Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The hundreds of heads in the hall were just there "looking," their dark eye sockets were eerie.

Professor Zhou Xu'an felt a chill run down his spine from the look Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" gave him. He opened his mouth, but the rest of his words remained unspoken. He awkwardly pushed up his glasses, turned to look at the heads on the wall, and pretended to be studying them.

"Let's go," Zhang Qiling said again, his voice flat.

This time, no one objected. The group quickly exited the circular hall, passed through the bronze gate, and returned to the underground riverbank. They crossed the river using pulleys again, but this time it was much faster; no one wanted to linger there.

Back on the platform on the other side, Lin Guoce asked, "Which way? Back the way we came?"

Zhang Qiling didn't answer immediately. He took out the jade eye from his pocket. In the dim light, liquid seemed to be flowing inside the jade eye, and the small vortex engraving seemed to glow slightly.

Looking at the jade eye in his hand, Zhang Qiling suddenly spoke: "This thing is a key."

"Which lock do you open?" Wu Xie asked.

"Zhang Qiling" didn't answer, but looked at Zhang Qiling. Zhang Qiling lowered his jade-like eyes and turned his gaze to the other side of the platform. The stone wall there looked intact, but he walked over and pressed his hand on a few stone bricks.

"Click."

With a soft sound, a stone brick dented inward. Immediately afterwards, the entire adjacent stone wall silently slid open, revealing a downward staircase behind it.

The steps were new, not made of ancient stone, but of some kind of black metal, gleaming coldly. The steps spiraled downwards, their bottom invisible.

"Holy crap, there's still a road?" Fatty Wang exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"The Jingjue people are really good at digging," Hei Xiazi clicked his tongue.

Zhang Qiling was the first to step onto the stairs, followed by "Zhang Qiling". The metal stairs vibrated slightly underfoot, but did not wobble. The group followed one after another, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space.

After walking down the stairs for about ten minutes, we reached the bottom. There was another door in front of us.

This door is different. It is made of wood, very heavy, painted dark red, and decorated with intricate patterns in gold thread—countless eyes forming a huge vortex, at the center of which is the shape of a throne.

The door wasn't locked; it opened with a gentle push.

Behind the door was a room. It wasn't large, about thirty square meters, but it was furnished like a palace. There was a carved wooden bed, though the wood was rotten. There was a dressing table, and the bronze mirror was rusted beyond recognition. There was a wardrobe, its door half-open, with some tattered silk fabrics hanging inside.

The most eye-catching part is the center of the room.

There was a stone platform there, and on the platform was a coffin.

It was neither a bronze coffin nor a stone coffin, but a jade coffin. Carved entirely from a single piece of white jade, it was translucent, allowing a faint outline of a reclining human figure to be seen inside. The surface of the jade coffin was covered with eye patterns, each pupil pointing inwards.

The jade coffin was open, with the lid off.

"This is... the Queen Jingjue's palace?" Professor Zhou Xu'an's voice trembled.

"Judging by the specifications, it's perfect." Jiang Shouyi was also excited.

Zhang Qiling walked to the jade coffin and looked inside.

There was a female corpse lying inside.

She wore a magnificent black robe embroidered with eyes and snakes in gold thread. A tall crown adorned her head, studded with now-tarnished gems. Her face was covered by a golden mask, cast in the likeness of a woman, with hollowed-out eye sockets revealing two black holes behind them.

The female corpse had her hands folded over her abdomen, holding something in her hands.

It was a jade box, about the size of a palm, carved into the shape of an eye. The jade box wasn't sealed tightly, leaving a crack.

Zhang Qiling also walked over, looked at the female corpse in the coffin, and frowned almost imperceptibly.

"Something's not right," he said.

"It's too complete," Zhang Qiling replied.

Indeed. The female corpse was remarkably well-preserved; her skin wasn't shriveled, her robes weren't rotten, and even her hair was still jet black, spread out inside the jade coffin. It was as if she were asleep, not dead for thousands of years.

