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墨書 Inktalez
Upon hearing those words, I felt the muscles in my legs tense and twitch. If I hadn't deliberately controlled myself, I might have jumped up. Despite my best efforts to keep my emotions in check, the subtle changes in my expression still caught Tang Yumo's attention.
"Have you seen that piece of iron?!" Tang Yumo's voice was almost a whisper.
I looked at Tang Yumo and slowly shook my head.
Tang Yumo's face suddenly turned icy, and with a trembling voice, she asked, "You must have seen it. You saw it at Lop Nur, right?"
I shook my head again.
"You are sent by the devil. It has finally found us. No, we were too naive; the Relic leaving us signifies that we have been exposed. This peaceful life we've had for thousands of years was an illusion, and now it is coming to an end?" Tang Yumo murmured almost in a single breath.
Perhaps influenced by Tang Yumo's agitation, Hakka Man A-Yong's emotions also became tense and excited. It felt as if he wanted to rush over and fight me to the death. He sat not far behind Tang Yumo, his eyes shining with an unusual brilliance.
A-Yong's expression struck me as amusing; back in Zhenfeng County, he had held a sharp dagger but hadn't taken my life. Now that we had disarmed him, how could I possibly fear him?
I gave him a mocking smile and said bluntly, "Among your Hakka people, killing you would be the least burdensome thing for me to do, and the only thing that would give me any satisfaction. So don’t give me excuses or create conditions that would force me to kill you."
With that, I turned my gaze back to Tang Yumo.
"I once saw a photograph of a piece of iron. But I don't know if it's the same as your Hakka people's Relic. However, I have never seen the actual item, and I doubt I will ever see it again."
Tang Yumo's eyes suddenly brightened, as if the light was emanating from her gaze rather than reflecting off the campfire.
"What does it look like?"
I shook my head. "You. If we were to describe an object, I would add the details."
"It's a piece of hexagonal iron, with a surface like a mirror."
I didn't wait for Tang Yumo to continue; I interjected, "Yes, there are some intricate patterns on it, yet they do not detract from its brilliance."
Then we fell into a silence, locking eyes. There was no doubt that we were talking about the same thing.
Although I suspected there was some connection between this place and Lop Nur's Underground Passage, the more I discovered how similar they were—almost identical—the more shocked and bewildered I felt. Especially regarding this piece of iron, which had bound the fates of many, including Song Guilong.
Tang Yumo's voice broke my reverie. "Where is it?"
"Lop Nur, underground. One of my colleagues brought it in. I couldn't find him or that piece of iron; it's far more perilous there than here. I think he has already died underground. Likewise, that piece of iron will remain forever lost beneath Lop Nur."
"He isn't dead. He is your colleague. He shouldn't die. He will attain Eternal Life. That will be the minimum reward he receives; perhaps he will gain more."
I looked at her coldly, unable to accept her cryptic words. I had received a higher education and understood the process of life from beginning to end; of course, I wouldn't believe in the lie of Eternal Life.
I let out a derisive snort, wanting to mock and refute her claims, but I saw Tang Yumo weakly wave her hand.
"I know what you're thinking. Anyone would think the same way, but you know that after learning about our people's history, your perception will change. It might even overturn your worldview." Tang Yumo lightly rubbed her forehead, looking somewhat fatigued. "Do you want to hear our story? It's long, yet not particularly exciting; overall, it's a tragic tale."
I shrugged noncommittally. Settling into a more comfortable position, I certainly didn't want to squat on the ground to listen to a story, especially a long one.
"Our ancestors were the indigenous people of Lop Nur, and they were also servants of the devil. Yes, we served the devil and built grounds and underground facilities for it. We were chosen by it, just like here; among my ancestors, there were also those who awakened.
However, the awakened ones that appeared underground in Lop Nur were under the protection of the devil. They did not need secondary mutation and did not have to lose their nature to possess nearly infinite life. But eternal life does not come without a cost; the price is freedom. My ancestors exchanged their freedom for eternal life.
The longer the life, the more precious freedom becomes. While serving the devil, my ancestors gradually grasped certain rules and tricks and began to plan their escape.
During one of the times when the devil fell into slumber, my ancestors stole its most precious and important treasure—the Hexagonal Iron—and organized a migration of millions of people. This valley was a place my ancestors had chosen long ago for migration; it was far enough from Lop Nur and suitable for constructing the underground space we needed."
"What are the conditions suitable for you to build underground spaces?"
"What do you think?"
I looked at Tang Yumo and calmly replied with one word: "Water."
Tang Yumo nodded. "Yes, we need a large amount of water."
"Why?" I followed up with another question.
"Water is the source of life."
It was obvious she was dodging my question. I didn't linger on the topic and quickly moved past it. "Your ancestors served the devil, so did they ever see it? What does the devil look like? What makes you think it is the devil?"
"It has four faces, is that enough? If not—"
"That's enough." I intended to say those two words loudly, but what came out was barely a whisper.
Hearing about the four faces immediately reminded me of the Four-Faced Totem Pillar we had unearthed at Lop Nur. Initially, we believed that the ancestors of Lop Nur worshipped the sun, and the four distinct facial carvings represented four different emotions. However, there had been dissenting opinions at the time, suggesting that the four varied expressions at the top of the totem were derived from a single prototype, which contrasted sharply with the many figures carved below. The figures below bore no resemblance to one another.
Thus, another viewpoint emerged, proposing that the ancestors of Lop Nur practiced figure worship, and this was a figure totem pillar. The four-faced figure prototype might very well have been the king of the Lop Nur ancestors.
Now, hearing Tang Yumo's explanation seemed to provide a clearer understanding of the origins of the Four-Faced Totem Pillar. And Tang Yumo couldn't possibly know that I had previously excavated the Four-Faced Totem Pillar, which gave her words a degree of credibility.
If this were true, it would completely overturn my understanding of the world.
(To Be Continued...)
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