"I'm just a patrol officer, not a detective!" Officer Yang sighed inwardly, strongly wishing he could delegate the task of scouting the situation to the armed police. However, he quickly realized it was impractical; those officers were needed to secure the camp perimeter. In the eyes of the more informed archaeologists, the underground mausoleum held greater significance.

The other large tomb, that was the jurisdiction of the patrol officers…

Driven by both his duty and the scrutinizing gaze of the assembled crowd, Officer Yang reluctantly called over a few colleagues and cautiously advanced toward the site of the incident. Trailing behind them was Wang Guan and his entourage.

Seeing this, Officer Yang made no move to stop them. For one, there was safety in numbers; for another, Fang Mingsheng’s burly bodyguards might prove useful. Nevertheless, for the sake of safety, Officer Yang sternly cautioned them, instructing them not to make any sudden moves lest something go awry—a disaster for which he would not take responsibility.

Of course, Officer Yang allowed Wang Guan and the others to follow because he possessed a degree of certainty. It wasn't certainty that Wang Guan and his group would remain unharmed, but rather the confidence that by the time they reached the location, the tomb robbers would surely have fled.

Why the police always seem to arrive late, only reaching the scene after the fact—at this very moment, Wang Guan and his group understood the reason. First, there was the issue of transportation; second, the matter of individual temperament.

Taking this event as an example, the transportation problem was easy enough to grasp. After all, they were traveling on a mountain path at night, visibility was poor, and speed was naturally limited. Furthermore, speeding was ill-advised; a misstep could easily lead to a tumble down a ravine or cliffside. For safety, a steady pace was clearly the more prudent approach.

As for the issue of individual temperament…

Wang Guan had never realized that police officers weren't quite as bold as imagined. From their vantage point behind, they could clearly see that at the slightest rustle or noise, the footsteps of the lead officers would simultaneously halt. Only once the perceived danger had dissipated would they cautiously resume their march, naturally at an even slower pace.

It was this stop-and-go progress, this winding circuit, that stretched what should have been an hour’s trek into more than two hours before they finally, barely, reached the approximate area of the incident. The word ‘barely’ was used because after the initial explosion, there had been silence. Everyone could only vaguely pinpoint the incident site to a general vicinity.

The exact location would require a thorough search.

It should be noted that there was no moon that night, only a few stars twinkling overhead. Being deep within the mountains with no other light sources, the darkness could truly be described as absolute.

Under such conditions, even the high-powered flashlights they held could only illuminate a small patch of ground.

"Actually, we don't need to search blindly."

Just then, an archaeologist who had curiously followed along whispered, "I've been here before; I have some familiarity with the area. If this truly is a major tomb, it should be up on that slope over there."

Since they had no leads, everyone decided to follow this man's deduction and briskly headed toward that particular hill. However, Yu Feibai was also curious and asked, "Why are you so certain there's a large tomb there? What basis do you have?"

"That's what Professor Wen said."

The man explained softly, "A few days ago, Professor Wen brought us here to survey the area. He felt the landscape was excellent—the mountains embraced the water, the vista ahead was flat—a blessed spot in Feng Shui studies, making the possibility of a major tomb quite high."

Hearing this, a shared realization dawned on the group, vaguely sensing the implication behind his words.

Yu Feibai, unable to hold back, cut straight to the point: "Are you suggesting someone leaked Professor Wen's words, leading to this tomb-robbing operation?"

"I never said that," the man quickly denied, only offering a smile: "I just find it odd. It's quite a coincidence that someone set their sights on this place shortly after Professor Wen made those remarks."

"A coincidence?"

The others might have dismissed it, but Officer Yang took the comment to heart, pondering it as a potential clue for cracking the case. Following this thread might lead directly to apprehending the culprits. A contribution this significant, wouldn't promotion be just around the corner?

As Officer Yang indulged in hopeful speculation, feeling a slight surge of excitement, the group slowly approached the vicinity of that specific hill.

"Wait."

At that moment, Officer Yang snapped back to attention, adopting the seriousness of his profession. "You all wait here. We'll go up and check the situation first…"

As he spoke, Officer Yang drew his pistol, signaled his colleagues, and they began to stealthily creep up the slope, moving in a crouch.

This was no trivial matter, so even the more impulsive Yu Feibai didn't rush forward but chose to wait with the others at the foot of the hill.

About half an hour later, Officer Yang returned from the summit, his expression unreadable—was it regret or relief? "It is indeed the place, but the people are gone."

This was the expected outcome, and no one was surprised. After all, taking two or three hours to arrive, even the dullest thieves would know it was time to flee.

"What exactly is the situation up there?" Yu Feibai inquired, preparing to ascend, but was stopped by Officer Yang.

