《The Unquiet Trails》


 Prologue (Part 1)

    Years Ago.


    I remember it all started on a spring afternoon. The sunlight was sharper than usual¡­


    Our school had a tradition: every year, students were sent to clean up Beigong Park in the city as part of a "Learn from Lei Feng" volunteer activity. This year, it was our turn¡ªeveryone in the 11th grade.


    Beigong Park had been around for as long as I could remember. As a kid, I loved coming here with my parents and sister on weekends. Though the park had become a bit run-down over the years, it was still our favorite place to hang out.


    Earlier that year, the government funded a major renovation of the park. Maybe someone in charge thought the spending had gone overboard because the final cleanup work was handed off to free labor¡ªus students.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly taking the task seriously. My best friend, Zhao Shitou (real name Zhao Lei), and I goofed off after barely working for a few minutes. We ran behind the artificial rock formation and started messing around.


    Then, out of nowhere, a strange feeling hit me. It was suffocating, like something was pressing on my chest. I gasped for air, my heart pounding.


    Shitou saw me struggling and panicked. "Jinbao? What''s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me like that!" He grabbed my arm to steady me.


    I leaned against him, trying to catch my breath, but the sensation wouldn''t go away. My head buzzed, and an overwhelming unease filled me. And then¡ªI knew.


    There was a body. Right under the massive blue stone where we¡¯d just been playing.


    That stone was new, placed there during the renovations to "ward off evil." But instead of warding anything off, it was covering something¡ªa corpse.


    I could see him clearly in my mind: a man in a gray-blue work uniform, hands and feet tied with rope. His face was bruised and swollen¡ªhe had suffered before he died.


    Images flashed through my head like a movie. A stocky man strangling him from behind, the victim¡¯s eyes wide open in pain and fury.


    It was the first time I had ever witnessed a murder¡ªif you could even call it witnessing. It wasn¡¯t like in the movies. Killing someone took effort. It was brutal.


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    I doubled over and threw up my entire lunch.


    Shitou freaked out and ran to get our teacher. Our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Qu, a strict woman in her fifties, rushed over and pressed her fingers against the pressure point below my nose.


    Maybe it worked, or maybe I was just adjusting to the feeling. Either way, I stopped puking.


    Mrs. Qu looked worried. "Jinbao, are you okay? Do you feel sick? Maybe something you ate?"


    I shook my head. "I¡¯m fine. Just overexerted myself. I just need to sit down."


    She still looked unsure, so she told Shitou to keep an eye on me and take me home if I got worse.


    Once she left, I whispered, "Shitou, I need to tell you something¡ªbut don¡¯t freak out."


    He gave me a weird look. "Come on, just say it. What could possibly scare me?"


    I hesitated. He was my best friend, my only real friend.


    After a long pause, I finally said, "You see that big blue stone behind the rock formation?"


    He glanced at it. "Yeah. What about it? Think there¡¯s treasure under there?"


    I looked him straight in the eye and slowly shook my head. "No¡­ there¡¯s a dead body under it."


    He snorted. "Oh, sure. What, you think it¡¯s like some kind of magic monkey from a myth, trapped inside a rock?"


    His disbelief shut me up. If the situation were reversed, I wouldn¡¯t believe him either.


    I let it go. But that night, I developed a raging fever.


    My sister freaked out when she saw my temperature had hit 107¡ãF (42¡ãC). She ran out to get our dad, who was playing mahjong at a neighbor¡¯s house.


    When my parents saw how bad I was, they rushed me to the ER.


    And that¡¯s when I started talking in my fevered delirium.


    According to my sister, I said things that terrified the doctors, nurses, and even my parents. But she didn¡¯t know exactly what¡ªshe had stayed home.


    She only found out later by eavesdropping on our parents.


    Apparently, whatever I blurted out led the police straight to Beigong Park. They dug beneath the massive stone¡ªand found a corpse.


    The victim was Wang Dahai, the park¡¯s missing operations manager. He had disappeared over a month ago.


    The police discovered a loan note in his pocket. It was from a contractor named Sun Zichu, who had borrowed 10,000 yuan from him.


    Turns out, Sun Zichu had bribed Wang Dahai to secure the park renovation project, promising to pay him 10,000 yuan afterward. He even wrote an IOU.


    But during construction, two accidents happened, and Sun lost money. If he paid Wang Dahai, he¡¯d be in the red.


    Desperate, Sun decided to back out of the deal.


    But Wang Dahai wasn¡¯t the type to let things slide. He threatened to take the IOU to court. "If you don¡¯t pay up, I¡¯ll ruin you."


    Cornered, Sun snapped. One night, he lured Wang Dahai to the park and strangled him.


    The next day, workers placed the giant blue stone right over the body¡ªsealing the crime. If not for my outburst, the truth might never have come to light.


    After that, everything changed.


    My classmates avoided me. Even Shitou, my best friend, started keeping his distance.


    At the time, I didn¡¯t understand why.


    It wasn¡¯t until a later visit to my grandma¡¯s house that I started to realize what I had become¡­

 The Omen (Part 1)

    I was just curious. That¡¯s why I stepped up to take a look. After all, we had been neighbors for years, and I thought I¡¯d help call for Granny Wang to open the door. But before I could take a few steps, a sharp ringing filled my head. That same, suffocating feeling I had at North Park returned. I knew immediately¡ªthis was the scent of death. I slowly placed my hand on Granny Wang¡¯s door. And in an instant, a vision crashed into my mind. Granny Wang lived alone. Her kids only visited on weekends, if at all. That day, she must have felt dizzy. She lost her balance and collapsed, hitting the floor hard. I could see it vividly¡ªblood gushing from her head, pooling on the ground¡­ I yanked my hand away from the door as if it were on fire. The vision vanished. Not long after, someone pried the door open. The second we stepped inside, the room filled with gasps and cries. Granny Wang¡¯s son broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, blaming himself for not visiting enough. When the police arrived, they quickly determined it was an accident. After that, I stopped going out. Stopped going to school. I was terrified that the feeling would come back¡ªthat I would see another death. So, I dropped out. The official reason? ¡°Medical leave for health concerns.¡± For months, I barely left my house, afraid that the moment I stepped outside, I¡¯d run into another corpse. Just when I thought my life was spiraling into darkness, fate threw me a lifeline¡ªmy distant uncle from the northeast. He¡¯d heard about what happened and told my mom to send me to live with him for a while. At first, I refused. A city kid like me? Living in some rural village? No way. But my mom¡¯s nagging was relentless. In the end, I surrendered, packed my bags, and boarded a train heading north. I hadn¡¯t been on one of those old green trains in years. The last time must¡¯ve been when I was little, traveling with my mom to visit my grandma. These days, everyone took high-speed rail. I never thought I¡¯d find myself on such an old-fashioned train again. I had no idea how long we¡¯d been traveling. The train just kept pushing further and further north. My uncle¡¯s place was all the way in the Greater Khingan Mountains of Heilongjiang. If I didn¡¯t endure ¡°three days and two nights¡± of this ride, there was no way I¡¯d get there. We had been on the tracks for nearly two days when the train pulled into a small station called Nenjiang. That¡¯s when I noticed him. A strange man. He wasn¡¯t tall, his skin dark from years under the sun. His broad, flat features made him look like a seasoned traveler. The moment he stepped on the train, my chest tightened. That feeling was back again. He wore a filthy, oversized army coat and carried an enormous backpack on his back. In his hands, he gripped a heavy red-white-blue plastic bag, the kind street vendors used. As he walked closer, my whole body tensed. My skin prickled. I knew this feeling too well. This was death. But¡­ was he dead? That couldn¡¯t be. A dead man wouldn¡¯t walk onto a train. Then my eyes drifted lower¡ªto the plastic bag. That¡¯s where the problem was. The man spoke in a thick Sichuan accent, asking the person beside me, ¡°Brother, is this seat taken?¡± The guy next to me glanced at him. ¡°No, it¡¯s free. But, man, what the hell is in that bag? Smells awful.¡± The man forced a nervous smile. ¡°Ah¡­ just some Sichuan cured meat. You can¡¯t buy this stuff here.¡± He squatted down and shoved the plastic bag under the seat with all his strength. My stomach churned. Cured meat? That was no meat. That was a human skeleton. I swallowed hard, suddenly regretting every cured meat dish I¡¯d ever eaten. I stared at the man, my mind spinning. Who was he? A murderer? A psycho? Why was he carrying a corpse? Then, I felt it. The remains in that bag belonged to a woman. Even though I couldn¡¯t see her, I knew what she looked like before she died¡ªa plain but hardworking rural woman, dead for decades. She had died in childbirth, struggling to bring a new life into the world. I wasn¡¯t a legal expert, but I knew this wasn¡¯t a murder case. She had died naturally. So why was this man lugging her skeleton around? Was she his wife? No. That didn¡¯t make sense. She had died in her thirties, decades ago. This guy was barely forty. She could have been his mother. A crazy thought hit me¡ªif I touched that skeleton, I might get more answers. But hell no was I touching that thing. A wave of nausea rolled over me. Ever since this ¡°gift¡± awakened in me, every time I sensed death, my stomach turned inside out. I shot up from my seat and stumbled toward the restroom. But the moment I locked myself inside, the nausea faded. No vomiting. Just the lingering unease in my gut. I took a deep breath and stepped out¡ª Only to be stopped by a train attendant. ¡°Kid, get back to your seat. Ticket inspection¡¯s coming up.¡± I nodded and shuffled back. As soon as I sat down, I heard it¡ª ¡°Tickets, please.¡± The police were on board, checking every passenger. I watched as the man beside me started to panic. No one else seemed to notice, but I could see it clear as day. His hands clenched. His breath hitched. He was scared. Of course, he was. He was hiding a corpse. The officer stopped in front of him. ¡°Sir, is that plastic bag under your seat yours?¡± The man hesitated, then nodded stiffly. ¡°Y-Yeah, officer. Just some cured meat from my hometown. Nothing illegal.¡± The officer gave a polite smile. ¡°Understood. Mind opening it for us?¡± The man froze. Then, forcing a chuckle, he said, ¡°Ah, well, officer, you see¡­ I finally managed to shove it under there. It¡¯s hard to take out again. How about you check my backpack instead?¡± The officer¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver. But his tone hardened. ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t comply, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to come with us.¡± Two more officers stepped forward. They reached for the bag¡ª The man lunged. He grabbed at the bag, desperate to snatch it away. I knew something big was about to happen. I shrank back in my seat. And then¡ª RIP. The thin plastic tore open. A sudden silence swept through the car. Then, a heartbeat later¡ª Screams. ¡°OH MY GOD¡ªTHERE¡¯S A BODY IN THERE!¡±


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 Prequel (Part Three)

    Prequel (Part Three)


    I didn''t even need to look¡ªI knew the difference between cured meat and human bones.


    The train officers weren¡¯t fools either. Without hesitation, they tackled the Sichuan man to the ground. Panicked, the man started blurting out something in thick Sichuan dialect. Forget about the train officers, who were all tough northeastern guys¡ªthey couldn¡¯t understand a word. Even I, a Hebei native, was completely lost.


    Once the man was cuffed and taken away, the entire carriage exploded in chaos. If no one had known, fine¡ªbut now that they did, who wouldn¡¯t be freaked out? Especially the two passengers sitting next to the guy¡ªthey were absolutely terrified, demanding the train crew find them new seats.


    But the train attendants weren¡¯t having it. Move them? And put who in their place? These days, having a seat on a train at all was a luxury¡ªwhat more did they want?


    <hr>


    My granduncle¡¯s home was in a village called Jiajiatun. Not everyone there had the surname Jia, though. The name came from the first settlers¡ªa family from Shandong named Jia¡ªwho had put down roots and built the village from scratch.


    Jiajiatun was small, with only around a hundred or so residents. My granduncle¡¯s house was on the eastern edge of the village, with a little over three acres of farmland. His wife, my grandaunt, was in poor health and mostly stayed home. That meant all the farm work, inside and out, fell on my granduncle¡¯s shoulders.


    Aside from farming, my granduncle was also a well-known yin-yang master in the area. It wasn¡¯t exactly a lucrative career, but it kept food on the table. So, even with me¡ªa freeloading city kid¡ªstaying at his place, things weren¡¯t too tight.


    My grandaunt was a warm-hearted northeastern woman. I had met her before when she came to Beijing for medical treatment. As a child, I remembered her as a beautiful woman. But years of illness had dulled the brightness in her eyes, and medication had made her face puffy and bloated. Still, her enthusiasm remained unchanged.


    The moment she saw me, she grabbed my hands and beamed. ¡°Let me have a look at our Jinbao! You''ve grown so much!¡±


    Seeing how time had worn her down, my eyes burned a little. But she just chuckled. ¡°Silly boy, are you about to cry? Do I look that old and ugly now?¡±


    I shook my head vigorously. ¡°No! You still look just as beautiful as ever!¡±


    Before I could react, my granduncle flicked me on the forehead. ¡°You little smooth talker! If she still looked the same, wouldn¡¯t that make her a demon or something?¡±


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    Rubbing my forehead, I shot back, ¡°You¡¯re the demon!¡±


    My grandaunt laughed and pulled me toward the dinner table. I looked at the spread¡ªwhoa! A full feast. There was sauerkraut and pork soup, braised pork with glass noodles, and my absolute favorite¡ªsticky bean buns! Without hesitation, I dug in.


    My granduncle watched me eat with satisfaction, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Jinbao, eat up! At your granduncle¡¯s house, there¡¯s always plenty of meat!¡±


    Mouth full, I mumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle, I¡¯ll eat as much as I can!¡±


    Maybe it was because they never had children of their own, but my granduncle and grandaunt adored me. My grandaunt¡¯s health had never allowed her to carry a baby to term, so they had adopted a boy. But tragically, he passed away at the age of three.


    Later, my granduncle read his own fortune and came to a realization. One drunken night, he told me, ¡°I was never meant to have children. Even if I fought fate, it¡¯d all be for nothing in the end. So, I¡¯ve accepted it. As long as Lanzi¡¯s health improves, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    <hr>


    I arrived in the dead of winter, during the coldest stretch of the year. In the northeastern countryside, winters were for hunkering down indoors. My granduncle¡¯s three acres were just enough for subsistence farming. They had a big black pig in the yard, but it wouldn¡¯t be butchered until the New Year.


    So, if we wanted meat, there was only one solution¡ªhunting.


    When he was younger, my granduncle used to trap foxes every winter. But now, with wildlife protection laws in place, he had to settle for smaller game¡ªpheasants, rabbits, things like that¡ªto help nourish my grandaunt.


    Early that morning, he took me into the mountains. I had only brought a pair of fleece-lined pants from home, but my grandaunt insisted I¡¯d freeze to death in them. She made me a brand-new pair of thick cotton trousers, saying, ¡°No one survives a northeastern winter without cotton pants!¡±


    So, I set off with my granduncle, bundled up in my new warm trousers, ready for adventure.


    The moment we stepped into the mountains, I was struck by the sheer beauty of the snowy wilderness. Towering pine trees blanketed in white stretched as far as the eye could see. When I took a step, my entire leg sank into the snow, all the way up to my thigh!


    Thankfully, my granduncle had crafted a pair of makeshift snowshoes for me, allowing me to walk on the snow¡¯s surface with ease.


    He explained, ¡°Even with all this snow, as long as it hasn¡¯t snowed recently, you can spot tracks left by animals.¡± These days, he didn¡¯t use a rifle anymore¡ªonly simple traps. If a large animal accidentally got caught, he usually released it.


    That day, we had three traps to check. My granduncle knew exactly where each one was and checked them daily. Unlike some villagers who set traps all over and then forgot about them, leading to animals getting trapped and starving to death, he was careful and responsible.


    After about an hour of trekking, my granduncle suddenly motioned for me to get down. My heart pounded¡ªwas there a bear? A wild boar?


    I pressed myself against the snow, waiting anxiously. A moment later, he strolled back toward me, holding a gray rabbit by its ears.


    ¡°Jinbao, we¡¯re having braised rabbit for dinner!¡± he announced proudly.


    I grinned, unconsciously licking my lips in anticipation.


    He tied the rabbit to his belt and pulled me up with one strong yank. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s check the next trap.¡±


    We trudged through the snow for another half-hour, only to find the second trap empty. My granduncle inspected it carefully¡ªno sign of disturbance. Disappointed, we moved on to the third trap.


    Would we get lucky again?

 Prequel (Part Four)

    <hr>


    Prequel (Part Four)


    The two of us kept walking for a while. My granduncle noticed my slightly disappointed expression and ruffled my hair, saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright, this happens all the time. Sometimes, we don¡¯t catch anything for days. Getting a rabbit today is already pretty good!¡±


    As he spoke, we arrived at the spot where he had set his third trap. But before I could get a clear look at what was inside, my granduncle suddenly whispered, ¡°Jinbao, stay right here and don¡¯t move. Let me go check first¡ªsomething about this catch feels strange¡­¡±


    Hearing that made me both scared and curious. So, of course, I ignored his warning and carefully crept toward him.


    Just as I was about to reach his side, I saw him in a half-crouch, seemingly talking to someone. But since his back was to me, I couldn¡¯t see what was in the trap.


    As I got closer, he must have heard me. Slowly, he turned his head to look at me, and his expression was¡­ indescribable.


    ¡°Uncle¡­?¡±


    Just as I called out to him, a fiery red creature suddenly shot out from beneath him. It was unbelievably fast¡ªbefore I could even get a clear look, it had already disappeared into the woods!


    Feeling guilty, I asked, ¡°Did I scare away our catch?¡±


    My granduncle shook his head. ¡°No, I let it go.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± I asked, confused.


    He looked at me and chuckled. ¡°Its meat isn¡¯t good¡ªit stinks. But its fur is worth some money. Still, it was such a beautiful animal. Killing it would¡¯ve been a shame.¡±


    His words made no sense to me, and I pressed him urgently, ¡°Uncle, just tell me straight¡ªwhat was that thing?¡±


    My granduncle smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°A fire fox.¡±


    For the rest of the journey down the mountain, my mind kept replaying the fleeting image of that beautiful creature. At the time, I had no idea that many years later, I would unexpectedly cross paths with it again.


