would this young man still be able to lead them out?

he does not know.

But he believed.

I don't know why, I just believe.

The sound of wind could be heard again from the depths of the corridor.

There seemed to be some sound mixed in with the wind this time.

It was very soft, very soft, like someone was talking.

Lin Guoce listened intently.

But I couldn't hear it clearly.

He looked at Xie Linyuan.

Xie Linyuan opened his eyes.

He heard it.