Chapter 159: Just That Easy? (Two-in-one, four thousand monthly votes)

A pickup truck led the way in front, and the Land Cruiser drove along the county road.

Zhang Feng (male plainclothes officer) drove with focused attention, while Xu Gaolan (female plainclothes officer) touched her chest, then touched her cuffs.

"Zhang Feng, they won't frisk us, will they?"

Zhang Feng hesitated for a moment: "They shouldn't, right!"

"Then where did you strap your gun?"

"I didn't strap it, it's just stuck in my pants pocket... I'm holding it at all times, and it's convenient to disengage the safety."

Lin Sicheng almost couldn't keep a straight face: No... big brother, what if it goes off accidentally?

"You two, we aren't going to traffic drugs, are we?"

The two plainclothes officers didn't make a sound.

When it comes to brutality, Grave Robbers are no worse than drug traffickers.

Just like last year, when they assisted the Guangzhou Police in arresting Yang Bin and his accomplices, didn't those people all carry guns?

"Rest assured, that's just a very rare exception!"

Lin Sicheng smiled, "Besides, we are the buyers now, why would he frisk us?"

The two plainclothes officers still didn't make a sound: They were in a line of work where their heads were tied to their waistbands; who could say for sure?

"Relax!" Lin Sicheng sighed, "Don't give the game away!"

They certainly wouldn't.

Since Chen Peng dared to let them come, he had naturally hand-picked them; they acted the part perfectly and could enter character in a second.

It was just that Bureau Chief Chen's words were too terrifying: If anything happened to Lin Sicheng, you wouldn't even have the chance to take off this skin...

It just felt like a lot of pressure.

They drove forward all the way, reaching the foot of Erlang Mountain (the front range of Zhongnanshan). Finally, the three cars drove into a farmhouse compound.

There were no walls around it; several tile-roofed houses in an Imitating the Ancients style formed a circle, with a courtyard in the middle, where several sweet osmanthus trees were wrapped tightly in cloth.

Behind the wall was a fish pond, and next to it was a large shed, looking like a vegetable garden.

A woven bag hung on the rammed-earth wall of the shed, containing a bundle of things that looked like steel pipes.

Lin Sicheng took a glance and was suddenly startled: A Hanging Mountain Ladder?

When this thing is dismantled, it looks like this:

If connected together, it looks like this:

But when in use, it becomes like this:

Looks familiar, right?

This gadget is specifically used for robbing hanging coffins on cliffs, as well as extremely deep and vertical grave pits.

In the era before the internet was widespread, even ordinary Police wouldn't recognize it, just assuming it was for electricians.

But the two plainclothes officers beside him would definitely recognize it...

The three of them exchanged a look: Had they been led into the lair of Grave Robbers?

After a rough scan, Lin Sicheng said: "Good place!"

Fan Qiang (the old lady's brother-in-law) paused: "What's good about it?"

Lin Sicheng didn't speak, just smiled.

To the west lies the Hao River, to the east lies the Jue River; coming here from the city, one must cross those few bridges.

If you send someone to guard the bridges, a single phone call is all it takes if there is any sign of trouble.

The key is that to the south is Zhongnanshan; once you dive into the mountains, even the army couldn't find you.

But the old lady's brother-in-law had led him straight here?

His heart stirred, and Lin Sicheng cupped his hands: "Master Fence-Breaker Fan, my apologies for the disrespect!"

The man's expression changed, and he pulled at the corners of his mouth stiffly: "What is the boss talking about?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said nothing more.

You never know until you test them; he had misjudged him before: this man, who looked like a corpse even when smiling, was actually a leader?

According to old traditions, in a typical Grave-robbing gang, the big boss who organizes and provides the funds is called the "Pot-Supporter," and the second boss responsible for finding graves and appraising Bronze is called the "Eye-Master."

The one who leads people to dig the grave is called the "Legs," the lowest level who dig the holes and open the coffins are called the "Laborers." Those who specialize in asking for underworld news and keeping watch are called "Lookouts," and those who transport and fence the stolen goods are called "Street-Runners."

