“Magnetic Mountains?” My mechanical watch has either stopped or been running fast these past few days. I thought it was just a cheap watch malfunctioning in the desert. Could it be that we are near those two Magnetic Mountains?
An Liman recalled hearing about them too. In the heart of the Black Desert, there are two sacred mountains, one red and one white, known as Zagalama, said to be the burial sites of ancient sages.
Shirley Yang added, “If those mountains really exist in the desert, then the Zidu Dark River might be diverted underground by the Magnetic Mountains, making it too deep for us to find. I think we shouldn’t focus solely on tracking the river. If the legends and the British explorers are correct, the Magnetic Mountains should be nearby. Mr. Hu, we’ll need your skills in the Heavenly Star Feng Shui tonight. Don’t forget, as we discussed earlier, if we find the ancient city of Jingjue, the reward will be doubled.”
I had never been confident about finding Jingjue Ancient City. Hearing her say this, I decided to give it a try tonight. If I could locate Zagalama Mountain, my reward would increase to twenty thousand dollars. If not, we would have to head back.
To be honest, I couldn’t tell if I was hoping to find Jingjue Ancient City. After hearing the story of the Queen of Jingjue, her mysterious and enchanting image lingered in my mind. It felt like an invisible force was drawing me deeper into the desert. I wondered if Professor Chen, Shirley Yang, and the other expedition teams who had vanished felt the same pull.
That day felt especially long. I wished I could shoot down the sun in the sky. We dug a deep pit in the sand, but there was no coolness to be found.
Even though we had thick canvas over the pit, hiding in the shade felt like being in an oven. The frail Ye Yixin seemed to be losing her mind from the heat, mumbling nonsense in her sleep.
We were worried she might have a high fever. When we touched her forehead, it was as hot as the sand, making it hard to tell if she was burning up. No matter how we shook her, she wouldn’t wake.
We still had some water left, enough for about five days, along with two bags of yogurt soup saved for emergencies. At this point, I took out a bag and had Shirley Yang feed her a few sips, then gave her some medicine.
After taking the medicine, Ye Yixin gradually quieted down but remained unconscious. She might be suffering from acute dehydration, which was troubling. I explained our situation to Professor Chen and the others.
We had two options: one was to head back tonight, eating camel meat and drinking salty water for the last few days of the journey. Even if we did that, we couldn’t guarantee Ye Yixin’s safety.
The other option was to press on and continue searching for Jingjue Ancient City. If there was a water source there, her life could be saved.
Professor Chen acknowledged the difficulties we faced. While archaeology requires dedication, Ye Yixin was so young, and we had to be responsible for her life. The first option was safer, but without enough fresh water, the return journey would be very tough. The second option was riskier, but since we were near Zagalama, we had a sixty percent chance of finding Jingjue. Ancient cities usually had underground water sources, but after two thousand years, we couldn’t know if they had dried up or changed course. Now, we needed to discuss our next steps.
Fatty spoke up first, “I’ve lost two whole sizes in my waist! If we go deeper into the desert, you might as well start calling me Slim. I propose we don’t waste any more time. As soon as the sun sets, we head back. Maybe we’ll still have half a life left.”
Hao Aiguo and Sa Dipeng were more cautious and agreed to turn back.
In contrast, more people believed that finding Jingjue Ancient City, though risky, was worth a try. After all, we had endured so much to get here and didn’t want to waste our efforts. We hoped to find fresh water in the ruins to save Ye Yixin. Drinking salty water on the way back would be tough for anyone, let alone her in such a serious condition. Turning back would be like signing her death warrant.
Shirley Yang, Chu Jian, Professor Chen, and I shared this view. Besides Ye Yixin, only An Liman hadn’t expressed his opinion yet, and everyone’s eyes turned to him.
If he suggested going back, we would be evenly split. However, as the guide, his decision carried significant weight.
I turned to An Liman and said, “Old man, think carefully before you speak. Your words could determine Ye Yixin’s fate. What do you think we should do now?”
An Liman, with his pipe in mouth, squinted at the sun and said, “Well, of course, we should follow Khuda’s guidance. There’s only one sun in the sky, and only one true god in the world. Khuda will lead us.”
I pointed to the sky, “Then why don’t you hurry up and ask him what he says?”
An Liman knocked the ashes from his pipe, tucked it away, and took out a tattered blanket. With a serious expression, he began to pray, placing his palms inward towards his face and reciting some incantation. His demeanor was solemn and devout, quite different from his usual shrewd and cunning self.
