Tomb Raiders: She Comes from the Ancient Martial Arts World

Even though Zhang Qilin was holding on, his energy, which had already been pushed to the limit, had not recovered at all.

The situation is visibly dire.

Ling Yue handed him the cigarette he had taken from the fat man earlier.

Wu Xie had told her this before, saying that people in their line of work would chew tobacco when they were injured while raiding tombs and had no other options, as it could help them stay alert and mentally sharp.

Nicotine in tobacco can also stimulate nicotine receptors in nerves and muscles, increasing dopamine levels and thus helping to relieve pain.

Ling Yue had intended to give it to Pan Zi, but Pan Zi managed to carry it all the way through, only fainting after she came out.

That cigarette has remained to this day.

When offered a cigarette, Zhang Qilin simply glanced at her and understood what she meant.

He took it, silently tore it open, and put the tobacco inside into his mouth, chewing slowly.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Ling Yue pondered for a moment and suddenly asked Zhang Qilin, "Did you deliberately bring them into the ancient building?"

This question was abrupt and lacked any clear beginning or end.

Neither Ling Yue, who was talking about it, nor Zhang Qilin, who was listening, found anything strange about it.

Zhang Qilin remained silent, which did not surprise Ling Yue.

She believes that if she can get an answer, she's already gained something; if she can't, it's just a waste of time.

Moreover, this method of harvesting dates has brought her unexpected rewards on many occasions.

It doesn't matter if we didn't hit it this time.

The two walked towards the end of the passage, one after the other.

At the end of the passage is a downward staircase leading directly into the water.

Surprisingly, Wu Xie and Fatty Wang, who should have left long ago, were still soaking in the water. Their eyes were bloodshot, caused by holding their breath underwater.

It seems they had been here all along, trying to avoid the strong alkaline water mist by diving underwater.

However, since strong alkalis dissolve in water, the toxicity of the strong alkali water mist can only be barely diluted by the water itself.

It's unclear what their mindset was when they waited here, but thankfully they finally got the result they wanted.

Upon seeing Zhang Qilin and Ling Yue, as well as Panzi being held by Ling Yue, Wu Xie felt a lump in his throat and his eyes welled up with tears.

He swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions, quickly climbed out of the water, went up the steps, and wanted to take the Panzi from Ling Yue's hands.

Seeing his swaying posture, Ling Yue did not let go, but adjusted his position so that he could see the condition of Panzi.

He was also briefly told, "The situation is currently stable, but you need to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible."

As long as it's not delayed for too long and the person is taken to the hospital in time, even if they are treated to the point of being practically dead, they won't actually die.

Wu Xie took a deep breath, stood on the steps below, and looked up at Ling Yue, his eyes filled with relief and gratitude: "Ling Yue, thank you."

At that moment, he felt that his vocabulary was too limited, too limited to express even a fraction of the gratitude in his heart.

Fatty Wang shouted from below, "Alright, stop chatting and let's get out of here!"

Ling Yue felt the same way, and simply smiled slightly at Wu Xie's gratitude.

Zhang Qilin, who was standing next to her, had been observing her intentionally or unintentionally. Ling Yue noticed this and felt a little suspicious.

However, we can't get any answers from this person right now, so we'll have to leave it at that for the time being.

The pool at the entrance of the passage is connected to the pool in another stone chamber. After a brief underwater swim of about ten meters, and then surfacing, you return to the poisonous gas cave that Wang Pangzi and Zhang Qilin's group had mistakenly entered when they first came in – a cave full of pools.

The poisonous gas had dissipated by now, and after climbing out of the water, the group hurried along the only passage beside them.

After running for nearly three or four hours, we finally saw a light ahead.

They're finally out!

Just as Ling Yue breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Wu Xie, who was carrying Panzi on his back, stumble and fell straight forward.

Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Wu Xie's arm, pulling him back until the tassel on his back fell to the ground with a thud.

Ling Yue was about to walk over and pick up the two when, as soon as she turned around, Zhang Qilin, who had been silently following behind her, swayed and went limp.

Ling Yue was a bit far away from him at this moment, and only had time to reach out and gently hook Zhang Qilin's waist with her foot before he fell to the ground, so that he wouldn't fall too hard.

However, before he could retract his foot, Fatty Wang, who was at the front, let out a "whoop" and knelt down on the ground, falling to his knees in a seesaw position.

At first, Ling Yue thought that Fatty Wang had also fainted.

But less than two seconds later, a deafening snoring sound rang out.

