Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The path down the mountain is easier than the path up.

A faint path winds through the dense forest, as if worn out by hunters long ago. The setting sun casts long shadows, and the air smells of earth and grass. Birds call overhead, and the sound of a stream can be heard in the distance.

The column moved slowly. Many were wounded, and their strength was nearly exhausted. Lin Guoce led the way, escorting the three traitors ahead of them. Professor Zhou Xu'an and Jiang Shouyi were being supported, clutching bamboo slips and several small jade artifacts tightly to their chests. Kun Ge, Chen Man, and Wang Yihan supported each other, their steps unsteady. Wang Lei, Liu Min, and Zhou Ting followed behind, their faces still showing lingering fear.

Wu Xie, Fatty, Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, Huo Xiuxiu, and the two newly joined Zhang Qilings walked at the back of the group.

The fat man's spirits have returned, and he's talking more now.

"Hey bro," he chuckled, leaning closer to Zhang Qiling, "we're on the same side now, any rules? Like... how do we divide the funerary objects we find?"

Zhang Qiling glanced at him, his eyes clearly saying: You're noisy.

The fat man didn't understand, or rather, even if he did, he didn't care: "I think it should be distributed according to work! Whoever puts in the most effort should get the lion's share! For example, this time, although that jade figurine was a ferocious object, those smaller items next to it..."

Wu Xie tugged at him: "Fatty, the professor said that those things with historical research value have to be handed over."

"Hand it over?" The fat man's eyes widened. "We risked our lives to bring this out! Besides, those bastards in the government, if it weren't for these two young men, we'd be dead in there already! Hand it over?"

Xie Yuchen walked beside him and said calmly, "Some things are too hot to handle. The bamboo slips and representative artifacts are best left for the professor to study. As for the others..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant. There's always a gray area in the tomb raiding business.

Black Bear pushed up his sunglasses and grinned, "What do you guys say, you mute Zhangs?"

Zhang Qiling didn't say anything and continued walking forward.

Zhang Qiling also remained silent.

But on both of their faces, an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible expression appeared—their brows furrowed almost imperceptibly by 0.5 millimeters, the corners of their mouths turned down by 0.3 degrees, and their eyes revealed three parts helplessness, three parts disdain, and four parts "you guys are so annoying."

This expression is exactly the same as when "Zhang Qiling" looked at Sun Shuanzhu in the tomb.

Wu Xie noticed and almost burst out laughing. He quickly coughed and pushed up his glasses: "Fatty, don't disturb the two young men. They just finished fighting and are tired."

"Tired? What's there to be tired about!" the fat man patted his chest. "Look at these two young men, their physiques and their spirits, do they look tired? Right, guys?"

He then moved closer to "Zhang Qiling".

Zhang Qiling turned his head to look at him. His expression was even more indifferent on his thin, pale face. His eyes were calm and unwavering, but the fat man inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.

"Hehe..." The fat man chuckled dryly, shrank back, and slipped back to Wu Xie's side, lowering his voice, "Tianzhen, don't you think this new guy... has even scarier eyes?"

Wu Xie whispered, "If you say less, it won't be scary."

"I'm just trying to build camaraderie among the team!" the fat man said matter-of-factly.

The group walked for a while longer, and it was getting dark. Lin Guoce found a relatively flat clearing in the woods and decided to set up camp for the night. The wounded needed rest, and walking along mountain paths at night was too dangerous.

The soldiers set up makeshift tents and lit a campfire. Food was running low, so they shared some compressed biscuits and water. Lin Guoce arranged for someone to keep watch.

The campfire crackled. The firelight illuminated everyone's faces; they were exhausted, but all wore a sense of relief, as if they had survived a disaster.

Kun leaned against a tree, staring blankly at the fire. Chen Man and Wang Yihan were beside him, whispering something. Professor Zhou Xu'an and Jiang Shouyi were by the fire, carefully examining the bamboo slips, occasionally discussing in hushed tones.

