Chapter 1350 — Depressed Xiaoke as Cannon Fodder

What Old Yu wanted was something Old Hei did not even dare to dream of. It would have been no different from snatching food from a tiger's mouth, and besides, those things were of little real use to Old Hei. Qi-gathering pills, medical notes, such things were showy but hollow, hard to fence even if he got his hands on them. Better to let them go.

But the fifty percent share Wei Zhao had claimed with one word made Old Hei's heart ache. Yesterday, after Wei Zhao left, he and James had plotted together for a while, and both agreed it was unfair! Alone, either man might have swallowed it, but once treachery had risen in both hearts, they struck an instant accord. There is courage in numbers, and the two began to wonder if they could find a chance inside the ancient tomb to do away with Wei Zhao.

They believed that once such a chance appeared, Old Yu would be only too glad to watch Wei Zhao die without lifting a hand to save him! Then all the treasures in the tomb would belong to Old Hei and James alone. The very thought was thrilling. Pull off this one job, and they could retire for good.

Even if no such chance came, if Old Hei performed brilliantly he could still claim a greater voice, and then even Wei Zhao could say little, since after all the shares were divided according to merit.

Old Hei's method was quite ordinary. He used an electronic stethoscope, pressed it against the stone door, then carefully turned the two combination dials upon it, working out the correct code from the faintest differences in sound.

Though simple, the trick was highly practical, especially against such an ancient mechanism, for which it was the safest approach, and so it was widely used among thieves.

Yu Xiaoke naturally knew this technique as well, but since Old Hei had volunteered, she saw no need to show off.

Half an hour slipped by in a flash, while Old Hei kept tirelessly working at the code of the stone door. Among them all, only Old Yu showed a trace of impatience. The rest wore calm expressions, with nothing unexpected about it.

James and Yu Xiaoke both knew this sort of thing depended on luck. It was common enough to go a day or two without cracking it. And Wei Zhao, Qiu Lingshan, and Chen Yutian were posing as the husband-and-wife bandits, who should be experts in such matters, so naturally they revealed nothing.

"Why so slow? Can you open it or not?" At last, after two hours, Old Yu asked impatiently.

"Old Yu, cracking this is all luck. It can certainly be opened, it is only a question of time," Old Hei said with a bitter smile. "The mechanism on this stone door is not top-grade. It is just a rather ordinary combination door, still comparatively easy to open."

"Then hurry up. Dawdling like this, you have me sleepy! Master Hao's man had already decoded the password. Had I known, I would not have let you kill him. Useless fool!" Old Yu said with great displeasure.

Old Hei dared say nothing and could only lower his head and keep working at the code on the stone door.

Three hours, four hours passed, yet Old Hei still showed not a hint of impatience. In his line of work, all had patience enough. Without it, they would have died countless times long ago. Cracking some mechanisms was not as safe as this one, and without patience it could prove very dangerous.

Seeing that no one spoke, Old Yu knew himself to be a layman in this. With a snort, he sat down on the ground and began to cultivate.

Wei Zhao, Qiu Lingshan, and Chen Yutian followed Old Yu's example, sitting on the ground to prepare for cultivation. Though the natural spiritual energy in this ancient tomb was not as abundant as in the jade-pendant space, it was far richer than in the city, so cultivation here still held benefits, at least for Qiu Lingshan and Chen Yutian, since Wei Zhao could enter the jade-pendant space at any time.

Mighty General had been held in Chen Yutian's arms all along, but now he too was set on the ground. He was very obedient, however, merely lying beside Wei Zhao and paying no mind to anything else.

Watching the three of them cultivate, Old Yu could not help a cold snort. "Apart from the male bandit, the other two are innately lacking and advance too slowly. Cultivating is wasted effort for them!"

In Old Yu's eyes, Wei Zhao, Qiu Lingshan, and Chen Yutian had to be at least in their thirties, nearing forty. After all, the husband-and-wife bandits had been active in the tomb-robbing world ten years ago, so they could not be too young. If at forty they were still at the peak of the late Yellow-rank, their future progress would not amount to much.

"No need for you to worry. If you do not strive to break into the Heaven-rank, I reckon you will be dead yourself in a few years," Wei Zhao said lightly.

"Hmph!" Old Yu snorted and said no more.

In a blink it was time to eat. After everyone had some instant food to fill their stomachs, Old Hei went back to work. Only when darkness was nearly falling did a crisp "click" suddenly sound from the stone door. Clearly Old Hei had cracked its code.

"Done!" Sure enough, the next moment Old Hei cried out in excitement. "It is open!"

"You cracked it, so why not open the door? What are you waiting for?" Hearing that Old Hei had opened the stone door, Old Yu rose to his feet. Seeing him make no further move, he urged impatiently.

"Well... Old Yu, no one knows if there are traps or hidden weapons behind the stone door, so to open it rashly..." Old Hei looked utterly speechless. Talking to a layman was such hard work! Look how calm everyone else was, why was the old man in such a hurry? He had no choice but to say, "Why don't you try it yourself?"

"Hmph! If I knew how to do this, what use would I have for you juniors?" Arrogant as Old Yu was, he was no fool. Every trade has its barriers, and he would never do such a dangerous thing himself. His earlier talk of lending a hand along the tomb-robbing journey had been mere pretext, to make his plundering look rightful.

Old Hei gave a bitter smile and turned to Yu Xiaoke. "Heroine Yan, your lightness skill is superb. Opening the mechanism is up to you!"

The ten percent he paid Yu Xiaoke was not for nothing. When there was danger, naturally Yu Xiaoke would go first.

Yu Xiaoke nodded with a grave expression. From the very beginning, she had been prepared for this. Inside the ancient tomb, dangerous tasks would surely fall to her, for how else would such easy profit come? That was a ten percent share!

There is no free lunch in this world, so Yu Xiaoke said no more and walked carefully up to the stone door.

In the past, Yu Xiaoke's life or death would have meant nothing to Wei Zhao. After all, she was but a stranger, in his eyes no different from the dead Mr. Qiu, Old Keng, and Master Hao, mere passersby.

For the fastest updates, please read without pop-up windows.