Chapter 5, The Tomb Raiding

The so-called Qian family group is a company led by the Qian family, which is one of the five prominent families that jointly established it. On the surface, it primarily operates in industries such as treasure appraisal and logistics, while secretly engaging in resale activities. Small black market traders like Old Yang can also benefit slightly under the Qian family group.

Thinking of this, I also clearly divided the tasks with Xu Lei. He would organize the useful items in the room based on the information he had previously heard, while I, under the identity introduced by Chen Qi, would inquire with that strange old man about the matters concerning the tomb, as well as the relationship among Chen Qi, Lao Ma, and Shi Lan.

It turns out that this old man is actually an expert in trading goods. There are many peaks around Tianmen Mountain, and there are still many areas that have not yet been developed.

Moreover, there is an unwritten superstition regarding this line, which states that one should not enter the same fight twice; otherwise, something unfortunate may occur. Therefore, it is generally advised to take as much as one can in a single attempt, and once finished, one should never look back

It is about some people who make money by digging up graves. I had only heard of it before, but I had never seen it in person. As he spoke, Xu Lei's expression slightly changed, seemingly a mix of nervousness and a hint of excitement.

I found Old Yang sitting alone next to the coffin in the lobby, seemingly lost in thought, pondering some aspect of life.

I shook my head, directly denying: "I do not understand"

Inquiring about matters related to tomb raiding with Chen Qi and Old Ma is certainly futile

I had previously hinted at my intentions in a tactful manner, expecting that the old man would hesitate for a long time. To my surprise, this cold and aloof old man agreed to the request without any hesitation.

Eliminate the excessive verbiage and retain the essential parts; I have indeed gained quite a bit in these two hours

However, Xu Lei, who was beside me, seemed to understand something. His expression was even more unpleasant than before, and he kept tugging at my sleeve, wanting to pull me aside for a private conversation

This is certainly not a solution. Xu Lei and I analyzed the situation, and there are still nearly three hours until midnight, giving us some time to prepare.

Chen Qi, with the surname Chen, is naturally a member of the Chen family. The other two, one with the surname Song and the other with the surname Bai, should also have considerable backgrounds. As for what the executive director actually does, Old Yang does not know, and I did not think much about it; in any case, it is not important

The place we are going this time is located deep within Tianmen Mountain, and it is definitely a large tomb that has not yet been developed by outsiders. The young man said to the others: "The exact year of this tomb is unknown, but everyone is aware of the history of Tianmen Mountain. We speculate that it is most likely a large tomb from the Three Kingdoms period or the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Of course, if we are lucky, we might even uncover something even better.

What is wrong with you? I couldn't help but ask as I followed Xu Lei back to the room

Old Yang said that the rules of this trade are such that anyone who hears the news can come and share in the spoils, and others generally will not stop them. After all, in a grand tomb like this, there are surely many valuable items, and one or two people cannot take them all, so there is no need to prevent others from joining in.

I digested this information and then returned to the room to briefly explain it to Xu Lei. By the time I finished, more than half an hour had passed. Considering the time, it was about right, and others outside had also begun to move about. Xu Lei and I then picked up the organized packages and headed towards the main hall

"How do you know that no one has gotten there before?" The speaker was the woman named Shi Lan, who let out a cold laugh, seemingly very disdainful of this statement

Among them, a few particularly wealthy individuals naturally had the possibility of constructing tombs. Therefore, in recent years, there has been a trend here, with several major tomb raiding gangs exploring this area in the black market. They have also discovered a few tombs of varying sizes and made a considerable fortune.

"Alright, I was too nervous just now and forgot that you have amnesia," Xu Lei took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and the atmosphere, and continued, "According to what they just said, these people are probably all local scholars!"

"Earth Worker?" I frowned, a name so familiar.

Certainly, this world refers to the dark industry of tomb raiding. The general meaning is that these five families are all from tomb raiding lineages, encompassing most of the profits and information in the tomb raiding community

Xu Lei's curiosity about new things exceeds my imagination. Initially, this kid thought it was eerie here and wanted to advise me to leave early. However, upon hearing that we would go tomb raiding at night, he suddenly became excited and no longer mentioned his suggestion for me to go back

Thinking of this, I felt a strange sensation again. They had talked for quite a while just now, yet I didn't understand a single word. What actions, what great struggles, what on earth are those things?

The young man took out an old map, spread it on the floor, and without caring whether the floor was clean, sat down with a thud.

The young man thought for a moment and added, "Now, it would be best for everyone to introduce themselves, so that when we get down there, we won't be confused about who is who."

I looked at Xu Lei and said somewhat uncertainly, "Why do I feel that you are even more enthusiastic than I am?"

What should we do? I feel somewhat at a loss, and my state is a bit strange. Upon hearing this news, I was neither surprised nor afraid, and certainly did not experience the inexplicable excitement that Xu Lei felt. In short, I remained so calm that even I was surprised by myself

I sensed that the young man named Chen Qi was observing the expressions of Lao Ma and the others with a certain unease, thinking to myself that these individuals might have known each other previously and were merely here to go through the motions.

The young man, upon hearing this, did not show any anger. He shrugged his shoulders, appearing casual, yet his tone was unequivocal as he said: "Wherever there are people, there are rules, and what we represent is the rule of this profession. This information about the tomb was provided recently; previously, we had not heard of any large tomb existing here. Our people have also investigated and found no signs of anyone having gotten there first, nor any maps or books."

