The Unorthodox Tomb Raider

Fang Yun could smell a strong earthy smell on the three of them. They even had some mud and mold on them, as if they had just come out of a tomb.

“Move mountains!”

The moment they reached the cave entrance, Fang Yun recognized them.

Two men and one woman, all carrying weapons, bamboo baskets, and yellow umbrellas, emanated a strong, earthy smell.

This combination is unique in the martial arts world, except for the Mountain Moving Taoists!

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Chapter Two: The Ancient Tombs of Yelang? Already empty!

Upon seeing Fang Yun holding up a pistol, the three members of Partridge Whistle's expression changed.

Stopping the old foreigner and Hua who were about to make a move, Partridge Whistle straightened his face and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Fang Yun.

"I've come this far at night, and I meant no harm!"

"Since this place already has an owner, we will not disturb you any longer."

As he spoke, Partridge Whistle's gaze lingered for a moment on the talisman around Fang Yun's neck.

A tomb raiding talisman!

I never expected to find the tomb raiders, whose lineage had been largely severed, in such a remote mountain area!

Although he was curious, he didn't want to have much contact with the other party.

The tomb raiders who dare to venture alone into this Black Valley are definitely not pushovers.

He was confident he could protect himself, but his junior brothers and sisters were not so capable.

No matter how powerful the Mountain Moving Taoist is, he can't possibly withstand firearms.

"Old foreigner, Hua, let's go." Partridge Whistle nodded to Fang Yun and was about to leave with his junior brothers and sisters.

Seeing this, Fang Yun's lips curled into a smile, and he put down his pistol, saying:

"Meeting is fate, and since we're on the same path, feel free to enter the cave!"

"There is nowhere to rest within a five-mile radius."

Upon hearing this, Partridge Whistle paused in his turn, his gaze sweeping over the weary faces of his junior brothers and sisters. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke to Fang Yun:

"In that case, I'll take my leave."

Seeing Partridge Whistle's decision, Old Yangren and Hua didn't say anything, but followed Partridge Whistle into the cave, their wary eyes fixed on Fang Yun.

Being in such a remote mountain area in the middle of the night, they must not be from a respectable family.

.........

The four men sat silently around the campfire.

Fang Yun curiously observed Partridge Whistle and his two fellow disciples, while Old Yangren and Hua also looked at him with a mixture of wariness and curiosity.

Only Partridge Whistle, after entering the cave, immediately sat down to rest, displaying a calm and composed demeanor as if the sky were falling.

Looking at Partridge Whistle, Fang Yun felt a surge of emotion.

After coming into this world, he knew that one day he would meet fellow travelers, but he never expected that day to come so soon and so coincidentally.

And what's more, the one they encountered was Partridge Whistle.

Partridge Whistle is a genius that the Mountain Moving Sect has not seen in a hundred years. It is said that he is proficient in the two secret techniques of Mountain Moving, namely the Sea Filling Technique and the Armor Splitting Technique. His hard skills and spear techniques are also superb.

He was a ruthless killer throughout his life. Anyone who was heartless, treacherous, or wicked was doomed to die if he encountered them.

Therefore, he was infamous in the martial arts world.

In the martial arts world, the only one who could be compared to him was Chen Yulou, the leader of the Unloading Ridge faction.

Seemingly sensing Fang Yun's gaze, Partridge Whistle slowly opened his eyes and looked at Fang Yun.

Fang Yun just stared straight at Partridge Whistle, the two of them remaining silent.

Suddenly, the atmosphere inside the cave became extremely eerie.

After a while, Hua tugged at Partridge Whistle's sleeve with a puzzled expression.

"Senior brother?..."

"It's alright." Smiling, Partridge Whistle said this to the flowers, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Fang Yun, saying:

"Carrying firewood up the mountain and burning it down below, Kui Xing's hand, a river of water, scenery on both banks!"

"We are both woodcutters from the foot of the mountain, seeking the Dragon Tower, from all corners of the world, we come from the same place!" Fang Yun also straightened his expression and clasped his hands in response.

"Moving Mountain, Partridge Whistle!"

"Tomb raider, Fang Yun!"

After a few words, the companion revealed the truth, and the atmosphere inside the cave immediately improved.