If it gets more complicated, there will be the "Fence-Breaker" who specializes in handling the final goods, and the "Card-Setter" who manages relations between the underworld and the authorities, while also holding judicial power.

The last one is the most vicious: there is no such thing as a living sentence for Grave-robbing, only the "living seed," also known as becoming an "Earth Immortal."

To put it bluntly: burying the offending member alive in the grave...

The old lady's husband, that is, Fan Qiang's older brother, was a Street-Runner.

Fan Qiang was a Fence-Breaker who specialized in handling the final goods, belonging to the lowest-ranked leader. He probably didn't have much ability, and most of the time he worked alone.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be guarding his home, waiting for customers to come to him.

But no matter how lacking in ability, a leader is still a leader; thinking back, he had actually brought him to look for a grave?

It was quite funny.

But it was a case of a mistake leading to a lucky hit. It was precisely because he had asked him to lead the way that time that Master Fence-Breaker Fan thought he was also in the trade, which is why he had brought him here today.

While pondering, Fan Qiang led them into the brick house to the east. As soon as they entered the room, a man of about fifty years old came up to greet them.

"The boss is here, please sit, serve tea!"

Following the shout, a woman with an ordinary appearance brought out a teapot from the inner room.

Lin Sicheng nodded, and after sitting down, he took a look around.

Short and fat, with a glowing red face, there were faint patches of rust on his neck, indicating he often went down into pits.

Looking down further, Lin Sicheng's heart stirred: the rust on the fat man's hands was even more extensive, more than on the hands of Wang Qizhi, who touched Bronze every day. There were red, yellow, black, and green ones, all of them.

The key is that the fingernails are extremely thick and blunt, and the calluses on the fingertips are both thick and stiff, even curling outward. It looks as if the nails have grown into the flesh?

This is because in the early years, productivity was low, and one could only use a shovel to dig a hole. Sometimes the hole was too small for tools, so one had to dig by hand. Over time, the nails were worn blunt, and the calluses on the fingertips grew over them.

Also, having been in contact with burial objects for years and corroded by various rusts, the calluses became increasingly stiff, and since the nails could not grow forward, they could only grow sideways.

In the Grave-robbing trade, this is called "Ghost-Gnawing Hand"!

Therefore, this person was just a "laborer" who dug holes in the early years; he likely stopped going into the pits later and specialized in receiving goods outside the pit, which is why there is so much rust on his hands.

Now, at most, he is just a Liu Tuizi who leads people into the pit; in any case, he cannot be the Boss, and even less likely to be the Appraiser.

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and cupped his hands: "What is your surname, Boss Liu?"

Pangzi was originally still smiling, but upon hearing "Boss Liu," the smile froze on his face.

A pair of beady eyes blinked and blinked, peering again and again at Lin Sicheng's face.

Even Fan Qiang, who had led them in, had such a stiff face, yet the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably: just by looking at that one glance, Liu Tuizi's identity had been exposed?

After being stunned for a long time, Pangzi stood up silently.

Then, the woman who had just poured the tea sat down again.

Her appearance was ordinary, and her attire was also ordinary; at first glance, she looked like a cleaner who served tea and swept the floor.

She was about forty-something, but her hands were quite clean, cleaner even than his own.

But it was not her either.

Because unless it is a family heritage like that of Zhao Laotai and Zhao Xiu, traditional Grave Robber gangs cannot let women go into the pits, and it is even more impossible for women to be in charge.

Take a guess: her status in this gang might not even be as good as the two standing on the side...

She smiled first and cupped her hands again, "Yuanliang (an honorific for those who engage in Grave-robbing and tomb-diggers), where did you come from, Mountain-Splitter (a fellow Grave Robber, where are you making a fortune)?"

The two plainclothes officers felt a jolt in their hearts: are they starting to exchange secret codes?

This clearly treated Lin Sicheng as one of their own...

Lin Sicheng, however, was very impatient and couldn't even be bothered to cup his hands, "One river has scenery on both banks (we are peers, but I am far from you)."

The woman didn't mind: "Going up the mountain to carry firewood, or going down the mountain to burn the fire? (What kind of business do you do, selling goods, or going into the pits?)"

