[Ding. Arrived at the Ancient Tomb location. Scanning in progress. Please wait, Host.]
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yunzheng could only take off her backpack, pull out a folding entrenching tool, and start digging at the spot indicated by the System.
As she dug, the surroundings grew even more eerie and terrifying.
Honestly, in this desolate area spanning dozens of miles without a soul in sight…
A figure entirely clad in black, incessantly digging into the earth, looked exactly like a burial scene from a horror or mystery film—utterly chilling.
“Ding!”
After over an hour of strenuous digging, her hands raw and blistered, Qiu Yunzheng’s shovel finally struck something hard.
She quickly set down the tool and used her hands to brush away the soil, grateful she had worn gloves.
What is this? Qiu Yunzheng had indeed uncovered the outer wall of the Tomb—a rammed earth wall, unique to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. It seemed this Ancient Tomb truly dated back to that era.
Moreover, such walls were exclusively used by rulers of that time; ordinary wealthy individuals or minor officials lacked the means for such a Mausoleum.
Qiu Yunzheng then recalled the System’s mention of an “imperial mausoleum.” No wonder. She wondered which emperor it belonged to—likely a famous one in history, judging by the sizable map the System provided.
But the internal scanning speed was painfully slow, only at five percent. Was this System secondhand?
Nevertheless, Qiu Yunzheng felt satisfied. Having located the Ancient Tomb, her subsequent plans would now proceed smoothly.
She relaxed completely, slumping to the ground. The hard work was over; she could now seek help—contact the authorities and latch onto their expertise.
Envisioning herself merely observing from behind the professionals brought her immense joy.
Just as Qiu Yunzheng pulled out her phone to call the police, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
A tall man, clad in camouflage with his face painted like a savage, suddenly leaped out.
Moving at an imperceptible speed, he lunged at Qiu Yunzheng with lightning swiftness, executing a skilled grappling hold.
Excellent. Very professional.
Qiu Yunzheng was forcefully pinned to the ground with immense strength, her phone dropping from her hand.
“Don’t move!”
Qiu Yunzheng: Damn it, you’re not giving me any chance to move! I’m being ground into the dirt here—how could I possibly move? System, what’s going on? You said there was no one!
“Host, my apologies. Ahem, there really was no one earlier. He must have arrived later. 288 was too focused on scanning the Ancient Tomb. Sorry. But rest assured, Host, the System will definitely protect your safety.”
Qiu Yunzheng: ???? 288, are you sure? This is what you call safety?
“Host, it’s fine, trust me. Moreover, based on my analysis, this person appears to be a soldier—from your country, China. Why not skip the police? Look, here’s a ready-made solution.”
Qiu Yunzheng: My System might be an idiot. (#￣︶￣).
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
Seeing that Qiu Yunzheng neither struggled nor spoke, but lay limp on the ground like a lifeless heap, the man demanded sternly.
“B-big… brother, could you… l-let… go…”
Seeing Qiu Yunzheng nearly out of breath, the man reluctantly loosened his grip slightly.
He realized the woman beneath him truly possessed no combat skills and had undergone no training—her entire body was full of openings, soft and limp. She hardly seemed worth his intense vigilance.
Most importantly, he had quietly surveyed the area earlier when he noticed someone digging here. Confirming there was only one person, he felt assured enough to approach and restrain this woman first.
“Huff… huff…”
“Speak quickly—what are you doing here? Are you tomb raiding? How did you learn about this tomb’s location?”
While gasping for air, Qiu Yunzheng rolled her eyes dramatically. She had almost thought she was done for—this man’s strength was inexplicably overwhelming. Her arms throbbed with excruciating pain, and she dared not move them an inch.
“Look at my phone! I was calling the police! I accidentally dug up an ancient tomb—of course I’d report it!”
Upon hearing Qiu Yunzheng’s words, the man didn’t release her but instinctively glanced at the phone lying on the ground. Indeed, it showed the emergency dial screen. Had he not acted swiftly to subdue her, the call might have already gone through.
After verifying Qiu Yunzheng wasn’t lying and confirming she lacked any capability to resist, the man finally released her. He then pulled a communicator from his pocket and muttered something into it.
The man didn’t fully believe her claim of accidental discovery. Based on his observations, Qiu Yunzheng had arrived with clear purpose and deliberately chosen this spot to dig.
However, recalling how she offered little resistance during the arrest and showed no signs of special training, he temporarily accepted her story. He knew once they returned to camp, there would be ways to extract the truth.
Several minutes later, a military off-road vehicle appeared in the distance.
Qiu Yunzheng was taken away.
Of course, guards remained at the ancient tomb site. They refilled the excavation, restoring the area to its original untouched state.
During the journey, no one spoke to Qiu Yunzheng. She sat in the backseat with the man who initially captured her—clearly someone of higher rank. She had noticed the arriving soldiers saluting him earlier, and his presence likely explained the heavy silence and oppressive atmosphere in the vehicle.
This suspicion was confirmed when, after disembarking, she saw the young driver subtly exhale in relief.
As the man escorted her through the camp, watching countless personnel salute him respectfully, Qiu Yunzheng communicated inwardly with her System.
“System, can you identify this man? Why do I feel like I’ve been captured by someone important?”
“Sorry, host. The System’s primary directive prohibits excessive probing of any nation’s confidential matters. I can only scan generally. This man possesses combat skills surpassing everyone in this camp, and I sense his mental energy is exceptionally high too.”
“? Alright then, I’m reassured. The most trustworthy and secure figures in China are our military personnel. I may not trust you completely, but I have full faith in our nation’s soldiers.”
“…288 is very useful too.”
“Oh.”
Qiu Yunzheng ignored the System’s subtle emotional fluctuations, which it thought were well-hidden. Given that the System had failed to detect whether anyone was present earlier, she remained somewhat skeptical about its claimed usefulness.
Of course, it wasn’t that Qiu Yunzheng wanted to provoke her little System, nor was it retaliation for what had just happened—really, she’d swear to that with both hands raised.
Though Qiu Yunzheng didn’t refute it, she also didn’t acknowledge 288, which made the System angry. But then it remembered that Qiu Yunzheng was its very first host in its system life.
It’s not just humans who experience the “first attachment” phenomenon—systems endowed with human-like thoughts and emotions have it too.
In the end, the System could only sulk in silence, nursing its petty grievances alone.