The light from the setting sun had scattered across the valley. The slope facing the sun was bathed in gold, while the slope facing away was cast and obscured in darkness.

Right beside a tent, the archaeology team's leader Ji Wengui and its main member Yang Chen were engaged in a discussion. Ma Tongtong and an older female specialist were was.h.i.+ng wild vegetables by the river. They appeared to be preparing for dinner.

“Man, I'm exhausted. Brother Ning, how are you not tired?” Jian Mi had indeed been tired after traveling for a whole day. Even before reaching the campsite, he had already seated himself on the gra.s.s patch while panting heavily.

Ning Tao said, “I've practiced kungfu. This is nothing to me. How about I give you another ma.s.sage, then you wouldn't feel so tired.”

To alleviate Jian Mi's exhaustion, he had already ma.s.saged Jian Mi thrice with his spiritual power on the way here, whenever Jian Mi was so tired that he could not walk anymore. If it were not for that, Jian Mi and he could still be on their way, and would not be able to reach the archaeology team's campsite.

“Thank you, Brother Ning, but it's okay. I'm sure you're tired too after such a long journey. We've arrived anyway. I just need to catch a breath,” Jian Mi said.

“Then alright. I'll go greet them. You can come over after you're rested,” Ning Tao said, then walked towards the river.

The turbulent waters of the mountain's river were so loud as they clashed against the rocks of the riverbed. It was no wonder that Ma Tongtong and that female specialist had not heard Ning Tao and Jian Mi.

“Professor Ma,” Ning Tao stood behind Ma Tongtong, and greeted.

Only then had Ma Tongtong realized someone was behind her, and immediately turned behind to find Ning Tao. She smiled instantly. “Oh, it's Doctor Ning. Why are you here, and when did you get here?”

A bunch of wild vegetables she had placed by the river was swept away by the waters when she was talking. The older female specialist beside her shouted. “The vegetables have been washed away!”

Frantically, Ma Tongtong tried to fish it out from the waters, but ended up slipping and was about to fall into the river.

Ning Tao swiftly gone up and caught her by her arm, then pulled her back. Ma Tongtong's other arm was already in the water by then.

Ma Tongtong was clearly frightened, her delicate face had gone entirely pale. If it were not for Ning Tao catching her in time, she could have drowned to death given the turbulence of the waters.

Ning Tao's tone was somewhat reprimanding, “It doesn't matter that the vegetables were washed away. Why did you try retrieving them? Do you want to die?”

Ma Tongtong had finally relaxed, and smiled sheepishly. “It seems like you have saved me again just now. You're really my savior.”

The older female specialist coughed. “Xiao Ma, Doctor Ning, I'm going to find more wild vegetables, you two continue chatting.”

Ning Tao said, “Sister Dong, you be careful too. It's not safe in the woods. There are snakes.”

The older female specialist's name was Dong Qing, who specialized in ores. The last time he met the archaeology team, he had saved them after they had encountered toxic fumes by chance, so he had managed to remember everyone's names.

Dong Qing smiled politely at Ning Tao, and then left.

“Doctor Ning, how did you get here?” Ma Tongtong repeated her question.

“I'm the one who had brought Brother Ning here,” Jian Mi appeared before Ma Tongtong. A bright beam appeared on his tanned face.

Ma Tongtong said smilingly, “It seems like that question was unnecessary. I should have guessed it. h.e.l.lo, Jian Mi.”

“h.e.l.lo, Professor Ma,” Jian Mi greeted back, then approached them.

Ning Tao said, “Professor Ma, did you have any discoveries?”

Ma Tongtong said, “It's hard for me to say. We are starting to get something, but we still don't have enough clues. Come with me, I'll take you to see Captain Ji and Yang Chen.”

Ning Tao followed Ma Tongtong to the campsite, and had surprised Ji Wengui and Yang Chen. After greeting one another, Ji Wengui had asked the rest of the members out. The atmosphere had turned lively in an instant.

After chatting casually for a while, Ning Tao went straight to point. “It has been about half a month since we parted ways. Have you gotten any discoveries?”

Ji Wengui sighed. “We did find something, but there are still insufficient clues. Even so, there's good news, I've been notified by our superior that a businessman intends to sponsor us, to support our operations. That businessman could be arriving here any time these days.” He paused, and then added. “That businessman is really rich. He asked for our coordinates, and is apparently coming by his private helicopter. He's also bringing us more advanced gadgets and supplies.”

“What businessman?” Ning Tao asked nonchalantly, yet he was incredibly curious inside. What kind of businessman would be aware of such an unknown archaeology project? Not only was he sponsoring them financially, but he was also even coming to visit personally.

“The higher-ups have not clarified this with us. It's fine as long as he provides us with money, regardless of who he is. We've been searching in this old-growth forest for three years. We can't possibly return empty-handed? I wouldn't be able to get over it,” Ji Wengui said.

Ning Tao's instincts were telling him that the businessman was not as simple as Ji Wengui made him sound to be.