"I catch partridges and I also catch Sparrowhawks (I travel all over the world, from ancient times to the present, I do any business related to Cultural Relics)."

The woman was stunned for a moment: what a big boast?

She patiently asked: "How many waters and fires have you crossed? (What are your skills?)"

"I solve the Hill Gate (know Feng Shui, know Watching Stars), seek the Longlou (understand geomancy, know how to look at dragon veins), and ascend the Treasure Hall (imperial mausoleums, also refers to super luxurious large tombs!)."

Excluding Lin Sicheng, the five people were all stunned at once.

The two plainclothes officers simply didn't understand, while the other three paused: this tone is more than just big?

Robbing an imperial mausoleum... how old are you?

Guessing what they were thinking, Lin Sicheng cupped his fists, extended his two little fingers outward first, then joined his index fingers and arched them forward:

"You all are of the Jingwei Sect (a Grave Robber gang in the Guanzhong area that specializes in imperial mausoleums and large tombs of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties), right? But I am only here to check the code (to purchase goods), is there any need to probe so clearly? If you really want to probe the path, please bring out the Boss, or the Appraiser will do..."

As he spoke, Lin Sicheng arranged the tea cups in front of him and looked at the woman with a smile: "The person in charge doesn't show their face, yet you dare to call yourself Yuanliang and dare to probe the Yuanliang Path? If you insist on probing, that's fine... come, let's pass the Dragon Gate and discuss seniority!"

Fan the Pestle, Fat Leg, and a woman whose identity was temporarily unknown, six eyes stared straight at the tea cups on the table.

Those two gestures, the former is called the Yuanliang Finger, used to indicate identity.

The latter is called the Immortal Pointing the Way, which is equivalent to expressing respect to the Boss and Appraiser mentioned.

These two gestures are secret codes used by ancient Grave Robbers and tomb-diggers to probe the path, and very few people understand them now. But it is not strange that this young man could see through the identities of Fan Qiang and Pangzi at a glance and know this.

Including pointing out in one word that they are the Jingwei Gang, it is also understandable: those in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces who know how to find large tombs, know how to rob large tombs, can accurately locate the Main Tomb, and do not use explosives to blow up the tomb but instead dig Tomb Tunnels based on extremely clever heritage, can all be said to be the disciples and grandchildren of the Jingwei Sect.

What surprised them were these few Tea Cups.

This is called passing the Dragon Gate; in the words of Wuxia novels: those who know this must at least be the head of a sect.

More importantly, this kid looks like he is only in his early twenties, and he doesn't even have many whiskers. But the aura he exuded, as well as his posture... for a moment, they seemed to see a big boss?

The two men and one woman looked at each other, quite at a loss.

The expressions of the two plainclothes officers were even more wonderful: looking at their ages, the three were old, and even the youngest-looking woman was over forty.

Compared to them, Lin Sicheng was as tender as a little brat.

But it was this little brat who stunned these three old veterans, their lips trembling, as if they didn't even know how to speak.

Especially that woman, a person in her forties, her face turning pale and then red...

Seeing that the three of them remained silent, Lin Sicheng sighed, picked up the tea cup and drank it dry, then stood up: "Alright, let's just consider it making a friend!"

The woman gave a start and finally came back to her senses: "This boss, don't leave yet... it's not that the Boss and the Appraiser won't come out, but rather, they are abroad..."

What?

Lin Sicheng was stunned: what kind of decent person runs abroad?

It was clear that the two leaders had already fled.

Calculating the time again: Fan Qiang's big brother was sentenced four years ago, so the leader fleeing abroad was at most five years ago...

And they are the extremely traditional Jingwei Gang, who must probe the path when meeting peers, and are so cautious?

Moreover, their Grave-robbing technology is extremely superb: at least a thousand square meters in circumference, they can find the Golden Well (Main Tomb) in one go, and can even dig the Tomb Tunnel to a depth of seven or eight meters.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to steal the Phoenix Pattern Mirror, let alone Zhang Anshi's Jade Wenming...

In an instant, a flash of light crossed his mind: "Is the Boss surnamed Yu?"

The woman was stunned: "How did you know?"

