unglückliche Beziehung - Kapitel 28
21. Gunshots at Midnight
I don't know how much time passed before Tashim woke me up. Only then did I realize the car was parked in an open space. In front of the space stood a huge white stupa. Several ropes stretched down from the top of the stupa, adorned with colorful prayer flags, fluttering in the air like tiny banners. Beside the stupa was a tall mani stone pile, covered with sticks and branches, and containing an enormous yak skull. Countless colorful prayer flags surrounded it completely, creating a rich Tibetan atmosphere.
Mani piles, originally called Manza (meaning mandala), are spiritually significant piles of stones of varying sizes, known as "Dobon" in Tibetan. Another type involves carving words and images onto stones or pebbles, characterized by Tibetan Buddhist themes and content, including Buddhas, animal guardians, and the endless six-syllable mantra, then piling them up to form a long wall; this type of Mani wall is called "Mandang" in Tibetan. On auspicious days, people burn incense and add stones to the Mani pile, reverently touching it with their foreheads while silently reciting prayers, before tossing the stones onto the pile. Over time, Mani piles rise higher and higher. Each stone embodies the heartfelt wishes of the believers. The creation of Mani stones gives these natural stones a symbolic meaning. Throughout its long history, the Tibetan people have produced a vast collection of Mani stone carvings, which can be found everywhere. These carvings represent the Tibetan people's pursuits, ideals, emotions, and hopes.
According to the "Overview of Tibetan Archaeology," an ancient Tibetan culture of megaliths existed. This megalithic culture developed from the Neolithic tradition and is believed to have originated in the northeastern Tibetan region around Qinghai Lake and spread into the Tibetan heartland. This megalithic worship is found throughout Tibet, taking three forms: monoliths, stone circles, and rows of stones. For example, eighteen rows of stone pillars, oriented east-west, were discovered in Dorje, south of the Great Salt Lake in southern Tibet. There are also rows of stones, with two concentric stone circles at their western end, and three megaliths in the center of the circles, the largest being 2.75 meters high. An altar was placed in front of the megaliths. At the eastern end of the rows of stones is an arrowhead made of arranged stones. Similar monoliths are scattered throughout Tibet, such as the stone pillars in Purang, the "long stones" of Gannan, and the "stone oxen" on the mountains, all standing alone, tens of meters high, inspiring worship among the local Tibetan and Han people. In Tibet, especially in Kham and some Amdo Tibetan areas, white stones are placed on rooftops, door lintels, window sills, and in the center of the ground; white stones are used to represent all places of worship. They believe that white stones are the essence of snow-capped mountains, the guardians of families, fields, and crops; they also believe that towering, massive white rocks are the incarnations of dragon maidens and goddesses. The mani stones scattered throughout the high mountains and valleys of Tibet, along village entrances and roadsides, are a prominent manifestation and historical custom of Tibetan stone worship. And mani stones may have originated from this megalithic worship.
At that moment, Jenny and Abao were taking out a makeshift tent from the car, preparing to find a place to camp. I checked the time; it was 2:10 PM. Why were they stopping to camp so early? After asking for details, I learned that not only had I experienced altitude sickness, but Abao was also feeling very unwell. After enduring such a long journey, they simply couldn't continue, and driving any further would be dangerous. Furthermore, Dunzi's altitude sickness was also quite severe; continuing the bumpy ride might also be dangerous for him. So, for safety's sake, Abao and Jenny discussed it and, seeing this open space by the roadside, decided to camp there first, allowing everyone to rest for a while before continuing their journey after gradually acclimatizing to the high-altitude environment and climate.
