Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

It has to be said that in such a harsh and cold place, the satisfaction brought by a mouthful of spicy liquor is truly remarkable.

"Hey, Uncle Ming, what do you think that young man is doing?"

"After arriving at the foot of the Changbai Mountains, he remained silent, spending his time staring into the depths of the snow-capped mountains, finding nothing interesting there, and repeating the same old routine."

"Besides, although this young man is... well, to put it simply, a taciturn fellow, hasn't he been far too silent the whole way?"

"If I remember correctly, from the moment we set off until now, I haven't seen the guy say a single word!"

Suddenly, the fat man looked at the young man standing alone to the side and asked him in confusion.

Whether he was traveling or resting, the young man always frowned as he looked at the distant snow-capped mountains.

He ignores others when they talk to him, and it's unclear what he's thinking.

"Yes, even in the underwater tomb, Zhang Qiling was much better than before."

"How come you've gone from being the taciturn guy to an ice block in such a short time? Did you get frozen like this by Changbai Mountain?"

Wu Xie took a sip of liquor to warm himself up.

"...Why? Perhaps, he wasn't looking at the mountain, but at the destiny he had to face."

Upon hearing this, Hu Ming remained silent for a long time before grinning.

The direction the young man was looking was the mountain peak that the compass was firmly pointing due east.

That is the Three Sacred Mountains. Deep beneath the Three Sacred Mountains lies a bronze gate that has existed for approximately five thousand years.

At this point, Hu Ming's eyes flickered slightly.

The Ghost Seal, the key to opening the Bronze Gate, is something he can have as many of as he wants.

The word "fate" was too heavy, and for a moment, the atmosphere became deathly silent.

Wu Xie and Fatty knew that Hu Ming seemed to know a lot about Xiao Ge's past.

Unfortunately, Hu Ming is unwilling to say much about this whenever the topic comes up.

As for asking the guy himself...
Ah, anything can happen in dreams.

"By the way, Uncle Ming, what were you doing for those twenty-odd years you disappeared?"

“I heard from my third uncle that many people were looking for your whereabouts back then, but they all came up empty-handed.”

Wu Xie couldn't help but ask Hu Ming out of curiosity.

"Huh? Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"To be precise, I only disappeared for about ten years. However, I'm afraid there's no time to talk about this now; it's a very long story."

Hu Ming's gaze shifted several times as he glanced at the young man who had turned to look at him at some point, but he still didn't say anything.

Traveling through the snow-capped mountains is incredibly monotonous. As far as the eye can see, all that remains is white, devoid of life.

All that could be heard was the whistling wind.

Not long after we left in the afternoon, the weather changed.

I don't know when, but the white horizon has long been replaced by heavy leaden clouds.

The cold wind blowing beside my ears grew even more biting.

"This is troublesome. Once this wind starts blowing, it won't stop for at least two days and two nights."

"A blizzard might even break out, and if we continue, we'll definitely be doomed." "The worst part is that we're already too deep into the snow-capped mountains, and it's too late to turn back now."

Shunzi's expression immediately changed; he knew this boundless mountain range all too well.

In winter, when the wind picks up, it can be deadly!
"That's it! What should we do? We can't just sit here on the mountain and wait to die, can we? Isn't there any sheltered place nearby?"

A waiter, who was tending to Chen Pi, whose face was pale, couldn't help but ask anxiously upon hearing this.

This is Monk Hua. He has some medical knowledge and has been in charge of Chenpi's health all along.

The environment here is too harsh. Chen Pi is over ninety years old, and his health is no longer as robust as it was when he was young.

After all that hardship, I was already a bit out of breath; if I had to travel through a blizzard...
Before they even reach their destination, Chenpi will be dead!
"Yes! I remember there's a volcanic hot spring in a hill ahead. The area is surrounded by mountains on three sides. Maybe we can go there to avoid the wind."

Shunzi thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up and she said.

Because of his physical condition, Chen Pi's eyes were glazed over and he was unable to think clearly.

Therefore, Hu Ming became the backbone of everyone present, including Chen Pi's partner Hua Heshang, Lang Feng, Ye Cheng, and others, all of whom looked at Hu Ming.

There was no other way; among these people, apart from Chen Pi, Hu Ming was the most famous and had the longest seniority.

In this line of work, this is truly the only thing I admire.

"Alright then, you lead the way, Shunzi."

"In such remote and harsh places, listening to the advice of a guide who is familiar with the area is the wisest choice."

Without much thought, Hu Ming made the decision.

Then, led by Shunzi, the group changed direction and continued on their way.

It wasn't until after 6 p.m., when leaden clouds had spread overhead, that the group finally arrived at the volcanic hot spring that Shunzi had mentioned.

As you enter the area of ​​the volcanic hot springs, the temperature immediately warms up.

Before it got completely dark, everyone quickly set up camp.

Meanwhile, Chen Pi's assistant was giving him treatment using the hot spring water.

"Tsk, this old man really knows how to make things difficult for himself. At his age, instead of staying home and enjoying his retirement, he insists on coming to this godforsaken place to suffer?"

"Given his bad luck, if you ask me, I'm afraid he won't even make it to his destination. This old geezer is bound to kick the bucket halfway there."

After finishing his work, the fat man munched on his dry rations, watching Chen Pi's busy work, and couldn't help but complain.

He disliked Chen Pi from the moment they met at Changsha Railway Station.

After the incident of Chenpi from Shanhaiguan deliberately setting off firecrackers, the dissatisfaction grew even stronger.

Hu Ming dared to swear that the fat guy secretly wished Chen Pi would die right away.

"Alright, Fatty, Chen Pi isn't so easy to kill. After all, he's been fighting for his entire life..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hu Ming suddenly felt a twitch between his brows and looked in surprise at Chen Pi's direction.

Just now, Chen Pi's weak heartbeat and breathing completely disappeared at the same time.

Could it be that the fat man was right after all, and Chen Pi really did die on the way?
Damn it, is that fatso's jinx really that mysterious and sinister?
It hadn't even been half a minute since he said it, and it already came true?
Hu Ming thought with surprise and uncertainty.

No, that's not right, it's not that simple!
Hu Ming's intuition tells him that Chen Pi is not completely dead yet!