Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

It was just dawn, and the mountain fog had not yet dissipated.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood at the hotel entrance, gazing at the misty mountains in the distance. Both carried bags, their hats pulled low. Wu Xie and Fatty checked their shoelaces nearby, while Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu loaded the last few things into the car. Hei Xiazi leaned against the car, his sunglasses pointed towards the mountains, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Don't smoke once you're in the mountains," Xie Yuchen said.

"Smell it." Black Bear took the cigarette down and tucked it behind his ear.

The car started and drove out of town. The road quickly changed from cement to gravel, then to dirt. The trees on both sides grew denser, and the air was so humid you could wring water out of it. After driving for half an hour, the road ended. Ahead was a stream; the water wasn't deep, but the car couldn't cross it.

"This is it." The driver stopped the car.

The group got out of the car and carried their bags. Zhang Qiling walked to the stream, squatted down, dipped his hand into the water to test the temperature, and then looked at the direction of the current. "Zhang Qiling" was also watching, and the two exchanged glances.

"Let's go this way," Zhang Qiling pointed upstream.

"Not along the road?" Zhang Qiling asked.

"Let's go around in circles," Zhang Qiling said.

The meaning is clear: the official convoy will definitely follow the existing road, but they will take a shortcut and cut directly into the stream from the upper reaches.

Several people waded across the stream; the water was just above their ankles and icy cold. After reaching the shore, they ventured into the woods. The path disappeared, replaced by vines and bushes. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" led the way, clearing a path with their knives. Their movements were slow, but each step was steady, and the branches parted naturally where they stepped, as if consciously making way.

After walking for about an hour, the forest grew denser and the light dimmed. The surroundings were quiet, save for the sound of footsteps and the occasional bird call.

"This godforsaken place," the fat man gasped, "is so dark, we can't even see a rabbit."

"There are many snakes," Black Bear said. "Watch your step."

As soon as the words were spoken, Zhang Qiling in front stopped. "Zhang Qiling" also stopped. The two of them raised their hands at the same time, signaling the people behind to stop.

There was movement in the bushes a few meters away. It wasn't a small animal, but rather the sound of human footsteps, numerous and disorderly.

The bushes parted, and a group of people emerged.

At the front was Lin Guoce, dressed in camouflage and carrying a gun. Behind him followed Kun Ge, Chen Man, and Wang Yihan, all dressed in outdoor gear and pale-faced. Next were Professor Zhou Xu'an and Jiang Shouyi, the professor leaning on a tree branch. Then came six unfamiliar faces.

Jiang Xun Gu walked at the front, his buzz cut and bright smile radiating warmth. He waved to them. Xiao Shou Zhou adjusted his glasses, his expression serious. Chen Wang Shan squinted, scrutinizing them. Meng Qing He held a selfie stick, the camera pointed in their direction. A Ning crossed her arms, her short hair neatly styled. Wen Jing Shan stood at the back, his square face and sharp eyes visible behind him in the woods.

The two sides stopped about ten meters apart.

The atmosphere was a bit tense.

"Oh, what a coincidence," Black Bear said first, a grin spreading across his face behind his sunglasses.

"It is quite a coincidence." Lin Guoce took two steps forward, looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling", and said, "Mr. Zhang, we meet again."

Zhang Qiling nodded without speaking. "Zhang Qiling" also nodded, his expression indifferent.

"Why are you guys coming this way too?" Kun asked in a low voice.

"Just passing by," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling added two words: "What a coincidence."

Who would believe that? But no one called them out on it.

Wen Jingshan walked over and stood next to Lin Guoce. His gaze swept over Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," then lingered on Hei Xiazi, Xie Yuchen, and the others. "Greetings, members of the civilian team. I am Wen Jingshan, the on-site commander for this operation."

No one responded.

Wen Jingshan wasn't embarrassed and continued, "Since we've run into each other, why don't we go together? It's not safe in these mountains; it's safer with more people."

"No need," Zhang Qiling said.

"We're used to having fewer people," Zhang Qiling said.

"That's a pity." Wen Jingshan smiled, but his eyes didn't. "However, the mountain paths are complicated, and it's easy to get into trouble if you take the wrong turn. I still suggest we go together."

