Daomu Biji

At that moment, I vaguely thought I was going to die, and I had already resigned myself to my fate. I thought that this was how death felt, and that it wasn't bad.

My consciousness was in chaos. I don’t know how long this state of confusion lasted. Slowly, I felt like something was slapping my face. This feeling was very far away, but it became clearer and clearer bit by bit. stand up.

Then my consciousness began to revive, and I gradually regained consciousness. At first, I just had a vague feeling that my body was back. Later, my consciousness began to clear up, and I gradually began to feel my surroundings.

The first thing I felt was the cold, very cold. Walking all the way in the Devil's City, the mental depression and low clouds made me feel very stuffy. The coldness around me was very comfortable, as if I had been immersed in a bathtub of ice water. .

Then I found that the feeling of chapped lips was gone. My lips felt cold, as if something cold was going into my mouth. I took a lick, then another, then another, and found that it was actually water!

Is someone saving me? My heart was filled with joy, and my body had already responded. I sucked hard and moved my lips with all my strength. Little by little, I felt a coldness begin to enter my internal organs.

After drinking the water, I fell asleep again. The moment I lost consciousness, I seemed to hear a few familiar voices talking. I couldn't hear them clearly and I didn't have the strength to pay attention. I lost consciousness again in an instant.

When I woke up again, I felt like I had slept for a long time, and all kinds of perceptions came back together, such as hearing and touch. My strength began to return, my consciousness became clearer, and finally I opened my eyes.

The first thing that caught my eye was a big, rough face, very familiar, smiling stupidly at me.

When I saw this face, I immediately felt something was wrong. I can't figure out why I feel this way. Who is this? I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, searching for the faces of the Tibetan drivers. Is it the one driving the 876? no. The one who drives the water truck? Neither.

After much deliberation, I can't figure out who this person is in the team. Then I was shocked and realized why, no, this is not someone from the team, this is... huh? Isn’t this face Fatty Wang?

My mind is a little tight, huh? Fatty Wang? Why did he appear here? impossible? He has returned to Beijing.

Am I dreaming? Hallucinating?

I opened my eyes again, and there was still the familiar fat face, with a shaggy face, a little older than when I was in Beijing, staring at me. Get closer.

I closed my eyes again,

It doesn't feel normal, it doesn't feel right. It can't be Fatty Wang. Even if I dream, I won't dream about him.

I gritted my teeth hard. When I opened my eyes for the third time, my mind was very clear. At first glance, it was indeed Fatty Wang. He lit a cigarette. He turned his head and said something behind him. My ears are not clear yet and I can't hear clearly what he is saying. Then, I saw another person's head peeking over, and he was also very familiar. It turned out to be Pan Zi.

What's going on? I frowned and thought to myself, could it be that I didn't enter the Gobi at all, or was I still in Hangzhou? Everything before was just a dream of mine?

Recalling the things we encountered, a lot of memories came up. We encountered sandstorms, the car broke down, people disappeared, and the shipwreck embedded in the mound... everything was very real, and it was absolutely impossible to dream.

At this time, my ears recovered their hearing, and I heard Pan Zi say: "Little Third Master, how do you feel?"

I arched my back hard and tried to sit up, but Pan Zi came up to help me. I sat up and took a deep breath, and saw the surrounding situation. It seemed like a cave with a bonfire burning inside. I saw several sleeping bags and equipment thrown around. It was pitch black outside the cave. It was obviously night.

At the same time, I saw Mengyoubo sitting on the edge of the campfire, cooking something, and Aning was lying in a sleeping bag on the other side, not waking up yet.

I gradually realized that I was not dreaming. "What's going on?" I massaged my temples and asked Pan Zi, "Why are you here? Am I not dreaming? Am I dead?"

"It's not dead, it's almost dead." The fat man said from the side, "If it weren't for you, Fatty, and my sharp eyes, I wouldn't have been able to see this thing, and you would have stunk by now."

When I saw the fat man holding a few copper coins, I knew it was Aning's mark, but I still couldn't figure it out.

"Then why are you here?" I asked strangely.

"We have been following your team." Pan Zidao pointed at the Menyoubo bottle, "You don't know, in fact, after you entered the Gobi, the Third Master's team immediately followed you. In every campsite where you camped, this little brother If you leave a mark to guide us, we will maintain a gap of one stop from you and always stay behind."

"What?" I didn't understand what Pan Zi said. "Mark? Behind us...he..."

Pan Zi said: "This is Third Master's plan. This little brother and the black blind man were arranged by Third Master to cooperate with the foreigner in order to get into the team. Because Third Master said that the matter has reached this point and wants to figure out Jude's test by himself. The real purpose is no longer possible. He can only use this method, just like Jude Kao did back then, to get inside to understand the situation. I really didn’t expect that you would also sneak in. If I had known, the third master would have invited you directly. "

I was still a little confused, and it took me a long time to understand what Pan Zi said: "Wait, wait, what, my third uncle? You mean that my third uncle has planned all this? Then...you guys?"

