Tomb raider: You're going to extract my alien bloodline?

Chapter 32 First Encounter with the Wang Family

Qin Yuan was still immersed in the grand and terrifying truth revealed by the system, his thoughts in turmoil, when Wang Pangzi's cursing suddenly jolted him awake.

"Damn it, stop soaking! Get a boat! If I stay in this water any longer, I'll get thoroughly pickled!"

The group floated on the sea and looked around. They saw a medium-sized fishing boat not far away, gently bobbing with the waves. It seemed to be empty.

"A-Ning is missing. She must have been picked up by her companions. Is this boat left behind by A-Ning's group?" Wu Xie guessed as he swam toward the fishing boat with all his might.

Qin Yuan adjusted Qin Jiu's position in his arms. The little guy seemed completely unaffected by the seawater; he didn't need to breathe, but simply stared at the sea and the blurry coastline in the distance with his big, bright green eyes. The group helped each other climb onto the slippery deck.

The ship was completely empty; apart from the basic navigation equipment, there was no one else, not even the previous crew members.

The fat man wrung out the water from his clothes while cursing, "Damn! That woman ran away quickly, leaving us here to fend for ourselves..." But towards the end of his rant, his tone softened awkwardly, "...But at least she knew to leave a boat behind. It's like she still has a tiny bit of conscience left, knowing that we saved her a few times."

Fortunately, the fat man had traveled the world in his early years and had come into contact with all sorts of people, so he actually knew how to tinker with the fishing boat. Under his control, the boat roared, cleaved through the waves, and headed towards the nearest harbor.

They traveled in silence until they reached the port. As soon as the ship came to a stop, Zhang Qiling, just as mysterious as when he appeared, gave a slight nod to the crowd, and then disappeared into the bustling crowd at the dock in a few leaps.

Fatty looked in the direction where the young man had disappeared, clicked his tongue, and turned to Qin Yuan, saying, "Little Blackie, let's go. Take our nephew and come home with me for some meat."

Qin Yuan, however, was preoccupied with the side quests issued by the system, especially the Qinling Bronze Tree. He remembered that in the original story, Wu Xie would later go there, and that place seemed to have been destroyed in the end. He had to obtain the energy core before then; if he was too late and the item was buried or destroyed, it would be troublesome.

His mind raced, but he remained outwardly calm, and made an excuse: "Fatty, you and Qin Jiu go back first. I have some personal matters to take care of in Hangzhou, and I'll spend a few days with Wu Xie. Once he's settled here, I'll go back to Beijing."

He paused, then lowered his voice and instructed the fat man, "If you have time when you get back, help me find a reliable buyer. Those big golden nanmu pillars in the space, and that Heavenly Palace model... the model is too conspicuous, it's really hard to sell. You see, if the risk is too high, find a trustworthy place to melt them down and make them into gold bars, that's more convenient."

Upon hearing that it was legitimate business, the fat man's small eyes immediately lit up. He patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry! Leave it to me, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly!" He cheerfully picked up Qin Jiu, who was already quite familiar with him, and pinched the little guy's cheek. "Let's go, nephew, let's go back to the capital with your fat uncle and enjoy the good life!"

After saying goodbye to Fatty and Qin Jiu, Qin Yuan returned to Hangzhou with Wu Xie.

After returning to Hangzhou, Wu Xie first went to the hospital to visit Pan Zi, who was recovering. After that, the two began a decadent life of eating and sleeping, seemingly trying to wash away the horror and fatigue brought by the underwater tomb in this extremely relaxing way.

That morning, when the sun was high in the sky, Wu Xie was still fast asleep in his room. Qin Yuan, who was used to waking up early, went out to get breakfast and brought some back for Wu Xie.

With a freshly fried dough stick dangling from his mouth and a bowl of steaming hot wontons in his hand, he strolled leisurely toward Wu Shan Ju. As he passed through a usually bustling alley that was unusually quiet, Qin Yuan keenly sensed something was amiss.

It's so quiet. The few pedestrians who were there just a moment ago have vanished in the blink of an eye.

Qin Yuan stopped, took the fried dough stick out of his mouth, and scanned the alleyway with sharp eyes. He spoke calmly, "Come out. Hiding like this is pointless."

As soon as he finished speaking, three people silently emerged from the two corners of the alley. They were dressed in black jackets, had ordinary faces but cold eyes, and their movements revealed a well-trained and tacit understanding. They attacked from both sides, completely blocking his escape route.

Qin Yuan frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Which gang are you from? What business do you have stopping me?"

