The gas lamp hanging from the beam swayed in the strong wind that rushed into the dilapidated house, casting flickering light that made the room alternately bright and dark. In the shadows, the stone figure resembled a person buried alive, with only its head visible, the rest hidden beneath the yellow sand.
As I approached, I noticed a large ant resting on the stone figure’s eye. It was about the size of a knuckle, with a black body and a blood-red tail. The light from the gas lamp made it glimmer faintly, and from a distance, it looked like the stone figure’s eye was shining.
Thinking it was just an ant, I flicked it off and stepped on it. I heard a soft crunch as I crushed it, but I found it strange that this ant’s body felt much harder than a regular one.
I looked around the room, which was drafty and full of gaps. I wondered how the ant had gotten in. Shirley Yang came over and asked what was wrong. I told her it was nothing, just an ant that I had stepped on.
I woke Fatty, who was sleeping, and asked him to keep watch. Then, I added some solid fuel to the fire to make it burn brighter, extinguished the gas lamp, and crawled into my sleeping bag.
I feel exhausted and, I quickly fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already past nine the next morning. The sandstorm had raged all night and showed no signs of stopping, though the wind had weakened considerably. This devilish sandstorm was finally coming to an end.
A large part of the ancient city ruins was buried in yellow sand, with only a small portion visible above ground. If there were two more storms like this, the nameless ancient city might vanish into the desert. However, even if it were completely covered, it wouldn’t mean it would be lost forever. A large part of the Taklamakan Desert consists of shifting sands, and after many years, it might resurface again as the winds move the dunes.
Hao Aiguo was directing the students as they dug around the stone figure, having already reached its thigh. Everyone gathered to watch, while An Liman took the opportunity to check on the camels hiding under the city wall as the wind died down.
I took some rations from my bag and ate while watching them dig. I had joined the archaeological team in the desert not only to see if there were any large ancient tombs but also to learn some excavation skills from these experts.
They were careful not to damage the carvings on the stone figure, using only small shovels to remove the surrounding sand, then cleaning it bit by bit with flat shovels and brushes. They dug a little and cleaned a little, all while keeping detailed records.
When Professor Chen saw I was awake, he nodded at me in greeting, indicating that he was feeling better. He explained that this exercise was meant for the students to gain practical experience. While theoretical knowledge is important, hands-on practice in archaeology is equally crucial. The more they observe, engage, and work on-site, the more intuitive their understanding will become, making it easier to connect theory with practice.
Before long, the students had cleared the sand around the base of the stone statue. It was my first time seeing such a giant-eyed stone figure. The statue was dressed in traditional clothing, with its arms hanging down, and its body was covered in intricate patterns that resembled some kind of esoteric scripture. According to Professor Chen, these inscriptions had never been deciphered. However, with the recent expansion of archaeological research, experts believed they might represent symbols or codes that recorded information about ancient religions. The reason for carving these symbols on the stone figure might be related to worship, but there were no relevant documents, murals, or historical records to support this, so it remained mere speculation.
Sa Dipeng, who had been listening to the professor, asked, “Professor, the shape of this stone figure is very different from that of ordinary people. I think it’s possible that there was an ancient religion that worshipped aliens. After encountering them, they believed these beings were gods, so they created such stone figures to worship. The symbols on these figures could be an alien language.”
Hao Aiguo immediately criticized him, saying, “Sa, you don’t study hard enough. I’ve told you many times that you’re a smart kid. Don’t let your mind wander to strange places. How can you even bring up aliens? We must treat history and archaeology with seriousness.”
Professor Chen didn’t get angry; instead, he smiled kindly. “Having imagination isn’t a bad thing. Young people, being lively in thought is great. It’s perfectly fine to be serious yet lively. However, in archaeology and historical research, we must follow one principle: boldly hypothesize, but verify cautiously. Imagination should be based on real evidence; baseless imagination is unreliable. Take this giant-eyed statue, for example. Ancient people often used astronomical phenomena to judge fortune and misfortune. At night, when they gazed at the stars, wouldn’t they wish their eyes could see further? When creating this statue, could that wish have been incorporated? This possibility is quite high. In Sichuan’s Sanxingdui, similar statues have been unearthed, with eyes extending long. Conservatively speaking, this likely expresses an ancient desire for exploration.”
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but admire the professor’s insight. He didn’t use grand theories to intimidate others, and compared to Professor Chen’s level, Hao Aiguo seemed lacking.
