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"Princess, Princess! Princess Zhaoling, save us! We don't want to die! Princess, please, we don't want to be buried alive with you. We swear we won't tell your secret, please, Princess."

"Ah—" Yin Li screamed, sitting up straight, but because of her sleeping bag, she fell back to the ground. Her scream woke up the other three girls in the room. Zhang Yuanyuan opened her eyes and roared angrily, "What are you yelling about in the middle of the night? Are you seeing a ghost? If you want to scream, go somewhere else, don't embarrass yourself here!"

"Yuanyuan, don't do this, Xiaoyin might be having a nightmare," Bai Yunning quickly said. "Everyone, go to sleep."

"Xiao Li, are you alright?" Qin Wen asked, her eyes still heavy with sleep. "You've been having nightmares lately, did something scary happen to you?"

"I, I'm fine." Yin Li's mind was still stuck in that terrible dream. Her eyes were wide open, and her whole body was trembling. She didn't know if it was from the cold or something else, but her teeth were chattering.

Before she could finish speaking, a gasp shattered the silence of the night.

"Help! The mummified corpse has disappeared!"

Five minutes later, everyone gathered inside the large tent, surrounding the three empty coffins. Everyone looked grim, and Yin Li's face was ashen.

It was Guo Tong who discovered the missing mummies. He got up in the middle of the night to relieve himself and noticed something was wrong with the tent, so he went to check. As soon as he entered, he saw the coffin lids had slid to the side, and the three coffins were empty.

Yin Li felt her entire body freeze, standing there, unable to move. Why? Why was this happening? She had just had that dream, and it had become reality. Did she possess the ability to foresee the future?

Guo Tong looked up and saw Yin Li, who was covered in cold sweat. His eyes widened, and he grabbed her wrist, yelling, "Tell me! Did you do this?! Tell me!"

"What's wrong with you!" Qin Wen's expression changed, and she grabbed his arm, twisting it forcefully. He screamed in pain as Qin Wen twisted his arm behind his back, causing him to lose his balance and kneel on one knee. "What nonsense are you spouting? How could Xiao Li have done this? Why would she steal these mummified corpses?!"

"You'll have to ask her!" Guo Tong winced in pain. "Why did she sneak off to the Stone Forest yesterday? She must have stolen the mummified corpse and hidden it there!"

"Nonsense! Xiao Li has never left the tent, and we can all testify to that!"

"I can't testify to that," Zhang Yuanyuan said sarcastically, seeing her chance for revenge. "We were all sound asleep. Who knows if she did something shameful while we were sleeping?"

"Zhang Yuanyuan, public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. Don't use your position to settle personal scores!" Qin Wen shouted angrily.

Zhang Yuanyuan snorted coldly and stopped talking.

Guo Tong gritted his teeth and said, "Whether she stole the mummified corpse or not, we'll find out by searching the Stone Forest."

Yin Li was taken aback. Search the Stone Forest? Wouldn't that alert the enemy?

"What are you searching for?" Qin Wen said angrily. "Xiao Li is a weak woman, with no strength to even kill a chicken. How could she possibly lift three corpses? Besides, they are all mummified corpses, which are very easy to break during transport. Do you think she wouldn't make a sound?"

“What’s so difficult about that?” Zhang Yuanyuan said with a gloating look. “Our archaeological team has a tricycle. We can use that to steal the mummies without anyone noticing. The wind will blow them away and not even leave any wheel tracks.”

"So what?" Qin Wen argued, "Does that prove that Xiao Li stole the body?"

“At the very least, she’s a suspect in stealing the corpse,” Bai Yun Ning interjected, her expression the calmest. “Xiao Wen, we don’t believe Xiao Li would steal a corpse either. After all, even if a little girl like her stole it, she couldn’t possibly carry it out of the desert. Now let’s search the Stone Forest. If we don’t find it, we can clear her name.”

"Even if there were, it doesn't prove that Xiao Li stole it."

14. Mutual suspicion

“Of course,” Professor Li quickly said. “Xiao Qin, our top priority now is to find the body as soon as possible. As for who stole it, that’s not important.”