The person on the other end did not answer. The middle-aged man in the lead, with a sinister look in his eyes, said coldly, "Hand over what you obtained in the Xisha Islands."

"Things?" Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned confusion. "What things? Are you sure you've mistaken me for someone else? I'm just an ordinary citizen. What could I possibly have that would warrant such a fuss?"

"Stop playing dumb!" another man shouted. "Hand it over, or you'll suffer!"

Seeing that the other party did not move, the group immediately pounced on them, their fists and feet flying, aiming straight for vital points!

Qin Yuan initially thought it was just a few clueless thugs robbing people, but after exchanging blows, he was taken aback. These men were agile, coordinated perfectly, and their attack methods were cunning and ruthless. They were definitely not ordinary henchmen, but rather more like well-trained and organized personnel.

With his enhanced body and fighting instincts, he parried, dodged, and countered with fluid movements. However, his opponents outnumbered him and were quite strong, managing to entangle him for a time.

"Bang!"

Qin Yuan seized an opening and delivered a powerful side kick, sending one of the men on his left flying. The man crashed into the wall with a thud, temporarily incapacitating him. Qin Yuan then used the opportunity to leap backward, escaping the encirclement.

Qin Yuan shook his slightly numb arm, his brows furrowed, and asked again, "What exactly do you want? Explain yourself!"

The middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader stared intently at him, spitting out three words through gritted teeth: "Prayer Pearl!"

The Prayer Bead? Combining this with what the man had said about Xisha, Qin Yuan instantly understood! It was the eyeball-shaped bead he had obtained from the strange stone sculpture in the underwater tomb, and these people had come for it!

His mind raced; how did he know about this bead and find him so quickly after returning from the Xisha Islands?

"Are you from the Wang family?" Qin Yuan asked tentatively.

The expressions of the people opposite him changed slightly. Although they did not admit it, their subtle reactions at that moment confirmed Qin Yuan's guess.

"Hmph!" The leader snorted coldly, said no more nonsense, and waved his hand to signal the remaining people to attack again.

A cold glint flashed in Qin Yuan's eyes. Now that he had confirmed they were from the Wang family, there was no need for politeness. These guys were like maggots clinging to bones, lurking in the shadows, plotting against the Nine Gates, coveting the secrets of immortality and the ultimate truth—a tremendous threat.

He glanced at the quiet, deserted alley, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Since your surname is Wang, then... don't leave."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Yuan's mind raced, his pupils instantly contracted into vertical slits, and his fingernails grew at a visible speed, transforming into sharp, metallic blades! A ferocious, inhuman aura suddenly erupted from him!

The members of the Wang family were clearly caught off guard by this turn of events. Their faces showed expressions of utter horror, and they all paused in their movements!

It's now!

Qin Yuan shot out like a ghost, his speed reaching its limit, leaving a trail of afterimages! Sharp finger blades drew several cold arcs in the air!

"Pfft!"

"Ugh—"

The sound of a sharp blade slicing through a throat and a short scream rang out almost simultaneously, and blood splattered like a fountain onto the mottled wall.

In the blink of an eye, all the well-trained members of the Wang family had fallen to the ground, each with a fatal cut on their neck. They twitched a few times and then fell silent.

Qin Yuan stood amidst several corpses, his mutated state slowly fading, his cold gaze sweeping over the scene. He bent down and picked up the wontons he had placed in the corner earlier in preparation for his actions. Fortunately, the bowl wasn't broken; only a little soup had spilled out.

He stopped looking at the corpses. He knew that the Wang family would handle the aftermath themselves and wouldn't let these traces be exposed to the light of day.

Carrying the wontons, Qin Yuan strolled out of the alley like an ordinary citizen who had just bought breakfast, as if the brief life-or-death struggle had never happened.

Back at Wushan Residence, Wuxie was still asleep. Qin Yuan placed the wontons on the table, then sat in the courtyard, gazing at the sky, lost in thought. The appearance of the Wang family meant he was being watched by this mysterious organization, and it seemed his future would be anything but peaceful.

The days that followed seemed to return to a semblance of calm. The Wang family appeared to have truly disappeared, and no one was sent to harass them again.

Then one day, Wu Xie received a phone call. After hanging up, he said to Qin Yuan with great enthusiasm, "Qin Yuan, a childhood friend of mine invited me to dinner tonight. Why don't you come along? I'll introduce you two. He's... quite an interesting guy."

Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Was it Lao Yang? It seemed the day to set off for the Qinling Mountains was drawing near.

He didn't refuse and nodded: "Okay, let's go and meet your brother together."