Chapter 135: The Lost Jade Pendant

"What are you doing?" A low voice suddenly rang out from behind us.

Pan Ximi and I spun around in surprise, only to discover that it was Li Qiang, one of Professor Wang's students. He was crouched in the pit, holding a flashlight; its beam hit us squarely in the face, blindingly bright.

"Li Qiang?" I asked, startled. "What are you doing here?"

Li Qiang walked toward us slowly, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "I’ve been tracking your suspicious movements for a while. I didn't expect you’d actually come. Let me tell you, I specifically requested to stay behind to guard this pit for its safety."

Li Qiang looked at Pan Ximi and me, his eyes filled with suspicion. "Why are you two so interested in this pit?" His tone was laced with distrust.

Pan Ximi and I exchanged a glance. Before I could speak, Pan Ximi jumped in: "I... I dropped something in the hole when I came by earlier today!"

I had to admit, Pan Ximi was quick on his feet when it came to making up excuses.

Li Qiang’s gaze remained skeptical. He squinted slightly, as if assessing whether Pan Ximi’s story held water.

"What did you drop?" he asked coldly.

Pan Ximi looked a bit nervous, but he bit the bullet and replied, "An heirloom jade pendant. It’s incredibly important to me, which is why I came back to look for it at night."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiang turned his gaze to me.

I chimed in, "That thing is quite valuable. We had no choice—we had to come find it!"

Li Qiang swept his flashlight over us, then said slowly, "Finding lost items is one thing, but there are many things here that belong to our team. What exactly does this pendant look like?"

Li Qiang’s questioning was meticulous; he clearly had no intention of letting us off the hook easily.

"It’s a green jade pendant with a phoenix carved into it," Pan Ximi replied, feigning composure in hopes of dispelling his doubts.

Li Qiang remained vigilant, his eyes wandering over us as if searching for a flaw in our story.

"Are you aware that this pit is under strict protective measures? Unauthorized entry is a violation of the rules."

Pan Ximi forced a calm demeanor and nodded. "We know, but that pendant is just too important to me. Come on, brother, cut us some slack."

Eventually, he sighed and stood up. "Fine, I can help you look, but you must stay right behind me and not touch anything."

Pan Ximi and I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in quick agreement.

Li Qiang turned on his flashlight and led the way into the depths of the pit. The air inside was damp and frigid, and the surrounding rock walls were covered in moss, giving the place an eerie, sinister atmosphere.

After walking a few paces, Li Qiang suddenly stopped and looked back at us. "By the way, have you noticed anything unusual? There have been some strange movements around here lately."

Pan Ximi and I looked at each other, our hearts tightening. Pan Ximi shook his head: "No, we just came here for the pendant."

Li Qiang nodded thoughtfully and continued forward.

Just then, a low, rumbling sound echoed from deep within the pit, as if something were moving. I was startled and looked at Li Qiang nervously, wondering if he had heard it too.

Li Qiang’s expression turned somber. He raised his flashlight, its beam scanning the darkness until it settled on a hidden corner. We followed the light and discovered a small opening, from which a faint glow could be seen flickering.

"Looks like we’ve made a new discovery," Li Qiang whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Pan Ximi and I felt our hearts sink. We hadn't expected that the very place we were trying to investigate on our own would be discovered by Li Qiang instead.

Li Qiang retracted the flashlight beam and turned to us. "It seems we’ve found something new, but before that, let’s find your pendant. Afterward, we can open this hole together and take a look. Do you have time?"

Pan Ximi and I exchanged another glance, both feeling surprised. I had assumed Li Qiang would report it to his superiors first; I never expected him to invite us along.

I nodded. "Of course, we have time."

"Then do me a favor. Once we’re out of here, if there’s anything you can help me with, I’ll return the favor!"

Li Qiang nodded in satisfaction and led the way forward once more.

The path inside the pit grew narrower, and the air became increasingly cold and damp. The surrounding walls were slick with moss, and the ground underfoot was treacherous. We followed Li Qiang cautiously, terrified of slipping.

Not long after, Pan Ximi suddenly spoke up: "Wait, I found it! My pendant!"

Li Qiang and I stopped simultaneously and turned to look at him. He was crouched on the ground, picking up a jade pendant. But just as he held it in his hand, Li Qiang’s expression shifted, and he said, "Hold on—"

Pan Ximi wiped off the pendant and looked at Li Qiang. "What is it?"

Li Qiang shone his light on the pendant in Pan Ximi’s hand and said slowly, "Since you claim it's yours, I have to at least inspect it. If any of the jade material from this site goes missing, I can't take the responsibility!"

We both understood what Li Qiang meant; he was worried that Pan Ximi was using the pendant as a cover to steal jade from the pit.

Pan Ximi’s face twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He handed the pendant to Li Qiang and said calmly, "Feel free to check. It truly is my family heirloom."

Li Qiang took the pendant and examined it closely, the flashlight beam dancing over the surface and reflecting a faint luster. After a moment, he nodded and returned it to Pan Ximi. "It does look like what you described, but whatever you find later, don't go doing anything reckless. There are a lot of precious minerals here."

After saying this, Li Qiang looked at us solemnly. "My classmates and I are working in shifts. Even if the one outside is asleep, if you try to pull anything, he’s bound to notice!"

Pan Ximi took the pendant and sneered, "Look at you, you hardly act like a college student. You’re quite calculating."

Li Qiang ignored him.

We continued forward and soon arrived at the spot that was glowing. Li Qiang pointed to a stone embedded in the rock wall; a faint green luster was visible through the cracks. He shone his light on the stone, confirmed it, and nodded. "This must be a wall. This small opening should be breakable!"

Li Qiang walked up to the opening, crouched down, and shone his light inside. The beam cut through the narrow gap and hit a stone wall within, reflecting a faint glow. "There seems to be something in here," he said, his voice tinged with excitement.

He turned to look at us. "Which one of you is going in first?" he asked.