    <hr>


    Instead of retracing our steps, my granduncle took a different route down the mountain¡ªgoing down the north slope instead of the south. It would save time. At the base of the north slope, there was a mountain stream. Even though the temperature in the mountains was at least -30¡ãC, the stream never froze over, no matter how cold it got.


    Every time my granduncle went into the mountains, he would stop by this stream to fill a leather water pouch. He believed that this stream¡¯s water was the purest, and he used it to make medicine for my grandaunt.


    Today was no exception. As he crouched by the stream to collect water, I suddenly felt a deafening ¡°boom¡± inside my head. My stomach twisted with nausea, and within moments, cold sweat drenched my back. My granduncle, focused on filling his pouch, didn¡¯t notice anything unusual about me.


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    A wave of dizziness hit me so hard that I had to grab onto a nearby pine tree for support. Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes and let myself sense everything around me¡­


    We were in a rare clearing deep in the mountains. A thick layer of snow covered the ground¡ªhiding something sinister beneath it.


    Finally¡­ my gaze locked onto a mound of snow, slightly higher than the surrounding area. Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked toward it.


    My granduncle finished filling his pouch and turned around, only to see me walking away in the opposite direction. Tying the pouch shut, he called out, ¡°Jinbao! Where are you going?¡±


    But I didn¡¯t respond. I kept walking, my steps unsteady, as if I hadn¡¯t heard him at all.


    That¡¯s when he realized something was wrong. He hurried after me, but running in snowshoes wasn¡¯t easy. By the time he caught up, I was already standing still¡ªright beside the snow mound.


    Panting, he asked, ¡°Jinbao, why didn¡¯t you answer me?¡±


    I turned to look at him and, instead of responding to his question, said something completely unexpected.


    ¡°There¡¯s a woman buried under here.¡±


    My granduncle¡¯s expression changed instantly. He knew about my abilities, but even so, witnessing them firsthand left him deeply shaken.


    After a moment, he asked in a low voice, ¡°What kind of woman?¡±


    Closing my eyes, I reached out with my senses, feeling the presence beneath the snow. Slowly, I described her.


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing a pale yellow top, around thirty years old. On her wrist, she has a yellow bracelet¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like gold¡ªmore like copper.¡±


    My granduncle¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Does it look like the color of a five-mao coin?¡±


    I nodded. Then, I placed my hand on the snow.


    Instantly, the woman¡¯s final memories surged into my mind, playing like a film reel¡­


    I saw the moment she died. A man had bashed her head with a rock. His leg was injured¡ªhe walked with a limp¡ªbut his strength was terrifying. She had tried to fight back, but it was useless.


    When I mentioned the man¡¯s limp, my granduncle¡¯s eyes widened, and he blurted out a name.


    ¡°Luo the Cripple¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Luo the Cripple?¡± I asked, confused.


    Instead of answering, my granduncle walked to a nearby pine tree, broke off a few thick branches, and stuck them into the snow mound. Then, he turned to me and said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    <hr>


    On the way back, my granduncle told me about something that had happened in the village last year.


    Luo the Cripple was a beekeeper. Every spring and summer, he would come from out of town to raise bees in the mountains. When autumn arrived, he would pack up his hives and move south to a warmer place. He did this every year.


    Because of his childhood polio, he had trouble walking. Everyone called him ¡°Luo the Cripple.¡± Due to his disability, he had never been able to marry.


    But last year, something unexpected happened¡ªLuo suddenly returned with a wife, a woman in her thirties. She was quite pretty, which made the village bachelors green with envy.


    One of them, a man named Wu Laosan, was a jeweler who specialized in crafting ornaments.


    That year, a trend had swept through the village¡ªmany women wanted bracelets made from brand-new five-mao coins. Since real gold was too expensive, they settled for copper ones. Wu Laosan secretly made them, but only for locals¡ªnever for outsiders.


    One day, people noticed that Luo the Cripple¡¯s wife was wearing a bright copper bracelet. The gossip started immediately.


    ¡°Wu Laosan must¡¯ve made an exception because she¡¯s so pretty!¡±


    The rumors spread like wildfire, eventually reaching Luo¡¯s ears. Enraged, he beat his wife mercilessly, demanding the truth. But no matter how many times he asked, she insisted that she had no special relationship with Wu Laosan.


    Eventually, the gossip died down.


    And that was the last anyone ever saw of Luo the Cripple¡¯s wife.


    <hr>


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 Chapter 5: Characters on the Bamboo

    <hr>


    Chapter 5: Characters on the Bamboo


    Sun Xingye¡¯s parents had their daughter late in life, both being over forty when she was born. As a result, they cherished her dearly, though they never quite knew how to connect with her¡ªespecially after she entered her rebellious phase. Now, as they faced this crisis, they felt helpless. Fortunately, they had left Sun Xingmei¡¯s room untouched, clinging to the hope that she would one day return.


    As I stepped into Sun Xingmei¡¯s bedroom, a faint, delicate fragrance filled my nostrils¡ªthe unique scent of a young girl¡¯s room. The furnishings were simple: a desk and a single bed. The walls were covered with Jay Chou posters, and a few of his CDs sat neatly by her bedside.


    It seemed that Sun Xingmei was a devoted fan of Jay Chou. I picked up one of the CDs, hoping to sense something about her whereabouts, but I felt nothing.


    Disappointed, I continued searching the room but found no useful clues. Then, something caught my eye¡ªa bright rose-colored diary. It stood out starkly against the otherwise muted decor.


    I picked it up and noticed it had a combination lock. However, at this moment, the lock didn¡¯t matter¡ªI assumed it was filled with the typical musings of a teenage girl. But the moment my fingers touched the diary, a familiar sensation surged through my mind¡­


    I heard the sound of heavy breathing¡ªdeep, labored breaths from a man.


    Flashes of green fields rushed past my eyes, followed by a sudden, dizzying shift, as if the whole world had been turned upside down. I saw the sky, and towering trees swayed in the wind¡­


    A bamboo forest.


    I realized this must have been the last thing Sun Xingmei saw before she died. The man beside her¡ªthe one panting heavily¡ªhad to be her murderer. But I couldn¡¯t see his face.


    The bamboo trees grew thick and tall, some of them marked with red symbols. What did they mean? I tried to focus on them, but just then, a dark figure loomed before me. This time, I saw his face clearly¡ªa middle-aged man in his forties, his features rough and cruel. His lifeless, greedy eyes fixated on me¡ªor rather, on Sun Xingmei.


    His hands groped at her, the sound of fabric tearing filling the air. The monster! Even now, I could feel Sun Xingmei¡¯s despair and helplessness¡­


    As the man¡¯s movements grew more frantic, my vision blurred. Sun Xingmei was losing consciousness. I knew I had only seconds left. Straining my eyes, I desperately tried to make out the writing on the bamboo. It was a single Chinese character: ¡°Ï¡± (xi¨¤, meaning "down" or "below").


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    In an instant, I was jolted out of Sun Xingmei¡¯s final memory, but my mind was left with a burning question: Where was this bamboo forest marked with the character ¡°Ï¡±?


    Holding the diary, I stepped out of the room, where her parents and older brother stood anxiously waiting. I didn¡¯t want to tell the grieving parents what I had just seen, so I exchanged a glance with Sun Xingye. He understood and quickly led me outside to a field of rice paddies.


    ¡°Jinbao, Master Li told me about your abilities. If you know something, just say it¡ªI can handle it,¡± Sun Xingye said, his eyes filled with sorrow.


    I sighed heavily and said, ¡°I can confirm that your sister is gone. Her body is in a bamboo forest.¡±


    Sun Xingye¡¯s eyes turned red with grief, but at the mention of a bamboo forest, he hesitated. ¡°A bamboo forest? But there are bamboo forests everywhere around here!¡±


    I glanced around. He was right¡ªbamboo forests stretched as far as the eye could see. But I knew that the one I had seen in the vision was different. I pointed to a patch of bamboo and asked, ¡°What species is this?¡±


    Sun Xingye, though confused by my question, quickly answered, ¡°That¡¯s arrow bamboo. It¡¯s very common around here.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Show me pictures of the different bamboo species in this area.¡±


    Pulling out his phone, Sun Xingye scrolled through images and explained each type to me. Suddenly, an image of ´ÈÖñ (c¨ª zh¨², "compassion bamboo") appeared on the screen.


    ¡°Stop! Where can I find this type of bamboo?¡±


    Sun Xingye hesitated. ¡°Compassion bamboo is also common here. It grows in many places.¡±


    I pressed on. ¡°Do you know of any bamboo forests where people write on the bamboo?¡±


    He thought for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that. Writing? What kind of writing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the character ¡®Ï¡¯. Your sister¡¯s body is in a bamboo forest covered in this symbol.¡±


    Sun Xingye fell silent, searching his memory for such a place, but after a long pause, he came up empty.


    I could see his frustration, but standing here speculating was useless. ¡°Let¡¯s go look for it. Someone in this town must know where we can find a bamboo forest marked with ¡®Ï¡¯.¡±


    That afternoon, Sun Xingye and I searched every nearby grove of compassion bamboo, questioning locals along the way. Some people did recall bamboo being marked with symbols¡ªfarmers often wrote on the bamboo to mark the ones scheduled for harvesting.


    But a forest full of ¡°Ï¡± characters? No one had ever heard of such a thing.


    After a long and fruitless day, I felt a growing sense of disappointment. More than anything, I dreaded facing Sun Xingmei¡¯s parents again. How could I tell them that their daughter was dead, and that despite all our searching, we still couldn¡¯t find her body?


    Sensing my frustration, Sun Xingye actually tried to comfort me. ¡°Jinbao, don¡¯t lose heart. I believe in Master Li, and I believe in you. If we don¡¯t find it today, we¡¯ll find it tomorrow. You¡¯ve been running around all day¡ªcome on, let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    I dragged my exhausted body into a small restaurant with him. He ordered a few local specialties and two bottles of beer.


    But I had no appetite. The thought of what had happened to Sun Xingmei made it impossible to eat.


    <hr>


    ¡£

 Prequel (VI)

    Prequel (VI)


    Finally, the car came to a stop. The drunken man opened the trunk, and when he realized the woman was still alive, he wasn¡¯t the least bit relieved. The woman begged him to take her to the hospital, but he remained indifferent. Instead, he grabbed the helpless woman, dragged her out of the trunk, and shoved her into a large pit. Then, he climbed onto a bulldozer and swiftly pushed the surrounding dirt and rocks into the pit, burying her completely.


    Before long, the pit was leveled...


    When I snapped back to reality, I saw the three people in the room staring at me. My uncle took Yingzi¡¯s wallet from my hand and hesitantly asked, ¡°So? Can we still find your aunt?¡±


    I glanced at my uncle, unsure how to answer his question. What did he mean by ¡°find her¡±? Did he mean finding her alive, or just retrieving her remains?


    Seeing my hesitation, my aunt¡¯s younger brother grew anxious. ¡°Jinbao, I know you¡¯ve been learning Feng Shui with my brother-in-law. If you¡¯ve seen something, just tell me. I can handle it.¡±


    Hearing this, I dared not speak. I simply shook my head and said, ¡°What could I possibly see? You should ask my uncle instead.¡±


    That night, my uncle never performed a divination for his brother-in-law. But before bed, he quietly asked me, ¡°What exactly did you see?¡±


    After making sure my aunt and her brother were asleep, I told my uncle everything I had sensed.


    He fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Can you pinpoint the exact location of Yingzi¡¯s body?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s tough. I only know it¡¯s at a construction site, but I don¡¯t know the specific spot.¡±


    Uncle nodded, realizing that it was too much to expect from a teenager like me. He sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long suspected that Yingzi was dead, but I never had the heart to tell my brother-in-law. Now, with what you¡¯ve told me, it seems confirmed¡­ but I still don¡¯t know how to break it to him.¡±


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    ¡°Did he report it to the police back then?¡± I asked, confused.


    Uncle shook his head. ¡°No. They had just started working in the city and didn¡¯t know much about anything. Plus, at the time, he thought Yingzi had just run off in anger. He never imagined something like this had happened, so he didn¡¯t call the police¡­¡±


    Hearing this, I felt a pang of regret. If he had reported it back then, maybe things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.


    I spent the whole night unable to sleep, replaying the vision over and over in my mind. Maybe I could actually help find my aunt? The crime had to have happened in the city where they had been working. And since Yingzi ran off after an argument, she couldn¡¯t have gotten far. That meant the crime scene must be close to their rental home. Finding the burial site would be tough, but if we could check records of construction projects around that time, it might not be impossible.


    Although I couldn¡¯t be 100% sure, my best guess was that Yingzi was murdered shortly after running away. I shared my thoughts with my uncle, and though he agreed, he still hesitated to tell his brother-in-law the truth.


    ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t know for sure, he still has hope,¡± my uncle said. ¡°If he finds out Yingzi is really dead, who knows what he might do? Sometimes, not knowing is better.¡±


    The next morning, my aunt¡¯s brother was ready to leave, planning to go search for Yingzi. My uncle wanted to tell him the truth but couldn¡¯t find the words. Meanwhile, after an entire night of reflection, I suddenly recalled a clear image of a license plate number.


    Years later, while working on another case, I coincidentally encountered the man who had killed Yingzi. The license plate led me to her burial site. Unfortunately, by then, my aunt¡¯s brother had already passed away from severe depression.


    This experience taught me the importance of knowledge and understanding. Without them, even with my abilities, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fully use them. That¡¯s why, in March of the following year, I called my father and said, ¡°I want to go back to school.¡±


    Every student wonders at some point what kind of person they want to become in the future. Before, that question always seemed too vague to me. Even now, I still can¡¯t say exactly what I want to be, but at least I know the direction I need to go.


    Back at school, I no longer saw studying as a burden. I understood that I needed to become stronger to master my unique abilities.


    My transformation shocked my teachers and classmates. Eventually, a rumor spread around the school: ¡°Zhang Jinbao didn¡¯t want to study, so his parents sent him to herd sheep in the remote forests of Daxing¡¯anling. After suffering through the harsh conditions, he decided to turn his life around and study hard¡ªso he would never have to herd sheep again.¡±

 Chapter 1: The Weight of the Soul

    Chapter 1: The Weight of the Soul


    In 1907, a foreign scientist conducted an experiment and discovered that a person''s weight suddenly decreases by 21 grams upon death. This is the so-called "weight of the soul."


    However, my uncle, a feng shui master, once told me that when a person dies, their soul leaves the body, and this departing soul weighs only four qian (an old Chinese weight unit). Converting the measurement, one qian equals 5 grams. So here comes the question¡ªwhy is there a 1-gram difference between the Eastern and Western theories about the weight of the soul? It took me years to understand the reason behind this.


    That missing 1 gram of weight attaches itself to the person or object the deceased cared about most in life. It is precisely within this 1 gram of residual soul that the most crucial memories of the deceased are preserved¡ªespecially the moment of their death.


    This explains why many wandering spirits remain on earth for years yet have no idea how they died. Some even forget the people they loved the most or those they hated the most during their lifetime...


    My name is Zhang Jinbao, and I am now a professional corpse seeker. But I¡¯m not like those "ransom-seeking corpse retrievers" you hear about in the news¡ªpeople who already know where a body is and charge a hefty price to recover it. No, my job is different. I help those who know their loved ones have died but have no idea where their bodies are. Naturally, my services don''t come cheap!


    After returning from my uncle¡¯s place, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to studying. My hard work paid off, and after two attempts at the college entrance exam, I finally got into North China Normal University, majoring in geography. To my parents, I was studying a field as obscure as archaeology, but only I knew how crucial this knowledge would be for my future path.


    After graduating, I realized that geography majors had a wide range of career options. I could take the civil service exam, become a teacher, or work in surveying and mapping. But I knew I had no chance of passing the civil service exam. Becoming a teacher or entering the construction industry required further education.


    However, I had never intended to pursue academic success in this field. I had studied it simply to apply it to my unique skill set. Eventually, I used my abilities to help people locate the remains of their loved ones who had died but whose bodies were missing.


    At first, I had no clients. Who would trust a young man like me? People preferred to believe older, more experienced-looking frauds rather than listen to me. Those were hard times¡ªI lived in poverty, yet I was too embarrassed to ask my family for money. I ended up making a living by helping people find their lost pets.


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    But this was like using a butcher¡¯s knife to kill a chicken. Not only was it an unworthy application of my skills, but I also often failed. If a pet hadn¡¯t died or had been taken and eaten, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sense it at all.


    After struggling to make ends meet for a while, I finally caught a break¡ªan opportunity that helped me gain some recognition in this field.


    I still remember that sunny morning when I accepted an online request to find a lost dog. Following the owner''s instructions, I arrived at her home. As per my usual process, I asked her to give me an item the dog frequently used. She handed me a small collar.


    The moment I touched it, I knew the dog wasn¡¯t dead. But here was the problem¡ªif it wasn¡¯t dead, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find it. So, I had no choice but to be honest with the owner.


    The owner was a teenage girl. When she heard that I couldn¡¯t find her beloved pet, she burst into tears. ¡°Big brother, I can tell you¡¯re a good person. Please help me look for my dog. I don¡¯t dare go too far on my own. I¡¯ll pay you¡ªjust come with me, okay?¡± She pressed 500 yuan into my hands.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to refuse this teary-eyed girl, so I agreed to accompany her in searching for her lost corgi.


    Based on the photo she showed me, the dog was adorable. Because of this, I knew it was unlikely to have become a stray or been eaten. The only plausible explanation for its disappearance was that someone had picked it up.


    Since I had accepted payment, I had to at least make an effort. Even though I knew my abilities wouldn¡¯t help in this case, I still went through the motions.


    We retraced her usual walking route with her dog, heading north. As we walked, we ended up at a reservoir on the outskirts of the city.


