Tomb raiders: You stole my little Qilin?

After finishing their work in the evening, the archaeological team walked back in twos and threes.

After finishing his meal, Wu Wei told Hei Xiazi, "I'm going out for a walk," and then walked alone along the ridges of the fields towards the edge of the village.

The evenings in Henan are cooler than in Beijing, and the wind blows through the fields, carrying the scent of soil and green stalks.

In the distance, the village was already lit up with lights, the smoke from the chimneys had not yet dissipated, and a dark orange sunset lingered on the horizon.

Wu Wei walked along the ridge of the field, looking like a leisurely person taking a stroll after dinner.

"To the left front, that clump with small white flowers, yes, that's it. The crushed roots have a pungent odor, smelling like herbs."

The sound of 999 echoed in my mind.

Wu Wei squatted down, picked a few plants, and put them into the cloth bag he carried with him.

"That clump of grayish leaves in the ditch on the right is called wormwood. It has a bitter smell when burned; traditional Chinese medicine uses it to fumigate rooms to dispel cold and dampness. When lit, it smells the same as moxibustion."

"Pick some wild mint from along the edge of the field. Adding some will make the flavor more complex and smell more like proper herbs."

Following 999's directions, Wu Wei walked around the field ridge.

As I walked back carrying my cloth bag, I met an old farmer carrying a hoe on his way home.

The old farmer glanced at the cloth bag in his hand and asked in a thick Henan accent, "Son, what are you doing picking these weeds?"

Wu Wei smiled and shook the cloth bag in his hand: "If your nose is stuffy, boil some herbs for you to drink."

The old farmer kindly advised: "Find more dandelions and mint; those two things are very effective."

"Okay, thank you, sir."

It was completely dark when we got back to the courtyard.

The light was still on in Yin Fengjue's window; he was probably still organizing his translation notes from the day.

Hearing footsteps, Hei Xiazi went outside and saw Wu Wei carrying a bag of wild grass.

"What did you pick?"

"Good stuff." Wu Wei dumped the cloth bag onto the stone table, scattering several clumps of wild grass.

Squatting on the ground, I separated the wild grasses by type, keeping the roots and stems together and the leaves together.

Then find a clean stone and a small bowl, and crush the roots and leaves separately.

The sap seeped out, and a strong, bitter medicinal smell permeated the courtyard.

Black Bear leaned closer and sniffed, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Mostly mugwort and mint. You're not thinking of using this to detoxify, are you?"

"This isn't enough, we need to add something else!"

Wu Wei placed the crushed herbal paste on a clean cloth, rolled it into several thin strips, and neatly stacked them on the windowsill to dry.

"Tomorrow, get some blood on your hands, take it to the tomb, and set it on fire."

Wu Wei started to deceive Hei Xiazi. He couldn't very well tell the truth that he could absorb abnormal energy, could he?

Hei Xiazi frowned immediately: "The antidote you're talking about is bloodletting?"

"This is the most effective method."

"What a benevolent young master!" Hei Xiazi began calling him that again.

"Just a little bit is enough. Prick it with a needle, and it will heal in a while."

Black Bear looked at the row of herb strips on the windowsill: "The props are all prepared. How professional."

"I can't just bleed in front of others, or they'll drag me back to study it the next second."

Wu Wei's lies were told with great conviction, and his helpless tone made them sound as if they were true.

Hei Xiazi ignored him, turned around and left, locking him out.

Wu Wei got up, dusted off the crumbs on his hands, washed them, and went back to his room, closing the door behind him.

Leaning against the bed, he took out his phone and called Wu Xie.

The phone rang a few times before being answered, and Wu Xie's sleepy voice came from the other end: "Brother?"

"Tired?" Wu Wei leaned against the courtyard wall, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving upwards.

"A little." A rustling sound came from Wu Xie's side.

They're probably already in bed, frantically trying to get out of the covers.

"I've been practicing boxing with Uncle Pan lately, it's so tiring."

"Why don't you go to sleep first? I'll call you again next time," Wu Wei said.

"No, I want to talk to my brother," Wu Xie immediately objected.

Wu Wei smiled, didn't hang up, and asked:

"Have you improved? Did you exchange a few moves with Uncle Pan?"

"After several moves, Uncle Pan said my lower body had become much more solid. But Uncle Pan really hit hard; I have several bruises on my arms."

Wu Xie said hopefully, "I wish you could teach me, brother."

"I'll teach you when you learn to fight someone without closing your eyes."

"...How did you know I closed my eyes?" Wu Xie's voice was a little muffled.

Wu Wei chuckled: "When you were a kid, you always closed your eyes when you fought with Xiaoman."

"elder brother!"

Knowing that the grown-up Wu Xie was ashamed and indignant, he changed the subject, "Have you been staying at the old house lately?"

"I'm back. I even had dinner with my third uncle yesterday. He said he's going on a long trip soon and told me not to stay cooped up at Wushan Residence all the time, but to go out and explore more."

"Why do you say that, Uncle? I'm practicing with Uncle Pan right now, and I haven't been slacking off."

"Just be obedient. Besides practicing your skills, also exercise your mind. Think things through more. If you don't understand something, tell me. Don't believe everything you hear."

"Brother, stop treating me like a child. I'm all grown up now."

"Isn't this because I'm worried about you? I'm afraid my brother will be scammed."

The two brothers chatted for a while longer before hanging up the phone.

Wu Wei held his phone for a moment, then dialed another number.

The call was answered immediately, and Wu Sansheng's voice carried a hint of surprise: "Xiao Wei?"

"Third Uncle, what are you busy with?"

"Check the accounts." Wu Sansheng's voice was a little tired. "Why are you calling so late?"

"I have something to tell you. Jude Kao is dead."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

When Wu Sansheng spoke again, the weariness in his voice had been replaced by alertness: "How did you know?"

"We have our own channels," Wu Wei said casually.

Wu Sansheng did not ask any further questions.

He let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone, and muttered to himself, "His death has thrown so many things into chaos."

Jude Kao not only deliberately sought immortality, but was also the financial backer and overseas accomplice of the Wang family.

His sudden death caused Wu Sansheng's plans to deviate from their intended course.

"That's perfect, you can take advantage of the chaos."

"I'm afraid the water is too deep, and there might be sharks biting people."

"Third Uncle, if the water is deep, go to the shallows. Even the king of the sea will die if it gets stranded."

Wu Wei's voice suddenly became very serious, completely different from his previous joking tone.

When Wu Sansheng spoke again, there was something in his voice that was hard to describe.

It sounded like a probe, or perhaps an attempt to cover something up: "Why are you suddenly saying all this today, kid?"

"It's nothing, I just remembered and said it."

"Come back soon." Wu Sansheng said this last sentence before hanging up the phone.

Then I stared at my phone screen for a long time, feeling increasingly uncertain.

His nephew is becoming more and more like his second brother as he grows up.

He appeared calm and collected on the surface, but was actually quite shrewd and perceptive on the inside.

There was clearly a hidden meaning in what he said today.

Wu Sansheng put his phone on the table and rubbed his temples.

Why did that old man have to die at this time?

Wu Wei placed his phone on the bedside table, lay back, and stared at the ceiling.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Wu Sansheng's disappearance plan will be postponed.

Wu Xie will not be involved for the time being.

Fine, let that kid stay at Wushan Residence as a homebody for a few more days.