As he chanted, we couldn’t understand his words, and the longer we waited, the more impatient Fatty became. “Hey, old man, are you done yet?”
An Liman opened his eyes and smiled, “Khuda has already given us a sign.” He then pulled out a five-cent coin for everyone to see. One side indicated to move forward, while the other side meant to return. He suggested that the oldest among us, Professor Chen, toss it into the air, and the result would reveal Khuda’s will.
Everyone exchanged glances, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Professor Chen took the coin and tossed it high into the air. We all looked up at it, the sunlight dazzling. The coin fell and landed upright in the sand.
It was such a coincidence that it seemed almost impossible. An Liman shook his head repeatedly, his face filled with disappointment. He seemed to forget that we were in the forsaken Black Desert, where Khuda could hardly guide us.
Just as we were scratching our heads in confusion, Shirley Yang pointed into the distance and exclaimed, “Oh my God, is that Lagzama Mountain?”
The desert was vast and empty, stretching for miles. In the direction she pointed, right where the coin had landed, there was a faint black line on the horizon, barely visible unless you looked closely.
We quickly took out our binoculars and adjusted the focus. A dark mountain range appeared, resembling a still black dragon amidst the endless yellow sand. The range was interrupted in the middle, revealing a mountain pass, matching the descriptions in the British explorer’s notes.
Last year, Shirley Yang’s father had led an expedition based on these clues to find the ancient city of Jingjue. I wondered if they had seen this sacred mountain. If they had come here, what had happened to them? What had caused them to disappear without a trace?
Thinking of this sent a chill down my spine under the blazing sun, but that feeling was quickly overshadowed by the excitement in the air. After enduring so much, we had finally found the entrance to the ancient kingdom of Jingjue.
However, An Liman had mentioned that there was a mirage-filled dreamland in the Black Desert, where illusions often led people to their doom. Were the two sacred mountains we saw real?
I thought it unlikely. Mirage effects in the desert were caused by light refraction, creating bizarre and often nonexistent landscapes. The dark mountain range, however, had been mentioned by others before and should be absolutely real.
Since we were close to Jingjue Ancient City, we could set out as soon as night fell. Yet, our information was limited, mostly conjectures and collected legends. The only somewhat reliable evidence was a blurry black-and-white photo. It was hard to say whether we would find Jingjue Ancient City or if it even existed. Perhaps everything was just a spread rumors, as legends often are.
On the Korean battlefield, MacArthur once said, “At first, we thought we knew everything, but later we realized we knew nothing.” I felt that way now.
Would the ruins of the royal city not be buried again by the sands? Could we find a water source within the city? Was the ancient tomb of the Queen of Jingjue located inside the city or elsewhere? Were there really mountains of treasure? What exactly was that enchanting queen? Would she still pose a threat to outsiders after her death? Did Shirley Yang’s father really die in the ancient city? Could we find their remains? What had those foreign explorers encountered in the city? All of this remained a mystery to us.
As evening approached, the archaeological team set out towards Zagalama.
We kept our eyes on the direction and walked until late at night before reaching the mountain pass. The moonlight was bright, and the desert resembled a silent sea. In this ocean of sand, Zagalama Mountain rose and fell, its entire body made of black stone, becoming more striking the closer we got.
It would be more accurate to describe the mountains as two massive black stones. Each of these giant rocks has a diameter of several dozen kilometers, with only a shallow ridge exposed above the sandy sea; the larger portions are buried underground. Perhaps the two stones are actually one solid mass, and the mountain pass is merely a crack in the rock.
These black stones contain iron, and while the average concentration isn’t high, it’s enough to affect the precision instruments we use for navigation. We could feel the metal items we carried becoming heavier.
The moonlight cast no reflection on the black stones, and the inside of the mountain pass was pitch dark. Except for the unconscious Ye Yixin, everyone dismounted from the camels and began to walk. I reminded everyone to stay alert as we traversed this devil’s mouth; we couldn’t afford to be careless.
An Liman and I led the way, while Fatty and Chu Jian brought up the rear, with Shirley Yang and the others in the middle, taking care of Ye Yixin. The team formed a single file and slowly entered the valley.
This mountain was regarded as sacred by ancient people, said to be the burial site of two sages, which is likely just a myth. However, from a feng shui perspective, this place truly occupies a commanding position, exuding a powerful aura. The black mountain itself resembles two black dragons guarding the area. While the idea of sages being buried here may be fictional, if there truly is a tomb of the Queen of Jingjue behind the mountain, it wouldn’t be surprising.
