Chapter 22: The Location of the Ancient Tomb

Chapter 22: The Location of the Ancient Tomb

Have they found the location of the ancient tomb?

As soon as this was mentioned, the staff's attention immediately focused, all ears perked up, listening intently, afraid to miss even the slightest detail.

"The author wrote here that after the tomb robber exited the ancient tomb, he was somewhat disoriented from spending too much time underground. After climbing out of the tunnel, he looked around for a while to get his bearings. Finally, he headed in the direction where a bit of a pagoda's spire was visible in the distance."

"This means there should be a tall pagoda near the ancient tomb."

"And here, the tomb robber patted the dirt off his clothes, stuffed his tools and the packed loot into a burlap sack, put on a safety helmet, and with a simple, honest smile, dressed like a construction worker, he went to take the bus. He took a public bus."

"At that time, the bus's voice announcement reminded: 'Passengers, please sit firmly, hold onto the handrails, do not stand in the blue area near the doors, do not lean against the doors. Next stop: Chengguan Station.'"

"Chengguan Station is quite common; many places have a location named Chengguan."

"It's tough to search based on this alone; there are too many targets."

"It's not impossible to check them one by one, but the manpower and resources needed aside, the most important thing is time."

The staff nodded instinctively.

The plants have already started to be affected; now it's a race against the clock. Even though scientists are working hard, they cannot slack off here.

Scientific research also needs enough sample materials.

Moreover, if they do not find the ancient tomb and the tomb robbers in time and ensure there are no other hazards, what if the scientists manage to control the situation, only for another wave of problems to arise from the ancient tomb or the tomb robbers?

The pink oranges Yu Jiaojiao cultivated might be effective for the former, but not necessarily for the latter. Who knows what new issues might erupt.

Sheng Qingquan recalls the seriousness of the situation well.

Fortunately, this passage revealed not just a location, but also a small detail that could easily be missed.

Someone like Sheng Qingquan, whose main job is being a landlord and who freelances on the side, loves to travel whenever he has free time.

From using school holidays to traveling anytime after graduation.

Sheng Qingquan has traveled to many places.

To avoid getting ripped off, taking the bus is a very economical and convenient option when traveling.

Sheng Qingquan has taken buses in many places. In most buses, the area near the doors is painted a striking yellow.

Yellow is also a warning color, instantly signaling caution.

In short, bus companies go out of their way to ensure passengers don't overlook this area, fearing someone might stand there and get injured by the doors.

This is pretty much the case for buses in every city.

But Sheng Qingquan recalls that the buses in Linqian City are quite unique.

Linqian City is a coastal city. It's also a tourist city with a very developed tourism industry. To attract more tourists and highlight local features, the buses in Linqian City have the area near the doors, usually yellow, specially painted sea blue. It also features wave patterns.

This serves as a subtle reminder that the sea, while beautiful, can be dangerous, and one should be cautious while enjoying it.

"When I visited Linqian City two years ago, the section near the bus door was still painted blue. If the bus system there hasn't been reformed in the past two years, it should still be blue."

"This lines up with the blue zone mentioned in the bus's announcement in the story."

"But this alone isn't enough to be sure."

Sheng Qingquan hadn't traveled all over the country. He couldn't guarantee that the section near the bus doors in other places wasn't also painted blue.

Fortunately, he found another piece of supporting evidence in the story.

"On the bus, the tomb robber's disguise wasn't detected. In fact, someone even offered him a seat, seeing him lugging around big and small bags, looking like he was struggling."

"The person who offered the seat was a student. To put the tomb robber at ease, she specifically mentioned that she was studying at Chengguan and would get off at the next stop."

"Fooling everyone made the tomb robber very proud."

"In other words, there are schools near Chengguan, which is pretty common. Many Chengguan areas have schools. The country values education, and there are all kinds of public and private schools everywhere."

"The real clue is the way she said 'studying at Chengguan,' with that distinctive tone."

Because Linqian City has particularly beautiful scenery and excellent commercialization, Sheng Qingquan stayed there for over a month, living, eating, and exploring the area. Over time, he naturally had many opportunities to interact with locals.

He also learned a few phrases of the local dialect.

Learning dialects is tough. You can forget what you learned overnight and have to start from scratch.

But that's exactly what made it stick in my mind.

"I remember that in the dialect of Linqian City, people often use the particle '喏' at the end of sentences. To the point that children raised by elders, who speak the dialect frequently, sometimes slip it into their Mandarin."

"Plus, Linqian City has this famous pagoda. Linqian City's Yuxiang Pagoda is very well-known."

"'Sea salt, river fresh, scales dive, feathers soar.'"

"The pagoda is also a historical site, named after a sentence from the Thousand Character Classic. They say the tower's tall and the wind's fierce. Standing on the pagoda, when the wind blows, your clothes flap around, making you feel like you're about to take off."

"The hype was great, so I got curious and checked it out. I climbed the pagoda, exhausted. I have to say, cultured folks see things differently. When I got up there, I only felt one thing: the sea wind was so strong, it hurt my face. If not for the guardrails and the guide's warnings, I might've been swept off my feet."

"It really felt like I was about to fly!"

All that trouble back then is finally paying off. Sheng Qingquan couldn't help but sigh.

"At least it wasn't a total waste."

"I've come to realize that this novel, though wordy, works perfectly as a clue book—not a single word is wasted."

