Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Third glanced at Xin Shui Su with a bitter smile. Xin Shui Su threw down the fruit and coldly said, "If the person I save dies, I will make sure he dies again."
Seven, standing nearby, took a step back awkwardly after hearing this.
After Seven left, Xin Shui Su turned to Third and said, "I hope you take care of yourself and preserve your life!" With that, she walked away.
Third fell into deep thought.
At that moment, a sudden argument broke out among the members of the archaeological team. Several people were arguing about descending the mountain, but some disagreed.
Liu Kou was one of those who opposed descending.
Liu Kou spread his arms to block those wanting to leave, saying, "The mission isn't complete; you can't go down."
The group wanting to descend pushed Liu Kou aside, saying, "We’re about to lose our lives; what mission are we talking about?" They pushed him again, causing Liu Kou to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Liu Kou struggled to get up but couldn't stop them; they had already run down the mountain. Three in total—two men and one woman.
By the time Second and the others realized what had happened, it was too late; those three had already fled down the mountain.
Second looked at the dejected Liu Kou and said, "Let them go!"
Liu Kou replied, "What if something happens to them?"
Second patted Liu Kou on the shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry; it's daytime. Nothing will happen."
Since the team had ascended the mountain, including Second and four others along with Wang Er Gou's Uncle, a total of twenty-five people had gone missing without reason—two were dead, three had descended, leaving only eighteen remaining in the team.
A few of the Old Fossils were completely indifferent to the situation, spending their days engrossed in their books.
The atmosphere was tense, with everyone feeling anxious and unstable, fearing that they might be the next victim.
Liu Kou was also not in high spirits. In such circumstances, who would want to investigate a Tomb? The team leader had gone up the mountain and vanished, and now there were more deaths, with no one knowing who the murderer was.
Upon noticing the situation, Third stood up and walked over, his voice somewhat weak as he said, "Tomorrow, I will lead everyone down the mountain."
The noisy environment fell silent instantly. Third continued, "During this time, please do not wander around."
His voice was steady and powerful, and it seemed to stabilize everyone's emotions.
Second glanced at Third, who quietly remarked, "They are too weak; staying here will be dangerous." Xin Shui Su did not express any opinion.
She was merely the team leader brought in to assist this archaeological team!
Second nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Old Fossils finally spoke up. Old Man Heng Qiu said sternly, "I disagree with this proposal. The government sent us here not just to go up and down the mountain; we cannot return empty-handed."
Several other old men stood up in agreement.
Third looked at the group of Old Fossils, momentarily speechless. Liu Kou also stepped forward and said, "We came with the government's orders; we cannot go back empty-handed."
Third glanced at the other members of the archaeological team but saw no reaction. He then said, "Fine, you can stay here!" With that remark, he sat back down.
Third's injuries were more severe, and he began to cough again. Second asked with concern, "Are you alright?" Third shook his head and replied, "I'm fine."
He covered his chest and said, " Second, keep an eye on these people."
Second nodded. Now the team leader and the guide had disappeared. Seven had to rely on his innate sense of direction again, as there was no map to follow.
Wang Er Gou had mentioned that this was a very ancient mountain range, aptly named Primitive Mountain. The mountain was rich in resources, having grown freely for many years without much human intrusion into its depths. The archaeological team was set to explore the heart of the mountain.
Wang Er Gou was still concerned about the formation within the Eastern Guan Mountain Range. Moreover, another team had already ventured deep into the mountains.
Seven said, "Everyone follow me closely, and whatever you do, don't fall behind."
The members of the archaeological team packed their belongings. Some items were too heavy to carry, so they had to be distributed among four people.
Initially, they thought this exploration task would be simple—just locating the tomb and reporting it to the government, which would then send a team of professionals to handle the Tomb.
Liu Kou encouraged everyone by saying, "As long as we complete this mission, we will gain recognition and rewards from the government." Hearing this, everyone felt a bit more spirited.
Even a few Old Fossils cast appreciative glances at Liu Kou.
Seven didn't want to waste any more time and said, "Let's set off now!" Their destination was the Tomb that had been uncovered a few days prior.
This task originally seemed low-risk, but now it appeared that they might have to pay with their lives. Although they had just been encouraged, as they truly began their journey, a heavy mood settled over everyone.
Second said, "Everyone relax."
They continued forward, navigating through branches and obstacles that sprawled across their path. As they progressed cautiously, they cleared away these barriers.
After some time of moving forward without incident, Seven relied on his instincts to guide them. The sun had risen, casting peaceful and serene rays of light through the forest.
