Underground.
Wang Xiaomei rolled up his sleeves and stood at the entrance of a side hall, looking at the pile of gold and silver jewelry that had overflowed outside the door. Instead of being overjoyed, he sighed.
He resigned himself to start searching.
He pushed aside the jewelry and focused on finding weapons from within.
"Xiaowen, come and help me!"
Wenfeng walked over from someplace else and watched his little sweet rice ball digging with determination. He smirked, "Xiaomei, don't stick your butt up so high."
Wang Xiaomei turned to him with an irritated expression, "Are you trying to be flirtatious? Hurry up and help, hmph! Do you see any big boss in the movies who doesn't carry weapons? In a couple of days, they will come to dig up our graves, and you're just lazing around here with no sense of urgency."
"You and I can't go out, waiting in the mausoleum is normal," Wenfeng replied, as he rolled up his sleeves and joined in the search.
"We also need to be prepared, what if you can't beat them?" Xiaomei retorted.
"Don't we have senior brother?" Wenfeng smiled.
"What can I do? Call the police for you, or send for an ambulance?" Wang Xiaomei continued searching through the items. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he examined something in his hands...
A small vest made of golden thread???
"What is this thing? You even kept a vest, isn't that too ridiculous!" Even if it was made of gold, it shouldn't be stripped from someone's clothes.
Wenfeng fell silent for a moment, then said, "Xiaomei...that's a golden armor."
Wang Xiaomei: "..."
Golden...golden armor? The invulnerable one? He silently tucked the small vest into his pocket.
Uh, uh uh, he decided to keep it.
Wang Xiaomei, feeling embarrassed, continued digging for treasure, and changed the subject, "Ah, with so many treasures and weapons, why don't you keep them separately in a side hall? It's a hassle to have them mixed with these common jewelry, and we have to dig around."
Wenfeng paused and sighed, pinching his brow, "Xiaomei..."
"Hmm?" Wang Xiaomei stared at him with puppy-dog eyes.
"Did you forget that you dismantled the sword rack to use it as a clothes hanger, and turned the treasure hall into a laundry room?" Wenfeng looked down at him and said, "You're the one who asked Muyi to throw the weapons here..."
"..."
Wang Xiaomei regretted what he had done to his brother. He then looked up at Wenfeng, grinning.
"It was me! What's the matter? Are you going to scold me?! Woof woof woof!!" His arrogant demeanor, ferocious manner, and unrepentant attitude made Wenfeng utterly exasperated.
Wenfeng: "...How can my little sweet rice ball learn to bark? Can it be called cute? Is it good to call it cute if it gets called out?"
Facing the seemingly insane (yet cute) Wang Xiaomei, Wenfeng chose to bow his head and calmly continue searching with him.
The clanging of metal echoed continuously.
After a while, someone asked, "Where's my Liao Yue sword..."
"Why are you so petty! I can find it for you in a minute! Humph!"
"..."
After they called Muyi to help them, it took them a whole day to organize most of the precious hidden swords, weapons, and armor in the main hall.
Wang Xiaomei sat exhausted on the smooth stone floor, while Wenfeng leaned against a pillar, clearly also fatigued.
As for poor Muyi, unable to cling on any wall, the lizard fell to the ground panting with its tongue hanging out. If it didn't gasp for air, Wang Xiaomei would have thought it had knocked itself out.
"We've basically dug everything out, right..." After resting for a while, Wang Xiaomei sat up, looking dejectedly at Wenfeng.
Wenfeng nodded, "Most of it is here, a few things might be at the bottom, but these are enough... Xiaomei, I told you not to worry about the tomb. I will handle those grave robbers."
"I know, I know." Wang Xiaomei rested his hand on Muyi's somewhat terrifying head, petting the little dog-like creature. "I just wanted peace of mind. Zhenbei hasn't told me the exact date, so every day feels like a countdown to my life, and I always have a bad feeling..."
As the day when they would be approached drew nearer, this anxious feeling grew stronger.
Wenfeng looked at him, "Xiaomei..."
Interrupting him, Wang Xiaomei smiled and said, "I understand. I don't doubt that you will do anything, or handle this matter poorly. I'm just concerned about the man Zhenbei mentioned. After all, he said he wants to dig up your heart, saying something like that, he must have some reliance."
He had had a nightmare last night. He dreamt that someone had caught Wenfeng and was about to dig out his heart. The bloody scene had woken him up, and his hands shook for a long time until he calmed down in the familiar embrace of the man.
Wenfeng walked over to him, squatting down and gently placed his palm on Xiaomei's cheek, lightly caressing the corner of his eye with his thumb.
"Don't worry about me, I won't grow old or die. I can survive no matter what." Wang Xiaomie lowered her head, "Not growing old or dying also has weaknesses, right? If your heart is taken out, can you still grow it back?"
Wen Fengjin slowly curved his lips, his black pupils occupying most of his eye sockets reflecting the figure of his beloved, he said, "I am a little happy."
"Happy about what? Happy about having your heart dug out!" Wang Xiaomie glared at him.
Wen Fengjin smiled softly, "I'm happy that you care about me. You also care about me. After doing things I dare not take from you, you once again gave me warmth."
"This way, I won't let them easily get away with it." Wen Fengjin embraced Wang Xiaomie in front of him, feeling the fulfilling embrace and Wang Xiaomie's dependent hug back, he sighed contentedly silently.
His eyes narrowed, and his smile deepened.