As the moon reached its zenith, the valley running north to south became so dark that we couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces. We advanced cautiously, and the further we went, the more anxious we felt. Would we really find the ancient city of Jingjue after leaving the valley? If we found it, would there still be a water source? My greatest concern was Ye Yixin’s condition; her acute dehydration required a large supply of clean, cold water. If we couldn’t find a source within three days, her life would be lost in the desert.
Our watches had long stopped, and we had no idea how much time had passed. I estimated that dawn was approaching, but suddenly the camels began to breathe heavily, their agitation evident.
An Liman quickly whistled and shouted, using all his efforts to calm the herd. His nineteen camels were strong and robust, the best of the bunch, and they had never shown such behavior during our days in the desert.
The darkness around us, combined with the camels’ unrest, heightened the fear among the team. Shirley Yang, worried that Ye Yixin might fall off the camel, hurriedly helped Hao Aiguo lift her down.
I called Fatty over, asking him to carry Ye Yixin for a while. This valley felt eerie, and we couldn’t linger; we needed to move quickly.
Fatty was quite willing. Ye Yixin was light, having lost so much weight from the sun and lack of water since entering the desert. Plus, carrying a beautiful girl wasn’t a bad deal. He hoisted her onto his back like a child and urged An Liman to move faster.
However, no matter how An Liman urged them, the camels refused to budge an inch. An Liman began to grow suspicious and muttered that perhaps Khuda didn’t want us to go any further, suggesting we should turn back.
Just as we were about to exit the valley, the others were unwilling to retrace their steps, and the team quickly descended into chaos. Shirley Yang said to me, “Could it be that there’s something ahead that’s scaring the camels? Let’s throw a smoke flare to light the way and see what’s going on.”
I agreed and took out a smoke flare for illumination, igniting it and tossing it ahead. It lit up a small section of the valley. On either side were dark rocks, and the ground was covered in thick yellow sand; the empty valley was silent, not a single blade of grass in sight—there was nothing unusual.
I stepped forward a few paces and threw a second smoke flare. The area brightened, and in the distance, I saw a figure sitting on the ground. As we approached, we saw that the person was dressed in a white robe, wearing a sand-proof headscarf, and carrying a backpack. They were completely still—it turned out to be a corpse.
Everyone was taken aback. Encountering dead bodies or mummified remains in the desert wasn’t unusual, but this corpse was different. The deceased was a man, his mouth covered by a headscarf, leaving only his eyes visible, wide open and staring at the sky, unable to close in death.
He couldn’t have been dead for long—perhaps just a few days. The exposed skin was slightly dried, but what was most peculiar was the bluish tint to his flesh, which glimmered with a faint blue light under the illumination of the smoke flare.
A few people tried to approach for a closer look, but I stopped them. The manner of his death was too strange; we shouldn’t get too close. Suddenly, Chu Jian shouted, “Brother Hu, look! There’s another corpse!”
A chill ran down my spine. Two corpses—could there be more? I quickly tossed out a few more smoke flares, illuminating the area around us. Indeed, there were not just two bodies; on the ground ahead lay four more male corpses, sprawled in various positions.
These deceased men were dressed the same way and had died in a similar manner, their eyes wide open in terror, their expressions grotesque. Scattered on the ground were several Soviet-made AK-47s and some backpacks.
I pulled out my entrenching tool as a weapon for self-defense and picked up one of the rifles. The chamber was loaded. What the hell was going on? In Xinjiang, some poachers used foreign Remingtons or imitation Type 56 rifles, but how did these Soviet AKs end up here? Were they part of the group of tomb raiders?
I opened one of the backpacks and found it filled with military-grade yellow explosives labeled in Russian. It seemed these arms had been smuggled in from abroad, likely acquired by these tomb raiders to blow up ancient tombs in the desert. But why had these heavily armed men died here in this valley?
I used the barrel of my rifle to lift the headscarf from the face of the seated corpse. His mouth was agape, as if he had been screaming desperately before he died. I didn’t want to look any longer; the best course of action was to leave this valley of graves as quickly as possible. Those explosives might come in handy later, so I picked up the backpack filled with them, preparing to leave.
At that moment, Hao Aiguo stepped forward from the group. “It doesn’t matter whether these people are tomb raiders or not; we can’t leave them to rot here. Let’s carry them out of the valley and bury them. Whenever I see bodies left in the wild, I think of those who were sent to labor camps with me. Those comrades died pitifully, without even a rag to wrap them in. I can’t stand this…” He rambled on as he moved to lift the seated corpse.
