"One, three, five, seven, nine, eleven; two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve. That's the true unlocking pattern..."

Xiao Qin and the others watched Wang Guan's every move intently. They were certainly not fools; on the contrary, their minds were sharp. [Otherwise, they wouldn't have become researchers specializing in mechanical devices.] Noticing the sequence, which seemed random yet possessed a profound, underlying order, they immediately gasped, their faces alight with elation.

At that moment, twelve locking mechanisms clicked open, leaving only the final step. Yet, Wang Guan grew exceedingly cautious, not even wiping the beads of sweat from his brow, concentrating entirely on the intricate locking mechanism of the door.

"Krrrrr..."

Suddenly, Wang Guan's fingertip gently manipulated one of the lock keys. Everyone immediately heard the sound of all twelve locking bolts retracting and then slamming shut again, as if all their previous efforts had been utterly wasted.

"...It's alright, we’ll start again."

After a long pause, Elder Hou spoke up to offer comfort. Since they had already deciphered the pattern, only the final hurdle remained. Success seemed within sight; there was nothing left to worry about.

Encouraged by everyone, Wang Guan managed a faint smile, slowly wiping the perspiration from his forehead. Then, with deliberate kindness, he reminded them, "The mechanism door is about to open. Are you ready?"

"What?"

The group blinked, naturally confused by his meaning. But experience is the best teacher, and Elder Hou’s gaze swept over the arrangement of the door’s lock keys. In that instant, he exclaimed with mixed surprise and joy, "Flying Star enters the Palace—the opening is auspicious!"

"What does that mean now?"

The others didn't understand, but Xiao Qin and his colleagues did. They looked toward the mechanical door, their faces immediately filling with delight. Simultaneously, their attention focused on the lock keys of the mechanism door, and they quickly spotted the anomaly.

The so-called Flying Star, Elder Hou had explained earlier, referred to the empty spaces between the lock keys—the gaps that allowed movement. But at this very moment, that gap had vanished. Instead, emerging from the dead center of the lock disk was a button, starkly black and white, resembling the yin-yang symbol of the Taiji.

Seeing this, even the dullest mind should have understood that the final unlocking sequence was complete; only the ultimate press remained.

At this point, it wasn't just the younger members; even seasoned veterans like Elder Hou and Professor Wen could barely contain their rising excitement and fervor.

"Wait, wait a moment..."

Of course, having been tested by time, Professor Wen quickly regained his composure. He reached out, halting the restless crowd, his expression turning profoundly serious. "You can leave now, and bring the others in to take your place. Then, have the entrance to the tomb sealed off. All extraneous personnel must be cleared out; no one is allowed within half a step."

For an instant, Wang Guan and the others were speechless, feeling that Professor Wen’s change of demeanor was startlingly fast—not merely turning a page, but flipping it in the blink of an eye. This tone, this expression, this action—it was clearly a case of using people until they were no longer useful, then kicking them aside. It was instantly infuriating, making one grind their teeth.

Indeed, Yu Feibai was visibly grinding his teeth, his face a mask of indignant frustration. He couldn't help but call out, "Professor Wen, you’re demolishing the bridge after crossing the river! You’re setting the donkey loose after grinding the millstone!"

"Little Yu,"

Professor Wen replied with a helpless, wry smile. "Your words are too harsh. It’s not that I don’t trust you all, but archaeology is an extremely rigorous and scientific endeavor. If you lack experience, errors are easy to make. Professional matters should be left to professionals. Once we have fully excavated the underground palace, you can tour it as much as you like..."

It had to be admitted, Professor Wen’s reasoning held weight. After all, archaeology wasn't just about hauling items out of an ancient tomb. If it were that simple, ordinary people could handle it, and archaeology wouldn't be a specialized discipline.

The intricacies involved could not be explained in a few words. In any case, as a meticulous research archaeologist, Professor Wen’s actions were entirely understandable.

At least Elder Hou agreed, nodding in support. "Feibai, this is serious business. Don't cause a scene. Wait outside first. Once we've explored and clarified the situation inside, we’ll let you in to see to your heart’s content."

With Elder Hou speaking, even if Yu Feibai was reluctant, he had to show deference.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the news that the underground palace was about to open, seven or eight others rushed in from outside. Every one of them looked fully equipped: bags in their left hands, brushes in their right, headlamps affixed to their foreheads. If they had been wearing white coats, they would have perfectly resembled chief physicians in a hospital.

Everything was ready; only the east wind was missing.

Urged on by Professor Wen and the others, Wang Guan and his companions reluctantly left the tunnel. As they climbed out of the pit opening, they faintly heard the sound of the mechanical door slowly grinding open.

"This is an outrage,"

At that moment, Yu Feibai, bristling with annoyance, couldn't help but kick a clump of loose dirt near the pit's edge. He then frowned. "Wang Guan, why aren't you saying anything? Being used like a disposable sanitary pad and immediately tossed into the trash heap—aren't you angry?"

