Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 549 The Zhang Family's Intentions!
After resting for a while and recovering most of their strength, the three of them left the cave and continued to climb upwards with Hu Ming.

The main problem was that Xiao Hua and Wu Xie were feeling extremely uncomfortable in this awful place, as if they were being watched by countless venomous eyes.

Before Hu Ming could speak, the two of them couldn't wait to set off again.

More unbearable than the physical exhaustion was the eerie, unsettling feeling.

Tell me, aside from the incredibly reckless and the truly skilled and daring, who the hell would dare to rest on a mass grave?
Are you out of your mind?
After walking uphill along the winding mountain path for less than twenty minutes, Hu Ming and his two companions arrived not far from the enormous, bare rock face.

This hill is lush and green, with exceptionally abundant vegetation.

However, some distance from the summit, an unusual, enclosed, desolate area appeared around the mountainside.

The environment here seems to be problematic; not a blade of grass grows, and all life has vanished.

The huge rock that the three of them saw below was right here.

"I've noticed something very strange, Uncle Ming. Xiao Hua, look for yourselves, aren't the types of trees here a bit too limited?"

"I've been wondering about this ever since we started climbing the mountain. Logically speaking, given the terrain here, shouldn't it be covered with all sorts of trees?"

As they approached the large rock, Wu Xie suddenly stopped and said in a deep voice.

Ever since following Hu Ming up the mountain to the heart of Yangjiao Mountain, Wu Xie had felt a sense of unease. Now, he finally understood the mystery that had been troubling him.

The vegetation near Yangjiao Mountain is particularly different from other places, especially the types of trees, all of which are excellent timber and exceptionally suitable for construction!
"I remember you said before that you got some information from the villagers that around the Ming Dynasty, there was a huge fire near Yangjiao Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaohua stopped and muttered to herself.

"Ha! You two have excellent observation skills!"

“That’s right. Hundreds or even thousands of years ago, this mountain was set on fire by people, burning everything on the mountain.”

"After the wildfire was extinguished, this place was planted with a variety of specific tree species, so that it would be easier and less strenuous to carry out a large-scale project here hundreds of years later."

"...You heard me right. There's no need to look so incredulous. The Zhang Family Ancient Building is indeed a thousand-year plan. A thousand years ago, or even earlier, the Zhang family had already made all the preparations."

Hu Ming looked at the two utterly astonished people and chuckled softly.

Those unfamiliar with the Zhang family's history would find it hard to imagine that a family could be so arrogant as to plan for a thousand years using several generations as the unit of time.

On this ancient land, even the dynasties that ruled over the entire Chinese nation had a history of only a few hundred years at most.

But the Zhang family has the right to be arrogant!

If it weren't for the ideological upheavals of the Republican era, the Zhang family would still be the covert rulers of this land!
"Wait, Uncle Ming, do you mean the Zhang family hasn't always existed in Guangxi Province, but rather migrated from elsewhere?"

Suppressing his shock and forcing himself to calm down, Wu Xie keenly grasped the key point.

Congratulations, blind student, you've grasped the key point!
Hu Ming glanced at Wu Xie with admiration.

As expected of a martial artist
Wu Xie's mind is beyond the reach of ordinary people. While Xiao Hua was still immersed in shock, Wu Xie had already grasped the key point.

"That's right, the Zhang Family Ancient Building is a very special place, containing a great secret."

"The Zhang family's original ancestral home was at the foot of Changbai Mountain. Later, due to some special reasons, they began to prepare for the family's relocation a thousand years ago."

"During this period, the Zhang family searched all over China and finally decided to move their new ancestral home here."

"Do you still remember that bronze gate deep in Changbai Mountain? In a sense, the Zhang family is the clan that guards the bronze gate."

Hu Ming squinted at the bare boulder not far away and said calmly.

"But a thousand-year plan... even for the Zhang family, it's probably not an easy task. Why would they go to such lengths to relocate from one side of China to the other?"

"Uncle Ming, what's the special reason you mentioned?"

As Wu Xie continued forward with Hu Ming, he felt a restless urge, unwilling to miss this good opportunity to learn about Xiao Ge's family past.

"Because... Zhang Family Ancient Building is alive!"

Alive!!???
Despite the bright sunshine, Xiao Hua and Wu Xie instinctively shrank back upon hearing Hu Ming's words, feeling a sudden chill envelop them.

I felt an immense malice coming from the shadows, which was terrifying.

A living building? Is that even possible?
"The location of Zhang Family Ancient Building is very interesting. Whether it's Changbai Mountain or here, the location of Zhang Family Ancient Building is not a dragon's lair, but rather it is embedded in the very marrow of the feng shui dragon vein!"

"That's why the Zhang Family Ancient Building is buried deep underground."

"For thousands of years, the Zhang Family Ancient Building has been absorbing the essence of the feng shui dragon veins and the essence of heaven and earth. By taking advantage of the great power of heaven and earth, they intend to nurture and revive something!"

"You will understand the secret of Zhang Family Ancient Building once you witness it with your own eyes. We have arrived."

At this moment, Hu Ming and the other two had arrived at the foot of the boulder. Hu Ming suddenly stopped talking and refused to say any more.

"I'll show you something good."

Hu Ming looked at the rough stone wall of the large rock, pinched his chin, and seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly, he spoke with great interest to the two somewhat bewildered people.

"what?"

Hu Ming took a bottle of mineral water out of his backpack, opened it, took a sip, and then poured the entire bottle of water onto the stone wall!
The water flowed slowly into the stone wall.

Before long, the stone wall underwent an astonishing change!
Inside the rock, there was a dense mass of shadows huddled together!
Countless shadows stared at the three people through the stone wall with their dim, yellowish eyes, their gazes filled with savagery, greed, and a voracious appetite, sending chills down their spines.

"This is...Mithara!? How can there be so many here?"

Wu Xie was extremely familiar with this thing!
(End of this chapter)