Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

On the tree.

Zhang Qiling opened his eyes.

It was completely dark. There was no moon, only a few faint stars against the inky blue sky. The mountains and forests were shrouded in thick darkness, with only the occasional, short, and eerie cry of an owl echoing in the distance.

He remained lying down and listened to the wind for a while longer.

Then he got up.

The movements were very light. First, he squatted down on the horizontal branch, then gripped the black and gold ancient sword beside him with his right hand. He reached out with his left hand, grabbed a thinner branch above, and tested his strength.

The branch bends downwards and then springs back.

He let go, leaned forward, and jumped directly from the top of the tree, which was 45 meters high.

whereabouts.

The wind blew upwards, making his black clothes cling to his body and his hair whip back. Even in the darkness, his eyes could still clearly make out the dark shadows of branches rapidly approaching below.

When he was halfway down, about twenty meters high, his left toe precisely touched a thick branch extending horizontally downwards and to the side.

The moment your feet touch the tree branch, bend your knees slightly to absorb the downward force, and at the same time use the momentum to swing your body forward and to the right.

At the same time, the right hand releases the knife, and the palm touches and pushes a vertical branch during the fall, changing direction.

The person is like a black zigzag line, constantly changing direction among the intersecting branches. Each time the toes or palms touch the support point, only a very slight "tap" sound is made, and the speed of falling is buffered and changed time and time again.

five meters.

He spotted the last horizontal branch about three meters off the ground, grabbed it with both hands, swung forward, released the weight, and landed.

Bend your knees, roll over to release the last bit of momentum, and get up.

When I stood there, I was already under the tree.

The entire process took less than ten seconds. From the treetop to the ground, a vertical drop of forty-five meters, it was completely silent, with only the soft sound of fallen leaves being crushed upon landing.

He brushed the fallen leaves off his clothes, slung his knife over his shoulder, and looked in one direction.

There was a faint light over there. It wasn't natural light, but the diffused glow of an artificial light source, filtering through from the valley.

There are people living here.

He took a step and walked in that direction.

Footsteps fell almost silently on the soft humus in the forest.

In a messy rented room in a certain city on the planet Water Blue.

The computer screen was lit, playing a live replay. The scene was set on the open ground of the base, where Kun Ge, leaning heavily on his shoulder, knocked Sun Shuanzhu over, then pointed at him and cursed him as an "expert."

Two people were sitting at the table.

A fat man, very fat, with a round face, small eyes, wearing a faded yellow T-shirt, his belly protruding. He was holding a bag of potato chips, eating them with a crunching sound, his eyes fixed on the screen, muttering curses under his breath.

"What kind of 'expert' is this! Did he get his brain slammed in a door or kicked by a donkey? How many times has this guy saved you? Huh? And he still spouts nonsense about controlling and regulating this? Pah!"

He grabbed a half-empty can of beer from the table, took a swig, and pointed at Sun Shuanzhu's face on the screen, which was turning purple with rage.

"Look at that guy! Adjusting his suit! What a big shot he's pretending to be! He's utterly useless in a tomb, all he does is spout nonsense! I'd beat every single one of those scum I see!"

A young man sat next to me; he was handsome, wore thin-rimmed glasses, and looked like a student. He rested his chin on his hand, his eyes also fixed on the screen, but his gaze was more curious and sparkling.

"Fatty, you're saying... Zhang Qiling's abilities are real? Night vision, lightness skill, Qilin blood, and that sword... Did people like that really exist in ancient times?"

"Nonsense!" The fat man slammed the bag of potato chips on the table. "It was filmed live! He cleaved that water monster's head in two with one stroke! The blood repels insects! Disguise! How could this be fake? Wu Xie, have you gone crazy from reading too much?"

The young man named Wu Xie pushed up his glasses, not angry at all, but instead smiled, a little embarrassed.

"I just think...it's so amazing. Like someone from a novel. And he looks...so lonely."

