Chapter 24 The Secret of the Ancient City
The three people in front of the stone gate had different expressions.
Xia Mingjiang stood at the door, both excited and nervous.
Hosen looked wary, staring intently inside.
Luo Yin, on the other hand, maintained a sense of excitement and curiosity, secretly watching what was ahead.
None of the three spoke, and they stared motionlessly as the stone gate opened wide.
Many images that had previously surfaced in my mind were replaced by the scene before me.
"What...what is this?"
Luo Yin was stunned!
"What's going on here?" Xia Mingjiang scratched his head, looking at the empty space inside.
Hossen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Judging from the expressions of the two people beside him, they seemed rather dissatisfied.
"Brother Xia, is that all? There's no need to look any further. Let's keep going." Luo Yin, who hadn't been disappointed for long, started to persuade him again.
Xia Mingjiang looked unwell, rubbing his hands together and shining a flashlight around.
"Wait a minute, let me take a look first." He said and stepped inside.
"Don't rush, we don't even know if there's any danger in there!" She quickly pulled him back.
"No, no, no, what are you thinking? This is just a simple stone chamber."
"There's no danger!"
Xia Mingjiang nodded firmly and walked straight in.
Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Luo Yin looked at Huo Sen next to her.
He gestured to him with his eyes, suggesting he try to persuade the person to leave and continue walking.
But he acted as if he hadn't seen it, standing there silently watching.
Luo Yin was helpless, but dared not follow them inside.
He simply stood guard at the door, craning his neck every now and then to see what he was doing.
Soon, the person came out again.
"Haha, I understand."
"Come here right now, look what I've found!"
Xia Mingjiang smiled and waved to the two men, signaling them to come in.
Luo Yin felt uneasy around her. Looking at this long-sealed stone chamber, she couldn't help but let her mind wander.
Subconsciously, I felt that something might suddenly appear somewhere.
She didn't know what was wrong, but her guarded body language and eyes couldn't hide it.
Before Xia Mingjiang could let them pass, Huo Sen, who was standing next to her, had already noticed that something was wrong with her.
He didn't disturb her immediately, but paid more attention to her from behind.
"Look at this."
Xia Mingjiang didn't notice their change and pointed to a wall on the inside.
"Knock knock knock~"
"Listen, isn't the sound off?"
He pushed the wall again, and it moved.
"This is..."
Luo Yin looked at him in surprise.
It was the first time I realized he actually had some skills.
"So, this stone chamber outside seems to be empty. The real focus is inside. Do you dare to come in and take a look with me?"
He looked at the two of them as he spoke.
Luo Yin's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a bitter expression.
"No, what's in there?" I wonder if there are any traps or poisons in there; her small frame can't handle it.
She shook her head, not wanting to go, her eyes full of reluctance.
Hossen then got up and looked around the room twice.
When he returned, he asked firmly, "Is there a way up from here?"
Although it was a question, there was a certainty in his words.
"Hmm? Can we go up?" Luo Yin continued to ask, glancing inside a few times.
"Who knows? Maybe, but the images carved on the stone gate must mean something. There must be something inside."
Xia Mingjiang hadn't mentioned some details, but he still wanted to go and see for himself.
In retrospect, it was quite a stroke of luck.
He stumbled upon the stone chamber while rescuing Luo Yin, and as the only professional among the trio, he had the opportunity to go inside and take a look.
Xia Mingjiang's heart was pounding with excitement; he was so thrilled!
"Come on, stop worrying about it."
As he strode forward, the two men behind him followed suit.
Upon entering, one is immediately struck by the strange odor emanating from the surroundings.
Luo Yin sniffed around several times but couldn't get any information out of her.
But someone nearby spoke up.
"Is this the smell of incense?"
In the narrow, dark place, someone faintly uttered these words.
Luo Yin shrank back immediately in fright.
He looked around warily. "What?"
"Don't be afraid. It's probably just some ashes left from someone else's burning, after being sealed off for so long," Xia Mingjiang reassured her, and the group continued on their way.
The passage wasn't long, and it didn't take long for everyone to reach the end.
They discovered an unusual staircase.
It extends upwards.
The three looked at each other, and then Xia Mingjiang spoke up.
"Haha, see? I'm still the smartest."
"Let's go up and see what's going on here?"
He shouted and charged forward, leading the charge.
But after climbing just two steps, someone grabbed him.
"Don't touch anything, go to the back."
Hosen simply moved the person away, then climbed up in a few steps. His figure quickly disappeared!
Xia and Luo Yin, who were a step behind, looked at each other in bewilderment.
"what to do?"
No sooner had they finished asking than they heard someone calling out to them from above.
"Hurry, catch up quickly."
The two of them climbed up one after the other, following the light that shone down.
Director Lin, having made thorough preparations, once again came to Linhai from a town dozens of kilometers away.
This time, he'll definitely make those people pay.
Thinking back to his humiliating departure last time, he felt extremely ruthless.
But it's okay, this time he has a red-stamped certificate as proof, so those people probably won't dare to do anything.
He thought smugly to himself, fantasizing about the smug look on his face after succeeding.
