The archaeological team's camp was set up in a canyon, surrounded by mountains and primeval forests on both sides. A river swooped down from the mountain stream and rushed past the camp.
The setting sun is shining down from the mountains, and the sunny slopes are covered with golden light, but the shady slopes have already entered darkness in advance, and the scenery is hazy.
Next to a tent, Ji Wengui, the captain of the archaeological team, and Yang Chen, a key member of the archaeological team, were discussing something. Ma Tongtong and an older female expert were cleaning wild vegetables by the river and seemed to be preparing for dinner.
"Ouch, I'm exhausted. Brother Ning, why aren't you tired?" After driving all day, Jian Mi was really exhausted. She sat down on the grass before arriving at the camp, breathing heavily. .
Ning Tao said: "I have practiced kung fu, so traveling this little distance is nothing. Why don't I give you a massage so you won't feel tired anymore."
Along the way, he used his spiritual power to massage Jian Mi three times. Each time, Jian Mi was too tired to walk. As soon as he massaged Jian Mi, her fatigue disappeared. If it weren't for this reason, he and Jian Mi might still be halfway there and never reach the archaeological team's camp.
"Thank you, Brother Ning, but don't ask for it yet. You have traveled such a long way and you must be tired. We are all here. I just need to take a few breaths." Jian Mi said.
"Okay, I'll go over and say hello. You can come over after you take a break." Ning Tao said, and then walked towards the river.
The mountain river was flowing rapidly, and the rushing water hit the rocks in the river bed, making a splashing sound. It was no wonder that Ma Tongtong and the female expert did not hear the voices of Ning Tao and Jian Mi talking.
"Dr. Ma." Ning Tao stood behind Ma Tongtong and said hello.
Only then did Ma Tongtong hear someone calling her from behind, and turned around in a hurry. When she saw it was Ning Tao, a smile suddenly appeared on her face, "It turns out to be Dr. Ning. Why are you here? When did you come?"
While she was talking, a handful of wild vegetables she placed by the river was suddenly swept away by the water. The elderly female expert next to her exclaimed, "The vegetables were washed away!"
Ma Tongtong hurriedly reached out to fish it out, but her foot slipped and she fell into the river.
Ning Tao rushed forward, grabbed Ma Tongtong's arm, and pulled her back. At this time, one of Ma Tongtong's arms had already plunged into the water.
Ma Tongtong was obviously very frightened, her delicate face was pure white, without even a trace of blood. If Ning Tao hadn't pulled her just now, the current would have been so strong that she might have drowned.
Ning Tao said slightly reproachfully: "You just wash away a little bit of wild vegetables. If you go fishing like that, are you going to kill yourself?"
Ma Tongtong finally regained her breath and smiled awkwardly, "You seemed to have saved my life just now. You are really the savior of my life."
The older female expert coughed dryly and said, "Well, Xiaoma, Dr. Ning, I'll go pick some wild vegetables, and you guys can talk."
Ning Tao said: "Sister Dong, please be careful, the forest is not safe, there are snakes."
The older female expert's name is Dong Qing, and she is an ore expert. The last time he encountered an archaeological team that encountered a poisonous miasma, he rescued the members of the archaeological team. He remembered everyone's names.
Dong Qing smiled politely at Ning Tao and then left.
"Doctor Ning, why are you here?" Ma Tongtong asked the same question again.
"I brought Brother Ning here." Jian Mi appeared in Ma Tongtong's sight, with a sunny smile on her dark face.
Ma Tongtong said with a smile: "It seems that I asked too much. I should have guessed. Hello, Jian Mi." "Hello, Dr. Ma." Jian Mi also said hello and walked over.
Ning Tao said: "Dr. Ma, have you gained anything during this time?"
Ma Tongtong said: "I'm not sure, I have some clues, but there are still too few clues. Come with me, I will take you to see Captain Ji and Yang Chen."
Ning Tao followed Ma Tongtong to the camp. Ji Wengui and Yang Chen were also surprised. After saying hello, Ji Wengui called out other members of the archaeological team, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.
After chatting for a while, Ning Tao got to the point, "Captain Ji, it's been almost half a month since our last separation. Have you discovered anything?"
Ji Wengui sighed, "I found something, but there are still too few clues. But there is also a good thing. I received a notice that the leader above said that a businessman wanted to sponsor us and provide us with funds. I am afraid that businessman only has two He will be here soon." After a pause, he added, "That businessman is really rich. He asked for our coordinates. It is said that he is coming by private helicopter, and he will also bring it to us. More advanced equipment and supplies.”
"What businessman?" Ning Tao asked calmly, but he was very curious in his heart about what businessman actually knew about such an unpopular archaeological project, and not only paid for it, but also came here in person.
"There is no explanation on this, but no matter who he is, as long as he gives us funds, we have been searching for him in this virgin forest for three years. We can't just go back like this, right? That would be really unacceptable," Ji Wengui said.