After figuring out what was going on, I helped them set up the tents. Old Zaxi stayed by Dunzi's side to watch over him. About half an hour later, the two mountain tents were set up. Since we were now at an altitude of about four or five thousand meters, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the temperature was already quite low, and everyone's faces were red from the cold. It would probably get even colder at night. Therefore, at Jenny's suggestion, everyone prepared to build a campfire for warmth. Building a fire pit here and now wasn't difficult, as there were rocks of various sizes that had rolled down from the surrounding snow-capped mountains. Building a fire pit with these rocks was no problem at all. The difficulty lay in the high-altitude terrain. Due to the low temperature and harsh climate, ordinary trees couldn't grow, except for a thin layer of lichen and moss. As far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single tree, not even a blade of grass. Finding dry firewood was like trying to climb to heaven.
Just as we were struggling with this, Tashim came over. He looked at the fire pit we had built with stones beside the tent, and seeing the helpless expressions on our faces, he immediately guessed the reason for our worry. He smiled and said, "In Tibet, although there isn't much firewood, the Tibetans have their own methods for starting a fire." As he spoke, Tashim bent down and picked up a dark object from the ground. I looked closely and almost vomited. It turned out that Tashim had picked up dried yak dung. Then, Tashim asked Jenny for some napkins, lit them with a lighter, and threw them into the fire pit. Then he broke the yak dung into pieces and gently placed them into the fire pit. After a puff of white smoke, a roaring fire blazed in the fire pit, instantly dispelling the chill around us.
"Don't underestimate those yaks. They're incredibly valuable, an essential part of Tibetan life. Yaks are used for transportation, their milk and meat are edible, their hides are used for clothing, their bones are used to make wine and medicine, and even their unassuming yak dung is a precious fuel for Tibetans," Zaximu said as he started a fire. "The temperature will probably be quite low tonight, so everyone should hurry and collect as much yak dung as possible for firewood tonight."
Hearing Zaxi's instructions, although I felt a little uncomfortable, I could only force myself to follow the old man's lead and pick up the dried yak dung from the ground. We piled the dung near the hearth, while some of the damper dung was simply placed next to the hearth so that the heat of the fire would dry it. Only after a pile of yak dung more than a meter high had formed around the hearth did Zaxi tell us to stop collecting.
Although the still-wet yak dung emitted an unpleasant smell when roasted over the fire, it was still much better than being chilled to the bone by the biting cold wind. Afterwards, we cleared a relatively flat area on the ground next to the fire, laid a blanket on it, and helped Dunzi out of the off-road vehicle, letting him lie quietly by the fire to rest. Once everything was settled, Old Zaxi took some water from the vehicle in an aluminum pot, and then took a piece of ginger and some dried herbs from his cloth bag. He cut the ginger into pieces and threw it into the aluminum pot along with the herbs, finally placing the pot on the fire to boil. Because of the low air pressure at high altitudes, food doesn't cook easily, so Zaxi didn't pour out a cup of the herbal ginger soup until the water had boiled three times. He then fed it to Dunzi. "After drinking this hot soup and getting a good night's sleep, he'll feel much better tomorrow," Zaxi said with a smile. "You should all have some too."
By this time, we were all suffering terribly from altitude sickness. When Zaximu said his ginger soup could help, we eagerly poured ourselves a cup and slowly drank it. After a while, a warm feeling washed over me, and I did feel a bit better. Afterwards, we shared some food, arranged for someone to watch the fire, and then everyone went to their tents to rest. Because of the low oxygen levels in the high-altitude mountains, it's easy for those not used to the environment to feel fatigued. So, even though it wasn't night yet, we all fell asleep as soon as we lay down.
I don't know how long I slept, but I was awakened again by that nightmare. As I sat up abruptly, I heard what sounded like distant gunshots, shattering the silence. I quickly crawled out of the tent and realized it was already quite late. Apart from the light from the campfire illuminating the nearby objects, everything further away was pitch black and impossible to see. Ah Bao, who was on night watch, stood near the tall mani stone pile by the campfire, his eyes wide open, gazing into the distance as if searching for something.