The people around him changed again.
Seeing Director Lin's behavior, they became even more careful in flattering him.
They repeatedly praised his bravery and how correct his decision was. They talked about how much benefit this would bring to the department if it succeeded, and how he would be promoted in the future.
It made Lin Hai feel comfortable.
"Okay, you speak well, you have good eloquence and strong communication skills. I'll arrange a squad leader position for you."
"Thank you so much, Director Lin. Don't worry, I will definitely work hard in the future."
"Alright, let's pack up and get ready to go." Lin Hai finished eating and drinking and walked out of the restaurant.
Afterwards, the group packed their luggage and headed outside.
At this time, they were still the most conspicuous group in the state-run restaurant.
It not only attracted most people's attention, but also drew the attention of passersby outside to some extent.
Following Lin Hai's instructions, the team of more than a dozen people drove two four-wheeled vehicles, with the others riding horses behind them, towards the distant grassland.
Meanwhile, the people standing on the town wall saw the figure in the distance and their eyes became deep.
Soon someone ran down the city wall and described what had just happened.
Then a group of people with rugged appearances and strange accents also left the city.
The group was dressed very formally, each carrying a briefcase and wearing official uniforms.
The first few at the top looked like leaders with official titles.
But what came out of their mouths was quite surprising.
"Hey, Tang Kuaizi, you really look the part when you're getting ready."
"Don't talk nonsense. From now on, please call me Officer Tang. Remember that we are staff members of the archaeological survey team from the neighboring western province. We are here for archaeological excavation work."
"Say this to any herders or militia you encounter, understand?"
"I know, I know, but what good stuff do we have on this trip that's worth making us travel all the way from south to north?"
Tang Qiu, nicknamed Tang Kuaizi.
The most reputable figures in the southern region work for their employers.
As long as you can afford the price, I can get things done for you even if it involves breaking several criminal laws.
The reason he and his brothers came here was simply because a foreigner named Tom King offered them a high price to do something: bring back something from northern Xinjiang.
After making inquiries, Tang Qiu led his men to the town closest to the northern frontier.
They brought food and supplies, and originally planned to hire people and mounts as well.
But little did they know that as soon as they inquired about the prices in town, they were met with strange looks from the locals.
Old Tang secretly slipped some money to someone, only to find out that the town was very wary of outsiders like them and seemed unwilling to accept them.
He tried several different subordinates, but all of them failed.
To avoid being discovered, the group had no choice but to hire several horse-drawn carriages to take them to the grasslands. From there on, however, they had to find their own way.
Therefore, when you see that line of people traveling in cars.
Tang Qiu and his group were unusually envious; Tang Qiu himself even wanted to snatch the car and drive it himself.
But after much consideration, he secretly endured it.
Then, as planned, the group began their trek across the grassland to reach their destination.
Compared to the isolation of northern Xinjiang, they found it quite unusual.
Some of the brothers were even experiencing this biting cold wind for the first time.
Many people were astonished by the desolate grassland in front of them.
However, they quickly grew to like each other and then immediately put their skills to use to adapt to the environment.
Finding water sources, determining location, and making weapons for self-defense, etc.
They are a highly adaptable team.
Tang Qiu was very satisfied and whispered to her other partner, Fang Wei, in private.
They said they would get a lot of money if they successfully brought it back this time.
If we could include other things with it, we could make even more money.
Fang Wei was a big, burly man. Despite the temperature dropping considerably, he was dressed in thin clothes and seemed quite comfortable with it.
Anyone in the team who was physically strong and tall was brought by him.
This can be considered as a contribution of physical strength to this operation.
Tang Qiu's entourage were all well-dressed, appearing to be people of refinement.
The two groups worked together seamlessly and quickly blended into the depths of the grassland.
A gust of wind blew by, and the tire tracks ahead quickly disappeared.
The group that lagged behind could no longer be seen in the undulating grass.
My gaze shifted back to the sound of torrential rain.
The three stood together, staring blankly at the other side.
Luo Yin, Xia Mingjiang, and Huo Sen all had ashen faces.
Luo Yin was so frightened that her legs went weak. Luckily, someone pulled her up, otherwise she would have collapsed to the ground.
Even so, she was still terrified!
Where are they?
It took Luo Yin a while to come to her senses.
Her cheeks were flushed, and a tremor flashed in her eyes. Her dazed gaze remained fixed on what was in front of her. By the time she realized what was happening and quickly dodged away, several minutes had already passed.
The other two have already adjusted themselves.
Then, surprisingly, Xia Mingjiang spoke up.
"So this is where we are."
"ah?"
Sensing the calmness in his tone, both of them turned to look at him.
"Don't worry, these are all animal remains."
"It's nothing!"
Luo Yin glanced at it a few times out of the corner of her eye, then quickly dodged away.
"But this is terrifying!"
Who told them that when they came up the stairs, they saw an entire wall of processed animal carcasses?
They were neatly arranged and nailed to the wall!
It's like collecting specimens.
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Author's Note: The chapter I owe you, which is part of the make-up chapter, will be added later.
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