    The sky was slightly overcast that day, and the cool breeze made it an unlikely time for fishing. Yet, to my surprise, luxury cars were parked all around the reservoir.


    At first, I assumed they belonged to fishermen. But as we approached, I suddenly felt a familiar sensation¡ªthe unmistakable presence of a corpse nearby.


    The feeling hit me like a thunderclap. I could sense a boy, around ten years old. He had died struggling in the water¡ªhe must not have known how to swim.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A stern voice called out from a distance.


    The girl and I were startled and turned to see a group of burly men approaching us with intimidating expressions.


    Although she was scared, the girl still defiantly retorted, ¡°This isn¡¯t private property! Why do you care what I¡¯m doing?¡±


    Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. This girl really doesn¡¯t know how to talk to people! These guys were clearly not to be messed with. Quickly, I stepped forward with a smile and said, ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m just helping my little sister look for her lost dog. We didn¡¯t mean any trouble. Is there a problem with us being here?¡±


    The leader of the group was a young man with a crew cut. Seeing that I was polite, his expression softened slightly. He pointed toward the reservoir and said, ¡°Something happened here. Three days ago, our boss came here to fish. He turned around for just a moment, and when he looked back, his son was gone. We¡¯ve been searching for three days, but we can¡¯t find him¡ªon land or in the water. Kid, I suggest you take your search elsewhere. If our boss finds out that you¡¯re here looking for a dog while he¡¯s looking for his son... well, you¡¯re not gonna like the outcome.¡±


    The girl was about to say something, but I quickly pulled her back. The man was right¡ªhis boss¡¯s son was missing, and they were desperate to find him. Searching for a dog here was indeed inappropriate...

 Chapter 2: Searching for a Body in the Reservoir

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    <hr>


    Chapter 2: Searching for a Body in the Reservoir


    On second thought, the scene that had just flashed through my mind was probably the missing son of the boss that the young man had mentioned. With that realization, I asked him, "What was the boy wearing when he disappeared?"


    The man was taken aback. "Why are you asking that?"


    "I''m just trying to help! I come here often and know the area well. If you tell me what the kid was wearing, I can help look around. An extra pair of eyes might just make a difference!" I replied sincerely.


    After thinking for a moment, the young man found my words reasonable and answered, "The boy was wearing a black Adidas T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. We''ve been searching for three days, but there''s still no sign of him¡­"


    Hearing this, I was certain¡ªit was the same teenage boy I had just seen in my mind. I turned to the little girl beside me and whispered in her ear, "Stay here and don¡¯t wander off. I¡¯m going in alone to check if your dog is inside. Remember, if anyone asks why you''re here, do not say you''re looking for a dog!"


    Hearing that I was going to look for her pet, the little girl nodded excitedly and obediently stayed put.


    After making sure she wouldn¡¯t run off, I turned back to the group of men and asked, "Where¡¯s your boss? I¡¯d like to meet him."


    The men exchanged glances before the young man in the lead frowned and asked, "You want to meet our boss? Do you know him?"


    I shook my head honestly. "Nope."


    "Then why are you butting in? Trying to scam money off us? Get lost!" The young man said impatiently.


    That pissed me off. I let out a cold chuckle and said, "If you don¡¯t take me to your boss right now, I guarantee that even if you search for another three days, you still won¡¯t find that boy!"


    A man standing nearby reached out to grab me by the collar, but I quickly raised my voice, "If you take me to him now, I guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to go home and sleep tonight!"


    The leader hesitated, scanning me up and down. They must have been truly desperate after searching for so long because, in the end, they decided to take a chance and led me inside.


    They brought me to a black Porsche Cayenne. The young man spoke a few words to someone inside through the open window, and a tall, middle-aged man stepped out of the car.


    Judging from his well-dressed appearance and his bloodshot eyes, I immediately knew¡ªhe was the boy¡¯s father. Seeing his grief-stricken face, I didn¡¯t waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point. "I can help you find your son¡¯s exact location, but you¡¯ll need someone else to retrieve the body."


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    The middle-aged man looked me up and down before coldly pointing toward the water. "I¡¯ve had dozens of my men searching the reservoir for three days, and they haven¡¯t found anything. Why should I believe you can find him?"


    I knew he wouldn¡¯t trust me at first and probably thought I was just another con artist looking for easy money. So, I raised my chin and said, "I¡¯m not asking for a single cent. Isn¡¯t it better to have one more person helping you search for your son? Just give me a boat¡ªI have a 70% chance of finding him."


    The man stared at me for a long ten seconds. His gaze was so intense that it made me uneasy. Just as I started to wonder if he would have me thrown out, he turned to his men and said, "Get this kid a boat. Someone with good swimming skills should go with him." Then he turned back to me and added, "Go ahead and try. I won¡¯t blame you if you fail."


    The hopelessness in his eyes told me everything¡ªthis was the look of a father who had lost his child. The only thing that could bring him peace now was finding his son¡¯s body.


    I nodded solemnly and followed his men toward the water. I boarded a rescue boat, and a lean, dark-skinned man got on with me to row.


    As the boat slowly left the shore, I closed my eyes and calmed my mind. Though I could still hear people calling out as they searched, I knew they were looking in the wrong place.


    The dark-skinned man, seeing that I wasn¡¯t saying anything, began rowing toward the areas where the others were searching. But I suddenly opened my eyes and said, "Row west!"


    The man hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t argue. After a short pause, he turned the boat toward the western part of the reservoir.


    This reservoir was a popular spot for fishing enthusiasts, and many people built makeshift pavilions in the northeast section¡ªthe entrance of the reservoir¡ªto fish. But the boy didn¡¯t fall into the water there.


    He had wandered deeper inside, into an area dense with reeds. That¡¯s where he had accidentally slipped and fallen in. Since he didn¡¯t know how to swim, he sank almost instantly.


    Though the surface of the reservoir looked calm, strong undercurrents ran beneath. The boy¡¯s body had been carried westward, where the water was filled with thick aquatic plants. His body had gotten trapped in the weeds and mud at the bottom, preventing it from floating to the surface.


    The dark-skinned man, still skeptical, finally spoke up, "This spot is too far from the shore. You sure the kid¡¯s here?"


    I glanced at him and said, "We¡¯ve already searched the areas close to shore, haven¡¯t we? Just keep rowing west. I¡¯ll tell you when to stop. We¡¯ll definitely find him."


    Hearing my confidence, the man stopped questioning me and rowed harder toward the western part of the reservoir.


    After a few minutes, I suddenly shouted, "Stop!"


    The man immediately put down his oars and asked, "What now? Do we turn back?"


    I rolled my eyes at him. "Turn back? Are you kidding? I can¡¯t swim. You go down and check¡ªsee if the boy¡¯s body is tangled in the weeds below!"


    The man nodded and dove into the water.


    The other people searching nearby must have noticed us because they all stopped what they were doing and watched curiously, as if waiting to see me make a fool of myself.


    A few minutes later, the man resurfaced, wiping water from his face. His eyes were wide with excitement as he exclaimed, "He¡¯s down there! He¡¯s right down there!"


    I clenched my fists. Success!


    Standing up, I waved toward the shore, signaling them that we had found the boy.


    Before getting on the boat, I had already made it clear¡ªI only find bodies, not retrieve them. So, once everyone else arrived, I motioned to the man still in the water. "Come back up. Take me back to shore."

 Chapter 3: Uncle Li Pays a Visit

    Perhaps finding it ominous, the man quickly climbed back onto the lifeboat after hearing my words. He gave me a thumbs-up and said, ¡°Kid, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so capable! We searched here for three days and still couldn¡¯t find him!¡± I smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to shore first. We can talk there.¡± Of course, the others who arrived later weren¡¯t just standing idly by. As soon as I stepped ashore, they had already retrieved the boy¡¯s body from the water and quickly brought it to land. After soaking in the reservoir for three days, the child¡¯s body was somewhat swollen but not too horrifying. The boy¡¯s father stood beside his son, too grief-stricken to say a word. They had gone out happily, never expecting such a tragic accident to happen¡­ Now that the boy had been found, I felt bad about approaching his father to ask for a reward. Seeing his devastated expression, I quietly turned and left. However, just as I stepped out of the reservoir, the young man who had led me inside caught up with me. He ran over and said, ¡°Hey, kid! Don¡¯t leave yet. My boss wants me to ask for your name and phone number.¡± Hearing this, I was pleased¡ªthis meant he wanted to thank me! But then I remembered that I had insisted I didn¡¯t want money. If I accepted a reward now, it would seem a bit unethical. So, I tried to decline, ¡°I already said I don¡¯t need money.¡± The man glared at me and snapped, ¡°Cut the crap. I don¡¯t have any money to give you right now, but just leave your name and phone number. Once my boss finishes dealing with things, he¡¯ll definitely have something good for you!¡± I understood what he meant, so I scratched my head with a sheepish grin and politely gave him my name and phone number. The little girl who had been waiting outside saw me coming out and excitedly asked, ¡°Did you find my dog?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Your dog wasn¡¯t in there. I think someone might have taken it in. If you really want to find it, you should put up a missing dog notice with a reward.¡± Hearing this, the girl looked very disappointed. Seeing her on the verge of tears, I felt bad and decided to return the 500 yuan she had given me earlier. After all, I hadn¡¯t found anything, so taking money from this little girl didn¡¯t sit right with me. After taking her home, I checked my pockets¡ªonly about 50 yuan left. Damn my soft heart! Now I¡¯d have to go hungry. Since I was low on cash, I went to the supermarket, bought two packs of instant noodles, and went home to fill my stomach. Unexpectedly, early the next morning, I was awakened by my phone ringing. When I picked it up, it was an unfamiliar number. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Are you Zhang Jinbao?¡± a deep voice asked. ¡°Yes, and you are¡­?¡± I asked, puzzled. The man chuckled and said, ¡°My surname is Li¡ªLi Zhenhai. You can just call me Uncle Li. I¡¯d like to meet with you. First, to thank you on behalf of Mr. Kuang for your help yesterday, and second¡­ I have something to discuss with you personally.¡± As soon as he mentioned yesterday¡¯s event, I knew that the "Mr. Kuang" he referred to was the boy¡¯s father. Last night, while lying in bed, I had regretted not even asking the man¡¯s full name¡ªhow could I expect him to come looking for me? In this world, who would just hand you money for no reason? But to my surprise, Mr. Kuang actually sent someone to find me! After agreeing on a time and place, I quickly freshened up and headed out. We had arranged to meet at a tea house called "Spring Tea House" near my home. When I arrived, I saw a slightly overweight man in his forties sitting inside, smiling at me. ¡°Hello, are you Uncle Li? Am I late?¡± I asked apologetically. Uncle Li smiled warmly and said, ¡°Zhang Jinbao! Come, have a seat. You¡¯re not late¡ªI just arrived early.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out an oversized brown envelope from his bag and slowly placed it on the table. ¡°This is from Mr. Kuang. He said if it weren¡¯t for you, he wouldn¡¯t have found his son. This money is just a small token of his gratitude¡ªplease accept it.¡± Glancing at the thickness of the envelope, I felt a surge of excitement. There had to be at least tens of thousands in there! But I kept a calm expression and replied, ¡°That¡¯s too generous. I just happened to be passing by and lent a hand¡ªit was no big deal.¡± Uncle Li shook his head. ¡°No, you can¡¯t say that. I was watching from the shore yesterday¡ªI saw your skills. Let¡¯s not beat around the bush. The real reason I¡¯m here today is that I need your help with something. Would you be willing?¡± So that was his main purpose for meeting me today! I glanced at the brown envelope out of the corner of my eye. Yesterday, I had only shown a little bit of my ability and was already getting such a "thick" reward. If he was personally inviting me to help, wouldn¡¯t that mean an even ¡°thicker¡± reward? But I knew better than to overpromise. If I couldn¡¯t get the job done, I¡¯d be in trouble. So, I smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Li, you really overestimate me. I¡¯m just a fresh graduate. Finding Mr. Kuang¡¯s son yesterday was pure luck. You must deal with some serious matters, and I¡­ I probably won¡¯t be up to the task.¡± Uncle Li seemed to understand my hesitation, but instead of pressuring me, he simply pulled a business card from his pocket and placed it on the table. ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide now. I know what you¡¯re capable of. Think it over carefully. Here¡¯s my contact information¡ªcall me when you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡± With that, he got up and left. I hadn¡¯t expected him to leave so abruptly. I sat there in a daze for a while before finally snapping out of it. ¡°He just¡­ left like that?! Tch.¡± If he had said just a little more, I would have agreed on the spot¡­ I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly peeked inside the brown envelope. Whoa! It was packed with five stacks of cash! This was the first time in my life I had ever touched so much money. My excitement was beyond words. After returning home, the first thing I did was buy myself some new clothes online. As the saying goes, ¡°Clothes make the man, just like gold decorates the Buddha.¡± Once I put on my new outfit, I immediately felt like a professional. After that, I didn¡¯t think much more about it. After all, I still didn¡¯t know exactly what Uncle Li did. But a few days later, I received a call from an unfamiliar man. He said he was referred by ¡°Master Li¡± and needed my help to find his sister, who had been missing for almost a month. A new case had come knocking¡ªI certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse. So, I arranged to meet him at "Spring Tea House," the same place I had met Uncle Li.


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 Chapter 4: The Piercing Gaze

    Pushing open the door of Spring Tea House, I saw a man in a black casual jacket sitting inside. The teahouse wasn¡¯t very crowded today, so he was likely the one who had called me earlier. The man¡¯s name was Sun Xingye. He had a younger sister named Sun Xingmei, an 18-year-old sophomore in college. She was supposed to return home for break a month ago, and after getting off the train, she made one last call to her family, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be home soon.¡± But after that, she vanished¡ªno trace of her, dead or alive. A few days ago, Sun Xingye¡¯s mother had a dream in which her daughter came home, saying, ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside, and I don¡¯t even have a coat.¡± When she woke up, the old woman felt something was wrong. She feared her daughter might no longer be alive. The police had been searching for over a month but had made no progress. Desperate, the family sought help from a so-called Master Li. After performing a ritual, Master Li predicted that the girl was likely no longer in this world. The most urgent matter now was to find her body and lay her to rest. But this was easier said than done. Even with over a hundred officers searching the area, they found nothing. What could the family possibly do on their own? Left with no other choice, Master Li gave them my contact information, and that¡¯s how Sun Xingye found me. After hearing the full story, I recalled the man I had met a few days ago¡ªUncle Li. I had thought he was just some errand boy for that Kuang guy, but judging by what Sun Xingye said, he was clearly someone with real skills! Desperate to find his sister, Sun Xingye promised me a reward of 30,000 yuan if I could locate her. Even if I failed, they would cover all my travel expenses, food, and accommodation. I immediately asked, ¡°Where do you live? Is it far?¡± Sun Xingye glanced at me and replied, ¡°My home is in Ya¡¯an, Sichuan.¡± I had never been to Sichuan before. It was now July, and the climate here was hot and humid¡ªsomething a northerner like me wasn¡¯t used to at all. Sun Xingye¡¯s family lived in a small county in Ya¡¯an. After the major earthquake in 2013, most of the buildings were reconstructed, making the town¡¯s layout particularly well-planned. On the surface, it seemed like a fairly prosperous place. As soon as we got off the train, Sun Xingye arranged for me to stay in a local inn called "Bashu Inn." He must have had high hopes for me because he took great care of me throughout the journey. This made me feel a bit guilty¡ªafter all, I couldn¡¯t guarantee success. If his sister had been kidnapped by traffickers, there wouldn¡¯t be much I could do. The innkeeper at Bashu Inn was a woman from the northeast. She greeted me with unusual enthusiasm. Was it my irresistible charm, or was she just this friendly to all guests? ¡°Handsome, first time in Sichuan?¡± she asked with a big smile. I didn¡¯t answer directly but instead shifted the conversation. ¡°Boss lady, you have a northeastern accent. Where are you from?¡± She sized me up before replying with a laugh, ¡°Heilongjiang. I got married here a few years ago, but my husband died in a car accident. So, I had no choice but to run this inn on my own.¡± After some small talk, I took my room key and went to Room 305. As soon as I opened the door, a musty smell hit me, making me wrinkle my nose. Seeing my reaction, Sun Xingye looked embarrassed. ¡°The climate here is pretty humid, so the rooms tend to smell a bit moldy. Northerners like you probably aren¡¯t used to it.¡± As he spoke, he went to the window and pushed it open. I smiled and reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Relieved by my attitude, he said gratefully, ¡°Brother Jinbao, you must be tired after traveling. Get some rest today. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to my house.¡± I nodded. ¡°Alright, you should go rest too.¡± Once he left, I let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, some peace and quiet! But the moment I lay down, I realized the bedding felt damp, as if it had just come out of a washing machine. The thought of spending the next few nights in this room made me miserable. Bashu Inn was in a great location¡ªright next to a street market. It wasn¡¯t too bad during the day, but at night, it turned into a bustling night market. The shouting of vendors and the chatter of people made it impossible to sleep early. Left with no choice, I got dressed and went downstairs to take a stroll. The street was more of a food market than a typical night market, with vendors selling all sorts of Sichuan snacks. I tried a few, but by the time I was done, my mouth was numb from all the spice. It seemed like everything here had one common trait¡ªnumbing heat. Just as I was focused on eating my skewers, I suddenly felt a piercing gaze from a distance. My heart jolted, and I quickly turned to look! But with so many people coming and going, it was hard to spot who had been watching me. I had always trusted my instincts. I didn¡¯t know if that gaze carried malice or not, but one thing was certain¡ªsomeone was watching me closely. Being a complete outsider in a place like this, getting noticed was definitely not a good sign. With that in mind, I quickly paid my bill and left. Back in my room, I still felt uneasy. Peeking through the curtains, I scanned the street below, but I didn¡¯t see anything suspicious. I had no dreams that night. Normally, I would have slept soundly, but either from eating too much spicy food or from the damp bedding, I found myself waking up multiple times to use the bathroom. The next morning, Sun Xingye arrived before 8 AM. I understood his urgency¡ªhis sister was missing, and there were no leads. His anxiety was justified. After a quick breakfast, we drove straight to his house. Sun Xingye¡¯s home was a two-story building. The front yard housed a motorcycle parts factory, while the backyard was filled with semi-finished products. Judging by this, their family was fairly well-off. His parents were simple farmers. The moment they saw me, their tear-filled eyes locked onto mine, full of hope. Being looked at with such expectations made me uneasy. Sun Xingmei¡¯s room was on the second floor. Before coming, I had told Sun Xingye that I needed something his sister loved most to use for tracking her. But according to him, he didn¡¯t really know his sister well. That made sense. He was in his thirties, while she was only 18¡ªthe generation gap was obvious.