The three traitors were tied up under a tree some distance away, their heads hanging down.

Wu Xie, Fatty, and the others sat around the other side of the fire.

The fat man pulled a small tin box from his bag, opened it, and surprisingly found a few pieces of chocolate inside. He chuckled and distributed them to everyone: "I hid a little something away; this is the last meal!"

Wu Xie took it, broke it in half, and gave it to Huo Xiuxiu next to him. Xie Yuchen and Hei Xiazi also took it. Fatty then handed it to Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling".

Zhang Qiling looked at the chocolate handed to him, paused for a moment, and then reached out to take it.

Zhang Qiling also accepted the offer.

Neither of them ate it; they just held it in their hands.

The fat man peeled off a piece, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed with narrowed eyes: "Delicious! This is my favorite! When we get back to the city, let's go get something good to eat! Hot pot! Roast duck! Barbecue! My treat!"

Wu Xie sighed, "Fatty, we need to go back and treat our injuries first. And..." He glanced at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," "the two of you might have other things to attend to."

"What could be more important than eating?" the fat man glared, then looked at the two men. "Right, buddy?"

Zhang Qiling remained silent. But in the firelight, the "you talk too much" expression on his face was even more pronounced. He put the chocolate in his pocket and closed his eyes to rest.

Zhang Qiling then got up, walked to a tree a little distance from the fire, sat down with his back against the tree trunk, and closed his eyes.

The meaning is clear: Be quiet and rest.

The fat man awkwardly touched his nose: "Well, these two gentlemen don't like to talk."

Black Bear laughed: "Fatty, you'll have to get used to it. These two will never use words if they can use their hands. They'll never make a sound if they can nod. They'll never use their mouths to insult someone if they can use their eyes."

"Insulting with your eyes?" The fat man was taken aback.

"Just like that." Hei Xiazi pointed at Zhang Qiling and then at "Zhang Qiling." "That expression, translated, means: Shut up, you idiot."

Fatty: "..."

Wu Xie couldn't help but laugh.

Xie Yuchen's lips also curved into a smile.

Huo Xiuxiu covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

The atmosphere became more relaxed.

Night had fallen. The soldiers on night watch patrolled around the camp. The others gradually went to sleep.

Before lying down, Wu Xie glanced at the two dark figures under the tree. Their eyes were closed, but Wu Xie knew they weren't asleep. This vigilance was ingrained in his bones.

We set off early the next morning, before dawn.

Around noon, we finally reached the foot of the mountain. In the distance, we could see the highway and several off-road vehicles—the vehicles Lin Guoce had arranged in advance to pick us up.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the car.

Before getting into the car, Lin Guoce walked over and saluted Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" again: "Gentlemen, I am deeply grateful. I will report everything that happened here truthfully. I will handle Wang Jizong's situation. Take care in the future."

Zhang Qiling nodded.

Zhang Qiling nodded as well.

Lin Guoce then looked at Wu Xie and the others: "Comrade Wu Xie, the professor said that the bamboo slips and some artifacts need to be taken back to the research institute for study, you..."

Wu Xie looked at Professor Zhou Xu'an. The professor walked over and patted Wu Xie on the shoulder: "Little Wu, thanks to you all this time. I'll take the bamboo slips back; I'll let you know as soon as the research results are out. As for those smaller items..."

He lowered his voice, "You handle it. Consider it... labor fees."

Wu Xie smiled: "Thank you, Professor."

Everyone got into their respective cars. Kun and the others followed Lin Guoce's car back to the city to report and receive treatment. Professor Zhou Xu'an and Jiang Shouyi took the bamboo slips and several important artifacts into another car.

Wu Xie, Fatty, Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, Huo Xiuxiu, plus Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," seven people squeezed into an SUV. Fatty drove, and Wu Xie sat in the passenger seat. Five more squeezed into the back, thankfully none of them were fat.