"Putting it all together, the ancient tomb is probably in Linqian City, within sight of the Yuxiang Pagoda and not far from the Chengguan bus stop."

"Because before taking the bus, the tomb robber had been walking on foot."

"From this perspective, the tomb's location shouldn't be too remote. Otherwise, how could the tomb robber have the stamina to trek long distances after descending into the tomb?"

"Alright, I have a general location. Now let me check the bus situation."

"After all, if the color of the section near the bus doors in Linqian City has been changed, a key clue would be wrong, and the previous deductions would have to be redone."

"Who knows the area better than the locals?"

Sheng Qingquan took out his phone and posted a thread on the local forum of Linqian City.

"Help: I went to Linqian City a couple of years ago and was deeply impressed by the blue wave patterns painted on the buses there. It was quite unique, and I haven't seen anything like it elsewhere. I was wondering if the areas near the bus doors are still blue on the city's buses."

"Is it okay to ask this way?"

"I hope someone answers soon."

"If the bus area in Linqian City has changed colors, I could also take the opportunity to ask if anyone has seen similar buses elsewhere."

Sheng Qingquan had a good plan. The forum in Linqian City was quite active with many users. Shortly after he posted, a local enthusiastically replied.

"It's still the same—not only is the blue wave pattern near the bus doors unchanged, but the ticket prices for scenic spots haven't changed either."

"Welcome back for another visit! When you come, you're a friend, and I'll treat you to seafood!"

Sheng Qingquan subconsciously read it aloud and couldn't help but laugh.

"It's good that it hasn't changed. But the people of Linqian City are still as warm as ever!"

"I'll skip the seafood, but I really need to revisit. I wonder if there are any flights available at this hour."

Linqian City is quite far from Yunteng City. Most importantly, it's during the New Year holiday, and although it's not as crazy as National Day, Sheng Qingquan was still doubtful about getting a ticket on such short notice.

"Quick, hack his phone and computer." Hearing this, the staff immediately panicked.

Sheng Qingquan was wearing protective clothing, so safety was the least of his concerns.

Given Sheng Qingquan's importance, protective clothing was nothing; even piloting a high-defense, high-attack mech wouldn't justify letting him take risks.

Picking up a harmless kitten was fine, especially since the situation was special and the kitten didn't want others near.

But now, venturing into a perilous ancient tomb and possibly encountering tomb robbers.

This is absolutely unacceptable!

Who would put a national treasure in a fragile spot?

And Sheng Qingquan's existence is arguably more important than any national treasure.

When they heard Sheng Qingquan wanted to buy a ticket to Linqian City, everyone was horrified.

The person in charge quickly worked on the computer and resolved everything just as Sheng Qingquan opened the ticket booking site.

"Ah, as expected, no tickets are available. Tourist cities are different—many people travel during the New Year holiday."

"No direct flights? Fine, but even connecting flights are sold out."

This thought made everyone sigh in relief. Fortunately, it's the holiday season; otherwise, it would've been hard to fool him.

"If flights aren't available, I'll check the high-speed rail."

Hearing this, the staff's hearts, which had just relaxed, tightened again.

"No high-speed rail either? Aren't seaside cities supposed to peak in summer? It's winter now."

"But the locals are so warm and friendly, it's no wonder people want to visit."

No tickets are good, no tickets are good. The staff patted their chests, finally relaxing.

The programmer holding the computer then casually said, "After handling the flight tickets, I faked the high-speed rail tickets too."

"From Yunteng City to Linqian City, you can only take a plane or high-speed rail. Other modes of transportation are not dependable. As for driving, Sheng Qingquan doesn’t own a car, and he hasn’t even gotten his driver’s license yet."

"What’s more, driving isn’t just exhausting—it’s better to wait a few days instead of wasting time on the road. Once the New Year holiday rush is over, you can book a flight. You might even get to Linqian City sooner."

"Why didn’t you mention this earlier?" The other staff members glared at him in frustration. They had just been freaked out.

Sheng Qingquan had no idea his actions were stressing everyone out.

"No other option—we’ll have to book tickets for later." Weird, why are tickets after New Year’s still so hard to get? They’re always sold out. "Oh well, let’s see if anyone cancels in the next few days."

"Don’t worry—there’s no way he’ll get a ticket." Facing his colleagues' inquiring looks, the programmer assured them.

Two days later, once the New Year holiday was over, Sheng Qingquan finally checked his phone for updates. As soon as he unlocked it, two news notifications popped up.

"A thousand-year-old tomb discovered in the suburbs of Linqian City? The tomb owner's anti-theft measures are impressive. Experts say the tomb is very dangerous, and the local government has sent people to isolate the area to prevent residents from mistakenly entering."

"Just discovered, a thousand-year-old tomb with fresh robbery holes. After a police investigation, the tomb robber was caught in a hospital, already unconscious. Is it a curse or poison gas?"

Sheng Qingquan was stunned. This tomb, this tomb robber, could it be the tomb and the robber he was thinking of?

Sheng Qingquan clicked into the first news item to check the details and found that the news also mentioned the tomb's location was good, near the city gate, with a view of the top of Yuxiang Tower.

Yep, it’s definitely that tomb.

"Now I have just one question."

Sheng Qingquan looked at his phone screen, deep in thought. "Should I still go to Linqian City?"