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 Chapter 5: Words on the Bamboo

    Sun Xingye¡¯s parents had their daughter when they were over forty. Since Sun Xingmei was at the rebellious age, they doted on her but didn¡¯t really know how to connect with her. As a result, they had no idea what she loved most. The situation was indeed tricky, but fortunately, Sun Xingmei¡¯s room remained exactly as it was before she disappeared. Her grieving parents hadn¡¯t touched a thing, still clinging to the hope that their daughter might return one day. As I stepped into Sun Xingmei¡¯s room, a faint floral scent filled my nose¡ªa scent unique to a young girl¡¯s space. The room was simple: a desk and a single bed. The walls were covered with posters of Jay Chou, and a stack of his CDs sat neatly at the head of the bed. It seemed Sun Xingmei was a big fan of Jay Chou. I randomly picked up one of the CDs, trying to sense anything about her whereabouts, but I got nothing. Feeling a little disappointed, I continued searching around the room but found nothing useful. Suddenly, a rose-red diary caught my eye. In this otherwise simple room, it stood out conspicuously. I picked it up and noticed it had a password lock. However, I knew the lock didn¡¯t matter now¡ªthis diary would likely just contain the innocent musings of a teenage girl. But the moment I touched it, a familiar sensation surged through my mind¡­ "Huff¡­ Huff¡­"


    A man''s heavy breathing echoed in my ears. Green fields flashed before my eyes, followed by a sudden, dizzying spin as if the entire world had turned upside down. The sky appeared above me, and towering trees swayed in the wind¡­ It was a bamboo forest. I realized this must have been what Sun Xingmei saw before she died. The man panting beside her must have been her murderer. But I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. The bamboo in the forest grew tall and dense, and on some of them, red paint had been used to write strange markings. What were they? I strained to make them out. Just then, a shadow loomed in front of me. This time, I saw the man¡¯s face! He was a middle-aged man, around forty, with a face full of flesh and lifeless, greedy eyes. He stared at me¡ªor rather, at Sun Xingmei¡ªwith a disgusting hunger. His hands roamed over Sun Xingmei¡¯s body, the sound of fabric tearing echoing in my ears. This beast! Even now, I could still feel Sun Xingmei¡¯s overwhelming despair and helplessness¡­ As his body moved back and forth, my vision blurred. I knew this was the moment Sun Xingmei lost consciousness. I seized the last few seconds, desperately trying to read the words on the bamboo. It was a single character: "ÏÂ" (xi¨¤, meaning "down" or "below"). In an instant, I was yanked back to reality. My mind was filled with a giant question mark. Where is this bamboo forest with the word "ÏÂ" written on the stalks? When I stepped out of the room holding Sun Xingmei¡¯s diary, I found her parents and brother anxiously waiting outside. I struggled to piece together where her body might be, but there weren¡¯t many clues. The only certainty was that her remains lay in a bamboo forest marked with the character "ÏÂ". Among her family members, only Sun Xingye seemed to keep his composure. I didn¡¯t want to tell her elderly parents what I had just witnessed, so I shot Sun Xingye a look. He understood and led me out of the house to the edge of a rice field. ¡°Jinbao, Master Li told me you have the ability to find Xingmei. Just tell me what you know¡ªI can handle it,¡± Sun Xingye said, his eyes filled with sorrow. I let out a deep sigh and said helplessly, ¡°I can confirm that your sister is no longer alive. Her body is in a bamboo forest.¡± Sun Xingye¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. But when I mentioned the bamboo forest, he looked confused. ¡°A bamboo forest? But we have bamboo forests everywhere around here!¡± I glanced around. He was right¡ªthere were bamboo groves all over the place. But I noticed that the species of bamboo here was different from the one in my vision. I randomly pointed to a patch of bamboo and asked, ¡°What type of bamboo is this?¡± Sun Xingye looked at the bamboo I pointed to. Though he didn¡¯t understand why I was asking, he answered immediately, ¡°That¡¯s giant arrow bamboo. It¡¯s very common around here.¡± I thought for a moment and said, ¡°Show me some pictures of the different types of bamboo found here. I need to take a look.¡± Sun Xingye quickly pulled out his phone and searched for images of local bamboo species, explaining them to me one by one. Suddenly, an image of "Ci bamboo" caught my eye! ¡°Stop! Where can I find this Ci bamboo?¡± Sun Xingye looked troubled. ¡°Ci bamboo is common here too. Many forests have it.¡± ¡°Do you know of any place where people write on the bamboo?¡± I asked. Sun Xingye thought for a while, then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Writing? What kind of writing?¡± ¡°The character ''ÏÂ''. Your sister¡¯s body is in a bamboo forest covered with that character,¡± I said in a low voice. Sun Xingye fell silent, clearly trying to recall if such a place existed. But after a long time, he still couldn¡¯t remember anything. I could see the confusion on his face. He had no idea where to find this bamboo forest. Rather than standing here and guessing, it was better to go search for it ourselves. So I said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Someone must know where there¡¯s a bamboo forest with ''ÏÂ'' written on it.¡± That afternoon, Sun Xingye and I visited every bamboo forest that grew Ci bamboo in the area. We asked many locals, and some of them did know about the markings on bamboo. Apparently, the markings were used by bamboo farmers to indicate which stalks were ready for harvesting and selling. But as for a bamboo forest covered in the character "ÏÂ"¡ªno one had ever heard of such a thing. We had spent an entire day searching, but we came back empty-handed. I felt disappointed. More than anything, I dreaded facing Sun Xingmei¡¯s parents again. I couldn¡¯t bear to tell them that she was gone, yet we still hadn¡¯t found her body. Sensing my frustration, Sun Xingye unexpectedly comforted me. ¡°Jinbao, don¡¯t lose hope. I trust Master Li, so I trust you too. We didn¡¯t find it today, but there¡¯s always tomorrow! You¡¯ve had a long day. Let¡¯s grab some food.¡± With my head hanging low, I followed Sun Xingye into a small restaurant. He ordered a few local specialties and two bottles of beer. To be honest, I had no appetite at all. Every time I thought about what happened to Sun Xingmei, I felt sick to my stomach.


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 Chapter 6: The Corpse in the Bamboo Forest

    It was dinner time, and within minutes, the restaurant was packed. Judging by the crowd, the food here must have been both delicious and affordable. ¡°Xingye? Long time no see!¡± A man walked over enthusiastically, greeting Sun Xingye. Sun Xingye turned around, immediately standing up to shake hands with the man. ¡°Brother Zhao! It really has been a long time! How have you been?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Same as always, still in the bamboo purchasing business. I heard about your sister¡­ any news?¡± Sun Xingye¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Still nothing. The police have been searching for over a month, but there¡¯s no sign of her¡ªdead or alive. My parents are worrying themselves sick every day.¡± Brother Zhao patted Sun Xingye¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t stress too much. Since it¡¯s happened, all you can do is wait. But you can¡¯t collapse now¡ªyour family is counting on you.¡± I was listening to their conversation from the side, and when I heard that this man was in the bamboo business, I nudged Sun Xingye, signaling for an introduction. He immediately understood my hint. ¡°Brother Zhao, this is my friend Zhang Jinbao.¡± Then he turned to me, adding, ¡°Jinbao, Brother Zhao is an old friend of mine.¡± I quickly reached out my hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Brother Zhao.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the north, judging by your accent. Alright, since you¡¯re Xingye¡¯s friend, you¡¯re my friend too!¡± Brother Zhao said heartily. We all smiled and sat down together. Sun Xingye even asked the waiter for an extra set of utensils and another bottle of beer. ¡°Brother Zhao, since you deal with bamboo, I have something to ask you,¡± I said, getting straight to the point. Brother Zhao took a bite of food. ¡°Go ahead. If I know anything, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± I exchanged a glance with Sun Xingye before asking, ¡°Do you know anyone who writes words on bamboo?¡± ¡°Words?¡± Brother Zhao pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some markings on bamboo, usually made to indicate which stalks are ready for harvesting. But actual words? That¡¯s a first.¡± I felt a wave of disappointment. Just when I thought we¡¯d hit another dead end, Brother Zhao suddenly smacked his forehead. ¡°Wait! Could you be talking about the character ¡®±å¡¯?¡± Sun Xingye and I exchanged confused looks. Seeing our bewilderment, Brother Zhao dipped his finger in his beer and wrote two characters on the table. ¡°Look, this is ¡®Ï¡¯ (xi¨¤), and this is ¡®±å¡¯ (bi¨¤n).¡± At that moment, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. He was right! It wasn¡¯t the character ¡°Ï¡± I had seen¡ªit was ¡°±å¡±! Since Sun Xingmei had been barely conscious at the time, her vision had been blurred, which made me misinterpret the character. Realizing this, I excitedly grabbed Brother Zhao¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother Zhao! Do you know whose bamboo forest has this character written on it?¡± Brother Zhao looked puzzled by our excitement, but he still answered, ¡°Yeah! That would be Bian Hailiang¡¯s bamboo forest. It¡¯s quite far from here, but I know the way¡­¡± That night, the moon was exceptionally large and bright. The news had reported it was a ¡°supermoon,¡± a rare event that happens only once in decades. But neither Sun Xingye nor I had the time to admire it. In the eerie, ghostly bamboo forest, all we could think about was finding Sun Xingmei. Since Sun Xingye was a local, he immediately recognized the place Brother Zhao described. But just as Zhao had said, it was far. Sun Xingye drove his pickup truck for over an hour before we finally arrived. According to Sun Xingye, this region was known as the ¡°Rain City¡± due to its frequent downpours during this season. But tonight, the sky was completely clear, and the massive supermoon illuminated everything around us. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwas Sun Xingmei, from the afterlife, hoping we would find her? The truck could only go so far, so we had to walk the rest of the way. To be honest, I rarely walked in the dark. One reason was that I was naturally timid and had been afraid of the dark since childhood. The other reason was something my uncle had told me: ¡°Your birth chart is unique. If you wander at night, you might attract unclean things.¡± Because of this, I usually avoided going out after sunset. I had no idea how long we had been walking through the narrow forest path when we finally saw it¡ªa thick bamboo stalk with the red-painted character ¡°±å.¡± The moment my eyes landed on the character, I recognized the place. This was the bamboo forest where Sun Xingmei had been murdered. I scanned the forest, then slowly closed my eyes, focusing on my senses¡­ After a moment, I opened them and pointed in a direction. ¡°Northwest.¡± Sun Xingye nodded gratefully, and we took off running. We hadn¡¯t gone far when a pungent, rotten stench filled my nose. We were close. The closer we got to the body, the stronger the feeling became. I could feel everything Sun Xingmei had felt in her last moments¡ªher overwhelming fear, her desperate cries for her brother to save her¡­ But now, when her brother had finally found her, she was already an unrecognizable corpse. Sun Xingye was the first to see the body. He stood there, frozen. I knew he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move forward. He was afraid that if he got closer, he would have to accept the horrifying truth¡ªthat this decayed corpse was really his sister. The bamboo forest was damp, and Sun Xingmei¡¯s body had already decomposed beyond recognition¡ªher flesh was blackened, resembling spoiled meat. The closer I got, the more unbearable the stench became. I had never seen a corpse in such an advanced state of decay before. To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for the hope in Sun Xingmei¡¯s parents¡¯ eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to get closer either. ¡°Is this Xingmei?¡± Sun Xingye finally asked after a long silence. I understood why he needed me to confirm it. If I were just a normal person, even if I had known Sun Xingmei when she was alive, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognize her now. But I knew this was her. As cruel as it was, I could only harden my heart and nod. Only the truth could finally bring their suffering to an end. Sun Xingye took deep, shaky breaths, struggling to keep himself composed. ¡°Call the police¡­ Yes, we have to call the police now!¡± But his trembling hands couldn¡¯t even operate his phone properly. In the end, I took out my own phone and dialed 110. But there was no signal. I tried again and again, but the call wouldn¡¯t go through. Helpless, I had no choice but to drag Sun Xingye out of the bamboo forest to find a spot with a better signal. We had found her, but the nightmare wasn¡¯t over yet.


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 Chapter 7: So It Was You

    Ever since seeing Sun Xingmei¡¯s corpse, Sun Xingye had been in a daze. I was anxious to report to the police as soon as possible, so I pulled him along toward where we had parked the car. But before we had walked far, I suddenly heard footsteps ahead! I looked up and saw a middle-aged man covered in mud approaching us, carrying a machete used for cutting bamboo! But when I got a good look at his face, my heart sank. I never expected to run into him¡­ ¡°What are you doing here? Why are you in my bamboo grove?¡± the man asked gruffly. Sun Xingye was still lost in grief and seemed confused. I quickly put on a smile and said, ¡°Brother, we were just exploring and got lost when it got dark! Do you know which way we should go to get out of here?¡± The man gave me a suspicious look, then pointed south with his hand. ¡°Just keep walking that way, and you¡¯ll get out.¡± I nodded in thanks and pulled Sun Xingye along quickly in the direction he pointed. But after just a few steps, I heard the man¡¯s cold voice from behind us: ¡°You came from the west?¡± The sudden change in his tone caught me off guard. Before I could even warn Sun Xingye that this man was his sister¡¯s murderer, I felt a gust of wind rushing toward the back of my head! That was the first time in my life I faced such danger. Of course, compared to what I would later experience, this was nothing. But at that moment, I truly thought I was going to die in this desolate bamboo forest, far from civilization. Clang! A sharp metallic sound rang in my ears, so loud that it left my eardrums buzzing. I turned around and saw that the man¡¯s machete had been knocked to the ground by something unknown. My first instinct was that Sun Xingye had done it, but when I looked at him, he was still standing there in confusion¡­ ¡°Run! He¡¯s the one who killed your sister!¡± I shouted. Hearing this, Sun Xingye finally snapped out of his daze. He froze for a moment before suddenly lunging at the man, and the two of them immediately started grappling. I had always lived by the principle of "a gentleman uses words, not fists," and I had never been in a fight before. But at a time like this, I had no choice! I picked up a rock from the ground but hesitated, unsure of where to strike. Meanwhile, Sun Xingye was beginning to lose the fight, barely able to hold on! I anxiously checked my phone¡ªstill no signal. Screw it! If I killed him, it would just be self-defense! Determined, I ran forward, only to be met with a powerful kick straight to my chest¡­ A wave of darkness flooded my vision as I tasted something metallic in my throat. My stomach churned violently. To be honest, I was never cut out for physical fights. This man was clearly used to hard labor and had immense strength¡ªboth Sun Xingye and I together were no match for him. I lay on the ground for a long moment before struggling to get back up. But by then, Sun Xingye was already lying motionless on the ground. The man had somehow retrieved his fallen machete, and he was raising it to strike him down! ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted. Surprisingly, the man actually froze. Slowly, he turned his cold eyes toward me. A chill ran down my spine. I¡¯m next! ¡°B-brother¡­ let¡¯s talk this out, alright? You just want money, right? No need to kill, right?¡± I stammered as I backed away. But the middle-aged man sneered. ¡°Drop the act. You came from the west¡ªdon¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what¡¯s over there? Kid, you¡¯re just unlucky today. Don¡¯t blame me¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, the man suddenly stopped. His eyes were locked onto something behind me, filled with terror. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± he exclaimed. The moment he spoke, I, too, felt an eerie gaze piercing toward me from behind. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit me¡­ Panicking, I turned around and saw a dark figure standing behind several bamboo stalks not far away. His back was to the moon, his silhouette sharp against the light. He looked like a messenger from the underworld, and for a moment, I couldn''t tell if he was human or ghost. But his eyes were strikingly bright, like two luminous pearls in the darkness. He stared at me intensely, as if he could see straight through me¡­ Suddenly, I remembered what happened last night. So it was him¡ªhe¡¯s been watching me all along! Was he an ally or an enemy? I had no idea. But one thing was certain¡ªthe man standing before me wanted me dead. ¡°You¡¯re finally here! How much longer until the police arrive? I think we can catch this murderer red-handed today!¡± I bluffed, pretending I knew the shadowy figure. The middle-aged man hesitated, his body tensing up. His eyes darted around, calculating whether he should finish the job or flee. Just as I thought my trick had worked, I saw the glint of his machete coming right at me¡­ This is it. I hadn¡¯t even gotten married or had kids yet! I couldn''t believe I was going to die here before I could truly use my talents. I wasn¡¯t ready! I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for pain. But after waiting for what felt like forever, nothing happened. ¡°Why are you still standing there with your eyes closed?¡± a cold voice rang beside me. The voice was unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar at the same time. I had squeezed my eyes shut so tightly that when I finally opened them, my vision was blurry. I blinked hard and finally saw the person standing before me¡­ He was tall¡ªat least 1.9 meters. His features were sharp, and he seemed to be around my age. Dressed entirely in black, his clothing accentuated his lean, powerful frame. No wonder I hadn¡¯t noticed him before¡ªhe had been blending into the shadows all along. I turned to look at the murderer and saw that he was already lying face-down on the ground, unconscious. Still sitting on the ground, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe from the man in black. Even though his presence was commanding, I refused to back down. Tilting my chin up at a proud 45-degree angle, I asked: ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I saw you last night,¡± he replied indifferently, ignoring my question. I snorted and said, ¡°I know. You¡¯ve been following me since last night. Just tell me¡ªwhat do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯d advise you to call the police while you still can,¡± he said emotionlessly. ¡°That man is only temporarily unconscious. Given his strength, I doubt he¡¯ll stay down for long.¡± I knew he was right. Right now, my priority was securing the murderer¡ªI couldn¡¯t let Sun Xingmei¡¯s death be in vain. I had to make sure this beast was brought to justice.