"How can he not be lonely?" the fat man sighed, a rare serious look appearing in his small eyes. "How many years have you lived? Guarding some bronze gate, everyone you know has grown old and died, but he's immortal. If you were in his shoes, you'd be lonely too."

He paused, then suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up again.

"Hey Wu Xie, what do you think... if we could run into Xiao Ge and team up with him to raid tombs, wouldn't that be awesome?"

Wu Xie was taken aback: "Team up?"

"That's right!" The fat man got more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly. "Look, Little Brother, the top fighter, in charge of slaughtering everything in sight! Me, Fatty, the tomb raider captain, in charge of scouting, identifying artifacts, cracking mechanisms, and creating a lively atmosphere! And you, you're quick-witted and meticulous, in charge of recording, analyzing, and being the strategist! The three of us, that's the new iron triangle of the tomb raiding world! We'll be absolutely invincible!"

Wu Xie was amused by him: "The Iron Triangle...do they even know who we are?"

"It's all about human effort!" the fat man winked. "Look at the live stream, that Kun Ge and Chen Man, haven't they become friends with Xiao Ge? Xiao Ge is a guy who seems cold on the outside but is warm on the inside, and he values ​​relationships! If we're genuinely good to him, he'll definitely get along with us!"

Wu Xie's eyes flickered as he watched the frozen image on the screen of Zhang Qiling's solitary black silhouette as he left.

"I really want to see him," he said softly.

"We'll meet!" the fat man said confidently. "I have a feeling! This world isn't big, and we're destined to meet this young man!"

He grabbed a beer and clinked it against the can in Wu Xie's hand.

"Come on, let's give a toast to the future trio!"

Wu Xie smiled, shook his head, and still clinked glasses with him.

On the screen, the live replay had ended, and the broadcast switched to other news. But the silent black figure and the fat man's shouting "iron triangle" remained in their hearts.

Edge of the mountains and forests.

Zhang Qiling stopped in his tracks.

Ahead was a dirt road, barely wide enough for one car to pass. At the other end of the road, a few scattered lights could be seen, indicating a small village.

He didn't go into the village.

Continue along the dirt road. The direction is away from the mountains where Huo Yun's tomb is located, towards a more open plain area.

It took about half an hour to walk.

The sound of a car engine came from behind.

He moved aside to make way.

A green SUV drove up from behind, its headlights piercing the darkness. It wasn't going fast, but as it passed him, it suddenly slowed down and stopped.

The car door opened.

Three men got out. They were all wearing camouflage combat uniforms and carrying guns. The gun barrels were pointed at him.

"Zhang Qiling?" the leader in the middle asked, his voice stiff.

Zhang Qiling looked at them without saying a word.

"Come with us," the leader said. "Don't resist. No matter how strong you are, you can't outrun a bullet."

Seven more men came down. Ten men, fanning out to surround him. All their guns were pointed at him. They were all standard automatic rifles, fitted with silencers. Their movements were professional, their eyes cold.

They weren't ordinary soldiers. They were special forces.

Zhang Qiling's gaze swept over them.

Ten people. Positions, distances, gun-holding postures, and the location of fingers on the trigger guard.

"Whose orders?" he asked.

"From above," the leader said, "this is an order jointly signed by three leaders: Chief Wang, Chief Li, and Chief Zhao. You are to return and cooperate with the investigation. Tell us everything about your abilities, the secret of immortality, and the Bronze Gate."

"What if I don't go?"

"Then we'll carry it out." The leader raised his gun, aiming it at his chest. "A tranquilizer dart. Enough to take down an elephant. Don't force us to use live ammunition."

Zhang Qiling remained silent for two seconds.

Then say, "Okay."

He took a step forward.

The encirclement tightened instantly, and the gun barrels drew even closer.

"Stand still! Hands up!" the leader shouted.

Zhang Qiling did not raise his hand.

He continued walking forward, taking his second step.