Professor Chen continued, “What you mentioned about aliens isn’t impossible. Just because we talk about aliens doesn’t mean we’re referring to the fictional science fiction in foreign novels. In fact, the earliest records of aliens appeared in ancient Chinese notes and murals. As far back as 7,500 years ago, there were images of astronauts in spacesuits in the cave paintings of the Helan Mountains, depicting them emerging from a large disc while surrounding animals and residents fled in panic. These likely aren’t mere products of human imagination; they probably record significant disasters and events. Similar situations are documented in ancient bronze vessels from the Zhou Dynasty and various ancient texts…”
At that moment, An Liman jumped back into the room through a hole in the roof, braving the sandstorm. He informed everyone that the storm would soon pass, and in less than half an hour, the sky would clear, thanks to the blessings of the Almighty. He warned that the sand was nearly swallowing the outer city walls, and if the storm continued for another couple of hours, we would be buried alive.
Initially, everyone was worried, unsure when the wind would stop, but An Liman’s words eased their anxiety. The students focused intently on Professor Chen’s lecture while I boiled a pot of tea over the fire, preparing to set off once everyone had finished.
Just as the tea began to boil, several people surrounding the giant-eyed statue suddenly screamed in unison and jumped back. Some shouted, “Ah… why are there so many big ants?” Others exclaimed, “Oh no! There are some over here too!”
I rushed to see what was happening and found a large mound of sand rising beneath the statue, erupting like a fountain with countless large ants pouring out. Someone tried to swat them with a shovel, killing hundreds in an instant, but thousands more emerged from the sand. They were so densely packed that it made my skin crawl.
At first, I thought they had disturbed an ant nest while digging, but soon realized that wasn’t the case. Several large holes appeared in the ground, and more and more ants crawled out, each with a black body and a red tail, creating a tide of insects.
An Liman took one look and turned to run outside. Fatty and the others still tried to swat them with shovels, but in that instant, the ants had multiplied to an unmanageable level.
Shirley Yang, a photographer for National Geographic who had traveled extensively, urgently shouted to everyone, “Quick, climb out through the roof! These are desert army ants; if you move slowly, you’ll be eaten down to the bones!”
Tens of thousands of desert army ants had filled half the room, and more were continuously emerging from the ground. They were not just coming from below; they were crawling out from the beams and walls as well. Professor Chen, Ye Yixin, and a few others were so shocked by the terrifying scene that their legs went weak, and they couldn’t move an inch.
Not just the intellectuals, even Fatty and I were trembling. These desert army ants were horrifying; it was possible that the human bones we had found in the room were their doing, which explained why there was not a shred of flesh left.
I tried to calm myself down and looked around, only to find that An Liman had already made a run for it. That old trickster was quick to escape at the first sign of danger, despite having vowed just yesterday to share our hardships.
Seeing that the shovels were no longer able to hold back the tide of desert army ants, I kicked over the fire pit where the tea was boiling, spilling the solid fuel everywhere and creating a wall of fire in the room. The ants that hit the flames were immediately scorched, which slightly slowed their advance.
However, there were just too many of them, and they charged toward the fire without hesitation, trying to extinguish the flames with sheer numbers. Thankfully, the solid fuel burned intensely, but it was only a matter of time before the ants would overwhelm the fire.
Taking advantage of the moment, we grabbed whatever gear we could carry and hurried out of the dilapidated house. The wind and sand outside had calmed down significantly. We could see hundreds of yellow sheep, wild camels, sand wolves, sand rats, and hyenas darting around the ruins of the ancient city. Not only in the large house we had just occupied, but many areas were now swarming with desert army ants. Any animals that lagged behind were quickly overwhelmed by the ants.
The desert army ants carried a large amount of formic acid in their mouths, and when thousands of them bit at once, even an elephant wouldn’t be able to withstand it. Some sand wolves and yellow sheep fell to the ground, and after the army ants passed, all that remained were piles of white bones.
The number of desert army ants in this city was likely in the millions, as if the entire ancient city was one massive ant nest. Trapped on the roof, we could only use our shovels to sweep away the ants that climbed up.
In the distance, An Liman was busy untangling the ropes tied to the camels. I tossed a rifle to Fatty and said, “Shoot his hat off.”
Fatty raised the rifle without hesitation and aimed at An Liman, pulling the trigger with a loud bang. An Liman’s hat was knocked off, and he ducked his head, turning to look at the people on the roof.
I shouted at him, “Old man, if you dare to run, the next shot will be aimed at your backside. Khuda won’t mind.”