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 Chapter 8: Meeting Uncle Li Again

    Neither Sun Xingye nor I had expected to run into the murderer directly. Earlier, when we got out of the car, we were in such a hurry that we hadn''t brought any rope or anything useful to tie him up. If we didn¡¯t secure this guy properly, he would definitely escape as soon as he woke up. Thinking of this, I glanced at Sun Xingye, who was lying on the ground. He was clearly badly injured. We had to call the police and get him medical attention at the same time. I quickly scanned Sun Xingye with my eyes¡ªhe was wearing gray suit pants, which meant he must be wearing a belt. Without hesitation, I pulled out his belt and used it to tie up the murderer¡¯s hands and feet from behind, securing him tightly like a trussed-up pig. To make sure it was extra secure, I also took a shoelace from one of my sneakers and tightly bound the man¡¯s thumbs together. This way, unless he had a knife, it would be almost impossible for him to free himself. After making sure he was properly restrained, I finally felt at ease and helped Sun Xingye up, preparing to head back to where we had parked the car. During all this, the man in black had been silently watching me without saying a word. Honestly, I should have thanked him¡ªafter all, he had just saved my life. ¡°Uh¡­ thanks for earlier,¡± I said awkwardly. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°What?¡± The man in black repeated indifferently, ¡°No need to thank me.¡± After that, there was another long stretch of silence. In the eerie stillness of the bamboo forest, the only sound was my own labored breathing. The main issue was that Sun Xingye was too heavy. Although he hadn¡¯t completely lost consciousness, most of his weight was pressing down on me, and I was struggling to keep going. ¡°Hey, brother, could you lend a hand? I¡¯m seriously out of strength here!¡± I finally gave in and asked for help. The man in black glanced at me and said flatly, ¡°Your body is too weak. You need more training. Just hold on a bit longer¡ªwe¡¯re almost at your car.¡± His words made my heart skip a beat. It was clear now that he had been following me all along. Even though he had saved my life, I still wasn¡¯t sure whether I could fully trust him. I needed to stay on guard. Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take another step, I finally saw Sun Xingye¡¯s pickup truck. In that instant, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground, completely drained. Seeing that I truly couldn¡¯t go on, the man in black finally stepped forward, took Sun Xingye from me, and helped him into the backseat of the truck. Then, he returned and helped me into the passenger seat. Once I was settled, I finally pulled out my phone and called the police. The officers didn¡¯t arrive until dawn. By then, I had already taken Sun Xingye to the hospital. The police found Sun Xingmei¡¯s body at the scene, along with the middle-aged man I had tied up like a dead pig. The case was quickly solved. The murderer was Bian Hailiang, the owner of the bamboo grove. On the day of the crime, he had been riding his motorcycle back from town when he saw Sun Xingmei walking alone on the road. He had malicious intentions and tricked her into believing they were going the same way, offering her a ride. Na?ve and unsuspecting, Sun Xingmei fell for his lie. He took her to his bamboo grove, where he assaulted her. Then, afraid of being caught, he killed her to silence her¡­ Bian Hailiang confessed to everything, and Sun Xingmei¡¯s family finally received some justice. After finishing my statement at the police station, I was surprised to find that the man in black was still there! Since I had promised him I wouldn¡¯t tell the police that he was the one who subdued the suspect, all the credit had naturally fallen to me. But from the doubtful looks the officers gave me, it was obvious they didn¡¯t believe that a bookish guy like me, who couldn¡¯t even kill a chicken, had managed to take down a strong, muscular murderer. In the end, I had no choice but to lie and say that Sun Xingye had fought the suspect first, exhausting him, before I managed to barely subdue him. After leaving the station, I saw that the man in black had no intention of leaving. So, I got straight to the point. ¡°Why have you been following me?¡± ¡°I was sent by someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Li Zhenhai.¡± Hearing that name, I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed Uncle Li¡¯s number. ¡°Jinbao? How did things go?¡± Uncle Li¡¯s voice was calm and warm over the phone. Since he had been the one to introduce me to this job, I spoke politely. ¡°Everything is more or less settled now. Thanks, Uncle Li.¡± Uncle Li chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s good. This was actually a favor for an old friend. I thought about it and figured you were the right person for the job, so I gave them your number. By the way, you didn¡¯t run into any danger, did you?¡± Hearing this, I smirked. This old fox definitely knew I¡¯d be in danger, but at least he had the foresight to send someone to protect me. So, I couldn¡¯t really complain. ¡°There was a bit of trouble, but thankfully, your guy arrived just in time.¡± ¡°That young man¡¯s name is Ding Yi. He¡¯s my apprentice. He¡¯s highly skilled, which is why I sent him to keep an eye on you. Once you wrap things up on your end, come back, and we¡¯ll talk in detail.¡± After hanging up, I turned to the man beside me. ¡°So, your name is Ding Yi?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Zhang Jinbao.¡± I sighed and shook my head. This guy really had a habit of dodging questions. Communicating with him was going to be a challenge. By the time we got back to the hotel, the sun was nearly up. I sneaked Ding Yi into my room¡ªluckily, it had a standard double bed. I was so exhausted that I collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell asleep. The next morning, I was startled to find someone else in bed with me. It took me a moment to remember who the handsome guy beside me was. To my surprise, he was still fast asleep, even though the sun was already high in the sky. At first, I didn¡¯t feel like getting up either. But soon, my stomach started growling, and I had no choice but to get up and find something to eat. On my way back, I received a call from Sun Xingye. He wanted to meet me¡ªnot just to thank me but also to give me the payment he had promised. The mention of money instantly lifted my spirits. We arranged to meet at a noodle shop near my hotel in the afternoon. When I returned to my room, I found that Ding Yi was gone. On the bed, he had left a note that read: ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tonight.¡± I stared at the note for a long time. Pick me up tonight? This guy¡­ leaving such a cryptic message! Now I had to stay here for another day just to see what he was up to. Well, whatever. I¡¯d deal with it later. For now, I had a meeting with Sun Xingye to attend. At 2 PM, I arrived at the small noodle shop as planned. Sun Xingye had gotten there even earlier. The moment he saw me, he placed an envelope of cash on the table in front of me.


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 Chapter 9: The Man Without a Past

    Sun Xingye was a straightforward man. As soon as I sat down, he said, ¡°Here, Brother Jinbao, count it.¡± I waved my hand politely. ¡°No need, I trust you. How¡¯s your injury? You got discharged so soon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just some superficial wounds. I had to leave early to take care of Xingmei¡¯s affairs,¡± he replied indifferently. I nodded and then asked, ¡°How are your parents holding up?¡± His expression darkened. ¡°They¡¯re even more heartbroken than before. But I know that prolonging the pain won¡¯t help. I really have to thank you for helping us catch the murderer.¡± After offering him some words of comfort, I left the noodle shop. Just as I stepped outside, my phone rang¡ªit was Uncle Li. ¡°Jinbao? When you¡¯re done, head back to the inn. Ding Yi and I will come pick you up.¡± They were really coming to pick me up? I absentmindedly patted the envelope in my pocket containing thirty thousand yuan, thinking to myself that the money wasn¡¯t earned for nothing¡­ When I returned to the inn, I saw Uncle Li chatting and laughing with the landlady. Every now and then, he would casually touch her hand or her face¡ªthis old man was definitely flirting! I hadn¡¯t expected him to have such peculiar tastes. I walked up with a grin. ¡°Uncle Li, how could I let you trouble yourself to pick me up?¡± The moment he saw me, he quickly let go of the landlady¡¯s hand and chuckled. ¡°There are some things I need to discuss with you in person. I was worried Ding Yi wouldn¡¯t be able to explain them clearly.¡± I thought to myself, Yeah, I bet Ding Yi really wouldn¡¯t be able to explain them well. Since they had come all the way to get me, I couldn¡¯t delay any longer. I went upstairs, packed my things quickly, and then headed down to settle the bill. But when I reached the front desk, I found out that Uncle Li had already paid for everything. This old fox was being way too nice¡ªthere was definitely something up. I hurried to take out some money to pay him back, but he pressed my hand down firmly. ¡°No need to be so formal with me, Jinbao. Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± With that, he gave Ding Yi a glance, and Ding Yi immediately started the engine. After driving for about ten minutes out of town, Uncle Li finally spoke with a ¡°kind¡± smile. ¡°Jinbao, you and I are fated to meet. That day at the reservoir, I saw your talent with my own eyes. Given your age, it won¡¯t be easy for you to work alone in this field. Why don¡¯t you become my apprentice, like Ding Yi, and learn feng shui from me? Not only could you help others, but you could also accumulate wealth.¡± I almost bit my tongue in surprise. Become his apprentice? Then how would the earnings be split? I wasn¡¯t stupid¡ªI¡¯d be working for him for free if I became his disciple. I wasn¡¯t about to give away my skills just like that! Even though that¡¯s what I thought, I didn¡¯t say it outright. ¡°Uncle Li, I appreciate your trust in me, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of being your student. Besides, I have no interest in metaphysics or feng shui. To be honest, my skills are only useful for finding corpses¡ªI¡¯m not interested in anything beyond that, and I wouldn¡¯t be good at it anyway.¡± Uncle Li sighed heavily. ¡°I won¡¯t force you, but don¡¯t reject the idea so quickly. To be frank, my family has been practicing feng shui for generations, but in my lifetime, I haven¡¯t found a single talented successor. It pains me. ¡°You might not be interested now, but if you plan to make a living with your skills, you¡¯ll need to understand at least some metaphysics.¡± He sounded sincere, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªhe already had a disciple, so why was he saying there was no one to inherit his legacy? Noticing that I was looking at Ding Yi, Uncle Li smiled and explained, ¡°Ding Yi may be my apprentice, but his past is a mystery, and his heart isn¡¯t in this field. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t pass down my legacy to him.¡± Seven years ago, Uncle Li met Ding Yi at a shelter. Back then, no one could get any information from him¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t say a word. At first, people thought he was mute, but then one day, when Uncle Li happened to visit the shelter, Ding Yi suddenly spoke. However, he still had no recollection of his past¡ªthe only thing he knew was that his name was ¡°Ding Yi.¡± For years, Uncle Li had been helping him search for clues about his past, but they always came up empty. It was as if Ding Yi had materialized out of thin air. Though Uncle Li introduced Ding Yi to the world as his apprentice, he knew that Ding Yi¡¯s skills had always been there. He hadn¡¯t taught him much at all. He also knew that one day, if Ding Yi ever uncovered his past, he would leave without hesitation. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t pass his feng shui knowledge on to him. On top of that, Uncle Li had no children. In his own words, this was the karmic result of revealing too many secrets of fate. He had come to terms with it. Over the years, he had been searching for a worthy successor, but no one met his standards¡ªuntil he met me. When Mr. Kuang hired him to help find his son, Uncle Li never expected to meet me at the reservoir. Initially, he assumed I was too young to have any real talent. But when I actually located the boy¡¯s body, he realized that I had a rare natural gift. By the time we met again, he had already confirmed this through my facial features, which is why he was so determined to take me as his student. After hearing all this, I was somewhat moved, but I still couldn¡¯t fully trust this old man. People with hidden agendas were everywhere these days. ¡°Uncle Li, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t appreciate the offer, but this is a big decision. I need time to think about it, and I should discuss it with my family too,¡± I said sincerely. Uncle Li nodded. ¡°Good boy, that¡¯s all I needed to hear. Take your time. Whether or not you become my apprentice, we can still work together. I have the connections, and you have the skills¡ªI¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have many opportunities to collaborate.¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t wrong. Ever since I started working on my own, I had struggled because I lacked the right connections. According to Sun Xingye, Uncle Li was highly respected in this field. Government officials and private business owners alike revered him. That wasn¡¯t something a mere scam artist could achieve¡ªhe must have real abilities to back it up. Given my current situation, working with him wouldn¡¯t be a bad deal. With that thought in mind, I nodded in agreement. Uncle Li wasted no time¡ªhe immediately pulled out a manila envelope from his bag and handed it to me. ¡°Take a look at these documents. This is a case I just took on. The person¡¯s been missing for years, so it won¡¯t be easy to find them. But the client is willing to pay handsomely¡ªeven if we don¡¯t find the person, we¡¯ll still get 50% of the fee.¡±


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 Chapter 10: Kumukuduk

    I was surprised and asked, ¡°That generous? This person must be really important. How much is the reward if we find them?¡± But as soon as I asked, I regretted it a little¡ªwas it too direct to bring up money with Uncle Li, considering he was leading this case? Unexpectedly, Uncle Li answered without hesitation, ¡°If we find the remains, the reward is 1 million. All travel expenses are covered. Since this is business, every case from now on, we split the reward fifty-fifty. How about that?¡± I was so happy I scratched my head and grinned. But then my eyes flicked to Ding Yi, who was driving. ¡°What about Ding Yi?¡± Uncle Li glanced at Ding Yi and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about him. He¡¯s never cared much about money. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already set up an account for him, and every commission gets deposited there. If one day he decides to leave, at least he¡¯ll have something to rely on.¡± I could see that Uncle Li genuinely cared about Ding Yi. They had met by chance, yet he took him in. Even though Ding Yi had helped him a lot over the years, Uncle Li clearly had never stopped searching for his past. That alone made me feel like this old man wasn¡¯t a bad person after all. The car drove for an entire day and night, with Ding Yi behind the wheel the whole time. At first, I was worried that he might be too exhausted and suggested we stop somewhere to rest. But Uncle Li waved his hand dismissively, ¡°No need. You¡¯ll understand Ding Yi¡¯s abilities soon enough.¡± Since he was so confident, I didn¡¯t push the matter. I already knew Ding Yi had impressive combat skills from our first meeting, but I hadn¡¯t expected him to have other talents too. Even though Ding Yi wasn¡¯t tired, Uncle Li had dozed off not long after we started driving. I was getting more and more curious about Ding Yi, so I struck up a conversation with him to try and get to know him better. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Ding Yi kept his eyes on the road and replied, ¡°I can hold off on sleep and make up for it later.¡± ¡°No way! You can really do that?¡± I was shocked. ¡°Yeah. Back when I was with you, I didn¡¯t sleep at all. I only caught up on sleep after we got back to the inn.¡± Now that he mentioned it, I recalled that morning¡ªhe had indeed slept for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s the longest you¡¯ve ever stayed awake?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never tested it¡­ but probably a long time.¡± I sighed in defeat. Talking to Ding Yi had to be the most boring conversation in the world. When I finally got home, I was exhausted. Sure, I¡¯d gotten some sleep in the car, but it was nothing compared to a soft bed. I crashed onto my mattress and didn¡¯t wake up until noon the next day. Even then, I still felt groggy¡ªprobably from oversleeping. I washed my face to clear my head and then took out the manila envelope Uncle Li had given me. It was time to see what this case was all about. Inside were several copies of old documents¡ªthe originals were probably decades old. It was a missing person case from over thirty years ago, involving a biologist. At the time, a massive effort had been made to find him, but all had been in vain. There wasn¡¯t much useful information in the documents¡ªnot even the biologist¡¯s name or a photograph. That puzzled me. But since the client was so generous, I didn¡¯t care too much. After all, I didn¡¯t need a name to find a body. The report did, however, describe the missing man¡¯s clothing in detail. He was in his fifties at the time of disappearance, wearing a blue-gray work uniform, a green sun hat, and a pair of 42-size suede work shoes. He carried an aluminum water bottle, a camera, and a yellow satchel filled with field notes and small tools. He had disappeared alone, leaving no clue about his intended destination¡­ After reading through the files, I was left with more questions than answers. If the case was this old, why was someone still willing to pay so much to find him? The report also mentioned that search efforts had been ongoing for decades. Even if we failed, another team would likely continue after us. Clearly, this biologist wasn¡¯t just some ordinary scientist¡­ I called Uncle Li to ask if he could obtain any of the missing man¡¯s personal belongings¡ªpreferably something he cherished. Unfortunately, the answer was disappointing. Uncle Li explained that the people funding the search weren¡¯t the missing person¡¯s relatives, so they had no access to any of his possessions. Our only option was to travel to the place where he disappeared and retrace his steps. If our earlier assumptions were correct and his body had been buried under sand, then my skills would finally prove useful. Still, I was annoyed by how vague the documents were. ¡°Uncle Li, the files don¡¯t even say where he went missing. Where are we supposed to look?¡± Uncle Li let out a helpless sigh. ¡°The location is unknown for now. We¡¯ll only be informed once the entire team is assembled.¡± I was stunned. ¡°What? Even you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. But I know it¡¯s somewhere in China.¡± A million thoughts ran through my mind. This case was getting weirder by the second¡­ A few days later, I boarded a plane to Urumqi. I hadn¡¯t expected our destination to be Xinjiang. But the biggest surprise was our travel companions¡ªbesides Uncle Li, Ding Yi, and myself, there were three men and one woman. In our seven-person team, Uncle Li seemed to be in charge, and the others followed his instructions. Yet, strangely, he never introduced us to each other. I secretly asked Ding Yi if he knew who they were. He gave me a completely honest look and said, ¡°No idea.¡± That made things even more awkward. For the entire journey, no one spoke. I had no idea how such a disjointed team was supposed to complete our client¡¯s mission. After landing, we split into two Jeep Grand Cherokees. I rode with Uncle Li and Ding Yi, while the other four took the second vehicle. Instead of heading into Urumqi¡¯s city center, we drove north. I had no idea how long we traveled, but the sun had risen and set by the time we stopped. Finally, the car came to a halt, and Uncle Li woke me up. ¡°Jinbao, get up. We¡¯re camping here for the night.¡±


