Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The sky darkened.

The light in the forest was already dim, and with the dark clouds pressing down, it felt as if night had fallen early. The wind blew through the gaps in the trees, carrying a damp and cold air that chilled the back of one's neck.

The group trudged through the old forest, their steps uneven. There was no path at all; only the soldiers leading the way used entrenching tools to clear vines and bushes, barely managing to carve a narrow passage. Underfoot were tangled tree roots and slippery moss, a single misstep threatening a fall. Their pace was as slow as a snail's pace.

"Six kilometers to go." Lin Guoce glanced at the GPS device, his voice heavy in the quiet forest. Six kilometers—in this kind of place, it could take a whole day to walk.

The levitating live-streaming ball faithfully followed the team overhead, the camera panning across tired, tense, or numb faces.

The comments section was flooded with messages:

[ID Mountain Man: This road is not fit for human footing]

[ID: Cat watching live stream: It took forever to move this little bit]

[ID Bro's Fan Club: It must be much easier for him up front!]

[ID Archaeology Elementary School Student: This environment must make the ancient tomb dangerous]

Sun Shuanzhu, walking in the middle of the group, was already in a sorry state. His once-crisp suit was torn in several places by tree branches, his hair was covered with dry leaves, and his face was covered in sweat and dust. He clutched his small leather suitcase tightly, which contained his "professional tools" for "protecting cultural relics." He was panting heavily with every step and kept complaining.

"What kind of place is this... There aren't even roads... How can artifact excavation be done under conditions like this... It's utterly ridiculous..."

The man in black walking ahead of him turned around, a smirk playing on his lips behind his sunglasses: "Expert Sun, save your energy. This is just the beginning."

Sun Shuanzhu glared at him, but didn't dare to talk back. He was a little intimidated by this guy in sunglasses.

After walking a while longer, a precipice appeared ahead. The precipice wasn't deep, only seven or eight meters, but the walls were steep and covered in slippery moss. At the base of the precipice was a pile of boulders. The precipice was about five meters wide, a formidable chasm for ordinary people.

The line stopped.

"Build a rope bridge!" Lin Guoce ordered.

Two soldiers unloaded their equipment and prepared ropes and hooks. But this would take time, and only one person could pass at a time. It would take at least an hour for the entire group of more than sixty people to cross.

Above the cliff, in the shadows cast by the trees, Zhang Qiling stood quietly. He had arrived long before the group and had already surveyed the precipice. For him, crossing it would be easy. But he didn't move, simply watching the chaotic group below.

Black Bear looked up at the cliff face, then at the five-meter-wide gap, and clicked his tongue: "If Little Brother were here, he could have crossed that distance in a flash."

Wu Xie, who was standing next to him, asked in a low voice, "Fatty, can you get over there?"

Fatty Wang scratched his head: "If I were a few years younger, I could take a running start and, if I'm lucky, grab the other side. But now... let's wait until the rope is stable."

Xie Yuchen didn't speak, his gaze fixed on a spot above the cliff, where the shadows of the trees swayed slightly. His eyes flickered, but he remained silent.

Several soldiers secured the rope, then threw one end to the opposite bank and fixed it. The rope bridge hung precariously on the cliff.

"One by one! Hold on tight to the rope and keep your feet firmly on the ground!" Lin Guoce shouted.

Kun Ge led the way. He had dance training and a decent sense of balance. Gritting his teeth, he slowly made his way across. Next were Chen Man and Wang Yihan, who, protected by Jiang Shouyi and Professor Zhou Xu'an, also managed to cross with difficulty. Wang Lei, Liu Min, and Zhou Ting, being ordinary people, were so frightened that their legs went weak and they had to be half-supported and half-dragged across by soldiers.

It was Sun Shuanzhu's turn.

He looked down at the bottomless pile of rocks, then at the swaying rope, and his face turned pale.

"I...I can't cross this! It's too dangerous! I'm an expert! If something happens to me, who will protect the cultural relics?" He hugged his suitcase and backed away.

"Then let's go back!" Lin Guoce said impatiently. "I don't have time to wait for you!"

"What kind of attitude is this!" Sun Shuanzhu exclaimed, exasperated. "I'm going to report this to higher-ups! You're disregarding the safety of our experts!"

"You fucking love it or not!" one soldier snapped.

Sun Shuanzhu was both angry and scared. Looking at the rope, he gritted his teeth, handed the suitcase to the person opposite him, and then tremblingly grabbed the rope. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The first step went well. The second step, the rope swayed, and he screamed in fright, his whole body tilting to one side. His foot slipped, he instantly lost his balance, and his hands flailed wildly, managing to loosen the rope!

"Ah—!" A heart-wrenching scream.

His body plummeted towards the pile of rocks below the cliff!

"Holy crap!" the person on the other end exclaimed.

Just as Sun Shuanzhu was about to fall, a dark shadow swept past from the side. It was Hei Xiazi. He had moved to the edge of the cliff at some point, and in the instant Sun Shuanzhu fell, he raised his foot and kicked Sun Shuanzhu's upturned buttocks squarely.

This kick was skillfully executed; it wasn't a downward kick, but rather a horizontal one.

Sun Shuanzhu's downward momentum was abruptly reversed. He flew sideways like a tattered sack, landing with a "plop" on the soft muddy ground on the opposite cliff edge. He rolled several times before coming to a stop, covered in mud from head to toe, his glasses flying off. He lay on the ground groaning, unable to move.

