Synopsis
- Unexpected Discovery: While sorting through her grandfather’s belongings, Xu Qingqing, a graduate student in archaeology, discovers a mysterious jade pendant and a fragment of a diary hinting at her family’s connection to an unexplored Western Xia tomb. She decides to head northwest to uncover the truth.
- A Fateful Meeting: In a small town in the northwest, Qingqing meets Qian Duoduo, an experienced tomb raider. Though wary of each other at first, they decide to work together: Duoduo is impressed by Qingqing’s knowledge, while Qingqing needs his field experience.
- The Tomb Entrance: Following the clues, the pair find the entrance to an ancient tomb near the ruins of Khara-Khoto. As they cross a dangerous stretch of quicksand, Duoduo rescues Qingqing when she nearly sinks, revealing his exceptional survival skills.
- Terror in the Tomb: Inside, they encounter mechanical traps. Duoduo uses his experience to get them through, and they discover that the tomb’s occupant may have been one of Qingqing’s ancestors. They also spot traces left by another group of tomb raiders.
- Crisis Strikes: While the pair are absorbed in deciphering the murals and inscriptions, a gang of tomb raiders led by Ma Sandao suddenly appears and corners them, making off with a key artifact and Qingqing’s jade pendant.
This section focuses on how Qingqing and Duoduo meet and become partners, then find the tomb entrance and venture inside for the first time. It also plants clues about the other gang of tomb raiders, setting the stage for the conflicts to come.