An Liman waved his hands repeatedly, signaling that he wouldn’t run. However, the ground below was already covered with desert army ants, and we couldn’t go down. Staying on the roof wasn’t a solution either. Just then, a crumbling wall collapsed, and a massive ant, resembling a lamb, crawled out.
This was a queen ant, sporting six pairs of transparent wings. Perhaps due to the sandstorm, the queen had been disturbed from her deep nest and was preparing to relocate.
Seeing the queen’s imposing presence, the archaeologists turned pale. Shirley Yang shouted, “Capture the leader first! Shoot it down!”
Fatty patted his sports air rifle anxiously, stomping his feet. “This gun has too small a caliber; damn it, it won’t do any damage!” Despite his complaints, he fired, emptying the remaining bullets in the magazine at the queen.
I took off my scarf, which I had been using to shield myself from the sand, wrapped the remaining solid fuel in it, and pulled out a lighter to ignite one corner of the scarf, using it as a makeshift firebomb to throw down at the queen.
To my surprise, this tactic worked wonders. The fire, aided by the wind, engulfed the massive queen ant. In pain, the queen struggled and rolled in the sand, causing the flames to grow larger. This compressed fuel could burn for over ten minutes with just a little, and I had nearly a full canister, weighing about a kilogram. As the fire blazed higher, the surrounding desert army ants panicked and charged toward the queen, hoping to extinguish the flames with their sheer numbers.
Seeing the opportunity, I waved to everyone, grabbed my shovel, and jumped down from the dilapidated house, scattering the stray desert army ants. The tall Chu Jian carried Professor Chen, while Hao Aiguo and Ye Yixin helped each other. Fatty brought up the rear, and we all rushed through the opening.
At that moment, An Liman had managed to control the frightened camels. We climbed onto the camels and urged the caravan to run toward the edge of the city. Various wild animals darted past us; normally, they would be in a life-and-death struggle, but now everyone was too focused on escaping to care about each other.
After running several hundred meters, I looked back and saw that the ruins of the ancient city had disappeared from view. Countless desert army ants surged out of the ground like boiling red and black seawater. As long as we weren’t surrounded by this massive swarm, we were safe.
An Liman explained that he had wanted to untie the camels first to prevent the ants from devouring them, which would have left us unable to escape. He wasn’t trying to run away by himself.
Fatty didn’t believe him and pointed at the rifle on his back. “Don’t give me that. If you want to explain, do it to this gun.”
An Liman’s reasoning seemed valid, and I couldn’t definitively say he had abandoned us to flee alone. We would need him in many places in the desert, so I didn’t want to fall out with him. I stopped Fatty from saying more.
I said to An Liman, “We saw the auspicious white camel together in the desert and escaped the attack of the desert army ants. This is all the will of Khuda. He believes we are brothers and devout believers, so we trust you. Those who betray friends and brothers will be punished by Khuda.”
An Liman repeatedly affirmed, “Praise Allah, Khuda is the only true god. We are all good friends and brothers; the Almighty will surely protect us.”
This small but thrilling episode came to an end. Who knew what other troubles awaited us in the depths of the sand sea beyond the ancient city of Xiye? I still needed to find a way to persuade Professor Chen and the others to turn back.
We were less than half a day’s journey from the ruins of Xiye, and the wind had died down. The sun hung in the sky like a fireball. In the desert, it was crucial to maintain sufficient hydration. Traveling during the day was generally a bad idea, but we still had plenty of water, and we could replenish it once we reached Xiye, so we pressed on under the blazing sun.
The daytime desert had its own unique beauty. In ancient times, the tectonic movements of the Himalayas formed the Tarim Basin, making the terrain of Xinjiang resemble a large bowl filled with golden yellow sand. Our caravan of nine people and nineteen camels felt incredibly small, less than a fraction of a grain of sand in this bowl of gold.
The vast desert stretched endlessly. If it weren’t for the long footprints behind us, I might not have felt like I was making any progress at all. I admired those adventurers who ventured alone into the desert and Gobi; perhaps only by walking alone in the vastness of the world could they truly experience the meaning of life. As much as I admired them, I had no intention of doing that myself; I preferred the company of others.
Sa Dipeng and the others were very curious, asking Shirley Yang about the desert army ants as we walked. Shirley had never seen them in person; she had only witnessed the aftermath of their raids on villages, where both people and animals were left as nothing but bones—a truly horrific sight.
These ants were called army ants because of their high level of organization and discipline, primarily consisting of soldier ants. Compared to human armies, aside from mobility and firepower, the coordination and organization of a well-trained human military simply couldn’t compare to that of desert army ants.