"That is the crime scene, containing traces left by the perpetrators. Everyone should refrain from wandering around, as it might complicate our investigation into the direction of the suspects' escape." Officer Yang offered an apologetic smile and then described the scene: "They did blast a large pit up there. Our initial survey found some fragments of debris—possibly items from the tomb, discarded nearby because they were shattered by the explosion…"

"Vile!"

Hearing this, two or three of the archaeologists flared with righteous indignation and couldn't help but chastise the act. For them, anything within a tomb, regardless of its monetary value, was a precious cultural artifact. To see it destroyed through brute force made them furious.

"Officer Yang, please let us go take a look," one archaeologist requested. "We promise not to disturb the scene, and we have experience in this field; perhaps we can uncover some clues."

Officer Yang didn't doubt the sincerity of this statement; he had witnessed the meticulous care archaeologists employed—an attitude bordering on more stringent and careful than police evidence collection.

Considering this, Officer Yang hesitated briefly, then nodded: "You can go up, but you must walk in a straight line, directly there and back. If your paths are too chaotic, it will easily confuse our efforts to trace the criminals' escape route."

"Understood."

Having received permission, the group immediately moved up swiftly. A moment later, halfway up the slope, they could vaguely make out the mouth of a blasted pit. Unfortunately, it was the dead of night, and even with illumination, the details remained indistinct.

"It really was blasted open. Tragic," Yu Feibai murmured after studying it for a moment. "They are completely insane."

It was easy to understand why everyone detested grave robbers; their methods were too crude, too disrespectful. Looting all the valuables was bad enough, but they showed no regard for preservation during the process, smashing, prying, and destroying wantonly. In a way, such actions were no different from those of ancient executioners.

"The tomb chamber seems quite large; it is undoubtedly a major tomb," an archaeologist observed carefully, nodding his agreement. "The only question is whether this tomb has been robbed before."

This, in fact, was a peculiar phenomenon among the Mangshan burial complexes. Generally, ancient tomb robbers tended to leave something behind, never stripping a tomb of every burial object. However, since tomb robbing was a continuous activity across eras, many tombs had been repeatedly plundered, leading to the current situation where nine out of ten tombs are found empty.

Consequently, some modern robbers often found themselves frustrated, encountering empty graves—the handiwork of their ancient counterparts—leaving them stamping their feet in impotent rage.

"Whether it was robbed before or not, these people definitely succeeded this time," another archaeologist pointed out, gesturing toward the discarded debris. "They harvested quite a bit, or they wouldn't be so 'generous' with the trash they left behind."

"That makes sense." Everyone nodded in agreement. Just then, a police officer approached to report: "Captain, they fled west."

"West?" Officer Yang frowned. "That's not the direction leading back to Luoyang."

"Why would they run toward a big city right after committing the crime? Aren't they afraid of being trapped?" Yu Feibai commented casually. "If it were me, I’d hide somewhere remote and only emerge once the heat died down."

"West…"

At this point, Wang Guan mused thoughtfully, "Didn't Old Man He Liu's home happen to be to the west?"

"That's right!" Yu Feibai suddenly realized, grinning widely. "Officer Yang, we might know where the culprits are hiding. Do you dare to go apprehend them? They committed the crime only a few hours ago; catching them all now would be a huge accomplishment. You might even make the news, molded into the new generation's Divine Detective Di Renjie, tracing the culprits through scant clues, calmly setting an inescapable net, and capturing them all in one sweep… Tsk tsk, they could film a whole series about it."

Under Yu Feibai’s smooth talking, Officer Yang was naturally tempted. He didn't aspire to be a legendary detective like Di Renjie, but merely sought a meritorious achievement to bolster his case for future raises and promotions. Sensing that Yu Feibai wasn't trying to trick him, he made a swift decision and asked quietly, "Are you absolutely sure you know where the culprits are hiding?"

"We wouldn't dare lie to the police," Yu Feibai responded with a smile. "So, do you dare to come along with us?"

Nonsense—how could one refuse a meritorious opportunity delivered right to their doorstep?

Instantly, Officer Yang nodded. He left two colleagues to guard the scene and led the rest of the group, following Wang Guan and his companions. After a winding journey, they arrived near the residence of He Liu.

"Those men are very likely hidden in there," Yu Feibai stated, making sure to qualify his words. "It’s only a possibility. Whether they are inside or not depends on whether fate has smiled upon you for a commendation."

"What's the probability?" Officer Yang asked.

Yu Feibai considered this, exchanged a glance with Wang Guan, and finally concluded: "Seventy percent!"

"That's good enough," Officer Yang nodded, immediately leading his men toward the He family gate, preparing to spring the trap.

Seeing this swift action, Yu Feibai stroked his chin: "He's rushing. It feels like he missed something…"

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