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 Chapter 11: The Mysterious Missing Person

    I groggily stepped out of the vehicle, only to be stunned by the sight before me. Was this a joke? Camping in the wild? Seeing my expression, Uncle Li chuckled, "What¡¯s wrong? First time sleeping outdoors? You better get used to it¡ªthere¡¯ll be plenty more chances in the future!" "Where exactly are we?" I asked, still bewildered. "This is Lop Nur. Our final destination is Kumukuduk." Hearing this, I instantly regretted taking this job and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. It seemed like the money wasn¡¯t going to be easy to earn after all. I glanced at my watch to check the temperature¡ªit was barely 10¡ãC! Luckily, the car¡¯s trunk was fully stocked with supplies, so at least food and warmth wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Surveying the desolate surroundings, unease crept into my heart. The person we were looking for had been missing for decades¡ªhow could we possibly find them so easily? If they had been buried under the shifting sands, we might have to dig deep to uncover anything. Among the four others in our group, one was a burly man with extensive survival experience. In no time, he had built a campfire and, together with the only woman in the team, started preparing dinner. During the meal, I took the initiative to introduce myself. Since we¡¯d be working together, it only made sense to know each other¡¯s names. My gesture broke the ice, and the others soon followed suit. The woman was named Ye Zhiqiu, a doctor with a striking appearance. She mentioned that she often participated in outdoor hiking expeditions and had been invited on this trip as the team¡¯s medical support. The strong-built man was Zhao Qiang, a professional wilderness guide who had led numerous trekking groups across Lop Nur. Given his vast experience, we hadn¡¯t hired a local guide. The other two men remained reserved, only giving their names without explaining their roles. The tall, thin one was Luo Hai, while the slightly overweight guy was Liu Ziping. Since they weren¡¯t keen on sharing more, I didn¡¯t pry. After all, I hadn¡¯t mentioned my own profession as a corpse seeker either. As for Ding Yi, his introduction was even shorter¡ªjust four words: "My name is Ding Yi." Uncle Li was the leader of our expedition, and it was clear that everyone followed his instructions. I also noticed that Luo Hai and Liu Ziping spoke to him with a certain respect, which suggested they knew each other beforehand. I made a mental note to ask Uncle Li about them when I got the chance. For some reason, I kept feeling an eerie chill running down my spine, shivering over and over. "I hope we don¡¯t run into any wild animals out here," I muttered under my breath. Ding Yi glanced at me and calmly said, "Relax. As long as we don¡¯t encounter a pack of wolves, we¡¯ll be fine." "There are wolves here?!" I asked, startled. Zhao Qiang, who was adding firewood to the campfire, laughed, "Not as many as before. Wolves are afraid of humans. Unless they¡¯re starving or we happen to disturb them, they won¡¯t actively attack us." That made sense. As cities expanded, humans gradually encroached on the habitats of many wild animals. Eventually, they had no choice but to retreat to more remote areas. I stared at the flickering fire, lost in thought. Death seemed to linger in the air here. Not far from our campsite, beneath the sand, lay the skeletal remains of a mother camel and her calf. They had likely been caught in a fierce sandstorm and perished from thirst. Camels rarely get lost or fail to find water, but I could sense that by the time they reached this place, they had already been starving and dehydrated for days. The storm was merely the final blow. In such a harsh environment, all living beings seemed fragile and insignificant. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwhy had that biologist ventured here alone all those years ago? According to the scarce information available, he had been part of a scientific expedition. But the records said nothing about how he went missing¡­ Uncle Li must have noticed my silence. He gave me a nudge and signaled with his eyes for me to follow him to the car. Sensing something was up, I quickly got up and followed him. What was this old man up to now? As soon as we reached the vehicle, he handed me his phone. "Take a look and remember this face." I took the phone and saw a black-and-white portrait of a middle-aged man wearing glasses. So, this was the missing person we were looking for. Though the photo had been taken with a phone, it was still quite clear. Judging by its slightly yellowed edges, the original picture was probably older than me. "This is him?" I asked in a hushed voice. Uncle Li nodded but didn¡¯t say anything else. "Is there anything else? A single photo isn¡¯t much to go on, and this one¡¯s just a phone copy," I pointed out. Uncle Li glanced toward the fire, checking that Zhao Qiang and the others were engaged in conversation and not watching us. Just as I was wondering what he was up to, I suddenly felt something cold in my hand¡ªa very old metal pocket watch. The moment it touched my palm, a hazy vision flashed before my eyes. The scenery around me wavered between reality and illusion, shifting unpredictably. I saw a pair of cracked, dry hands holding a canteen, fumbling to open its lid. After shaking it a few times, the person realized there wasn¡¯t a single drop of water left inside. All around them stretched a barren, lifeless desert, with not a single green plant in sight¡­ "Jinbao? Did you¡­ see something?" Uncle Li asked quietly. I snapped back to reality and looked down at the pocket watch. I knew he had just handed it to me, but why the secrecy? "I¡¯m fine. I did see something, but it was too brief to gather anything useful. Why did you have to sneak this to me?" I asked, puzzled. Uncle Li subtly glanced toward the others by the fire and murmured, "I don¡¯t fully trust those guys. Keep this watch safe. You¡¯re the only one here who can make use of it¡ªotherwise, it¡¯s just a piece of metal." I nodded and carefully stowed it away. Then, I grabbed some sleeping bags and blankets from the car and returned to the camp. After distributing them to the others, I settled in for the night. Even though the air was cold, the sand beneath me had absorbed the sun¡¯s heat all day, making it pleasantly warm. Before long, I drifted into sleep¡­


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 Chapter 12: Sandstorm Assault

    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had been asleep when I was suddenly awakened by a strange sound. I sat up and saw a group of shadowy figures moving in the distance. Judging by their size, they were no small creatures.


    My heart skipped a beat¡ªcould it be a pack of wolves? The thought instantly drove away all traces of sleepiness, and I hurriedly crawled out of my sleeping bag, ready to wake the others. But before I could make a sound, a cold hand suddenly covered my mouth!


    Panic surged through me¡ªhad we been ambushed? Just as I was debating whether to fight back, a familiar voice whispered in my ear, ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound. Don¡¯t wake the others. That¡¯s a herd of wild camels.¡±


    Hearing Ding Yi¡¯s voice, I finally relaxed. But even then, his hand remained firmly over my mouth. I could only make a few muffled protests.


    ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡¯t startle them. Let them leave quietly.¡±


    I had no choice but to endure until the dark shadows faded into the distance. But something was off¡ªDing Yi¡¯s hand was ice-cold, almost completely devoid of a living person¡¯s warmth.


    When he finally let go, I took a few deep breaths before whispering, ¡°Why are these camels traveling at night?¡±


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been too hot during the day, so they¡¯re traveling at night and resting during the daytime,¡± Ding Yi replied indifferently.


    I watched the herd disappear into the darkness and suddenly thought of the mother and baby camels buried under the sand not far from our camp. They must have fallen behind and perished in this merciless wasteland¡­


    I turned to Ding Yi, startled. ¡°You mean¡­ you stayed awake the entire night?¡±


    Ding Yi gazed into the darkness and calmly said, ¡°Someone has to keep watch. It¡¯s not safe here.¡±


    That was true. In a desolate land like this, danger could be lurking just beyond sight.


    Noticing the fire was dimming, I got up to add a few dried branches that Zhao Qiang had gathered. Then, I crawled back into my sleeping bag, trying to fall asleep. But the ground beneath me had turned chillingly cold. Earlier, the sand had retained some warmth from the day¡¯s scorching sun, but now it felt like ice seeping into my bones.


    Unable to sleep, I pulled out the pocket watch that Uncle Li had given me and traced its surface with my fingers. It was an old Shanghai-brand pocket watch, certainly older than I was. Back in the 70s and 80s, this was a coveted item¡ªclearly a treasured possession of ¡°him.¡±


    Perhaps he had left it behind on purpose, fearing it would be lost during the expedition. I focused all my attention, trying to sense the lingering presence attached to it¡­


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    He was parched. His water supply had long been exhausted. The relentless sun scorched his skin, and he knew he was severely dehydrated. He glanced at his wristwatch¡ªa leather-strapped mechanical watch¡ªthe time was 4:25 PM, likely the hottest time of the day. He could barely keep going, yet his survival instinct kept him on his feet.


    Suddenly, a mirage appeared ahead¡ªa black, ancient city shimmering in the heat, surrounded by misty water vapor. Within its walls, strangely dressed figures busied themselves with their daily work.


    Even someone like me, who had never been to Lop Nur, knew this was nothing but an illusion. And as a scientist, he surely understood that too. Yet, in his desperation, he chose to believe in it and stumbled toward that phantom city¡­


    Then, the vision abruptly ended. A sharp pain throbbed in my head¡ªI had overexerted myself. Drowsiness overtook me, and before I knew it, I had drifted into sleep.


    By the time I woke up again, daylight had arrived. Ye Zhiqiu and Zhao Qiang were preparing breakfast, while Uncle Li was deep in discussion with Luo Hai and Liu Ziping.


    I turned my head, searching for Ding Yi, and finally spotted him asleep inside the car. It seemed he truly hadn¡¯t rested the entire night.


    After breakfast, we resumed our journey. Since Ding Yi needed to catch up on sleep, I took over driving. Though I was only a novice driver, in this vast wilderness, I was confident enough to manage.


    After spending the night together, I had started warming up to Zhao Qiang and the others. However, Luo Hai and Liu Ziping still gave me an unsettling feeling¡ªespecially whenever I walked past them, I could sense an eerie presence, almost like a trace of ¡°death.¡±


    I had been driving for nearly three hours when exhaustion started creeping in. I glanced over at Ding Yi, who remained fast asleep. He must have been truly exhausted after driving all day yesterday and keeping watch all night.


    Our two Cherokee vehicles sped through the desert, but the sky was growing darker, and visibility was decreasing. Just then, the radio crackled to life¡ªit was Zhao Qiang from the other car.


    ¡°Uncle Li, we need to stop! I think a sandstorm is coming!¡±


    Uncle Li¡¯s face grew serious as he peered outside. It was clear that we couldn¡¯t continue forward.


    Zhao Qiang led us to a slightly sheltered area and turned off the engine, preparing to wait out the storm. Even though we were inside the vehicles, the experience was far from pleasant. The world outside turned into a swirling mass of yellow haze, making it impossible to see even a short distance ahead.


    Fortunately, our vehicle was well-sealed, but small stones, carried by the howling wind, rattled against the windows with a constant ping-ping-ping sound.


    The moment the storm hit, Ding Yi woke up. His brows furrowed as he stared outside, as if he could make out something in that blinding yellow chaos¡­ Amid the roaring wind and flying sand, I could almost hear faint wails and howls, like ghosts crying in the storm.


    Among the three of us, I was definitely the least composed. To be honest, if I had known we were coming to a place like this, I never would have taken this job. Money could always be earned, but life? You only had one.


    What was the point of making money if you lost your life in the process? No amount of gold would be worth it.


    Unexpectedly, the usually quiet Ding Yi spoke, attempting to reassure me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sandstorms of this scale are common here. We¡¯re safe inside the car.¡±


    Lips pale, I muttered, ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s good. Uncle Li, if we ever get another job this dangerous, count me out. My life is more important¡­¡±


    Uncle Li must have seen how terrified I was, because he suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°Do you know who the missing person we¡¯re searching for actually is?¡±


    He had been so secretive about it before, yet now he was bringing it up in the middle of a sandstorm? Naturally, I was curious.


    ¡°The files didn¡¯t say. You¡¯ve been acting all mysterious this whole trip. How would I know?¡± I replied. ¡°But¡­ the man in that black-and-white photo looks familiar. I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before.¡±

 Chapter 13: The City of Sorrow

    Our group was trapped in the car by the sudden storm. As someone with mild claustrophobia, I felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety. Uncle Li, noticing my discomfort, attempted to divert my attention by revealing the identity of the mysterious missing person.


    "He disappeared during a scientific expedition here in 1980. Think carefully¡ªhave you never heard his name? Back then, a massive official search effort was launched, yet they found nothing."


    His words immediately brought a name to my mind, but I quickly dismissed the thought¡ªit seemed impossible.


    "Uncle Li, you must be joking! How could it be him?"


    However, judging by Uncle Li''s serious expression, he wasn¡¯t kidding.


    "Why not? The government organized four large-scale rescue operations, but they found nothing. Decades have passed, yet some people clearly haven¡¯t given up. I suspect this missing person must have held some crucial information, which is why we¡¯re here now."


    Right¡ªhis bag supposedly contained some research materials. It must have recorded something of great importance. Unfortunately, in the fragmented memories I recalled, I hadn¡¯t seen that bag. Given the severity of this sandstorm, I deduced that he had likely died of thirst somewhere, his body buried beneath the shifting sands.


    It¡¯s said that dunes in the desert are constantly moving. If his corpse was indeed covered by a sand dune, it¡¯s no wonder they couldn¡¯t find him back then¡ªand even modern technology might not succeed. Now I understood why Uncle Li had brought me along. But what about Luo Hai and Liu Ziping? What were their roles in this mission?


    Uncle Li smiled mysteriously. "They''re grave robbers. Your job is to locate the body, and they¡¯ll handle the rest. The benefactor funding this expedition has repeatedly stressed the need for discretion. Zhao Qiang and his team must not know the true identity of the missing person."


    I sighed in amazement¡ªthis missing person was far from ordinary.


    After chatting for a while, I felt much less anxious. Meanwhile, the storm outside gradually subsided. I couldn''t help but wonder¡ªwhat kind of valuable information could be so important that people refused to give up after all these years?


    When the wind finally died down, I eagerly opened the car door, only to find it wouldn''t budge.


    Just then, Zhao Qiang¡¯s voice crackled through the radio. "Uncle Li, don''t rush to get out. Your car doors are likely buried in sand. I¡¯ll send Luo Hai to help you."


    I leaned out of the car window and saw that the sand had piled up almost to the bottom of the glass¡ªno wonder the door wouldn¡¯t open! Luo Hai soon arrived with a shovel and swiftly cleared the sand blocking the door. As expected of a grave robber¡ªhis efficiency was impressive.


    I was the first to jump out of the car. Turning back, I was shocked to see that nearly half the vehicle was buried in sand. As Luo Hai and I started clearing more sand, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly screamed.


    "Look! What is that?"


    Her sudden outburst startled me. I turned my head and was stunned¡ªless than 500 meters ahead, a black ancient city loomed in the desert.


    I was dumbfounded. How was this possible? Wasn''t this the mirage the missing person had seen? Could it be real?


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    Uncle Li noticed my strange expression and asked, "Jinbao, is there something wrong with this city?"


    "I¡¯ve seen it before¡­ in his memories. But it was supposed to be a mirage! How can it be real?" I replied.


    Uncle Li understood what I meant, but from this distance, the ancient city before us was undeniably real. Zhao Qiang and the others were visibly excited, eager to explore.


    But I felt uneasy. If I remembered correctly, there had been nothing ahead before the sandstorm hit. Why had this eerie city suddenly appeared after the storm passed?


    Before I could voice my doubts, Zhao Qiang and his group had already set off toward the city. Left with no choice, Uncle Li, Ding Yi, and I grabbed some water and food from the car and followed.


    As we walked, I asked Uncle Li, "Is this Loulan Ancient City? I once read an article about it in a travel magazine."


    Uncle Li stared at the city, deep in thought. "No. I¡¯ve never been to Loulan, but after so many years of erosion by wind and sand, the real Loulan should be in ruins. But look at this place¡ªthe architecture is incredibly well-preserved, almost as if someone has been maintaining it."


    That made sense. However, as I gazed at the city¡¯s dark walls, a wave of sadness unexpectedly washed over me. The closer we got, the stronger the sorrow became.


    "You okay? Why are you crying?" Ding Yi suddenly asked.


    I was startled. I wiped my face¡ªmy cheeks were wet with tears. What was happening? The closer I got, the more sorrowful I felt, yet no one else seemed affected.


    Zhao Qiang and his group were ecstatic, as if they had discovered a lost civilization.


    Uncle Li leaned close and whispered, "Something is wrong with this city. Stay close to Ding Yi."


    I gave him a nervous glance and nodded.


    The city gates were made of black wood¡ªold, yet strangely damp to the touch. It was completely out of place in the arid desert.


    Zhao Qiang gave the gate a push¡ªit swung open effortlessly. A gust of wind rushed past, carrying the faint sounds of bustling crowds and even livestock.


    Ye Zhiqiu¡¯s eyes widened. "There are people inside? That¡¯s impossible! Judging by the architecture, this place must be at least a thousand years old!"


    I listened closely. At first, the sounds seemed natural, but upon closer inspection, they felt disturbingly artificial¡ªlike a looped recording playing over and over.


    Zhao Qiang was the first to step inside, followed closely by Luo Hai and Liu Ziping.


    Ye Zhiqiu hesitated and glanced at me. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"


    I chuckled. "Don¡¯t worry. Just stay close to me."


    Ding Yi shot me a look that clearly said, You¡¯re the one who should stay close to me.


    Feeling slightly embarrassed, I shut my mouth and followed the group inside.


    The entrance led to a short tunnel. The air inside was cool, with occasional breezes passing through. Emerging from the tunnel, we found ourselves in a wide-open area, possibly an ancient marketplace.


    But as soon as we all stepped inside, the lively noises abruptly ceased. An eerie silence fell over the city, so absolute it was terrifying.


    Everyone¡¯s expression changed. Even in broad daylight, this felt¡­ ghostly.


    I scanned my surroundings. The city¡¯s buildings were made of mud bricks, except for one tall structure at its center. Unlike the rest, it was built from an unknown black stone, exuding an overwhelming sense of authority.


    Uncle Li whispered, "Jinbao, do you sense anything?"


    I knew he meant whether I could detect any remains. If the missing person wasn¡¯t here, staying any longer would be pointless.


    I closed my eyes, focusing my mind.


    But¡­ I felt nothing.


