Volume 1 Chapter 2: The Illusory Murals of Dunhuang
**Mogao Caves, Dunhuang**
**March 26, 2023, 09:45**
"Is this Cave 63?" Lin Shuyue looked up at the mottled murals on the cave walls, her fingertips lightly brushing over the flying apsaras patterns.
Lu Mingyuan stood behind her, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong wrists. "During the Republican era, Taoist Wang secretly sealed a batch of murals. This is one of them."
"How do you know?" She turned to look at him, her gaze falling on the bandage on his neck—a wound from the attack at Sanxingdui.
"My grandfather's diary," he said, pulling a yellowed notebook from his backpack and flipping to a page. "In 1943, he came to Dunhuang with Zhang Daqian to copy the murals and discovered that Taoist Wang had hidden a layer beneath some of the caves."
Lin Shuyue took the notebook, her fingertips brushing against the back of his hand. She read carefully and noticed that the handwriting when mentioning "Cave 63" was particularly messy, as if written in haste.
"Here," she pointed to a passage, "'Beneath the murals lies another world'—what does that mean?"
Lu Mingyuan didn't answer but instead pulled out a UV light from his bag. "Try this."
As the light swept across the wall, the mottled mural gradually faded, revealing an underlying pattern—a map of the Western Regions marked with the Twenty-Eight Mansions, with a bronze ding at its center, covered in strange symbols.
"A clue to the remnants of the 'Shan He She Ji Tu'..." Lin Shuyue murmured, her fingertips tracing the constellations. "But why Dunhuang?"
"Because of the 'Xuan Men,'" Lu Mingyuan's voice lowered. "During the Republican era, they tried to reconstruct this map, but internal strife caused the remnants to scatter among the people."
Lin Shuyue suddenly turned, staring directly into his eyes. "You knew about this all along, didn't you? You planned to come to Dunhuang even back at Sanxingdui."
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment, then reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't want you to get too involved, but it seems it's too late now."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively took half a step back, only to be stopped by his arm.
"Be careful," he said softly, his gaze fixed on the mural behind her. "Some of the pigments here contain lead. Don't get too close."
Lin Shuyue felt her ears burn and quickly changed the subject. "So what do we do now? Where does this map lead?"
"Fujian," Cheng Xiao's voice came from the cave entrance. He leaned against the doorframe, flipping a copper coin in his hand. "The Hakka Tulou. I checked—the last leader of the 'Xuan Men' during the Republican era lived there in seclusion."
Lin Shuyue frowned. "How do you know?"
Cheng Xiao smirked. "Because my grandfather was his bodyguard."
---
**Dunhuang Night Market**
**19:30**
The three of them sat at a lamb skewer stall, roasted skewers and apricot juice on the table. Lin Shuyue sipped her drink, her gaze occasionally drifting to Lu Mingyuan.
"Was your grandfather close to * Zhang Daqian?" she asked.
"Sort of," Lu Mingyuan said, picking up a piece of lamb with his chopsticks and placing it in her bowl. "While Zhang copied the murals, my grandfather was responsible for documenting them."
"What about the 'Xuan Men'?" she pressed. "Why were they looking for the 'Shan He She Ji Tu'?"
Lu Mingyuan set down his chopsticks, his gaze deep. "Legend has it that the map not only points to treasure but also reveals the origins of Chinese civilization. Some within the 'Xuan Men' wanted to use it for trade, others wanted to destroy it, and in the end, they fell apart."
Lin Shuyue pondered this. "So what we're looking for now isn't just the remnants of the map, but also the secrets of the 'Xuan Men.'"
"Exactly," Cheng Xiao interjected, his tone teasing. "But before that, can you two finish your lamb? It's not as good when it's cold."
Lin Shuyue glared at him, but she noticed Lu Mingyuan's lips curve slightly.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said, picking up his teacup, his gaze soft. "It's just that when you're deep in thought, you remind me of someone."
"Who?"
"My grandmother," he paused. "She was also an archaeologist."
Lin Shuyue was stunned for a moment, then blushed. "Are you complimenting me or mocking me?"
"Complimenting you," he said softly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
---
**Fujian · Yongding Tulou**
**March 28, 14:20**
The Hakka Tulou stood tall among the mountains, its circular structure resembling a massive fortress. Lin Shuyue stood at the entrance, looking up at the mottled walls, a sense of unease inexplicably rising in her heart.
"Is this the last stronghold of the 'Xuan Men'?" she asked.
"Yes," Lu Mingyuan walked up beside her, his expression grave. "Be careful. There might still be traps here."
Cheng Xiao pushed open the door, and a cloud of dust greeted them. In the center of the hall stood an Eight Immortals table, on which rested a bronze box covered in the same symbols as the Dunhuang mural.
"Looks like someone got here before us," Cheng Xiao narrowed his eyes, his hand resting on the dagger at his waist.
Lin Shuyue approached the bronze box, her fingertips lightly tracing the patterns on its surface. "Is this... a combination lock?"
"It needs three keys," Lu Mingyuan pulled out two copper coins from his bag and inserted them into the slots on either side of the box. "We're missing one."
"It's here," Lin Shuyue took off a jade pendant from her collar—a keepsake from her mother.
Lu Mingyuan took the pendant, his fingertips brushing against her collarbone. He paused for a moment, then calmly inserted the pendant into the final slot.
The box clicked open, revealing a roll of yellowed silk.
"The remnants of the 'Shan He She Ji Tu'..." Lin Shuyue held her breath as she carefully unrolled the silk.
Suddenly, a strange noise came from the roof. Cheng Xiao tackled her to the ground as a crossbow bolt grazed her hair, embedding itself in the wall.
"Looks like we've been spotted," Lu Mingyuan drew a short knife from his waist, his gaze cold.
Lin Shuyue lay on the ground, her heart pounding. Cheng Xiao's arm was still around her waist, his breath brushing her ear. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," she stammered, her cheeks burning.
Lu Mingyuan glanced at them, his expression complicated. "Let's get out of here first."