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墨書 Inktalez
At six or seven in the morning the next day, Dong Tong had the supplies delivered by truck. I looked at the large bags—there were a total of seven or eight. This didn't even include each person's luggage. Due to the tight schedule, we decided to set off earlier than planned, hoping to leave some time for rest.
I took Furball with me and quickly packed a large backpack. Inside, I placed "Mausoleum Secrets," "Mao Mountain Secret Essentials Heart Method," "Falling Star Investigation," Grandfather's Diary, Celestial Five Thunder Talisman, Master Copper Seal, Black Dog Rope, a bunch of Yellow Talismans, Cinnabar, a compass, and a brush, among other things. I also packed a few sets of clothes. I changed into my Camouflage Military Uniform and put on Lightweight Hiking Shoes, fully armed but with a manageable backpack!
Big Mouth Lee carried a small daypack, while Zhengyang had an ancient-style bundle that was quite light. Bald Qiang didn't have much luggage either. Dong Tong had changed into loose sportswear and hiking boots; she alone carried over ten large bags! I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"Sister Dong, bringing so much stuff? Do you think we're going on vacation?"
"Don't you have your own things?" Dong Tong replied dismissively. I thought to myself, "No way! She can't be planning to use us as pack mules!"
"Sister Dong, there are no vehicles in the desert; aren't you just making things harder for yourself?"
"Then should we just throw it all away?"
"Come on, if we each take one or two bags, it won't be heavy. Besides, there are camels in the desert!" Big Mouth Lee quickly intervened, fearing Dong Tong might get angry. "Isn't that good enough?" Dong Tong smiled slightly and covered her mouth. "I was just joking! These are my luggage from Rongcheng; I plan to have Li Gen take them back to Hukou Village!"
Upon hearing this, my face turned green with realization—this girl was teasing me! You can't judge a book by its cover!
Dong Tong picked out a backpack from inside. "Time waits for no one; we leave at eight! We'll take turns driving and plan to rest in Minfeng County after three hours."
"You can ride in my car!" Dong Tong pointed at me. Since I didn't have a vehicle anyway, it didn't matter whose car I took.
Originally, we planned to drive two cars, but Dong Tong insisted on driving herself. So we ended up with three vehicles: one for me, Dong Tong, and Furball; another for Zhengyang and Big Mouth Lee; and Bald Qiang drove his own car. Later on, Bald Qiang parked his car halfway and hopped into Big Mouth Lee's vehicle. We drove non-stop day and night, taking turns resting until we finally reached Minfeng County after three nights.
By the time we arrived in Minfeng County, it was already morning. With a population of around 40,000 people, it wasn't too big of a place. We casually found a hotel to stay in; it was much more rudimentary than those in the mainland.
We split into three rooms: one for me and Zhengyang, one for Big Mouth Lee and Bald Qiang, and Dong Tong had her own room.
After traveling over four thousand kilometers day and night for three days straight, we were completely exhausted. As soon as we checked into the hotel, we collapsed into bed for a deep sleep. We were too lazy to even eat lunch; when we finally woke up, it was already around seven or eight at night. We went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant before returning to the hotel and headed straight to Dong Tong's room.
We gathered around on the wool rug with each of us holding a cup of mare's milk tea and half of a roasted flatbread.
"Our destination this time is the Nine-Tiered Corpse Tower, not the Desert Eye. Therefore, we'll investigate Niya and Loulan along the way before detouring to Spir Castle to search for the Chule Kingdom Ruins!"
I was taken aback—how did she know about the Nine-Tiered Corpse Tower? What an impressive woman; she shouldn't be underestimated!
"So we're not going to the Desert Eye then?" Big Mouth Lee seemed completely clueless as usual.
Dong Tong shot him a stern glance. "We'll discuss this later. No need to rush! Back when I studied in England, I discovered a file sealed for 199 years in the Stein Room of the British Museum, which contained records about Li Gedan!"
The Stein Room in the London British Museum is renowned. After the treasures from Dunhuang were brought to England, the documentation was stored in the Indian section of the British Library, while the silk paintings and textiles were kept in the Stein Room. This mysterious repository is famous but seldom visited. It is only open to scholars studying the Silk Road; even social elites and former British Prime Minister Blair or Prince Charles must stop at its entrance.
"The Dong Family is truly remarkable!" I believed everyone present, except Furball, thought the same.
"According to the records, after Li Gedan left the Western Lord's Tomb at Desert Eye, he went into hiding with an old man named Xia Youfang near Niya Ancient City, after which he vanished! The file contains markings indicating that Soviet spies bribed local herdsmen. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the file was transferred to the British Museum and was stored in this secret room due to its relevance to Central Asian exploration!"
"Xia Ji, I hear Xia Youfang is your grandfather; that's correct, right?" I nodded; there was nothing particularly good about that.
"You are a descendant of Old Man Xia and must be familiar with Central Asian history. Why not take this opportunity to share some stories about Stein?" Stein was a notorious relic thief from the Western Region and a renowned archaeologist. I had dabbled in this history at one point, so I had some understanding.
"What does that have to do with my actions?" I retorted.
"Enough chatter! I found references to Wei Chi Wan Er in Stein's Notes; you must be interested." Wei Chi Wan Er was the name on the engagement. I was alarmed: "She doesn't come with good intentions!" I thought it was likely that she was trying to intimidate me with something related to my old man!
