Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The two began to search separately, expanding their range from the riverbank to the nearby mountains, where they found traces of erosion from the rain. Each took a different path.
A tree had been snapped in half, leaning against several others that had been bent by the wind, creating a makeshift barrier. Seven had wandered far from the riverbank.
Suddenly, he heard Third calling his name and quickly turned back toward the river.
Third was standing in front of a pile of fallen trees, holding his chest with one hand. When he saw Seven approaching, he pointed ahead and said, "Do you think that drop counts?"
Following Third's gesture, Seven looked about twenty meters ahead and saw a slope with a height difference of about one meter, where several trees lay haphazardly.
"I'll go take a look," Seven said, striding forward. After a moment, he excitedly shouted, "Third, yes! You were right!"
Upon hearing this, Third hurried over, climbing over the obstacles.
What greeted them was a section of the slope that had collapsed, revealing a dark opening that seemed to lead into the earth. The light allowed for some visibility, but not much.
"This is an artificially constructed cliff," Seven remarked. "Though it has some vegetation, the surface is smooth and even."
There was no doubt that this was what they referred to as an ancient tomb.
However, it hadn't completely collapsed. How could rainwater have washed artifacts down to the river below only for villagers to find them?
Standing at the base of the cliff and peering into the opening, Third said, "Someone has been here." He coughed a few times before continuing, "The traces left behind have been erased."
Seven asked, "How did you notice that?" He pointed at the mud. "Clearly it has been disturbed; old and new marks can't be easily confused."
"Maybe someone has already gone inside," Third suggested.
Seven felt a jolt of surprise and said, "Then we..." But before he could finish his thought, Third interjected, "That's just a hypothesis. If someone really has gone in there, we just need to wait here."
Seven nodded but suddenly realized that if someone came out from inside, they might not be able to handle it alone. "Should we notify the archaeological team?"
After thinking for a moment, Third replied, "Not yet. If it's a tomb raider inside, they might harm the archaeological team when they come out."
"Third," Seven finally voiced his thoughts, "your injury, we might not be able to handle it later."
Third clutched his chest and couldn't help but cough again. Finally, he said, "Alright, notify Second to come over!"
Seven replied naturally, "Then let's go!"
Third said, "You can go alone; I'll stay here to keep watch."
"But..." Seven hesitated.
"There’s no 'but.' Don't worry! I’ll hide well." Seven glanced back at Third and said, "Just be careful. I'll be back soon."
Third nodded.
Seven quickened his pace to head back. After Seven left, Third found a place to conceal himself, lying in a patch of grass about a hundred meters from the Tomb.
The sun slowly rose higher in the sky as Third kept his eyes fixed on the tomb entrance. Seven had yet to return when suddenly a figure caught Third's eye. He recognized it immediately; it was Xin Shui Su. For some reason, he felt a peculiar sensation, even though the person in front had disguised themselves.
A wave of emotions surged within Third, but he restrained himself from revealing his presence. So many things were shrouded in mystery that he couldn't discern right from wrong.
Seven quietly observed the scene as Xin Shui Su stood at the tomb entrance for a moment before suddenly turning around as if sensing something. With a few quick strides, she disappeared into the woods.
At that moment, Third thought she had discovered him and hurriedly lowered himself.
After Xin Shui Su concealed herself in the jungle, within five minutes another person arrived. It was clear he was in a hurry as he stopped at the tomb entrance, panting and trying to suppress his voice as he called out, "Is anyone there? Is anyone there?" After several calls with no response, he seemed impatient and made a decision, jumping into the tomb. Immediately, cries echoed from inside.
Third prepared to move out, but Xin Shui Su remained still, so Third stayed put as well.
Soon the cries ceased, and faintly, reprimanding voices could be heard from within. Finally, as the sounds faded away, silence returned to the area.
After a while, Xin Shui Su emerged again and stared at the tomb entrance for a moment before jumping inside.
At that moment, Third slowly walked out. His body had not yet recovered, and blood was seeping from the corner of his mouth; he knew his internal organs were damaged.
If I go in now, it might be… With that thought, he sighed. Just then, Seven and the others rushed over.
Seeing Tomb, Second said, "What are you standing there for? Get inside!"
Wang Er Gou replied, "I've heard that it's best to enter a tomb after dark. Ghosts and human affairs are opposite; entering during the day attracts attention from spirits, while at night, the yin energy deepens and makes it harder to be detected."
The three of them glanced at him, and Second remarked, "Er Gou, where did you learn all this?"
Third interjected, "There’s already someone inside."