The car started and drove onto the highway.

The fat man hummed a tune as he drove: "We ordinary people are really happy today..."

Wu Xie glanced at the back row in the rearview mirror. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu were sitting by the windows on either side. In the middle were Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling". Both of them had their eyes closed and their heads slightly tilted back, as if they were resting. But their bodies were sitting upright, with a half-fist distance between them, not touching each other.

Hei Xiazi sat next to "Zhang Qiling," his sunglasses pointing out the window, a smile playing on his lips.

The car drove for two hours and entered the suburbs of the city.

The fat man asked, "Where should we go first? Back to my place? Or to Grandpa Flower's? Or to Tianzhen's?"

Wu Xie thought for a moment: "Let's go to Fatty's place first, it's bigger. We can treat the wounds and change our clothes. Then...we'll eat."

"Alright!" The fat man turned the steering wheel.

The fat man lived in an old residential area in the west of the city, in a bungalow with a small yard. The yard wasn't big, but it was kept quite clean. The house was a mess, piled with all sorts of "work supplies"—a Luoyang shovel, a gas mask, ropes, all sorts of oddly shaped tools, and a bunch of bottles and jars containing things whose original form was unrecognizable.

"Sit wherever you like, sit wherever you like!" the fat man greeted. "It's a bit messy, just a little chaotic. I'm a bachelor, don't mind!"

Wu Xie was already used to it. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu raised their eyebrows slightly, but said nothing. Hei Xiazi whistled, "Fatty, you could open a museum here."

After Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" entered the room, their eyes swept around. A faint, yet palpable, look of disdain appeared on both their faces.

Zhang Qiling: Chaos.

"Zhang Qiling": dirty.

The fat man didn't understand, but he was still showing off: "How about it? My studio is professional, isn't it?"

Wu Xie sighed, "Fatty, let's find the first-aid kit first. Everyone's injured."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The fat man rummaged through drawers and cabinets, finding a dusty first-aid kit. He opened it, and the contents were still intact.

They treated each other's wounds. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" weren't deep; they were mainly insect bites and monster scratches, which only required cleaning, disinfection, and bandaging. The two of them did it themselves, their movements swift and efficient.

The spot on Fatty's arm where he'd been stung by an insect was a little inflamed, so Wu Xie cleaned it for him. Fatty grimaced in pain, "Gently, gently! My skin is delicate!"

Black Bear chuckled from the side, "Fatty, you're all muscular and have such smooth skin?"

"What do you know! This is a sign of prosperity!" the fat man retorted, sticking out his neck.

After treating the wounds, the fat man pulled out several clean clothes—all his size, extra large. He handed them to Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," who stared silently at the clothes that could fit two of them.

Zhang Qiling didn't answer.

Zhang Qiling didn't answer either.

The fat man scratched his head: "Just make do with these? They're better than what I'm wearing now that's filthy."

Finally, Wu Xie rummaged through his bag and pulled out two spare black T-shirts and pants—he always carried an extra set to change into, and they were the right size. He handed them to the two men.

Zhang Qiling took it and went to the inner room to change. "Zhang Qiling" also took it and went to the bathroom.

When the two came out after changing, everyone's eyes lit up.

Black T-shirts and black casual pants—simple, yet they accentuated their tall and slender figures. Zhang Qiling possessed deep-set features and a calm demeanor. "Zhang Qiling" was thin and pale, with an aloof air. Standing together, they resembled brothers who had stepped out of a painting, each possessing their own distinct aura.

"Awesome!" the fat man gave a thumbs up. "These two guys are good-looking enough to debut as celebrities!"

Zhang Qiling ignored him, walked to the window, and looked outside.

Zhang Qiling walked to the other side and looked out the window.

The two stood on either side, like two guardian deities.

Fatty whispered to Wu Xie, "Tianzhen, don't you think... when the two of them stand together, they look just like top assassins in gangster movies? The kind who can scare people to death just by looking at them without saying a word."