Ling Yue: "..."

Wu Xie, who was still half-carrying in his hand, was thrown to the ground.

Lie down, everyone lie down, it's good to lie down.

Ling Yue was also tired, so he found a relatively clean spot to sit down.

Not long after, a blond-haired, blue-eyed man spotted them.

The other party started yelling and called over other people.

Ling Yue was unsure whether they were friends or foes, so he stood up and defensively blocked the four-man group of idiots.

When someone tried to get past her to approach Wu Xie and the others, Ling Yue blocked them all.

A dozen or so tall, burly foreigners couldn't get close to him.

Another woman with a high ponytail and wearing a leather jacket appeared and spoke to Ling Yue in fluent Mandarin. Only then did Ling Yue ask them to help carry the person away.

But you can't leave her sight during the process.

Ling Yue knew that Zhang Qilin had been sent to a sanatorium for research, and it was said that the Zhang family was highly sought after by some people.

We can't let someone take advantage of the situation and steal it.

And then there's Wu Xie, who's still using his third uncle's human skin mask, and who knows when it will fall off.

It would be awkward if it suddenly fell off halfway through.

At that time, wouldn't those people who can only be kept in check by his third uncle's status be ready to turn the world upside down in no time?

Thinking about the medicine he had used, Ling Yue wondered if Wu Xie's third uncle must still have some assets.

Although he is now impersonating his third uncle, as long as he is not exposed, he is his third uncle.

—In that case, he should be able to pay for Panzi's medicine, right?

After following the group back to their campsite by the lake, the woman in the leather jacket assigned them to the same tent.

After a while, the woman in the leather jacket came in with an old foreign man, lifting the curtain.

Ling Yue noticed that the old foreigner's gaze immediately fell on Zhang Qilin's face after he came in.

Upon seeing Zhang Qilin, the elderly foreigner visibly relaxed, then smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Ling Yue: "May I ask how this young lady is addressed? I've never seen you before?"

Ling Yue felt something was off about the other person; he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

After thinking about it carefully, Ling Yue realized that this feeling was somewhat similar to the feeling she had when she was in the poplar forest in the desert and the ghostly soldiers in the underground cracks of Changbai Mountain.

Very subtle.

It's not a matter of dislike or aversion.

At times, Ling Yue never understood the concept of respecting the elderly and caring for the young. She simply ignored the two questions from the old foreigner and asked the woman in the leather jacket, "When can we arrange for someone to take them to the hospital?"

Ling Yue didn't know exactly where she was or what the current situation was; she needed to obtain more information.

When it comes to obtaining information, nothing is more efficient and faster than asking someone else a question.

The woman in the leather jacket glanced at the old foreigner, and only after he nodded slightly did she say to Ling Yue, "We have a doctor with us, and we'll be giving them initial treatment later. It's already past four in the afternoon, and it will take at least six hours to get down the mountain. Plus, we'll have to carry the injured, so it's estimated to take ten hours. We don't have time today."

The old foreigner smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Wu and I have been friends for many years. I also had some dealings with his father back then. Once you're here, you'll be safely home."

Ling Yue then looked at the old foreigner properly, without showing any sign of unfamiliarity.

It was as if she already knew who the other person was.

This scene made the old foreigner's eyes flicker. He suppressed his anxiety and, when Ling Yue showed signs of fatigue, politely told him to rest first, while he and his men left.

After walking a short distance, the woman in the leather jacket asked, somewhat puzzled, "Boss, why were we so polite to her?"

Although the boss always acted like an old-fashioned gentleman, these people never believed that their boss was a gentleman at all.

Qiu Dekao stopped and looked up at the sky.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "Knowing my identity, yet still maintaining this attitude, indicates she has someone to rely on. Moreover, she's very skilled..."

After a pause, Qiu Dekao chuckled briefly, shook his head, and said with a mix of regret, helplessness, and satisfaction: "No matter whose side she is on, this path will never belong to me again."

Having searched for most of his life, from the era of the Nine Gates to the present, Qiu Dekao yearns for immortality.

He did a lot and calculated a lot for this.

His lifespan was indeed extended.

Many people even suspect that he has achieved immortality because of his appearance, which does not match his age.

It's ridiculous.

Do those who crave immortality know what the price of immortality truly is?

The woman in the leather jacket didn't understand why her boss suddenly stopped talking.

Seeing this, Qiu Dekao shook his head and sighed inwardly: There can only be one Aning in the end.