"We were ready in Golmud, and our people in Dunhuang have been preparing for nearly half a month. As soon as your team set off, we followed behind. At that time, this guy left a message telling us that you were in the team. , Third Master was even shocked. Little Third Master, you are also serious. Didn’t Third Master tell you to stop being in this muddy water? Why are you still here? "

I took a deep breath and suddenly felt very weak. Damn it. Xin said that I really didn’t expect this time, that...that black glasses came to take care of me all the way...it seems to be my third uncle's face...

Pan Zi continued: "You are in there, and the third master has to worry about your safety, so I asked the black blind man to give you some advice. This time it was a big event, and Jude still missed the test, thinking that he could get rid of the third master this time. Yes. I didn’t expect that we had already planned it.”

"What about my third uncle?" I looked around, but I didn't see his third uncle's shadow.

"The third master is behind us, and we are a little behind. There are a lot of people here this time, and it is difficult to follow them. Fatty Wang and I are the vanguard, opening the way in front, following you all the time, and leaving marks for the third master along the way. , I just didn’t expect that something would happen to you when you got here.”

Only then did my thinking become clear, and I suddenly remembered that when I had a long talk with Men You Ping that night, he said that he was on my side. Don't worry, that's what it means. It turns out that this was Uncle San’s plan.

This, I really didn't expect this level. It seems that the old fox is really an old fox fighting against the third uncle. I'm really not qualified.

"You are lucky. We have been following you, otherwise you would have dried up by now." The fat man next to him said, "You still want to do this job with your physique. I think you should really mess with you when you go back." small business.”

I asked Pan Zi: "Why is he here too?"

Pan Zi said that all the clerks and experts in Changsha had gone to other people's homes. Now the Third Master has brought in a new group of people. He didn't have enough experience, so he was hired to support the scene. Also the old price.

The fat man said: "What? You still don't like me anymore? Let me tell you, you came back from me."

I waved my hands hurriedly, and my heart suddenly felt at ease. After all, my third uncle's people are like my family, and they are my own people. I don't need to be wary of everything. Moreover, I am used to working with these people and know their capabilities. The happiest thing is that Menyouping is really on our side, and everything will be fine.

The fat man was feeding me water just now. I gradually regained my strength and drank a few sips by myself. They didn't let me drink more, saying they wanted to replenish water slowly.

Seeing that Aning didn't respond, I didn't know what was going on, so I asked Pan Zi if she was okay.

Pan Zi said: "Don't worry, your best friend has a better constitution than you. He has already woken up once, and now he has eaten something and went back to sleep. This is not a desert. You just passed out due to dehydration, not sunburn. Please add some salt water. Just get more sleep."

Pan Zi teased me, probably because he saw that Aning and I were both disheveled, and I didn't have the strength to refute him, so I ignored him. Although my body was a little weak at this time, my spirit was quite good. I got up and ate something and asked what kind of hole it was and how they found us. Pan Zi told me that this place is still in the Devil's City, in a cave in a rock mountain. This cave is where Fatty was found. After the accident, Tashi and the others fled outside to the place where the car broke down. When we waited for a long time and didn't come out, Tashi thought that Aning and I didn't know how to look at the Arabian stone pile, and now we don't know that we were in trouble. Still lost.

Immediately, Menyou Ping sent them a signal with a mirror, and they caught up. Black Glasses stayed behind to take care of the rest of the people, and Menyou Ping came in with Pan Zi to find us.

I asked how they found us in such a big place, and Pan Zi said that this place was a bit evil. The order of these rock mountains seemed to be designed, and they just followed their feelings. In fact, the route was exactly the same as ours. In the end, we saw When we arrived at the Aningdi mark, we were found lying on the sand along the way.

Speaking of this, I felt lingering fear and nodded quickly: "It's true, it seems like you can't reach the end of this *** place no matter how you walk, but you don't have to go back. I don't know what's going on." I felt nervous again and said to myself So now we are still in the Devil's City, and we still can't get out?

"We are not as stupid as you. We have left marks along the way, so don't worry." Pan Zidao.

The fat man also said: "The signs I put up are all such big rocks that can be seen from a kilometer away. And I can see why I can't get out."

"Oh." I breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Why is that?"

Pan Zi said, we didn’t know it at the beginning, but Fatty was still awesome, and it was indeed him who saw it. Let me tell you the truth, the place we are in now is no longer the original Devil City. This place is at least a few miles away from the original Devil City. One hundred and fifty kilometers. This is a huge Yadan landform group, consisting of more than a dozen small devil cities, with the Gobi in the middle. All the devil cities are connected by rock mountains, end to end, forming a huge chain of devil cities. If you just follow this chain, it will be 3,600 square kilometers. Can you get out?