Wu Xie also came over to look, and suddenly said, "Brother, look at the jade box in her hand, isn't it a pair with the jade eye you're holding?"

Zhang Qiling took out the jade eye from his pocket and compared it with the jade box in the female corpse's hand. The shape, size, and jade quality were almost identical. The only difference was that the jade eye was solid, while the jade box was hollow.

"What's in the box?" Fatty Wang asked.

Zhang Qiling reached out and gently took the jade box from the female corpse's hand. The corpse didn't move, her fingers remaining in a clasped position. He opened the jade box.

It's empty inside.

Only one symbol is engraved on the bottom of the box—an eye vortex.

"Empty?" Fatty Wang was stunned. "Why would the queen be clutching an empty box before she died?"

"It's not empty," Xie Yuchen suddenly said. "Look at the bottom of the box."

Zhang Qiling turned the jade box upside down. On the inside of the bottom, in the center of the eye-shaped swirl symbol, there was a small piece embedded in it. It was black, irregular, and looked like a piece of broken stone.

"This is..." Professor Zhou Xu'an leaned closer to examine it. "Meteorite? No, it looks like... a crystallization of some kind of mineral."

Zhang Qiling used his fingernails to pry the small black stone out. The stone was cold to the touch and heavy. Just as the stone left the jade box—

The female corpse in the jade coffin opened her eyes.

It wasn't a living person opening their eyes; rather, two clusters of eerie green light shone from the two black holes behind the golden mask. Then, the female corpse's head slowly turned, facing the people outside the coffin.

"Hmm..."

A long, drawn-out exhale came from the woman's throat. Then, she raised her hands, grasped the edge of the jade coffin, and slowly sat up.

The green flame "eyes" beneath the golden mask swept over everyone, finally settling on the black stone in Zhang Qiling's hand.

"Give it...back to me..."

The female corpse uttered indistinct syllables, her voice dry and hoarse, like two stones rubbing against each other.

She raised a hand and extended it towards Zhang Qiling. The hand was pale, with long, black nails, and the fingertips were trembling slightly.

"Alive?" Kun's voice changed.

"He's not alive," Zhang Qiling said. "He's awake."

The female corpse stepped out of the jade coffin. Her movements were stiff, but steady. After landing, she stood up straight, the hem of her black robe trailing on the ground. She was nearly 1.8 meters tall, and with her tall crown, she appeared exceptionally tall and eerie.

"Tampering with... sacred relics... will result in death..."

As she spoke, she walked towards Zhang Qiling. Her steps were slow, but with each step, the ground trembled slightly.

Zhang Qiling threw the black stone to "Zhang Qiling," then stepped forward, blocking the female corpse and the group.

The female corpse raised her hand, her five fingers forming a claw, aiming straight for Zhang Qiling's face. The claw's force was fierce, carrying with it a putrid stench.

Zhang Qiling dodged to the side, his right hand drawing his black-gold ancient sword. A flash of light, and he slashed horizontally at the woman's waist and abdomen. The blade struck the black robe with a soft "hiss," as if cutting into leather, only penetrating halfway into the flesh. The woman's body swayed, and her other hand swept across, her fingernails grazing Zhang Qiling's chest.

Zhang Qiling took a half step back and looked down. He saw that his clothes had been torn in three places, leaving three white marks on his skin underneath. The skin was not broken.

"That's some thick skin," Black Bear clicked his tongue.

"Zhang Qiling" moved at this moment. He pounced from the side and punched the female corpse in the shoulder. The female corpse staggered two steps from the impact, and suddenly several black, tentacle-like things emerged from under her black robe. Each tentacle had an eye at its tip, and the eye was blood red and darted around.

The tentacles, like whips, lashed out at "Zhang Qiling." "Zhang Qiling" didn't retreat; instead, he grabbed the two tentacles with both hands and pulled hard, causing the female corpse to fall towards him. At the same time, he raised his knee and slammed it into the corpse's abdomen.