"A-Bao, what happened?" I rushed to his side and asked. A-Bao replied, "I don't know. An hour ago, everything was normal. I relieved Zaximu and let him rest in the tent, then I warmed myself by the fire. But just a few minutes ago, I suddenly heard several gunshots coming from the mountains over there. I turned around and saw what looked like moving flames. So I ran over to see what was going on, but before I could see clearly, the flames suddenly went out." "Could it be poachers?" I asked after thinking for a moment. "This place is quite desolate and sparsely populated. Many criminals come to the surrounding mountains to hunt Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, Tibetan eared pheasants, and other rare animals for huge profits."
“It doesn’t seem like it,” Ah Bao replied. “If it were poaching, they would usually use shotguns to kill animals, but the gunshot sounded like an AK-47. That’s an assault rifle, not something an ordinary person can obtain.” Ah Bao had been a mercenary in the United States and was a weapons expert, so I trusted his judgment. “Besides, after the gunshot, I vaguely heard someone crying, but I couldn’t hear it clearly, so I’m not entirely sure if I’m mistaken,” Ah Bao continued.
22. AK-47
After hearing what A-Bao said, I realized his analysis was indeed reasonable. These details didn't seem like typical poaching. So, who was behind those gunshots? We couldn't figure it out for a moment. Perhaps we were sleeping too soundly. The gunshots didn't disturb Jenny and Zasim, and they didn't come out to investigate for a long time. Because I was disturbed by a nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep, I simply sat by the fire and chatted with A-Bao about the gunshots.
Several hours later, dawn broke, and the first rays of the rising sun cast golden light upon the distant snow-capped peaks, gilding them with a golden edge. The mountains instantly became resplendent in gold, a truly magnificent sight. Soon after, Jenny and the others emerged from their tents. They began dismantling the tent frames and organizing their equipment, ready to set off at any moment. Dunzi, having drunk Zashim's ginger soup the night before and slept soundly, felt much better this morning, no longer experiencing dizziness or nausea, and kept praising the effectiveness of Zashim's ginger soup. Although strange gunshots had been heard the previous night, it didn't seem to affect our operation. Not wanting anyone to be distracted by unrelated matters, Ah Bao and I ultimately didn't mention it to the others.
After all the luggage was loaded back into the car, we used shovels to dig a lot of sand around the stone-built hearth. We completely covered the hearth with sand before getting back into the car and leaving. The car continued westward along the dirt road. The area became increasingly sparsely populated; we encountered almost no other vehicles along the way. In the afternoon, the car reached a winding mountain road. This gravel road was built along the mountainside, with steep cliffs on one side and sheer drops on the other. Ah Bao kept the car's speed as low as possible, concentrating on steering and not daring to be careless for a moment.
Just then, Dunzi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly shouted, "Look, there seems to be something on the ground ahead!" Hearing this, Abao also noticed the road ahead. He slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. I leaned out and looked ahead, and sure enough, there was something on the road about fifty meters away. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a person.
Seeing this, everyone was even more astonished. How could someone suddenly appear in this desolate place? Was he dead or alive? And how did he end up here alone? A series of questions flooded my mind. However, the most important thing right now wasn't to figure these things out, but to save him. With that thought, I was the first to push open the car door and jump out, the others following closely behind. When I reached his side, I saw him lying motionless on the ground. His body was curled up very badly, his clothes and trousers were covered in tears, as if they had been ripped apart by the claws of a wild animal, tattered and stained with red blood. Because he was lying face down, we couldn't see his face, but judging from his clothing, he was probably a local.
I crouched down and tentatively touched his hand. Although his palm was icy cold, his limbs weren't stiff yet, suggesting he might still be alive. So, Ah Bao and I gently turned him over. He was a local man, about twenty or thirty years old, with a livid face. His forehead and cheeks were covered in bruises and scratches from the collision. His eyes were closed, his jaw was clenched, and only a faint breath remained between his mouth and nose.
