Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

At the end of the alley.

Zhang Qiling sat with his back against the wall, the shadow under his hood obscuring his eyes and eyebrows. He held the empty wrapper of compressed biscuits in his hand.

He sat for a while, then got up.

He walked out of the alley and back onto the street. The afternoon sun slanted in, casting his shadow on the mottled cement pavement. He pulled his hat down low and walked along the street toward the edge of the city.

I passed a newsstand; a television hung under the eaves, broadcasting local news. The female news anchor's voice was flat and monotone.

"...The following is an official announcement. To explore and protect a newly discovered ancient tomb site in southwestern my country, we are now publicly recruiting individuals with special skills, historical knowledge, or excellent physical fitness to participate in the 'Seven Star Lu Palace' archaeological advance team. The application deadline is the end of this month, and the observation period is twenty days. Please visit the official website for details..."

The screen cuts to a blurry satellite topographic map, marking a mountainous area in the southwest, with a flashing red dot.

Zhang Qiling didn't stop walking, but he heard it.

Seven Star Lu Palace.

He had never heard of that name before.

But the words "southwest," "ancient tomb," and "recruitment" together suggest that something might be there. It could be a clue, it could be danger, or it could be... nothing at all.

He continued walking.

After leaving the city, we walked along a dirt road into the mountains. The road grew narrower and narrower until it disappeared before a forest.

He walked into the woods.

In the rented room.

Fatty Wang had his legs crossed, his phone resting on his stomach, the screen lit up—it was the official recruitment announcement page.

"Seven Star Lu Palace...tsk tsk, that name sounds exciting." He clicked his tongue, his small eyes shining. "Southwest, deep in the mountains, a newly discovered ancient tomb. Registration closes at the end of the month, departure in twenty days. Room and board included, subsidies provided, and bonuses for good performance...hehe."

Wu Xie leaned over to look and asked, "Fatty, you really want to go?"

"Nonsense!" The fat man sat up. "This is an official organization! A regular army! Much better than us blindly searching! And look at these requirements—'Special skills, historical knowledge, and excellent physical fitness'—I, Fatty, am a descendant of the tomb raiders, an expert in mechanisms and feng shui, with abundant historical knowledge, and my physical fitness is beyond question! Isn't this tailor-made for us?"

Wu Xie adjusted his glasses, hesitating slightly: "But...it's very dangerous, isn't it? So many people died at Huo Yun's tomb last time..."

"Danger? Where's the danger?" The fat man patted him on the shoulder. "Naive, you're just too naive. Fortune favors the bold! Besides, this is an official organization, the equipment will definitely be good, and the logistics will be guaranteed. Most importantly—"

He lowered his voice and winked, "I've heard that Kun Ge, Chen Man, and their group will be going this time! And Master Jiang and Professor Zhou too! They're all acquaintances! Most importantly… I reckon Xiao Ge might be going too!"

Wu Xie's eyes lit up: "Little Brother? Didn't the authorities say they couldn't contact him?"

"Just because we can't contact the official authorities doesn't mean the young man won't go!" The fat man gave him a "you're too naive" look. "This kind of large tomb, especially in the southwest, might be related to immortality or the gatekeeper. How could the young man not be interested? He'll definitely get the news and go himself! If we sign up and infiltrate the team, wouldn't we have a chance to run into him?"

Wu Xie was intrigued. That silent, powerful black figure, that blurry yet sharp profile on the wanted poster, and the "Iron Triangle" that Fatty talked about all the time... He really wanted to see them.

"So... what are the requirements for registration?"

"Fill out the form online, attach the documents, and wait for approval." Fatty had already opened the registration page and started tapping on his phone. "Come on, Tianzhen, you're highly educated and have good writing skills, help us polish it! Emphasize my tomb raiding skills and the historical heritage of your Wu family! Oh, and write down the parts of your grandfather's notes that you can talk about!"

Wu Xie sighed helplessly, but still took the phone and started editing. Fatty stood beside him, gesturing and pointing.

"Here it is! It says 'I, Fatty Wang,' the successor of the Tomb Raider's Manual, an expert in geomancy and location locating, and the master of deciphering countless traps! I have extensive practical experience!"

"Here! It's about you, Wu Xie, a descendant of the Wu family of the Old Nine Gates, with a long family tradition of learning, proficient in ancient writing and historical research, and meticulous in every detail!"

"Oh, and one more thing: we both have strong teamwork skills, excellent mental fortitude, and absolute obedience to commands—of course, the kind that means adapting to changing circumstances!"

The two of them spent a long time fiddling with the application form and finally filled it out and submitted it.

The page displays "Submission successful, please wait for review notification".

The fat man let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back: "All done! Now we just wait for news!"

Wu Xie looked at the screen, feeling both expectant and apprehensive.

Seven Star Lu Palace.

What kind of place would it be?

Dude... are you really going?

