194: Chapter 194 Retrieving Treasure from the Secret Passage (Part 1)

At 3:00 AM, Li Xin crouched in the corner of the Farmhouse, continuing the Extraction.

The progress bar jumped. Fifteen percent, sixteen, seventeen.

His temples began to ache; this was caused by the mysterious religious power. The pain was mild, like a string pulling, tugging bit by bit. It wasn't unbearable, but it was annoying. He gritted his teeth and didn't move.

[ Extraction in progress. Disturbed by special religious power, current rate: 42 tons/hour. ]

Liu Mo's voice came through the earpiece.

"Boss, those people on the outer perimeter are still there. They're all huddled in their cars, no movement. Two came out to pee, then went back in."

"What about the direction of the ancient castle?"

"Quiet. There isn't even the sound of insects."

Li Xin didn't speak. He knew why the insects had stopped chirping.

About half an hour later, the System popped up a line of text.

[ Active interference from a spiritual entity detected. Voiceprint recognition: Ancient Indian language whisper, content is a warning spell. Temperature has dropped 5 degrees below normal. Rate dropped to 35 tons/hour. ]

Whispers appeared in Li Xin's ears. It wasn't the kind from hallucinations; it was a real sound, like someone crouching beside him and speaking. Not with a mouth, but a voice that drilled directly into his brain. He couldn't understand the language, but the tone was heavy, like a command, or perhaps a threat.

His expression was grave, but he didn't move.

"What is it saying?"

[ Keyword recognition— "Leave," "Mine," "Punishment." ]

Li Xin gritted his teeth and said in a low voice:

"Don't mind it. I'm not leaving. I've already come this far, how could I return empty-handed."

The whispering grew louder—not loud like shouting, but deep, as if coming from beneath the ground. It made one's chest feel stifled, as if something was pressing on the heart, making it difficult to breathe.

The mental pressure doubled, and his temples ached even more severely. It wasn't a sharp pain, but a throbbing one, as if something inside was expanding, about to burst.

He took a deep breath. The air he inhaled was cool, but his throat felt hot.

The progress jumped to twenty-three percent. The rate dropped to 33 tons/hour.

Liu Mo's voice came through again, his tone a bit tense.

"Boss, there's a situation on the perimeter. Two people are approaching from eight hundred meters to the northwest. They have thermal imagers; it must be that foreign treasure-hunting team."

"Have they discovered us?"

"Their equipment isn't as advanced as ours, they haven't discovered us yet. They are scanning the entire area, very slowly. Should we..."

Li Xin thought about it. He couldn't let them get too close. Although the Farmhouse was remote, a thermal scan would reveal people in the cars and a heat source in the Farmhouse; he couldn't hide it.

"No direct conflict. Send some men to disguise themselves as wandering campers. Build a bonfire on their path, make a lot of noise on purpose, let them think we're just ordinary people, and scare them off."

"Understood."

Li Xin waited. The whispering was still there, just a bit quieter. He didn't know if "it" was resting or watching the show.

There were sounds in the distance. People were talking in English, though he couldn't hear what they were saying. Then there was firelight, orange-red, very bright in the night. Someone was laughing, loudly, on purpose. There was also someone singing, off-key, sounding like they were drunk.

Liu Mo's voice.

"They stopped and watched for ten minutes, then left. They said, 'Just campers, they're drunk'."

Li Xin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Keep watching, report if anything happens."

"Understood."

The progress jumped to thirty-one percent. The rate was 33 tons/hour, it had stabilized.

The whispering grew louder again. This time it wasn't a commanding tone; it turned into something else. It sounded like chanting, or perhaps a curse. The speech was fast, buzzing, like a swarm of bees flying by his ears.

His temples throbbed even harder. Beat by beat, like someone was drumming inside them.

Li Xin closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He bit his lip until it broke, tasting the metallic tang of blood. He didn't wipe it, nor did he move.

The voices in his brain began to change. It wasn't the whispering from outside, but something else. Someone was screaming, a very sharp sound that pierced his eardrums. Others were crying, sobbing, as if from a very far distance.

He knew it was a hallucination. But it still felt noisy.

He opened his eyes and stared at the panel. Progress: thirty-eight percent. Rate: 30 tons/hour.

Liu Mo's voice.

"Boss, are you alright over there? I see the temperature around the Farmhouse... it's a bit abnormal."

"How is it abnormal?"

