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墨書 Inktalez
Throughout history, wherever there is a gathering of women, trouble tends to arise. As the saying goes, three women make a play. Three—ah, forget it, that's too far off.
In any case, if one seeks peace and quiet, it is best not to have women in one place. No wonder Old Qiao's admiration for our profession skyrocketed upon learning that A Li was also an Errand Runner.
The influence of women in their line of work is quite complex. Old Qiao's Master Cao taught that if one wishes to survive in the tombs, having a woman around is more effective than lighting a candle in the southeast corner of the burial chamber. There are two scenarios to consider: one is called "preventative measures." Three days before entering the tomb, one must bathe and change clothes, maintaining purity and avoiding any intimate relations with women. It is crucial to keep women at least a hundred meters away; entering the tomb as a pure yang body significantly increases the chances of coming back alive.
The other scenario is termed "sacrificing the pawn to save the king." If, during those three days, one accidentally gets too close to a woman, they must take her into the tomb as well. Should they encounter the ancient Old Zongzi, they can offer this woman as a living sacrifice to appease him, ensuring the safety of the entire team.
After hearing this, I felt that Old Qiao's Master Cao had a bit of a bias against women. If they were to encounter a female Zongzi in the tomb, throwing in a man would likely be more effective.
In truth, Old Qiao's rule was just a scare tactic he used on his Ancestor Granny. Ultimately, it didn't work; she still went into the tomb with him and became part of an enviable couple in the Tomb Raiding world.
I suddenly thought of my Shiye and Master Granny. If Shiye were still alive, they would surely be an enviable pair of celestial lovers by now!
At that moment, my junior brother nudged me and said through clenched teeth, " Senior Brother, what are you daydreaming about? Those two ladies are about to start fighting, and you're lost in thought?"
I snapped back to reality just in time to hear A Li say, "...linking the mural with the Ancient Guge Silver Eye is simply imposing causality. Whether Black Cloud Abyss is man-made or naturally formed remains to be investigated. If the only connection among these three is that Brown Spotted Civet, are you really basing your conclusions on the movements of an animal?"
My senior sister maintained a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth, arms crossed—a habitual gesture when she was trying to suppress her anger. As soon as A Li finished speaking, my senior sister raised an eyebrow and said, "Finished? Come take a look at this." She tilted her head towards the Ancient Guge Silver Eye while stepping onto the edge of the Lotus Platform—her legs were slender and long; her bulky hiking pants fit her perfectly and looked great on her. The cuffs were tucked into her Martin Boots, showcasing an unusual blend of androgynous beauty.
I apologize; when my senior sister made this seemingly ungraceful move, my first thought was about how striking it looked. If any other woman had done this, it would have appeared vulgar and unattractive. But my senior sister managed to embody both feminine curves and masculine boldness effortlessly—truly pleasing to behold.
I can guarantee that I’m not the only one thinking this way, because after my senior sister finished speaking, only A Li walked over to take a look, while my junior brother and Old Qiao stood there like two fools, their eyes wide open.
Suddenly, I felt like a cabbage from my own garden had been trampled by a pig. Clearing my throat, I squeezed between my junior brother and Old Qiao and asked, “What’s that?”
A Li was crouched on the west side of the Buddha Niche, next to the Buddha Cave. I crouched down as well, following the beam of her flashlight to look at the base of the Lotus Throne. There, in an extremely inconspicuous spot, was a string of letters about four centimeters long, with smooth lines and elegant shapes, and it was even gilded! However, the way the letters were connected was so intricate that even as a graduate from a reputable university, I could barely recognize half of it; I only vaguely made out two letters: “a” and “g.”
At that moment, my junior brother shouted from behind, “What the hell? Is that English? What does it say? Old Qiao, do you recognize it?”
Old Qiao chuckled and said, “Dui Er Brothers, don’t make fun of me. I can’t even recognize all twenty-six letters; how would I know what it says?”
My junior brother was taken aback. “Twenty-six? Isn’t it twenty-four? A, B… D, E, F, G…” He started counting on his fingers.
Damn it, none of them were reliable! I turned to my senior sister and asked, “Senior sister, do you know what’s written there?”
She crouched down as well and shook her head. “I think it’s probably a name or something similar. Like ‘British Person’ or ‘Henry Strangm.’”
I instinctively glanced at A Li and saw her staring intently at the string of letters with a serious expression, her lips pressed into a thin line. She must have felt quite uncomfortable inside.
Experience speaks volumes! My senior sister must have discovered this thing during her earlier investigations and kept it as her trump card, waiting for A Li to reveal her cards one by one. Although it seemed like my senior sister was retreating step by step, she was actually advancing through retreat. Once A Li had played all her cards, she would unleash a surprise attack with her trump card and strike when A Li was unprepared.
Going head-to-head with my senior sister was still too much for A Li.
I couldn’t help but speak up for A Li: “Senior sister, is it possible that this is a mark left by later generations? Something like a communication symbol among teammates?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt like I had hit my head against a door—worry leads to confusion.
"Indeed," Old Qiao interjected from behind, "Brother Qian Yi, while the contact symbols have their uniqueness, they are not so special that they need to be written in gold ink and in a foreign language! This clearly contradicts the requirements for quickness and secrecy in contact symbols. If every passerby can easily notice them, then this team is essentially exposed."
I was momentarily at a loss for words, left with no choice but to close my mouth and play dumb. Just then, A Li suddenly said, "I think I've seen this symbol before." (To be continued.)
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