Investigation

As Guan Tong's warning echoed, the basket swiftly slid toward the edge of the pit, and it seemed like it was about to fall.

Gu Ming was momentarily frozen, her mind blank, but instinctively, she lunged forward. In the split second before the basket fell, she managed to catch the edge, preventing it from plunging into the pit.

"Gu Ming, are you okay?" Guan Tong quickly ran over to her side, her face full of concern.

"I'm fine." Gu Ming, seeing the intact porcelain plates, rubbed her numb elbow and let out a relieved sigh.

Professor Wang quickly approached them. Seeing that both Gu Ming and the porcelain plates were unharmed, he turned to the others and asked, "What just happened?"

The others shook their heads, clearly as clueless as he was.

At that moment, Professor Hong, covered in dirt and looking flustered, ran out of the tomb, shouting to the outside, "Hurry and get some help. There's been a problem inside."

Professor Wang immediately rushed forward to inquire, while Gu Ming and the others quickly began to number and box the porcelain plates and other artifacts, moving them away from the edge of the pit to prevent any further accidents.

Gu Ming wasn't entirely sure what had caused the noise and tremor earlier, but judging from Professor Wang's coal-black expression, it definitely wasn't anything good.

As more and more artifacts were unearthed, Gu Ming focused on carefully placing the items she had numbered into their specially designed wooden boxes, relishing the joy that her left hand's touch brought as she handled each piece.

Once again, Gu Ming reaffirmed her suspicion that Professor Wang's favoritism toward her was clear. And honestly, she didn't mind at all—she loved it!

After lunch, Gu Ming hadn't had a chance to rest when she was called to Professor Wang's tent.

"What's going on?" Gu Ming quietly asked, seeing how serious Fu Wen looked.

Guan Tong also glanced at Fu Wen, equally puzzled.

"What happened this morning? Do you two know?" Fu Wen lowered his voice, looking around cautiously.

Gu Ming and Guan Tong both shook their heads.

"I heard that when Professor Hong's team went into the tomb, they encountered tomb robbers. Someone accidentally triggered explosives and almost collapsed the entire tomb. To avoid causing a stir, the professors kept it quiet," Fu Wen said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Tomb robbers?" Guan Tong exclaimed.

"How could there be tomb robbers? Didn't they already seal off the area? How did they get in?" Gu Ming frowned, not expecting such a turn of events.

"Who knows?" Fu Wen said, his tone sarcastic.

Just as Fu Wen finished speaking, Professor Wang, covered in dirt and looking exhausted, entered the tent.

"Afternoon, we'll head out to explore the area nearby. Get ready," Professor Wang said, taking a bottle of water from Gu Ming and drinking it down in large gulps.

"Why go to the nearby area? Isn't it mostly empty now?" Gu Ming, seeing that neither Fu Wen nor Guan Tong said anything, stepped forward to ask.

"Some things were lost in the tomb this morning, and special personnel are already investigating it. But there are still people living nearby who haven't moved out. It's a good chance for us to get more information and see what we can find," Professor Wang sighed deeply.

Gu Ming glanced at him but said nothing.

She figured that the nearby residents must have already been questioned when the tomb was first discovered. She didn't think they would find anything new. But since Professor Wang's experience far exceeded theirs, the best course of action was simply to follow his lead, observe, and learn.

At 2 PM, when the sun was at its hottest, Professor Wang led Gu Ming and the others out.

As Gu Ming had expected, the few remaining villagers didn't provide any new information, and most of what they said had already been relayed to the investigators. The village was incredibly remote, and if the developers hadn't bought the land to build a resort, hardly anyone would have come through here. They didn't even see a dog on the way—just a few stubborn residents still holding out. The four of them spent the entire afternoon searching but didn't find a single new clue. By the end of the day, they were exhausted, and they had to ask one of the residents for a drink of water.

"This water's really sweet." After drinking a bowl of freshly drawn well water, Gu Ming felt more refreshed, and her legs didn't feel as sore.

"Drink up, drink up." The old man, who had given them the water, smiled broadly and poured her another bowl.

"Thank you, sir." Gu Ming smiled and thanked him, not refusing the second bowl.

"No need to thank me; it's just water, not worth anything. Besides, this village is so remote, it's rare to see outsiders. I'm happy to help," the old man said, his wrinkled face breaking into a wide grin.

Gu Ming looked at the old man's cheerful face, seeing a resemblance to her own grandfather, and felt a sense of closeness rather than fear.

"Sir, most people have moved away. Why are you still staying here?" Gu Ming, seeing that Professor Wang, Fu Wen, and Guan Tong were talking among themselves, decided to make small talk with the old man.

"I've lived here for generations, and I'm staying put. It's not easy to get me to move with that little money they're offering," the old man said with a bitter expression, clearly displeased with the developers.

"You old man, so stubborn! They've promised us new houses and extra money. My eldest grandson is about to start college, and we need the money. Yet here you are, still refusing to leave!" The old man's wife walked out of the house, scolding him as she set a plate of wild fruits in front of Gu Ming. "We don't have much, but these fruits from the mountains are good. If you don't mind, try some—they taste great."

"Thank you, ma'am." Gu Ming smiled, nodding politely, and reached for a fruit from the plate.

The fruits were green, about the size of a chicken egg. Gu Ming hadn't seen them before, but since the old woman had offered them with such enthusiasm, she assumed they were safe to eat.

"Humph!" The old man turned his head, ignoring his wife.

"Young lady, aren't you the one with all the knowledge? What team are you studying with?" the old woman asked, smiling at Gu Ming.

Gu Ming was so focused on the plate of green fruits that she didn't initially hear the question.

"Young lady, young lady?" The old woman gently tapped Gu Ming's shoulder.

Startled, Gu Ming quickly pulled her hand back, and said, "This fruit plate is quite beautiful."