# Chapter 1: The General's Treasure (Part 1)
A deafening thunderclap suddenly split what had been a clear blue sky, and the lightning that flashed across it left savage scars in its wake.
Grandma Zhang, who had been leading the way, shuddered involuntarily. Her already frail frame curled in on itself even further, her voice trembling at the edges. "Maybe we shouldn't go?"
She was terrified. Before her stood an ancient gate forged from iron, its age having faded its colors, the remnants of peeling paint refracting a sinister, unsettling atmosphere in the light.
This was the entrance to a cemetery. Strangely, to the right of the gate stood a statue that looked like a soldier.
"What are we afraid of with so many of us?" Lin Jiajia scoffed, ignoring the constantly trembling Grandma Zhang as she circled around with her phone, allowing the viewers of her livestream to see their surroundings.
This group of people had come specifically to explore this cemetery, and naturally, they wouldn't leave midway. Grandma Zhang was a local guide they'd hired.
[Successfully arrived at mission world. Main mission: Find the General's Treasure. Number of travelers: 3.]
Besides the elderly Grandma Zhang, everyone in this group was a young man or woman in the prime of youth, dressed in casual clothes they'd prepared beforehand. One tall, lanky boy carried a backpack that reached almost to his height on his back.
"Um..." At that moment, a barely audible voice spoke up. "Did anyone else see it? Just now, that statue's eyeball... it moved."
The speaker was a delicate-looking young man. His upturned face was deathly pale, and even as his shoulders trembled unconsciously, his features were devastatingly beautiful. He pointed at the statue—made of some unknown material—his tone barely concealing his weakness.
As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, as if overcome by fear.
[System, give me an explanation.]
Qi An put on an appearance of being startled and anxious, though in his mind he spoke to his system with amused resignation.
He had once been a worker at the Fast Travel Bureau. Later, to escape certain people, he'd accumulated enough points to transfer to the Crossing Bureau, which was said to have excellent benefits.
According to his system, based on his outstanding work record at the Fast Travel Bureau, he would be sent to several vacation worlds before officially starting work.
And then, he'd been thrown into this horror world without warning.
Thrown into a situation where he'd unexpectedly seen a pair of eyeballs rolling around.
[Maybe... something went wrong at the Crossing Bureau?] The system's voice held a note of uncertainty.
[Heh.] Qi An laughed lightly in his mind. His voice was pleasant, like a little hook curving upward that directly hooked into people's hearts.
[I will report to headquarters immediately and fight for compensation!]
It was clearly a gentle, mild laugh, but having worked alongside Qi An for many years, the system could still hear the ice-cold edge beneath its host's tone.
Qi An—the most outstanding worker the Fast Travel Bureau had seen in recent years. He had completed numerous exceptionally difficult missions.
The system had always thought Qi An was the carefree, do-as-you-please type, just like he appeared to be. But after witnessing him play all sorts of different characters, it had come to realize that this person... was cold-hearted to the core.
Unlike the Fast Travel Bureau's solo operations, the Crossing Bureau had always operated in teams. However, it was clear that Qi An had no intention of finding teammates among the others.
Years of dampness had left green moss on the statue. One could barely make out that it wore armor. After hearing Qi An's words, everyone's gazes gathered on the statue's eyes.
There was years of accumulated mud on them, the eyeballs gleaming with a metallic, gloomy sheen. Upon closer inspection, they realized these eyeballs had been carved with exquisite precision—every contour of the eye, every pupil within, all rendered perfectly.
Eyes that were clearly sculpted, yet giving off the illusion of being real.
Beside the desolate forest, the surroundings were silent as the calm before death descends.
"Did... did you see wrong?"
The speaker was a rather handsome young man. He was a rich second-generation, one of the viewers who'd been selected through this tomb exploration livestream event, just like Qi An.
This event had been organized and planned by a famous streamer—the glamorous young woman Lin Jiajia, who had spoken earlier. Those who wanted to participate commented under Lin Jiajia's Weibo post, and four people were randomly selected.
The rich second-generation's name was Wang Xiangqun. He was actually terrified of ghosts and monsters, but during a game of Truth or Dare with friends, he'd been selected, and his laughing friends had signed him up for this exploration event on his behalf. As if misfortune never came alone, never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that this extremely timid person would actually be selected.
Wang Xiangqun squeezed the necklace around his neck tightly. It was a protective talisman he'd obtained from a temple.
"Did anyone else see it?" Lin Jiajia fell silent for a moment, then asked again.
The other two explorers were Jin Huijuan, a beautiful author specializing in supernatural novels, and Zhang Zhaoqi, an avowed atheist.
"No." Both shook their heads.
