With that, the three of us cautiously approached. The man lying on the ground appeared to be dead, a bullet hole marking his head.

The corpse belonged to a hulking man in his early thirties, built like a barrel. However, Zhi Xiong, observing his frame, noticed his torso was slightly elongated, and his arms were notably long, reminiscent of someone who had spent years swimming. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be a tourist from out of town, a backpack still pinned beneath him.

We exchanged glances, none of us understanding this murder. Ge Mei flinched as she looked at the bullet wound on the corpse’s head. Just as Zhi Xiong was about to speak, Lu Zong, standing nearby, said, "Zhi Xiong, look, this is…"

Lu Zong pointed toward the corpse's neck. Zhi Xiong followed his gaze and saw a pendant hanging there—a cylindrical charm, about three inches long, resembling a small wooden staff. Coils of gold thread wrapped around both ends of the pendant. The moment Zhi Xiong saw it, he gasped, "The Sea-Calming Needle?"

He immediately knelt down and picked up the pendant, finding the words "" (Dìng Hǎi Shén Zhēn) clearly engraved upon it!

Ge Mei, having likely picked up some knowledge from her master, looked down when Zhi Xiong identified the object. "Brother Zhi Xiong, is this the Sea-Calming Needle?" she asked.

Zhi Xiong nodded. "No doubt about it. This must be the Sea-Calming Needle belonging to the Zhenhai Monkey faction."

Lu Zong remarked, "Damn, by his looks, Zhi Xiong thought he was just an ordinary tourist. Who knew he was one of us?"

Of the four great factions in the Tomb Raiding world, one specialized in robbing ancient tombs submerged underwater—the Zhenhai Monkey faction. The Zhenhai Monkeys originated in the Yuan Dynasty, rumored to be people trained in diving from childhood. They were active around the Mongolian regions until the late Ming Dynasty when they infiltrated the central plains. Because underwater tombs were inaccessible to most, and only the Zhenhai Monkeys could navigate them with ease, they quickly rose to become one of the four major factions. The Zhenhai Monkeys utilized pig ** to create a breathing apparatus called Jiao Fei, allowing them to operate underwater. However, their greatest focus was physical conditioning; an average Zhenhai Monkey could typically hold their breath for ten minutes while submerged. They carried a specific protective talisman called the Sea-Calming Needle. They drew inspiration from mythology, believing the Sea-Calming Needle was a divine piece of iron Da Yu plunged into the sea during his flood control efforts, stabilizing the waters of the Eastern Sea and calming the floods. This artifact later fell into the hands of Sun Wukong, who, wielding the divine iron, became invincible everywhere, especially unmatched beneath the waves. The Zhenhai Monkeys adopted the name of the Sea-Calming Needle for their talisman, symbolizing their reliance on its power to overcome any crisis encountered in the water.

Since this corpse wore this object, his identity was almost certainly that of a Zhenhai Monkey. Thinking this, Zhi Xiong told the other two, "The Zhenhai Monkeys only wear their talismans when actively raiding tombs. It seems he was here for that purpose. The question is, why was he shot? In Zhi Xiong's estimation, the killer was likely another tomb raider."

Lu Zong suggested, "Zhi Xiong, perhaps he came with one other person. After they secured the treasure, the partner decided to take it all and killed him."

Zhi Xiong looked again at the physique clearly honed by years of swimming and said, "The Zhenhai Monkeys have a code: they only raid tombs submerged in water. If he came here to raid, where do you think he would have gone?"

Ge Mei reacted quickly, finishing Zhi Xiong’s thought immediately, "Tianchi!"

Zhi Xiong nodded. "Yes, it must be Tianchi. But in all my years in the tomb raiding world, Zhi Xiong has never heard of an ancient tomb inside Tianchi."

Lu Zong said, "Zhi Xiong, there probably is one, we just don't know how much of it they've drained. If there's still more to explore, we can bring some diving gear another day and check it out."

Zhi Xiong scoffed, "You little punk, what kind of ambition is that? Trying to raid a water tomb! Besides, there are tourists around Tianchi. If you show up with diving gear, Zhi Xiong bets it won't take five minutes before someone calls the police on you!"

Just as Lu Zong was about to retort, we suddenly heard the distant sound of bells, getting gradually closer. Fearing someone might approach and see us with the corpse, we quickly ducked behind a large boulder. After a moment, a donkey slowly rounded a corner, a small bell hanging from its neck, which explained the sound.

Riding the donkey was a figure—bald-headed, with a noticeable hunchback, apparently an old man. He was draped in the robes of a Lama, swaying gently on the donkey as he approached. Riding the donkey was a figure—bald-headed, with a noticeable hunchback, apparently an old man. He was draped in the robes of a Lama, swaying gently on the donkey as he approached.

Lu Zong recognized the figure and whispered to us, "Look, it’s a Lama. Could that be the one we’re looking for?"

Seeing a Lama, Zhi Xiong immediately told the others, "Let's go, let's go ask him."

Then, we burst out from behind the boulder and ran toward the Lama. Lu Zong shouted as he ran, "Hey, wait up!"