Lin Sicheng let out a breath: because they are too famous.

This group of Grave Robbers is exactly the opposite of Yang Bin: self-robbing, self-selling, extremely traditional, and extremely cautious.

So cautious that it takes at least three to five years to rob a tomb, and at the same time, they will not stop until the tomb is so empty that even a mouse would have nowhere to run.

The most typical examples are the tomb of the Tang Dynasty Chancellor Han Xiu and the Wuhuifeimu: they were robbed by this group until the tomb walls were bare, leaving only stone coffins and murals.

That wasn't even the end of it; in the end, they even sold the tomb site Information to Yang Bin. Only then did Yang Bin steal the murals from the tomb of Han Xiu and the Stone Sarcophagus from the Wuhuifeimu.

They were also quite cunning, with an ultra-sensitive sense of smell. As soon as there was a bit of Wind, the two principal culprits and most of the accomplices fled abroad. It wasn't until 2018 that they were extradited back to the country from Thailand.

Three death sentences.

Unsurprisingly, this woman should be the mistress or a close relative of the gang leader Yu Dahai. Otherwise, as a woman who never goes down into the pit, she wouldn't be able to keep the scouts and the Pole-Climbers in check.

She counts as a fish that slipped through the net, and a very big one at that. If Bureau Chief Chen knew, he would probably be so happy he'd grin from ear to ear...

Secretly turning his thoughts, Lin Sicheng sat back down: "Fine, let's be blunt. That bundle of silver flowers Fan the scout mentioned, are you selling it or not!"

The woman nodded: "Selling!"

"What else is there?"

The woman paused: "Only two pieces: a tri-colored glazed female figurine on horseback, and a square bronze seal with a nose-shaped knob: General Wei Changshi."

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: As expected, a Tang Dynasty County Princess, the Zhang Anshi family tomb?

The former is unearthed quite often, but it is commonly seen in the tombs of Tang Dynasty Princesses, Commandery Princesses, and County Princesses.

The latter, this General Wei Changshi seal, is the official seal of Zhang He, the youngest son of Zhang Anshi's grandson, Zhang Yanshou. Historical records state he died young, reaching the rank of General Wei Changshi, with a salary of eight hundred shi...

There are certainly more than these two pieces, but this woman is relatively cautious and doesn't dare to take them all out at once.

But it doesn't matter; he isn't really here to buy Cultural Relics anyway.

Lin Sicheng put on a contemplative look: "With so few burial objects, I suppose you just located the tomb heart and dug the Tomb Tunnel, only to attract the police. Then, the experts and the Pole-Climbers all fled... so even if you give them to me now, I'm afraid you can't move them... How about this!"

Leaning forward, Lin Sicheng stared at the woman: "You join the partnership, and I'll count you for one share. Or, sell the tomb site..."

Before he could finish, the woman's eyes lit up instantly.

But just as her mouth opened, Lin Sicheng tapped the table first: "But let's get this straight: if you ask for too much, I'll find it myself!"

The woman was startled: "That is a double-gold casket (two large tombs stacked together)."

"I know!" Lin Sicheng looked left and right, "One from the Han Dynasty, one from the Tang Dynasty... Otherwise, I wouldn't have made this trip just for your bundle of silver flowers."

Indeed: at this rate, it would have been enough for him to just send a driver...

The woman shook her head: "But relying only on you, you won't find it!"

"Rest assured, I can find it; it will just cost me some time!"

Lin Sicheng leaned back: "It's either in Nanliwang (Village) or Beiliwang, no more than three kilometers apart."

The woman's expression changed slightly, her eyes bulging a little, as if to say: How do you know?

Lin Sicheng smiled again: "I also know that the place is currently being demolished; at worst, I'll hire a demolition crew and search it inch by inch!"

The woman was stunned, her face looking strange.

Lin Sicheng naturally knew what she found strange: isn't that exactly how the gang currently looting it is doing it?

He struck while the iron was hot, tapping the table: "Selling or not!"

The woman was silent for a few seconds, then gritted her teeth: "Selling!"

In an instant, the eyes of the two plainclothes officers gleamed: Lin Sicheng, you're really this relaxed?