Chen Changyuan glanced at him and motioned for him to continue.

"It is said that there were hunting teams that went into the mountains before, but... they all disappeared and never returned..."

Xiaoliu's voice became smaller and smaller, and finally almost turned into a whimper.

His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

The color drained from everyone's faces in an instant, and fear enveloped them once again.

"Yeah, I also heard from my grandfather that Qingshanling is haunted, and no one who goes in comes out alive..."

Another young man echoed, his voice also trembling slightly.

Fear spread like a plague. Some people began to sob softly, while others hugged their knees tightly and trembled.

Seeing this, Chen Changyuan sighed inwardly.

If they allow this emotion to continue, they may really collapse.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

He shouted, "These are all fictitious legends. Is it fun to scare yourself?"

He looked around and said with a firm gaze:

"What we need to do now is to unite as one and find a way out! As long as we work together, there will be no difficulties that we cannot overcome!"

Everyone's emotions calmed down a little, and the sobbing gradually subsided.

However, at this moment, a weak voice broke the brief peace.

"Brother Changyuan...I...I'm thirsty..."

It was Yuan Chao. His face was pale, his lips were chapped, and his voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

Only then did Chen Changyuan realize that they had drunk all the water they brought with them.

He quickly searched his backpack, hoping to find some remaining water, but there was nothing except a few pieces of dry food.

Despair once again set in. Without water, they simply couldn't hold out for much longer.

"I...I seem to hear the sound of water..."

Er Gouzi suddenly said, he pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

Everyone held their breath and listened attentively.

Sure enough, deep in the thick fog, there was a faint sound of gurgling water.

“There really is the sound of water!”

Xiaoliu said excitedly, "We are saved!"

The flame of hope ignited in everyone's hearts again.

Chen Changyuan also felt a burst of joy. He immediately stood up and walked towards the direction where the sound of water came from.

"Everyone, keep up!" he called out. "Be careful, don't fall behind!"

Everyone stood up and followed Chen Changyuan, heading towards the direction of hope.

The sound of water became clearer and clearer. They passed through a dense bush and the view suddenly opened up.

Behind the bushes, a winding stream appeared in front of everyone. Under the jumping firelight, the stream water appeared a strange dark color, like ink spreading.

Ergouzi let out a strange cry of excitement and was about to dive in to drink it, but was stopped by Chen Changyuan.

"Are you crazy?! Have you forgotten the worms in Yuan Dynasty's stomach?"

Chen Changyuan shouted sternly.

Er Gouzi was stunned for a moment, then he remembered the terrible situation in Yuan Chao when he had diarrhea and was dying because he drank raw sheep's blood.

The others also calmed down and looked at the dark stream, feeling a chill in their hearts.

"The water is murky, who knows what's in it."

Chen Changyuan frowned and said, "Let's boil it first."

Although everyone was so thirsty that their throats were smoking, they knew that what Chen Changyuan said made sense, so they all started collecting dry firewood and preparing to boil water.

The fire was lit again, dispersing some of the thick fog around.

Chen Changyuan found some clean stones, heated them in the fire, and then put them into a bamboo tube filled with stream water to boil the water.

The waiting time was extremely long. Everyone stared at the bamboo tube anxiously, their stomachs rumbling.

Finally, the water boiled and puffs of white steam came out.

Chen Changyuan carefully took out the bamboo tube, and after the water temperature dropped slightly, he took the first sip.

A bitter taste spread in his mouth, making him frown.

“This water…”

Chen Changyuan hesitated for a moment, "It's a bit astringent, but it should be fine."

Everyone couldn't wait any longer and took the bamboo tubes and started drinking from them in big gulps.

Although the water tastes strange, it is better than dying of thirst.

Chen Changyuan looked at this strange stream, and a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

The location of this stream is really special. It is deep in Qingshanling and the surrounding terrain is steep. Logically, there should be no water source.

Moreover, the water tastes too astringent, unlike the sweet taste of ordinary mountain spring water.

A bold idea emerged in his mind:

Is there an ancient tomb here?

Chen Changyuan had read many tomb-robbing novels in his previous life and knew that there were some secret passages in the ancient tombs that would draw in groundwater.

These groundwaters, due to long-term contact with materials in the tomb, often contain special minerals, resulting in an astringent taste.

Thinking of this, Chen Changyuan's heartbeat involuntarily quickened a bit.

If there really is an ancient tomb, are there any treasures hidden in it?

He looked around and found that the terrain of this area was indeed a bit strange.

The mountain walls on both sides of the stream are steep, forming a narrow canyon in the middle, and the stream flows through the bottom of the canyon.

"Brother Changyuan, what are you looking at?"

Ergouzi noticed Chen Changyuan's gaze and asked curiously.

"nothing,"

Chen Changyuan covered it up and said, "I just think this place is a bit strange."

"It's quite strange,"

Xiaoliu also agreed, "I always feel eerie, like there are ghosts."

Chen Changyuan's heart moved, and he asked calmly:

"Xiao Liu, have you heard the legend about Qingshanling?"

Xiaoliu's expression changed, and he lowered his voice and said:

"Brother Changyuan, you don't believe in those ghost stories, do you? My grandfather said that an ancient prince is buried in Qingshanling. His tomb is full of gold, silver and jewelry, but it is also full of curses. Anyone who enters will die an untimely death."

Chen Changyuan laughed secretly in his heart, this Xiaoliu is really a funny guy.

However, Xiaoliu's words reminded him that if there really was an ancient tomb here, it would most likely be a tomb of a king or prince.

"Don't talk nonsense,"

Chen Changyuan feigned composure and said, "There are no such things as ghosts or gods in this world. They are all feudal superstitions."

"But..." Xiaoliu wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Chen Changyuan.

"Okay, get some rest. We have to travel tomorrow."

Everyone found a place to lie down and fell asleep exhausted.

However, Chen Changyuan couldn't fall asleep. The scene of the ancient tomb kept appearing in his mind, and his heart was full of anticipation and excitement.

He quietly got up and, using the firelight, carefully observed the surrounding terrain.

He found that there seemed to be some traces of artificial excavation on the mountain walls on both sides of the stream. Although covered by dense vegetation, they were still vaguely visible.

Chen Changyuan became even more certain that there must be something strange here.

He decided to investigate thoroughly when he had the chance.