However, the Lama paid us no mind, continuing to ride his donkey leisurely without stopping. We caught up and blocked his path, forcing the Lama to pull the reins.

"Who are you?" the Lama asked, lowering his head and sweeping his cloudy old eyes over us.

Zhi Xiong bowed to the Lama before speaking. "Venerable Elder, please forgive our abruptness. We are here looking for a Lama named Zhabacuo. May I ask…"

Before Zhi Xiong could finish, the Lama urged his donkey around us, remarking, "Sorry, this Zhi Xiong does not know that Lama."

Zhi Xiong inwardly cursed himself; surely there couldn't be another Lama here besides Zhabacuo. He immediately rushed forward, pulled the prayer beads given by Elder Kongdu from his pocket, and said to the Lama, "Venerable Elder, we come with sincerity."

The moment the Lama saw the prayer beads in Zhi Xiong's hand, he stopped again.

Ge Mei stepped forward too. "We carry tokens from Elder Kongdu. Please remain."

The Lama, however, did not look at us. Instead, he looked up and asked, "Is that young man over there your companion?"

Zhi Xiong followed the Lama’s gaze to the corpse and shook his head. "No, we don't know that man. When we arrived, he was already dead."

The Lama stated, "That young man was not a good person. They came here intending to shatter the tranquility of the Snow Mountain. The Snow Mountain Spirit, watching from above, took his life. Zhi Xiong sees that you are not ordinary people either. I hope you do not follow in his footsteps."

The Lama spoke excellent Mandarin. After slowly admonishing us, he asked, "Since you carry Elder Kongdu’s token, you must not be malicious people. Very well, follow Zhi Xiong. Once you are with Zhi Xiong, you may tell him your purpose here."

Zhi Xiong bowed again. "Thank you, thank you!"

Subsequently, we followed the Lama’s donkey into a mountain valley.

Along the way, Zhi Xiong frequently observed Zhabacuo.

Zhabacuo looked ancient; his neck and face were crisscrossed with wrinkles, and his eyebrows were entirely white, hanging heavy above his eyes. His eyes were murky, filled with an air of deep experience. Elder Kongdu had mentioned he was a close friend of the previous Tomb King. One could only imagine the stories his life contained. After so many twists and turns, we had finally found this Lama; hopefully, he could help us resolve our questions.

Zhabacuo said nothing to us, instead gazing steadily ahead, guiding his donkey.

We rounded a gorge and began ascending a gentle slope. After a while, we spotted a house built of stone ahead. Zhabacuo guided the donkey to the front of the house, tethering the lead rope to a stone pillar before opening the door and inviting us in.

Once we were all inside, Zhabacuo closed the door, then brought out three chairs for us to sit.

Zhabacuo went to a nearby cabinet, poured three cups of milk tea, and handed them to us, saying, "You three esteemed guests have traveled far. Please drink some tea and rest."

Zhi Xiong inhaled the faint scent of musk and aroma rising from the milk tea, finding the experience immensely pleasant. He quickly bowed to Zhabacuo, saying, "Thank you, Venerable Elder."

Zhabacuo finally sat down. Zhi Xiong took a sip of the tea and then eagerly stated, "We have come seeking answers to questions that require your guidance. We hope the Elder will assist us greatly."

Zhabacuo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of questions can Elder Kongdu not answer that required you to travel so far to find Zhi Xiong?"

Lu Zong, impatient, answered as soon as the Lama finished speaking. "Old Lama, it’s nothing major that brings us here. We just wanted to ask you some things about the Four Forbidden Lands."

Hearing this, Zhabacuo showed no surprise. He looked us over and inquired, "It appears you esteemed guests are skilled tomb raiders?"

Zhi Xiong scratched his head. "We won't lie to the Elder; we are indeed tomb raiders." Zhabacuo nodded, saying nothing further, but looked out the window and sighed. After a long silence, he finally spoke, "You must have visited the Four Forbidden Lands already. Young man, Zhi Xiong would like to know your names."

Zhi Xiong cursed his own haste upon hearing the Lama speak; he hadn't even introduced himself yet—utterly impolite. He quickly introduced himself and the others to Zhabacuo: "Zhi Xiong is Zhi Xiong Yi. This is Lu Zong, and she is Ge Mei."

Zhabacuo then asked, "And your schools of origin...?"

Zhi Xiong replied, "Zhi Xiong is the current head of the Zhi Xiong Tomb Raiding Family. Lu Zong is Zhi Xiong's sworn brother, belonging to no specific faction. As for this one..."

Zhi Xiong gestured toward Ge Mei but suddenly realized he didn't know her school. As he hesitated, Ge Mei suddenly spoke up, "Venerable Elder, my master is..."

Saying this, Ge Mei spread her two palms, forming the shape of wings, and made a flapping motion. Seeing this gesture, Zhi Xiong pondered for a moment, then gasped, already having a strong inkling of her master's identity.

Zhabacuo nodded again after seeing this. After a pause, he continued speaking to us, "Very well, Zhi Xiong understands. Now, ask whatever you need to ask. If Zhi Xiong knows the answer, Zhi Xiong will certainly reply. Zhi Xiong has always held the Tomb King in high regard."