Chapter 5

At night, the small village was very peaceful and quiet.

The villagers usually went to bed early, and the village roads were empty and devoid of people. There were no streetlights, only a few solitary lamps in the dark corners, emitting a faint, hazy light.

The wind was gentle, and the frogs and insects chirped intermittently. The moonlight was like a thin white veil, enveloping the entire earth.

The mountain path was rugged and uneven, and even during the day, it was somewhat difficult to climb. It was even more challenging now, in the pitch-black darkness, where one could only feel their way forward step by step.

Staying up late at night and walking on the mountain with a small flashlight was a situation that could easily arouse suspicion.

However, Qi Xiang seemed to be deep in thought, with a vague understanding.

Unlike his cautiousness, Wang Dong and the others were very familiar with the terrain. After leading him around several hills, they stopped at the waist of a desolate mountain.

At this moment, Wang Dong spoke with a smile, "Little Brother Qi, not scared, are you?"

The mountain was dark and the road slippery, with the moonlight casting a hazy glow. The shadows of the mountains and trees intertwined, and there were some strange sounds echoing. The journey indeed tested one's courage.

Of course, with others accompanying him, Qi Xiang was not overly anxious and replied calmly, "Not really..."

"Brother Dong, you didn't bring me here just to enjoy the scenery, did you?" Qi Xiang paused and then asked knowingly, "It's so dark here, there's nothing to see."

"Little Brother, don't be impatient," Wang Dong reassured him and gave a nod to the person beside him.

The person understood and ran lightly to a patch of weeds, feeling around. After a moment, he moved the weeds aside, revealing a small pit entrance.

At the same time, Wang Dong smiled and said, "Little Brother, do you want to wait outside or go in with us?"

"Uh..." Qi Xiang hesitated, then gritted his teeth, "I'll go in!"

The pit entrance was small, only allowing one person to pass through. Qi Xiang, using the moonlight, saw that the pit was dark and deep, with no bottom in sight.

At this point, he was very clear about what lay at the bottom of the pit.

Without a doubt, it was a tomb, possibly even a large tomb with an underground palace.

Generally, a large tomb meant rich burial goods.

However, it also depended on luck. Tomb raiding has been a promising profession since ancient times, and it has never been completely banned. Especially during chaotic times, warlords and military governors openly looted tombs to gather military provisions.

Over time, this led to the phenomenon of "nine out of ten tombs being empty." Often, a large tomb would be repeatedly plundered by generations of tomb raiders, leaving nothing behind, not even the coffin boards.

As a result, later tomb raiders, after going through great efforts to dig into a large tomb, would find it empty and could only look at the tomb with tears in their eyes... damn it!

"This tomb shouldn't be like that!" Qi Xiang's eyes moved, and he noticed that many things were neatly arranged in the corner of the tomb.

Clearly, Wang Dong and the others had already obtained the items but, for safety and secrecy, had not taken them out. Or perhaps, they had only taken the smaller items, while the larger ones remained inside.

"Maybe that turtle shell was brought out from here..."

Thinking of this possibility, Qi Xiang's heart began to race.

At this moment, Wang Dong also crawled in and said with a light laugh, "Little Brother, how do you feel?"

"...Pretty good!" Qi Xiang steadied himself and flattered, "Brother Dong, I'm really impressed. You managed to find this large tomb in such a desolate place."

"Haha, just luck..." Wang Dong was pleased but did not intend to discuss it in detail. After all, the art of tomb raiding was a skill that was not usually shared.

Wang Dong was very cautious and changed the subject, "Little Brother Qi, the items are all here. Don't you want to take a look?"

"How can I look?" Qi Xiang spread his hands and said helplessly, "It's hard to see things clearly at night, and there's no sufficient light here. I can't see anything."

"I was negligent." Wang Dong smiled and said, "Let's move the items out and wait until dawn. Then, Little Brother, you can take your time to appreciate them, however you like."

As he spoke, Wang Dong waved his hand and ordered, "You guys, go and get the items, don't miss anything."

At his command, several people immediately rushed to the corner, stuffing, hanging, or carrying the items with swift and skilled movements. After clearing everything out, they crawled out one by one.

Since they were carrying items, their speed was slow and they couldn't hurry.

Qi Xiang and Wang Dong stayed behind in the tomb.

With nothing else to do, Qi Xiang, driven by curiosity, shone his flashlight around the tomb. The space was large, and with the items removed, it looked quite empty.

The ceiling was arched, while the floor was square, fitting the ancient Chinese concept of the universe, where the sky is round and the earth is square.

