Chapter Forty-One: Reunion... with the Tomb Robbers

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The mumbled soliloquy from Wood did not reach Lu Daoxuan’s ears, or perhaps, even if it did, he had no intention of replying.

“Well then, let’s leave it at that for now! The Dragon-Slaying Plan will be postponed. Once you obtain this S-rank item, we’ll see if it can further enhance our strength before making any decisions.” With those words, Lu Daoxuan logged off, leaving Wood alone in the room to slowly digest what had just been said.

“It seems I could buy a lottery ticket now!” Wood thought to himself. “If I were to win five million...” But the idea was quickly dismissed, for Mu Siyu came in, holding a small slip of paper. “Brother Wood, here’s the cash I’ve exchanged for gold over this period. It’s almost six million!”

The note clearly recorded every jewelry shop where she had exchanged gold for cash, each amount meticulously accounted for. Wood glanced over it and couldn’t help but praise, “You’re so meticulous!”

Mu Siyu replied with some embarrassment, “However, we did spend some of that money on clothes, and Qiao’er and my sister also bought some accessories and cosmetics.”

“That’s fine. You make the decisions.” The money had come easily, and Wood didn’t mind much. After all, he had traded very cheap food from Earth for it—sometimes even a box of instant noodles could be exchanged for a gold bar.

“Sis, I told you Brother Wood wouldn’t care, but you just wouldn’t believe me!” It turned out Mu Siqing had been eavesdropping outside.

Wood smiled. “I’m not here most of the time. From now on, Siyu will manage the money. Buy whatever you need. As long as it’s not too extravagant, this should last us quite a while.”

“Thank you, Brother Wood!” Giggling, Mu Siqing skipped over, planted a light kiss on Wood’s cheek, and dashed away.

Wood was momentarily stunned. Glancing at Siyu, who was smiling at his side, he asked, “Does your sister know about us?”

“Of course she does,” Siyu said with a smile. “What can we do? We’ve all signed contracts with you. There’s no escaping you in this life!”

Wood pulled her into his lap and teased, “What’s this? Are you regretting it?” As he spoke, his hand slipped unceremoniously inside her clothes.

“How could we?” Siyu’s face flushed with shyness. She couldn’t resist Wood’s strong hand as it wandered over her body. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “Haven’t you noticed? My sister has fallen for you.”

“Oh? When did this happen? She’s been acting moody around me these past two days—was that why?” Wood asked in surprise, though his heart secretly delighted; after all, having a woman like him was something to be proud of.

“In fact, back in our world, my sister already liked you. You saved us, destroyed the mutated zombie beasts... You were so heroic, giving off a sense of security and dependence. My sister was naturally drawn to you,” Siyu murmured softly.

“Oh? And you weren’t drawn to me?” Wood grinned wickedly, his hands roaming over the beauty in his arms, making her eyes glaze and her breath grow rapid.

“Me? How could I dare think that way? I’m... ah... your hand...” The rest of her words were lost as Wood laid her on the bed and pressed forward...

After a bout of passion, Siyu snuck a glance at the door and, feigning annoyance, whispered, “You rogue, it’s broad daylight! If my sister hears us, that wouldn’t be good!”

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Wood chuckled, “I wasn’t the one making noise—someone else was.”

Siyu blushed deeply. After so many days of rest, her once thin and frail body had recovered, becoming fuller and fairer, her cheeks tinged with a rosy glow that only added to her charm. Wood couldn’t get enough of her.

“I have a favor to ask...” Siyu said softly. “My sister may like you, but she probably can’t accept our kind of relationship just yet. Please don’t force her, will you?”

Wood grinned mischievously. “As long as you keep me well fed, I’ll naturally listen to you.”

Siyu wrapped her arms around his neck, her breath warm and fragrant. “You’re getting worse. Back then, Qiao’er and I both thought you were a good man.”

Wood burst out laughing...

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“My dear, don’t leave me...” The phone rang again just as Wood and Siyu were in the throes of passion. He glanced at the caller ID—it was Uncle Li once more.

“Brother Wood, everything is arranged on my end. Tomorrow morning’s flight will take you straight there. I’ll send bodyguards to pick you up.”

“All right, I’ll leave the arrangements to you.” Wood was more than happy to depart early.

Uncle Li’s efficiency was truly commendable. That night, Wood spent another wild night with Qiao’er and Siyu. By morning, before they’d even risen, the bodyguards were already at the door urging them on. The group headed straight to the airport and flew to Xi’an, where two luxury cars awaited them to take them directly to the location where Xiuyuan was.