I was truly alarmed and rushed over to stop him, shouting, “You foolish bookworm! Don’t you dare touch those dead bodies!”
But it was too late. Suddenly, a strange snake shot out from the mouth of the corpse, its scales shimmering. It had a black crest on its head and was about thirty centimeters long. The snake lunged straight at Hao Aiguo’s face.
Hao Aiguo was slow to react; even if he had quick reflexes, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge in time. In that split second, driven by the urge to save him, I swung my entrenching tool and chopped the snake in half.
Hao Aiguo fell to the ground in shock, trembling all over, and managed to force a smile at me. “That was… too dangerous. Thank goodness…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the severed snake head sprang up from the ground with the speed of a released arrow, sinking its fangs into Hao Aiguo’s neck. I had relaxed, thinking the snake was dead, but this sudden turn of events caught me off guard, and I couldn’t react in time to save him.
Hao Aiguo’s face froze, and he made gurgling sounds in his throat, trying to speak but unable to. His skin turned a dark blue, and he sat there motionless, dead.
Everyone was stunned. Professor Chen fainted at the sight. I hadn’t even had time to mourn for Hao Aiguo when I suddenly felt a chill at the back of my neck. Turning my head, I saw another identical snake had somehow slithered onto my shoulder, hissing and flicking its tongue, its muscles coiling back as it prepared to strike.
Only Fatty was armed, but he was carrying Ye Yixin on his back and had no weapon ready. This sudden turn of events left everyone unprepared. I felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over me. Damn it, I never thought I would die here today, never to see the sun rise again.
I knew the snake was preparing to strike, its body coiling back before it lunged forward to sink its fangs into its prey. My neck and face were fully exposed within its attack range, and there was no way to evade it; I couldn’t even raise a hand in defense.
Just as I was about to close my eyes and await death, a sudden flash of white light illuminated the dark valley. The strange snake, which had been lunging at my neck, was startled by the blinding light and slipped off my shoulder.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Before the snake could hit the ground, I swung my entrenching tool down, smashing its head flat. Dark, inky fluid oozed from the crushed remains. I quickly stepped back, silently thanking my luck. The snake’s venom was potent; if it had bitten me, the poison would have spread through my bloodstream in an instant, likely leading to my demise.
Looking up, I saw that the life-saving white light came from Shirley Yang’s camera flash. She was always inseparable from her camera, snapping photos wherever she went. I never expected that my life would be saved by the flash of her camera. Thanks to her quick reaction, I was still alive; otherwise, I would have met Khuda by now.
But this wasn’t the time for gratitude. Who knew if there were more of those strange snakes lurking in the valley? It was best to discuss everything outside the mountain pass, so I waved my hand, urging everyone to move forward quickly.
The camels seemed to sense that there were no more poisonous snakes ahead and calmed down. Chu Jian, Sa Dipeng, and the others lifted the unconscious Ye Yixin, Professor Chen, and Hao Aiguo’s body onto the camel’s back.
An Liman whistled to guide the caravan forward. With the light from the smoke flares and flashlights, we hurriedly exited the dark valley of Zagalama.
Once we reached the open area outside the mountain pass, we stopped to lay Hao Aiguo’s body on the ground. It was still dark, with no light from the stars or moon. The moment before dawn was shrouded in darkness. Hao Aiguo’s face retained the expression of terror from his death, his eyes behind his glasses still wide open, and his body had turned a ghastly blue. The beam of the flashlight cast a more tragic and eerie glow on him.
Professor Chen, jolted awake by the cold wind blowing from the mountain pass, struggled to reach Hao Aiguo’s body, weeping uncontrollably. I helped him up, knowing that death was final. I wanted to offer him words of comfort, but they caught in my throat.
I had spent nearly a month with Hao Aiguo, often jokingly calling him “Old Antique.” I appreciated his straightforward and candid nature, but now… I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. How could I console others when I was feeling this way?
The rest of the group also shed tears. At that moment, a dark red fissure appeared on the horizon, signaling that the sun was about to rise. We couldn’t help but turn our gazes eastward.
The light gradually transformed into shades of rose and blood red, finally bursting into golden rays as the sun’s arc emerged. In that instant, the endless sea of sand seemed to turn into molten gold in the furnace of the gods.