The female corpse let out a muffled groan and exhaled a mouthful of black gas. The black gas was foul-smelling and highly poisonous. Zhang Qiling released his grip and stepped back, avoiding the black gas.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang Qiling stepped forward, his blade flashing, severing three tentacles. The severed tentacles lay writhing on the ground, blackish-green slime oozing from their ends.

The female corpse screamed, her remaining tentacles flailing wildly, filling the room with the sound of wind being torn apart. Her tall crown fell off, revealing a head of long, jet-black hair. The hair moved without wind, spreading as if alive, and coiled around Zhang Qiling.

Zhang Qiling swung his sword and cut off several strands of long hair, but there was too much hair to cut off completely. A few strands of hair wrapped around his wrist, tightening more and more.

"Zhang Qiling" pounced from behind, grabbing the female corpse's shoulders with both hands and twisting them forcefully, trying to throw her to the ground. The female corpse's body was heavy, and she only swayed slightly before reaching back to grab "Zhang Qiling's" face with her claw.

Zhang Qiling released his grip and leaned back, his claws grazing his chin. He then kicked the female corpse in the back of the knee, causing her to kneel on one knee. Zhang Qiling had already broken free of the hair binding his wrist, and his blade flashed downwards, slashing towards the female corpse's head.

The female corpse looked up, and the green, fiery eyes beneath the golden mask suddenly shone brightly. Zhang Qiling's slashing blade paused mid-air.

In that short time, the female corpse's long hair grew wildly, wrapping around Zhang Qiling's knife-wielding hand and throwing him aside. Zhang Qiling crashed into the wall with a muffled groan, but immediately rolled over and stood up as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Qiling attacked again from the side, this time without using his hands, directly ramming into the female corpse. The female corpse was knocked back several steps, her back hitting the jade coffin. The jade coffin cracked open with a "crack".

The female corpse roared angrily, her black robe billowing, as all her tentacles and long hair attacked "Zhang Qiling" simultaneously. "Zhang Qiling" did not dodge; instead, he grabbed the first two tentacles that reached him with both hands, twisted them with force, and severed them completely. At the same time, he raised his leg and delivered a side kick to the female corpse's chest.

"Bang!"

The female corpse was kicked backward, flying against the opposite wall, causing plaster to crumble. She slid to the ground, her black robe torn, revealing pale skin beneath. Her skin bore numerous eye-shaped brands, each with a small hole in the center, as if pierced by something.

She struggled to stand up, but Zhang Qiling was already in front of her. A flash of light, and the blade pierced her jaw from below, penetrating her skull.

The woman's body stiffened, the green flame beneath the golden mask flickered a few times, and then went out. Her hand, which she had raised halfway, fell limply to her side, and her body went limp, no longer moving.

Zhang Qiling drew his sword and shook off the black blood. "Zhang Qiling" walked over, glanced at the female corpse, and then looked at Zhang Qiling.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Mm," Zhang Qiling replied.

The battle lasted less than three minutes from start to finish.

The levitating live-streaming sphere flew over and captured images of the female corpse on the ground and two figures in black standing there.

The comments scrolled by:

The prophet: It's over.

To silence the so-called experts: This queen looks intimidating, but she's not easy to beat.

The male fan club: Our husbands are so handsome!

Wu Xie and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. The scene of the female corpse with tentacles and long hair was too terrifying, but fortunately the two young men were brave enough.

Professor Zhou Xu'an cautiously approached, looking at the female corpse: "This...this is the Queen of Jingjue? But those marks on her body..."

"They are marks of sacrifice." Jiang Shouyi's face turned pale. "She wasn't born a queen; she was a chosen sacrifice. Look at the location of those marks; they were nailed on while she was still alive."

"For whom should we offer this sacrifice?" Wu Xie asked.

No one can answer that.

Zhang Qiling walked back to the jade coffin and picked up the black stone from the ground. The stone suddenly became slightly warm in his hand. He looked at "Zhang Qiling," who was also holding the jade eye, which was also glowing slightly.

