Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The car headed north and drove for a long time.

After a while, the view outside the window changed from gentle hills and slopes to an endless plain.

Then it transitions from plains to the outline of undulating mountains.

Finally, at the edge of the field of vision, a majestic mountain range covered with snow began to appear.

Air seeped in through the gaps in the car windows, carrying an increasingly distinct, sharp, and chilling cold.

The sky was a somber, leaden gray, typical of northern winters.

There was no sun, but the light was very bright, a dazzling, cold white light like the sunlight reflected off the snow.

The main peak of Changbai Mountain in the distance is half-hidden under the low-hanging clouds, like a silent, giant beast covered in thick white fur.

It lies quietly at the edge of the world, looking down at these tiny black dots that are approaching it.

The convoy stopped in a small town near the foothills to replenish supplies.

The town is small and almost entirely buried in thick snow.

The streets were sparsely populated, the houses were low, and pale gray smoke rose straight up from the chimneys.

The wind swept across the empty streets, whipping up fine snowflakes that stung my face.

Everyone got out of the car and stepped into the snow, which was up to their calves, making a "crunching" sound.

The cold air instantly penetrated the thick clothing, and the breath exhaled condensed into white mist in front of my eyes.

"My goodness..."

Wang Pangzi wrapped his thick down jacket tightly around himself, pulling the hood down so that only his eyes were visible, and his voice trembled slightly in the cold wind.

"This place...it's really something! Much colder than where we are!"

Wu Xie was also frozen, his face turned pale, and he kept stamping his feet and looking to the side.

Not far away, "Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" had already gotten out of the car.

He was wearing a black hoodie and cargo pants, with just a matching windbreaker casually thrown on over it, the zipper not even fully zipped up.

His face under the brim of his hat remained expressionless. Standing tall and straight in the freezing wind of minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius, he showed no sign of flinching.

They seemed oblivious to the surrounding frigidity.

Even the white breath exhaled was extremely faint and short.

Black Bear got out of another car, dressed in the same signature black outfit, with only a scarf casually wrapped around his neck.

He took off his sunglasses, wiped the frost off the lenses, and put them back on.

I took a deep breath into the crisp, bone-chilling air and then slowly exhaled.

His breath was actually much shorter than the fat man's.

"Wow, this air is so refreshing!"

He smacked his lips, showing no sign of fear of the cold on his face.

"Aren't you...cold?"

Huo Xiuxiu, wrapped in a thick white down jacket, looked like a chubby polar bear as she looked at the three people and asked in surprise.

Zhang Qiling turned his head and glanced at her, then shook his head.

Zhang Qiling simply uttered one word: "No."

Black Bear chuckled and leaned against the car like he had no bones.

"Young man, you've got plenty of energy. Fatty, all that fat on you is for nothing?"

"Get lost!"

Fatty Wang replied irritably.

But there was also surprise and a hint of barely perceptible understanding in his eyes.

He knew that the guys were no ordinary people, and Hei Xiazi was an unfathomable monster.

But this constitution, which almost ignores the severe cold, still stirred something in a corner of his heart.

I didn't think too much about it; I just assumed they were very capable.

A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu had quickly finished checking the supplies and came over.

Ah Ning's face was a little blue from the cold, but her eyes were clear.

"The further you go, the worse the road conditions become, and in some places you may have to hike."

"Vehicles can only go as far as Camp 3. We expect to arrive by evening, rest there overnight, and then head up the mountain tomorrow morning."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over "Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling," with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Okay." Zhang Qiling nodded.

Zhang Qiling nodded in agreement.

Xie Yuchen glanced at the sky, then at the snow-covered mountains in the distance, a hint of solemnity in his expression.

But he didn't say anything, only addressed the crowd:

"Hurry up and replenish your hot water and easily portable high-energy food. Check your equipment, especially for cold-weather gear and snow walking."

Everyone got back into the car, the engine groaning laboriously in the cold air.

Once again, we drove over the snow and headed deeper into the mountains.