Amidst this golden desert, a massive city unfolded before us, filled with countless ruins and various buildings made of brick, wood, and stone. Towering structures dotted the landscape, but the most prominent was a leaning black stone tower, standing silently in the center of the city.
The scene was exactly the same as the black-and-white photo in Shirley Yang’s hand. After two thousand years, the ruins of the ancient city of Jingjue truly still existed deep within the desert.
This ancient city was large enough to house fifty to sixty thousand people. In its prime, famous cities like Loulan had only about twenty thousand residents and three thousand soldiers.
The city was mostly in ruins, buried in the desert for over a thousand years. Some parts were hard to distinguish between sand dunes and fortifications, and most of the towers had collapsed and eroded. Even so, one could still imagine its former grandeur.
There was a strong magnetic field here, making it difficult for planes to fly overhead. Being deep in the desert, it was likely that very few people could find this place. We could only wonder how many explorers and lost souls had come to this legendary ancient city before us. One thing was certain: ninety-nine percent of them would never return to their hometowns.
Professor Chen propped up the body of Hao Aiguo, trembling as he pointed at the ancient city of Jingjue. In a hoarse voice, he said, “Look… you always wanted to see this mysterious city… Open your eyes, we finally found it.”
I felt a pang of worry. Had the old man become so heartbroken that he was losing his mind? I hurried over and pulled Professor Chen away from Hao Aiguo. “Professor, Mr. Hao is gone. Let him rest. It’s a pity he didn’t get to see this remarkably preserved ancient city. You must carry on his wish.”
Shirley Yang and a few students came over to comfort him. I handed Professor Chen over to them, feeling guilty about Hao Aiguo’s death and grateful to Shirley Yang. I said to her, “Thank you for saving my life earlier; consider it a debt I owe you. But let’s be clear, we’ve reached Jingjue, and according to our previous agreement, it’s twenty thousand dollars.”
Fatty chimed in eagerly, “That’s twenty thousand each, a total of forty thousand dollars, cash settlement.”
Shirley Yang shot us both a glance and bit her lip. “Don’t worry, you’ll get every cent. I’ll make sure to pay you as soon as we return.”
I realized that bringing up money at that moment was inappropriate. My emotions were all over the place, and I had spoken without thinking. It was better to change the subject, but I didn’t know what to say. I stammered, “Um… the city… is quite large…”
Shirley Yang looked at me and said, “After spending time with you two, I see you both have exceptional skills and experiences. I didn’t expect you to be so focused on money. It seems my first impression of you was correct. Let me give you some advice: there are many valuable things in life besides money.”
I had no response, but Fatty jumped in, “Miss Yang, you live in America, and your father is a Wall Street tycoon. I bet you’ve never had to use food stamps or faced food shortages as a child. You don’t understand our environment and have no right to judge our values. And don’t preach about life to us; for the poor, living is just surviving. You wealthy folks wouldn’t understand these truths. I couldn’t hold back anymore. If you don’t like what I said, just forget it. Now that we’ve found Jingjue, what’s next? Just let us know.”
Fatty started off strong but then remembered that Shirley Yang was in charge. Worried that he might upset her and jeopardize their payment, he quickly shifted his tone to that of a laborer.
I said to her, “About Mr. Hao… I did my best. I’m sorry.”
Shirley Yang nodded at me, ignoring Fatty. She took out a water bottle and gave some water to Professor Chen and Ye Yixin. Professor Chen, deeply affected by Hao Aiguo’s death, gradually calmed down after drinking some water. After a brief discussion, the group decided to bury Hao Aiguo in the desert at the mountain pass. His lifelong pursuit had been to study the culture of the Western Regions, and being laid to rest here would mean he would forever accompany this mysterious ancient city, which I believed he would have wanted.
We dug a deep pit in the yellow sand and wrapped his body in a blanket before burying him. I planted a spade at the head of his grave, a makeshift tombstone for Hao Aiguo.
The remaining eight of us stood silently at his grave for a long moment before we finally turned to leave.
With the dead gone, we had to focus on saving the living. We needed to head into the city immediately to find water; otherwise, the next person buried in the desert would be Ye Yixin, who was suffering from severe dehydration.
Everyone quickly packed their gear and prepared to set off for the city. We finally reached our destination, hoping nothing else would go wrong. If another accident happened, even if I earned the money, I wouldn’t be able to spend it.
Seeing that everyone was almost ready, I asked Shirley Yang if we could move out.
As we were about to depart, Shirley Yang seemed a bit excited, her body trembling slightly. It was hard to tell if she was scared, nervous, or thrilled. She took out a cross and whispered a prayer, then calmly said to us, “Let’s go.”