Seeing this, Zaxi stepped forward and carefully observed the situation. Just then, the stranger, perhaps startled by our movements, suddenly awoke, his face filled with terror as he cried out, "Run! Run! The Demon Mother is coming! The Demon Mother is coming! Ah!" before losing consciousness again. At that moment, we heard Dunzi's voice from ahead, "Sinan, come quick, come quick. There seem to be two more people lying up ahead." It turned out that while we were examining the man, Dunzi had slipped away to scout ahead and discovered the situation. Hearing Dunzi's words, we hurriedly rushed to the next section of the road. Because of the high altitude, I felt exhausted after running only a hundred meters. I barely managed to reach Dunzi, and sure enough, I saw two more people lying not far from him, one in front of the other.
I was panting heavily as I went over to check on the two men lying on the ground. They were both around twenty or thirty years old. Similar to the previous man, their clothes and trousers were torn to shreds, and their bodies were covered in blood. However, their stiff limbs indicated that they had been dead for some time. With the help of Ah Bao, who got up later, I turned one of the dead men over. What I did shocked me. Underneath the body was a long gun; I immediately recognized it as a very famous AK-47. While carrying guns isn't unusual in Tibet, most Tibetans use various hunting rifles and homemade guns for hunting and self-defense; possessing such military-grade equipment is relatively rare. We then found another AK-47 and its ammunition next to the other man.
"Could they be the ones who fired the shots last night?" Ah Bao frowned, deep in thought. "So, they were attacked and killed by wild animals? Then why didn't the animals eat them?" I asked. Ah Bao carefully examined the two men's injuries, then stood up and looked at the surrounding terrain. He said, "No wild animals attacked them. They had AK-47s; what wild animal would dare attack them?" "Then how did they die? And who tore their clothes?" "Perhaps they fell from these steep, rocky cliffs. Their clothes were torn by the sharp rocks, making it look like they had been attacked by wild animals," Ah Bao replied. Hearing Ah Bao's explanation, I felt it made sense. But who were these armed men? And why did they fall off the cliff? A series of questions resurfaced in my mind. At that moment, I remembered the stranger I had met earlier; he had mentioned something about a ghost mother. Could their sudden misfortune be related to that? Thinking of this, I quickly called everyone back to the car to discuss the matter.
23. Defeat the Demon Mother
“There are five of us in one car, and it’s already quite crowded. It’s impossible to take these three bodies to the next village. So, in my opinion, we should bury them here first and mark the spot clearly. Once we contact the police, we can report the burial location to them and let them investigate,” Dunzi said. Zaximu nodded. “Although we Tibetans generally use sky burial or water burial, not earth burial, we have no choice but to do this for now to preserve the bodies for the police inspection. After I finish reciting the scriptures for the other two, let’s find a place to bury them.” “What if a pack of wolves comes along, smells the ground, and digs them up to eat?” Jenny said. “If that happens, there’s nothing we can do. The car really can’t hold them all,” I replied. “So we can only bury them here, and what happens next is up to fate.” Everyone nodded silently in agreement. “Let’s leave the bodies as they are for now, but what about their guns? If we bury them with the bodies, what if the wolves dig them up and they fall into the hands of criminals? That would be very dangerous,” Ah Bao said worriedly. I looked at the two guns Ah Bao had brought over, thought for a moment, and then replied, “How about this, we’ll take these two guns with us for now and keep them safe. We’ll hand them over to the police when we contact them.” After thinking about it, the others all agreed.
Dunzi took a KA-47 from Abao, wiping the dirt off the barrel with the corner of his clothes as he carefully examined the gun, a look of joy on his face. Since making this decision, Dunzi was probably the happiest person. Perhaps it was because he had served in the military and had a special affection for guns. Furthermore, in previous treasure hunts, they had been in dangerous situations several times due to the lack of powerful weapons. This time, finally having the opportunity to acquire two suitable high-powered weapons, he was naturally overjoyed. Although this opportunity was only temporary, it was enough to make him happy for a while.