As they chatted, the sand dunes beneath our feet rose and fell dramatically, more than I had ever experienced. An Liman explained that beneath these dense dunes lay ancient cities buried by yellow sand. He led us to the top of the highest dune and pointed south, telling everyone that was where our next stop—the ruins of Xiye—was located.
I raised my binoculars and looked southward, spotting an oasis in the heart of the desert.
The oasis in the desert looked like a green gemstone set on a golden plate. In the distance, the ruins of a black city stood tall amidst the sands.
The ruins of Xiye were remarkably well-preserved, dating back to a relatively late period, having been destroyed by war only at the end of the Tang Dynasty and left abandoned ever since. In the early 19th century, German explorers discovered this place and plundered most of the valuable murals and sculptures from the ruins.
Now, only this empty city remained in the desert, marking the end of the ancient Peacock River. Due to the presence of underground water flowing through the city year-round, it had become an important supply point for travelers in the desert.
As our caravan descended the great sand dune, we slowly made our way toward the oasis. An Liman and I discussed the plan to rest for a couple of days in Xiye before entering the Black Desert. Once we ventured in, it would be difficult to turn back. The camels had been frightened and were carrying heavy loads; they needed to rest and regain their strength before we set off again.
I wholeheartedly agreed with this idea. I was eager to find an excuse to persuade the archaeological team to turn back and not search for the legendary ancient city of Jingjue. Instead, we could dig a couple of holes nearby and explore a bit. Lately, I had been feeling increasingly overwhelmed, and I feared that venturing deeper into the desert would lead to serious trouble. If that happened, we might not be as lucky as we had been in previous encounters.
I slowed my camel’s pace and rode alongside Professor Chen. I said to him, “Professor, how about we rest for three to five days in Xiye before setting off again? An Liman says the camels are exhausted, and if we won’t let them rest enough, The journey ahead can only be walked on foot.”
Professor Chen looked puzzled and asked, “What… on foot?” After a second, he said, “alright, let’s take a good rest for a few days inside. I also want to thoroughly investigate the ruins of this famous city.”
From the sand dune, the oasis looked close, but it took us a full three hours to reach it. The city walls were made of black stones, with some areas having collapsed and weathered significantly. Only the main city in the center was relatively sturdy, still faintly showing signs of its former glory. Oil workers, exploration teams, and geological survey teams passing through would often stay in the main city, blocking the doors with stones to protect themselves from wolf attacks.
Since the mid-1970s, large-scale wolf eradication campaigns had been carried out in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet, leading to the complete extinction of large wolf packs. Now, only a few solitary wolves or small groups remained, posing little threat. Besides, with so many of us and armed, we naturally had no reason to worry about wolves.
It was the windy season, and aside from us, there were no other people around. We found a spacious room in the main city, lit a campfire, and prepared our meals and tea.
An Liman and I discovered an ancient well in the city, which was said to have never run dry for thousands of years. An Liman claimed it was a miracle from Khuda, but I remained noncommittal. We used a leather bucket to draw up a barrel of well water. The well was deep, and after lowering a long rope for several dozen meters, we finally heard the splash of water. I took the first sip after pulling it up; it was icy cold and refreshing, instantly washing away the heat from the scorching sun in the desert. I felt an indescribable comfort.
We settled the nineteen camels by the well, allowing them to drink their fill. I also gave them some salt cakes to eat before carrying two large barrels of well water back to the room where the archaeological team was resting.
The team was utterly exhausted, sprawled on the ground, some still chewing on half a piece of bread, having fallen asleep mid-bite. I didn’t want to disturb them; they had been through enough in the past few days.
After boiling a large pot of water, I finally woke up Professor Chen and the others, insisting they soak their feet in the hot water and then pop any blisters that had formed.
Once everything was taken care of, I finally went to sleep, drifting into a deep slumber for a full day and night. My tired body finally recovered, and that evening, everyone gathered around to listen to Fatty boast.
Fatty was animated, telling everyone about the rich resources in the northeastern forests, how delicious the mountain delicacies were, unlike this desert, which was just sand and more sand. The wind was strong, and even if you managed to catch a yellow sheep, you’d end up with a mouthful of sand. He particularly praised the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, claiming they had everything delicious. There was an old saying: “You can hit a roe deer with a stick and scoop fish with a ladle; mountain chickens fly right into the pot.” Can you imagine the carefree life of the hunters?
A few of the students, lacking experience, were completely captivated by Fatty’s stories. Sa Dipeng adjusted his glasses and curiously asked, “Brother Wang, what does ‘hitting a roe deer with a stick’ mean? Do you really hit it with a stick?”