Yang Chen said, “Doctor Ning, let me show you what we've found this week.”

Ning Tao came to the spot where Yang Chen and Ji Wengui were having their discussion. There was a modern map placed on a rock used as a makes.h.i.+ft table, and also a piece of thing which looked like a brick yet also a rock. He activated his power of sight and smell, and got an answer very quickly. It was a piece of brick fired from clay. However, it could be due to erosion over the years or the water that it had lost its edges, so it ended up looking like a flat piece of pebble.

Yang Chen picked up that piece of clay brick, and showed the other side of it to Ning Tao.

Some symbols, which resembled ancient oracle bone scripts, were carved into that side of the clay brick. However, it was blurred, and was hard to identify. However, even if it were still distinct, Ning Tao would not be able to understand it.

Ji Wengui said, “I have a certain level of knowledge of the ancient Hua Country scripts. I initially thought that they were oracle bone scripts, but they are not. They are scripts which have never been doc.u.mented. I've determined that they are the writings of the Feminine-moon people, so we've referred to them as Feminine-moon script.”

Ning Tao asked, “Where did you find these?”

Yang Chen said, “I found this beside the river. I thought it was a piece of rock at first, but my gut feelings as an archaeologist had told me that this was more than meets the eye. I dug it up, and found out that there were writings carved in the other side. This discovery had made us realized that we've been looking in the wrong places for a long time. Regardless of the Feminine-moon people or the Maya people, their cities would definitely need water sources. If we had followed the water sources, we could probably have found the city of the Feminine-moon people long ago.”

Ning Tao's interest was piqued. “Did the businessman offer to invest after you've announced this finding?”

Ji Wengui said, “Indeed, it was after we've reported our latest finding that our superiors had told us about the businessman's intention to invest, and had even asked for our coordinates for the businessman to come pay a visit.” He shrugged. “It's exactly why we have the campsite set up, just waiting for the boss to come.”

Yang Chen said with a smile, “Who cares who he is, as long as he gave us money. Isn't it better than having to terminate this project? We're all archeologists, finding the city of the Yinyang people is our biggest wish. Nothing else matters.”

Ning Tao looked at the map on the rock. A circle was drawn around an area on the map, and an arrow was indicated on the huge mountain range. He quickly realized on a closer inspection that they were at the place which was marked out on the map, and the spot indicated by the arrow was the abyss where he and Qing Zhui had dug out the white-jade holy lotus from.

He had once drawn a blood lock beside the mud swamp there, but they had been destroyed by those mad wildman. If he wanted to go to the abyss now, he could only walk there.

“Doctor Ning, what are you thinking?” Ji Wengui stared fixedly at Ning Tao. After all, he was of a certain age and was experienced enough to be more sensitive to other people's reactions.

Ning Tao pulled himself out of his thoughts. “I don't doubt that you can find the city of the Yinyang people. You've worked so hard looking for it for three years. People who persevere will not be let down. However, I'm more worried about your safety. What if you encountered wild men?”

Ma Tongtong giggled saying, “Doctor Ning, are you scaring us? We knew about the legend of the Shennongjia wild men, but we've never met a single one of them during the three years we've been here. If we had really met the Shennongjia wild men, they would probably have been scared off by us?”

Yet, the image of Shennongjia wild men resembling violent King Kongs had surfaced to his head, but he did not know how to tell them. If he told them that he had long suspected that the Yinyang people's civilization was within the abyss, and had even met the Shennongjia wild men, what would they think of him? He was afraid that they would sever ties with him.

“I'm just saying, in case, not that it will definitely happen. How about this, since I'm free, could I join in? I can take care of any medical needs. If we met any wild men, I can even act as the group's bodyguard,” Ning Tao said.

“Sounds great, I welcome you to join,” Ma Tongtong said happily.

Yet, Ji Wengui was silent.

The rest of the archaeology team looked at Ji Wengui. They would love very much for Ning Tao to join in, because having a doctor in this old-growth forest was an a.s.set. However, the decision had to be made by Ji Wengui.

Ji Wengui stayed silent before saying, “I'm personally welcoming you to join in, but I have to attain permission from my superiors over such matters. Besides, that sponsor's opinion is important to us too, I would need to notify them. Doctor Ning, if you really wished to join us, could you wait for another two days?”

Ning Tao smiled, “Sure, I can still protect you all if I were not joining in.”

Joining was only an excuse for himself to stay behind. It did not matter to him whether he could join in or not. He wanted to see for himself who that sponsor coming in by a private helicopter was.

“Doctor Ning, we have an extra tent, you and Jian Mi would have to put up with a night together in a tent,” Ji Wengui said.

Ning Tao said, “It's okay, I would be going to look for medicinal herbs which would only appear at night.”

“Uh, what kind of medicinal herbs?” Yang Chen asked curiously.

“Flower of the Night,” Ning Tao said.

Flower of the Night was a rare spiritual material according to the “Compendium of Spiritual Materials”. It was rare, and very hard to find, but Ning Tao's real objective was not to look for it, but to venture into the abyss!