That's a rather harsh statement.

Hei Xiazi took half a step forward, his sunglasses pointing at Wen Jingshan: "Commander Wen, are you... trying to force me to stay?"

"It's just a suggestion," Wen Jingshan said.

"What if we don't listen?"

The atmosphere grew even more tense. The soldiers in camouflage behind them all touched the grips of their rifles.

Jiang Xun Gu suddenly laughed and stepped forward, standing between Wen Jingshan and Hei Xiazi: "No, no, no, we're all on the same side, don't let it get awkward. What's your name, brother?"

"Black Bear," Black Bear said.

"Jiang Xun Gu." Jiang Xun Gu extended his hand.

Black Bear glanced at his hand but didn't shake it: "Your hands are dirty, forget it."

Jiang Xun Gu didn't mind, withdrew his hand, and said with a smile, "Brother Hei, right? I've heard you're quite skilled, and I've been wanting to see for myself. How about... we have a spar? Just to stretch our muscles and relieve some boredom for everyone."

These words were spoken casually, but the meaning was clear: if you want to fight, fight one-on-one, don't involve others.

The bear squinted behind his sunglasses and grinned, "Alright, how do we train?"

"Let's exchange a couple of moves." Jiang Xun Gu assumed a stance, using the starting moves of military boxing, but with some variations.

Hei Xiazi put down his bag, cracked his neck, and walked to the center of the open space. Jiang Xun Gu also walked over, and the two stood three meters apart.

Everyone else stepped back to make room.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood still, their gazes fixed on the field. Wu Xie was a little nervous, and Fatty whispered, "It's okay, Blackie is very steady."

Jiang Xun Gu moved first. He moved quickly, throwing a punch straight at Hei Xiazi's face. Hei Xiazi dodged to the side, the fist grazing past his ear. Jiang Xun Gu followed up with a leg sweep to the lower body, Hei Xiazi jumped to avoid it, and by the time he landed, he was already to Jiang Xun Gu's side, his elbow striking Jiang Xun Gu's ribs.

Jiang Xun Gu didn't dodge, taking the elbow strike head-on, while simultaneously grabbing Hei Xiazi's wrist with his other hand. Hei Xiazi twisted his wrist to break free, then clawed at Jiang Xun Gu's shoulder with his other hand. Jiang Xun Gu lowered his shoulder to absorb the force, tripped, and tried to throw Hei Xiazi down. Hei Xiazi used the momentum to lunge forward, landed on his back, and bounced up again, separating the two instantly.

The deal was over in seconds, and I didn't gain any advantage.

"Sure," Jiang Xun Gu smiled, his eyes shining even brighter.

"You're not bad either," Black Bear said.

The two charged again. This time, they were faster, their fists and feet clashing, muffled thuds echoing. Jiang Xun Gu's punches were heavy and his style was orthodox, based on military combat techniques, but with added ruthlessness. Hei Xia Zi was more agile, his movements unpredictable, his attacks coming from tricky angles. They fought for over a dozen rounds, neither gaining the upper hand.

Suddenly, Jiang Xun Gu feigned an opening, leaving his chest bare. Hei Xia Zi threw a punch, but Jiang Xun Gu didn't dodge. Instead, he met the punch head-on, instantly sidestepping just before it touched his body. The fist grazed past his chest, and at the same time, he grabbed Hei Xia Zi's wrist with his left hand and chopped at Hei Xia Zi's neck with his right palm.

Black Bear tilted his head back, a gust of wind from his palm grazing his skin. He raised his knee, aiming for Jiang Xun Gu's abdomen. Jiang Xun Gu released his grip and retreated, the two separating once more.

"A draw." Jiang Xun Gu finished his stance and said with a smile, "Brother Hei is amazing."

"You're not bad either." Black Bear also stopped his attack, picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

The fight was over, and the atmosphere relaxed a bit. Wen Jingshan's expression wasn't good, but he didn't say anything more.

"Then... shall we each go our own way?" Lin Guoce tried to smooth things over.

"Okay," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded.

The two teams separated and each chose their own direction. The official team continued along the stream, while Zhang Qiling and his group went upstream as planned.

