Tomb Raiding: My Family's Last Clan Chief is Little Brother

Chapter 47 Spending the Night in the Mountains
The three of them then huddled in the bushes, listening to a boss surnamed Wang from the group recount ancient tales. Zhang Wuxun extracted a key piece of information from it: the Iron-Headed Cavalry, who were dedicated to collecting rare treasures for the emperor, and the half-roll of ancient book called "Hemu Ji," which recorded the locations of ancient tombs.

Old Yang sighed, glanced furtively in that direction, and said in a low voice, "I don't know if... if what this guy surnamed Wang said is... is true or not. From what he said, it sounds like they're going to make a killing this time. If we follow them, the scraps from that place alone will be enough for us to live on for years."

Wu Xiaoxie nodded in agreement, "Judging from how confidently they speak, it's probably true."

Upon hearing this, Lao Yang immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Then, then we've really, really followed the right path this time! Brother Zhang, this idea is brilliant..."

In his excitement, Lao Yang's usual breathy voice became particularly loud as he stammered, making it all the more noticeable in the sudden darkness.

Oh no!
Zhang Wuxun clearly saw two of the people around the fire stand up, put their hands on their lower backs, and stare at the bushes where they were hiding.

Zhang Wuxun quickly pressed Wu Xiaoxie's head down.

Lao Yang suddenly flung himself to the ground, too scared to even breathe.

The two men moved, slowing their pace as they approached them. Zhang Wuxun even heard the sound of guns being cocked.

At the critical moment—a commotion suddenly arose in the distance, and a row of bright flashlight beams were approaching.

"He's got eagle claws! Get out of here!"

Upon receiving the signal, the group quickly extinguished the fire, packed up their equipment, and ran deeper into the forest.

Zhang Wuxun and the other two waited until there was no more movement before they poked their heads out to check.

Those people had vanished without a trace.

It's pitch black now, there's no way we can catch up.

Moreover, the patrol team was getting closer and closer, so it was not advisable to stay here for long. Zhang Wuxun and the other two packed their equipment and plunged into the deep forest.

After avoiding the patrol team, the three found a suitable place to camp and took out their sleeping bags to rest.

The night grows cold as the dew deepens.

Zhang Wusun started a fire, boiled some water, poured it into a palm-sized hot water bottle, avoided Lao Yang, and stuffed it into Wu Xiaoxie's arms so he could hold it and keep warm.

"Alright, go to sleep. I'll keep watch." Zhang Wuxun patted Wu Xiaoxie's head and turned to sit down by the fire.

Wu Xiaoxie nodded, "Okay, I'll switch with you in three hours."

-

A drop of frost dangled precariously from a leaf, finally giving way and falling directly onto the forehead of the person below.

Wu Xiaoxie jolted awake, opened his eyes abruptly, sat up, and looked around.

Lao Yang was still asleep, curled up, but Zhang Wuxun was nowhere to be seen. The fire still had a tiny flame, barely extinguished.

Wu Xiaoxie's heart skipped a beat, "A wooden fish?"

"Where the damn wooden fish man is?"

Could some large wild animal have stolen the wooden fish under the cover of night?
The more I think about it, the more anxious I become.

Wu Xiaoxie hurriedly crawled out of his sleeping bag, and was about to wake Lao Yang to go look for someone when he heard footsteps.

"Yo, wake up."

Zhang Wuxun held two fish, each about the size of a palm and a half, and waved them at Wu Xiaoxie. "We're having fish for breakfast to improve our meals." Seeing that his clothes were a little wrinkled but he had no injuries, Wu Xiaoxie breathed a sigh of relief.

Startled awake by Wu Xiaoxie's shout, Lao Yang thought there was danger and forgot he was still in his sleeping bag. He tried to jump up, but was tied up and fell face-first to the ground, his fierce expression freezing on his face.

Wu Xiaoxie caught a glimpse of it and was startled. Lao Yang immediately resumed his previous simple and honest expression, so Wu Xiaoxie assumed he had seen wrong and didn't pay much attention, laughing and mocking Lao Yang.

Lao Yang crawled out of his sleeping bag, touched his head, and said, "I was... I was still half asleep."

With a toothbrush in his mouth and foam all over his face, Wu Xiaoxie leaned over to look at the fish that Zhang Wuxun had cleaned. "Where did you catch this fish? It's pretty fat. Why didn't you wake me up this morning?"

“There’s a stream not far ahead. When I went to get water, I found fish in it.” Zhang Wuxun relit the fire. “Seeing you sleeping like a log, I wasn’t that sleepy either, so I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Kind people like me are rare these days.”

"Kindness my foot! No, wait..." Wu Xiaoxie chuckled, "You're the pig."

The three of them shared the grilled fish and ate a simple meal with the hot flatbread.

Zhang Wuxun poured the contents of the stream into a clean can and lit it, while Wu Xiaoxie urged him to take a nap.

The water in the mountain stream is raw water and must be boiled to kill bacteria, otherwise drinking it will definitely cause an upset stomach.

After resting, Zhang Wuxun and the other two regrouped and continued on their way.

About an hour later, a dilapidated temple appeared ahead.

Several women wearing headscarves were chatting together near the wooden stump at the temple entrance.

Wu Xiaoxie's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer, asking sincerely, "Sister, I'm a tourist from out of town. I'd like to ask you how far it is to the next village?"

But the woman wasn't having any of it, giving Wu Xiaoxie a sidelong glance and asking, "What are you guys trying to do, coming all this way to our village?"

Several women nearby also looked over warily.

Wu Xiaoxie, with his friendly face that appeals to men, women, young and old, was met with a cold shoulder and gave an embarrassed smile. "Don't misunderstand, we just asked for directions. We want to go to the village ahead for a stroll."

The woman spat, "You look like you're up to no good, with your shifty faces. Who knows what you're up to?"

Wu Xiaoxie was scolded and looked completely bewildered and helpless. It was obviously the first time he had encountered such an illogical situation.

Zhang Wuxun clicked his tongue, pushed Wu Xiaoxie behind him, took out his wallet from his pocket, and shoved two red bills into the woman's arms. He said impatiently, "Stop rambling on. Lead the way, and these two hundred yuan are yours."

The woman wasn't angry. She held the money up to her eyes, examined it, and felt the stamp. Once she confirmed it was real, she immediately smiled broadly. "Don't be angry, don't be angry. I was just joking. Why are you getting so worked up? Just keep going straight along this road. There's a fork in the road ahead. Turn left, cross a stream, and you'll reach our village."

Zhang Wuxun then asked, "Besides us, did anyone else go there before?"

Lao Yang added, peeking out, "There's an old man, and four young people."

Upon hearing this, the woman narrowed her eyes and became gossipy, "What, did those people commit a crime? You're not from the police, are you?"

Zhang Wuxun glanced at him sideways, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

"Oh~"

The woman immediately gave me a knowing look. "So, does this count as providing a clue? Will they write me a letter of commendation or something?"

Lao Yang chuckled and said, "Don't worry, when we get back, I'll definitely give it to you and award you a first-class merit."

(End of this chapter)