    That was impossible. A city like this should have traces of death¡ªthere had to be bodies somewhere. And yet, it was as if no life had ever existed here.


    Uncle Li asked, "Anything?"


    I shook my head. "Nothing. But I¡¯m sure the missing person saw this place before he died!"


    Uncle Li''s eyes lit up. "Then maybe he entered in search of water?"


    I agreed. A dying man in the desert would definitely seek water in an ancient city. But why had his vision of this place been so surreal, like a mirage, while our view of it was so clear?


    Just then, Luo Hai and Liu Ziping frowned in silence. Uncle Li noticed and quietly asked them what was wrong. After a brief exchange, his face paled.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked.


    Uncle Li hesitated before replying, "Luo Hai says there¡¯s a legend among grave robbers. It speaks of a ''Black City'' hidden in the desert, filled with treasure. It only appears during massive sandstorms, but¡­ no one who enters ever comes out alive."


    I felt a chill run down my spine. "Are you saying this could be that Black City?"


    Before Uncle Li could answer, Ding Yi suddenly shouted, "Who¡¯s there?!"


    I turned just in time to see a gray-clad figure disappear into an alley¡­

 Chapter 14: The Purple Mist

    The towering black palace in the distance looked especially eerie under the night sky. I definitely didn¡¯t want to sleep inside it, so we unanimously decided to rest in a mud-brick house near the city gate. If anything unexpected happened, we could quickly retreat from the ancient city. This seemed to have been a commoner''s house. The furnishings were extremely simple, with only a few crudely made pottery pieces inside. However, Luo Hai and Liu Ziping¡¯s eyes lit up when they saw them¡ªit seemed these were quite old artifacts. There was a long-dried oil lamp in the room. Seeing it, I suddenly had the urge to play around, so I took out my lighter and lit it. I thought the oil, having been exposed to the elements for so long, would burn out quickly, but to my surprise, it continued to burn. Even more bizarre, the solidified lamp oil inside slowly melted as it heated up. However, the flame emitted a ghostly blue light¡ªI had no idea what kind of oil it was made from. Uncle Li also seemed quite intrigued by the lamp oil, observing it closely beside me for a long time. "Uncle Li, what do you think this lamp oil is made of?" I asked curiously. Uncle Li dipped his fingertip into the oil and brought it to his nose, taking a slight sniff. Then, he frowned and said, "It''s mermaid oil! But this stuff was extremely expensive in ancient times, usually reserved for the eternal lamps inside the tombs of high-ranking officials. Why would it appear in a commoner''s house?" The moment Liu Ziping heard this, he quickly moved closer for a look. "It really is mermaid oil! But using it as a lamp oil doesn¡¯t mean it will burn forever. The reason tombs have eternal lamps is that their sealed environment has limited oxygen. Once the wick burns up the available oxygen, the lamp naturally extinguishes. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of tombs, but I¡¯ve never seen an eternal lamp still burning¡ªthey usually burn out once the oxygen is gone, leaving behind the oil in a semi-solidified state, just like this one." Hearing him say this, I thought to myself¡ªthis guy really is a professional tomb raider. It seemed like everyone here had their own specialties. With that in mind, I deliberately asked Liu Ziping, "Liu, how old do you think this place is?" Liu Ziping glanced around and then said in a low voice, "At least two thousand years old. Look at these pottery pieces¡ªthe style is similar to Han Dynasty artifacts, but with some differences. Back in ancient times, there were many small kingdoms here, like Loulan and Ruoqiang. But I can''t pinpoint which civilization this city belonged to. However, one thing is for sure¡ªthis place hasn''t been discovered before. If it had, I would have heard about it." I trusted Liu Ziping''s expertise in this area¡ªhe was probably right. What I wasn''t sure about was whether we could become the first to officially announce this discovery. But I kept thinking about what Uncle Li had said earlier¡ªthis "Black City." I had a bad feeling that we weren¡¯t the first people to set foot here; it¡¯s just that no one who came before us had ever made it out of the desert alive¡­ Suddenly, I felt the urge to pee. I looked outside¡ªit was pitch black¡ªand felt a little scared. So, I nudged Ding Yi beside me and said with a grin, "Hey¡­ come with me outside for a moment?" Ding Yi didn¡¯t say anything. He just grabbed a Wolf Eyes flashlight from his backpack and motioned for me to follow him. After taking care of business outside, I didn¡¯t want to stay there for another second. But just as I turned around, I suddenly sensed something was off. I looked around carefully and finally realized¡ªwhy wasn¡¯t there any wind in this ancient city? Even if the buildings blocked some of the airflow, I still clearly remembered the strong winds from last night. How could it now be completely still? Feeling uneasy, I glanced around again, and what I saw nearly made me pee myself all over again. Every single house in the city was glowing with the same eerie blue light¡ªjust like its long-gone residents had all returned home¡­ Before I could make sense of it, Ding Yi suddenly grabbed me and started walking back at a rapid pace. "Slow down¡­ Why are you walking so fast?" I almost lost my balance, but Ding Yi was incredibly strong. He easily steadied me and kept moving quickly. As he dragged me along, I suddenly noticed something strange beneath my feet. Looking closer, I saw that a thin layer of mist covered the ground, as delicate as a cicada¡¯s wings. But the most peculiar thing was its color¡ªa faint, ghostly purple! Back inside, Ding Yi immediately bolted the door. Uncle Li saw the tense look on our faces and asked, "What happened? Did you see that gray shadow again?" I shook my head and quickly described everything we had just witnessed. The others all looked shocked. Uncle Li peered out the window and was so stunned he couldn¡¯t speak for a long time. A layer of faint purple mist hovered over the city¡¯s ground, adding to the eeriness of the whole place. I had no idea what kind of place this was. Before entering, I could feel a deep, overwhelming sadness. But once inside, I felt nothing at all. And then there was that mysterious shadow. If I wasn''t mistaken, that was the very person we were searching for. But there was no way he could still be alive! His pocket watch already held a fragment of his soul, meaning he had to be dead. So why was he appearing here, in this long-lost city? Too many questions flooded my mind, and now, with the purple mist and the glowing mermaid oil lamps, the entire city looked even more terrifying. Then, a terrifying thought suddenly crept into my mind. Could it be that this entire ancient city was actually¡­ a giant tomb? I voiced my suspicion, but Uncle Li was the first to shake his head. "What kind of tomb would be built like this? Haizi, Ziping, have you ever seen anything like this?" Both of them shook their heads. "This place is definitely strange, but it¡¯s not a tomb. Judging by the layout and the objects inside, everything seems to be from around two thousand years ago. But strangely, they don¡¯t look as aged as they should. Most ancient ruins are in shambles after centuries of wind and sand erosion. How could this city still be so intact?" "Could this be a movie set?" Ye Zhiqiu asked hesitantly. I shook my head. "That¡¯s even less likely. Who would build a set in such a desolate place? And even if they did, there would be workers maintaining it, right? Modern movie sets are built in areas with easy access. No one would be foolish enough to construct one out here in the middle of nowhere!"


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 Chapter 15: The Black Palace

    Ye Zhiqiu became even more frightened after hearing my analysis. Her face turned pale as she asked, "Fog can be a natural phenomenon, but who lit the oil lamps in every house?" Right! That was the biggest concern. Regardless of whether the one lighting the lamps was human or ghost, they clearly had no good intentions. Otherwise, why go through all this effort to scare us? Maybe they even stole our car! Things were becoming more unfavorable for us, and for a moment, I regretted coming to this eerie place just for money. After discussing with Uncle Li and Luo Hai, we came up with several plans, but none of them were feasible. The biggest problem right now wasn¡¯t food¡ªit was water. A person can survive for a week with little to no food, but going without water for the same amount of time is impossible. If we ended up dying in this ancient city, we might even make it onto the evening news¡ªCCTV¡¯s evening news, no less¡ªbecoming an international sensation! But rather than a "notable death," I preferred "staying alive." After all, my skill was finding other people''s corpses, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to end up as one myself. Night had fallen, and everyone was exhausted. It seemed that all matters would have to wait until morning. Maybe when we stepped out of the city gates tomorrow, our car would miraculously reappear? Hopefully, Lady Luck would smile upon us¡­ Without sleeping bags, we had no choice but to huddle together for warmth. Ding Yi¡¯s hands were cold, but his body was surprisingly warm¡ªa decent heat source! I fell asleep quickly this time. Ding Yi, however, remained awake. In such an uncertain environment, he was determined to keep watch. A Sudden Sorrow In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt a sharp pang in my heart. A wave of intense sorrow spread through me, suffocating and unbearable, as if I was waiting for someone who would never arrive¡­ Abruptly, I opened my eyes¡ªonly to find Ding Yi staring straight at me. Still lost in the sadness, I was startled. "Damn! Why are you staring at me?" "You were crying," Ding Yi said flatly. I froze, then reached up to touch my face. Sure enough, it was wet. Why was I crying? As a child, I sometimes woke up from dreams in tears, but ever since growing up, this had never happened again. Had I just dreamt of something heart-wrenching? But no matter how hard I tried to recall, I couldn¡¯t remember a thing¡ªonly an overwhelming sadness lingering inside me. "How long was I crying?" I asked Ding Yi, knowing he hadn¡¯t slept at all. He shrugged. "You started as soon as you fell asleep. At first, the sound was faint, so I wasn¡¯t sure if you were crying or just talking in your sleep." What the hell?! I started crying the moment I fell asleep? Why?! This place was seriously creepy! No matter what, we had to leave by daylight¡ªeven if we had no car! Morning Brings No Relief At dawn, everyone gradually woke up¡­ Somehow, the mermaid oil lamps in the room had gone out on their own. No one wanted to waste our dwindling food supply, so we each just drank two small sips of water. Our greatest hope was still to find our missing vehicle. But the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. When we opened the city gate, there was nothing outside¡ªjust an endless stretch of barren desert. No one dared to step into that desolation recklessly. Maybe the heavens were toying with us. It wasn¡¯t even 10 a.m., yet the ground temperature had already reached a scorching 50¡ãC (122¡ãF). Zhao Qiang and Ye Zhiqiu suggested returning to the ancient city. Although there was no food, it should be easier to find water. I knew Zhao Qiang¡¯s suggestion was reasonable¡ªhis survival skills weren¡¯t for nothing¡ªbut the thought of going back into that city made me uneasy. Perhaps it was just psychological, but the temperature inside the ancient city felt noticeably lower than outside. Even though we were all wearing long-sleeved jackets, a chill crept down our spines. "We need to find a water source quickly," Ye Zhiqiu said anxiously. "Right now, water is our biggest concern." Uncle Li nodded, then pointed toward the towering black structure at the city¡¯s center. "Let¡¯s check there. There should be a water source, but we don¡¯t know if it has dried up." Everyone turned their gaze toward the distant black tower¡ªit was our only hope. Following the Water Channels The tower was located in the heart of the ancient city. As we walked closer, we noticed that the ground beneath us had changed from yellow earth to black stones. At that moment, Uncle Li discovered something else¡ªa shallow trench running alongside the road. After observing it for a while, he said, "This must have been a rainwater collection channel. If we follow it, we should find an old water reservoir!" The thought of finding water lifted everyone''s spirits. If we could locate a water source, we had a real chance of escaping this godforsaken desert! Though our main objective was to find the biologist¡¯s remains, our survival took precedence. Otherwise, even if we found him, we¡¯d likely end up just like him¡ªforever buried in this place. As we walked along the black stone road, an eerie silence settled over us. If we didn¡¯t speak, we could hear nothing but our own breathing and heartbeats. "Uncle Li, isn¡¯t it too quiet here?" I asked uneasily. Uncle Li nodded. "Be careful, everyone. This place is unusually strange. Once we find water, we¡¯re leaving immediately¡ªthis is no place to linger!" Ye Zhiqiu, the only woman in our group, had come as our medic. She probably hadn¡¯t expected to encounter such terrifying circumstances. She looked around in horror, as if expecting a monster to leap out and devour her at any moment. I felt a pang of sympathy and reassured her, "Don¡¯t worry, Zhiqiu. We¡¯ll be fine. Besides, if anything happens, you have us guys to protect you. You¡¯re safe with me!" No sooner had I said that than Ding Yi, walking ahead of me, turned around and shot me a look of pure disdain. His expression practically screamed, You? If something happens, who¡¯s protecting who? Embarrassed, I pretended not to see him and looked away. But in my mind, I was cursing him in English¡­ Then, just as I was avoiding Ding Yi¡¯s gaze, an inexplicable sense of unease gripped me. I abruptly lifted my head¡ª In the distance, directly to our north, loomed a black building. It was our destination¡ªthe Black Tower. The material of the tower seemed identical to the black stones beneath our feet and the city walls surrounding us. Even more unsettling, the small trench we had been following was not alone¡ªdozens of similar channels converged from all directions, flowing straight into the Black Tower. It was clear now¡­ In the past, this was not just the center of the ancient city. It was the heart of power itself.


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 Chapter 16: The Terror of the Black Tower

    The towering black structure before us left everyone in awe. Constructing such a building with today''s technology might not be a challenge, but more than two thousand years ago, it would have been an extraordinary feat. I approached the black tower and lightly touched the stone used for its construction. The surface was icy cold. Upon closer inspection, I realized that these black stones resembled a rare metallic ore, similar to ilmenite. Yet, throughout our journey, we had not seen such stones anywhere. Once we entered the desert, all we encountered was an endless sea of sand. So where had people from thousands of years ago obtained such rare ilmenite ore? "What''s wrong? Is there something strange about these stones?" Uncle Li walked over and asked when he saw me touching the wall in silence. I turned to look at him and said uncertainly, "These black stones appear to be a rare type of ore, possibly ilmenite, but I''m not entirely sure." As I spoke, I raised my left hand near the wall. Instantly, the hands of my mechanical watch began spinning wildly. Noticing this, Uncle Li took out his compass and rotated it in different directions. His expression darkened as he said, "The magnetic field here is abnormal. My compass is useless!" Curious, I leaned in to look at his compass. Sure enough, its needle was spinning wildly, just like my watch hands. At that moment, Luo Hai walked over and touched the stone as well. He frowned and said, "These black stones look very similar to a type of extraterrestrial rock I once encountered." "Extraterrestrial rock? What kind of stone is that?" I asked, intrigued. Luo Hai gazed up at the towering structure and explained, "It''s actually a type of meteorite. Its most notable characteristic is that it can alter the surrounding magnetic field." Hearing our discussion, Zhao Qiang grew increasingly interested in the black stones. He continuously snapped photos with his camera, saying excitedly, "This is a major discovery! If we bring these photos back, they''ll cause a sensation in the archaeology world!" However, Liu Ziping scoffed and sneered, "Archaeology world? How ridiculous. Tell me, who among us here is actually from the archaeology world?" His words carried a sour tone, clearly showing the long-standing hostility between the "grave-robbing" and "archaeology" communities. Zhao Qiang, caught off guard by Liu Ziping''s sarcastic remark, looked displeased and was about to argue when Uncle Li intervened. "Enough! Our priority right now is to find a water source. If we can''t find water, even if we discover a mountain of gold, it''ll become our burial ground!" Seeing Uncle Li''s stern expression, everyone fell silent. We circled the black tower and finally found an entrance on the northern side. It was an arched black wooden door, adorned with two stone door knockers engraved with mysterious totems. Luo Hai stepped forward first and pushed with all his might. The door was heavy and barely budged. Seeing this, Liu Ziping joined him, and with their combined effort, the door slowly creaked open. The moment it opened, a wave of decay and rot surged outward. Uncle Li quickly pulled us back and warned, "The air in here has been trapped for over a thousand years. We need to let it circulate before entering, in case there are any toxic gases." Everyone quickly backed away. But as I stood at the doorway, I was drawn to the darkness beyond. It felt as though something¡ªor someone¡ªwas crying inside. A woman, sobbing bitterly. Uncle Li noticed my unusual reaction and immediately asked, "What''s wrong? Is something strange inside?" I hesitated for a moment before replying, "I''m not sure¡­ but I have a bad feeling." He asked seriously, "Could it be the missing person from years ago?" I turned my gaze back to the darkness and murmured, "I don¡¯t know. But if someone died here, they definitely entered this place before their death." Half an hour later, Luo Hai cautiously tested the air near the entrance. "It should be safe now. The stagnant air has mostly dispersed." At that moment, Zhao Qiang took out a glow stick, snapped it, and threw it inside. The faint greenish glow revealed that the interior was a vast space. The sound of the glow stick hitting the ground echoed, confirming the hall''s large size. Perhaps due to their profession, Luo Hai and Liu Ziping were the first to step inside. Meanwhile, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated, clearly reluctant to enter. I had always been chivalrous, so I walked over to her with a smile. "What¡¯s wrong? Scared?" Her face was pale as she stared into the darkness beyond the door. "This ancient city has been here for over two thousand years, but at least we can still see the sky outside. But inside here¡­" "Don''t worry! We''re all here. If anything happens, we''ve got you covered." I flashed the same charming smile I used to use back in school. Behind me, Ding Yi, growing impatient, simply walked past us and entered first. Realizing that only Ye Zhiqiu and I remained outside, I quickly grabbed her hand and led her in. Inside, the space was just as vast as I had imagined. By the glow of the fluorescent stick, we could see that the floor was also made of the same black stone, and just standing on it sent a chilling sensation up our legs. "It¡¯s so cold in here!" Ye Zhiqiu shivered, hugging herself. "That¡¯s normal," Uncle Li said. "This place hasn¡¯t seen sunlight for over two thousand years, so the yin energy must be quite strong. Everyone, be careful, especially with your footing." He swept his flashlight around the darker areas. Luo Hai was also searching for something. Suddenly, he turned to Liu Ziping and gestured toward the western corner. Liu Ziping immediately understood, took out a lighter, and approached the spot. I followed their gaze and saw an oddly shaped lampstand. Liu Ziping lit the wick, and instantly, with a series of "whoosh" sounds, multiple lamps around the hall ignited simultaneously. In an instant, the entire space was illuminated. We were still marveling at the cleverly designed lighting mechanism when Ye Zhiqiu suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Ah¡­ Who¡ªwho is that?" Her voice rang out through the vast hall, echoing eerily. She was standing right next to me, and her sudden scream startled me so much that I instinctively hid behind Ding Yi. Not just me¡ªeveryone was shaken by her outburst, except Ding Yi, who remained utterly unfazed. All eyes turned to Ye Zhiqiu. Her face was deathly pale, her lips trembling, and she was pointing toward the eastern side of the hall, unable to utter another word. Following her gaze, we all turned¡ªand saw an unimaginably horrifying sight. There, seated motionless in the eastern part of the hall, was a person. A woman. A woman dressed in a bright red wedding gown.


