Chapter 28

Xiong Zhiqi returned in the early hours of the morning, or more accurately, he was "teleported" back, as he did not walk back himself. After completing the mission, he opened his eyes to find himself sitting on the sofa at home. Sitting there, Xiong Zhiqi fell asleep and started snoring, clearly exhausted from the mission world. Although he returned alive, it was evident that he had paid a great price. After all, the mortality rate for group missions was the highest, and surviving one was no small feat.

In the morning, Xiong Zhiqi was awakened by a fragrant aroma. Getting up from the sofa, he saw Zhao Zhu cooking eggs in the kitchen, his technique smooth and confident as he flipped several eggs in the pan with ease.

"Hey, you're awake."

It was a casual greeting, but it carried deep meaning. Zhao Zhu knew what kind of life Xiong Zhiqi had led in the past few days. But now that the fat man had returned in one piece, everything was fine.

"Yeah, I'm awake." Xiong Zhiqi watched for a moment and asked, "Are you making breakfast?"

"Sit down, it'll be ready soon." Zhao Zhu said.

"Okay, sure."

Xiong Zhiqi obediently sat back at the dining table. At this moment, Zhu Jianping also woke up, rubbing his eyes as he walked out. The two men stared at each other for 10 seconds.

Zhu Jianping shouted first, "Damn, I knew you, you fatso, wouldn't die. Damn, you've been through so many group missions. Next time, I won't pray to Buddha or Guanyin; I'll pray to your fat body first."

"Pervert, why are you in my house!" Xiong Zhiqi shouted back.

"Ha, do you think I want to? I have nowhere to stay, so I came to crash here."

"Oh ho, did someone chase you out?"

"Hmph, the person who chased me is now on their knees."

"He knelt on his own, you didn't kill him."

"Alright, stop talking nonsense. Let's eat. After breakfast, come with me to buy some things." Zhao Zhu said as he placed three plates of fried eggs on the table.

"Okay, are we buying groceries?" Xiong Zhiqi asked, "I just came back from that disgusting mission world, buying groceries at the market seems like a good way to relax."

"I'm not going to the market. I don't want to see women right now; I'm afraid I can't control myself." Zhu Jianping declared.

"Ha ha, come with me to buy some equipment." Zhao Zhu said, poking at the eggs on his plate with a fork.

"Equipment? What for?" Xiong Zhiqi swallowed an egg and took a big sip of milk.

"To rob a tomb." Zhao Zhu said those three words.

"Choke." Xiong Zhiqi almost choked on his milk.

Zhu Jianping asked with some confusion, "Why the sudden interest? Did you watch that recent youth romance idol drama 'The Lost Tomb' and get the idea to rob a tomb?"

"Do I have that much free time?" Zhao Zhu sighed, took out his phone, tapped a few times, and placed it in front of Xiong Zhiqi and Zhu Jianping.

The screen showed a group announcement page, where the group leader had just announced an upcoming horror web novel mission world and the participants:

...

"Horror Web Novel World: 'The Qing Dynasty Dragon Vein'"

"World Attributes: Unknown Exploration."

"Main Mission: Obtain the Dragon Vein Essence."

"Side Missions: Unknown."

"Participants: Yan Xing, Wang Ye, Li Liangjian, Huang Tiansi, Shi Chong, Xiao Ge, Ma Ruixi, Zhao Zhu."

Under each real name, the group members' IDs were tagged. At around 5 a.m., Zhao Zhu suddenly felt a pain in his chest, as if something important had happened. He picked up his phone, entered the group, and checked the announcement. Sure enough, it was finally his turn.

...

"Damn, a small group mission." Zhu Jianping sipped his milk.

"How difficult is it?" Zhao Zhu asked.

"Generally, the difficulty is proportional to the number of participants. The more people involved, the harder it is, and the lower the survival rate. The fatso's 15-person group missions are among the most difficult. Your mission has 8 people, which is called a small group mission in the group. The typical casualty rate is about 50%, and in normal circumstances, about 3 people will be lost, never to return." Zhu Jianping analyzed.

"No wonder you need to buy equipment. This 'The Qing Dynasty Dragon Vein' really sounds like a tomb-robbing mission." Xiong Zhiqi scratched his head and continued, "Aren't dragon veins usually covered by ancient tombs built to protect future generations?"

"Since the mission world is called 'The Qing Dynasty Dragon Vein,' it probably means we'll be going to a tomb related to the Qing Dynasty. The zombies in the Hong Kong and Taiwan movies we watch will probably be small fry compared to the ones in there." Zhu Jianping said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Isn't there a legend that Nurhaci ignited the dragon vein, which is why the Qing Dynasty rose to power and eventually took the throne? Whose tomb could be on the dragon vein?" Zhao Zhu had finished his breakfast.

"Who knows? Maybe it's Nurhaci's father's, but that's not right; his father was killed, and Nurhaci avenged him. It could be his own, or even a Qing emperor who decided to be buried there on a whim." Xiong Zhiqi said.

"Fatso, did you just say a complete waste of words?" Zhu Jianping mocked without hesitation.

"..." Xiong Zhiqi was speechless.

"Alright, are you done eating? If so, come with me to buy some things. Things like洛阳铲 (Luo Yang shovel) and flashlights, I can probably bring them into the mission world if I pack them on my back."

"Machine guns and grenades might not work, but ordinary equipment should be fine. It's best to also buy a Swiss Army knife for self-defense and bring plenty of food and water. What if you get teleported directly into an ancient tomb and starve to death?" Xiong Zhiqi said.

"Alright, let's go. I know a few people in the industry. You can save your points to exchange for things like talismans, ox tears, path-finding incense, or even a摸金符 (tomb-robbing charm) or a heart-protecting mirror."

"Finding people in the industry won't help much. I had a patient who was a tomb robber. He was mysteriously possessed and became mentally ill. After my treatment, he recovered enough to live a normal life. I'll go see him; he should have some equipment and can share some experience."

"True, we can't just go in with a copy of 'The Lost Tomb' by Uncle San or 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' by Tianxia Banchang. Who knows if the things in the ancient tombs are the same as what they wrote in their books." Xiong Zhiqi agreed.

...

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