[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-grave-robbers-chronicles":3,"chapter-the-grave-robbers-chronicles-the-grave-robbers-chronicles-chapter-121":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Grave Robbers' Chronicles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},15978,44,"Chapter 121: Pan Zi","the-grave-robbers-chronicles-chapter-121",121,"\u003Cp>Panzi and I sat in Third Uncle's shop for an entire afternoon, catching up on our respective situations. It turned out that Panzi had already regained some consciousness before I went to Hainan, but at the time I left in such a hurry that I only left a mobile phone number with the hospital, and after I went to sea, naturally he couldn't find me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi had a strong constitution and recovered quickly, but even so, he still lay in bed for almost a month. By the time he could get up and look for us, he couldn't reach anyone. Figuring back, I should have been in Shaanxi at that time, and as for Third Uncle, needless to say, the whole world was looking for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw the black armband on Panzi's sleeve and asked him what it was for. He said Da Kui was a brother to him—he hadn't made it back for the first seven days of mourning, so wearing it now gave him some peace of mind. Mentioning this reminded me of that time in Shandong, and I sighed inwardly. In the end, that whole mess started because of me; if I hadn't gone poking around and shown the silk manuscript to Third Uncle, everyone's situation now would be completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi saw my expression change and guessed what I was thinking. He patted me and said, \"Third Young Master, in our line of work, what's meant to come can't be avoided. You can't blame others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed and thought to myself, easy for you to say—you weren't the one who killed Da Kui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while of lamenting, I also told Panzi about my recent experiences. He frowned as he listened, and when he heard our speculation, his face changed. He shook his head and said that after so many years with Third Uncle, he could be sure Third Uncle was not that kind of person, and told me not to listen to others' nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi had been with Third Uncle for many years and had deep feelings for him; naturally, he couldn't accept some of what I said. I didn't say any more and changed the subject, asking him what he planned to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi thought for a moment and said that originally he planned to go back to Changsha and continue making a living there—Third Uncle's business was still running, and he knew everyone, so he wouldn't be short of work. But after hearing what I said, he felt this matter was not simple, and he might have to look into it further before he could feel at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded. Although I had basically checked everything here, Panzi had a special relationship with Third Uncle, and there were many connections I didn't know about. It would be best if he could look into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi made several phone calls, and each time the other party told him to wait for a reply. I thought we'd have to wait ten days or half a month, but surprisingly, they all called back within five minutes. After listening, Panzi frowned and said to me, \"Third Young Master, I'm afraid you'll have to come with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was stunned, wondering what was going on. Could it be that something had happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi continued, \"Third Master was looking for someone in Changsha and left a message for you, but he has to tell you in person. The people over there asked me to bring you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Third Uncle left a message for me?\" I almost jumped up. I had contacted Changsha before, so why had no one ever mentioned this to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi's expression was very serious, and he didn't bother to explain. He said to me, \"They're in a hurry. What do you think? When can you leave?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Panzi was very anxious. I vaguely felt that something was not simple, but I never expected him to be this urgent. As a result, that very evening I boarded a slow green train to Changsha without saying anything to anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After getting on the train, I asked Panzi, if it was so urgent, why not fly? Taking a train was ridiculous, wasn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi was distracted and just patted me, saying I'd find out soon enough. I saw sweat on his forehead and felt even more puzzled. What was he so nervous about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The train departed from Hangzhou, first stopping at another station in Hangzhou, and three hours later, before reaching Jinhua station, I could barely hold back from asking what was going on. Just then, the train made an unscheduled stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unscheduled stops on green trains were common. Earlier when buying tickets, I thought for such a long distance, if you weren't flying, at least take an express train—why buy a hard seat on a green train? But Panzi's mind was not on that at all. Now that the train had stopped, I was secretly gloating—you're in a hurry, right? Unscheduled stop, worry you to death! But as soon as the train stopped, Panzi patted me and signaled me to follow. I stood up to ask where we were going, but he suddenly rolled out of the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought, what the hell are you doing? The other passengers in the car were startled too, all standing up to look. Panzi shouted from outside, \"Third Young Master, what are you waiting for? Get down!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around—everyone was standing up watching me. I thought, tomorrow I'll make the headline of the city express news. I gritted my teeth and rolled out too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The train was tall. I flipped over on the way down and fell onto the railroad ties. Panzi grabbed me and pulled me to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We ran through the fields beside the tracks, up a ridge, and then onto the main road, where a pickup truck was already waiting for us. Panzi pulled me into the truck, and it started immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was out of breath. After the truck got onto the provincial highway, I finally recovered and cursed, \"What the hell were you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi was also exhausted. Seeing my expression, he laughed and said, \"Don't be mad. This is the first time I've been so disheveled. Damn, I don't even know when we got on their tail. Hope we shook them off.