"Stop looking. If you took someone's gun to play with, you have to help bury them," I said half-jokingly, patting Dunzi on the shoulder. "I know, I know, I'm coming," Dunzi said, putting the gun away in the box, picking up a shovel, and following me and Abao to a sheltered clearing by the roadside. Then the three of us started digging a hole, each with a shovel. Because of the high-altitude mountain area, the temperature was very low, and the soil was frozen solid. We were sweating profusely, but we only managed to dig a very shallow hole. As it was getting dark, we decided to rest there for the night before continuing. Dunzi, Abao, and I continued digging to bury the bodies, while Zaxi and Jenny were responsible for setting up the tent and preparing the campfire. We were busy until dark before we finally buried the three strangers' bodies. Then we worked together to move several large stones to surround the grave, and carved the date and time on one of the stones as a marker.
When we returned to the campfire, Jenny had already cooked a pot of potato and beef soup. Since everyone had gradually adapted to the high-altitude environment, the initial symptoms of altitude sickness had gradually disappeared. Coupled with the significant energy expenditure, our appetites were particularly good. We wolfed down the food, which at the time was considered delicious, with bread, finishing it all in no time.
That night, a sudden strong wind blew up. The five of us sat around the fire, trying to make sure it was completely enclosed so the mountain wind wouldn't extinguish it. "Uncle Zaxi, do you remember what that stranger said before he died? He mentioned something about a demon mother. What's that all about? Can you tell me?" I asked casually, poking at the yak dung in the fire pit with a dagger. “The Demon-Slaying Mother,” Zaximu replied. “He said the Demon-Slaying Mother.” “The Demon-Slaying Mother?” “That’s right. The Demon-Slaying Mother is actually the Yinshan Demon Mother. After the Yinshan Demon Mother was subdued by the Five Wisdoms and imprisoned in a secret cave to guard the Heavenly Ladder, some demons who wanted to seize the Heavenly Ladder came to the secret cave to steal the sacred object. The Yinshan Demon Mother was outnumbered. Although she fought desperately to defend the Heavenly Ladder, the demons also stole several fragments of the Heavenly Ladder. Afterwards, in order to retrieve these lost fragments of the sacred object, the Yinshan Demon Mother separated a wrathful form from herself—the Demon-Slaying Mother—to search for the whereabouts of the sacred object. After many hardships, the Demon-Slaying Mother finally found the lost fragments of the Heavenly Ladder, but unfortunately, she was injured in the battle with the demons and died soon after due to overwork. There is also a saying among us Tibetans that the Demon-Slaying Mother’s demon tower and ghost tomb are buried in the nearby mountains.” Zaximu said.
"So, they really did encounter the demon spirit of the Demon-Slaying Mother?" Dunzi asked doubtfully. I smiled and replied, "That's a legend. Although legends may have real-world counterparts—for example, the Demon-Slaying Mother might have been the leader of some primitive tribe, and she had fought with other tribes over something—it's impossible for them to actually encounter the demon spirit of the Demon-Slaying Mother. I guess they must have imagined it or been hallucinating." Zaxi smiled at me after hearing my words but didn't say anything. I didn't know if he agreed with my point of view or if he was keeping his own opinion and didn't want to argue with me.
Just then, I suddenly heard a strange sound coming from afar, like the cracking of rocks, exceptionally clear in the quiet night. The others also heard the strange sound and stopped talking, listening intently to pinpoint its source. Following the sound, we were all astonished to see that the strange cracking was coming from the grave where we had buried the three strangers. Even more terrifying, in the pitch-black night, we could vaguely see some red light emanating from the grave, filled with rubble and hard earth. With each increasingly rapid cracking sound, the red light from the grave grew stronger, as if the entire grave was about to explode.
Seeing this, the five of us were completely bewildered, utterly bewildered by what was happening. A few seconds later, the rubble and hardened earth on the grave scattered with a loud crash. Then, the three corpses, glowing red, slowly rose from the shallow grave. Their tattered clothes were now burning, turning to ashes that drifted in the wind. The dazzling red light emanating from their bodies seemed to emanate from within them, making their forms somewhat translucent, and the shadows of their internal organs were faintly visible. Because their limbs were stiff, their movements were slow and clumsy.