Qin Wen snorted and loosened her grip, allowing Guo Tong to stand up. His entire right shoulder felt weak and sore. He glared angrily at Qin Wen and Yin Li, his teeth grinding together.

"Alright, let's search the Stone Forest first. But if anyone spreads rumors that Xiao Li stole it, I'll tear their mouth off!" Qin Wen said angrily, lifting the curtain to walk out, but then heard Yin Li shout loudly, "You can't go!"

Everyone was startled and turned to look at her. Zhang Yuanyuan sneered, "What? Feeling guilty?"

Yin Li ignored her and continued, "The Stone Forest is very dangerous; none of us can go there."

"Xiao Li, what happened?" Qin Wen looked at her in astonishment. She'd rather die than believe her best friend would steal.

Yin Li gritted her teeth and said, "I won't hide it from you anymore. Last night I went to the Stone Forest because I really couldn't sleep, but I discovered something there—"

"What did you find?" Qin Wen asked impatiently.

"I've discovered a group of antique dealers!"

These words shocked everyone in the room, and a sense of unease began to creep into their hearts.

Guo Tong looked at her strangely and said, "How do you know they are antique dealers?"

“I saw them at Qipan Cave. They were stealing artifacts from one of the caves. I was terrified, which is why I didn’t call the police. I never expected they would follow me here.” Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Yuanyuan said sarcastically, “Who knows if what you’re saying is true?”

“If you don’t believe me, you can go to the Stone Forest and see for yourself.” Yin Li said coldly, her anger rising. “But I must warn you, there are five of them, each strong and skilled. You might not be able to come back if you go.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanyuan's expression changed several times, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.

Guo Tong said, "Then why didn't you say anything when I asked you during the day?"

"What good would it do to tell them? Can you beat them?" Yin Li's eyes were cold. "Telling them would only increase everyone's fear. I originally planned to tell Chen Qiang next time he went out to buy water and food, so he could call the police, but who knew they would act so quickly."

"Xiao Li!" Qin Wen shouted angrily, interrupting her. She turned around and saw Qin Wen's face, which was filled with anger and a hint of hurt: "You actually kept this from me! No wonder you looked so strange that day at the Chessboard Cave, so that's why... Xiao Li, I considered you my best friend, someone I could confide in about anything, and you actually—"

She gritted her teeth, holding back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, and turned to rush out of the tent. Xiao Li felt a pang of pain in her heart, filled with regret, and quickly chased after her: "Xiao Wen, listen to me."

"There's nothing more to say! I don't want to hear it!"

"Xiaowen, I think something's strange about this. Those mummies probably weren't stolen by those bandits."

"What?" Qin Wen turned around immediately upon hearing this. "You're saying they didn't steal the mummified corpse?"

“That’s right.” Yin Li mentally made a victory sign. Sure enough, this tactic of changing the subject was effective. She walked to Qin Wen’s side and lowered her voice, saying, “Think about it, what they want is definitely not just those mummies. Their target is the jewels in the tomb. We haven’t even opened the tomb door yet, so they won’t make a move so early and alert them.”

Qin Wen's heart skipped a beat, and her anger had long since vanished: "What do you mean?"

“Xiaowen, if the five of them come to carry three corpses, even if they are very careful, it is impossible to do so without making a sound. The only ones who can do it without anyone noticing are probably the members of the archaeological team.” Yin Li turned around and carefully glanced at the archaeological team members standing in front of the tent looking at her. “It’s better to keep this a secret for now. If there are both external and internal troubles, the people’s hearts will be in turmoil.”

"Alright," Qin Wen agreed. "Those thugs were the same group that stayed at the West Night Hotel that day, right?"

"How did you know?" Yin Li asked curiously.

“I’m not stupid. The way you looked at them after we came back from the Chessboard Cave was off. Anyone with a brain can figure out what’s going on.” Qin Wen said seriously, “Xiao Li, you can’t hide things from me like this next time. I know you’re worried I’ll act impulsively, but you can rest assured. Even though I’m a sixth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, I’d still have a hard time dealing with five big men who know kung fu. I know my own skills, and I would never go through the motions.”

