Chapter 152: The Opening of the Ruins (Part Two)

Seeing Xia Xuanxuan throw her temper, the rest of the group did not try to stop her, and even Shi Jidong remained silent.

When facing danger, this person only knew to cower inside his tent, which was utterly infuriating. A grown young man should at least come out and stand with everyone else. Even if there were perils, facing them together would give them a chance to pull through. What kind of coward hides away by himself?

Faced with Xia Xuanxuan's fierce reprimands, Lu Ming's tent remained completely motionless.

The more Xia Xuanxuan looked, the angrier she became, and she couldn't help but chime in again, "What an absolute good-for-nothing piece of trash! Do you even call yourself a man? Go home and suck on your mother's milk!"

At this moment, Xia Yuanfei gave a light cough and said, "Alright, Xuanxuan, stop making a fuss. Let's get some rest, we still have to travel tomorrow."

Xia Xuanxuan still wore a relenting look, but finally, persuaded by the others, she retreated back to her own tent.

Meanwhile, inside his tent, Lu Ming was leisurely smoking a cigarette, his expression as calm as still water.

Back when the pack of wolves was still in the distance, he had already sensed them and swiftly enveloped the surroundings with his divine consciousness.

He discovered that the wolf pack was small, numbering only around thirty. Sheng Guoan alone could easily handle them, let alone with the presence of six fully armed security soldiers. Dealing with this pack was completely unproblematic, which was why he had no intention of going out at all.

As for Xia Xuanxuan's angry tirade, Lu Ming didn't care in the least. She was just a spoiled young girl, so why bother stooping to her level? It was best to maintain a low profile whenever possible; only by hiding deep could one live long.

After finishing his cigarette, he stubbed out the butt, turned over, and resumed his deep sleep.

Early the next morning.

Everyone got up one after another and began to wash up.

Lu Ming also emerged from his tent to fetch some water.

"Oh-ho-ho, Mr. Lu, did you sleep well last night?" Seeing Lu Ming come out, Xia Xuanxuan immediately sneered with a face full of contempt.

Lu Ming smiled and said, "Not bad, thanks for asking."

Xia Xuanxuan's expression shifted, and she said angrily, "Who's asking about you, you shameless coward!"

Lu Ming merely smiled and casually splashed some water on his face at a nearby pool.

Seeing Lu Ming's rogue-like attitude made Xia Xuanxuan's teeth itch with frustration; she wished she could just kick him to death.

Yet Lu Ming acted as if nothing had happened, going about his own business.

Before long, breakfast was ready. Lu Ming once again leaned alone against a tree trunk. This time, no one brought him food, leaving Lu Ming to go hungry that morning.

After the meal, everyone packed their gear and continued on their journey.

Lu Ming quietly followed at the back of the group, walking forward. Along the way, Xia Xuanxuan kept up her cynical barbs and veiled insults, all directed straight at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming remained unflustered and calm, his face expressionless.

...

Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, inside a valley.

A few people were standing before a rock wall in the valley, seemingly studying something.

One of them was a Westerner in his fifties, dressed in casual linen attire. He still looked quite handsome, standing ramrod straight while leaning on a single-handed cane. The simple clothing, combined with his demeanor, naturally exuded a profound aristocratic aura.

Beside him stood a young Westerner with flowing blonde hair, who looked to be in his early thirties. Though not very tall, he radiated an imposing presence.

Next to the two of them stood a young Chinese man, also around thirty, wearing glasses and looking scholarly.

Not far away, seven or eight other Westerners were busy organizing a large pile of equipment.

Even more startlingly, figures could be faintly glimpsed moving along the peaks on both sides of the valley. There appeared to be twenty or thirty of them, dressed in camouflage and holding various weapons, looking down at the surroundings from a commanding height.

At this moment, the young Chinese man sycophantly addressed the aristocrat-looking man, saying, "Mr. Julian, this time you are bound to make a major discovery."

The Western man addressed as Julian smiled faintly and said, "Wang, your intelligence this time has been very accurate. Once we return, I will grant you a green card, along with that ten million. You'll be able to live the rest of your life in luxury."

"Thank you so much," Wang Jian said, bowing and scraping.

As he spoke, a flash of smug triumph crossed Wang Jian's eyes.

He had originally been a student of Xia Yuanfei and, just like Xia Xuanxuan, was a graduate student in the archaeology department of Huaqing University.