Wu Xie laughed: "Watch fewer movies."

Lunch was ordered as takeout. The fat guy ordered a whole table full of food: hot pot lamb, roast duck, various stir-fries, and beer.

Everyone sat down around the table. Having been hungry for more than a day, they all ate quickly. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" ate quietly and politely, but at a considerable pace.

As the fat man stuffed mutton into his mouth, he said, "Hey guys, what are your plans for the future? Where are we going to raid tombs next? I have a few clues: there's a Western Xia imperial tomb in the northwest, a Xianbei tomb in the northeast, and the sea in the south..."

"Let's eat." Zhang Qiling interrupted him, picking up a slice of mutton.

Zhang Qiling also picked up a slice of mutton, put it in his bowl, and glanced at the fat man.

That look, translated, means: "Don't talk while eating."

Fatty: "..."

Wu Xie suppressed a laugh: "Fatty, let the two young men rest for a few days first. Besides, we need to deal with what we got this time."

He was referring to the small jade artifacts and half of the bronze plaque that were brought out of the tomb.

After finishing his meal, Wu Xie took out the items and placed them on the table. Several jade pieces were of good quality and exquisitely carved. The half-bronze plaque was heavily rusted, but one could still make out the cloud and thunder pattern and a fragmented symbol engraved on it.

Xie Yuchen picked up the bronze plaque and examined it: "A military tally from the Warring States period. It should be a pair, this is half a piece. It's worth some money, but it's incomplete."

Hei Xiazi took the jade and weighed it in his hand: "The jade is quite nice. If you're looking to sell it, I can find a way."

Huo Xiuxiu carefully examined the patterns on the jade artifact: "These patterns correspond to the records on the bamboo slips, and they have research value."

The fat man's eyes lit up: "How much can I sell it for?"

Everyone looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling". After all, they had contributed the most to this tomb raiding expedition.

Zhang Qiling glanced at the items and shook his head: "You handle it."

Zhang Qiling also shook his head.

The meaning is clear: I'm not interested, you guys figure it out.

The fat man chuckled, "Then I won't stand on ceremony! We'll split the profits according to our work! The two young men will get the lion's share!"

Wu Xie thought for a moment: "Let's leave one for the professor to study. As for the rest... shall Blackie handle them?"

Black Bear nodded: "Okay, leave it to me."

That's settled.

In the afternoon, everyone rested. Fatty's house didn't have many rooms, so it was decided that Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" would sleep in the inner room—Fatty gave up his bed and slept on the sofa himself. Wu Xie, Xie Yuchen, and Huo Xiuxiu went to a nearby hotel to book rooms. Hei Xiazi said he had something to do and left first.

Before leaving, Wu Xie said to Zhang Qiling, "Brother, you guys rest here for now. I'll come back tomorrow. If you need anything, have Fatty find me."

Zhang Qiling nodded.

Zhang Qiling nodded as well.

After Wu Xie and the other two left, Fatty was exhausted and fell asleep on the sofa.

The inner room.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood by the window, watching the sky outside gradually darken.

Neither of them spoke.

After a long silence, Zhang Qiling spoke, his voice low: "Where did you come from?"

Zhang Qiling paused for a moment: "Behind the bronze door. An unexpected event."

"How much do you remember?"

"Not many." Zhang Qiling turned to look at him. "And you?"

"Same," Zhang Qiling said.

Silence again.

But in this silence, there was an unspoken understanding. Shared blood, similar experiences, and the same sense of bewilderment. In this unfamiliar world, they might be each other's only "kindred spirits."

"What's next?" Zhang Qiling asked.

"Let's find clues," Zhang Qiling said. "The bronze gate, amnesia, this world."

"Together?"

"Um."

It was settled in just a few words.

Outside the window, the city lights are just coming on.

Inside the room, two black figures stood silently by the window, like two sheathed swords, silent, sharp, waiting to be drawn again.