"There will definitely not be a next time." Yin Li finally breathed a sigh of relief; she had almost lost her best friend.

The two returned to their tent and discussed with the archaeological team how to deal with the tomb raiders. After a heated discussion, they decided that Chen Qiang would drive back to Yecheng under the pretext of replenishing archaeological tools, and then use the opportunity to call the police.

Afterwards, everyone returned to their tents to sleep with uneasy feelings. But Yin Li knew that for all the archaeological team members, it was going to be a sleepless night.

"Smack."

The fourth brother slammed the button off a machine in front of him and said to Situ Xiang, "Brother Xiang, what do we do? They've already found us."

Situ Xiang remained silent, his face cold.

The monkey said, "It was definitely the right decision to install listening devices in their big tent, otherwise we would still be in the dark. Damn it, that woman discovered us when we were in the chessboard cave, what bad luck! But we didn't steal those three mummies."

"Of course we didn't steal them!" Shanhu roared. "What would we need those corpses for? Uncle Tian doesn't collect corpses."

"Looks like they have a traitor among them." The last man, wearing a T-shirt and looking rather young, looked up, revealing a stunningly handsome face, almost like a girl's. He said thoughtfully, "Brother Xiang, what do we do now?"

“Jack, tell Uncle Tian that we will definitely deliver what he asked for on time.” Situ Xiang’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Want to call the police? I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”

15. The Key to Opening the Tomb

Early the next morning, Chen Qiang boarded the off-road vehicle. The members of the archaeological team came to see him off, looking at him as if he were a martyr. Chen Qiang seemed very nervous, with beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"Brother Chen," Yin Li addressed him with a respectful title for the first time, and said, "You must be careful. When you pass through the Stone Forest, don't deliberately look for their car. Just pretend it never happened."

"Okay." Chen Qiang swallowed hard, nodded, and closed the car door. The engine roared to life, and the SUV kicked up a cloud of yellow sand across the desert.

As Yin Li watched the departing car, a sudden unease arose in her heart, as if she had fallen into a pitch-black hole—unable to find her way back or her way out. This sense of helplessness terrified her.

"Xiao Li," Qin Wen patted her shoulder and said, "Don't look anymore, Brother Chen will be fine."

Yin Li nodded, silently praying that he would be alright.

The car disappeared behind the sand dunes, and Yin Li returned to the camp with the other archaeologists. They gathered together and discussed the matter, deciding to continue digging at the cemetery to see if they could find any more valuable artifacts.

After breakfast, everyone set off for the cemetery with their tools. No one spoke; the atmosphere was heavy. The tomb raiders lurking in the stone forest cast a shadow over everyone's minds. If they only stole artifacts, that would be one thing, but what if they became violent and killed everyone to cover their tracks…

No one wanted to think about it further, especially the girls. The fear deepened; for them, it might be more than just death.

Yin Li sat on the huge stone slab, watching everyone work silently. The air was thick with a somber atmosphere. It felt like a thick wad of cotton was stuck in her chest, making it hard for her to breathe, almost suffocating her.

At this point, we should find something to do.

She stood up and gazed at the enormous stone slab. If this was the entrance to the tomb passage, how could it be opened? Was blowing up the path with explosives the only option? If explosives were used, wouldn't they damage the artifacts inside? Besides, the stone slab itself had immense archaeological value; even if it were to be opened, it would have to be done with utmost care.

She paced slowly around the stone slab, her mind a complete blank, a vast expanse of white. Sometimes, she liked to daydream like this; daydreaming was a joyful thing, and many wise people found inspiration in it. Although many people devoutly called their behavior meditation.

Suddenly, a red figure flashed past Yin Li's eyes.

She was startled and looked up to see a woman dressed in red, her long hair flowing down her back, her red dress embroidered with beautiful phoenix patterns. She was barefoot, leaping on the stone slab, her slender hands dancing in the air, her movements as fluid and graceful as flowing water.