Dead silence.

Then, someone chuckled first, and then low laughter spread like wildfire through the ranks. Even the soldiers on the other side were shaking with suppressed laughter.

The live broadcast accurately captured the entire process of Sun Shuanzhu falling into a muddy mess.

The live chat went wild instantly:

[ID: Hahahaha!]

[ID Mud Monkey Limited Edition: That was a brilliant kick!]

[ID Blackie's Leg Technique: Black Bear is awesome!]

[ID expert turns into mud expert: Protect cultural relics? Protect yourselves first!]

[ID: Laughing Uncontrollably: Expert Sun was doing cliffside rave, and his ticket was just a pile of mud!]

Lin Guoce coughed twice to suppress his laughter and snapped, "What are you laughing at! Keep going!"

Hei Xiazi patted imaginary dust off his trousers and lazily walked back to the group. As he passed Wu Xie and Fatty, he muttered, "Useless."

Fatty Wang gave a thumbs up: "Brother Hei, your footwork is spot-on! You've rid the people of a scourge!"

Looking at Sun Shuanzhu, who was lying on the ground groaning, and then at Hei Xiazi, Wu Xie's opinion of this "Blackie" rose even higher. This guy seemed carefree and irresponsible, but he was truly ruthless, and undeniably useful.

The group continued crossing the cliff. After Sun Shuanzhu's incident, the people behind became even more cautious. By the time everyone had crossed, it was already dusk.

Lin Guoce chose a relatively flat and sheltered spot to set up camp. They couldn't start a large fire, so they could only use a smokeless stove to heat the food. Everyone ate their dry rations in silence, the atmosphere heavy with tension. A day's hike had exhausted most of them, and had also worn away much of their initial excitement and fear.

Lin Guoce and Jiang Shouyi inventoried the supplies. Food and water were allocated according to a seven-day standard, but today's consumption was greater than expected. At this rate of consumption, they could only last five days at most.

"We must speed things up tomorrow," Lin Guoce said to the squad leaders. "Otherwise, we'll collapse before we even reach the ancient tomb."

"The road is too difficult to travel," a soldier shook his head. "There are many places that are simply impassable unless you can fly."

fly?

Several people simultaneously recalled the black figure that had flashed past like a fleeting glimpse of a swan during the day, rescuing Wang Lei. If he had been leading the way, things might have been much easier.

But where is he now?

no one knows.

At the edge of the camp, Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, Huo Xiuxiu, Wu Xie, and Wang Pangzi gathered together. Wang Pangzi, munching on a compressed biscuit, mumbled, "At this rate, we'll be lucky to reach the entrance of Laolang Gully by tomorrow. I reckon Xiao Ge has already arrived, maybe he's even halfway through exploring the tomb."

Black Bear leaned against the tree trunk: "It's actually making me a little worried that he's not up ahead."

"What are you worried about?" Wu Xie asked.

"I'm worried he's already in trouble," Xie Yuchen interjected, his voice very soft. "Or perhaps he's discovered something that we need to avoid."

Huo Xiuxiu nodded: "That cliff during the day was an insurmountable barrier for us, but it might not be much to him. The fact that he went there ahead of time without leaving any marks or offering any help suggests that he didn't want us to follow too quickly. Or... there's something ahead that he doesn't want us to encounter so soon."

Fatty Wang shuddered: "What is this? It's even scarier than the stuff in the ancient tomb?"

"Those ten foreigners." Black Bear gestured towards the other end of the camp. The ten "Vulture" team members sat in their own small circle, eating in silence, rarely exchanging words, but their eyes would occasionally scan the camp, especially lingering on Xie Yuchen and his group.

"They're very quiet today," Huo Xiuxiu said. "Too quiet. They don't seem like they're here for an adventure."

"They're here to kill," Xie Yuchen said calmly. "The target could be Xiao Ge, or it could be some of us. When Xiao Ge showed up to save people during the day, they made their move. Xiao Ge glanced at them, and they froze. That was a warning. But warnings don't last forever."

Wu Xie's heart tightened: "Then what about us..."

"Be more alert while you sleep." Black Bear patted him on the shoulder. "With Fatty and Black Bear here, you'll stay innocent."

Fatty Wang patted his chest and declared, "That's right! Naïve, you should follow me, Fatty Wang!"

Wu Xie smiled wryly, but felt a little more at ease. Having these people around was better than facing the darkness and unknown dangers of the deep mountains alone.

Late at night.

Snoring gradually filled the camp. The soldiers on night watch, rifles in hand, walked slowly along the edge of the camp.

Deep in the mountains and forests, the occasional eerie cry of a night owl could be heard.

A few dozen meters outside the camp, Zhang Qiling leaned against a tall cedar tree, closing his eyes to rest.

He heard all the commotion in the camp, saw the unusual behavior of the ten "Vulture" team members, and also heard the hushed conversations of Xie Yuchen and the others.

His gaze passed over the dark jungle and landed deeper in the direction of Old Wolf Gully.

There, a subtle wave emanated from there, causing the tattoo on his shoulder blade to feel slightly warm.

It's clearer than before.

The ancient tomb is not far away.

Trouble is just around the corner.

He gripped the black gold ancient sword on his lap, feeling its icy touch emanating from his palm.

Then, he closed his eyes again.

Like a stone statue standing guard at night, it stands silently in the darkness.