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墨書 Inktalez
Just like a group of weasels, our heads turned simultaneously towards Tang Yumo.
“There’s no need for that. What happened this time is equally terrifying, perhaps even more urgent than Mr. Zhang’s threats. Otherwise, I would prefer to deal with those who pose a significant threat to our people by the Beipan River. But this is fine too; we will become family, even kindred.”
The corners of my mouth twitched involuntarily. Not because she casually dismissed me as if I were a dog, but because of her next words—family.
Tang Yumo directed that statement at A San, stemming from A San’s successful awakening, as she referred to it.
However, that was only one reason for calling us family. A San had gained the ability to hear, and the Hakka People were not unaware of this; judging by Tang Yumo's tone, the Hakka People had long been aware of the situation. Outside, when in Hakka Village, they had never spoken similarly to him or me. So why did she now believe we were family?
I thought carefully; Tang Yumo’s statement came after entering the Underground Cavern. Moreover, her personality changed significantly after entering the underground cave; she no longer dodged our questions and answered almost everything directly. She didn’t even shy away from mentioning her past assassination attempt on me. It seemed she was either emboldened or fearless—this was too unusual!
“Are you implying that we are not kindred? Or that you are not human?”
I didn’t know how calm Jack was; he always managed to grasp some key points.
Tang Yumo actually smiled, her gaze flickering over Jack intentionally or unintentionally.
“We are currently kindred.”
Then Tang Yumo’s eyes wandered around restlessly.
“In the past, we were also kindred. But now, we are mortal enemies.”
It took me a moment to understand what Tang Yumo meant. However, Fatty and Jack clearly realized the implication of her words much earlier; their faces turned as pale as paper in an instant.
“What are you thinking? Are these Long-Tailed Monsters your kind? Then what are you? By this logic, you and I are not kindred; I am human, and you are a beast.”
Fatty was practically spitting with rage. It was hard to tell if it was from anger or fear.
I suppressed the unsettling feeling creeping over me and walked back to Tang Yumo. I stared at her and said, "Just like you, these Long-Tailed Monsters have become agitated. I want to know why this change has occurred. Why do you insist on killing them, and why do you mean to kill them all? Why?"
"You brought the curse of the devil from the Ground, giving them the memories of demons and turning them into servants of evil. They no longer guard our sacred land for us, and while they may not destroy it, they could expose our millennia-old secrets, potentially bringing about our annihilation. More likely, they could attract the attention of the demon, revealing our existence. If he discovers our whereabouts, the outcome would be just as devastating as if it were in your hands."
"A demon? On the Ground?" Jack asked thoughtfully, pointing above his head.
"No, underground." Seeing me looking around anxiously, Tang Yumo shook her head. "Not here. In the place that awakens your superpowers. That is where our homeland lies."
"Lop Nur!" I exclaimed. "The civilization there is far older than that of your Hakka People. Even the ruins of that history predate the emergence of the Hakka People. And how can you expect me to believe that a thousand years ago, you had the ability to traverse thousands of miles from Lop Nur to here?"
Honestly, even today, such a journey would be a monumental challenge for a large family—no, for ten families relocating together. For people a thousand years ago, this journey would have been akin to landing on the moon.
"We were once known as the Yelang People and Dali People; it was during the Tang Dynasty that we were renamed Hakka People." Seeing our stunned expressions, Tang Yumo sighed. "I can imagine your reaction upon hearing this. I didn't want to reveal this secret, but some things cannot be explained without it. I hope to earn your trust this time; we need your help."
"We're going to die here, aren't we?" Fatty finally spoke up after a long silence.
I closed my eyes for a moment. Tang Yumo's candid revelations filled me with foreboding; I felt that many of her words must contain their village's greatest secret—something that would never be shared with outsiders unless they were dead.
But I didn’t want to touch on such a sensitive topic just yet; it could end the conversation prematurely or escalate tensions immediately. Fatty would never have the patience to wait for death; he would rather seek it out himself.
Jack remained calm as ever, while Xiao Ting was less composed, covering her mouth in shock and looking around helplessly as if searching for a lifeline.
A San timidly crept closer to me, tugging at my sleeve with a mournful expression. "Brother Qiang, don’t leave me behind; I’m yours."
As if everyone else was doomed while I somehow remained safe! I shot him an exasperated glance and said nothing.
The two Lao People were the most composed and content among us. They didn’t understand Chinese and watched us converse with fluctuating emotions—sometimes excited, sometimes downcast—without worrying themselves too much. They simply loaded bullets into magazines and checked each other for new injuries.
Tang Yumo neither smiled nor answered Fatty's question; it seemed she couldn't muster a smile either. However, her silence was an answer in itself—I took it as an acknowledgment.
"When did you come here? If we trace back to the Yelang Kingdom, wouldn’t that mean you arrived during the Western Han Dynasty?" I broke the silence and asked while signaling Fatty to be quiet.
"Not yet. We are the rebels of Lop Nur and the Ancient Civilization. Our defection from the Southern Wilderness led to the decline of Lop Nur and the Ancient Civilization, quickly driving it towards extinction. At the same time, we built our own home here, utilizing the Underground Cavern to excavate a water diversion project, creating two distinct worlds above and below ground."
"Are you saying that all the engineering in the Valley was done by you? That whirlpool pit and the surrounding water channels?"
"Yes."
"This project completed by your Ten Clans? Did you bring excavators? You must all be graduates of Lanxiang," Fatty couldn't help but tease.
Tang Yumo did not look at Fatty, remaining unfazed. "According to our oral tradition passed down through generations, it was the ten largest families of Lop Nur who initially defected from the Southern Wilderness. We are the ones who managed and operated the Lop Nur Ancient Civilization. The population of our ten families accounts for more than half of the ancient Lop Nur civilization, which is astonishing, numbering in the millions. The exact figures are no longer verifiable, but saying it’s in the millions is already impressive."
"Why did you leave Lop Nur?" Jack asked once again, posing a crucial question.
"There are demons there." (To Be Continued...)
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