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墨書 Inktalez
Seven thought to himself as he rubbed his face with both hands and shook his head. Was this really a trap? But for what purpose?
He quickened his pace to stand beside Third and recounted his earlier speculation.
Third pressed his lips together, remaining silent, but internally he pondered that Seven had a point.
After all, when he joined this team, he had no knowledge of it; the only person he was somewhat familiar with was Xin Shui Su, yet he knew nothing about her.
Third chastised himself inwardly, thinking, "I’ve been careless." However, Xin Shui Su had given off a familiar vibe, leading him to trust her without reason.
He glanced at the young archaeologists resting nearby. They were fresh out of school and had been sent here by the government.
Perhaps they were merely a cover for this conspiracy.
Seeing that Third remained silent, Seven called out to him. He wasn't entirely sure about his own speculation, which was why he wanted to discuss it with Third.
Suddenly, Seven said, "She’s gone."
Of course, Third knew who Seven was referring to. "I understand," he replied.
Then Third added, "Let’s keep this under wraps for now. We’ll investigate tonight."
Seven nodded in agreement.
As night fell deeper, the entire team began to drift off to sleep.
The four of them—Third, Wang Er Gou, Second, and Seven—gathered together to discuss their thoughts. When Seven and Third shared their suspicions, Second nearly burst out in anger, but thankfully Third reminded him, "Keep it down."
"Everyone is asleep," Second whispered as he glanced back. However, when Second turned around, Liu Kou was slightly opening his eyes, stealing glances at the four under the bright flames.
After the four finished their discussion and began to disperse, Liu Kou pretended to be sound asleep once more.
Second and Wang Er Gou stayed behind to keep watch, ensuring the safety of the group. The mountains were home to many wild beasts, and they feared unexpected dangers.
Initially, Second disagreed with this decision, but after Third spoke to him, he agreed to stay.
Despite being injured, Third had to admit that Xin Shui Su's medicine was effective. His own physical condition was not bad either, so moving around at night posed no major issues.
Taking advantage of the thick darkness, Seven and Third slipped quietly into the jungle.
Those who had fought in battles knew that forests provided the best cover and hiding spots, but they were also the most dangerous places. Besides human threats, one had to be wary of natural dangers lurking within the mountains.
The two walked in darkness for a while, distancing themselves from the group before finally turning on their flashlight. After experiencing the quality of the archaeological team's flashlight, they realized just how inferior their own was.
Their flashlight had poor light transmission but was barely sufficient for navigating through the night.
"Are you confident about this path?" Third asked.
Seven hesitated to make any guarantees. "I walked this stretch in the afternoon. If my guess is correct, we should be heading in this direction."
Third fell silent as Seven led the way. "The humidity is highest here; if there's a river, it’s most likely to appear around this area."
Rivers formed in the mountains would cascade downwards, creating a drop-off; thus, under normal circumstances, a waterfall would typically form.
To find the river they spoke of, there were two methods: listening for the sound of water or judging by the humidity in the air and the lushness of the vegetation.
The two of them moved forward through the darkness for a while. Third's possible injuries had not healed, and in their haste, he coughed up blood again.
Seven asked with concern, "Third, can you still hold on?"
Third wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and replied, "It's nothing, just a small issue." Seven still looked at Third with worry; the light illuminated Third's face, revealing a pale complexion tinged with a faint flush. Seven suggested, "How about we take a break?"
Third chuckled, "Seven, when did you become so nagging?"
Seven remained silent but continued to watch Third. Third patted Seven's shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Seven responded, "Just let me know when you can't hold on anymore." Third nodded in acknowledgment.
They continued walking for a while longer when Third suddenly said, "Do you hear that?"
Seven stopped in his tracks and caught the sound of birds chirping. "There are birds singing," he said. Third urged Seven to listen more closely. After a moment, a look of surprise spread across Seven's face. "That's the sound of water! Could there really be a river?" he exclaimed.
Third shook his head. "We can't be sure yet." Indeed, hearing is often deceiving; some things must be seen with one's own eyes before making a decision.
"Let's go!" Third called out. As they walked further, the sound of water became clearer. "It seems there really is a river," Third remarked.
Seven responded, "Could it be that our previous assumptions were wrong?"
Old Third replied, "Let's not jump to conclusions. We'll go over and take a look first."
