Since the coffin bore Shi Boqiong's portrait, it indicated that the Qiang people must have possessed this item.
However, no historical records mentioned it.
It was possible that this Qiang King's tomb held clues or even led directly to Shi Boqiong.
"What does this pattern represent?" Liu Zhibo, drawn by their unusual behavior, also looked at the patterns.
He clearly hadn't heard of Shi Boqiong, and a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.
"Perhaps it's some ritual performed before the funeral," Li Chonglou straightened up and spun a lie, his expression betraying nothing.
Shi Boqiong, this extraordinary treasure, was known to very few people, ancient or modern.
Up to this point, apart from his master, only Li Hanlong had explicitly stated he knew of Shi Boqiong.
It was normal for Liu Zhibo not to know.
However, if he didn't know Shi Boqiong, then what was this treasure he spoke of that could revive the dead within the tomb?
Unable to figure it out for the moment, it seemed he could only wait and see.
"Let's go down, CEO Su, time is pressing." Liu Zhibo acknowledged with an "oh" and stood up, urging them on.
Su Yinchuan nodded and walked towards another passage again. .oΓg
Rather than a passage, it was more like a steep mountain path. What the LED searchlights illuminated were not walls.
But a mountain stream; the mountain was hollow.
On both sides of the path were bottomless cliffs, and the murmuring sound of flowing water could be heard everywhere, echoing continuously.
An eerie wind occasionally blew up from below.
It felt very sinister.
Lan Ying couldn't help but hug her arms and shiver, her beautiful eyes never quite settled.
This feeling was more terrifying than seeing dead bodies.
Fortunately, she had people in front and behind her, which provided some sense of security.
Crossing this beam-like mountain path, they came upon a massive palace carved entirely out of the mountain.
The palace gate, pavilion pillars, and roof tiles were all present.
The palace was three stories high.
It possessed both the grandeur of Han style and the mystery of the Qiang people.
Everyone's gaze immediately fell upon the palace gate.
"It's actually open..." Su Yinchuan frowned in surprise, his heart tightening.
With the main hall's doors open, even an outsider would know that someone had definitely entered.
Could the treasure still be there?
Had it already been stolen?
Not just him, Liu Zhibo's expression was also grim.
Without a word, he waved his hand, ordering Zhu Mingzhe to lead the men to scout ahead.
Li Chonglou had been silently observing him.
He noticed that Liu Zhibo had been extremely cautious throughout, or rather, habitually suspicious, never taking risks himself under any circumstances.
Zhu Mingzhe was his sacrificial pawn.
To deal with him, one first had to deal with Zhu Mingzhe and his subordinates.
Although Xu Lie was skilled, it was unwise to act in this unknown situation.
He could only continue following and look for an opportunity.
"Boss, this is the main tomb chamber ahead, but it's also been looted. Apart from some smashed jars, there's nothing valuable at all!" Not long after, Zhu Mingzhe returned with his men, shouting in disappointment.
Liu Zhibo's face instantly turned dark.
Although he had guessed that the tomb had been robbed upon seeing the hanging corpses in the antechamber,
He hadn't expected it to be looted so thoroughly.
Not leaving anything for him.
The gold, silver, and treasures he had been investigating in the Qiang King's tomb instantly vanished like smoke.
How could he accept this?
Without a word, he strode forward and rushed into the great hall.
Su Yinchuan followed closely.
Indeed, the great hall was in disarray. As Zhu Mingzhe had said, apart from murals that couldn't be moved and worthless pottery jars, even the wall lamps had been ripped out.
In the center of the great hall, a uniquely shaped coffin, resembling a cradle, was wide open.
It was empty.
"These tomb robbers are too ruthless, they even stole the corpses, it's utterly outrageous!" Su Yinchuan's eyes flared with anger after seeing the situation.
Then he looked at Liu Zhibo and demanded, "Professor Liu, you took so much money from me and told me there was definitely a treasure that could revive the dead."
"Where is the treasure now?"
"You brought me to an empty hole. Are you trying to trick me?"
"Do you know the price of tricking me!"
Su Yinchuan's words stunned Liu Zhibo, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
He was already enraged, and hearing Su Yinchuan's words made his blood boil.
He was in a business that courted death and profited from the dead.
Now, after all his efforts, he had gained nothing.
Hearing Su Yinchuan imply he should be held accountable and refund the money,
He blurted out, "You want me to have worked for nothing? Impossible!"
Hearing this, Li Chonglou's heart trembled, and he cursed inwardly.
Before coming, his master had said this journey was his great tribulation. He had always thought there was danger in the tomb, so he was cautious everywhere, guarding against traps and hidden weapons.
Who knew that as they walked, everything was safe and sound, with no internal dangers, and they even reached the main tomb unharmed.
Just as he thought he was lucky and blessed, Su Yinchuan and Liu Zhibo exploded at each other.
He instantly understood.
This tribulation was not in the tomb, but in people.
*Click...*
As soon as Liu Zhibo finished speaking, Zhu Mingzhe pulled out a pistol from his person, cocked it, and pointed it directly at Su Yinchuan.
He said menacingly, "CEO Su, you're a big boss, you have plenty of money. Why make things difficult for us artisans who earn a living with our lives."
