Uighur Village

Big headwatched me silently for a moment and couldn't help but exclaim, "What's there to watch? Anything mysterious is definitely fake."

I laid down the translated text and said, "What's mentioned here is certainly not the true situation, but not necessarily false either. In ancient times, people liked to attribute unexplainable things to demons and monsters. When these stories were passed down, they tended to be exaggerated. Something ordinary could turn extremely mysterious."

"Let's talk about this translated text. Most of it is probably fabricated or distorted in the transmission. However, the part about the disappearance of the Fox Hu King leading to invasions by neighboring countries and the subsequent downfall of Fox Hu Kingdom does make some sense. Of course, the Fox Hu King didn't ascend, but during the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the legend of Dao Ancestor Zhang Daoling, there were many Daoists. It's quite possible, as the translated text suggests, that this Fox Hu King was fond of cultivation, and perhaps he died from poisoning while refining some elixir."

Big Head couldn't help but interrupt, "How could one person's hiccup lead to the downfall of an entire country? Wasn't he a military sage?"

"You actually got it right," Old Wan added, "This guy was indeed a military strategist. According to the historical records I found, the Fox Hu King had exceptional military talent. It's very likely that his sudden death led to the disintegration of the Fox Hu Kingdom."

Big Head, straightforward as always, waved his hand, "Speculating like this is useless. When do we leave? Whether it's a mule or a horse, we'll dig it out when we get there."

I said, "We'll depart tomorrow. Longshan Pavilion has arranged vehicles and equipment. Come in the afternoon, and we'll prepare ourselves in the evening."

Old Wan and Big Head were both excited because they had seen the house covered with yellow intestines stone. However, I wasn't so optimistic. Our main goal this time was to find the plaque, but we had no idea where it was. Moreover, we weren't sure if we could successfully locate the Fox Hu King's city. Even if we found the city, there was no guarantee there would be treasure inside. If this expedition turned out to be a wild goose chase, Old He's anticipated prize would be in vain.

In the evening, Longshan Pavilion's people arrived, bringing two cars of equipment. Originally, Old He wanted the drivers to go with us, but considering the difficulties of too many people, I had them stay in Dabancheng to wait for news.

Early the next morning, we set off. Zhao Long and Zhao Shuai, the two brothers, were driving. The village we were heading to was a four-hour drive from Dabancheng. Big Head said sitting with us was boring, and the first car had a girl, so he forcibly pushed away the glasses guy under Old Wan.

Old Wan couldn't help it, so he let Glasses Guy get on our car. As the car started moving, we chatted to pass the time. I found that this young man named Li Xin was quite extraordinary. He had a deep understanding of the historical records of the Fox Hu and the culture of the Western Regions. Moreover, when it came to some lost ancient artifact appraisal methods, he spoke fluently.

Originally, it was a four-hour drive, but due to the poor condition of the roads in the latter half, our speed slowed down. We arrived in the village named Suk within about six hours, just before noon.

After getting off the car, Hansheng took us directly to the house in the photo, which, according to him, was now inhabited by a Han veteran. The veteran had come here while constructing the outpost. Accidentally stepping on a trap, he injured his leg and stayed behind for medical treatment. As he had no family, he stayed here until now.

There were more Uighurs in southern Xinjiang, and Suk village was mostly populated by Uighurs. Fortunately, the locals were very friendly. Many Uighur compatriots greeted us as we passed by, especially those Uighur girls with big, bright eyes. Big Head was so amazed that his mouth almost reached his ears. He kept saying that he would retire here when he got old.

The house was at the innermost part of the village. When we arrived, the veteran, a strong-looking man in his fifties or sixties, was doing carpentry work. He glanced at us, didn't stop his hands, and said, "Young man, can't you give up? Didn't I tell you back then that you can't go in anymore?"

On the way here, Hansheng told us that when he asked the veteran to take him to the place where the bricks were carried, the veteran refused adamantly and didn't explain why.

Big Head stepped forward, as he had said on the way, if the old man acted as a stumbling block, he would give him a brick. At this moment, seeing that the veteran was about to speak, Old Wan quickly spoke first, "Uncle, how about you tell us what's in that place? We're not asking you to lead the way, just share some information."

The veteran threw down the planer in his hand, picked up a snow lotus from the side, lit it, took two puffs, and said to us, "Don't ask, that place is no longer accessible by people, and it's impossible for people to die there again."