Unlike other tomb raiders, the Mountain Moving and Gold Touching gangs do not prioritize wealth according to their rules, which reduces a potential point of conflict.

"A tomb raider?!"

At this moment, both Lao Yangren and Hua looked at Fang Yun with surprise, constantly examining him.

"Senior brother...didn't you say that the tomb raiding and grave robbing factions were killed by the emperor during the Ming Dynasty...?"

"Old foreigner, don't talk nonsense."

Partridge Whistle gave a cold shout, interrupting the old foreigner's next words.

To say such things in front of a tomb raider would be tantamount to implying that the other party is an imposter.

Moreover, that kind of thing isn't something you can casually talk about and be proud of.

Take their mountain-moving tradition, for example; didn't they lose more than half of their heritage during that great upheaval?

"It's alright, it's all old news."

Fang Yun waved his hand calmly, not paying any attention to what the old foreigner said.

He was telling the truth, and besides... he wasn't a traditional tomb raider passed down through generations, so he didn't have much of a sense of sect honor.

However, seeing the curiosity on the old foreigner's face, Fang Yun explained in a low voice, just to find some topics to talk about in this boring late night.

"At that time, the Ming emperor listened to the advice of Guanshan Taibao and began to purge the tomb raiders within the Ming territory."

"The four schools of tomb raiding, mountain moving, and ridge unloading are the first to bear the brunt."

"I was a tomb raider, and during that cleanup, the tomb raider's seal was destroyed, and only three tomb raider's talismans remained."

"In fact, quite a few senior members of the sect secretly escaped the calamity, but they valued the sect's rules too much and would never go into the tomb without the Tomb Raider Seal and the Tomb Raider Talisman."

"But in order to ensure that the tradition is not lost, they still left behind what they had learned."

After listening to Fang Yun's explanation, Partridge Whistle nodded thoughtfully.

"I see!"

The rumors circulating in the martial arts world were indeed not unfounded. Besides Fang Heng, whom he met today, he had also heard about other tomb raiders, so it seemed to be true.

After some conversation, Partridge Whistle and his two companions lowered their guard against Fang Yun somewhat.

They all felt that Fang Yun wasn't as hypocritical and polite as the other fellow travelers, and he didn't have any special intentions towards them.

What's more, there are three of them!

.........

Partridge Whistle joined the Mountain Moving Sect at a young age, following the previous leader of the sect as he traveled all over the country. He was knowledgeable and very composed.

But the old foreigners and the flowers were much younger, and since they were about the same age as Fang Yun, they felt a sense of familiarity with him as a peer and asked him about the tomb raiders.

"Brother Fang Yun, since you came here to explore tombs, have you discovered any large tombs?"

At this moment, the old foreigner's eyes darted around, and he looked at Fang Yun with a smile.

Fang Yun was taken aback at first, then glanced at Partridge Whistle out of the corner of his eye.

These words would be taboo for someone from the same profession, but Partridge Whistle didn't stop the old foreigner; it seems this was something he wanted to know as well.

However, the ancient tombs in the Black Mountain Valley are well-known even to the Miao people in the area, so they are not exactly a secret.

Fang Yun shrugged, shook his head, and said helplessly, "Yes, there are."

"The ruins of the Yelang Kingdom are famous; which tomb raider wouldn't be interested?"

"I've spent the last few days visiting all the tombs of the nobles and princes of Yelang, but unfortunately... those tombs were all looted hundreds of years ago, without exception."

"what?!"

Upon hearing Fang Yun's words, Lao Yangren and Hua exclaimed in surprise, exchanged a glance, and their faces were full of disappointment.

Even Partridge Whistle, who was meditating to the side, had a dark expression.

He came specifically to find the tomb of the King of Yelang, and for this he even turned down the invitation from Chen Yulou, the leader of the Unloading Ridge Sect, to accompany him, and temporarily put aside the alchemy site of Ping Mountain, which had been the site of emperors throughout history.

"Brother Fang, is what you say true?"

Seeing Partridge Whistle's serious expression, Fang Yun also stopped smiling and nodded solemnly:

“The tomb raiders are different from other pilgrims; there is no connection of mutual benefit between us. Why would I deceive you?”