"Thermal imaging shows the temperature around the Farmhouse is five or six degrees lower than outside. But you have a heat source there, so it shouldn't..."

"Just take care of your side, don't worry about the rest."

"...Understood."

Li Xin knew this was "it." That spiritual entity was consuming energy, releasing something outward. The lower the temperature, the more effort it was exerting.

The progress jumped to forty-five percent.

Suddenly, the Farmhouse door made a sound. It wasn't the sound of wind blowing, but a heavy sound, as if someone was pushing it. The door was wooden, old, couldn't close tightly, and was tied with a rope. The rope pulled taut, creaking loudly.

Li Xin looked up. No one was there. Outside the door, it was pitch black; he couldn't see anything.

The rope creaked again. Then it went slack.

He stared at the door. He didn't move.

Liu Mo's voice, very low.

"Boss, the Farmhouse door... is moving."

"I see it."

"Do you want me to go over and check?"

"No need. Stay where you are."

"...Understood."

The door creaked again. This time it was heavier, as if someone was slamming into it. The rope pulled tighter, and the wood on the doorframe creaked.

Li Xin stood up and walked to the door. Through the door panel, he could feel something outside. It wasn't a person, not the wind, but that heavy pressure, pressing on the door, and also on his chest.

He reached out and pressed against the door panel. The wood was cool and rough.

Gradually, the pressure lessened, and the door stopped creaking.

He stood for a while, then turned around, returned to the corner, and crouched down.

He pressed his hand to the ground. The soil was still cool.

"AI System, what was that just now?"

[ A physical manifestation of spiritual energy overflow. It is attempting to interfere with the Extraction physically. But its energy is insufficient to move physical objects. It can only cause vibrations. ]

"It wants to scare me."

[ Yes. Emotional characteristics: Threat, testing. ]

"Can't be bothered with it; this isn't enough to scare me."

The whispering grew louder again. This time it wasn't chanting, it was a roar. Very loud, as if someone was roaring right in his ear. Not a shriek, but a deep, heavy sound, as if squeezed out from a chest cavity.

His temples throbbed with intense pain. It was like someone had stuck a needle in and twisted it.

Li Xin gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound. Sweat poured down his forehead, running into his eyes, stinging. He didn't wipe it away.

The progress jumped to fifty-two percent. The rate was 28 tons/hour.

Liu Mo's voice, very tense.

"Boss, there's a situation. In the direction of the ancient castle... there's light. Not artificial light, it's... how should I put it, like fluorescent, green, flickering."

"Distance?"

"Very far, about two kilometers. But it can be seen clearly."

"Don't mind it, but keep an eye on it; that's not our business."

"Understood."

Li Xin knew what that was. "It" was gathering energy. Those green lights were traces of energy overflow. They weren't meant for ordinary people to see; they were a warning issued to him.

He crouched in the corner, staring at the panel.

The progress jumped to fifty-eight percent.

The sky began to brighten. Not sunrise, just a grayish light filtering in from the east, very faint. He could see the things inside the Farmhouse clearly now. The cracks in the walls, the dried grass on the ground, the broken earthen pot in the corner.

The whispering grew fainter. The pressure also lessened.

Li Xin knew "it" was tired. It hadn't given up; it was waiting. Waiting for nightfall, waiting for its energy to recover.

He took a sip of water. The water was lukewarm and a bit astringent.

He took out an energy bar, tore it open, and took a bite. It was sweet, cloying. He chewed slowly.

Liu Mo's voice.

"Boss, those people on the outer perimeter are awake, they're eating, no movement."

"What about the ancient castle side?"

"The green light is gone, and the temperature has returned to normal."

"Keep watching."

"Understood."

Sunlight leaked in through the cracks in the wall, shining on the ground in a small patch. Ants crawled out from the cracks, formed a line, circled the ground a few times, and then crawled back in.

Li Xin watched those ants, not moving.

The progress jumped to sixty-five percent. The rate was 28 tons/hour.

Liu Mo walked over and stood at the door.

"Boss, do you want to take a nap? I'll watch."

"No need, I can't sleep."

Liu Mo didn't press the issue. He stood at the door, looking out. Sunlight shone on his face, revealing dark circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept all night either.

"That foreign team withdrew before dawn. They headed south."

"What about the local treasure hunters?"

"Still there. But no movement. It seems they are waiting for something."

"Waiting for night."

Liu Mo glanced at him.

"Night?"