Seven felt uncertain about the location of the ancient tomb; all he knew was that it was upstream from a river, so they could only search slowly and carefully.
Time passed quickly, and the sun hung high in the sky. The entire team was beginning to feel fatigued, yet they still had no clue about their next steps.
"Let's take a break," Seven said as he turned to Second. Second nodded and then called out to the group, "Everyone, let's rest for a bit."
The team members promptly set down their luggage, sitting on the ground to catch their breath and gulp down water.
Suddenly, a girl shouted. Second rushed over and asked, "What happened? What's wrong?"
He hurried to the girl's side, and she spoke with a trembling voice, "There’s... a snake." Second looked around but saw nothing and asked, "Where is it?"
At that moment, the girl's voice steadied as she pointed down, saying, "It's under your foot."
Second nearly jumped back in fright but quickly stepped away. The girl continued, "You’ve already stepped on it."
Looking down, Second saw a small non-venomous snake that had been crushed, its brain mixed with blood—a false alarm after all.
Seven called for a few people to clear away the excess grass and brush around them to create a space for everyone to rest. They all settled onto the ground, built a fire, and heated up their rations for an energy boost.
After finishing their meal and resting for twenty or thirty minutes, they set off again.
The humidity in the mountains was heavy. An elderly member of the archaeological team appeared unwell, possibly having caught a chill last night; his complexion was poor, and he walked unsteadily with bluish lips.
As Third checked his pulse, his brow furrowed with concern. Liu Kou asked anxiously, "Is my teacher alright?"
Third remained silent as he instructed the old man to open his mouth and stick out his tongue. It too was bluish in color, with visible cracks on the surface. Third asked, "Do you feel hot all over but also cold?"
The old man nodded weakly and replied, "Yes, my back also aches—it's painful."
"Quickly, disperse the crowd around," Third frowned and said, "Don't disturb me here."
The people gathered nearby quickly moved away, leaving only Liu Kou.
Third said, "You should leave too." Liu Kou replied, "I need to take care of my teacher."
Sighing, Third said, "I'm here; that's enough. You can rest over there." Liu Kou hesitated, and Third added, "Don't you want me to help your teacher?" Reluctantly, Liu Kou stepped back.
The old man was suffering from an infectious disease that was essentially untreatable; he might have contracted it from some bacteria in the mountains.
Third looked at the elderly man, whose eyes were half-closed and whose breathing had grown faint. Was life really this fragile? Third pondered.
He propped the old man against a tree and placed something under his head for support. This would only alleviate his suffering temporarily. The mountain was rich with herbs, and Third quickly gathered a variety, even finding some of the most precious ones that seemed common here.
Without tools to brew medicine, Third had no choice but to let him consume the herbs raw. Fortunately, the few traditional medicines he found were not too bitter. After eating them, the old man appeared drowsy and soon fell asleep.
His condition was dire; at his age, his body was failing him, and he might not survive for more than a few days.
After taking care of these matters, Third addressed everyone: "Stay away from him; let him rest properly."
Because of this situation, their plans were delayed once again. By afternoon, the old man still had not awakened.
Third turned to Second and said, "It seems we'll have to stay here for the night."
Second nodded in agreement. The team's survival skills in the wild were lacking; they were used to a comfortable life and were ill-prepared for such hardships. The entire group was unevenly matched, making it inevitable that problems would arise.
As the sun set, another day came to an end.
The campfire blazed more brightly in the night, and everyone huddled together in silence.
"Don't wander off," Second reminded them. "Make sure you don't get lost." Everyone nodded in agreement; apart from the light here, the surrounding area was engulfed in darkness.
Xin Shui Su took a sip of water. Then, taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, he vanished into the night.
Several ups and downs had already led him to another place.
Third glanced around for a moment before pulling his gaze back.
Seven had gone ahead to scout during the afternoon. Upon returning, he simply shook his head at Second's questioning look.
There were no clues at all; the river seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Suddenly, Seven thought: what if there were antiques discovered downstream? That was a possibility. The more he pondered, the more uneasy he felt. Could this be a scam?
The team leader and the guide had both disappeared, and now there were dead bodies—could it be a conspiracy?
In areas where vegetation grew denser, it was usually near a water source; that was the most common way to find water. However, in such a high and densely forested mountain area, that method wouldn’t work.
This place was already known for its abundant rainfall throughout the year, compounded by being a restricted mountain area, making it difficult to discern anything. Additionally, with the hilly terrain and uneven ground, forming rivers was quite challenging. So… Seven thought about this.
Comment 0 Comment Count