The further you go in, the fewer people there are.

The road became narrower and bumpier, eventually turning into a gravel road, half-buried in snow, barely passable for vehicles.

On both sides are dense, tall trees that have lost all their leaves.

The branches were heavy with snow, like countless silent giants dressed in mourning.

The wind whistled through the woods, making a mournful sound.

The levitating live-streaming ball, which had been following the convoy, flew out of the car window and rose into the air.

The camera pans down at this tiny convoy struggling through the vast snowfields and dark green forests.

In the live broadcast room, the audience was also shocked by this magnificent and harsh scene.

"What heavy snow!"

Is winter in Changbai Mountain really that scary?

"Those two guys are dressed so scantily..."

"Isn't Blackie cold?"

"Everyone else is all bundled up like a ball, haha."

"Is this road still drivable?"

"It feels like going on an adventure, or a pilgrimage."

It was past 3 p.m., and the sky was already as dark as dusk.

The convoy finally arrived at Camp 3, which was marked on the map.

Actually, they were just a few abandoned, half-collapsed wooden houses in a mountain valley, mostly covered by snow, barely enough to keep out the wind.

The surrounding area is filled with even denser primeval forests and steep mountain walls.

Everyone got out of the car and immediately began cleaning the wooden house and starting a fire.

The firewood was unloaded from the car by Aning and Jiang Xungu; it was dry and easily ignited.

Soon, a roaring campfire was lit in the largest wooden cabin.

The orange-red flames flickered, dispelling some of the chill.

The shadows of people were cast on the mottled and decaying wooden wall.

Despite his exhaustion, Fatty Wang immediately set about using a portable stove to boil water and cook noodles.

He then distributed the dried meat and compressed biscuits he had brought to everyone.

"Let's eat something hot right away! This awful place makes us lose calories so fast!"

After eating the hot soup noodles, my body slowly regained some warmth.

The group sat around the campfire, listening to the howling wind and snow outside, and remained silent for a moment.

The flickering firelight reflected on everyone's faces, creating a play of light and shadow.

Wu Xie sat next to Zhang Qiling, holding a steaming cup in his hands.

Looking out at the boundless expanse of white outside the door, swallowed by twilight and snow, he suddenly whispered:

"Young man, have you... been here before?"

Zhang Qiling's gaze fell on the leaping flames.

Upon hearing this, her eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

He didn't answer immediately. After a few seconds, he gave a very soft, almost inaudible "hmm".

It's not this body, but the memories of "Zhang Qiling".

Rather, it belongs to the fragmented and heavy collective memory of countless "Zhang Qilings" spanning thousands of years behind that name.

Snowstorm, solitary peak, colossal bronze gate, an endless vigil...

These images and feelings are like the undercurrents hidden beneath a glacier.

From the moment he decided to head north, it began to slowly surge and emerge.

Wu Xie looked at his calm profile, the firelight casting a soft, warm glow on his cold, hard lines.

Yet, it could not melt the ancient ice deep within those eyes.

He suddenly felt a little panicked, a panic that came out of nowhere.

It was as if I had a premonition of something, but I couldn't quite grasp the specific shape of that feeling.

He moved his lips, as if to ask something else.

For example, "What are you here for?" or "What's here?"

But in the end, he just gripped the cup in his hand even tighter.

He swallowed the rest of his words along with the slightly hot liquid.

Zhang Qiling, standing nearby, was also watching the fire.

But his gaze seemed to pierce through the flames, directed towards a more distant, unknown horizon.

This place was also unfamiliar to him.

But this mountain range, this wind and snow, this atmosphere of solitude that freezes the soul.

Yet, strangely, it resonated vaguely with certain images deep within his memory.

They are not the same doors, but perhaps they have a similar sense of "fate".

Black Bear leaned against the corner of the wall, fiddling with a Zippo lighter in his hand.

The lid opens and closes with a crisp "click" sound.

His eyes, behind his sunglasses, swept over the silent crowd around the fire.

