She was startled, and her memory afterwards became hazy. When she regained consciousness and saw the dream again, she was already on her way to find the couple.
Professor Liu, whose real name is Liu Zijue, is a physicist who enjoys studying ancient cultures. Perhaps because he knew the couple, when he heard that she was looking for someone, he immediately brought his most outstanding student to find her.
The female student was named Guo Ziqi, the same girl who had always been at odds with Xiang Wan. The male student was named Zhang Junjie, tall and good-looking. As for the other two, they were also brought in by Liu Zijue. One was named Shitou (Stone), nicknamed Sanpao (Three Cannons), and was very skilled in demolition. The other was named Yao Jiang, and was good at driving and fighting.
She was somewhat distrustful of the others, but Liu Zijue took good care of her throughout the trip, gradually gaining her trust. Originally, she had only gone on this trip with a "let's see what happens" attitude; the inheritance left by that couple was enough for her to squander for the rest of her life. However, during their time together, Liu Zijue's professional knowledge and attitude towards archaeology earned her respect, and she gradually came to love the field.
She didn't know how to get along with others, and most of the time Liu Zijue patiently explained things to her. Meanwhile, for some reason, the others became increasingly distant from her.
Guo Ziqi knew a little about Egyptian hieroglyphs. The map left by the couple had a location marked on it, which was deep in the desert, a place rarely visited by people.
We hired a guide along the way, and it took us several days to drive there, only to find a ruin buried underground by sandstorms.
Liu Zijue used professional tools to map out the precise location, and then used explosives to blast a hole. After entering, the group walked quite a distance along the passageway. Her physical condition was not as good as theirs, and she had to rest frequently, which caused resentment among the others. Only Liu Zijue cared for her, showing concern and warmth, making her feel a warmth she had never experienced before. Naturally, she developed feelings for Liu Zijue.
During a break, she went to relieve herself. As she turned a corner, the sand and gravel under her feet loosened, and she fell in and was knocked unconscious.
Upon waking, Guo Ziqi expressed strong dissatisfaction, which in turn made the other three, who already disliked her, even more unfriendly. Liu Zijue mediated between the two sides and managed to appease everyone, barely managing to keep them as a team.
The group groped their way forward, encountering many poisonous creatures and obstacles along the way. One after another, members of the team died in accidents, leaving only her, Liu Zijue, and Guo Ziqi in the end.
When she reached the bottom of the tomb, she saw two familiar faces—the couple—lying on an altar.
Besides the altar, there are some statues in the tomb. The most eye-catching one is the huge golden diamond-shaped coffin in the center, next to which is a pool of golden liquid.
Her eyes were fixed on the couple, and she had no other thoughts. She gradually approached, wanting to touch the couple, but Liu Zijue grabbed her wrist and pushed her into the pool.
Guo Ziqi recited complex incantations. She saw the couple gradually turn into mummies, then decompose into ashes, and she gradually lost the ability to move, watching helplessly as she was submerged in the golden water.
After her death, her soul did not dissipate but remained trapped in the pool. She watched as Liu Zijue and Guo Ziqi gradually grew younger and heard them mock the couple and herself for their foolishness. Before leaving, she used the remaining explosives in her bag to blow up the entrance to the tomb. Her soul was freed from its restraints, but it still could not leave the surrounding area.
In the end of the dream, all she saw was red everywhere, and Liu Zijue and Guo Ziqi's mocking eyes.
"Why isn't she awake yet?" a girl muttered from above. "With her constitution that makes her collapse after three steps, it's a miracle that she's managed to hold on this long."
"Professor Liu, why do we have to bring her along? She's nothing but a burden."
"Xiao Zhang, say less."
Xiang Wan recognized the voice; it was the voice she remembered most clearly in her dreams.
"Is there any more water? Give her some."
"Hey, Professor Liu, everyone in the desert knows that water is life. If you keep using water like this, we might die of thirst before we even get there."
"No, believe me, we will find water."
Xiang Wan was given water and slowly woke up.
Seeing these people again from the original owner's perspective, Xiang Wan felt nothing but irony: No wonder they were so good to her, no wonder they took the initiative to come to her.
"Are you alright?" Liu Zijue asked, her eyes full of concern.
Xiang Wan turned her head away, not looking at him.
"Hmph, it's good that she's not dead. Why was she running around like that? She's lucky she wasn't bitten."
"Alright, let's rest for a bit, then we'll set off."
After Liu Zijue spoke, everyone else sat down quietly to the side, some drinking water and others eating.
Xiang Wan took a deep breath and felt that the stabbing pain in her chest had become much milder. Her mind was very clear, which must be thanks to 007.
"Xiao Qi, what were these people doing after I fainted?"
"What else can we do? It's just what you saw in your dream."
007's voice was a little weak, so Xiang Wan stopped asking and let it go into hibernation.
Liu Zijue was fiddling with something, so Xiang Wan went over and saw that there were many abstract lines on his computer screen, and he was typing away at the keyboard with his hands flying across the keyboard.
"Professor Liu, where did you go before?"
As soon as Xiang Wan spoke, Liu Zijue stopped what he was doing, sat down to the side, and said, "After you left, we each chose a passageway to take care of some personal matters. Later, Yao Jiang said he saw a flash of light in front of his passageway, so we went to take a look. Who knew we would walk further and further away, and when we remembered to look for you, we found that you were no longer there."
"After that, how did you find me?"
“We heard Xiao Guo shouting and came over together. Then we found you lying on the ground, but thankfully you're okay.”
Xiang Wan nodded without saying anything.
Liu Zijue's words are highly suspicious. In an unfamiliar environment, seeing something strange, instead of calling everyone over, he split up and abandoned her and Guo Ziqi—that doesn't make sense. If what he said is true, he should have left someone behind, or left some trace so that others could find them.
Also, they said they could hear Guo Ziqi's voice, which means they weren't far away. Why didn't they come out when they were together before, and only came after she fainted?
It seems there are other hidden motives behind this operation.
"We've all rested enough, let's continue."
Liu Zijue always kept his computer with him, and he had put it in his backpack. Xiang Wan thought that she had let him carry a lot of things before, but now that the situation was unclear, it was better for her to keep her own things safe.
"Hmph, so pretentious!"
Guo Ziqi seized the opportunity to mock and attack, but Xiang Wan ignored her. Conserving energy was crucial for survival in a critical moment.
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