But then, unexpectedly, An Liman shook his head vigorously, refusing to enter the ruins of the ancient city. He claimed that losing a companion in the desert was an ominous sign, especially since Hao Aiguo had been bitten by a poisonous snake sent by the devil.
We had no choice but to rearrange our plans, leaving him at the mountain pass to guard the camels and supplies.
I considered leaving Fatty with him, just in case the old man decided to run off and leave us stranded. If he fled, it wouldn’t matter; without the camels, we would have to go back on foot, and who knew how far it could go in the desert.
But then I thought that An Liman probably wouldn’t run away alone. After all, he had come this far, and he hadn’t received his payment for being our guide yet. That was a significant amount, enough to ensure his comfort for the rest of his life.
Still, I had been careless before and had learned my lesson. I needed to be cautious, so I grabbed An Liman’s hand and asked, “Old man, how does Khuda punish those who lie and betray?”
He replied, “Well, their money will turn to sand, and even their salt will turn to sand. In the end, they’ll starve to death, just like dying in the black desert. After death, they’ll descend into the hot sand hell and suffer eighteen kinds of torment.”
Hearing his serious tone eased my mind. His beliefs assured me he wouldn’t dare do anything too against his conscience.
Now, only seven of us were entering the ancient city, including the unconscious Ye Yixin, who was being carried by Chu Jian. The remaining five had to carry equipment and weapons, along with food and water, making our loads quite heavy.
Having spent ten years in the field army, I was used to carrying a lot of gear, but Professor Chen and the others struggled and had to lighten their loads as much as possible.
The distance from the mountain pass to the ancient city was short, and we arrived at the city gate in no time. The gate had long since collapsed, and the moat in front was filled with yellow sand. We entered the city through a broken section of the wall, surrounded by a desolate silence.
This was far from what I had imagined, and I felt deeply disappointed. The streets and buildings in the city were either collapsed or in ruins. From a distance, it looked somewhat grand, but up close, there was nothing but sand, rotten wood, and broken stones—no treasures to be found.
All that remained were a few large wooden pillars and beams, their red paint long peeled away, hinting at the former grandeur of the city.
We wanted to explore a few of the dilapidated houses at the city gate, but even though most of the buildings were exposed to the desert, the sand inside had piled up to the ceiling.
Legend has it that this city was destroyed in a war when the allied forces stormed the palace. Just as the battle was nearing its end, a black sandstorm buried the Kingdom of Jingjue along with its residents and army deep in the yellow sand. It wasn’t until the 19th century that shifting sands revealed it once more.
From what we could see, this matched the legend, except we didn’t find any corpses, likely buried beneath the sand.
I found it all rather dull, but Professor Chen and the others seemed fascinated by everything in the ancient city, even spending ages examining a crumbling wall.
I had to remind them that Ye Yixin was still unwell, and saving her was the most important thing. It seemed the residential areas were completely filled with sand, and we couldn’t find a single well. We might as well head to the palace; there might be a water source there.
Professor Chen slapped his forehead. “Ah, I’m getting forgetful! We need to save little Ye. Let’s hurry to the palace. The kingdoms in this desert are usually built near underground rivers, and some tombs even have rivers flowing through them. The palace is generally located in the center of the city.”
As we navigated through the ruins, Fatty turned to me and said, “Old Hu, do you know what I want to eat the most right now? I’m craving Hami melons and mare’s milk grapes. A slice of watermelon would be great too. Ugh… forget it, the more I talk about it, the thirstier I get. My throat feels like it’s on fire. When we find the underground river, I’m jumping in for a bath.”
I replied, “The Queen of Jingjue must have lived a luxurious life, often enjoying chilled water from the underground river, soaking in ice-cold watermelons. But even if those watermelons were preserved until now, they’ve probably turned into watermelon stones, and the grapes might have turned into raisins.”
Fatty complained, “In this godforsaken place, I can’t imagine anyone ever lived here. Next time, don’t offer me twenty thousand dollars; even if you piled mountains of gold and silver in front of me, I wouldn’t step into the desert again. The worst way to die in this world has to be dying of thirst.”
Mentioning death reminded me of Hao Aiguo, who was bitten by that strange snake. Although he died quickly, I wondered how much pain he felt in his final moments. The snake was odd, with a black growth on its head filled with dark liquid. Even when cut in half, it could still fly and attack. I wondered if such snakes existed in this city.