Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The riverside platform was damp, and water droplets condensed on the stone slabs.

Zhang Qiling put down his backpack, walked to the water's edge, squatted down, and dipped his hand into the river to test it. The water was cold, and the current was gentle. He looked at the opposite bank; the outline of the underground palace was blurry in the darkness, but he could tell it was extremely large, with upturned eaves and corners, in the style of Central Plains architecture, yet with details that reflected the ruggedness of the southwestern frontier.

Zhang Qiling was also watching. He walked over to Zhang Qiling and whispered, "The bridge is broken."

Zhang Qiling looked in the direction he pointed. The river was about twenty meters wide. Where there used to be a bridge, only a few stone piers were visible above the water. The bridge deck had long since collapsed, and rubble was scattered in the river.

"Swim across?" Fatty Wang asked, leaning closer.

"There's something in the water," Zhang Qiling said.

"What is it?"

Zhang Qiling shook his head: "I can't see clearly, but something feels wrong."

Wu Xie also walked to the water's edge and shone his flashlight on the river. The water was very dark, and the beam could only penetrate half a meter deep; below was a blur. He suddenly saw a dark shadow swim by underwater, very quickly, and then it was indistinct.

"It looks like... a fish?" Wu Xie was unsure.

"It's not a fish," Xie Yuchen said as he walked over. "This water is stagnant and doesn't connect to any other river, so where would such a big fish come from?"

"What is that?"

"I don't know, but it's best not to go down."

The group stood by the river for a while before deciding to rest. They were exhausted after walking for most of the day and jumping through so many tomb passages.

He found a relatively dry spot and laid out a moisture-proof mat. Xie Yuchen took out the food from his backpack, still the same vacuum-packed cooked food: braised beef, braised goose feet, smoked fish, and sealed rice, which could be heated up with a heating pack and eaten.

"Master Hua, you've come up with such a thoughtful plan." Fatty Wang rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining.

"Of course." Xie Yuchen smiled and distributed a portion to everyone.

Zhang Qiling accepted it and thanked him. "Zhang Qiling" also accepted it and nodded.

The group sat down to eat. The food was still hot; the braised beef was tender and juicy, the braised goose feet were flavorful, and the smoked fish was salty and fragrant. Served with rice, it was comforting to eat a hot meal in the cold, damp tomb.

As Wu Xie ate, he suddenly said, "It would be nice if there was some soup."

As soon as he finished speaking, a smell wafted from the other side of the river.

It's the aroma of broth, mixed with ginger and spices, that's especially clear in the humid air.

Everyone stopped eating and looked towards the opposite bank.

On the opposite bank, towards the underground palace, a faint flickering light could be seen. The distance was too great to see people clearly, but several blurry figures could be seen moving about, along with the soft sounds of pots and pans clattering together.

"The official team has arrived too," Hei Xiazi said.

"Are they making soup?" Fatty Wang swallowed hard. "They really know how to enjoy life."

"We have a large population and sufficient supplies," Xie Yuchen said.

"Then let's..." Wu Xie looked at Zhang Qiling.

Zhang Qiling didn't say anything and continued eating. "Zhang Qiling" also lowered his head and ate, seemingly not smelling the aroma.

"Never mind them," Black Bear grinned. "Our braised beef is just as good as that soup."

"That's true." Fatty Wang took a big bite of beef.

But the aroma of the broth grew stronger, carried by the river breeze, tempting everyone's mouths. Even Xie Yuchen glanced at the opposite bank a couple more times.

Ah Ning sat a little further away, eating quietly. She ate slowly, but chewed each bite carefully. Huo Xiuxiu handed her a box of fruit, which she took and whispered a thank you.

"Ah Ning," Wu Xie leaned closer, "How was the food when you went with the official team?"

"It's alright," Ah Ning said, "but not as good as this." She pointed to the braised beef in her hand.

"That's Hua'er Ye's doing," Fatty Wang said smugly.

"But there are many of them, so they have a chef specially brought along," Ah Ning added, "who can make hot dishes and soups."

"Once we get out of here, I'm going to hire a chef so I can eat well every day," said Fatty Wang.

"You should lose weight first," Wu Xie said with a smile.

"Forget about losing weight, this is a blessing!"

The group ate and chatted, and the atmosphere became more relaxed. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" ate quickly, but didn't rush to clean up. They just sat there, looking at the river.

The firelight flickered on the opposite bank, and voices could be faintly heard, but the words were indistinct. After a while, the firelight suddenly dimmed, as if someone had turned it down.

"They've found us," Xie Yuchen said.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," said Zhang Qiling.

"Should we say hello?" Wu Xie asked.

Zhang Qiling shook his head.

Zhang Qiling also shook his head.

The meaning is clear: go your separate ways, there's no need for contact.

After finishing their meal and cleaning up, Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu were checking the medicine, while Hei Xiazi was sharpening his knife. Wang Pangzi was sprawled on his sleeping mat, rubbing his stomach and groaning. Wu Xie leaned against his backpack, staring blankly at the firelight on the opposite bank.

