In Panjiayuan, the first thing they did was trick Lao Hu into going tomb raiding.

Old Hu looked at the fat man with disdain, secretly marveling at his unusual thought process.

Su Mo stood up and said with a smile, "Miss Yang, don't worry, I guarantee I'll take you to the Jingjue Ancient City!"

【Ding! 】

At the same instant, the system voice sounded: [Host has successfully become a member of the archaeological team. Reward: Armored Fist!]

A flood of boxing techniques began to come to mind, and Su Mo was secretly delighted. 30 US dollars plus a set of Pi Gua Fist techniques—this move was a huge profit.

When do we head to the ancient city of Jingjue?

"In a few days!"

In her confrontation with Su Mo, Shirley Yang suffered a complete defeat. At this moment, she had lost all fighting spirit and returned to her room dejectedly after speaking.

......

A few days later…

On the green train heading to XJ.

Su Mo, Lao Hu, and the other two were fast asleep on their bunks, preparing for their upcoming trip to the Jingjue Ancient City.

"Shh!"

The door opened, and Professor Chen woke up Su Mo and the other two, "Young comrades, there's been a slight change in circumstances. We'll have to get off at the next stop and take a different route to the Kunlun Glacier..."

"What…"

Old Hu exclaimed in surprise, "Going to the Kunlun Glacier? Why weren't we notified beforehand...?"

Professor Chen was also taken aback by Hu Bayi's reaction and explained, "There's been a slight change in the itinerary. There are clues left by Xue Liyang's father at the Kunlun Glacier..."

"A clue? Just a clue?"

Old Hu glared at Professor Chen, grabbing his collar and demanding, "Do you even know what the Kunlun Glacier is? People can die there, you know that…?"

Su Mo frowned and said in a deep voice, "Old Hu, calm down!"

Hearing Su Mo's words, Hu Bayi finally put down Professor Chen, but the anger in his chest was already out of control.

"what!"

Old Hu punched the train carriage.

"Mr. Hu, why are you so opposed to the Kunlun Glacier...?"

Sherry Yang also walked over, and looking at the furious Hu Bayi, she asked, "Do you know something?"

The fat man also said, "Old Hu, tell us what you know. Maybe if we know the reason, these people won't go to the Kunlun Glacier!"

"All right!"

Old Hu quickly composed himself, "Back when I was in the army, I was stationed on the Kunlun Glacier..."

"That place is covered in ice and snow all year round, and it's very mysterious!"

Old Hu seemed lost in some kind of memory, and solemnly recounted what happened back then.

"Insects that glow blue? Incinerate upon contact?"

Upon hearing about Lao Hu's experience, Shirley Yang frowned deeply. "Take a look and see if it's this kind of bug..."

As she spoke, Shirley Yang took a magazine out of her pocket and handed it to Hu Bayi.

Looking at the photos in the magazine, Old Hu's expression changed. "That's it, that's it, I'll never forget it..."

"A tiny, blue-glowing insect, about the size of a thumb, capable of killing in an instant..."

Old Hu looked as if he had seen a demon, and his expression became extremely frightened.

Sherry Yang raised an eyebrow and murmured softly, "So these kinds of insects really do exist..."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at her with confusion.

Sherry Yang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "This kind of insect is called 'The Beatieon Fire,' also known as 'fire beetle'..."

"Currently, it can only be found in the records of archaeologists and explorers around the world. For many people, it is just a legend!"

Su Mo shook his head. "Actually, these aren't called fireflies, nor are they a legend. In our country, they're called 'rotten fireflies'!"

"........."

Everyone was shocked once again.

Shirley Yang stared directly at Su Mo and said in a deep voice, "You've seen this thing before too?"

Su Mo shook his head again. "I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I've only heard a few friends in the underworld mention it..."

Su Mo took the newspaper from Lao Hu, pointed to the picture on it, and said, "This thing is called a rotting firefly because this kind of insect only lives in places full of corpses. I don't know if you've ever heard of rotting grass turning into fireflies?"

"........."

Shirley Yang, Lao Hu, and Fatty were all completely bewildered.

Professor Chen, who had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke up, "I know..."