As they passed each other, A-Ning glanced at Zhang Qiling, her expression complex, but she remained silent. Meng Qinghe was still filming, the camera following them. Xiao Shouzhou adjusted his glasses, hesitating to speak. Chen Wangshan snorted coldly. Jiang Xungu waved with a smile.

After walking a short distance and turning back to find the official team gone, the fat man finally let out a sigh of relief: "Damn, we almost got into a fight just now."

"There won't be a fight," Hei Xiazi said. "That Jiang Xun Gu is a smart man; he'll resolve the conflict through friendly sparring."

"He is indeed very skilled," Xie Yuchen said.

"Yeah, he's no worse than me," Black Bear said. "But if it really comes down to a fight, he might not win."

"That Wen Jingshan," Wu Xie said, "has a strange look in his eyes. He's staring at the guys like they're prey."

"That's normal," Zhang Qiling said.

"Don't worry about it," Zhang Qiling said.

The group continued on. The forest deepened, vines became tangled, and they had to use their knives to clear a path. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" took turns leading the way, their steps steady and their pace undiminished.

Around noon, they found an open space to rest. They ate dry rations and drank water. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" didn't sit down; instead, they stood on slightly higher ground, looking at the surrounding terrain.

"The feng shui is different," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded: "The earth's energy is chaotic."

"Something is keeping it calm."

"Um."

The two exchanged a brief conversation, which Wu Xie and the others couldn't understand, but they got the gist of it: this place was not simple.

After resting, we continued walking. Around 3 PM, a cliff appeared ahead. The cliff wasn't high, only about 20 meters, but it was steep. We could hear the sound of water below; an underground river was flowing out of the mountain.

"We have to go down," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling walked to the edge of the cliff, looked around, and took out ropes and rock bolts from his bag. Zhang Qiling also took out his equipment. The two worked skillfully, hammering in the bolts, tying the ropes, and testing the weight-bearing capacity.

"I'll go first," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded.

Zhang Qiling grabbed the rope, pushed off the cliff face, and slid down in a few steps. After landing, he checked his surroundings and raised his hand to signal that it was safe. "Zhang Qiling" was the second to descend, equally swiftly. Next came Hei Xiazi, Xie Yuchen, Wu Xie, Fatty, and Huo Xiuxiu. Huo Xiuxiu was quite skilled and descended steadily.

Down below, the underground river was narrow, the current swift, and the sound thunderous. On the opposite bank was a rock wall with a cave entrance, pitch black, from which the wind blew.

"Is this the place?" Wu Xie asked.

Zhang Qiling didn't answer. He walked to the riverbank, squatted down, put his hand in the water, and closed his eyes to feel it. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and nodded.

Zhang Qiling also tried it and nodded.

"Let's go into the cave," Zhang Qiling said.

"Wait," Xie Yuchen said, "It's getting dark, and the situation inside the cave is unclear. Why don't we set up camp by the river and go in tomorrow?"

Zhang Qiling glanced at the sky, then at the cave entrance, and nodded.

The group found a dry spot by the river and set up a makeshift tent. Unable to start a fire, they used a flameless heater to heat their food. It was the same braised beef and dry rations prepared by Xie Yuchen, but the atmosphere was more somber than the day before.

The river was loud at night. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" were on the first shift, sitting on a rock a little further away, looking towards the cave entrance.

"The official team," Zhang Qiling suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Zhang Qiling replied.

"Wrong way."

Zhang Qiling paused for a few seconds: "It will break people."

"possible."

The two fell silent. Faint sounds came from afar, like gunshots or thunder, mixed with the sound of water, and were not clearly heard.

The live stream is on the official side and hasn't arrived yet. However, there are rumors circulating online that the official team is facing trouble, with someone injured and the live stream signal being intermittent.

The prophet posted: "The civilian team chose the right path."

The expert, unconvinced, replied: "This is just the beginning, don't get too cocky."

The fan club on social media was flooded with messages saying, "It's good that our husbands are safe!"

Night had fallen, and the wind blowing from the cave was damp and cold. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" remained seated, their backs ramrod straight.

Tomorrow, we're going into the cave.