\" He looked behind the truck—it was pitch black, no sign of pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't understand. It seemed he had planned all this. I hurriedly asked what was going on. He lit a cigarette and said in Changsha dialect, \"There were police on the train. Third Uncle isn't in Changsha, and the business there is in a mess. There might be informants among the workers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant there were police on the train. Third Uncle wasn't in Changsha, the business there was in chaos, and there might be police plants among the hired help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he glanced at the driver. I realized this driver might have been hired on the spot and we couldn't reveal too much, so I stopped asking. Inside, though, I felt like I'd swallowed a bottle of spices. What was I now? A fugitive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh my god, what's going on this year? A few months ago I was a small-time vendor, then suddenly I became a tomb raider dealing with corpses, and now a fugitive. Life is just too exciting. The truck drove to a small county near Jinhua. We got out, paid, and Panzi took me to buy a few cheap, old-fashioned suits one size too small. When I looked in the mirror, I looked shabby. Then we hurried to the train station and bought tickets for the very train we had jumped off. That train, after its unscheduled stop, had only just arrived at this station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We got back on board, this time in a sleeper car. Panzi looked around the carriage and noticeably relaxed. He said, \"Those cops must have gotten off at Jinhua station. Now there are checkpoints on both the expressway and provincial roads, so they'll never expect us to get back on the train.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was my first time being a fugitive. I didn't know what to do with my hands and feet, almost trembling with fear. I whispered, \"What's going on? How did the police get on our tail? I haven't done—well, actually, the things I've done, an ordinary person wouldn't find out, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know either,\" Panzi said. \"This afternoon I called our underground bank in Changsha. The boss recognized my voice and only said two things: first, bring you to Changsha right away because Third Uncle left a message; second, things are bad in Changsha, be careful of the police. Then he hung up. That boss has been Third Uncle's partner for thirty years, absolutely reliable. I thought about it—I'm not familiar with Hangzhou, and staying too long would cause trouble. We need to get back to Changsha no matter what.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing me worried, he added, \"As soon as I got on the train, I spotted a few plainclothes cops. I contacted a friend and got a truck to follow the tracks. When the train made that unscheduled stop, I saw the driver signal, and I knew this was our chance. That's why I dragged you off. You saw the driver didn't say a word the whole way—he's also in the trade, and you can't say too much in front of people like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since those cops didn't arrest us, it means we're not deeply tied to whatever happened in Changsha. It's probably some big shot got caught there, and we're just small fry dragged in. Don't be too scared—it has nothing to do with what you did. At worst, it's just fencing stolen goods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a bit better and was about to thank heaven, but then he added, \"Once something happens in Changsha, it's all connected. Third Master can't avoid being involved. That boss didn't explain clearly, damn it, I don't know what it is exactly. We've been laying low these past few years, hardly going underground directly. Past deeds wouldn't be blown up like this. I can't figure it out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what's your plan now?\" I asked tentatively. I didn't want to be on the run for the rest of my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi said, \"We can't go directly to Changsha. We'll get off as soon as we leave Zhejiang, then take a long-distance bus to the mountains near Changsha. Third Uncle has a few antique buying points out there with contacts. The underground bank boss will come to meet us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded. Just then the train stopped at another station and passengers started boarding. A new person came into our sleeper compartment. Panzi shot me a look, and I changed the subject immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we chatted, I somehow brought up Chenpi A'si. His reputation was quite famous in Changsha, and Panzi had heard of him. He said to me, \"That guy has his own business in our area. I heard after he went blind, he stopped doing jobs himself. After the hard times ended, he took on a few apprentices and sold antiques to foreigners. He's very shady—most of his earliest apprentices were executed, but he's still free and clear. There are many rumors. Better keep your distance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recalled what Chenpi A'si looked like—he didn't seem blind. I found that even stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Panzi's plan, after many twists and turns, we arrived near Fushou Mountain outside Changsha. It was indeed a nice place, with charming scenery along the way. Panzi had been active in this area for years and was used to it. We reached a general merchandise market in the town, and like underground Party members meeting in the old society, we twisted and turned until we came to a shop that anyone could tell was not doing business. The shop sold old computers in the front. Pushing open the back wall, there was a small room. Then further inside, it opened up into a narrow gap between two shops built back-to-back, wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Now a tarpaulin was stretched overhead, and on both sides were racks filled with freshly unearthed burial artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few people were picking through the goods there. The person in charge knew Panzi. Seeing him arrive, he put down what he was holding and said to Panzi, \"Why are you only here now? The basic stuff is all prepared. When are you leaving?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stuff? What stuff?\" Panzi was stunned, looking completely confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person also paused: \"You don't know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panzi turned back to look at me. I glared at him, thinking, 'This is your territory, why are you looking at me?' He turned and said, \"Preparing what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person said, \"Third Master's orders. Gear for five men. For a job? You don't know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2135,"2026-05-28T17:13:44.893Z","2026-06-01T04:28:20.357Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","db76756a32f1f65634626b90b4ab91deb2800c0c7ef72717e324ddfff82f9668","the-grave-robbers-chronicles-chapter-122","the-grave-robbers-chronicles-chapter-120",513,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-grave-robbers-chronicles-cover.jpg"]