"Stein's Notes are quite common on the market!"
"Do you have a manuscript copy?"
To be honest, I had only read a few e-books on my computer; high-quality manuscript copies were beyond my reach. As someone who struggled with English, even if I had one, I wouldn't understand it! So I didn't want to argue further.
"Alright then! My knowledge of Stein comes solely from Stein's Chinese Expedition Journal, so let me give you a brief overview!" Thus, I summarized his four expeditions.
In 1889, British lieutenant Powell discovered a Sanskrit manuscript written in Brahmi Script while pursuing desert bandit Dade among the ruins of Kucha in Xinjiang. This manuscript, which mainly recorded witchcraft and other content, caught Stein's attention and prompted his exploration journey in Xinjiang.
In 1901, Stein conducted large-scale excavations around the Niya River Ancient Channel and unearthed around 660 artifacts, mostly Zaluwen and Hanwen Jiandu. He later excavated Andreu Ruins and found about a hundred artifacts there as well. He also discovered the Lavaq Stupa Site, yielding numerous artistic relics.
"Niya Ancient City is actually one of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions—The Ancient City of Jingjue—home to just over thirty thousand people. It is known as the Eastern Pompeii and holds immense archaeological value." I emphasized this point.
"Sigh! The Jingjue Ancient Tomb has long been looted by Hu Bayi; what tombs can we possibly rob now?" Big Mouth Lee sighed.
This was indeed true; my dad had some connection with Hu Bayi. That chubby Wang Kaixuan had exaggerated about The Ancient City of Jingjue so much that my dad turned it into a joke to put us to sleep! My dad worked in archaeology; with only thirty thousand subjects in The Ancient City of Jingjue, they could never have built such an impressive tomb.
In 1906, Stein embarked on his second Central Asian expedition lasting two years. Upon reaching the Lop Desert, he began investigating the Loulan ruins and unearthed over five hundred precious artifacts. The following year, he arrived at Dunhuang and deceitfully acquired numerous scrolls and treasures from Wang Daoist at a low price.
"Sigh! That Wang Daoist deserves a thousand cuts! The treasures in the Stein Room couldn't have been bought cheaply during this trip, right?" Big Mouth Lee clicked his tongue as if his heart had been pierced by a knife.
"That's right! Wang Daoist was also in a difficult position. At that time, Dunhuang was in extreme disrepair, and Wang Daoist had to go around begging for alms to carry out repairs. When the Cave of Scriptures was discovered, he immediately reported it to the authorities, but they did not take it seriously. It wasn't until Stein bought the scrolls that Wang Daoist finally had the funds to repair the Buddhist niches in Dunhuang. Later, the government sent people to retrieve the remaining scrolls. We can't completely blame Wang Daoist; it's a tragedy of the times when the country is weak and the people are ignorant!" I sighed and shook my head.
In 191, Stein began his third expedition, which lasted three years. He revisited the sites of Niya, Loulan, and Dunhuang, once again taking away a large number of cultural relics. In a fit of madness, he stripped off all the exquisite murals he had failed to take during his second expedition, removing eleven pieces and completely destroying the walls. Fortunately, during his fourth expedition, he was timely stopped by the National Government, so the damage was not extensive.
"I heard that Zhang Daqian also stripped murals in Dunhuang! How different is that from Stein's actions?" Big Mouth Lee couldn't help but chime in. I couldn't be bothered to respond, thinking to myself, "How can someone who has only gone fifty steps laugh at someone who has gone a hundred? We're here to dig up treasures; how can we compare ourselves to those who act so openly?"
"Well! From Stein's multiple exploration routes, it seems he visited places that were part of ancient Khotan?" Zhengyang, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up! Dong Tong smiled and nodded in agreement.
"You are correct; near Minfeng, Niya and Andir were the last places where Li Gedan and his companions were seen. Their footprints extended across Shanpula, Karakun, Yotkan, Dandan Ulik, Aksu Pillar, Mazatag, Old Dama Valley, and Maqianlek!" I smiled skeptically and said, "But at that time they were merely 'Public Enemies.' How could they attract the attention of Soviet spies? I still can't wrap my head around it."
"Are you really doubting this document? Well! That just shows how shallow your understanding of Old Man Xia and Li Gedan is. Forget it; I guess you don't understand anything!" Dong Tong sneered dismissively.
Indeed, ever since I got to know Old Man Li, strange events have been happening continuously. I truly dared not revisit my grandfather's journal. What kind of person was my grandfather? A huge question mark arose in my mind!
Later on, I learned that everyone involved—Bald Qiang, Big Mouth Lee, Dong Tong—was risking their lives to help me solely because of my grandfather's name: Old Man Xia. From bits and pieces of conversation, I gathered that Old Man Xia was a highly respected figure within Zhengyang's sect!
At this moment, Dong Tong displayed an imposing demeanor like a domineering CEO and addressed us without courtesy.
"Let me make it clear: I will determine the route! Now, let me announce the itinerary!" Dong Tong looked around at everyone who had fallen silent and continued, "First, we will head to the Ancient Poplar Forest in Alar City!" Alar City is seven hundred kilometers away from Minfeng County; it would require a long detour. We had no idea what Dong Tong was planning. However, upon hearing about Alar City's Ancient Poplar Forest, we all broke out in cold sweat. The few of us nearly fell to the ground in fear!
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