The others followed suit, taking out guns from their persons and pointing them at Li Chonglou, Xu Lie, Lan Ying, and Su Yinchuan's bodyguards.
The scene instantly became tense.
Lan Ying's expression changed immediately, and she pointed at Zhu Mingzhe, scolding, "You dare point a gun at me? You don't want to live!"
*Slap!*
As soon as her words fell, Zhu Mingzhe stepped forward and slapped Lan Ying's fair and delicate face hard.
A bright red palm print instantly appeared.
"You slut, do you really think you're a princess? I let you off three times before because of your father. How dare you be so arrogant here? Believe it or not, I'll kill you!" Zhu Mingzhe's expression was ferocious, and he directly pressed the muzzle of his gun to Lan Ying's forehead.
Lan Ying was so frightened that her face turned pale and her soul scattered.
"Stop! Let's talk!" Su Yinchuan quickly shouted to stop him, "Fine, it's not your fault. I don't need the money back."
"Can we leave the tomb now?"
He could see that these people were all desperate criminals.
They would do anything for money.
The most disappointed person today was him. He had entered hoping for a treasure that could revive the dead, but now there was nothing.
It was all for naught.
Moreover, he had lost a large sum of labor costs.
But money was not important now; what was important was not to provoke the hostility of these people.
Otherwise, he would lose both money and life and have nowhere to be buried.
Xu Lie unhurriedly shielded Li Chonglou, his eyes like a fierce tiger pouncing, deep and sharp, ready to attack at any moment.
"Brother Xu, don't move yet," Li Chonglou whispered in his ear.
Xu Lie nodded subtly.
"Hehehe..." At this moment, Liu Zhibo laughed, "CEO Su, you are the richest man in Xihai, powerful and influential."
"You are influential in both the underworld and legitimate circles in Xihai. How dare we touch your people."
"However, I brought so many people on this descent into the tomb to get rich."
"In the end, we got nothing. Everyone needs to eat. Eating requires money."
"You are the richest here. Why don't you sponsor a little more?"
Only now did Liu Zhibo finally cast aside his professor's disguise and reveal his sinister face.
As he spoke, he also pulled out a pistol from his person and pointed it at Su Yinchuan's forehead.
"Professor Liu, what do you want to do?" Su Yinchuan's pupils dilated rapidly, and he asked in shock.
Actually, he didn't need an answer; he understood. Liu Zhibo had gotten nothing this time and intended to recover his losses from him.
However, he had always had a good impression of Liu Zhibo, and the sudden drastic change caught him off guard.
"I won't ask for too much, twenty billion. I believe CEO Su can afford it." Liu Zhibo sneered, "I'll give you one day to have your wife prepare the money and send it over."
"Then we'll all be happy. Otherwise, I'll have to apologize to CEO Su."
Open kidnapping and extortion.
Lawless!
Lan Ying's beautiful eyes widened in shock. She never expected, nor had she ever imagined, that someone in Xihai would dare to touch her godfather.
It was like an old man trying to hang himself, seeking death.
But now, this had truly happened.
Moreover, it happened in the mountains, underground, in a tomb, far from their sphere of influence.
"Twenty billion?" Su Yinchuan, after all, was a big shot. After the shock, he quickly regained his composure. "Liu Zhibo, I can afford it, but do you have the life to take it?"
"You should know the consequences of threatening me."
"Xihai will have no place for you from now on!"
In terms of knowledge and demeanor, Su Yinchuan lived up to his reputation as a big shot.
Even at the brink of life and death, he remained calm.
He did not panic despite being at a disadvantage.
Unfortunately, he underestimated the malice in Liu Zhibo's heart.
*Bang!*
As soon as he finished speaking, one of Su Yinchuan's bodyguards was shot in the head and fell to the ground, dead.
The moment the gun was fired, the pale-faced Lan Ying rushed in front of Su Yinchuan, blocking him.
Fortunately, this shot was not aimed at Su Yinchuan, or Lan Ying would have died.
"This woman, though arrogant, is straightforward and knows how to repay kindness," Li Chonglou watched this scene, feeling angry while also secretly admiring her.
Liu Zhibo treated human lives like grass, killing a bodyguard as easily as he spoke.
A beast!
Seeing this, the other bodyguards were so frightened that they clasped their heads and knelt down together.
They were just bodyguards, not suicide soldiers. Facing a completely disadvantageous situation, they had no power to resist, nor any will to resist.
"You..." Su Yinchuan's face turned pale, and veins bulged on his forehead.
But he dared not say any more harsh words.
For fear that the next person to be shot would be himself or Lan Ying.
He could only yield, "Okay, I'll make a call now, and I'll send you twenty billion within a day."
"But from now on, you can't kill anyone!"
"I can't agree to that. What if you play tricks on me?" Liu Zhibo pointed at Li Chonglou and chuckled sinisterly, "Your bodyguards, plus these two, there are seven of you left now."
"I'll kill one person every three hours, so you'll send the money faster."
"Anyway, as long as you're alive."
After saying that, he ordered Zhu Mingzhe, "Round them all up and tie them."
"If the money isn't delivered every three hours, kill one."
At these words, all the bodyguards trembled with fear.
Even Li Chonglou's expression turned grim.
The situation was critical; the great tribulation his master had spoken of had indeed arrived!