I shook my head: "Impossible, how could it be such a coincidence? I just kept walking in any direction. There was no deviation at all?"

The fat man said: "You are stupid and you still don't admit that which direction you go in was designed by others. That's because there are a lot of stones in this devil city. The placement of these stones is very particular, and they often go around When crossing a rocky mountain, there are more rocks on one side and fewer rocks on the other side. However, because the rocks are so messy, you can’t consciously tell which way is easier to walk and which is harder to walk in an instant. It feels about the same, but subconsciously, you can tell that there are fewer rocks. direction, and reflexively choose that direction. As a result, you have been walking in the direction designed by others in this devil city. Moreover, this is the case at almost every intersection, even if you make a wrong judgment at one intersection. You continue There are still countless opportunities to be corrected. This kind of trick was very common in ancient times. It has a name given by very simple working people. It is called Qimen Dunjia." After saying that, he looked at Menyou Ping, "Brother, I said That’s right, right?”

Menyouping looked up at us, ignored him, and looked at the fire. It seems like something is on his mind.

I laughed. Said: "When did you understand Qi Men Dun Jia?"

The fat man said that there are many things you don't know, and his expression looked quite proud. I thought to myself that this guy is probably learning and selling now. After changing the subject, he asked the fat man: "Then you are saying that someone in this devil's city used these gravels to create a cover-up?"

The fat man nodded: "That's what it is, but it's not a sophisticated formation. If you meet someone who is short-sighted or has particularly careful observation, you will definitely find it. Judging from the age of these stones here, it is estimated that this place was a battlefield at that time. The Queen Mother of the West should be a master of magic, and these stones are used for defense."

At this point, Aning's voice came from the sleeping bag. She said softly: "You are wrong. The Queen Mother of the West is the creator of Qimen Dunjia. The God-given Book that the Yellow Emperor received back then was given to him by the Queen Mother of the West. When it comes to Qimen Dunjia, she is the ancestor."

It turned out that this woman was not sleeping, and we were all shocked. Then I thought of the legend of Jiutian Xuannv, and I was horrified. This is indeed the case. The legends and some historical records of the year all say that the Yellow Emperor received great help from the motherland of the Queen of the West when he unified the Central Plains.

Thinking about the ancient ship again, I thought that it must have been a shallow lake back then. These rocks were exposed on the water, and the underwater rocks would strand the ship. Then in the water, the boatman would choose places with fewer reefs to travel, making it easier to get lost. This may also be the reason why no one has discovered it in the Western Queen Mother Kingdom for so many years.

Thinking of this, my eyelids suddenly twitched and I said to Pan Zi: "Are you saying that the Devil City here is a ring?"

Pan Zi nodded, and I asked, "How do you know?"

Pan Zi shook his head: "This is what our guide said. What's wrong?"

I excitedly drew a circle in the sand: "You don't know, I have read Wen Jin's notes. She said that the Queen Mother of the West is protected by an invisible city wall. This wall cannot be seen by others, but if it touches it, it will inevitably cause death." Will look back. Here, thousands of years ago, there should be water. In other words, there is a water belt here, similar to a moat, forming a circle. If we assume that this protective belt is that others cannot enter, it is a shield. The ancient city of Xiwangmu has had an invisible wall for so many years, so the Xiwangmu Kingdom should be within this circle, that is, in the middle of this devil city circle."

After I finished speaking, everyone looked at me indifferently, as if they were looking at a stupid person.

I was looked at in confusion, and I spread my hands and said, "Am I wrong?"

Pan Zi patted my shoulder and said: "Little Third Master, we can guess what you said without looking at Wen Jin's notes. However, if the situation was really that simple, then the Ancient City of the Queen Mother of the West would have been discovered long ago. Here is The Qaidam Basin is not Taklimakan. Although it is inaccessible, it has undergone countless geological surveys. Therefore, if the ghost town is here, the situation must be very special. It is likely that the entire ghost town is buried under the Gobi, or somewhere In a situation where it is difficult for others to find it. It is silly and naive for you to think that you can see it when you go there."

I thought so and asked them, what are their plans?

Pan Zi said that they originally planned to follow Aning's team until they reached Tamutuo, but now that they have arrived here, such a big accident happened. but. According to Ding Zhu Zhuoma, on the west side of this devil city, two days' walk along the ancient riverbed is the rock pass where she and Wen Jin's team parted ways. Ding Zhu Zhuoma didn't recognize the road that followed. He planned to go there to rest after we recovered. Waiting for the third uncle’s team. After that, I planned to go downstream along the river, because the ancient city must be near the river. The team must have gone this way back then, and we can try our luck like this.