"Fire!" The leader gave the order without hesitation.

Puff puff--

The silenced gunshot was muffled, like a forceful slap on a pillow. A dozen or so tranquilizer darts were fired, covering his entire body.

Zhang Qiling moved the instant the gun fired.

Lean to the left front to avoid the first wave of bullets, while simultaneously reaching behind you with your right hand.

The black gold ancient sword was drawn.

The blade flashed a dark light in the darkness.

The soldier on the far left had his gun barrel severed from his wrist, along with the hand holding it. Blood spurted out, and the man froze for a second before screaming in agony.

Zhang Qiling didn't stop. He spun his blade, deflecting two tranquilizer darts fired from his right. The darts struck the blade with a soft clinking sound and bounced away. He stepped forward, closing the distance, and with his left hand in a palm strike, cut into the second soldier's Adam's apple.

Click.

The sound of a throat bone cracking. The man's eyes bulged out, and he collapsed.

The third soldier turned his gun, but Zhang Qiling was faster. His right foot kicked the soldier's shinbone, the bone cracking loudly. As the soldier fell, the tip of his knife plunged down, piercing his heart.

The fourth and fifth soldiers fired simultaneously. Zhang Qiling ducked and rolled forward, the tranquilizer dart whizzing past his head. He rolled to the fourth soldier's feet, slashed upwards with his knife, cutting open his abdomen and slicing open his chest. Blood and internal organs gushed out.

A fifth soldier's gun came at him, but Zhang Qiling had already used the momentum to stand up, grabbed the gun barrel with his left hand, and lifted it upwards, sending the bullet flying into the sky. With his right hand, he slashed horizontally with his sword, and a head flew off.

The sixth soldier roared, drew his military dagger, and lunged forward. Zhang Qiling dodged to the side, the dagger grazing his ribs and tearing his clothes. He grabbed the soldier's wrist with his left hand, twisted it forcefully, breaking the wrist bone and releasing the dagger. At the same time, he thrust his right knee up, slamming it into the soldier's chest and abdomen. The soldier groaned and doubled over. The knife had pierced the back of his neck and exited through his throat.

The seventh and eighth men, back to back, opened fire wildly. Zhang Qiling grabbed the corpse on the ground and held it in front of him. Bullets thudded into the flesh. He charged forward, pushing against the corpse, and in the brief moment while the two men were reloading, he tossed the body aside and flashed his blade.

Both men's carotid arteries were severed simultaneously, and blood spurted out two meters away, splashing onto the dirt road, turning it black.

The ninth one was the leader. He had retreated to the side of the car, his face pale, his hands trembling, but he was still holding his gun.

"Monster...you are a monster..." he murmured.

Zhang Qiling didn't speak. He walked over step by step.

The leader pulled the trigger.

The gun didn't fire. It jammed.

He paused for a moment, then looked down at the gun.

Just this once.

The tip of the knife pierced his brow and emerged from the back of his head.

The leader's body stiffened, then collapsed.

The tenth soldier, on the other side of the vehicle, was terrified. He dropped his gun and turned to run.

Zhang Qiling drew his sword, wiped away the blood, and flicked his wrist.

The knife flew out of his hand, spinning through the darkness, piercing the soldier's back and protruding from his chest.

The soldier fell to the ground and remained motionless.

Ten people.

Thirty-seven seconds.

They all died.

The stench of blood was so strong on the dirt road that it was almost unbearable. Corpses lay scattered about, and blood slowly pooled into small puddles.

Zhang Qiling walked over and pulled his sword from the last corpse. He wiped the blood off the corpse's clothes and sheathed it.

He glanced at the SUV but didn't move.

I turned around and continued walking along the dirt road.

His steps remained steady.

His back remained straight.

Only a drop of blood slowly slid down from the end of the scabbard and dripped into the dust.

He quickly disappeared into the darkness at the end of the road.

Behind them, only ten gradually cooling corpses and the deathly silence of the night remained.