Fatty replied, “Well, my dear glasses-wearer, let me explain. It means that when you’re walking in the mountains, you take a stick and swing it around casually, and you can just smash a roe deer. And when you’re by the river, you can scoop with a ladle and catch big fat fish without even trying. It’s all about the abundance of resources!”
Shirley Yang scoffed at Fatty’s words, “The desert has its own advantages. The variety of plants and animals in the desert is not less than that in the forest. Although the Taklamakan Desert is in the lowest part of the basin, in a sense, it represents a peak of ancient civilization. What else is there in the forest besides deer and bears?”
Worried that the two might start arguing, I quickly said, “There are ladies in the room. Let’s step outside for a smoke,” and I pulled Fatty out with me.
The moon hung beautifully in the sky, and the stars twinkled like jewels, casting a silver glow over the land. I lit a cigarette for Fatty and advised him to be a bit more accommodating toward Shirley Yang. Fatty replied, “Of course, I can’t stoop to her level. Those Americans just don’t get it. We can’t be ignorant, especially since she’s a woman. If it were a man, I would have twisted his head off and kicked it like a ball.”
I laughed, “Exactly! You’re the kind of person who could make a big hole in the concrete just by peeing! You need to be magnanimous. Don’t go pulling Shirley Yang’s head off; otherwise, who are we going to ask for our wages? Twenty thousand bucks isn’t a small amount.”
After joking around for a bit, I looked up and blew a smoke ring. I noticed the stars—Jumen Star, Zuofu Star, and Youbi Star—shining brightly, forming a perfect triangle. In the center, the Sun Star and Moon Star appeared together, creating a beautiful celestial display.
I had never studied the stars and feng shui in detail before; I had only skimmed through it a few times to earn some money with the archaeological team. But now, as I looked up, the contents of the heavenly section of the feng shui text immediately came to mind.
I hurried back inside, grabbed a compass, and climbed to the top of the city wall. Comparing the stars in the sky, I realized that this auspicious star-covered area was right by the ancient well in the city. This was my first practical application of celestial feng shui, and I felt uncertain, but I hoped I wouldn’t be wrong. My family’s book, “The Secret Art of Yin-Yang Feng Shui in Sixteen Characters,” was not just any ordinary text. This meant that near the underground water veins, there must be an ancient tomb. There is indeed a saying about tombs being near water, but was this too close?
Regardless, this was a significant discovery, and I needed to inform the archaeological team. If they found something here, they might reconsider their plans to enter the Black Desert.
When I shared my findings, Professor Chen was thrilled and hurried the students to the well, eager to take a look. The well’s railing and winding mechanism had been replaced later; the original had long since been destroyed.
After discussing with Shirley Yang, we decided that since the well was deep, we could use a double-lock safety harness to lower someone down and see what was down there.
I had no choice but to go down. Although there was a water vein below, I couldn’t be careless. I put on my gas mask, grabbed a flashlight, a whistle, a shovel, and a dagger. I secretly hid a black donkey hoof and a Mojin talisman. I tested the strength of the rope and discussed our communication plan. If I waved the flashlight three times, the people above would know to stop pulling the rope. If I waved it again, it meant to pull me up. To prevent any accidents, I also brought a whistle; if the flashlight’s light was not visible, I would use the whistle to signal.
It was nighttime, and apart from the flashlight’s beam, everything around was pitch black. I couldn’t even see the well’s opening above. As I descended deeper, the temperature in the desert night dropped significantly, and the humidity in the well made it feel even colder, as if the chill was seeping into my bones.
The well walls were slippery and hard to grip. It was said that this ancient well was much older than the city of Xiye; the well existed first, and then the city was built later. Suddenly, a cold breeze blew past, and I quickly shone my flashlight to see a stone door on the well wall.
I aimed the light at the top, blew the whistle, and waved the flashlight. I was still only about fifteen or sixteen meters deep, so I could speak loudly enough for the people above to hear me. Once they received my signal, they immediately stopped lowering the rope, and I found myself hanging just below the stone door.
The cold wind was blowing through the gap in the stone door. I pushed against it and felt it was thick. There were no stone locks or bolts; although the gap was large, I couldn’t move it. I would need a crowbar to open it.
Seeing that I couldn’t get in, I sent a second signal for them to pull me back up. I explained the situation below in detail, and Professor Chen was quite intrigued: “Strange, this might not be a tomb but a secret passage. Where would you find a tomb built next to a well with such a mysterious passage?”