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 Chapter 17: The Corpse Bride

    The woman sat motionless, as if she had been waiting for us for a thousand years. The moment I saw her, an inexplicable sadness welled up in my heart, as if my chest was being squeezed tight. The sorrow was so overwhelming that I had the urge to cry... In such an eerie place, the sudden appearance of a woman dressed in a crimson wedding gown would have scared any ordinary person senseless. However, Uncle Li and Luo Hai were not ordinary people. They remained calm, carefully observing her without making any rash moves. Time passed by, and I noticed that the woman still hadn¡¯t moved. She showed no reaction to our presence. Her head was covered with a red veil, preventing us from seeing her face. ¡°She¡¯s not alive,¡± Luo Hai was the first to break the silence. Uncle Li nodded. ¡°Indeed. There¡¯s no trace of life on her. But her attire is too strange. Everyone, stay on guard.¡± Luo Hai, being an expert tomb raider, had seen countless corpses in his time. He took out a telescopic baton, flicked it open, and cautiously approached the eerie bride¡­ Everyone was so tense that they held their breath, but their heartbeats quickened. In such a silent space, I could clearly hear the pounding of our hearts. I couldn¡¯t stand the oppressive atmosphere anymore, so I took a step forward to follow Luo Hai and get a closer look at the woman. But just as I moved, Ding Yi grabbed my arm. ¡°The situation is unclear. With your skills, you shouldn¡¯t rush in recklessly,¡± he said. I rolled my eyes at him. Though I felt a little indignant, I had to admit he was right. With my lack of combat skills, if something went wrong, I¡¯d be the first to die. Ding Yi held me back, but he himself followed Luo Hai, cautiously approaching the red-clad woman. ¡°Be careful,¡± I muttered anxiously. Just as Luo Hai¡¯s baton was about to lift the red veil, a sudden urgent voice rang out from behind us¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± We were all startled and immediately turned to look in the direction of the voice. It wasn¡¯t any of us who had spoken! Uncle Li had the sharpest eyes. He immediately spotted a shadowy figure standing in a dark corner beyond the reach of the lanterns. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡± Uncle Li barked. The figure hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped out of the darkness. When I saw his face, I was utterly shocked! I instinctively turned to look at Uncle Li and saw that his expression was just as astonished as mine. It was a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a blue-gray work uniform. His face was pale, his skin cracked from dehydration. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here? And why don¡¯t you want us to touch her?¡± Zhao Qiang asked cautiously. The middle-aged man, his voice weak, replied, ¡°I¡¯m a member of a scientific expedition team. While searching for water, I got separated from my group. Then a massive sandstorm hit, and I lost my way. I eventually stumbled upon this place, hoping to find some drinkable water.¡± Zhao Qiang and the others seemed to lower their guard upon hearing his explanation. However, I was still highly skeptical. I exchanged a glance with Uncle Li, but he subtly shook his head, signaling me to stay put for now. Suppressing my doubts, I feigned composure and asked, ¡°Uncle, why did you say we shouldn¡¯t touch this woman?¡± The man adjusted his glasses and pointed to the side of the red-clad woman. ¡°Look from this angle¡­¡± Luo Hai immediately shone his flashlight in that direction, and we all gasped in horror¡ªthin, vine-like tendrils were growing out of the woman¡¯s body, creeping all the way up to her face beneath the veil. ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± Luo Hai asked, his voice laced with shock. The middle-aged man pulled out a notebook from his bag, flipped through a few pages, and then explained, ¡°This is an ancient species of spore plant dating back to the Cretaceous period. It completes its life cycle by parasitizing animal hosts. ¡°Look, the tendrils extending into the veil have dormant spores on them. If anyone touches the veil, the spores will be released instantly. Once inhaled, a person will die within twelve hours. Their body will then remain perfectly preserved, just like this corpse, until another living creature comes along and touches it. Then the cycle repeats.¡± Everyone was horrified. We had narrowly avoided disaster¡ªif Luo Hai had touched the veil, none of us would have survived at this distance. ¡°How do you know this plant is lethal?¡± Zhao Qiang asked skeptically. The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses again. ¡°I¡¯m a biologist. This is my area of expertise. Although I¡¯ve never encountered this species in real life before, I can infer its properties from the murals on the walls.¡± Hearing this, we all turned to the walls and finally noticed the intricate carvings covering them. Each mural was exquisitely detailed, but I struggled to piece together the full story they told. The first mural depicted a strange figure¡ªpart human, part fish¡ªemerging from the sea. In the second, this same being wore human clothing and was engaged in farming. I noticed Uncle Li furrowing his brows as he studied the murals. Curious, I asked, ¡°Uncle Li, can you understand what these murals are saying?¡± Instead of answering, Uncle Li politely turned to the middle-aged man. ¡°Can you interpret them?¡± The man nodded. ¡°I can understand about seventy to eighty percent.¡± And so, he began to recount the story depicted on the walls¡ª According to the murals, the ancestors of this place were once sea-dwelling creatures known as merfolk. However, due to geological changes, the sea dried up, forcing them to migrate onto land. Over time, they adapted and integrated with human society, becoming indistinguishable from regular people. Although they had moved onto land, the merfolk still couldn¡¯t survive without water. After a long and arduous search, they finally found the original site of this ancient city, which had an underground water source. But just when they thought they had secured their survival, something terrifying happened. The first few merfolk who went to fetch water died suddenly. However, those who went in afterward remained unharmed. This strange phenomenon occurred every seven years. Eventually, they came to believe that the underground water was guarded by a ¡°Water God.¡± If they wanted to use the water, they had to offer a human sacrifice every seven years. Then, one day, fire rained from the sky. The entire land was engulfed in flames. The merfolk, seeking refuge in the underground water, were the only ones who survived. The firestorm raged for seven days and nights. When the flames finally died down, the merfolk emerged to find that the land was now covered in countless black stones of various sizes¡­


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 Chapter 18: The Pool of Corpses

    The merfolk believed that these black stones possessed a mysterious power, allowing them to build a palace that could withstand the scorching flames. So, they collected all the black stones scattered across the land and used them to construct this ancient city. The final mural depicted a grim practice¡ªdue to the lack of resources in the area, the deceased merfolk were refined into an oil-like substance, the very same "merfolk oil" we had encountered before, used for illumination. At this point, Uncle Li continued questioning the middle-aged man, "So, the ''Water God'' in the murals is actually the deadly plant you mentioned?" "Yes, the spores of this plant seem to mature every seven years. If an animal comes into contact with it during this time, it will release its spores. Given that this underground water vein has likely existed for tens of millions of years, it¡¯s not surprising that a Cretaceous-era organism would still be present. The merfolk worshiping it as a guardian deity of the water source makes sense," the middle-aged man explained. Dr. Ye Zhiqiu, the team¡¯s medic, was most concerned about finding a water source. She quickly asked, "Sir, have you found any drinkable water here?" The middle-aged man nodded confidently, "Yes. This place was originally a temple for sacrifices, and beneath it lies the water reservoir that once supplied the entire city." I glanced at the middle-aged man''s dry, cracked lips and felt a strong sense of doubt. If there really was water, why hadn¡¯t he drunk any? If the water wasn''t the problem, then maybe he was the problem! The middle-aged man led us to the entrance of the temple¡¯s water reservoir. It wasn¡¯t hidden at all, but when I got closer, I was still shocked by the ancient engineering skills. The reservoir was about the size of a basketball court, with a water surface as still as a mirror. Stepping inside, an eerie chill immediately seeped into my bones, suggesting the water temperature was extremely low. Suddenly, my heart clenched, and that familiar sensation returned¡ªthough this time, it was different. I didn¡¯t see any visions, but I could hear countless whispers all around me. Some were deep, some shrill, some male, some female, some old, some young¡­ The overwhelming voices left me momentarily dazed. The dim lighting inside forced everyone to turn on their high-powered flashlights. When the beams illuminated the reservoir, we were surprised to find that despite being stagnant, the water was crystal clear. Unable to resist his thirst, Zhao Qiang eagerly scooped up some water with his canteen and took a swig. "Wait! Better boil it first¡ªit¡¯s not flowing water," Ye Zhiqiu warned. But Zhao Qiang shook his head. "Don¡¯t worry, this has to be a flowing water source. Otherwise, it would have dried up long ago. The reservoir must be connected to the underground water vein!" His reasoning seemed sound, and Liu Ziping followed suit, scooping up a handful of water and sniffing it. After tasting a small drop on his tongue, he reassured everyone, "No strange odor¡ªit should be safe to drink." Encouraged by this, everyone started filling their canteens. The only one who didn¡¯t join in was Ding Yi. He had a suspicious expression as he walked deeper into the reservoir, shining his flashlight into the water. Then, suddenly¡ªa pale, ghastly face surfaced from below! I was still hesitant about drinking from this dead-still water. A strong sense of unease gnawed at me. Could this really be safe to drink? Why was the entire ancient city abandoned, except for that red-dressed corpse bride? My mind flooded with unanswered questions, but before I could process them, Ding Yi suddenly shouted, "Don¡¯t drink it! There¡¯s something in the water!" But it was too late¡ªZhao Qiang and Liu Ziping had already taken a sip. Their faces paled as they turned to look at Ding Yi in horror. Hearing Ding Yi¡¯s warning, I immediately understood¡ªthere were corpses in the water. A lot of them. I rushed toward Ding Yi. Although I had braced myself, the sight of the swollen, bloated corpses floating beneath the water still made me turn away and vomit. This was my first time encountering such a mass of dead bodies. The others immediately realized something was wrong, especially Zhao Qiang and Liu Ziping, who had just drunk the water. Their faces turned even greener as they gagged and retched. It took all my willpower to suppress the nausea churning in my stomach. I forced myself to take another look at the water. The bodies appeared to be the original inhabitants of the ancient city. But why had they all died here? These ancient corpses had remained intact for thousands of years, likely preserved by the low, constant temperature of the water. The reservoir had been sealed off for a long time, preventing further decomposition. I wanted to step closer for a better look, but Ding Yi quickly pulled me back. "Don¡¯t touch the water¡ªit¡¯s contaminated." I didn¡¯t need him to tell me that. This was essentially corpse water that had been brewing for over two thousand years. I could only feel pity for the two unfortunate souls who had already taken a sip. Uncle Li¡¯s face darkened as he stared at the floating bodies. "This water source is no longer viable. We¡¯ll have to find another one." Then, turning to the middle-aged man, he asked, "Do you know of any other drinkable water sources?" The middle-aged man seemed equally shocked by the discovery, muttering to himself, "How could this be? Why didn¡¯t I notice these corpses before? How could this have happened¡­?" After a long pause, he finally responded with despair, "No¡­ I¡¯ve searched every inch of this ancient city. This is the only reservoir." Everyone fell silent, their expressions bleak. Were we really going to die of thirst here? As the group¡¯s morale plummeted, Ding Yi suddenly whispered to me, "Be careful of that man¡ªhe¡¯s not alive." His words sent a chill down my spine. Had I been right all along? I turned to look at the middle-aged man again. His complexion was bluish, his eye sockets sunken¡­ If he truly wasn¡¯t human, then maybe he had brought us here on purpose. Was he planning to make us all stay with him? The atmosphere grew heavier with despair, as if we were already doomed. Sensing this, Uncle Li quickly stepped in to rally everyone. "Don¡¯t give up hope just yet! We¡¯ll find another source of water somehow. As long as we don¡¯t quit, there¡¯s still a chance! This place is filled with corpses, and the air is heavy with death. We should leave immediately and come up with another plan." He was right¡ªexperience spoke volumes. Uncle Li had been through far more than any of us, and he remained steady even in dire situations. Right now, all I could do was pray that he wasn¡¯t just bluffing. Because if he was lying¡ªif there really was no way out of this¡ªI would make sure that even as a ghost, I wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook!


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 Chapter 19: The Black Storm

    After hearing Uncle Li¡¯s words, everyone quickly retreated to the temple¡¯s main hall. After all, there was only one corpse here, whereas the water cellar contained an uncountable number of bodies... I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just my imagination, but even after reaching the main hall, I could still hear murmurs in my ears. Yet, when I tried to listen carefully, I couldn¡¯t make out anything. This place was truly eerie. Normally, when I was near a corpse, I could sense their final memories. But here, it was as if some mysterious force had weakened my ability¡ªsometimes even making it disappear entirely. The red-clad bride in the temple¡¯s main hall remained motionless, sitting just as she had before. After hearing what the middle-aged man had said, everyone cautiously avoided her. However, I found myself deeply intrigued by this corpse. Every time I got near her, an overwhelming sadness would wash over me... Once we left the temple, the sun was still blazing. Since our water and food supplies were running dangerously low, we couldn¡¯t afford to stay exposed under the scorching sun. So, we returned to the house where we had spent the previous night. It was the closest place to the city gate, making it easier to escape if necessary. The middle-aged man left the temple with us. Though I remained wary of him, I couldn¡¯t just leave him behind. Ding Yi, on the other hand, kept a close watch on him, as if expecting something to go wrong at any moment. Back at the house, Ye Zhiqiu distributed some naan and water to everyone. Because of the severe shortage, we were all rationed a limited amount. Looking at the tiny piece of naan in my hand, I felt a deep sense of regret¡ªif I were to die here, my savings in the bank would remain untouched! Uncle Li noticed my daze and urged, ¡°Eat something. You need to keep up your strength if we¡¯re going to make it out of here.¡± I nodded and took a bite of the dry naan. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t as bad as I had expected... Seeing that everyone had lost their appetite, Zhao Qiang tried to lighten the mood with a joke. ¡°Do you guys know what¡¯s the best way to eat naan in Xinjiang?¡± No one was in the mood to guess, so we simply shook our heads. Zhao Qiang took another bite of naan and continued, ¡°In Xinjiang, the best way to eat naan is with roasted lamb skewers. You grab a couple of sizzling skewers dripping with fat, slide the meat onto the naan, and take a big bite... That taste¡ªoh man, it¡¯s so good you¡¯d swear your tongue was melting!¡± The way he described it made my mouth water involuntarily. I silently swore to myself¡ªif I made it out of here alive, I would have a proper feast of authentic Xinjiang lamb skewers! Just as Zhao Qiang was talking excitedly, I noticed a small red bump on the tiger¡¯s mouth (the area between the thumb and index finger) of his right hand. It looked like a mosquito bite. ¡°Zhao Qiang, did something bite your hand?¡± I asked. He paused, looked at his hand, and indeed saw the bean-sized red bump. It itched slightly but didn¡¯t seem serious. He chuckled, ¡°No big deal, probably just a mosquito bite. It¡¯ll go away soon.¡± After eating, Uncle Li gathered us to discuss our next steps. We agreed that we couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait¡ªwe needed to find water. The ancient city was large, and there was still a chance another water source existed. The middle-aged man insisted he had searched everywhere and found nothing, but we decided to look again. If we could find water, we wouldn¡¯t have to remain trapped here. Uncle Li split us into two teams to search in opposite directions. Regardless of whether we found anything, we were to meet back at the house in two hours. Zhao Qiang, Ye Zhiqiu, Luo Hai, and Liu Ziping formed one group. The middle-aged man, Uncle Li, Ding Yi, and I were in the other. Before leaving, we checked outside the city in the desperate hope of a miracle. But all we saw was an endless desert¡ªno sign of our vehicle, let alone another living soul. We followed our assigned route, searching every house we passed, but we didn¡¯t find a single drop of water. We walked in silence. I noticed Uncle Li checking his phone multiple times¡ªprobably looking at something specific. His expression made it clear that he was uncertain about something. Doubt lingered in my mind. It had been decades¡ªwas this middle-aged man truly alive or dead? And Ding Yi... he seemed so sure about something, much more certain than Uncle Li and me. Then, by chance, I looked up at the sky. On the western horizon, a dark line had appeared. Moments ago, the sun had been blazing overhead, but now, thick clouds rapidly rolled in, casting a shadow over the land. The sky changed in an instant. Uncle Li¡¯s expression darkened, as if sensing impending danger. ¡°The black storm is coming!¡± the middle-aged man suddenly shouted, pointing at the sky. Only then did I realize that the dark clouds in the west were moving at an astonishing speed. Looking closer, I saw that it wasn¡¯t a regular storm¡ªit was a massive, rolling wave of black sand! ¡°A black storm? Will we be safe in the ancient city?¡± I asked anxiously. The middle-aged man glanced at his watch. ¡°At its current speed, it¡¯ll reach us in less than thirty minutes. The mud-brick houses might not withstand it, but the temple should be safe.¡± Uncle Li agreed with his assessment. However, we had been separated from Zhao Qiang¡¯s group. We had to find them before the storm hit! We rushed in the direction where Zhao Qiang¡¯s team had gone, hoping to locate them before the storm arrived. But despite searching all the way back to the houses near the city gate, they were nowhere to be found. A sense of unease crept into my heart¡ªsplitting up had been a mistake... ¡°What do we do, Uncle Li? Where could they have gone?¡± I asked, worried. Uncle Li was also troubled. After thinking for a moment, he picked up a piece of broken tile and scratched a few words onto the wooden table inside the house: "Head to the temple immediately." Then he looked up at us and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll wait for them at the temple.¡± By the time we reached the temple entrance, half the sky had already been swallowed by darkness. The black storm had arrived...


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