We looked at each other. The monk with the big head didn't understand why the old man suddenly said this. Old Wan, being a shrewd person, felt that the veteran had loosened his mouth a bit, so he quickly asked, "What's in that place, uncle?"

Unexpectedly, the veteran shook his head firmly and waved to us, "You guys go back."

I felt a little disappointed. Hansheng had said that he gave money to the veteran, hoping he would lead the way, but the veteran didn't do it. It seemed that the veteran had already made up his mind not to take us there. At the same time, I was very curious about what the veteran had seen or encountered back then, making him so resolute.

Big Head, with a hot temper, shouted that he would go up and was stopped by Old Wan again. He went over and squatted in front of the old man, saying, "Uncle, how about this? You draw us a map, and we'll go by ourselves. Life and death are up to fate, and you won't be blamed."

The old man took a puff of smoke, refused, and said, "I know what you guys do. It's not that I'm blocking your path to fortune, but it's really impossible for anyone to die there again."

Old Wan came back, helplessly saying, "The old man's mouth is too hard. He won't reveal anything. I've seen many people like this. If you annoy him with too many questions, he'll completely turn against you."

Big Head, angry, said, "Damn, let me go up and kick him twice to see if he talks."

Hansheng said, "You may not be able to beat him."

Li Xin suddenly spoke up, "How about offering more money?"

Old Wan shrugged, "It shouldn't be a matter of money. Money doesn

't mean much to him."

I sighed, about to say that if it really didn't work, we should try on our own. However, I suddenly noticed the carpentry work in the old man's hands and some semi-finished products nearby. An idea came to my mind, and I said, "Wait for me, I'll try something."

I walked over, sat on the wooden stool beside the old man, lit a cigarette for myself first, took a puff, and then handed it to the old man. At the same time, I asked, "Is it difficult for the children in the village to go to school?"

The veteran remained silent, his subordinates busy with their tasks. In my heart, I sensed there was no escape; the fear lingered that I might not touch your vulnerability. Surveying my surroundings, I continued, "These articles must be intended for the village children, aren't they?"

I had just noticed that the courtyard of the elderly was adorned with mostly complete sets of wooden tables and chairs. The styles seemed to include a scholarly touch, leading me to speculate that these were preparations for the education of the village children. In such remote villages, challenges in accessing education were prevalent. It's likely that the children had to traverse mountainous paths spanning dozens of kilometers to nearby towns for schooling.

As we walked from the village entrance, we indeed saw no structures resembling a school. Thus, I addressed the veteran, "Do you think it's feasible for us to build a primary school for the village? You can guide us to the location where you discovered those stones."

The veteran halted his work, fell into silence for a moment, and eventually sighed. He looked up and asked, "How can I trust you?"

I replied, "Wait a moment," and returned to discuss the matter with the group. Unexpectedly, Big Head, who usually seemed rather disoriented, was the first to raise his hand in agreement. Others showed no objections. Li Xin provided a rough estimate, suggesting that building a school here would cost around 800,000 to 1 million yuan, with each of the three groups contributing approximately 300,000.

Old Wan looked at me, somewhat helpless, and said, "In our line of work, we trust tokens, not people. Calling you 'Second Master' wouldn't be an exaggeration. Second Master, your Dragon Mountain Pavilion is a significant enterprise, but we small fry need to make a living. You tell me, without even seeing a piece of brick yet, are we expected to throw down tens of thousands like this? It seems a bit too much, doesn't it?"

I couldn't believe Old Wan couldn't produce the 300,000, and his reluctance to do so was just a ploy. He had concluded that even if he didn't contribute, I would still have to pitch in. I gritted my teeth, prepared to cover his share myself. Unexpectedly, Big Head, standing aside, impatiently shouted, "Take it or leave it. You dilly-dallying, your 30,000, I've got it covered. But let's make it clear, if treasures are unearthed, I want a 10% share of your portion. Don't let the folks and the old ladies bear the brunt, leaving you with everything."

Old Wan was momentarily speechless, looking at Big Head with wide eyes. He could only mumble in agreement. I couldn't help but sigh; Big Head was indeed formidable.

"All right, let's settle it this way," I said to Big Head. "I'll front your 600,000. When we get out, you can transfer it to Dragon Mountain Pavilion."

