Diao Shu arrived in front of Liu Dashao, took off his gas mask, and revealed his kind yet sly face.
“What the hell are you doing here, kid?” Diao Shu grabbed Liu Dashao’s clothes angrily.
Liu Dashao had never seen Diao Shu so furious or speaking to him like this before. It must be extremely dangerous here, and Diao Shu was clearly very worried upon seeing Liu Dashao there too.
Liu Dashao was a bit at a loss and waved his hands, saying, “Whoa, shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”
“You go on a trip, just go on a trip, why come here? This is definitely not a place for you,” Diao Shu gritted his teeth and said to Liu Dashao, his gaze so intense it seemed like he wanted to devour him. Seeing that look, Liu Dashao couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. Suddenly, Diao Shu leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Watch your words, not everyone here follows me completely.”
Fan Debiao was someone who would do anything for his friends, especially for Liu Dashao. Not understanding the situation, he thought Diao Shu was going to harm Liu Dashao. Not caring how many modern advanced weapons were aimed at him, he grabbed a brick and charged toward Liu Dashao, ready to take down Diao Shu.
To Liu Dashao’s surprise, Diao Shu didn’t care about Fan Debiao’s action at all, continuing only to give Liu Dashao a stern look with his eyes. Just as Fan Debiao’s brick was about to hit Diao Shu’s head, someone suddenly rushed from the crowd, reached out, and stopped Fan Debiao’s arm mid-air. No matter how hard Fan gritted his teeth, he couldn’t push it down.
This person wore a black trench coat inside, with a black jacket over it. His head was fully covered by a hat, his face wrapped in cloth leaving only his eyes visible, and his back was slightly hunched. His eyes looked extremely hollow, as if nothing in the world mattered to him.
Seeing his brick attack had failed, Fan Debiao immediately switched to his feet, unleashing his most skilled move, the “Foshan Shadowless Kicks.” The mysterious figure didn’t care about Fan Debiao’s attacks at all. He simply let go, turned his body, swung his arm, and directly knocked Fan Debiao to the ground.
Fan Debiao had never suffered such humiliation before and couldn’t bear it. He scrambled up from the ground and charged at the figure again. The figure’s eyes remained indifferent as ever. He simply reached out, grabbed Fan Debiao’s arm, and caused him to cry out in pain. It seemed Fan Debiao had been completely subdued.
“Stop! Don’t fight anymore!” Another person ran out from the crowd, taking off his gas mask as he spoke. It was Lao Wu.
Lao Wu approached Liu Dashao and Diao Shu, saying, “Seventh Master, don’t act so rashly. Let’s first find out what’s going on. Young Master wouldn’t come here without reason. What’s the point of you two uncle and nephew standing off like this?”
Upon hearing Lao Wu’s words that Liu Dashao and Diao Shu were uncle and nephew, everyone present showed expressions of surprise. Even the eyes of the person holding Fan Debiao briefly flickered.
After hearing Lao Wu’s words, Diao Shu released Liu Dashao. At the same time, the mysterious figure also threw Fan Debiao to the ground. Seeing that it was Diao Shu’s man, Fan Debiao knew better than to start another fight—he’d only end up getting beaten again. Fan wasn’t stupid.
“If it weren’t for you being my nephew, I’d have turned you into a beehive! Now quickly tell me, kid, how did you end up here?” Diao Shu lit a cigarette and asked Liu Dashao.
Liu Dashao understood Diao Shu’s nature well—they both had stubborn tendencies. This wasn’t a joking matter. Shrugging his shoulders, Liu Dashao asked Lao Wu for a cigarette, lit it, and recounted everything that had happened since they entered the desert, naturally omitting the part about their fear of his blood.
After listening to Liu Dashao’s explanation, Diao Shu nodded and said, “So that’s how it is!”
“How about you? Why are you here? Did you come grave robbing too?” Liu Dashao asked Diao Shu.
Diao Shu was silent for a moment, then pulled out an ancient scroll made of sheepskin—the same one Lao Wu had previously shown him. He called Liu Dashao aside and said, “My reason for coming here is on this scroll.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was very surprised. “Didn’t you say you couldn’t understand this thing? Why would you come here for it?”
Diao Shu pointed at the sheepskin scroll and said, “When I first received it, I really couldn’t make any sense of it. But after a sleepless night, I finally figured it out—it’s a map.”
“A map? Whoa, if this is a map, who can even understand it?” Liu Dashao exclaimed in astonishment.
“This is an ancient cartographic method unique to the Western Regions. I spent some time researching Western Region culture during my archaeological work, so with enough study, I could eventually figure it out,” Diao Shu explained to Liu Dashao.
At this moment, a sudden realization flashed through Liu Dashao’s mind. In the previous chamber, hadn’t there been a map on the wall exactly like this one? Could it be that there was a massive treasure here? But Diao Shu wasn’t the kind of person who would go to such lengths just for treasure. So Liu Dashao voiced his thoughts to Diao Shu.
Diao Shu angrily replied, “Do I look like someone who would risk my life for treasure? This time, I came here to clarify something.”
Liu Dashao felt curious and asked Diao Shu, “Uncle Diao, what exactly is this thing you can’t tell anyone about? Why not tell me?”
Liu Dashao had meant this as a joke, but Diao Shu answered him very seriously. “This is not something you should concern yourself with. This matter involves too many things. It’s better not to know than to know.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao couldn’t help but feel a bit upset. Diao Shu had piqued his curiosity but wouldn’t let him in on the whole truth. “What the hell is this?”
His curiosity drove Liu Dashao to hound Diao Shu with questions, but Diao Shu refused to reveal anything. Finally, clearly impatient, he warned Liu Dashao that if he asked again, he’d knock him down himself.
Liu Dashao realized that since Diao Shu had come here specifically to clarify this matter, if he stuck around with him, he was bound to get to the bottom of it eventually.
So he stopped asking and said, “Fine, don’t tell me. We should all find a way out first.”
Diao Shu quietly asked Liu Dashao, “Who exactly is that woman behind us?”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao turned around and saw that Wang Feifei was staring fixedly at Diao Shu. Liu Dashao felt puzzled—could it be that Diao Shu was so charming that Wang Feifei had fallen for him? That didn’t make sense. After all, he himself was much better-looking than Diao Shu. Why hadn’t she even glanced at him?
Liu Dashao told Diao Shu, “That woman is Wang Feifei. She’s the leader of our expedition to the Golden Ancient City. Don’t underestimate her because she’s young—she’s actually a high-ranking member of the French Tour Exploration Team. Do you think something’s off with her?”
“What? You said the French Tour Exploration Team?” Diao Shu asked Liu Dashao.
“Yeah, the French Tour Exploration Team. Got a problem with that?” Liu Dashao teased Diao Shu.
Diao Shu nodded slightly and said nothing more, but Liu Dashao felt that this question wasn’t just idle curiosity.
“Excuse me, are you Mr. Diao De Yi, the great master?” While Liu Dashao and Diao Shu were talking, Wang Feifei had already approached from behind the group and suddenly spoke up.
Hearing her words, Liu Dashao turned around and stared at her, his face full of confusion. How did this girl know the old man’s name was Diao De Yi? And she even called him “Master Diao.” Could it be she was Diao Shu’s student? But that was impossible—Diao Shu had never worked as a teacher.
Liu Dashao looked at Diao Shu. His reaction was intense—cold sweat had appeared on his forehead, his eyes were wide open, and he was staring at Wang Feifei as if trying to see straight through her.
Wang Feifei’s expression was also strange. Her usually pure and calm face was now filled with tension, mixed with a hint of anticipation. Liu Dashao was completely baffled.
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