PCJ – Chapter 424 The Collapsed Tomb

In the cave, the occasional drip of water echoed like the sound of a bell, amplified in the stillness and traveling far into the depths.

Footsteps grew louder. Fat Cat, cloaked in darkness and naturally black, relied on the shadows as perfect camouflage. Its eyes gleamed like two luminous pearls in the dark, but it knew how to hide them as well.

The approaching figures were Sun Lei, under He Shouye, and Yang Jinlong, under Long Wuyi.

“This time, it must be a big shot. Even if it’s not an emperor, it’s at least someone of noble rank. One thing’s certain: the treasures inside won’t be scarce,” said Sun Lei.

Yang Jinlong chuckled, “If we pull off this job, I swear I’ll quit this line of work. It’s bad luck for our lifespan.”

“No kidding. Who with money or status would stoop to this?” Sun Lei nodded.

“That’s not entirely true,” Yang Jinlong remarked before trailing off. Both knew well enough—neither He Shouye nor Long Wuyi lacked wealth. Greed has no limits; no matter how much someone has, they always crave more. Even with a fortune, some dream of rivaling nations. Wealth is endless, yet one lifetime is never enough to claim it all.

“Hmm?” Yang Jinlong suddenly shone his flashlight around but found nothing.

“What’s wrong?” Sun Lei asked, puzzled.

“I feel like someone’s watching us,” Yang Jinlong muttered, scanning the area again to no avail.

“That’s impossible. Our men are guarding the entrance. No one else could have come in,” Sun Lei reassured.

“When do the bosses plan to enter?” Yang Jinlong inquired.

“Not yet. Master He wants us to scout thoroughly before they proceed. Master Long, though, can’t wait to charge in and turn this tomb upside down. He’s always been impulsive,” Sun Lei said.

“Well, patience isn’t his strong suit. Luckily, he has Master He as a friend; otherwise, his recklessness might’ve sunk him long ago. Remember how the cops in Yanjing almost caught him? It was Master He who bailed him out every time,” Yang Jinlong replied.

As Sun Lei and Yang Jinlong chatted their way out of the tomb, a few black cats darted through the shadows inside. Fat Cat retraced their path cautiously. After about two or three miles, it stopped abruptly, sensing danger ahead. Strangely, whatever lay in wait hadn’t attacked Sun Lei or Yang Jinlong earlier. Without hesitation, Fat Cat turned and fled.

After running just over a hundred meters, it heard heavy footsteps behind it. Letting out a sharp meow, it summoned the other black cats and promptly retreated from the tomb. Outside, Fat Cat overheard Sun Lei issuing orders.

“Keep an eye on this place at all times. This is a critical period. If anyone messes up Master He and Master Long’s plans, you know the consequences!” Sun Lei barked.

Peeking through the fabric covering the entrance, Fat Cat observed the situation and slipped out when Sun Lei wasn’t looking.

Sun Lei turned abruptly, catching only a glimpse of a black silhouette.

“Just a cat. Keep an eye out! Don’t even let a cat back in!” Sun Lei muttered, finding the feline somewhat odd. Then he reasoned, what’s so strange about a cat? They’re everywhere in the countryside.

“This cat looks familiar,” Yang Jinlong murmured.

“There are so many cats and dogs in this village, especially black ones. They’re everywhere,” one of the guards chimed in casually.

“Be careful! Mess up Master He and Master Long’s plans, and you’ll face the consequences!” Yang Jinlong snapped, glaring at the guard for speaking out of turn.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jiaohua was resting during a break in filming. Though he wasn’t tired, the same couldn’t be said for the camera crew and other actors. One scene had taken over a dozen takes. The frustrated cameraman even pretended to shoot without opening the lens cap, earning a scolding from director Lin Jianming.

Zhang Jiaohua, on the other hand, found the process increasingly interesting. The script, said to have been refined by He Shouye himself, impressed him with its professionalism. It was far superior to most amateur productions.

Though Zhang Jiaohua had never been involved in tomb raiding himself, he’d picked up some knowledge from Daoist traditions. Even so, he knew such practices were frowned upon by his sect, which held strong beliefs and avoided immoral acts.

“Jiaohua, pay attention to your posture while walking. And don’t hog the camera…” During breaks, Tang Yan patiently offered tips to Zhang Jiaohua.

A black cat darted past Tang Yan, catching Zhang Jiaohua’s attention.

“Auntie, I need to go to the bathroom,” he called out before running off, ignoring Tang Yan’s shout of, “Call me sister, you brat!”

On a hill, Fat Cat emerged from the bushes to meet Zhang Jiaohua, who quickly learned about the tomb’s situation through their simple form of communication.

“As expected, tomb raiders. I need to tell Uncle Luo,” Zhang Jiaohua muttered.

Back at the camp, Luo Changjun cautioned, “Be careful, Jiaohua. These people aren’t easy to deal with. Don’t alert them prematurely; we need hard evidence of their crimes before acting.”

“I know. I’m not the police anyway,” Zhang Jiaohua quipped, instructing the black cats to keep an eye on every person, especially the two ringleaders.

He Shouye and Long Wuyi were deeply invested in the treasures hidden in the tomb and were making plans to enter.

“Inside, we walked several miles before encountering a collapsed section. It seemed unnatural, like it had been deliberately blown up,” Yang Jinlong reported.

The group speculated about whether ancient raiders might have used explosives to seal something dangerous, possibly even a zombie corpse. Tension ran high as plans to delve deeper unfolded.