"Brother," Wu Xie suddenly said, "once we find the Muchen Pearl and break the curse, do you really want to continue searching for those answers?"

Zhang Qiling looked at him and nodded.

Zhang Qiling nodded as well.

"Then...won't it be very dangerous?" Wu Xie asked.

"It's always dangerous," Zhang Qiling said.

"I'm used to it," Zhang Qiling said.

Wu Xie remained silent. He knew his friends had been through too much; danger was as commonplace to them as eating and drinking. But as a friend, he was still worried.

"Then we'll do it together again," Wu Xie said.

Zhang Qiling glanced at him, his eyes holding something faint, like...gentleness. He nodded.

Zhang Qiling glanced at him and nodded in return.

Fatty Wang chimed in, "Of course we have to stick together! The Iron Triangle... what's it now? Anyway, our group can't fall apart!"

"Count me in," said Black Bear.

"I'm here too," Xie Yuchen said with a smile.

Huo Xiuxiu and A Ning nodded in agreement.

Zhang Qiling looked at them without speaking, but the corners of his mouth seemed to curve slightly, just a brief smile. "Zhang Qiling" also twitched his eyebrows.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from the opposite bank, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. The firelight flickered, and someone shouted, "What's that?!"

Then came gunfire, very rapid, but it stopped quickly.

"Something's happened." Black Bear stood up.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" also stood up and looked towards the opposite bank. But the distance was too far and it was too dark to see the specific situation. They could only see the firelight moving and the figures in a panic.

"Should we go take a look?" Xie Yuchen asked.

Zhang Qiling shook his head.

Zhang Qiling shook his head.

The meaning is clear: Solve the official problems yourselves.

The commotion on the other side lasted for a few minutes before gradually subsiding. The firelight returned to normal, but the atmosphere on the other side felt much more tense.

"It's probably something guarding the tomb," Hei Xiazi said. "There's no way this King Xian's tomb wouldn't have some kind of trap."

"We need to be careful when we cross the river tomorrow," Xie Yuchen said.

"How do we get across?" Fatty Wang asked. "The bridge is broken, there's something in the water, and we can't swim across."

Zhang Qiling walked to the riverbank and looked at the stone pillars. The pillars were about three meters apart and half a meter above the water. He turned to look at "Zhang Qiling".

Zhang Qiling walked over, looked at it, and nodded.

"It will pass," he said.

"How are we going to get through this?" Wu Xie asked.

"Jump," Zhang Qiling said.

"Jump?"

"The stone pier serves as a foothold," explained Zhang Qiling.

It means jumping over the stone blocks. But the stone blocks are slippery and three meters apart, making it impossible for an ordinary person. However, it's not difficult for Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling".

"And what about us?" Fatty Wang pointed to himself.

"I'll take you," Zhang Qiling said.

"Like that just now?" Wu Xie felt a little scared when he thought of the leaping in the tomb passage.

"Um."

"Will it work?" Fatty Wang looked at the rushing river, feeling uncertain.

"Trust me," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded as well.

Fatty Wang looked at the two of them, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine! I trust you!"

The plan is set: cross the river first thing tomorrow morning. Let's rest for now.

The night watch was arranged. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" were on the first shift, sitting back to back on a rock near the river, looking in different directions. The others crawled into their sleeping bags to rest.

The night was quiet, with only the sound of water and faint noises from the opposite bank. The official team seemed to have also arranged a night watch, as their firelight remained burning.

Wu Xie rolled over in his sleeping bag, looking at Zhang Qiling and the backs of "Zhang Qiling." The two black shadows almost blended into one in the dim light. He suddenly felt that having his buddies around made him feel really safe.

He closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep.

On the opposite bank, Wen Jingshan stood by the fire, his face grim. The commotion had just occurred because several water snakes had crawled up from the river and bitten a soldier. Although he was treated promptly and was not seriously injured, it had caused widespread panic.

"They're on the other side," Lin Guoce said in a low voice as he walked over.

"I know," Wen Jingshan said. "We'll cross the river tomorrow too."

"How do we get across? The bridge is broken."

"Let's build a simple pontoon bridge," Wen Jingshan said. "We have enough people and enough materials."

Lin Guoce paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Commander Wen," Jiang Xun Gu walked over, his arm wrapped in bandages from the corpse beetle bite, "those guys on the other side... might cross the river first tomorrow."

"Let them go first," Wen Jingshan sneered. "They'll be good at scouting ahead for us."

Jiang Xun Gu frowned, but said nothing.

Night fell, and both campsites fell silent. Only the river flowed ceaselessly, as if telling the thousand-year-old secrets of this ancient tomb.

The live stream was on the official team's side, showing Wen Jingshan and his team setting up their night watch. The chat was filled with comments:

The prophet said: The civilian team is resting on the other side of the river.

To quell the skepticism of so-called experts: We're crossing the river tomorrow; there's going to be a good show.

Brother's fan club: Husbands, get some rest!

But the people on the other side of the strait are unaware of all this.

All they knew was that dawn was approaching.