The unique, unadulterated scent of her body filled Li Chonglou's nostrils.
It made his throat dry. He swallowed hard, intending to look away.
Lin Ying suddenly pulled back, letting out a silver-bell-like laugh: "Hahaha!"
"You're so easily scared by me, junior fellow disciple. Your composure in front of women is far from enough."
"If you can't even resist your senior sister's charm, be careful not to be taken advantage of outside."
The alluring atmosphere instantly dissipated under her playful laughter.
Li Chonglou secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought, "What do you mean I can't resist your charm?"
"You're not ugly!"
"No normal man could ignore you."
"That guy Zhang Chen, doesn't he dream of pursuing you?"
"Fortunately, I've never had any improper thoughts about my senior sister. Otherwise, I would have been exposed just now."
"Senior sister, is this what you wanted to tell me?" Li Chonglou asked, torn between a smile and tears.
"Besides us, many private organizations are eyeing that ancient tomb. I don't want you to be deceived by a honey trap," Lin Ying gradually suppressed her smile and warned, "Greed can drive people to madness. The value of an ancient tomb is enough to make many people disregard the law."
"Although the government has already protected the area, we must be wary of hidden dangers."
Saying this, she stood up and walked towards the door: "Get some rest early."
"Aren't you going to drink more tea?" Li Chonglou asked.
The response was the sound of the door closing.
Li Chonglou shook his head helplessly.
Having lived two lives, he found himself unable to do anything about this senior sister who was sometimes eccentric, sometimes enchanting, and sometimes like a chivalrous woman.
He brewed a cup of tea and lay down on the bed, practicing his mental techniques.
The night grew darker.
On the upper floor of the hotel, in room 604, a man wearing a baseball cap and a black skull mask, with single eyelids, pushed open the door and entered.
The room was dimly lit, but the man's eyes, like an owl's, emitted a faint green glow.
It was quite terrifying.
He inserted the room key card, and the lights in the room turned on.
The man's pupils contracted sharply, his gaze fixed on the sofa inside.
Someone was already sitting there, a middle-aged man.
He wore a yellowish-brown suit, with visible strands of white in his hair, an aquiline nose, and a receding forehead.
His appearance was extremely peculiar, exuding a sinister aura.
"How did you get in?" the masked man's voice was sharp and grating, like scraping a pot.
"Don't be nervous," a curve formed on the middle-aged man's lips. "Ayō Qūbǐ, an Yi person, a disciple of the Chen family of Yuyuan."
"I've plundered three tombs under the government's nose these past few years."
"I'm here to propose a collaboration."
The masked man's eyelids twitched, his eyes filled with wariness. "State your name. I never do business with people of unknown origin."
His Mandarin was fluent, more standard than that of many locals in Yuchen.
If his identity hadn't been revealed, no one would have guessed he was from a minority ethnic group.
"Knowing who I am would do you no good," the middle-aged man said with a smile, shaking his head. "Even your master wouldn't dare to ask too many questions."
"There's a Western Xia tomb at the foot of Mount Mengding, and something inside is very important to me."
"Help me get it, and you'll be greatly rewarded!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand, and a jade slip, about a finger long, flew through the air.
It was caught by Ayō Qūbǐ.
He glanced at it, and his expression changed.
This was the token of the Chen family of Yuyuan; seeing this slip was like seeing his master.
In their line of work, they never discussed important matters over the phone. With increasing network surveillance, they feared trouble.
The jade slip was undoubtedly the best proof.
"I'm also here for that tomb. What are you looking for?" Ayō Qūbǐ lowered his mask, revealing a handsome, fair face, very different from the dark-skinned Yi people people typically imagined.
"A golden Buddha!" the middle-aged man said seriously. "The Western Xia people revered Buddhism. When the Tangut were wiped out by the Mongols."
"One branch of the royal family escaped to Danpa, less than a hundred miles from Yuchen, to seek refuge."
"According to my investigation, the golden Buddha is in the hands of this branch of the Qiang people."
"But its whereabouts have been unknown until the Western Xia ancient tomb in Yuchen appeared. I suspect it is the tomb of the last branch of the Western Xia royal family."
"I know you've always wanted to help your tribesmen in the mountains emerge,"
"Bring me the golden Buddha, and I'll help you realize your dream!"
The middle-aged man's words were full of temptation.
Ayō Qūbǐ's eyes, as clear as glass, flickered uncontrollably.
Finally, he nodded fiercely: "Deal!"
"Let me remind you, this time, taking the golden Buddha is different from before," the middle-aged man said with satisfaction. "An archaeological team has already arrived in Yuchen, staying right below you."
"The leader is Professor Song Hongjun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences."
"That old man is an archaeology fanatic; he's not to be feared, but there's a woman named Lin Ying in the team."
"You'd better be careful."
"If she discovers your motives and whereabouts, I fear you won't make it out of the tomb alive."
Upon hearing this, Ayō Qūbǐ revealed a disdainful smile: "You came to me because you're afraid of a woman?"
"You Han people have no guts."
"I'll await your news. Sharp words are not the style of the Chen family," the middle-aged man said without a hint of anger.
With a half-smile, he stood up and left the room.
—
Meanwhile, in a detached villa at the foot of Mount Mengding.
The living room was decorated in an antique style, with porcelain and jade pieces from various dynasties on display.
The value of these items alone easily exceeded one hundred million.
While it lacked ostentatious grandeur, it was enough to impress connoisseurs.
A middle-aged woman in a qipao, still possessing a graceful charm, was burning incense and preparing tea at a gleaming golden nanmu wood tea table.
Sitting before her was Fan Meng, who had almost been framed at the ebony market that afternoon.
"Aunt Tang, I came to Yuchen this time to ask you to persuade my grandfather," Fan Meng broke the peaceful atmosphere, taking the teacup offered by the woman, and said softly, "If this continues, our Fan family will truly fall apart."
"How can I persuade him? You know your grandfather's personality," the middle-aged woman, addressed as Aunt Tang, smiled charmingly. "If he were someone who listened to advice, your Fan family wouldn't have ended up in this situation."
"Once one of the eight great families, how glorious it was."
"A mere stomp could shake Zhonghai, but now it's gradually being squeezed out of the center of power."
"All of this is because of the old master's stubborn personality."
"Even relationships within the family are like fire and water; if I try to persuade him, will he listen?"
Hearing this, Fan Meng's beautiful eyes could no longer hide her anxiety: "But only you can talk to him right now."
"If he doesn't listen to you, then my father is truly beyond saving!"
Aunt Tang slowly shook her head: "The old master has a deep obsession. The reason he upheld righteousness over kinship and personally sent your father to prison."
"It's because of that item!"
"If we can find a similar Buddha statue, not necessarily identical, to fulfill his wish, this matter will naturally have a turning point."
"But I've searched through countless materials over the years, and even the National Museum doesn't have it!" Fan Meng looked desperate.
"Not necessarily. As far as I know, it's right before our eyes!" Aunt Tang's eyes lifted, her gaze deep and unfathomable. "Wait a few days. Perhaps your trip to Yuchen has come at the perfect time."