Fatty volunteered, “Who cares what it is? Guessing is pointless. Let’s go in and see. Lower me down, and I’ll pry open the stone door.”
I replied, “Forget it. If someone is going down, it should be me with the crowbar. Fatty, you’re too heavy. If the rope breaks, we’ll have to go down to rescue you.”
This time, we made a rope ladder. Once the stone door was opened, anyone who wanted to go down could climb down the ladder. In the end, the ones who decided to go down were Professor Chen, Shirley Yang, Sa Dipeng, and me, while Fatty and the others stayed above.
I went down first, using the crowbar to pry at the stone door. It seemed that this door had been opened and closed frequently in the past; otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a large gap. However, it might not have been opened in the last few hundred years. I struggled to gain leverage on the rope ladder, and it took a lot of effort to finally open the door.
Behind the stone door was a spacious and well-structured corridor made of bricks and stones. It was dark and deep inside. I called for Shirley Yang and the others to come down, and one by one, they were pulled into the corridor.
Shirley Yang handed out some tablets, claiming they could prevent oxygen deficiency. After taking the tablets, we put on our gas masks and proceeded inside, feeling much safer.
The four of us walked about fifty meters, passing through two stone doors. The last door was tightly sealed, adorned with carvings of unknown beasts. We had to cut away the animal skins stuck in the door’s seams with a flat shovel before we could finally open it.
At the end of the corridor, we entered a spacious and dry stone chamber, roughly sixty to seventy meters long and wide, with a height of three meters. The four of us had plenty of room and didn’t feel cramped at all.
Despite the spaciousness, the atmosphere was far from relaxed. The ground was littered with white bones, leaving no place to step. The bones appeared to be animal remains, extremely fragile and crumbling at the slightest touch. Around us stood dozens of wooden pillars, each tied with the dried remains of human corpses, all of which were the size of adult men.
Professor Chen, Shirley Yang, and I had seen many strange things before, so we felt more intrigued than scared. However, Sa Dipeng was terrified by the sight of so many corpses and couldn’t even speak. He followed the professor closely, not daring to stray far.
Shirley Yang looked at the dried corpses and sighed, “How tragic. These must be slaves or prisoners sacrificed. It’s so barbaric.”
Professor Chen addressed everyone, “It seems this place was used for rituals for important deceased individuals. This was a custom in ancient Gumo. These people were criminals, tied up in the desert and left to die of thirst. Once completely dried out, they were placed here, and the blood of sacrificed animals was poured over their remains. We should look for a burial chamber; it should be here.”
We circled around, examining the area. The walls were solid stone, and after knocking on them, it was clear there were no hidden spaces behind them.
It was Shirley Yang who noticed something odd about the floor. I cleared away the broken bones, revealing a large stone slab with carvings, complete with two pull rings on either end.
I called Sa Dipeng to help me lift the slab, but seeing him trembling all over made me chuckle. I decided to send him back the way he came to avoid him getting too scared, and I asked him to bring Hao Aiguo instead, as he would likely be interested in this strange tomb.
Sa Dipeng looked relieved and hurried back. Professor Chen shook his head, half-amused and half-exasperated, “This kid has no courage; he’s not cut out for archaeology.”
Shirley Yang and I worked together to pull the stone slab aside. I then tossed in a cold firework to illuminate the space below. To our surprise, beneath the slab was a burial chamber similar in size to the one above. In the center lay a square coffin, which was quite different from the coffins we were used to. It had no decorative patterns and was not rectangular; instead, it resembled a large box.
The style of this tomb and coffin was unlike anything I had ever seen, and even Professor Chen, with his vast knowledge, couldn’t quite figure it out. It seemed to be an ancient burial form from a long-lost civilization, heavily influenced by Han culture but twisted into something unique, making it extremely rare.
At that moment, Hao Aiguo arrived with Chu Jian. Upon seeing the scene, his eyes lit up with excitement. He quickly donned his gas mask and was the first to jump down, eagerly looking around, his joy evident. I had always thought of him as a serious and stern person, but at that moment, he resembled a child, practically dancing with delight.
We all followed him down to the burial chamber, and upon seeing the surroundings, we couldn’t help but exclaim in awe. The walls of the chamber were adorned with exquisite, colorful murals.
Professor Chen, upon spotting one of the murals, became quite animated: “This… this painting depicts events related to the Kingdom of Jingjue!”