Am I dreaming? Yin Li asked herself, or was she hallucinating again? If it was just a hallucination, why did this woman feel so real?

The woman in red danced gracefully, every movement exquisite, like a stunningly beautiful flying apsara from the Dunhuang murals, her dance possessing a captivating and mesmerizing power.

She danced faster and faster, and the golden phoenix on her clothes seemed to come alive. Yin Li felt as if the world before her eyes had turned into a blinding red. Countless phoenixes danced joyfully in this red, and celestial music seemed to drift from the sky, like heavenly music.

Yin Li's eyes glazed over as she gazed at the soaring phoenix, unable to look away. The dancing woman spun around, her skirt tracing a graceful arc in the air, and leaped before her, extending her hand. A bewitching smile graced her beautifully made-up white face; she was truly a beauty that could shame the moon and flowers.

Yin Li couldn't help but take her hand, step onto the stone slab, and begin to dance to her rhythm. Every step was perfectly synchronized with hers, as if it were a gift from heaven.

Who exactly are you? Yin Li felt as if a bone was stuck in her throat, unable to speak. She silently asked herself: Why do I dream of you again and again? Are you Princess Zhaoling, sleeping in the tomb?

Are you my past life?

The woman in red smiled gently and sadly, her wide red sleeves fluttering in the air, brushing against her face. Yin Li stared at her, but to his surprise, what was revealed behind the red sleeves was a charred, dried corpse!

Yin Li was startled and gasped. Everything went black, the world spun around her, and she fell backward onto the stone slab.

"Xiao Li!" Qin Wen, who had been searching for artifacts in the sand with a brush, threw the brush aside and rushed to her friend's side when she saw her faint. She leaped onto the stone slab and helped her up: "Xiao Li, what happened? Xiao Li!"

The archaeological team members gathered around, and Bai Yun Ning touched her forehead, saying, "Don't worry, she doesn't have a fever, so it shouldn't be heatstroke. Here, let her smell some Tiger Balm."

Guo Tong took a bottle of medicated oil from his pocket; the small glass bottle contained a bright green liquid. Qin Wen looked at it and suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. The last time she used medicated oil was in elementary school. More than a decade had passed, and she never expected that such a product would still be available for sale.

Guo Tong opened the lid, poured some onto her fingers, and then gently rubbed it on Yin Li's temples. She then had Qin Wen hold the rest under Yin Li's nose. The strong, pungent odor made her cough a few times and slowly open her eyes.

"Xiao Li, are you alright?" Qin Wen gently patted her face and said, "Why did you suddenly faint? Did you sweat too much and become too weak?"

Yin Li opened her eyes and instinctively looked around for the woman in red, but all around her was the vast desert besides the archaeological team. Where was the woman in red? Feeling lost, she tried to get up, but then felt something sitting beneath her, digging painfully into her skin. She quickly shifted her position and turned her head, only to see that the butterfly-shaped jade pendant in her pocket had fallen out and landed precisely on the heart of the phoenix relief. There was a small groove there, its shape exactly matching the pendant!

This was truly an incredible coincidence, and Yin Li felt a sense of shock. The mysterious jade pendant she had unexpectedly obtained from thousands of miles away was exactly the same as the pattern on the relief. Moreover, she had fainted on the relief, allowing the jade pendant to fall precisely into the groove.

Perhaps there really is something called fate that governs the fate of people.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the jade pendant, which seemed to be embedded in a relief sculpture, and for a moment they were at a loss. Yin Li had an idea, reached out her hand, and gently pressed the jade pendant.

"Click!"

With a soft sound, the jade pendant seemed to sink slightly, carrying something with it. The stone slab trembled, startling everyone, who quickly jumped down from it.

The stone disc trembled violently, slowly rising and dropping a considerable amount of yellow sand, causing everyone to involuntarily take a step back. The stone disc made a creaking sound, as if some kind of mechanism was turning inside.

The stone slab rose about half a meter, then suddenly roared and split in two. It moved to either side, falling onto the yellow sand and kicking up a cloud of dust.