He had pursued Xia Xuanxuan for years without any result, and recently, due to a minor mistake, he had been severely reprimanded by Xia Yuanfei and cast aside, falling entirely out of favor.

Embittered and disillusioned, knowing that his teacher had been searching for an ancient ruin for years, he hardened his heart and secretly copied Xia Yuanfei's research data, selling it for ten million international dollars to the Julian standing before him.

This Julian was a British aristocrat, wealthy and powerful, who was utterly obsessed with Chinese culture—especially fascinated by the legends of Chinese alchemy.

And the ruin Xia Yuanfei was researching and exploring was precisely the dwelling of Ge Hong, the great Chinese Daoist master of alchemy from several millennia ago, also known by his art name, Baopuzi.

Legend had it that this Ge Hong, besides being a master of alchemy, was also a proponent of immortality and had authored a widely renowned treatise titled "Essays on Immortals."

"When the faculty of hearing is abandoned, the crash of thunder cannot make one hear; when the faculty of seeing is forsaken, the brilliance of the sun, moon, and stars cannot make one see. Could it be that the sound of thunder is too faint, or that the heavenly light is too subtle? Yet the deaf call it silent, and the blind call it nonexistent—how much more so when one is told of the Dao of immortals?"

Ge Hong used the deaf and blind, who were ignorant of thunder and celestial light, as an analogy for those whose minds and perceptions were obscured. Because their own comprehension was limited, they could not understand the true existence of immortal arts. This demonstrated that the inability to understand immortal arts stemmed from one's own limitations, and one must not therefore deny their true existence.

Upon learning this news, Julian was overjoyed. Not only did he promise him ten million international dollars, but he also agreed to secure a green card for him to settle down permanently in Britain.

Naturally, Wang Jian was even more ecstatic. What he had done could be described as betraying his teacher, turning his back on his ancestors, and selling out his country for glory; he could certainly no longer stay in China.

Now, with ten million in hand plus a green card, all his problems were solved. Once the expedition was over, he could head to Britain and enjoy a life of wealth and privilege.

As for Xia Yuanfei and Xia Xuanxuan, they could go to hell for all he cared. With money, what kind of woman couldn't he have? A mere Xia Xuanxuan wasn't all that special.

At this point, the team of workers had finished organizing their equipment, carried it to the base of the rock wall, and began scanning with instruments.

The legendary dwelling where Baopuzi practiced alchemy was located right here, and it had to be opened with utmost care.

Ordinary tombs and ruins were bound to have traps; even without mechanisms, the passage of time could give rise to various unpredictable factors, making caves or ruins fraught with peril. Caution was paramount—both to prevent damage and to avoid danger.

Julian stared intently at the instrument screen without blinking.

After more than half an hour, one of the workers spoke volubly to Julian in a foreign tongue.

A smile spread across Julian's face as he gave a grand wave of his hand, signaling the crew to resume work.

Through detection, a massive empty space was indeed confirmed to lie behind this rock wall.

The vast void within the solid cliff face proved that there were hidden mysteries inside. It seemed the intelligence was accurate after all, filling Julian with boundless joy.

However, finding a safe method to open the dwelling would still take some time. Patiently, Julian sat down in a reclining chair to the side and lit a cigar.

Meanwhile, the blonde man occasionally communicated through the stealth headset in his ear with the soldiers stationed on the cliffs on both sides.

Time ticked by. After nearly three hours, the workers suddenly burst into cheers.

Julian immediately stood up and walked over to them.

Through communication, he learned that the men had found the method to open the dwelling.

With a smile, Julian instructed them to open it immediately.

The team of workers swiftly set to work clearing away the weeds covering the rock wall. Moments later, a circular rock face measuring three zhang across was completely exposed.

An elderly lead worker felt around the rock wall for a moment and then pressed hard against a protruding stone.

A rumbling sound echoed out as the cliff face shuddered. A section of rock approximately three meters wide and two meters thick detached itself from the main wall and slowly sank downward into the ground, revealing a pitch-black cave entrance.

Gazing excitedly at the opening, Julian slowly waved his hand. The men immediately donned gas masks, switched on their headlamps, and prepared to enter.

At that very instant, the blonde man's expression abruptly changed. "Mr. Julian, someone is coming."