What I was most interested in were the valuable burial items. The coffin was sizable, and there might be something good inside. Although I couldn’t take anything in front of the professor, I was eager to see it. I felt that this tomb was even more luxurious than the general’s tomb at Heifengkou.
However, Professor Chen was engrossed in examining the murals and paid no attention to the coffin in the center. I had to be patient and wait while he explained the murals to Hao Aiguo and the others.
The first few murals depicted the tomb’s owner as a prince of Gumo, a vassal state of Jingjue that was heavily oppressed. Each year, they had to offer a large amount of treasures, cattle, sheep, and slaves. The prince had made three attempts to meet the queen of Jingjue to plead for freedom for his people, but he had never been granted an audience.
One mural suggested that he was unwilling to accept this fate. The brave prince, embodying the sun god of war, secretly infiltrated Jingjue to assassinate the evil queen but stumbled upon a great secret.
As I listened, I became captivated by the professor’s words, curious about what that secret could be. I moved closer to join Shirley Yang and the others, eager to hear more of the professor’s explanation.
Professor Chen moved to the next mural, studying it intently for a long time. “This one is quite strange. Look at the prince hiding in the corner, spying. The queen’s face is veiled in all the murals, but in this one, we only see her back. One hand is lifting the veil, and the person opposite her, who seems to be a slave, has turned into a shadow… and disappeared?”
I was confused and wanted to ask more questions, but before I could, Shirley Yang interjected, “This queen is a… monster.”
“Monster?” Professor Chen paused for a moment at Shirley’s words, then turned to her and said, “Interesting. Please share your thoughts.”
Shirley Yang pointed at the mural and explained, “The artist who painted this mural had exceptional skills. The composition is both magnificent and vivid, depicting significant events in the life of the prince of Gumo. Although there are no written annotations, the characteristics are very distinct.”
As I listened to her analysis, I carefully observed the mural. Indeed, as she said, the figures, clothing, architecture, and expressions in the mural were all lifelike. If one had some knowledge of Western Region culture, they could grasp the background of the events recorded in the painting through these details.
Shirley continued, “Professor, the mural you mentioned earlier is the most difficult to understand among all of them. In this painting, the queen lifts the veil that has always covered her face, and the figure opposite her turns into a dashed line. All the figures in the murals are realistic, but the only one who sees the queen’s face becomes a dashed line, with only a vague outline drawn. From this outline, we cannot determine the identity of this figure; we can only speculate that this dashed figure is a slave or an assassin, someone the queen wants to eliminate.”
I couldn’t help but interject, “Miss Yang, are you suggesting that this person in the painting saw the queen’s face and then disappeared?”
Shirley replied, “Mr. Hu is close. If I were to explain it, I would say that the queen’s gaze fell upon this person, and he vanished.”
I shook my head and chuckled, “A living person just disappears after a glance? This… this is too… unbelievable. To be honest, I’m having a hard time understanding it.”
Professor Chen seemed to grasp Shirley’s meaning and gestured for her to continue.
Shirley said, “While I am only speculating, it’s not without basis. My father used to enjoy reading a book called ‘Records of the Western Regions,’ written by the Tang monk Xuanzang. I’ve read it several times, and it contains many legends from ancient Western Regions, some of which are myths, while others are true events. One of them is the legend of the Desert Queen. Deep in the desert, there is a city inhabited by a people from underground who conquered and ruled the surrounding small nations. After several hundred years, the throne passed to a queen. It is said that this queen’s eyes were a gateway to the underworld; with just a glance at her enemies, they would vanish without a trace and never return. Where those who disappeared went, only they would know. The queen ruled with an iron fist, demanding that all neighboring nations worship her as a true goddess. Anyone who resisted was skinned alive. Perhaps her actions angered the divine, for not long after, she fell ill with a strange disease and died.”
“The slaves feared the queen the most. When she died, the slaves and the neighboring countries oppressed by her formed a coalition and bloodily attacked the queen’s royal city. They planned to destroy the queen’s tomb, but at that moment, the heavens changed color, and a terrible sandstorm swallowed both the royal city and the coalition. The queen’s tomb and the countless treasures she had gathered were buried beneath the sands. After hundreds of years, the shifting desert revealed the royal city once more. Travelers passing through would find that if they took even a single item from the city, it would trigger a sandstorm, obscuring the skies and losing their way. Those who took the queen’s treasures would never be able to leave.
“However, the mysterious royal city, the evil queen, and the historical context are not clearly recorded in the book. Today, seeing the murals in this tomb, we find many similarities with that ancient legend, suggesting that it was not just a myth; perhaps such events truly occurred in the forgotten history.”