Big Head patted his chest and said, "Rest assured. I've always traveled the world with my reputation. Unlike some people who keep dragging things on."

With the matter settled, I turned to the veteran. Facing him, I pulled out my phone and called the Dragon Mountain Pavilion associates in Daban City. I informed them of our plan to donate a school. At first, they seemed to misunderstand, thinking they misheard. I instructed them to relay my message to Lao He, and the call ended in confusion.

I then took out a card and handed it to him, saying, "Here's 200,000. The password is six nines. Consider it an advance payment. You can find some local carpenters and masons to help. My people will be here at the latest the day after tomorrow. Let's be clear – regardless of whether we find anything this time, the school will be built for you."

The old man stared into my eyes and solemnly said, "Alright, I trust you."

On our side, the equipment was well-prepared, and we had nothing else to arrange. On the contrary, the veteran carried out an 81-style automatic rifle, polished to a shine, and slaughtered a black dog, filling a jug with its blood. I asked him the purpose, but he didn't answer. Big Head later revealed privately that black dog blood could ward off evil.

In the afternoon, we set off for our destination, Bogda Mountain, the local sacred peak. The mountain road was rugged, impassable by car; we could only proceed on foot.

Big Head chuckled, "What's the plan, old man? Taking us on a one-day tour of the snowy mountains? Don't take advantage of our lack of education, picking any random scenic spot to fool us."

Big Head's words were accurate. I had also heard of Bogda Mountain, a well-known local scenic area where many backpackers camped to watch the sunrise. Even if there were graves, they had likely been discovered long ago.

Leading the way, the veteran scolded without looking back, "You know nothing. What you mentioned is the northern slope. This time, we're heading to the southern slope, connected to the Tianshan Mountain Range. There, you'll find primeval forests and mountain meadows where almost no one has set foot. With your capabilities, entering there guarantees you won't come out again."

My heart stirred. I took out the map and checked. True to the veteran's words, our location was not far from Bogda Mountain, which was indeed connected to the Tianshan Mountain Range. The mention of Tianshan could not help but evoke emotions, as it was the starting point of all mysterious legends in the Western Regions.

Sure enough, as the veteran described, the higher we went, the denser the grass became, and the humidity increased. Walking on it felt slippery, and we proceeded by wading.

Big Head scratched his crotch while complaining, "Damn, the trouser legs are tightened, yet I still feel something is creeping inside. If my eggs are bitten and damaged, this deal would be a loss."

Zhao Shuai laughed and said, "When we unearth treasures, sell them to buy two more powerful horses."

Big Head disdainfully glanced at him, "Illiterate, you clearly don't understand. This thing is naturally better. Moreover, it's my unique Thunderous Egg."

Old Wan ignored them, went forward, and engaged in casual conversation with the veteran. I overheard him asking, "Uncle, tell us where those bricks were brought from."

The veteran hesitated for a moment, sighed, and said, "I initially intended to take this matter to the grave." He paused for a moment, then continued, "There's a small stream flowing through the village. But in recent years, that stream began emitting a strange odor, growing increasingly strong. The village has always been peaceful, never experienced warfare. However, having served in the military, I recognized it as the smell of corpses. Initially, I thought some wild animal had died upstream, contaminating the water. So, another carpenter from the village and I decided to go up and take a look. Following the stream, we ascended the mountain. However, along the way, we saw no wild animal carcasses. Instead, we discovered a landslide, revealing many blue bricks."

"Back then, the houses were all adobe structures.

 It wasn't feasible to turn around and build new houses. We felt as if we had stumbled upon a treasure. Although we knew those blue bricks were somewhat unusual, we were genuinely captivated at the time. Two of us decided that while Liu the carpenter stayed to sort things, I'd return to find a mule cart. I made seven or eight trips. However, an incident occurred on the last trip."

The veteran paused for breath, his face showing a hint of fear. His voice trembled slightly as he continued, "At the time, I had some diarrhea. The last trip was delayed. It was already dark when I hurried over with the mule. I discovered that the guy was squatting in the middle of the chaotic bricks with his back to me. I called him a few times, but he didn't respond. Thinking he was teasing me, I intended to kick him when I got closer. When I was almost at his side, that guy suddenly turned his head. His entire face was missing, covered in blood. However, I could still feel him staring at me with his empty eyes."