Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets

Chapter 988: Chapter 988: Someone in the Tomb

"Hey, you can’t just jump in like that," Teacher Gu said anxiously. "There are many openings around here, and we don’t know which one the lady fell into."

"Are they not interconnected?" Zhao Xiangqian asked urgently.

Teacher Gu shook his head and said, "This tomb is made very cleverly. Above is the water, and below, most likely, the passageways are preserved intact."

Zhao Xiangqian’s eyes lit up. If the tomb’s passageways are well-preserved, it greatly increases Meng Siyu’s chances of survival; otherwise, they would have found Meng Siyu after searching almost everywhere in the forest.

The flood passed through the forest, and given Meng Siyu’s skills, he would have survived before merging into the river without a problem.

"It’s been two days and a night since the incident, and it’s about to be night again. Even if he did fall into the ancient tomb, without food or water, the situation is not optimistic," Teacher Gu said. "Do you have paper?"

"Forget it, let’s just speak directly."

Teacher Gu recounted the locations of the openings he remembered, saying, "The most crucial thing now is to drain the murky water stored here, and then send people who are good swimmers to dive into the tomb and search to see if there’s any sign of him."

"Okay." Zhao Xiangqian, impressed by Teacher Gu’s memory despite coming here only two or three times, knew it was a good thing for their rescue operation that he remembered the locations and the entrances so well.

Zhao Xiangqian called over the search team, had them dig channels below to divert the murky water, and gathered several skilled swimmers to enter the openings. At the same time, he sent someone to report the situation and request more support.

They didn’t know the condition inside the tomb, so it was wise to proceed cautiously.

In the dark tunnels, Wu Xin marveled at the tomb’s clever design. Despite the flood outside, the passageways within remained dry, except for the waterlogged entrance. The rest was dry, with gusts of eerie wind blowing.

In the pitch-black passageway, Wu Xin took an electric torch from his backpack, searching for Tang Yue. By the entrance, Wu Xin searched repeatedly, even finding a few such entrances in the water. Not seeing Tang Yue, she guessed Tang Yue must have fallen into one of these entrances.

It seemed she didn’t enter through the same entrance as Tang Yue.

Wu Xin thought to herself. Initially, she used the torch to look around, but soon realized there seemed to be people inside.

Even if archaeologists had been here after the flood, there shouldn’t have been footprints, but she had seen chaotic footprints.

Even if Meng Siyu was alone, he couldn’t have made so many footprints.

Was there a Tomb Raider in here?

Wu Xin felt alert and immediately switched off the torch, holding a dagger in her hand. Despite the darkness of the passageway, with careful attention, it was still possible to discern directions.

Hopefully, Tang Yue wouldn’t encounter those people.

Wu Xin felt anxious, wishing she had clairvoyance, so she could locate Tang Yue in the dark tunnels.

Each step Wu Xin took was extremely cautious. After about five minutes, she turned the torch back on. Without the torch, it was uncertain when she would find Tang Yue, and besides, there were Tomb Raiders in the tomb.

Turning on the torch allowed Wu Xin to move quickly. She searched every place where Tang Yue might be, amidst sinister winds and the occasional sight of coffins. A timid person would probably be scared out of their wits.

On the other side of the tomb, Tang Yue fell into the water and accidentally entered an opening, discovering it led to passageways. Delighted, she thought perhaps Si Yu was in here too.

Tang Yue took a flashlight from her backpack. Although her clothes were already wet, the chilly wind made her feel even colder.

"Ah..."

Tang Yue was startled upon seeing a coffin and let out a scream that echoed far away.

Tang Yue couldn’t help but swallow and then again used the flashlight to check around. Even if she was clueless, she now understood this was a tomb, likely of a significant ancient figure, given its intricate design.

Outside, after the flood passed, it formed a small pool, but inside?

There was no sign of flooding.

Tang Yue couldn’t help but take a few steps back against the wall, finding some sense of security. Her hand trembled; she was alone and had fallen into the tomb.

Could Si Yu be in here?

Tang Yue held the flashlight tightly, taking a deep breath and patting her chest, encouraging herself: Tang Yue, you’ve survived once before; what is there to fear?

Si Yu might be waiting somewhere for you to rescue him.

With this thought, the fear in Tang Yue’s heart was slowly replaced by worry. She moved carefully along the passageway with the flashlight.

The tomb was large, and after wandering for a long time, Tang Yue saw no one. Standing at a crossroads, she wondered, "Where did I come from just now?"

The passage branched into four openings, each pointing in different directions, and where she stood resembled a square room. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t recall which entrance she used.

Once Tang Yue was in the mountains or places like this, she had difficulty with directions, unrelated to her memory.

Which one was it?

Unable to determine, Tang Yue decided to mark the entrances and check them one by one, thinking she’d eventually find someone.

Suddenly, Tang Yue sensed there were people. She was about to speak but heard multiple footsteps, prompting her to instinctively hide.

Tang Yue switched off the flashlight, choosing an entrance at random to hide. Once hidden, it occurred to her that there were people in the tomb?

Could it be someone taking advantage of the flood to raid the tomb?

No way.

Tang Yue intuitively felt it was unlikely; why would anyone raid a tomb during a flood instead of fleeing?

Perhaps they arrived before the flood?

Tang Yue felt this guess seemed more plausible, not suspecting Wu Xin, Zhao Xiangqian, and others because the accents, although distant with low conversation volume, felt unfamiliar.

"Impossible. There was clearly a woman’s scream just now?"

"Maybe she’s nearby."

"The flood should have receded."

"Coming here despite the flood, what bad luck."

"How is it unlucky? We’ve gained quite a few valuable things."

The disordered voices echoed, not in standard Chinese, leaving Tang Yue partially confused. She dared not speak, only thinking to sneak away quietly. However, as she stepped forward, she stepped on a branch—an inconspicuous sound, but loud enough in the tomb to draw attention.

"Someone."

Tang Yue heard voices from the passage, startling her. At this point, she had no time to think, forgetting even to turn on the flashlight, fleeing blindly in the dark.