According to Old Yang's perspective, since I was recommended by Chen Qi, I naturally should be considered a member of his group as well

Once everyone had finished their introductions, Chen Qi stated that they would commence action starting from early this morning, and then turned to walk towards the only vacant guest room next to mine

I originally approached him to inquire about my matters, but it seemed that this fellow already knew what I was going to ask. He simply smiled at me and said to talk after it's done

Since the legend of Emperor Qin Shi Huang moving mountains, Tianmen Mountain has been renowned as a famous mountain throughout the world. Famous mountains possess good feng shui, and in areas that have not been developed for tourism, countless dignitaries and nobles from ancient times have been buried there.

What else can we do? That kid named Chen Qi already said he would talk to you about your matters after he finishes robbing the tomb? Xu Lei thought for a moment and said: At this point, it would be hard to give up on you, so do we have any other choice?

From that time on, Old Yang firmly believed that Tianmen Mountain was a blessed place, and he relocated here to settle down. On ordinary days, he secretly facilitated the transfer of stolen goods to some half-hearted local practitioners.

After the three of them finished their introductions, one of the four middle-aged men standing nearby stepped forward. It was the same person who had changed his expression upon seeing me earlier. He did not state his name but simply asked the others to call him Old Ma, while referring to the other three as Old Xu, Old Qin, and Old Li.

Since you all have the ability to investigate, why not take the opportunity to unearth that tomb as well?" Shi Lan shook his head again, still not believing the young man's statement

In the end, only Xu Lei and I were left without introductions. I hesitated for a moment; I had never anticipated such a situation before and did not know how to respond. I simply followed Shi Lan's example and only mentioned my name and Xu Lei's, with no objections from the others.

In the end, I asked some questions about what to pay attention to when digging for treasures. Old Yang's explanations were not as clear as Xu Lei's; he only deals with buying and selling and has never actually gone out to dig himself

Since Chen Qi is aware of my amnesia, he must understand that I have no knowledge of this field. In this situation, his failure to initiate a conversation about it clearly indicates his reluctance to discuss it with me. As for Lao Ma, we have even less of a relationship; if I were to ask him, he might even consider me a burden.

I still do not understand the specific content, but one thing is certain: tomb raiding involves dealing with the dead, and it is rumored to be extremely dangerous. With someone like me and Xu Lei, who are only half-prepared, we would definitely meet a tragic end

As for Shi Lan, putting aside her somewhat arrogant personality that resembles Old Yang's, her earlier performance clearly indicates that she is not well-versed in this tomb-raiding matter. It is very likely that she is, as Xu Lei mentioned, one of those amateurish, self-taught treasure hunters.

Although I felt a restless itch in my heart, I could not continue to press for answers; I could only wait for them to finish before inquiring further

What kind of mysterious tomb-raiding journey will this be

... ...

"Not at all, I specifically came here to accompany you, haha, hahaha..."

I asked him some questions about this profession and its rules. Xu Lei recounted to me what he had heard in his childhood. I listened in a daze and only after a long time of contemplation did I grasp the general idea.

What makes me somewhat uneasy is that both Chen Qi and Lao Ma seem to be watching me, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and I cannot tell if it is just my imagination.

After speaking, the young man introduced himself as Chen Qi, claiming to be an executive director of a certain Qian Group, which sounded quite impressive. As for the two young men accompanying him, they were named Song Ziming and Bai Zimo, but their specific roles were unknown.

I was momentarily unable to understand what they were saying, and I felt too shy to interject. I simply listened quietly, hoping to find an opportunity to inquire about the matter of the anonymous letter.

At that time, I asked Old Yang, with such blatant division of interests between the two companies, do they not mind it at all

Did you not understand what they said about m.hetushu.com?" Xu Lei deliberately lowered his voice and said tremulously, "They just mentioned the tomb and the fight, do you still not understand?"

Then, Shilan coldly stated her name, which made her seem out of place compared to the other two groups of people

It is hard to tell that this old man usually speaks little; once he opens up, he can be quite the chatterbox. His explanations, along with a jumble of extended content, kept me listening for a full two hours.

"This matter has nothing to do with you; someone like you, a drifter, only needs to take care of your own affairs." The young man seemed reluctant to argue with a woman, waved his hand, and said, "In any case, this is the general situation; as for the specifics, according to the rules, once we are inside the tomb, I will naturally explain it to you in detail"

Another group of four old horses, reportedly members of a different tomb raiding organization, is not clearly defined. In any case, the relationship between the two groups is not very good. The reason this has become so apparent, rather than Chen Qi and his team secretly resolving the matter, is likely because Old Yang's head has caught wind of the situation. Both sides want this tomb, and ultimately, a compromise was reached for a joint exploration.

As for the identity of Chen Qi, Old Yang knows quite a bit. It is said that there is a saying in this line of work: "Qian, Zhao, Song, Chen, Bai," referring to the five families that divide the world.

I subjected Xu Lei to intense interrogation for quite some time before he finally confessed. He mentioned that he grew up in a mountain hollow and had always listened to his grandfather and others boast about treasure hunting, which he had longed for. As a child, he also secretly wandered around the nearby mountains, although he never found anything.

As for Shi Lan, this woman's identity is somewhat mysterious. Old Yang only knows that she is from a Miao village in Yunnan, but her specific background is unclear. She might also be a self-taught local expert who has come over upon hearing the news, hoping to get a share of the pie

In this way, after much calculation, it seems that the only person I can inquire about is that peculiar old Yang. Upon further reflection, the anonymous letter suggested that I seek out old Yang, and perhaps the very intention of Chen Qi in writing this letter was to prompt me to come early and ask old Yang about the relevant precautions.