As the flashlight beam swept across, it suddenly glinted on the wall. This made Qi Xiang even more curious, and he moved closer to examine it, only to find that there were paintings on the wall.

Qi Xiang was startled and quickly examined the paintings in detail. He saw that the walls were covered with clouds. Above the clouds, there were pavilions, palaces, white cranes, flying dragons, and colorful phoenixes, as well as people in long robes with high hats, their sleeves fluttering in the wind...

At first glance, Qi Xiang's mind was struck by a sudden realization, thinking of that "dream"!

The scenes in the mural were strikingly similar to what he had seen in his dream.

Strictly speaking, there were some differences. In his dream, he had only seen palaces and pavilions. As for the dragons, phoenixes, and cranes, he had not seen them, let alone the immortals riding the clouds and riding the dragons.

Qi Xiang was not stupid and could see that the mural depicted a legendary immortal realm. The people in the mural were clearly immortals who rode flying dragons, traveled the four seas, and lived as long as the heavens and the sun.

If his guess was correct, the owner of this tomb must have been a fervent believer in immortality. Therefore, after his death, his family, according to his will, arranged the tomb in this way.

"Little Brother Qi, Little Brother..."

While Qi Xiang was deep in thought, Wang Dong's voice called out, startling him.

Wang Dong called from the exit, "Little Brother, it's time to go."

"...Okay, I'm coming." Qi Xiang took one last look at the mural and followed Wang Dong out of the tomb.

A moment later, the two climbed out of the pit, and the others were waiting outside.

"Cover the pit and let's go!" Wang Dong gave the order, and someone immediately took tools to fill the pit and cover it with grass to disguise it.

After some time, the grass would root into the soil, and the pit would be undetectable.

After finishing the cleanup, the group came and went under the cover of night.

They moved slowly and returned to the vicinity of the village just before dawn. However, at Wang Dong's signal, they did not enter the village but instead circled around to the roadside.

At that moment, a minivan was parked there, and someone was waiting to pick them up.

"Little Brother Qi, let's go..."

It had to be said that Wang Dong fully demonstrated what it meant to be a cunning and experienced person. The village residence was just a temporary hideout. Once the items were moved out, they were immediately transferred to another location, truly embodying the saying "a cunning rabbit has three dens."

Qi Xiang followed the car, and after about an hour, the car entered the county town and stopped in a secluded alley. In the alley was another hideout.

After having the items moved and placed in the room, Wang Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Little Brother Qi, you must be tired. Go rest first, and we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"I'm not tired," Qi Xiang said energetically, "Brother Dong, can I look at the items now?"

Wang Dong was taken aback, "Now?"

"Yes," Qi Xiang nodded, "In the evening, Boss Jiang called me and asked how the items were. I had to give a vague answer. If he calls again tomorrow morning, how should I respond?"

"So, I decided not to sleep tonight and finish looking at the items to rest with peace of mind."

"Is that so?" Wang Dong's eyes twinkled, and he smiled, "Little Brother Qi, no wonder Boss Jiang entrusted you with this task. He really knows how to assign the right people. Since the items are here, if you want to look at them, go ahead. I won't stop you."

Qi Xiang had been waiting for this, and he immediately opened his luggage, taking out a pair of white gloves and a square box.

Qi Xiang put on the gloves and opened the box, revealing a set of magnifying glasses.

There were many magnifying glasses, ranging in size from as large as a palm to as small as a fingernail.

These tools were essential for Qi Xiang's work. Generally, whenever he went to appraise items, he would carry them with him, never leaving them behind.

"Very professional..." Wang Dong's eyes gleamed, and he smiled, "Little Brother, do you need any help?"

"No need!" Qi Xiang shook his head, and his gaze fell on the items.

At this moment, the room was lit, and the light was bright, like daylight. He could see the items clearly. They were quite varied, including bronze, jade, and even a few strings of gemstone jewelry.

For these miscellaneous items, Qi Xiang's gaze swept over them quickly. His attention was focused on one particular item from the beginning. This item made him unable to wait until the next day and compelled him to study it immediately.

The item was not small, about 30 to 40 centimeters tall, with a square exterior and a round interior, supported by three legs. It was covered in mud, but the general outline was clear.

This item was clearly a tripod, a bronze tripod.

Qi Xiang held his breath and slowly approached. He rubbed his hands, and the mud on the tripod's body fell off, revealing a dark, aged, and heavy texture, with a deep and lasting charm...

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