Shirley Yang directed everyone’s attention to the next few murals: “We can be certain that the queen in the painting is the Queen of Jingjue due to the unique clothing of the Jingjue people, as well as their distinctive architecture and decorations. These are the strongest pieces of evidence. Professor, Mr. Hu, if you look at the following murals, they further support my hypothesis. These murals clearly depict that the prince’s assassination attempt failed. After returning home, he continued to plot how to eliminate the queen. At this time, he encountered a diviner from a distant land, who advised him to hide a special slow-acting poison in the meat of a golden lamb and present it to the queen. Soon after, news arrived of the queen’s sudden death. At the same time, the prince also passed away prematurely due to overexertion, and he was buried alongside his beloved wife. The diviner designed a tomb for them, placing it beneath the altar of the sacred well.”
So, the altar above was built first, and then this burial chamber was constructed. The events recorded in the murals were intricately connected to the legend in the book. Professor Chen felt a sense of pride as he observed that although Shirley Yang was a photographer, she came from a family of archaeologists with deep roots in the field. It was comforting to see such talent in his old friend’s daughter. At that moment, he couldn’t help but think of his old friend who had gone missing in the depths of the desert, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Shirley Yang said to the professor, “Please take care of yourself and don’t be too sad. We have made significant progress in our understanding of the Jingjue ruins. I believe that soon we will be able to find the ancient city of Jingjue. My late father would be at peace knowing this.”
I silently lamented my situation. I had hoped to find an ancient tomb and convince them to turn back, but things had taken an unexpected turn. Given the current circumstances, it was pointless to try to persuade them now. I should have pretended not to see it from the start.
Suddenly, I remembered what Shirley Yang had said about the queen of Jingjue being a monster, so I asked, “Miss Yang, I recall you mentioning earlier that the queen was the most beautiful woman in the Western Regions, and that other women would pale in comparison to her like stars before the sun. How can you now say she is a monster? If she truly is a monster, wouldn’t searching for her tomb be a death sentence for us?”
Shirley Yang replied, “These are all legends, and our conclusions are not necessarily facts. That’s the nature of archaeology—legends, records, unearthed artifacts, and scholars’ interpretations all come together. The more information we have, the closer we get to the truth of history. However, what we can do is only approach the truth infinitely; no history can be fully restored. In ancient times, human understanding of the world was limited, and phenomena that seem ordinary today were often exaggerated into monsters or miracles. Even in our scientifically advanced age, there are still phenomena that cannot be explained by science. I believe this is not because gods and demons truly exist, but because the realm of scientific exploration is still insufficient. In the future, we will surely find answers to all the mysteries through scientific means.”
I asked, “So, how should we understand the story of the queen of Jingjue being able to make people disappear with her gaze in today’s world of advanced science and civilization?”
Shirley Yang said, “Mr. Hu, have you ever heard of a sensational case in the United States? At a special phenomenon and pathology research center in Kansas, there was a peculiar patient—a twelve-year-old boy who had a special ability. When he stared at an object smaller than five centimeters in diameter for a long time, that object would disappear as if it had evaporated into thin air. The neighbors regarded this boy as an anomaly, calling him a monster. His parents were also deeply troubled and sought help from the government to cure their child.”
This was quite strange; I had never heard of such a thing. I knew little about events in China, let alone strange occurrences in America. What was this condition? It sounded eerily similar to the tale of the evil queen. Did they manage to cure the boy in the end?
Shirley Yang continued, “After scientists studied him, they discovered that the boy’s brainwaves were different from those of ordinary people. His brain and visual nerves generated a kind of energy that connected to an imaginary space—an unknowable realm. This special ability occurs in one out of three billion people. Eventually, a researcher found a way to help him. They created a magnetic helmet for the boy to wear, and after a year, his ability disappeared. At that time, the U.S. military planned to secretly send the boy to a military research facility, but the plan was exposed, causing a public uproar, and the military had to abandon it.”
Hearing this, I still had my doubts. The legendary evil queen was likely not as simple as that American boy. I wasn’t afraid of dying, but if we really found the queen’s tomb and ended up in some unknown place, what would we do? For now, I decided to take it one step at a time. If there was real danger, I would use strong measures to bring them back. Who would dare disobey my orders? Damn it, I didn’t believe that these intellectuals could outmuscle me, Old Hu.
After this lengthy discussion, we had wasted quite a bit of time, and we had finished examining the murals around us. I turned to Professor Chen and asked, “Should we take a look at what’s inside the coffin?”
