Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

In front of the tire-shaped opening.

After handling the descending "cableway," Hu Ming nimbly flipped and jumped down from the support frame.

Traces of the plank road that was built here can still be seen at the edge of the cliff.

However, the plank road had long been destroyed, and on one side was a pitch-black abyss.

Standing before the entrance porch of the spirit palace, which is embedded deep in the cave, one can still vaguely see traces of the sacrificial rites of yesteryear; this place resembles an altar.

On the left and right sides are rows of bronze cauldrons covered with ice shavings, filled with black, unidentified ancient ash.

A little further ahead is the gate of the spirit hall, in front of which stands a blank stone tablet, and behind the tablet is the white jade gate of the palace.

The door was huge, almost as tall as three people and as wide as two people. The door gaps and hinges were all soaked with water, and now the two door panels are frozen together as one.

The stone gate is carved with many strange birds with human faces dancing in the clouds.

Upon seeing this, Hu Ming grinned silently.

There are certain connections between some ancient and mysterious civilizations in this world.

And the connection between bronze and meteorite jade is perhaps the most striking.

For example, this human-faced bird—who would have thought that this bird originated from the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West, also known as the Snake Swamp Ghost City?

boom.

Just then, a soft sound came from behind Hu Ming.

Without even turning his head, Hu Ming knew that it was Xiao Ge.

After landing, the young man ignored the magnificent architectural sculptures and turned to look at the wooden support frame beside him.

In a secluded spot, the young man brushed away the ice layer, revealing a coded message composed of a string of English letters.

This is a secret code that the guy left behind for himself when he came back here again.

This strange combination of letters contains some information, and only this young man in the world can understand it.

"Looks like you already know how to get there quickly?"

Seeing the knowing look on the young man's face, Hu Ming asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am very clear about my own situation. Every now and then, apart from some childhood memories, I forget everything I have experienced in my life."

"So wherever I go, I leave behind some coded messages that only I can decipher, and some key information."

The young man nodded.

Hu Ming is very mysterious and knows a lot of information that should not be known to outsiders.

He knew this from the first time he met Hu Ming.

However, the young man had no interest in getting to the bottom of Hu Ming's matter.

This guy already has enough troubles of his own; he doesn't have time to pry into other people's secrets.
He didn't have the time; searching for his memories of the past across China had already consumed most of his energy.

"The bronze door is deep underground. If you'd like to go in and take a look... I'll wait for you down there for a while."

Looking back at the crowd descending the cable car, the young man said softly.

"It's the Zhang family's responsibility to guard what's behind the bronze door. As the last leader of the Zhang family, is it really alright for you to invite an outsider like me in for a visit?" Hu Ming raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise. To be honest, Hu Ming did want to go in and see the so-called "ultimate world."

But being invited inside by the young man? This was something Hu Ming never expected.

“Besides me, the main branch of the Zhang family is long gone, the Nine Gates are no longer able to fulfill their agreement with me, and I may be the last Zhang Qiling to guard the Bronze Gate. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

"Moreover, Hu Ming, you are not only immortal, but also a long-lived being, right? A long-lived being with a completely different method of longevity than the currently known methods. You are also qualified to enter the Bronze Gate."

Looking at Hu Ming's young face, the young man said confidently.

"...Holy crap?"

This time, Hu Ming was truly shocked.

Hu Ming swore he had never told a second person about his imperfect immortality.

The excuse they give to the outside world is simply that they are not old, just like Zhang Rishan.

But how did he know, buddy?
"The Zhang family, especially Zhang Qiling of each generation, are all too familiar with immortals."

There are many ways to determine whether someone is an immortal.

As if sensing Hu Ming's confusion, the young man explained calmly...
After saying all that, the young man shut up.

Hu Ming knew that, given the young man's personality, if he continued to ask, he wouldn't say another word.

Just then, Wu Xie and the others slid down the cableway one by one.

Now is certainly not the time to talk about these things.

Before long, everyone in the team had assembled below.
"Damn it, I really don't understand why the King of Ten Thousand Slaves insisted on having his mausoleum in this godforsaken place. Wouldn't it be better to have it on flat ground? Isn't this just making things difficult for people?"

"I think that old bastard Wan Nu Wang built the imperial tomb in this godforsaken place because he didn't want anyone to steal the treasures inside."

"Damn it, so stingy, even in death he's still such a miser!"

The moment he got off the bus, the fat man started spewing sweet nothings, as if his lips were coated with honey.

Hu Ming found it amusing.

Of all these people, Fatty was the most simple and innocent, just like his father!
Everyone else had their own ulterior motives when Wu Sansheng tried to kidnap the lama.

But the fat guy was the only one who didn't care about any of those superstitious things. He came here just to touch the treasure!
"Alright, now that everything's safe and sound, let's stop dawdling and get to work. I bet you're all itching to go inside and take a look, aren't you?"

Hu Ming pulled out a crowbar from his backpack and beckoned a few people to the white jade gate.

Several men wedged the crowbar into the crack of the white jade door and knocked hard!
Click~~~
The moment everyone exerted their strength, the thin layer of ice on the hinges of both doors burst open instantly.

They used a chisel to clear away the ice from the cracks in the door, and only then were they able to barely push the gate of the Spirit Palace open a crack.

The moment the door opened, a plume of black smoke surged out.

Upon seeing this, everyone was startled and retreated hastily!

The people here are all seasoned veterans, not those greenhorns who get excited and lose their minds when they see a tomb.

"Don't worry, this is moisture-proof paint stuck to the back of the door. It was frozen into powder by the terrifyingly low temperatures here over the centuries."

Hu Ming reached out and plucked a pinch of black mist, understanding the situation perfectly, and explained to the crowd…