Ultimately, it falls on "Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling".

The usual, cynical curve of his lips appeared somewhat blurred and indistinct in the swaying light and shadow.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu discussed tomorrow's route and the difficulties they might encounter in hushed tones.

Aning is checking her personal equipment and communication devices.

Jiang Xun Gu stood guard by the door, like a frozen sculpture.

Fatty Wang finished slurping up the last mouthful of noodles and sighed contentedly.

I started fantasizing about how great it would be if I could catch a snow rabbit or something for an extra meal tomorrow.

Outside the wooden house, the wind and snow seemed to be getting heavier.

The wind lashed against the wooden wall, making a strange, whistling sound.

It was as if countless unseen things were wandering and howling in the darkness.

The sound of snow breaking dry branches occasionally drifted from the distant woods, crisp yet eerie.

But inside the cabin, the campfire crackled, casting a warm glow.

The aroma of instant noodles and dried meat mingled with the smoky scent of burning wood.

It formed a fragile yet real little sanctuary.

My companion's breathing and whispers were right beside me.

Zhang Qiling withdrew his gaze from the fire, turned his head slightly, and glanced at Wu Xie beside him.

Wu Xie stared intently at the flames, his profile looking somewhat tired in the firelight, but his eyes remained clear and determined.

He glanced at Fatty Wang across from him again.

The fat man was trying to scoop the last bits of meat out of the can with a small twig, humming an off-key tune.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu stood very close together, looking at the same map.

Ah Ning meticulously cleaned her dagger.

Jiang Xun Gu's figure stood firmly at the doorway, as solid as a mountain.

The "click" of the black bear's lighter became a strange, rhythmic embellishment in the background noise.

Zhang Qiling slowly withdrew his gaze.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air.

Without words, a shared, silent understanding flowed between the two.

This is the last, warm campfire that belongs to "humanity".

Tomorrow, the sun will rise (if there is still a sun).

They will leave this shelter and venture deeper into the snowstorm.

Heading towards the heart of that mountain range, towards that colossal gate that has stood silent for countless years, a gate that determines destiny.

But at this moment, the fire is still burning, and the people are still nearby.

Zhang Qiling turned his gaze back to the leaping flames.

I brought my cold fingertips closer to the warm light source.

Late at night.

After the watch order was arranged, everyone lay down in their sleeping bags one after another.

Outside the wooden house, the wind and snow howled fiercely, while inside, the sound of even breathing gradually filled the air.

Zhang Qiling lay in the sleeping bag, not closing his eyes immediately.

He could hear the trail of every snowflake falling outside.

It can sense the faint pulse of some enormous, ancient, and extremely cold "existence" deep within the mountains.

That pulse resonated subtly with something deep within his blood.

In his heart, he calmly called out:

【system.】

【exist. 】

The system's voice rang out, concise and to the point, like the wind on this snowy night.

"We're almost there."

[Hmm. The last stretch of the journey. Host, how are you feeling?]

Zhang Qiling remained silent for a moment.

Feeling the hard, cold ground beneath me, listening to the breathing of my sleeping companions around me, and the eternal wind and snow outside the door.

"cold."

Ultimately, in his mind, he gave the simplest and most straightforward answer.

It's not physical coldness.

It is a deeper, ancient, lonely chill, as if seeping from the cracks of the soul.

It is the clear, stinging "coldness" of knowing that the end is ahead and warmth is behind.

The system remained silent for a while.

Then, its voice seemed to soften and slow down, with an almost soothing calmness:

It's cold, that's for sure. This road has never been warm.

But having walked through it all, seen it all, and held on to it... perhaps that in itself is the meaning.

Zhang Qiling did not respond further.

He slowly closed his eyes, embracing the distinct "coldness" along with the lingering warmth of the campfire beside him and the breaths of his companions.

Sink into a dreamless, restorative darkness.

Outside the wooden house, the wind and snow of Changbai Mountain continued unabated throughout the night.

It was almost dawn.