The structure before us must have once had a roof, but the vault had long since collapsed due to the immense age, leaving walls of squared stones that looked ancient and weathered. Judging by the break in the front, that wall alone must have been seven or eight meters high—what an impossibly tall building it once was.

In my astonishment, I couldn't help but reach out to touch the stone wall before me; the cold, solid sensation sparked endless imagination.

and I began circling this massive, fractured wall, searching for any possible entrance into the interior.

As I walked, I continuously filmed the scenes around me with my phone, certain that if these images ever got out, they would mark a monumental discovery in world archaeology.

After walking around the ruined wall for about ten minutes, we finally found a spot where the structure had completely caved in. Even so, what lay before us was still a mound of rubble towering over two meters high.

Climbing the pile of stones, both of us shone our flashlights into the world behind the wall, only to see layers upon layers of broken walls and crumbling ruins stretching far beyond the reach of our lights.

Thick clusters of trees had already sprouted up amidst the fallen debris and rubble; this ancient edifice had transformed into a sanctuary for foliage.

Despite the overgrowth, we could still discern from the fractured masonry that the section where we entered the wall must have once been a fairly large hall.

This hall spanned perhaps over two hundred square meters, framed by the surrounding broken walls into a long, narrow rectangle. Based on my mental imagery of architecture in the Western Regions, such an elongated hall was likely a refectory for communal dining or perhaps an ancillary chamber within some grand temple.

has spent over a decade as a Mojin Xiaowei and possesses extensive knowledge of subterranean architecture. Faced with such a colossal complex, he was instantly galvanized. He began climbing along the edge of the broken wall toward a higher section, quickly ascending five or six meters to survey the layout of the entire underground ruin from above.

I stood below, looking up at *, who was trembling slightly along with the torch he held. I couldn't discern his expression and finally asked, "Well?"

didn't answer me, instead fumbling through his backpack, and soon produced a pair of binoculars, aiming them into the endless darkness ahead.

After watching for a while, he made a peculiar move.

It was as if he had suddenly spotted something; he lowered the binoculars, crouched down, and then stomped out the torch he was holding onto the ground.

The moment the torch was extinguished, I could no longer see *, but I heard him urgently whisper to me, "Quick! Find somewhere to hide!"

Then I heard a heavy thud as * jumped straight down from the wall.

That was a drop of five or six meters—equivalent to jumping from the second or third floor of a building. Even for a special forces operative, there was a high chance of injury in complete darkness.

So, I hastily switched on my flashlight and moved toward him.

At that moment, * cried out, "Don't! Don't turn on the light!"

I froze for a second, but seeing that he was unharmed, I switched off the flashlight as he directed.

Then I heard * rushing toward me anxiously, and I asked him, "What on earth is going on?"

swallowed hard with visible effort and said, "It's your grandfather, Nie Haiyun!"

"Grandfather?" I couldn't believe my ears. Though * had told me after we left Heizhugou that my grandfather hadn't died, I had only half-believed him then. But now, could my grandfather really reappear?

Although my heart filled with joy, I also knew that my grandfather's appearance meant that some things seemed to be terrifyingly true.

Having witnessed huge stones crush my grandfather, the fact that he was still alive made me question Liang Qian's claim that my grandfather was no longer human, because under those circumstances, no one would survive.

Even if my grandfather had been lucky enough to jump into a well and escape, the entire mountain in Heizhugou had collapsed; he should have been permanently sealed underground.

Thinking this, I suppressed the urge to rush toward my grandfather and instead hid with * behind a large tree near the corner of the wall, silently observing everything unfolding before us.

Sure enough, a moment later, a group of people came through, chattering noisily, carrying torches. Most of them were men, varying in height, about a dozen or thirteen in number.

Initially, I couldn't clearly make out any of their faces.

But when my grandfather led them closer, I felt my heart leap into my throat, struggling to control my breathing.

Because I saw Da Xiong and Mu Yun among the group!

They were both trailing behind my grandfather, stopping in the open space at the center of the ruins where we were concealed.

My grandfather held a torch in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Although his face held significantly more wrinkles than before, his eyes were still piercingly bright. The surrounding men were silent; my grandfather was clearly their leader.

My grandfather swept the flashlight around the area, then adjusted his glasses frame on the bridge of his nose, and turned to ask Da Xiong, "Kid, didn't you say there was a light over here? Explain this now."

Da Xiong had none of his usual playful expression; instead, he looked rather frightened and nervously scanned his surroundings, rubbing his hands together before saying, "Th-this... Old Master, I don't know, perhaps I saw wrong."

My grandfather shot a suspicious glance around before turning back to Da Xiong, his expression blank, and stated, "If you let Xiao Chuan fall into Boss Wu's hands again this time, I won't spare you, you little brat!"

Da Xiong looked embarrassed, scratched the back of his head, and chuckled wryly, "I truly didn't know the background of that Xie Yuting last time, which is why things went wrong, I..."

My grandfather raised a hand to stop him and then instructed the men beside him, "Search the vicinity for any signs of recent visitors, and leave a contingent here to stand guard. If you find Xiao Chuan, don't waste time talking—knock him out first, then tie him up."

The decisiveness in my grandfather’s words, utterly devoid of any familial concern, made my heart sink.

Is this truly my grandfather? My emotions were indescribably complex...

Four sturdy men nearby nodded and each headed in a different direction, beginning to search among the rubble and trees.

At that moment, one of the men walked toward our location. Seeing how tense I was, * pulled me back, urging me to stay quiet.

I stared as the man took two steps in our direction, only to be suddenly pulled back from behind by someone else.

When I looked, it was Da Xiong. He told the man, "I'll search over there."

The man didn't respond, turning instead toward another section of the ruins.

Da Xiong then frowned and began walking toward our hiding spot step by step.

Looking at Da Xiong's fleshy face, I felt an indescribable complexity in my mood. It turned out he had known about my grandfather’s situation all along, and they were working together. This meant that my best friend had been deceiving me since Heizhugou.

I, of all people, cannot tolerate betrayal from a friend. At that instant, I gritted my teeth, resolving that if Da Xiong approached any closer, I would kick him flat on his ass and ensure he never had descendants.

In that brief interval, Mu Yun finally spoke, whispering to my grandfather, "Old Master, will Xiao Chuan be alright? Back when we were on the cavern wall, I saw them almost killed by those green-skinned monsters."

My grandfather snorted and said, "The brat chose to stand with that man surnamed Wu; suffering some hardship is deserved. Even if he died, he has no one to blame but himself!"

Hearing my grandfather speak those words, my spirit cooled by more than half. Though I didn't fully grasp the context, this attitude carried not a shred of affection or care.

Just then, Da Xiong strode up to the large tree where we were concealed. * anxiously tugged at me, telling me to stay hidden.

So, I quickly pulled my head back, fixing my face against the tree trunk, unmoving. However, this position prevented me from seeing what was happening outside.

and I stood rigidly behind the tree in extreme tension. Suddenly, I heard the rustling sound of leaves in the canopy above—presumably Da Xiong checking the upper branches.

I glanced sideways at *, and saw him squinting up at the canopy, his expression incredibly complex.

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