"It's easier to make a move at night."

Liu Mo nodded and didn't ask further.

The progress jumped to seventy-two percent.

The whispering appeared again. But it was very faint, as if coming from a very far place. His temples didn't ache anymore, but his ears were still ringing, like after listening to a concert.

Li Xin leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.

He was thinking about one thing in his mind. How much longer could "it" hold on? According to the current speed, in the remaining time, he could extract about 110 tons. Adding that to what he had before, it would be around 500 tons.

Enough.

The progress jumped to seventy-eight percent.

Liu Mo's voice.

"Boss, Rajiv called. He's asking if you want breakfast."

"Tell him no, I'm out for a walk, I'll head back later."

"Understood."

The progress jumped to eighty-four percent.

The sun had risen. Sunlight leaked in through the cracks in the wall, shining on the dried grass, golden-yellow. Flies were buzzing, landing on the wall, then flying away again.

Li Xin stared at the panel. Eighty-five percent, eighty-six, eighty-seven.

The whispering suddenly grew loud. Not chanting, but shouting. Very loud, as if someone was roaring in his ear. Not a shriek, but a deep, heavy sound, as if coming from beneath the ground.

His temples throbbed with intense pain.

He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound. The wound on his lip split open again, blood trickling down and dripping onto his clothes.

[ Energy peak detected. Spiritual entity emotional characteristics: Despair, madness. ]

The progress jumped to ninety-one percent.

Li Xin stared at the panel. Ninety-two percent, ninety-three, ninety-four.

The whispering turned into screaming. A very sharp kind, piercing his eardrums with pain. It wasn't one person's scream, but many, mixed together, like a battlefield.

He crouched there, his hand pressed to the ground. His palms were full of sweat.

The progress jumped to ninety-six percent.

Liu Mo's voice.

"Boss, the Farmhouse door..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's creaking again, even heavier than before."

"Don't mind it."

The door panel was slammed with loud thuds. The rope creaked and groaned, the wood on the doorframe cracked, and a piece fell off.

Li Xin didn't move.

The progress jumped to ninety-eight percent.

The door panel suddenly stopped. It made no more noise.

It was terrifyingly quiet.

[ Ding... The first six hours of Extraction complete. Gold: approx. 210 tons, silverware: approx. 30 tons, religious artifacts: approx. 8 tons. Total weight: approx. 248 tons. ]

[ Cumulative gold: 7042.7057 tons. ]

[ System continues to operate. Remaining 6-hour window. ]

Li Xin closed the panel and didn't move.

He crouched in the corner, waiting.

The whispering was gone. The screaming was gone too. His ears stopped ringing. His temples stopped aching.

He stood up. His legs were numb, and he leaned against the wall for a while.

Liu Mo walked over.

"Boss, is it done?"

"Half done. There are six more hours."

"Then continue?"

"Continue. But we need to change locations."

"Why?"

"It's too close here. 'It' already knows we are here."

Li Xin walked to the door and looked out. The sunlight was intense, shining on the wasteland, grayish-white. Birds were flying in the distance, a few of them, circling in the sky.

"Withdraw north. Find a place further away."

Liu Mo nodded.

"Understood."

He said a few words into the earpiece. A few people came back from outside and got into the cars.

Li Xin got into the car. Liu Mo started the engine and drove north.

The car bumped along the dirt road. Li Xin leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

He was still thinking about what happened just now. Despair. Madness. "It" knew it couldn't stop him anymore.

The car drove for more than ten minutes and arrived at an even more remote place. There weren't even any Farmhouses here, just wasteland and a few dead trees. The ground was full of gravel and dried grass, crunching when stepped on.

Liu Mo stopped the car.

"Boss, is this okay? It's about eleven kilometers from the palace."

Li Xin got out of the car and looked around. It was very open, with no cover. But it was further from the palace, just on the ten-kilometer edge.

"It's fine. Right here."

He crouched down and pressed his hand to the ground. The soil was dry and a bit hot.

"AI System, confirm the distance."

[ Current location is about 9.2 kilometers from the palace core area. Within Extraction range. ]

"Good. Continue Extraction."

[ Extraction resumed. Current progress: 51%. Rate: 28 tons/hour. ]

The progress bar started jumping again.

The whispering appeared again. But it was very faint, as if coming from a very far place.

Li Xin knew "it" was running out of strength.

He crouched in the wasteland, staring at the panel.

The sunlight shone on his back, hot.