Although we've entered numerous tombs and haunted castles since we began investigating the mystery of immortality in the *Burial Scripture*, and have encountered various walking corpses and malevolent spirits, this is the first time we've seen monstrous creatures radiating a red glow. Looking at their hideous and eerie faces, my heart pounded. My intuition told me that these three strange corpses were no benevolent beings. Thinking this, I quickly whispered to everyone, "Quick, get behind the car!" With that, I helped Zaximu up and swiftly moved from the fireside to the back of the SUV, about a hundred meters away. Immediately afterward, Dunzi and the other two also fled to the back of the car. At this moment, everyone was extremely tense, and the same question simultaneously crossed their minds: how could these three corpses have suddenly transformed into such terrifying monsters?
By this time, the three grotesque corpses had completely crawled out of the grave and looked around for a while. When they spotted the campfire about twenty or thirty meters away, they angrily strode towards it and began kicking wildly at the fire, completely destroying it. The flying fireballs scattered like petals in the air. As the fire died down, everything around them became blurry. Fortunately, the three grotesque corpses themselves still emitted light, allowing us to see their actions clearly.
After destroying the hearth, they gradually calmed down, standing still and looking around, occasionally letting out muffled roars. After surveying the area, when their sharp gazes fell on us, who were secretly observing their movements from behind the car, Dunzi was startled by the monster's ferocious eyes and involuntarily took a step back. His footsteps made a slight sound as he stepped on the gravel. This slight sound immediately alerted the three monsters, and their expressions instantly became agitated again. Having determined their location, the three monsters lined up and strode directly towards where the car was parked.
Ever since I saw those three strange corpses, I've been racking my brains to recall the various walking corpses and evil spirits described in the "Exorcism Techniques," but I couldn't remember a monster that glows red all over, so I couldn't think of an effective way to deal with it. Watching them approach step by step, I frantically looked around, trying to find another safe place to hide. But it was pitch black all around, and I couldn't see my surroundings at all. Besides, in this vast, high-altitude wilderness, there wasn't a single tree in sight; there was simply no place for us to hide. Time ticked by, and the strange corpses drew closer step by step; an ominous premonition welled up in my heart.
24. Phosphorus beetle
At this critical moment, Ah Bao said, "Since we've been discovered, let's fight them." He abruptly stood up, pulled out his car keys, opened the door, and retrieved the two AK-47s from inside. Seeing Dunzi's pale face, clearly terrified, Ah Bao handed him a gun, saying, "Brother, don't be afraid, use their weapon against them." With a crisp "click," Ah Bao skillfully loaded the magazine and released the safety.
After Ah Bao aimed his gun at the approaching monster corpses, Dunzi suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly loaded the magazine and released the safety. Perhaps due to his panic, the same movements were rather chaotic in Dunzi's hands, lacking crisp sounds and rhythm. However, he managed to complete all the steps and then raised his gun to aim. Just then, the three monster corpses were very close to us. Ah Bao seized the opportunity and fired first. After a series of "rat-a-tat-tat" shots, more than a dozen bullets accurately entered the bodies of the three monster corpses.
To our surprise, the bullets weren't as effective against them as we'd expected. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that while the bullets had caused some damage after piercing their bodies—a viscous, reddish-brown liquid continuously oozed from the bullet holes—this damage didn't pose a significant threat. The three monstrous corpses, after being hit, merely stopped moving forward and swayed unsteadily a few times. Once the gunfire ceased, they continued walking towards us.
When Ah Bao ran out of bullets, Dunzi's gun also sparked, bullets raining down at close range, piercing the monster's chest and exiting through its back. The AK-47 was indeed powerful; the combined fire of the two guns, while not completely killing the three monsters, inflicted considerable damage. As the number of bullet holes increased, their advance slowed, and they finally stopped about ten meters away from us, collapsing to the ground with painful howls.