"When did they go down?" Second asked. Third replied, "Just a moment ago, one person went down," omitting any mention of Xin Shui Su. "Before that, there were already people inside."
"Then we can't wait any longer?" Second said, suddenly realizing what he needed to do.
Seeing that the three had spoken up, Second suggested, "Should we wait outside?" His tone was questioning.
Seven said, "Let's listen to Ergou Master. We should wait until it gets dark before going in; that's the safest option. By then, the people inside might have come out, making it less risky for us."
"If the people inside come out, we won't need to go in at all. We just want to clarify whether our previous assumptions were correct or if it's all a setup. Someone is manipulating the situation."
After reaching a consensus, the four waited outside. Third asked, "Are those people okay?"
Second replied, "They're fine. When we came out, we told them to come out and check the situation."
Third nodded. The four of them stared intently at the entrance. They didn't know how much time passed without any movement. Bored and restless, they started chatting until afternoon came, yet there was still no sign of activity.
"If they don't come out soon, we'll go in," Second said. The sun was already hanging low in the sky as he prepared his flashlight.
Suddenly Third asked, "Brother Wang, do you know much about your Second Uncle?"
Wang Er Gou was taken aback by the question but quickly guessed Third's intention. Although slightly displeased, he answered honestly: "I haven't had much contact with my Second Uncle. Ever since I moved away from the village, I haven't been in touch with him at all. I once asked him to leave the village, but he refused."
"But his hunting skills are exceptional; he dares to venture into places where ordinary people wouldn't. As a result, he usually brings back a good haul and often shares his surplus with the villagers, which gives him a certain standing in the village. He still has a say."
Third glanced at Wang Er Gou's expression and continued, "I mean no offense, but if we don't clarify the situation, more accidents could happen."
Wang Er Gou replied, "I understand."
Third asked again, "So you don't really know him." Wang Er Gou admitted, "No, in fact, I doubt anyone in the entire village knows him."
"Very few people know about his whereabouts; no one really knows what he does. The extent of their knowledge is that he is an excellent hunter and generous."
Just as Wang Er Gou finished speaking, Seven suddenly whispered, "There's movement! There's movement!"
Sure enough, after a while, a head emerged from the Tomb entrance. The night had grown dark, making it hard to see clearly. Three or four figures came out.
One person exclaimed, "Damn it, someone died in there." Third felt a tightening in his chest at those words. Another voice chimed in, "Isn't that better? We can take an extra share."
That voice sounded somewhat familiar. Second said as he widened his eyes to get a better look. But it was impossible to see anything clearly.
Second asked, "Are we going to make a move?"
"They're all out," Seven said. There were four of them in total; if they counted the one who supposedly died, that made five.
"Those Tomb Raiders!" Second muttered under his breath.
The group tidied themselves up slightly. One of them asked, "Are we heading down now?"
"Isn't that obvious? If we don't head down now that we've been spotted, are we just going to wait for someone to find us?"
It was clear they had gathered quite a bounty; each person walked carefully. One of them warned, "Everyone be careful! If you mess this up, none of us will have good outcomes."
Several assured him, "Don't worry!" But just as those words left their mouths, someone accidentally kicked an obstacle and fell to the ground.
The one who had spoken earlier cursed, "I just said that! Damn it, and someone already messed up."
"Why are you still standing there like an idiot? Hurry up and pick it up! Is it a piece of porcelain or what? If not, I'll make sure you regret it!"
The man being scolded nodded submissively, not daring to speak.
Just as they were about to leave, Second anxiously said, "Let's go." Seven was also feeling a bit anxious.
As they were about to approach, just when they were passing by the hidden spot where a few people were concealed, Second shouted, "Forget it," and ran out. Seven followed closely behind, and Wang Er Gou also went along.
Third was just about to get up when someone pressed her down. She said, "Don't move yet."
Third was startled, but upon hearing the voice, she felt reassured. She then moved her hand away and said, "Sorry, I can't agree to that request." With that, she ran out despite her injuries.
Watching the hand suspended in mid-air, Xin Shui Su stood there in a daze. After realizing what had happened, she followed after them.
After Second rushed up, he shouted, "You all better stop right there!"
The few people in front had been chatting and laughing, but upon hearing that shout, they immediately fell silent and stood still.
Second boldly ran up and stood in front of them, saying, "You guys aren't going anywhere."
But at that moment, something strange happened. They chuckled ominously a few times as if they didn't take Second seriously at all. They continued to laugh, their expressions eerie and their laughter even more grating.
Comment 0 Comment Count