The Structure of the DMBJ Xisha Archeological Team
Members: Zhang Qiling, Chen Wenjin, Wu Sanxing, Xie Lianhuan, Huo Ling, Li Sidi, Qi Yu, and four unnamed others.
I. Introduction
The Xisha Archeological Team was an archeological team that explored Wang Zanghai's underwater tomb in Xisha around 1985. You may recognize them as the young group that explored the underwater tomb in flashbacks in The Lost Tomb 2.
This post is based on the novels only and includes MAJOR SPOILERS from Volume 8. Ultimate Note does not cover fully what happened with this team and Sanshu lied. This post does not cover the team's entire history since it is quite complicated and long.
Outdated as of March 2023.
II. History
A. Beginnings
Even though the Xisha archeology team explored the underwater tomb around 1985, the composition of the group dates back to the 1976 Banai expedition to the Zhang Family Tomb.
In 1976, some members of the Mystic Nine's second generation (Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, etc.) went on an expedition to the Zhang Family Tomb in Banai. Besides Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling, it's not clear who all in the second generation of the Mystic Nine went. The team was organized by an unknown force, related to "It," to place a coffin in the tomb.
In 1978, the team found the place they were looking for and began their mission. While Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, and some unspecified others were exploring underground, Pan Ma killed the members of the team up top. When Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling returned aboveground, they found that Xie Jiuye's people had replaced their former team.
The real Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling secretly managed to escape and flee Banai, but it's not explained how they got away. The people that replaced the team were wearing face masks in order to create the illusion that the original team never died.
B. Formal Creation
(this is about to get very confusing, I'm so sorry)
The archeological team had been formally created in the early 1980s under a research institute in Changsha. It consisted of the members who were replaced in Banai. By this time, they had also created a fake Huo Ling and a fake Chen Wenjin who joined the team. (we are not told who else had duplicates walking around beside Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling.)
i. The Real Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling Join the Team
When the archaeological team was gathering its equipment in Xisha, the real Huo Ling and Chen Wenjin forged secret orders to send their doubles to Changbai Mountain. The real ones then mixed themselves into the Xisha archaeological team.
ii. Wu Sanxing Joins the Team
Chen Wenjin sought ought (actual) Wu Sanxing to gain his help and he joined the team.
iii. Zhang Qiling Joins the Team
Zhang Qiling was trapped in the Golmud Sanatorium but was transferred out by Xie Jiuye's insider. Zhang Qiling then joined the team.
iv. Li Sidi and Qi Yu Join the Team
We don't know when exactly Li Sidi and Qi Yu join the team. There are several theories, but we have very limited information about the two around this time. For example, we don't know if Li Sidi was even at Banai or, if he was, whether he was replaced. We also don't know if Qi Yu was at Banai but even if he was, he likely wasn't replaced. Either way, two people named Li Sidi and Qi Yu joined the Xisha team.
v. Xie Lianhuan Joins the Team
Xie Lianhuan, who succeeded his father (Xie Jiuye), made contact with Qiu Dekao/Hendry Cox. Hendry Cox gave Xie Lianhuan information about the Xisha tomb.
Xie Lianhuan thought something was wrong with the team and was puzzled by Wu Sanxing's appearance. So he started making plans to join the team and wanted to replace Wu Sanxing with a double.
In true DMBJ fashion, it's not clear at what point and to what capacity Xie Lianhuan joined the team. Chen Wenjin and Zhang Qiling have stated that he was originally part of the team. But on the way to the tomb, Xie Lianhuan took a boat in advance and followed the archeological team at a distance with the man who was ready to replace Wu Sanxing.
Despite the lack of clarity, it is confirmed that he was part of the Xisha team.
vi. Final Composition of the Team
The team that explored the underwater Xisha tomb included Wu Sanxing, Huo Ling, Xie Lianhuan, Chen Wenjin, Qi Yu, Zhang Qiling, Li Sidi, and four unnamed others.
It is confirmed that in the group, Wu Sanxing is from the Mystic Nine's Wu Family, Huo Ling is from the Huo Family, and Xie Lianhuan is from the Xie Family.
Wu Xie suspects that Chen Wenjin is from the Chen family and that Qi Yu is from the Qi Family. Li Sidi (李四地) has the same last name as the Li Family, but Wu Xie never speculates that he's part of that family.
