After returning from the desert, Shirley Yang took Professor Chen to the U.S. for treatment. Not long after, both of them developed red bruises shaped like eyeballs on their backs. Professor Chen's condition was more serious; he had a rare iron deficiency that left various medical institutions stumped. Shirley learned from a prophecy in Mount Zagalama that she might be a descendant of the Zagalama tribe. This revelation led her to conduct a deep investigation into her past. The more she uncovered, the more she realized that the mysteries of the Ghost Cave were far more complex than she had imagined. Their current understanding of the cave was just the tip of the iceberg.
Shirley discovered something crucial: a dragon bone with strange inscriptions in the Great Buddha Temple of Heishui City. No one could decipher the inscriptions, but it was clear that many eyeball symbols were carved into the bone. These symbols matched the jade eyeball that had shattered in Xinjiang and the deep red marks growing on their backs.
This dragon bone likely contained important records about the Mysterious Dust Pearl. If they could decode its contents, they might find the pearl. Otherwise, Shirley, Fatty, and I would eventually suffer from that horrible disease that turned blood yellow, and Professor Chen, who was already mentally breaking down, was showing early signs of this affliction. Who knew how long that old man could hold on?