Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 129 - An Explosion

Chapter 129: Chapter 129 - An Explosion

Professor Luo saw that the faces of Gu Fan and the others were very solemn, seemingly deeply concerned about the twelve coffins. Aware that there was something peculiar about it, he asked, "What’s wrong? What’s happening to you all?"

Gu Fan was unsure of how to answer this question, or whether he should tell Professor Luo the truth.

Just then, an elderly man walked over. He looked kind and gentle, his face carrying an indifferent expression. He simply stood quietly in front of Gu Fan. His presence, without a word, was enough to shake the hearts of Gu Fan and Lu Yi.

"No way, it’s you, old man," Gu Fan and Lu Yi exclaimed in horror. This old man was the one they had met in the ancient town who had been mysterious and aloof.

It was now Gu Fan’s turn to ask, "Old man, what the hell is going on here? What’s your connection to all of this? Are those people from the same place as you?"

The old man did not answer, but simply shook his head with a bitter smile and then turned to leave. Gu Fan immediately became anxious and called out, "Don’t leave! You haven’t told me the truth yet! What is in those twelve coffins?"

The old man halted his steps but did not turn around, simply saying in a faint voice, "Remember what I told you. Perhaps there is still a chance for you."

"A chance? Is there really a chance?" Gu Fan was uncertain of where the old man’s loyalties lay, whether he was on their side or not.

Teacher Liu asked next, "What’s going on, Gu Fan? Do you know these people? What have you been through? What are you still hiding from us?"

Hearing this, Gu Fan could only shake his head with a bitter smile. He knew he shouldn’t withhold anything else. Thus, he narrated everything he had experienced to Professor Luo, Teacher Liu, and the others.

Upon hearing what Gu Fan and the others had been through, Professor Luo, Teacher Liu, Xu Haowen, and Qin Jia were all shocked. They couldn’t believe that such a group of ordinary college students could have experienced so much.

Teacher Liu sighed, "I heard rumors that students from school have been going missing recently, all of them from the dance club. I wondered why such a coincidence could occur. So this was the reason."

"Fortunately, I attended one of Teacher Liu’s lectures. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to connect these things to the ancient kingdom of Qian Ye," Gu Fan finished his explanation and glanced at Professor Luo whose face was stern. He could tell what the old professor was feeling.

Xu Haowen also chimed in, "So, that means the twelve coffins contain..."

To this, Gu Fan could only nod, "That should be it. But it seems I was wishful thinking."

Lu Yi shared her viewpoint, "If we see the old man from the ancient town here, it means that group of people all come from the ancient town. As such, the missing students were all due to the residents of the ancient town."

"I think so too. The truth is now clear," Jie expressed his certainty. However, what could they do now that the truth was out?

"Is the truth really clear?" Gu Fan was deep in thought. Why would the people of the ancient town do this? What connection do they have with the ancient kingdom of Qian Ye? How did they choose the twelve sacrifices?

According to Gu Fan’s earlier speculation, these twelve students were born on the same day in the same month of the same year. This wasn’t a coincidence; it meant that they had been targeted from the start. But wasn’t their arrival in the ancient town accidental?

The only explanation was that the people of the ancient town had been searching for twelve sacrifices. When they were growing impatient after a long wait, Du Jun, Lin Xi, and the others happened to stumble into the secret chamber, meeting the conditions of the twelve sacrifices. Furthermore, they were so coincidentally born on the same day, month, and year.

But Gu Fan didn’t believe this was a coincidence. Someone had to have arranged everything. As Gu Fan was contemplating, he heard the bitter words from Professor Luo, "I never imagined... you said you were here for archaeological surveys, to support the country’s archaeology. That was all a lie. You were using me."

"No... that’s not..." Gu Fan didn’t know what to say. Indeed, there had been manipulation involved. No wonder Professor Luo was so upset.

Su Hui tried to mediate, "I’m sorry, Professor Luo. We did hide a lot from you, but we had no ill intentions. Gu Fan just desperately wants to find the twelve missing students. His intentions were good."

Lin Xi added, "Yes, Teacher Liu, you are also a role model for us. If something happened to the students, you would also hope to find them, right?"

"Yes, of course I would," Teacher Liu understood Lin Xi’s intentions. He quickly tried to soothe the still offended Professor Luo, "Teacher, Gu Fan and the others were wrong, but such students are truly rare. As an old teacher who cares for his students, you should support their mutual aid and cooperation."