Special Affairs Office.

Wang Jizong stared grimly at the ever-growing list of applicants on his computer screen.

"A bunch of rabble," he scoffed. "What kind of tomb raiding masters, feng shui masters, martial arts families... do they really think this is just a bunch of street performers?"

Li Guoliang stood by the window and said calmly, "There are many hidden talents among the common people. Wasn't Zhang Qiling from the common people last time? Maybe we can find a few more useful ones this time."

Zhao Yongnian flipped through several application forms with key points highlighted: "Wang Pangzi, Wu Xie... these two, one claims to be a tomb raider, the other a descendant of the Wu family. Their information looks interesting. And this one, Xie Yuchen, claims to be a Peking Opera performer, but the video of his skills he submitted... is not simple. Hei Xiazi, a retired soldier, is proficient in firearms and wilderness survival. Huo Xiuxiu, a top student in history, has studied the ancient culture of Southwest China... It's quite a team of extraordinary people."

"Any movement from Zhang Qiling's side?" Wang Jizong asked.

"No," Li Guoliang shook his head. "An arrest warrant has been issued, but he's vanished into thin air. Our people can't find a trace of him. The surveillance cameras in the southwest haven't detected him entering the country either."

"He will definitely go," Wang Jizong said decisively. "He can't possibly be uninterested in an ancient tomb like this. Give the order to relax the screening process, recruit more people, and make a big splash. Keep broadcasting it on the news; make sure he knows about this. As long as he shows up in the southwest and enters those mountains, we'll have a chance."

Zhao Yongnian frowned: "You still want to arrest him?"

"Capture?" Wang Jizong sneered. "Wasn't the lesson of those ten people last time enough? This time, the goal is cooperation. Or... to make him and the things in the ancient tomb mutually weaken each other."

The office quieted down.

The three individuals each harbored their own thoughts, but shared the same goal: to visit the Seven Star Lu Palace and to make contact with Zhang Qiling.

As for the outcome, nobody knows.

Luxury apartments in another corner of the city.

Kun looked at the official notification he received on his phone and smiled wryly.

"Twenty days later, in the southwest, at the Seven Star Lu Palace. As expected, there was no escaping it."

Chen Man sat opposite him, hugging her knees, and whispered, "Brother Kun, are you going?"

"Can we not go?" Kun sighed. "The contract is signed, and the higher-ups have specifically named us. Besides... to be honest, I'm a little curious too. Last time at Huo Yun's tomb, although I was scared half to death, it was still an eye-opening experience. This time, this Lu Palace sounds even more mysterious."

Wang Yihan brought tea from the kitchen: "Master Jiang and Professor Zhou have also received the notification. The professor was very excited, saying that there are very few records of the Lu Palace in historical materials, and this may be a major discovery. Master Jiang... seemed a little worried, saying that the southwest region has complex terrain and strange customs, making it more dangerous than the ancient tombs in the Central Plains."

"Will the young man go?" Chen Man asked.

The three looked at each other.

"Yes," Kun said with certainty. "He'd definitely be interested in a place like this. And I always feel... he's looking for something. Something related to these ancient tombs, something related to immortality."

"Then we..." Chen Man hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

"Let's just do our own thing." Wang Yihan patted her hand. "Don't hold him back. If there's a chance... help him out. Even if it's not much of a help."

Kun nodded and looked out the window.

The sun is setting, and the sky is a deep orange-red.

Twenty days.

It's yet another journey where life and death are uncertain.

Edge of the southwestern mountainous region.

Zhang Qiling stood by a stream.

He was holding a fish skewered on a twig, the fish still wriggling. Beside him lay two dead rabbits on the ground.

He walked in the mountains for two days, surviving on hunting and wild fruit. He still had a little over two hundred coins left, which he didn't touch.

He squatted down and deftly processed the fish and rabbit with a dagger, then started a fire and roasted them.

The movements were practiced, and the person remained silent.

The firelight illuminated half of his face, while the other half remained hidden in the shadow of his hood. His black fingerless gloves were stained with blood, but he didn't remove them.

After finishing his meal, he extinguished the fire and covered the traces with soil.

Then he sat down against a tree and closed his eyes.

A system notification suddenly sounded in my mind:

[Related causal fluctuations detected]

Location: Lu King Palace, Seven Stars, Southwest

[Related Clues: Possible locations for information about the Immortal Tomb and fragments of the Bronze Gate]

[Recommendation: Go and investigate]

[19 days until the official exploration team assembles]

Zhang Qiling opened his eyes.

Seven Star Lu Palace.

Official recruitment, extraordinary individuals, Brother Kun's team, and... possible clues.

He looked southwest.

The night was deep, and the mountain shadows stretched endlessly.

To go or not to go?

He stood up and slung his knife over his shoulder.

Without hesitation, I took a step and headed southwest.

Under the moonlight, the figure in black quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.