I said to Pan Zi: "But at this section of the ancient river channel, it has basically been mixed with the Gobi desert, and it is impossible to see clearly."

"Don't worry about that." Fatty said, pointing to the dark outside.

We were at the bottom of the cave. I didn't know what he meant, so we walked out. As soon as we reached the entrance of the cave, a cold and moist breath suddenly hit my face, and then I heard a very familiar sound.

It was pitch dark outside and it was hard to see what was going on. But I was very familiar with this situation, but for a moment I couldn't believe what I was thinking.

When I walked out of the cave, my face was instantly hit by water drops. I just came to my senses and said in my heart. **, it’s actually raining outside.

But how is this possible? This is the Gobi Desert. It may only rain once a year, and it's definitely not this season.

I walked back and I said, "What the hell is going on. Why is it raining?"

Pan Zi said: "Little Third Master, you have to thank the rain, otherwise you will be like a salted fish until we come here. When we found you, the rain had already started, and now it is full of water outside. You can't walk." Don't go out, otherwise we will carry you out, and it won't be comfortable to stay here. After this rain falls, the old river will definitely be filled with water. Going downstream, even if we can't see the river, the water can know it, so you Do not worry."

At this time, I thought of what Dingzhu Dolma told me: The time is almost up. If you miss it, you can only wait for another five years. Could it be referring to this rain?

The more I thought about it, the less reliable it became, but seeing that Mengyou Ping didn’t say anything, it seemed like there was nothing wrong with it, and I felt relieved a lot.

After that, I went to rest. This time I didn't sleep well. When I woke up the next day, I once again thought I was dreaming.

In this cave, we rested for two days, and Aning and I both recovered. Aning was familiar with Fatty, and it was Pan Zi and the others who saved her. She didn't say anything, but she suddenly became very cold towards me. Maybe she thought I was arranged by my third uncle and had deceived her.

I didn’t care either. I thought I almost died and I still care about it. We set out on the third day. Following the marks, we were soaked up to our ankles in water and walked in the rain for two days. We walked back outside first and met up with Black Glasses. People outside were desperate and couldn't believe their eyes when they saw that we came out safely.

Pan Zi rested for another day outside. He suggested that I stay here and wait for my third uncle to arrive before deciding whether to come in or not.

However, at this time, I felt shameless to meet my third uncle, and the message given to me by Dolma made me determined to find Wen Jin. Considering that we didn’t have much time left, I insisted on fighting with Pan Zi. pioneer.

Aning on the side also arranged his own team. Most people wanted to go back. The Caucasian people were in very bad condition. The team doctor said that they must go back immediately after the third uncle's team arrived and borrowed the car. Aning made arrangements and told Pan Zi that she also wanted to join us. After all, her team also took the lead.

There was no problem with Aning joining, and Pan Zi couldn't beat me. Besides, we had a car on this stretch of road, and it wasn't a dangerous stretch, so we agreed. Fatty, Pan Zi, Menyou Ping, and Aning and I happened to be in the same car. Black Glasses was waiting for my third uncle here.

Over the next two days, we followed the riverbed where the water level gradually rose, walking deeper and deeper into the Gobi. Due to the erosion of the rain, many tributaries appeared in the river bed. We looked for them one by one. However, no matter how we looked, we never saw the rocky mountain. My telescope was cracked, and I finally began to wonder if the mountain had turned into a world of change.

The rain stopped before we set off, and we ended up resting on the edge of the river bed. The tires of the car were very worn, and later one of them even broke. We could only drive for a while, then get down to pump some air, and then continue driving. It was miserable.

The fat man said: "Is that old woman talking nonsense? There is no mountain at all? Or is it not a mountain at all? Maybe it is a mound that has been blown away by the wind in the past ten years?"

I don't think so. Dingzhu Zhuoma doesn't look like a liar no matter how he looks like that. Maybe the direction of the ancient river has changed.

"Then what should we do? If we continue walking, we will run out of gas. It will be difficult for us to walk back."

"The place where the river water can converge is the lowest part of the entire plain. There should be a lake there. How about we find that lake first? Then start from the lake and look for traces of the river channel. This can at least narrow the scope."

Thinking about it, this was all we could do. We continued on our way, and when we drove up a slope, suddenly, Pan Zi cursed and braked.

We all bumped into the cushions in front of us. The fat man cursed, but before he could finish the curse, several of us were stunned.

On the other side of the slope, there was a cliff. The front of our car had already rushed out, and the two tires were already in the air.

We got out of the car in fear, walked to the edge of the cliff, and found a huge basin in front of us, filled with smoke, a huge island sunken in the Gobi!