Chapter 2422: Chapter 2325: Heavenly Bead

Zhou Shitao wasn’t overthinking this matter. In fact, since starting from the Taicheng Museum to the Hunan Province Museum, they had been investigating Zhong Fang all the way, rooting out numerous parasites.

Huo Sining alone had caught several bad apples, all exploiting their authority to switch and sell domestically-held artifacts to smugglers.

Back then, that Oil Rat was a key figure in the artifact smuggling case, implicating quite a few so-called experts and professors in the field.

In Huo Sining’s view, people like Oil Rat were detestable, but they didn’t inflict as much harm as those public officials who abused their power for personal gain, broke the law knowingly, and were corrupt and greedy, leading to countless national treasures being lost overseas. Such people needed a thorough reckoning.

In fact, for years, ever since Old Mr. Zhong was taken in by Zhou Shitao, he had been committed to investigating the Zhong Fang case in major museums. This task was conducted quietly, but the results were quite remarkable. Huo Sining alone knew of seven or eight national treasures that had been retrieved.

These few artifacts are indeed a drop in the bucket compared to the antiques taken overseas, but recovering even one is a victory, and Zhou Shitao felt quite satisfied with that.

Moreover, Old Mr. Zhong’s investigations in various museums served as a signal for those attempting to profit from museum-held artifacts. These parasites, knowing someone was watching, would think twice and not take risks lightly.

Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys—this tactic was always applicable, and at present, the effect seemed quite good.

Of course, Zhou Shitao’s recent warning was directed at the archeological team members present. Clearly, most of these staff were novices, who, despite having some thoughts, wouldn’t dare to tamper with the unearthed artifacts from ancient tombs.

Even if they did take some unremarkable antique, they didn’t have the channels to get it out.

After all, entering and exiting the forests, these people had to go through stringent searches by special police, making it difficult to smuggle out even one or two artifacts.

Unless one had a storage ring like Huo Sining, which could silently teleport items into Space.

Several professors were still fumbling inside the stone coffin, hoping to find one or two more Jade Plugs. Huo Sining didn’t get involved, instead sealing the Jade Cicada given to her by Zhou Shitao, while surveying the area for other opportunities.

Unexpectedly, turning her head, she saw an archeologist cleaning a Bronze Ding, pulling out a square wooden box from amidst a pile of gold and silver treasures. As soon as he took it out, he muttered in confusion:

"Hmm, what’s this..."

Upon seeing that box, Huo Sining’s brow twitched. Before she could figure out what was going on, she felt a familiar aura rushing at her.

Just as she was about to speak, Bai Buzhi, a few steps away, also saw the box. Instantly, his expression changed, and he instinctively shouted at the staff member:

"No, put that box down!"

The staff member looked at Bai Buzhi blankly, not understanding his panic-stricken expression.

But at this moment, Huo Sining had already realized what was happening, understanding the aura that had just hit her.

Deathly aura—the same feeling she had when she previously came in contact with the stone coffin. However, the aura emanating from the box in the staff member’s hand was far stronger than that of the stone coffin, and even from several meters away, she felt it intensely.

It wasn’t just her; Bai Buzhi’s face had already turned pale, and even he didn’t dare approach, only shouting for the staff member to let go of the box.

Zhou Shitao and Shi Qingyun naturally noticed the commotion. Seeing Bai Buzhi’s panic, they didn’t understand, so they looked at the box in the staff member’s hand.

"What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with that box?"

Zhou Shitao instinctively started walking towards the staff member.

Huo Sining was startled, urgently stopping Zhou Shitao: "Teacher, no, the box is dangerous!"

In fact, not only Bai Buzhi but even Huo Sining sensed something odd. In just that short moment, she had clearly noticed the deathly aura spreading from the staff member’s hand to envelop his entire body.

Seeing the person beginning to twitch all over, several quick-witted staff members were about to rush up to investigate, but before they could, Bai Buzhi shouted:

"Don’t go!"

Everyone was so scared by Bai Buzhi’s angry shout that they stopped in place, not daring to approach further. But this shout also drew everyone’s attention to the Burial Pit.

No one knew what was happening, with everyone looking at each other in confusion.

Bai Buzhi’s face was ashen. In an instant, he made a decision, slicing open his own finger with a dagger and pulling out a stack of yellow paper to draw runes.

While drawing, he muttered an unintelligible incantation. As he completed each talisman paper, he threw it towards the staff member’s head, his expression intense and focused, eyes fixed on the staff member and the box.

Due to the earlier formations, Bai Buzhi had used up his last remaining talisman paper, and he could only draw on the spot. Faced with such a sudden change, how could he have enough time?

As he finished drawing the fourth talisman, the staff member’s pupils contracted, his whole face contorted. Gradually, the person actually stood up, the previously blank look in his eyes suddenly becoming cold and scanning the crowd.

At that moment, everyone in the ancient tomb felt a chilling aura rising from their feet, involuntarily shivering.

Bai Buzhi’s chanting grew faster and more shrill, his rune drawing accelerated, but the person seemed unaffected, taking a few steps towards Bai Buzhi, as if preparing to confront him.

Huo Sining was taken aback, and almost instinctively, she pulled out a string of beads from her bosom and tossed it towards Bai Buzhi.

The beads were crafted from the Heavenly Bead that Huo Sining cut out in Tengchong. Due to the bead’s rarity, she couldn’t bear to sell it and, after finding Yan Feng, had him make it into a bracelet.

Heavenly Bead was already rare, and even more so with the strange runes carved on it by Yan Feng.

Although Huo Sining didn’t know what Yan Feng had inscribed on it, Yan Feng had told her that the string of Heavenly Bead could save her life in an emergency.

So, she didn’t think twice and hurled the beads at Bai Buzhi.

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