Finally... finally, I have waited for this day to come...
No one can stop me from being with my senior brother. Anyone who dares to stop me, I will make their lives a living hell!
...
The Zhen family.
In the solemn and ancient mansion, several distinctive men and women sat separately in the reception hall, looking amicable but not giving each other much attention.
The head of the family, Zhen, and Mrs. Zhen sat in the main place, Zhen Hao and the man with a stiff facial expression sat below to the left, while Zhen Mu and Zhen Bei sat to the right.
"All of you are well-known in the circle. It is a great honor for our Zhen family that you have come here today. We will remember your help. And Mr. Yan, my eldest son, Zhen Hao, has mentioned you to me several times," Mr. Zhen smiled as he looked at the man next to Zhen Hao. The man with a stiff facial expression did not make any expression and just nodded slightly.
Mr. Zhen heard that the man had been injured underground and could not make facial expressions, so he didn't think much about it and continued with the pleasantries.
The tomb raiders below still showed respect for the benefactor, at least seemed to be listening attentively. A bold woman sitting below with a small, young man in his twenties smiled mischievously at Zhen Mu.
Zhen Mu felt the scorching gaze and turned his head slightly to avoid it.
The woman chuckled softly, then began to fiddle with her nails out of boredom. The small young man behind her looked at his master with a helpless sigh.
When the discussion was almost over, Mrs. Zhen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke with a troubled expression, "Zhen Mu, Zhen Bei."
Zhen Mu and Zhen Bei looked at her.
Mrs. Zhen said, "I cannot stop your eldest brother. Why should he go to rob that tomb when everything is fine... Zhen Mu, you are good at this. Take care of your elder brother when you get there, do you hear me?"
Zhen Mu lowered his eyes. Beneath his severe facial features was a calm and tender heart. Faced with his mother's obvious implications, Zhen Mu nodded as he was used to.
Seeing Zhen Mu nod, Mrs. Zhen showed a satisfied smile. After all, she still believed in the abilities of her second son.
"And you, Zhen Bei." Mrs. Zhen frowned deeply at Zhen Bei's silly smile and scolded, "Look at your absent-minded appearance! Why does a grown man still need your elder brother to remind you frequently? Don't cause trouble for your elder brother after the raid, do you hear me?"
Zhen Bei shrunk his neck, and Zhen Mu's face turned slightly unpleasant as he rarely spoke up to his mother.
"Mom, Zhen Bei is not silly, he has always been straightforward since he was little, don't always pick on him."
"You!"
"Enough, enough!" Mr. Zhen interrupted Mrs. Zhen about to get angry, "Let's focus on important matters here! The more you go off-track, the more the guests will laugh at us, yes?"
Mrs. Zhen snorted and turned her head away. It was only then that Zhen Hao smiled and comforted his mother softly, saying, "Mom, I know you mean well for us, but Dad is right. I will go sit with you later."
Mrs. Zhen showed a smile, and as Mr. Zhen saw his beloved eldest son speaking, his expression improved, and he continued to instruct the others with a smile before getting up and leaving with Mrs. Zhen.
The man with a stiff face, known as Mr. Yan, stood up and beckoned to the others to gather around, explaining 'going underground' procedures and some task assignments, equipment, and departure time.
A group of people gathered, intentionally or unintentionally isolating Zhen Bei and Zhen Mu on the outside.
Zhen Bei pursed his lips and said to Zhen Mu in a low voice, "Second brother, do you think Zhen Hao is foolish? Although the people here are skillful, none of them are our associates. Now Zhen Hao is intentionally distancing us. If the person with the surname Yan betrays us, the three of us are in trouble!"
Zhen Mu looked at Zhen Hao, who was smiling in the crowd and seemed to be thinking, while Zhen Hao saw him and arrogantly curled his lips, looking down on them.
Zhen Mu lowered his eyes and patted Zhen Bei's head full of scars.
"It's okay, second brother will protect you, the first to protect you."
Zhen Bei smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.
"Yep!"
He looked at Zhen Hao, and Zhen Hao silently mouthed to him, "Idiot."
Zhen Bei continued to smile as if he didn't understand, scratching his head. Zhen Hao sneered and thought to himself what a pain communicating with an imbecile was.
The departure time was quickly finalized, and the equipment and scarce supplies would arrive soon.
And in the underground palace.
Wen Fengjin leaned against the lovelorn tree, grinning as he watched Wang Xiaomie holding a petite and agile dagger, comparing it with another one on the ground.
"Xiaomie, instead of this dagger, I suggest you use the one you had before," Wen Fengjin said.
Wang Xiaomie looked at the shiny dagger, and the rusty one on the ground, raising an eyebrow, "However you look at it, this one seems more powerful!"
"The quality of a blade is not determined by whether it's clean and shiny. Only new or decorative blade edges will shine brightly, that's called 'thief light', in reality, a real blade is heavy and sturdy, and the edge is subtle. Only after being used for a long time will it reveal the 'precious light.' Of course, special soft swords are an exception."
"Oh? I see." Wang Xiaomie, not familiar with such things, looked at the jeweled dagger in his hand and seemed to see 'flashy' written all over it.
He silently picked up the black and rusty dagger from the ground and continued to brandish it with an expression of determination, as if he was ready to face those immoral things that tried to dig their graves in a life or death struggle!
Hearing the wind, he slowly reached out his hand and silently covered his mouth.
The aggressive senior brother...
Tsk.