"What kind of metaphor is that?" Wang Guan felt a vein throbbing in his temple.

"It’s perfectly logical, fitting, and vivid! That’s exactly what happened," Yu Feibai shook his head and sighed, trying to sow discord. "We can accept it, but even a great contributor like you is being treated with such cold disregard. Don't you feel heartbroken, filled with indignation?"

"What nonsense are you speaking?" Wang Guan said, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Is this minor matter worth blowing out of proportion?"

"It is necessary, absolutely necessary," Yu Feibai argued righteously. "We cannot let a hero bleed and then weep as well."

"I’m not arguing with you anymore."

Wang Guan shook his head, climbing the ladder upwards as he spoke. "Instead of worrying about the underground palace, we should go see if Guan Yang has sent any messages."

"Tch, it’s barely past ten. It won't be that quick," Yu Feibai muttered casually, climbing up to the pit opening as well, his expression still sullen and clearly troubled.

"Feibai, stop wearing that sour face; Professor Wen and the others can’t see you now." After returning to the tent, Wang Guan checked his phone and confirmed there was no message from Guan Yang. He then called everyone to sit down, boiled water for tea, and tried to placate him. "It's not like they’ll never let you see. It’s just a matter of sooner or later."

"You just admitted there's a difference! A difference means inequality, unfairness, injustice—I certainly have an opinion!" When it came to twisting logic, Yu Feibai had an endless supply, making everyone feel helpless.

Wang Guan decided to ignore him, letting Yu Feibai stew in his self-pity while he chatted cheerfully with the others nearby, discussing the day's findings and appraising the jade bi that Fang Mingsheng had acquired. It was quite relaxing.

At first, Yu Feibai didn't care, but as time wore on, he began to feel isolated and couldn't help but complain, "You guys have no sympathy whatsoever..."

"BOOM!"

Before Yu Feibai could finish his sentence, a sudden, hollow sound erupted, much like thunder cracking on a clear day. The booming noise traveled through the quiet night. Even though it was distant, everyone heard it quite clearly.

"Is that thunder and rain?"

Hearing the sound, the group’s first reaction was to wonder if a storm was brewing. But then their expressions shifted abruptly as they remembered Guan Yang’s warning signal.

"Did they really blow up the mountain?"

At this, everyone rushed out of the tent, looking left and right. It wasn't just them peering around; some of the more experienced archaeologists at the camp also changed color upon hearing the sound, expressions of panic and alarm flickering across their faces.

Amidst the growing unrest, some people stepped forward to calm the mounting anxiety.

Although Professor Wen was deep underground exploring the tomb, perhaps six or seven meters down, and might not have heard the noise, he wasn't the only respected figure at the camp. Several other highly authoritative senior experts were present.

These prominent experts stepped forward and, with a few words, stabilized the crowd's mood.

Most importantly, the armed police officers were not to be trifled with. Sensing an anomaly, they immediately grabbed their gear, activated the camp's searchlights, and began patrolling the perimeter.

Although many people disliked violence, when they saw violence aligned on their side, they felt immensely reassured. That was the sentiment now; seeing the police standing guard, everyone settled down, their feelings of fear and unease significantly reduced.

"Wang Guan, did your phone just ring?"

At the same time, Yu Feibai asked perplexedly, "Did Guan Yang send a message? Why didn't I hear anything?"

"No message,"

Wang Guan checked his phone again; there were absolutely no new texts in his inbox.

"That's strange," Yu Feibai mused. "That means there are only two possibilities. Either Guan Yang didn't have time to send the message, or this explosion wasn't caused by the group Guan Yang warned us about."

"That makes sense..."

Wang Guan nodded, then called out, "Officer Yang, could you take a few men to check the situation?"

Responding to Wang Guan’s call, a sturdy policeman in his thirties approached. He was the officer responsible for security in this area. Initially, he had thought Professor Wen was overreacting by calling in so many police officers to strengthen the guard here. But now, he didn't think so at all; in fact, he felt Professor Wen had foresight.

Grave robbing using explosives to blast open mountains wasn't entirely unheard of, but it was relatively rare. However, one thing was certain: if such an incident occurred, it would be a major case demanding the highest level of attention.

In this region, tomb robbing was commonplace. Even if the culprits weren't caught, at worst, the officers would receive a reprimand from superiors, with no substantial penalty. But this involved gunpowder, which made the issue far more serious. The nation's control over firearms and ammunition was as strict as possible—it was the paramount concern for public security and stability maintenance.

Perhaps the general public didn't care about explosives, but certain leaders in government agencies certainly did. They feared the unforeseen, just in case someone suddenly felt inspired to emulate Dong Cunrui sacrificing himself to blow up a pillbox? What then?

In any case, such unsafe materials must be suppressed and severely punished.

Most importantly, if there had been no report, Officer Yang might have been able to stall or pretend ignorance. But now, under the scrutiny of everyone present, it was impossible for him not to take the lead and set an example... (To be continued) RS