The rain in June and July was heavy and persistent.
Raindrops pattered against the car windows and the vegetation of Dabao Mountain, filling the air with a thick mist that blurred the view before Lin Chuan's eyes.
The journey was long and the mountain high, it took Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian a full two and a half hours to reach their destination.
At that time,
The eighth and ninth Archaeological Teams and the already arrived rescue teams had set up temporary rain shelters.
A number of ambulances were on standby, ready to act at any moment.
However, Zhong Xunfeng, Zhao Shan, and the others were still missing.
A sense of oppression and heaviness permeated the crowd.
"Lin Chuan has arrived."
Qin Sisi was standing in front of the rain shelter; upon seeing the figures of Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian appear, she immediately shouted.
Old Yao, who was analyzing the mechanisms of the Nanyue Royal Family's Ancient Tomb, heard "Lin Chuan has arrived," and abruptly stood, walking toward the outside of the shelter.
The rest of the Archaeological Team members, due to the reputation of the Seven Stars Lu King Palace, had more or less heard of Lin Chuan.
Therefore, they too turned their heads to look outside.
By that time, Qin Sisi had already approached Lin Chuan, umbrella in hand.
Captain Yao followed close behind.
"Lin Chuan, you're finally here," Qin Sisi said upon meeting him, feeling as if the pressure inside her had eased significantly.
"If you're buying lunch, how could I not come?"
Lin Chuan eased the atmosphere a bit with a glance at Qin Sisi, who seemed somewhat tense.
Qin Sisi showed a faint smile, "Let me introduce you, this is our Archaeological Team's captain, Old Yao."
With an umbrella in one hand, Old Yao extended his other hand to shake Lin Chuan's: "Writer Lin, I've long admired your reputation. I'm Old Yao, captain of the ninth Archaeological Team."
"Captain Yao, it's a pleasure," Lin Chuan responded politely.
"Given the urgency of the situation, I won't engage in small talk. Inside the shelter, I will explain the current circumstances to you," Old Yao said gravely, with a hint of anxiety in his expression.
Lin Chuan nodded and entered the rain shelter.
Old Yao handed Lin Chuan a stack of documents and then briefed him on the Nanyue Royal Family's Ancient Tomb.
After reviewing the documents, Lin Chuan frowned slightly, "The rain and fog are too thick right now, obstructing the view of the mountain landscape, but I have a feeling that this doesn't seem to be the entrance of the tomb."
"Not?"
Old Yao looked slightly astonished and promptly instructed the eighth team's archaeologists to find a recent overview map of the mountain terrain.
On the tablet, footage of Dabao Mountain taken by drones from the eighth team instantly appeared.
Lin Chuan didn't rush into the tomb immediately; instead, he carefully observed the footage for a while, murmuring, "This is an enormous ancient tomb complex!"
Old Yao, puzzled, came closer.
Pointing to an area slightly higher up in the middle course where there was a lake, Lin Chuan explained, "According to the topography, this would be the optimal entrance location. It's in a pivotal central position that would allow entry into any of the tombs."
"Should we change our entry point then?" Old Yao inquired for Lin Chuan's opinion.
He had already assessed Lin Chuan.
Though Lin Chuan appeared youthful and somewhat delicate, his features were marked by an uncommon quality. His eyes were deep and piercing.
Especially noticeable was his aura while surveying the mountain terrain, commanding respect from Old Yao without question.
"We don't have enough time for that. I'm mostly judging the layout and orientation of the underground tomb based on the mountain's shape," Lin Chuan said as he put away the tablet, "We should prepare."
Hasty preparation does not hinder the progress of work, especially in dangerous tombs; it's important not to recklessly enter in an attempt to rescue others.
Or else, it would be easy to trap oneself as well.
"I'll go down with you,"
Shen Qianqian approached Lin Chuan and said with pursed lips.
Lin Chuan looked up at Shen Qianqian and chuckled, "You're not an archaeologist, why are you looking for trouble?"
Qin Sisi pulled Shen Qianqian to sit down, "Qianqian, it's enough if Lin Chuan and I go down. You just wait here patiently."
Shen Qianqian pouted, glanced at Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi, and then nodded her head.
She had thought that if they encountered any bizarre creatures, she could use her skills to relieve some of Lin Chuan's worries.
But then she thought again,
in the Nanyue Royal Family's Ancient Tomb, aside from traps, there shouldn't be those strange creatures.
"Brother Lin, put this on."
Old Yao came over with a bulletproof vest; this was specially delivered by the police involved in the rescue, to protect against the tomb's traps.
For example, flying arrows.
Lin Chuan did not dawdle and immediately put it on, along with various essential equipment and tools.
—A high-powered flashlight, an archaeological spade, a gas mask, an oxygen bag, dry food, water, and so on.
"Be careful,"
Shen Qianqian said, somewhat worried, and added, "Xinxin and I are both waiting for you to come back."
"No problem,"
Lin Chuan smiled, giving her a reassuring look.
Then, he entered the nearly twenty-meter-deep tomb hole, with Old Yao and Qin Sisi following closely behind.
As soon as they landed, the floor of the tomb was damp. Lin Chuan's head was affixed with a headlamp, and in front of him was a tomb passage about a meter wide and less than two meters tall.
On the ground, there were some footprints.
Old Yao quickly caught up to Lin Chuan, guiding him: "Brother Lin, according to the eighth team's captain, Xunfeng and his group headed northeast from here, then accidentally stumbled into a labyrinth."
A mental image of the overhead map appeared in Lin Chuan's mind. He furrowed his brow, "This is the 'Dead Gate'; you entered through the 'Dead Gate'."
Old Yao's heart tightened, "Dead Gate?"
Lin Chuan nodded and explained, "Based on the terrain I observed, the mountain range here is complex and varied. The Nanyue Royal Family's Ancient Tomb is built underground following the bagua layout. This location is southwest, corresponding to the 'Kun' trigram in the bagua, which is indeed the 'Dead Gate'."

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