Chapter 385: Qionglong Stone Shadow: The Archaeological Team, the Tower, and the Mirror

Under the old woman's strange gaze, I roughly recounted my experiences in Guangxi and also told her how I had obtained that sample Lei. After listening, the old woman sighed: "This is also fate and coincidence. Who would have thought that this last piece, which I could never track down, would turn up in a place like that. If you hadn't found it, I'm afraid I'd never have found it in this lifetime."

I nodded. Who knows if this batch of old archives will survive a few more decades? Even if they're still there, they're due for periodic destruction. If I hadn't gone to see them by such a twist of fate, they really would have been lost forever. So it seems there is a destiny ordained by the unseen.

I thought for a moment and then continued: "If that's the case, then I think the archaeological team I investigated in Guangxi should be your daughter's team."

She nodded: "I also went to Guangxi myself. Why didn't I find out about these things?"

I thought to myself, the only reason I could make Pan Ma talk was because of Poker-face's scrap of iron. Without breaking through from Brother Chu, I wouldn't have been able to find any information there at all. This wasn't her subordinates' fault; you see, the secrets were all under that lake.

But what bothered me wasn't these things. I clearly remembered Pan Ma's story: that archaeological team had been killed and replaced. If so, her daughter was very likely among the bones we fished up.

I wasn't sure if I should bring this up. Not because I was afraid of upsetting her—I believed this old woman wasn't too fragile—but I was worried about affecting her mood.

At the same time, many fragments in my mind were starting to connect. I seemed to have touched upon some bizarre clues, which were also very strange. I had to verify certain things immediately. If what I thought was right, then the entrance to the whole matter might already be open. So I immediately asked her: "If possible, could you give me some of the archaeological team data you found back then? Because I couldn't find any in the archives. The thing I'm investigating might also be related to your daughter. I'll have that sample Lei sent over right away."

"I have a big file bag of those materials, but most of them are useless. If you want to know something, you can ask me now." The old woman's gaze suddenly softened a lot. "What exactly are you investigating, and how did you end up digging into that area?"

"It's a long story. First answer a few of my questions. If things are as I suspect, then I think we might be investigating the same thing."

The old woman looked at me, still seemingly unable to figure me out: "Alright, ask."

"Grandmother, you must have checked your daughter's whereabouts. Was your daughter's disappearance related to an archaeological expedition to the Xisha Islands?"

As soon as I finished speaking, the old woman's expression changed: "You know?"

Without waiting for her to ask, I immediately followed up: "Grandmother, if I'm not mistaken, it's your family's rule that daughters all take the Huo surname?"

She was a bit surprised and nodded: "What about it?"

"Then, your missing daughter—wouldn't she be called Huo Ling?" I said calmly. "Huo—as in 'spirit'?"