Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 175 The Nine-Story Demon Tower
"Thank you...thank you!" Ah Xiang said in a low, hesitant voice, her head bowed.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Hu Ming and Ah Xiang had ever interacted, right?
"Ha, don't you resent me for not saving Han Shu? After all, she's your godfather's woman, so she's practically your stepmother, right?"

Hu Ming raised an eyebrow and looked at the little girl with a half-smile.

"No, it's different. As for her... you didn't have time to react just now."

"And you did save me, the two shouldn't be confused."

Ah Xiang shook her head and said firmly.

Hu Ming smiled but didn't say anything more.

After this trip, the two of them will definitely not have another chance to meet.

Didn't you see the strange look in Lei Xiangming's eyes when he looked at Hu Ming?
"Tsk, Akiko, a young girl of eighteen or nineteen... You wouldn't have taken a fancy to her, would you?"

When Hu Ming walked over, Yang Xueli frowned slightly and said.

She felt that the girl was not only too young, but also had a close relationship with Lei Xiangming. If Hu Ming got entangled with this girl, he might be tricked by her.

Hu Bayi interrupted, "Alright, Shirley! But, Mingzi, what you're doing..."

"No, what are you talking about now? I'm not interested in that girl at all."

"No, it's hard to say whether that girl is even an adult. Besides, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"Besides, do I look that old? If I dress up, people would believe I'm an eighteen or nineteen-year-old teenager, right?"

Hu Ming looked at Hu Bayi and his wife with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He knew they were worried that he would get entangled with that girl and end up being set up by the man surnamed Lei.

But if Hu Ming really has feelings for this girl, then so be it.

But he really didn't have even the slightest idea!

A girl who is too inexperienced is really not interesting.

Hu Ming still prefers women who are more mature, like his ex-girlfriend from the Huo family. Although she was a bit naive, her figure was far superior to that of girls her age.

"...It really is true, Mingzi. It seems like you've gotten younger and younger ever since we came back from the tomb of the Prince of Xian?"

Hu Bayi was stunned, staring blankly at Hu Ming's face, and asked with a mixture of surprise and doubt.

The group spent day and night together, and the changes in Hu Ming's face were so subtle that they hadn't really noticed them.

This is the effect of the "Marrow Cleansing Technique," if the purpose of the Golden Dragon Tattoo is to allow Hu Ming to retain his existing face until his death.

Then the effects of the "Marrow Cleansing Technique" combined with the dual benefits of the Golden Dragon Tattoo.

That means keeping Hu Ming at his physical peak, so that he can live forever with the subtle appearance of an eighteen-year-old.

This is... very uncomfortable.

Originally, Hu Ming was already in his twenties and was thinking of growing a beard in a few years to look like a charming mature man.

But now that idea has fallen through, which is really upsetting.

Hu Ming smiled upon hearing this, but didn't say anything more.

Yang Xueli wanted to ask more questions, but Hu Bayi stopped her. Hu Bayi glanced at Yang Xueli and the fat man with a stern look.

As expected, both of them calmed down and stopped talking.

……

……

Ignoring the state of the others, Hu Ming and the others lowered the rope again into the cirque. They hadn't dug up what was below yet. The golden mummy from the snow-capped mountain had already been reduced to ashes by the blue pillar of fire.

The ice at that spot had long since melted away.

This saved several people the trouble of digging; underneath was a hidden ice chamber.

In the very center is a three-story spirit tower.

The spirit tower is about 1.5 meters tall, forged entirely from pure gold, and inlaid with pearls and other precious ornaments.

"Damn it, this thing is actually made of gold. The treasures on the outside alone are worth a lot of money."

"How extravagant must the leader of this Samsara Sect be?" Upon seeing this, the fat man's eyes immediately turned red.

Wealth is tempting! Putting everything else aside, if we can successfully move this pagoda back, just the gold alone will be incredibly valuable!
Not to mention its historical and religious value.

It's absolutely priceless; set up searchlights around the stupa.

Hu Ming tapped lightly on the Golden Pagoda, listened carefully, and after confirming that there were no hidden mechanisms or anything like that, he used his Probing Claw to pry open the pagoda door.

In the two underground levels, apart from a few burial objects, there were only some symbolic items.

However, in the space at the very top of the stupa, there are many ancient reliefs.

The content is similar to that of the Silver Eyes of the Samsara Sect, both using strange beasts to indicate location.

This is a traditional way of expressing feng shui in western Xinjiang.

At the very center of the painting is a semi-transparent female corpse.

"Found it! This really is information about the Nine-Story Demon Tower!"

"This translucent female corpse should represent the glacial crystal corpse recorded in the ancient scroll, which is her burial place and the location of the Nine-Story Demon Tower."

"Let me see... based on the description in the ancient scroll, the location here, and the clues in the murals..."

"The Nine-Story Demon Tower is no more than thirty meters west of this ice cisternives!"

Hu Ming explained the feng shui locations in the mural in a low voice.

In the end, Hu Bayi, Fatty, and Yang Xueli couldn't help but cheer.

To everyone's utter surprise, the Nine-Story Demon Tower, their destination, was already right in front of them!
Originally, they thought it was almost impossible to find the nine-story demon tower buried deep inside the glacier.

Unexpectedly, they found a clue just one day after arriving at the Kunlun Glacier.

Even more remarkably, the Nine-Story Demon Tower was so close to them.

Less than thirty meters! However, it was already dark outside by then.

Nighttime is the most dangerous time inside glaciers. Not only is the environment harsh, but many wild animals that live here may also go out to hunt.

Working at night here is not a wise choice. Besides, the group has been trekking all day, and someone has died outside. Tonight is indeed not a suitable time to work.

They decided to get a good rest tonight and start working early tomorrow morning. Once they made up their minds, they stopped hesitating.

Hu Ming, Hu Bayi, and Fatty each took two or three exquisite little items from inside the tower before closing the tower door and returning the way they came.

As for the golden pagoda, no matter how reluctant the fat man was, he couldn't take it away.

Gold is extremely heavy, let alone this tower, which is made entirely of gold and is 1.5 meters tall.

Its massive size and immense weight make it impossible to move the glacier...

(End of this chapter)