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously brought the stone and the jade eye closer together.

The instant the stone and the jade eye made contact—

"Buzz..."

A low-frequency vibration emanated from the two objects. Immediately afterwards, both the stone and the jade eye emitted a blinding white light. Within the white light, countless fragments of images appeared.

A bronze gate. A snow-capped mountain. A long journey. And then there's a figure, dressed in black, carrying a knife, walking alone through the wind and snow.

It's Zhang Qiling.

No, it's "Zhang Qiling"?

The images were chaotic and overlapping. Zhang Qiling saw himself walk into the bronze door, and when he turned around, "Zhang Qiling" was standing outside the door. "Zhang Qiling" saw himself standing outside the bronze door, watching Zhang Qiling walk in, and then the door closed.

Then the scene shifts to the ancient city of Jingjue. A female corpse lies in a jade coffin, holding a jade box in her hands. A person dressed in a black robe and wearing a golden mask enters, takes a black stone from the jade box, and carefully embeds it into the jade eye. The jade eye lights up, illuminating a map on the wall—the locations of countless ancient tombs, each marked with an eye symbol.

The man in black robes memorized the map, then removed the stone and placed it back in the jade box. The light in the jade eyes went out.

The video ends here.

The white light dissipated, and the stone and jade eye returned to their original state.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" both swayed, only managing to steady themselves by holding onto the jade coffin. His head throbbed with pain, as if countless needles were piercing it. Were those images memories? Or were they scenes recorded by this jade eye stone?

"Brother?" Wu Xie noticed that something was wrong with them.

Zhang Qiling waved his hand, took a few deep breaths, and the pain eased slightly. He separated the stone from the jade eye, and the light immediately disappeared.

"What was that just now?" Fatty Wang asked.

"Memory," Zhang Qiling said.

"Whose memories?" Zhang Qiling asked.

no one knows.

Professor Zhou Xu'an exclaimed excitedly, "That man in black robes might be the high priest of Jingjue! He memorized the map, and the locations marked on that map are likely ancient tombs related to this jade eye and stone!"

"In other words, there is more than one such place," Xie Yuchen concluded.

"There's more than one," Black Bear added. "You mute Zhangs, your job is far from over."

Zhang Qiling put away the stone and the jade eye, and looked at "Zhang Qiling". "Zhang Qiling" nodded.

"Let's go," Zhang Qiling said.

"Go back where?" Lin Guoce asked.

"Get out." Zhang Qiling said, turning and walking outside.

The group followed. Before leaving, Wu Xie glanced back at the jade coffin and the female corpse on the ground. Her black robe was tattered, and her golden mask lay askew, revealing a pale but young face beneath. She was beautiful, but the empty sockets in her eyes sent chills down one's spine.

Leaving the palace, passing through the metal staircase, I returned to the underground river. Crossing the river, I retraced my steps. As I passed the circular hall, the heads on the walls were still "watching," but they didn't move anymore.

They traveled in silence. By the time they returned to the sinkhole, it was already dark. The campfire was still burning in the camp, and the soldiers on night watch breathed a sigh of relief when they saw them return.

People collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to speak. They had seen too many strange things on this trip.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" walked to the edge of the sinkhole and looked at the night sky. The stars were bright, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky.

"That map," Zhang Qiling suddenly asked.

"Hmm," Zhang Qiling replied.

We need to find it.

"Together."

It was settled in just a few words.

Around the campfire, Fatty was embellishing the story of the battle with Kun Ge. Wu Xie was organizing his notes. Xie Yuchen and Hei Xiazi were whispering to each other. Huo Xiuxiu was boiling water.

Professor Zhou Xu'an was still excited, discussing the origin of the jade eye and the stone with Jiang Shouyi.

The night breeze swept across the sinkhole, carrying a chill.

The story of Jingjue Ancient City is not yet over.

But today, that's enough.