The two of them moved through the dense underbrush, the sound of rushing water growing louder and the humidity increasing. Finally, they arrived at the riverbank.
There was indeed a river here, but it could hardly be called a river; at best, it was a small stream.
Yet, how could the sound be so loud? The noise was not coming from this spot but rather from downstream. "The waterfall must be below," Seven said.
Third nodded in agreement. As they stood by the stream, they could distinctly feel a chilling breeze rising up.
However, they overlooked the danger, as animals were rarely active during the day; most came out at night, especially near water sources, where many creatures sought food or water after dark.
At that moment, not far away, a beast had already set its sights on them as potential prey—a black bear. It was tearing at its own claws while fixating on Third and Seven.
The two surveyed their surroundings and noted that heavy rain had fallen here a few days prior, washing out an ancient tomb. It was evident that there had been a downpour recently; the grass and plants by the river were still bent low, and patches of yellow mud had formed flat areas around them, with several trees broken in half.
"Let’s head upstream and take a look," Third suggested.
As they walked, the yellow mud clung to their feet, slowing their pace. "Next time we come up here, I need to buy a pair of boots," Seven complained.
Just then, the waiting black bear lunged forward. In one swift motion, it knocked Third into the river. The suddenness of the attack left Seven stunned.
Third fell into the water, which fortunately lessened the impact of his fall. However, he couldn't suppress a mouthful of blood from escaping.
He struggled briefly but to no avail. The bear's jaws were closing in on him, saliva dripping down as it prepared to strike.
The black bear suddenly let out a painful roar as Seven fired a shot at it, the bullet striking the bear squarely in the back.
The bear turned its head to glance at Seven. The flashlight beam illuminated its eyes.
Shaking its head, the bear continued to bleed profusely from its back.
It released Third and slowly stood up, approaching Seven. This was exactly what Seven had been waiting for; he fired several more shots at the bear. After being hit, the bear stood for a moment before finally collapsing to the ground.
Seven hurried over to help Third up.
Third wiped his face, panting heavily, nearly losing his life in the encounter.
Supporting Third, Seven began to head back. “I’m fine,” Third said, swallowing a pill that visibly improved his complexion.
Unable to argue with Third, Seven suggested, “Let’s rest here for a bit before moving on.”
With no choice but to agree, Third nodded.
Seven gathered some dry twigs and started a fire. After drying their clothes and resting enough, the two continued their journey forward.
As they ascended, the stream wound its way through the mountains and foliage, with some trees having been broken by recent storms.
They hadn’t discovered any clues yet; all they saw were traces left by rainwater erosion, largely similar and without much distinction.
Seven remarked, “The ancient tomb probably doesn’t exist. Ultimately, this is still a scam.”
"Where is the most suitable place to bury someone in this terrain?" Third suddenly asked.
Seven had learned quite a bit from Wang Er Gou these days. He picked up a flashlight and began scanning the area. Trees surrounded them, and this relatively open space had been formed by rainwater erosion.
If we disregard geographical factors and consider Feng Shui, it is said that it is best to have a location that offers a wide view. In other words, after death, the position of the tomb should be open and elevated, allowing for a far-reaching view. However, from a geographical standpoint, this area, dense with mountains and forests, is unlikely to experience landslides.
Unless there is a cliff. Suddenly, Seven had a flash of inspiration and said, "It's the cliff! In places with significant elevation differences, the soil is the loosest, and large trees have difficulty taking root. Therefore, if a landslide were to occur, it would most likely happen in such a unique geographical environment within a larger terrain."
"Cliff," Third replied. "Do you see any such geographical features around here?"
Although they had made a deduction, it needed to be a significant elevation difference; minor differences would not cause geological disasters. This highlights a flaw in Feng Shui—it only considers the orientation of the site without regard for the geographical environment, which can lead to tombs being damaged by natural disasters.
Seven looked around for a moment and said, "It's too dark; I can't see clearly." They would have to wait until dawn.
The two returned to their original spot and rekindled the fire. Seven told Third to rest while he kept watch. The night passed quickly without any incidents.
As dawn slowly broke, Third still hadn't woken up—perhaps he was too exhausted.
Seven prepared some food, and when Third finally woke up, they ate together. Third's face didn't look good, especially when he got up; his whole body was sore. After moving around a bit, he felt somewhat better.
Suddenly, Third said, "Our target shouldn't just be upstream along the river; it might be in the mountains nearby."
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