Everyone looked at Professor Chen, hoping he could give them a reasonable explanation.

Professor Chen adjusted his glasses and began to explain, "What Brother Su just mentioned, 'rotten grass turning into fireflies,' refers to the traditional saying that rotten grass can transform into fireflies..."

"The fireflies you just mentioned are actually fireflies that absorb phosphorus from corpses, creating their appearance. However, such creatures are rare in history!"

Rotten firefly?

This thing actually exists!

The group exchanged glances and muttered to themselves.

"wrong…"

As if remembering something, Sherry Yang immediately asked, "You just said that the Rotten Fireflies only live in places full of corpses. How come there are so many Rotten Fireflies in the Kunlun Glacier?"

"Oh…"

Su Mo gave a sinister smile. "There might be a mass grave of ten thousand people beneath the Kunlun Glacier!"

"..."

Everyone gasped.

Chapter 18: Old Hu's Inner Knot

"A mass grave..."

Old Hu's face was grim. "The place I patrol day and night is actually a mass grave!"

"Corrupted fireflies...phosphorescence!"

Old Hu looked at Su Mo excitedly, "What burned my brother to death was actually phosphorescence!"

Su Mo stared into Lao Hu's eyes, "Yes, those insects aren't strange, it's just that the phosphorescent light on the fireflies is too dangerous..."

"Old Hu...with me here, you don't need to worry!"

"..."

Old Hu clenched his fists, his face contorted with extreme struggle.

Su Mo added, "Your brothers died under mysterious circumstances back then. Now that you know the cause of their deaths, why not go and pay your respects, tell them what happened, and at the same time put an end to your worries!"

As he spoke, Su Mo gave the fat man a wink, and the fat man immediately understood and sat down next to Hu Bayi.

"Comrade Lao Hu!"

"You are a seasoned revolutionary veteran, but look at yourself now, you have lost all fighting spirit, like a defeated dog. Socialist construction is still waiting for you to contribute your strength!"

Old Hu was both amused and exasperated. "You fatso, you're always talking nonsense..."

"it is good!"

Old Hu gritted his teeth, "The Kunlun Glacier, I'm not afraid of it this time..."

The fat man laughed loudly, "That's more like it! Comrade Hu Bayi, you are still a good soldier of the Party and the country!"

Shirley Yang looked at Su Mo and the other two with some surprise. The fat guy who always talked nonsense actually had this side to him. Su Mo, who was only in his early twenties, was actually the leader of the three.

This team is quite peculiar!

Looking at the three of them, Sherry Yang smiled and said, "Alright, in that case, let's get off at the next stop and take a different route to Kunlun Glacier!"

……

After a long and arduous journey, the archaeological team finally reached the Kunlun Glacier at noon on the fourth day.

Because this archaeological team was nominally a national archaeological team, the local garrison soon sent several local soldiers to act as guides and protect the safety of the group.

Old Hu has lived here for many years and is considered a local. Under the guidance of several local soldiers and Old Hu, the group quickly traversed the Kunlun Glacier.

Su Mo walked in front, followed closely by Fatty, Lao Hu, and several young soldiers, with the archaeological team at the very back.

"call…"

The fat man, dressed in a military-style cotton-padded coat, wrapped himself up like a dumpling, and trudged through the snow with difficulty.

The icy, snowy environment and the biting wind were almost unbearable, not to mention the fat man, even the young soldiers were finding it hard to stand.

"Brother Su...Brother Su!"

A soldier with a gun plopped down in the snow and shouted to Su Mo, "Let's take a break..."

The soldiers looked at Su Mo as if he were a monster.

He wore a stylish leather jacket on top and thin jeans on the bottom. Anyone else would probably have frozen to death in this outfit, but Su Mo looked energetic and lively.

This scene terrified everyone.

The fat man gasped, "Brother Su... take a break, it's not too late to rest..."

Su Mo glanced around and nodded slightly, "Okay, let's stop and rest for a bit..."

The members of the archaeological team breathed a sigh of relief and sat down to rest.

Sherry Yang walked over, staring at Su Mo as he looked him up and down, her eyes full of questions. "Are you really alright?"

"what…"