The entire team was comprised of individuals with only Lin Ying possessing exceptional combat prowess.
Li Chonglou was merely stronger than an average person, far inferior to Ayuo Qubi. Professor Song and the others were, to put it kindly, ordinary people, or more bluntly, utterly incapable of self-defense.
Cheng Gong, who usually spoke with insolence, turned pale in an instant.
Zhao Zheng and his wife had never witnessed such a scene before. Their bodies couldn't react in time, and they could only shout in unison, "Golden Buddha, Golden Buddha!"
The anesthetic Lin Ying inhaled was of an unknown composition, rendering her body uncontrollable within moments. She couldn't even move. She knew she had been careless; her years of facing few opponents had made her overly confident in her martial abilities. She hadn't expected Ayuo Qubi, who had failed last night, to dare to return so soon. This time, she had fallen completely.
The usually carefree Lin Ying felt a chill in her heart. Frustration and anger surged within her, but she couldn't release them. The feeling was driving her to the brink of madness.
"Don't underestimate me!" Seeing that the Golden Buddha was about to be seized by Ayuo Qubi, Li Chonglou pushed off with his legs and lunged at Ayuo Qubi. He knew he was still far from being his equal, but being inferior and daring not to act were two different matters. Even if he couldn't protect the Buddha's head, he couldn't let his senior sister suffer such a loss. Moreover, Ayuo Qubi had intended to kill him last night, so his anger was no less than Lin Ying's.
Li Chonglou, despite his calm exterior, possessed a burning heart that often drove him to act even when he knew he couldn't succeed. However, no matter how ardent his heart, his strength was insufficient. The vast disparity in their abilities left no room for doubt.
*Bang!*
Before Li Chonglou could even reach him, Ayuo Qubi kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him flying back over three meters. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and his internal organs felt displaced. The pain erupting from within his body rendered him completely unable to fight. Even his vision began to blur.
In his haze, he saw Ayuo Qubi tuck the Golden Buddha's head into his brocade pouch and escape.
It wasn't until Ayuo Qubi had left the tomb that Zhao Zheng finally reacted. He rushed to Li Chonglou's side to check his injuries.
Seeing Li Chonglou injured, Lin Ying's beautiful eyes seemed on the verge of shedding blood. An unprecedented rage and coldness erupted in her gaze. Unfortunately, if not for her martial arts training from a young age, which had ingrained a natural resilience in her bones, even she would have collapsed. Trying to pursue Ayuo Qubi in such a short time was impossible.
"Xiao Ying, are you alright?" Wang Lixia hurried to Lin Ying's side, supporting her and asking with concern. Professor Song sighed deeply at Li Chonglou, filled with regret. Though the person was fine, the Golden Buddha's head was gone. That wasn't the most important thing.
*Crack, crack!*
Almost simultaneously, the structure of the tomb began to shake violently, as if a mountain was collapsing. Countless small stones rained down from above.
"The tomb is collapsing!" Professor Song's face contorted in panic. He yelled, "Cheng Gong, help Zhang Chen!"
Cheng Gong, who had been standing by helplessly, was jolted awake and rushed to Zhang Chen's side, hoisting him onto his shoulders. Wang Lixia supported Lin Ying, and Zhao Zheng carried Li Chonglou on his back. The seven of them charged into the passage.
As they gasped for breath, reaching the previously looted antechamber, they heard a deafening roar from behind them. A violent gust of wind, carrying dust and debris, swept towards them. The group dared not linger for a moment, rushing out of the cave.
The entire Mengding Mountain was trembling as if an earthquake was occurring. Outside the cave, the staff members who had been knocked unconscious by Ayuo Qubi lay scattered on the ground. The group was too weak to rescue them, struggling even to save themselves, and could only curl up on the ground, grasping nearby tree trunks.
The tremors lasted for nearly five minutes before finally subsiding. Professor Song was in tears, lamenting, "It's over, it's all over."
"All the cultural relics and national treasures have been destroyed. How can I report this to the country?" In their haste to escape, they had not retrieved anything, only managed to take a few photographs. The main coffin had not even been opened. Because Ayuo Qubi took the Golden Buddha's head, the entire main tomb chamber was completely buried by rubble. Not only was it impossible to clear, but even if they could, the artifacts would undoubtedly be ruined. This archaeological expedition to Yucheng had ended in complete failure!
Zhao Zheng was soaked in sweat, his face ashen. His grief was no less than Professor Song's, as he was the one who had discovered this tomb. Now, it was destroyed before his very eyes. One could only imagine the heartache.
"Find him and make him pay the price he deserves!" The anesthetic in Lin Ying seemed to have worn off slightly, restoring her ability to speak. Her voice was as cold as glacial ice, harboring murderous intent. He had injured her junior disciple, stolen the Golden Buddha's head, and destroyed the entire ancient tomb. The masked man's crimes were unforgivable. She had never been so furious before. If her purpose for coming to Yucheng was once archaeological, it was now solely for revenge. She could not forgive herself if she did not bring such a person to justice!
As she spoke, Lin Ying shook her hands, regaining her mobility, and staggered to Li Chonglou's side, pressing his chest. *Pfft.* A mouthful of dark red blood spewed from Li Chonglou's mouth. Only then did Li Chonglou's breathing ease, and he said hoarsely, "Senior sister, I'm fine."
"Let's return to Yucheng and find Tang Lengyun!" Lin Ying nodded and issued the command. At this point, Professor Song had lost all composure; only she maintained her rationality. Tang Lengyun was the president of the Yucheng Chamber of Commerce and had connections to the Fan family; her influence was immense, and she herself had wanted the Golden Buddha's head. This masked man, even if not sent by her, was likely closely related to her.
After speaking, Lin Ying pinched the acupoints of several staff members, waking them and instructing them to rescue themselves. Then, carrying Li Chonglou, she led the group down the mountain.
At the foot of the mountain, several tourists who had come to the valley were under the impression of having experienced an earthquake, their faces pale and expressions panicked. They were eager to drive away.
Upon returning to the hotel, Lin Ying intended to have Li Chonglou and the others rest while she went to find Tang Lengyun herself. However, Li Chonglou insisted on accompanying her. Reluctantly, she took the keys and drove with Li Chonglou to their destination.
Tang Family Villa.
Tang Lengyun frowned as she looked at a video uploaded by a tourist on her phone. The title stated a minor earthquake in Hongdou Valley, but she knew very well that Hongdou Valley was not on a fault line and had never experienced such an event before. She suspected it had something to do with the ancestral grave on her family's property. Just as this thought crossed her mind, the door was pushed open, and Lin Ying entered the house, supporting Li Chonglou.
"Why are you here? What happened to Brother Li?" Fan Meng, seeing Li Chonglou's deathly pale face, ran over and asked in alarm.
"You'll have to ask your Aunt Tang," Lin Ying's voice lost all its gentleness. Her gaze fixed on Tang Lengyun, as if trying to see right through her. The two women's eyes met. Tang Lengyun first looked confused, then asked, "Something happened at the ancient tomb. You think I did it?"
"I can't think of anyone else," Lin Ying observed Tang Lengyun's expression changes, not backing down. Besides, what kind of person was Tang Lengyun? A woman who had reached her position must have her own stratagems. That surprised expression might very well be an act.
"What exactly happened?" Tang Lengyun realized the seriousness of the situation and, instead of arguing, pressed for details. "Did you lose the Golden Buddha's head?"
"More than that; your family's ancestral grave has collapsed!" Lin Ying helped Li Chonglou onto the sofa, cutting straight to the chase. Hearing this, Tang Lengyun's expression changed drastically.