According to Uncle Li, Xiuyuan lived in a mountain village deep within the Qinling range, a place almost completely isolated from the outside world due to poor roads. The journey was indeed as rough as described; after seven or eight hours of bumping along, the cars finally stopped on a narrow mountain path. Uncle Li got out to make some calls, then announced, “This is it. The cars can’t go any further. We’ll have to walk another ten miles or so into the mountains.”

He called the bodyguards out of the cars, and this sight startled Wood. The five men were dressed in camouflage gear, each equipped with infrared night-vision goggles, knives, and nylon ropes slung across their chests; all carried heavy backpacks that likely held not only tents but possibly other equipment—Wood strongly suspected they were armed with firearms.

Seeing his astonished expression, Uncle Li chuckled, “Who knows if there are wild animals in these woods at night? It’s always best to be prepared.”

Wood shrugged indifferently; after all, he wasn’t the one carrying the gear. Judging by the bodyguards’ stamina, a ten-mile hike was nothing, but whether Uncle Li could endure the trek was another question.

By then, darkness had almost fallen. The group hurried into the mountains along the narrow path. To Wood’s surprise, Uncle Li chatted and laughed the entire way, showing no sign of fatigue.

“Heh, I’ve been in the antique business all my life. When I was young, I traveled the length and breadth of the country—no forest or mountain was too wild for me. What’s ten miles of mountain path?” Uncle Li laughed. “But you, Brother Wood, look like you’ve never trekked through the mountains before. The road ahead only gets tougher—no complaining allowed!”

Wood smiled faintly, thinking to himself that his physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary people. These mountain roads were nothing to him.

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Night fell quickly in the mountains. By the time they had walked a few miles, it was completely dark. Fortunately, the five bodyguards each had a flashlight, and their beams illuminated the narrow mountain path clearly. The group quickened their pace. After over an hour, they finally began to see signs of habitation—a small mountain village emerged before them. Yet under the cover of night, and with only the aid of flashlights, it was impossible to gauge the village’s true size.

“You’re here!” As soon as they reached the village entrance, Xiuyuan’s voice called out, “I saw the flashlights from afar and guessed it must be you!”

“Xiuyuan, this place is incredibly remote,” Uncle Li panted. Despite his earlier bravado, the journey had clearly taxed him more than the bodyguards, who, though sweating lightly, were far less disheveled.

Though the night was still young, the villagers had long since gone to bed—there was little in the way of entertainment here. As a result, the arrival of Uncle Li’s party drew little attention.

Xiuyuan led them to the home of a local acquaintance. Seeing the cramped quarters, Uncle Li said, “Forget it—we’ve brought tents. Why don’t we camp in the mountains instead? That way, we won’t attract any unnecessary attention.”

Xiuyuan thought for a moment and replied, “There’s a hunter’s cabin not far from the site we’re headed to. It’s a bit run-down, but if we squeeze in, there should be enough space for everyone.”

So, after a simple meal of dry rations, they followed Xiuyuan deeper into the mountains. This valley was even harder to traverse than the mountain path—there was hardly a trail at all. After a difficult trek, they finally reached the cabin, only to find a lantern burning inside and four men already occupying it—two young men in their twenties and two middle-aged men in their forties.

“Brothers, which line are you in? What business brings you here at this hour?” Uncle Li stepped forward and asked.

The four men did not look like honest folk, but seeing that Uncle Li’s group outnumbered them and included five burly, obviously professional bodyguards, they didn’t dare act rashly. The eldest, a man in his forties, sneered, “Why ask when you already know? You all came to this godforsaken place in the dead of night—you must be here for the same thing as us.”

Uncle Li glanced around at the tools scattered in the cabin and smiled, “So, you’re here to…” He made a digging motion. “Grave robbers, are we?”

The man replied, “Same purpose, but the area is vast. Each to his own—no interference.”

Hearing this, Wood suddenly realized these four must be the legendary tomb raiders. For centuries, the Qin River region had been famous for its concentration of ancient relics and historical sites, especially the northern slopes with their many imperial mausoleums. The graves of other officials, nobles, and tycoons were even more numerous, making this a favorite haunt for tomb raiders. Wood hadn’t expected to encounter some even before entering the deep Qinling Mountains.

“You’re right,” Uncle Li replied. “We’re just passing through and would like to rest here for a while.”

“Suit yourselves!” the man said gruffly, clearly annoyed. He and his companions were in the midst of discussing which tomb to target when this group had suddenly appeared, throwing their plans into doubt. With these well-armed men around, if things turned ugly, there’d be little they could do.

Just then, a loud explosion echoed from the distance, shaking the cabin and sending everyone into a panic. Wood, whose night vision allowed him to see clearly, glanced toward the source of the sound and saw dust billowing into the sky from the opposite mountain. The tomb raiders were startled. “What was that? An earthquake? A landslide?”