Lin Jiajia glanced sideways at the delicate, fragile-looking Qi An. His cheeks were pale to the point of translucence, and the way he looked at her was like a frightened little animal.
She'd always disliked this kind of weak person, but she had to admit that his expression didn't look like he was lying.
And while this group hesitated, the livestream comments section had exploded.
[A Little Flower: Wow, that Qi An guy is so soft~ His voice is also soft and sweet~
Jiajia's Biggest Fan: Right, right, those watery eyes make even this old monk's heart flutter.
I Love Jiajia: Everyone participating has such great looks! That Zhang Zhaoqi cool guy is super handsome too, hehehe~ Look at those muscles!
Ling Family's Eldest: Seriously? You're all missing the point. Didn't anyone see that statue's eyeball move?!
Ling is Confused: Finally someone with sense! It's true—that eyeball, it suddenly moved!
...
Little Sister's Big Brother: Honestly, when the phone camera panned to the statue and I "made eye contact" with it, I really felt like someone was watching me.
Handsome An An: When we arrived, no one dared to lead the way—they said they were afraid of offending the spirits. I suddenly feel... my scalp is tingling.]"
"Let's go back?" Grandma Zhang shuddered all over, looking at the statue like it was something terrifying.
"Forward!"
Lin Jiajia ignored Grandma Zhang. She had always been bold and daring. For this kind of hair-raising situation, she wasn't afraid at all. On the contrary, she was extremely curious.
Zhang Zhaoqi and Jin Huijuan exchanged glances, a trace of solemnity passing through their eyes. It seemed the two of them knew each other.
With a沉闷巨响 that seemed to echo from ancient times, the wide, age-old gate was slowly pulled open.
Zhang Zhaoqi, who carried the backpack, took out a flashlight. Its dim light instantly illuminated the dark path ahead. The others followed behind him. Grandma Zhang muttered some incantations under her breath before following along step by step. Qi An entered last.
Just before going in, he glanced at the statue once more.
Shuffle—
It was the faint sound of dust falling from movement.
Qi An saw the statue's eyeball fixed directly on him at an eerie angle. Qi An narrowed his eyes slightly, watching as its lips curved upward with extreme gentleness.
Qi An's breathing quickened. He微微低着头, hurrying to follow the others' pace as if panicked, his expression flustered. His fair cheeks flushed slightly from exertion.
The people ahead noticed his movements.
Zhang Zhaoqi looked at him, quickly glancing over those reddened cheeks, and asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
"...Nothing."
Qi An's voice couldn't hide its trembling. Anyone could see his panic.
Like a parasitic vine that needed something to cling to in order to survive.
Zhang Zhaoqi said nothing, but his eyes flickered.
Creak creak—the sound came again, followed by a deafening boom. The ancient tomb's gate closed once more, completely separating the abyss-like darkness within from the light outside.
They walked along a narrow path that seemed to lead underground.
The damp, dark ground was puddled with stagnant water. Each step produced a clear, crisp sound. The flashlight's light was limited, and even after the group had walked until they were exhausted, they still couldn't see the end of the path. It was faint, like a dim spark in an endless darkness.
In that instant—
Jin Huijuan asked, "What's that sound?"
It came from far away, and it didn't sound like one person's voice, but many people speaking in unison, in perfect rhythm.
Everyone's footsteps came to a halt.
They tried to discern something from this sudden sound, but it faded away almost as quickly as it had come.
"Are there other people here?"
Wang Xiangqun swallowed hard, the words he spoke even he could barely believe.
"Sinful, so sinful..." Grandma Zhang's hoarse voice rang out without warning. Her aged face contorted in agony.
Her previously gray-dyed hair had visibly turned snow-white. It was as if she had aged a decade in moments. She looked at Lin Jiajia and the others urgently, her vitality fading like a dying lamp. "You must... must find him, beg that person's forgiveness! You must..."
"Find who?"
Before anyone could react, Zhang Zhaoqi asked quickly.
"A handsome, beautiful-looking..."
"He's dead."
Zhang Zhaoqi's expression was calm. He swept his gaze across the surroundings, lingering for a moment longer on Qi An's pallid face. "She should have died long ago. She's only survived until now by using some kind of secret technique."
"How do you know?" Lin Jiajia frowned.
Zhang Zhaoqi's ink-dark pupils glanced at her indifferently, those black irises seemingly unable to see the stunning beauty before him. He fell silent again.
[Does this mission have no plot introduction at all?]
Qi An glanced at Zhang Zhaoqi with a seemingly timid, careful look, but happened to collide with the other's unruffled gaze. He hastily looked away first, his eyes drooping pitifully.
[No. It just says to find the General's Treasure.]
[The General's Treasure... a person?]