Though these words made sense, Professor Luo was still very angry, "I can support you, I can understand, but you cannot deceive me."

In response, Gu Fan put on an apologetic face, "I’m sorry, Professor Luo. I know I shouldn’t have kept it from you. But it wasn’t easy to explain. Even if I had told you at the time, you might not have believed me. That’s why I had my difficulties."

His words were reasonable enough. Professor Luo sighed and looked disappointed, "I once led several students to an archaeological site, and when one student faced danger, the others only cared about their own safety, standing aside without lending a hand. I remember that scene well. It’s rare to see someone like you, Gu Fan, who is so desperate to find the missing students. Truly rare indeed."

The anger disappeared from Professor Luo’s face, and with these words, it was clear he had come to understand Gu Fan. Even more, his tone hinted at admiration for Gu Fan’s actions.

"Thank you, Professor Luo. So, the next question is, what do we do after we break free? Do we bravely charge in to protect the relics, rescue the missing students, or retreat and call the police?" Gu Fan posed a question that worried many. If they charged in, it would be suicide given their outnumbered situation. But if they retreated, their opponents could have vanished by the time they returned with the police, leaving a disaster behind with both the relics and missing students nowhere to be found.

Su Hui chimed in, "Calling the police is impossible. Look at them tampering with that device over there. I think they’re trying to disrupt cell phone signals."

"Then we’re unable to call for help. What should we do?" Qin Jia was terrified. She was a young girl, unprepared to risk her life for the sake of safeguarding historical and cultural relics against villains.

However, Professor Luo then showed an imposing demeanor, "You all go. I’ll stay behind and buy you some time."

Everyone agreed on this point — how could they let an elderly teacher be their rear guard? It would make them look like cowards who feared death.

Professor Luo had a resigned expression on his face, "I’m of advanced age and have experienced many things. My life has been fulfilling enough. Besides, I was ready for this to be my last archaeological event. Let me stay to fight against these grave robbers."

Teacher Liu insisted, "No way, I can’t leave you alone here. And a single person being a rear guard won’t be of any help, so I’ve decided to stay too."

As if influenced, Xu Haowen also expressed his willingness to stand alongside Professor Luo.

"Your spirit praise is admirable, but even having a few people stay back won’t be of much use. The numbers are overwhelmingly in their favor," Gu Fan said it like it was. They were at an absolute disadvantage and saw no hope for a turnaround.

At this point, Lu Yi asked, "If these people are all from the ancient town, what’s their connection with the Kingdom of Qianye? Why did they put in so much effort to kidnap our twelve classmates? Are they trying to resurrect Queen Qianye?"

Gu Fan shook his head, "The idea of immortality is already ludicrous, let alone resurrection."

Teacher Liu proposed a theory, "If the rumor about immortality is true and the people from the ancient town wanted to obtain this power, that’s why they kidnapped twelve classmates."

This seemed like a possibility. Who wouldn’t long for the power of immortality? Just like Queen Qianye, perhaps these people also desired eternal life.

But something still didn’t sit right with Gu Fan, "As long as the people from the ancient town wish to replicate Queen Qianye’s immortality, it sort of confirms the rumor. Assuming the rumor is true, meaning Queen Qianye obtained the power of immortality, who’s to say she’s not alive now?"

Everyone else thought Gu Fan’s conclusion was a bit far-fetched. The notion of immortality indeed seemed absurd.

Then why did the kidnappers take twelve classmates? Was it because something went wrong when Queen Qainye acquired the power of immortality, leaving her in a prolonged slumber, and they needed twelve sacrifices to wake her?

For some reason, everyone began to speculate, weaving their own stories. Each story felt plausible, but none seemed quite right.

Gu Fan didn’t want to join in the storytelling anymore. He started considering the old man’s hints from back in the ancient town. Perhaps there was a chance of turning things around in his words.

Lost in thought, Gu Fan was startled by a loud explosion. The force of the blast shattered the rocks and sent debris flying into the air, stirring up a cloud of dust. Everyone saw this and grew tense.

After a while, a second, stronger explosion boomed. All Gu Fan could do was pray they weren’t found. Because if they were, what then?

Things didn’t go as hoped. After inspecting the explosion, the people on the other side of the mountain started to cheer and celebrate.