Ning Tao had an intuition in his heart that the businessman was not as simple as Ji Wengui said.
Yang Chen said: "Doctor Ning, come and take a look at what I discovered a week ago."
Ning Tao came to the place where Yang Chen and Ji Wengui had discussed before. There was a modern map placed on a stone that was used as a table, and something that looked a bit like a brick and a bit like a rock. He then awakened the state of sight and smell in his eyes and nose, and he soon got the result, which was a fired clay brick. But after a long period of weathering or the impact of running water, it has lost its original edges and corners and looks more like a flat pebble.
Yang Chen picked up the clay brick and faced Ning Tao with the side placed on the rock.
There was a symbol engraved on the other side of the clay brick, a bit like an oracle bone, but it was so blurry that it was hard to read. But even if it was clear, Ning Tao didn't know what it meant.
Ji Wengui said: "I have done some research on ancient Chinese characters. At first I thought it was oracle bone inscriptions, but it is not. It is a type of writing that has never been recorded. I initially judged that it is the writing of the Yinyue people. Let's temporarily call it It’s Yin Yue Wen.”
Ning Tao asked: "Where was this found?"
Yang Chen said: "I found this by the river. At first I thought it was a stone, but as an archaeologist, my intuition told me that it was not simple. I dug it out and found that the other side was engraved with Words. This discovery made us realize that we have gone a long way in the past three years. Whether it is the Yinyue people or the Mayans, their cities must have looked for water sources three years ago. , I’m afraid we’ve already found the city of the Yinyue people.”
Ning Tao's heart moved, "After you reported this discovery, did the businessman come to invest?"
Ji Wengui said: "It is true that after we reported the latest discovery, someone above said that a businessman wanted to invest, and asked us to report the coordinates so that the businessman could come over." He spread his hands and said, "No, we are camping here now Wait for the boss to come."
Yang Chen said with a smile: "No matter who he is, as long as he gives us funds, it is a good thing. It is better than terminating this project. We are all engaged in archaeological research. Finding the city of intersex people is our biggest wish. We don't care about the rest. "
Ning Tao's eyes moved to the map spread out on the rock. There was a place encircled by a circle, and an arrow extended from the circle, pointing to a large rolling mountain range. He carefully identified it and soon discovered that the location in front of him was indeed the location marked by the circle, and the extending arrow pointed to the location where he and Qing Zhui dug into the abyss of the White Jade Holy Lotus.
He once drew a blood lock next to the quagmire, but it had been destroyed by those crazy savages. If he wants to go to the abyss now, he can only go there on foot.
"Doctor Ning, what are you thinking about?" Ji Wengui stared at Ning Tao. After all, he was an older person and his ability to observe words and emotions was better than others.
Ning Tao put away his thoughts, "I don't doubt that you can find the city of intersex people. You have worked hard to search for three years. God will not let down those who are willing. However, I am more worried about your safety. If you encounter What should I do if I encounter a savage?”
Ma Tongtong chuckled and said: "Doctor Ning, are you trying to scare us? We also know the legend of the Shennongjia Savage, but we have been looking for it in Shennongjia for three years and haven't found one. If we really meet the Shennongjia Savage, it will probably be scared away by us. Bar?"
The image of the violent King Kong of the Shennongjia savages emerged in Ning Tao's mind, but he didn't know how to tell them. If he told them that he had long suspected that the hermaphrodite civilization was in the abyss, and also met the Shennongjia savages, what would they think of him? I'm afraid I won't even be friends anymore.
"I said just in case, but I didn't say absolutely. Otherwise, I'll have nothing to do during this time. Can I join you? I'll provide you with medical insurance, and if you encounter a savage, I can also act as a bodyguard for you. "Ning Tao said.
"Okay, I welcome you." Ma Tongtong said happily.
Ji Wengui remained silent.
The members of the archaeological team all turned their attention to Ji Wengui. They were eager for Ning Tao to join them. Having a doctor in such a primitive forest was like adding another life. However, the decision-making power rests with Ji Wengui.
Ji Wengui was silent for a moment before saying: "I personally welcome you to join, but I have to ask the leadership for such a matter. In addition, the sponsor's opinion is also very important, and I have to consult. Dr. Ning, if you really want to Just wait two more days to join our team, okay?”
Ning Tao smiled and said, "Okay, even if you don't join, I will protect you."
Joining is just an excuse for him to stay. It doesn't matter to him whether he joins or not. He wanted to see who the sponsor was that came over in a private helicopter.
"Doctor Ning, we still have a spare simple tent, so we have to let you and Jian Mi live in one tent tonight," Ji Wengui said.
Ning Tao said: "No, I have to collect a medicinal material that only appears at night."
"Uh, what kind of medicinal material is that?" Yang Chen asked curiously.
"Flowers grow at night." Ning Tao said.
Yeshenghua, a rare spiritual material recorded in the "Spiritual Materials Compendium", is very rare and difficult to find, but his purpose is not really to find this kind of spiritual material, but to explore the abyss!