"You think you can scare us? I'll teach you a lesson!" Dunzi fired with increasing ferocity, unleashing a barrage of bullets as dense as a summer downpour. Seeing that the ground beneath Dunzi and Abao's feet was already overflowing with spent cartridges, I grew increasingly anxious and shouted, "Don't fire so recklessly! Conserve your ammo! If we run out, they'll pounce again and we'll be in real trouble!" My words were a wake-up call for Dunzi and Abao. They realized then that their ammunition was running low; that burst of fire had used up at least a quarter of their total ammunition. Under the threat of the AK-47, although both of them suddenly stopped firing, the three monstrous corpses remained prone on the ground, too afraid to immediately get up and charge again.
Seeing this, and remembering their slow pace, I thought, "Why don't we seize this opportunity to get in the car and run away? As long as we start the car, they definitely won't be able to catch up at their speed." With that thought, I quickly jumped into the car and called everyone else to get in. The others understood my meaning and jumped into the car in a few quick movements. Ah Bao shoved the gun into my hand, immediately inserted the car key, and started the engine. Hearing the roar of the engine, the three monstrous corpses probably realized we were trying to escape, and they mustered their courage, got up from the ground, and charged at us again at their top speed.
Dunzi stepped on the gas and sped forward. Just as the car reached them, Dunzi suddenly swerved, the car deftly swerving past their encirclement. Looking in the rearview mirror at the increasing distance between us, we felt incredibly fortunate. Although we hadn't had time to bring the tent, at least we'd escaped with our lives. But just as the car had gone a short distance, Jenny cried out, "Oh no! I left the animal hide scroll in the tent! I wanted to study it carefully before going to sleep, but in my haste, I forgot to take it out!" That animal hide scroll was something everyone had painstakingly obtained from the First Emperor's tomb. Although we'd read its contents dozens of times, it was crucial; we might need it again before the mystery of the Xuanjing was solved. We couldn't afford to lose it so easily. As soon as Jenny finished speaking, Abao slammed on the brakes and quickly turned the car around, driving back. Dunzi and I each held an AK-47, one on each side of the car window, ready to fire at any moment.
But when the campsite came into view, we couldn't find any trace of the three monsters. Apart from the yak dung scattered on the ground that had been used to light the campfire and hadn't completely died down, there were no other glowing objects around. Ah Bao cautiously slowed down the vehicle and approached the campsite little by little, while the others kept looking around, observing the surrounding movements.
"Where did those three strange corpses go in such a short time?" I wondered to myself. A moment later, the car stopped between the two tents. Dunzi and I jumped out and stood on either side of the tents. Jenny, with Zasim's help, quickly retrieved the precious animal hide scroll from one of the tents. Seeing that nothing unusual had happened, Jenny and Zasim together disassembled the tent, preparing to take it with them to the car. Throughout this process, Abao remained seated in the car, the engine running, ready to drive away at any moment.
Just as Jenny and the others had finished dismantling the aluminum support poles of the tent, and all that was left was to roll up the inner and outer tents before getting in the vehicle and leaving, we heard that familiar, deep roar again. Looking in the direction of the sound, we saw the three monsters charging towards us from a nearby hillside. Seeing this, Dunzi and I opened fire, a burst of bullets flying and piercing the monsters' bodies. But this time they were smarter; instead of crowding together as before, they split into three groups, attacking us from three directions. Our two guns could only suppress two of the monsters, but we couldn't simultaneously hold off the third.
25. Sacred Lake
In that critical moment, Jenny quickly packed up the two tents, tossed them into the vehicle, and then swiftly climbed in with Zasim. "Get in!" Jenny shouted to us. Receiving the message, Dunzi and I unleashed a burst of bullets at the monster corpse before jumping into the vehicle as well. Almost simultaneously, Abao stepped on the gas and sped off. However, we were a little too late. The third monster corpse suddenly rushed onto the gravel road, blocking our path.
Because the distance was too close, Ah Bao didn't have time to brake, and the car crashed into the strange corpse with a loud bang. Spiderweb-like cracks immediately appeared on the windshield. Caught off guard, the strange corpse was thrown seven or eight meters away. But to our surprise, when the strange corpse hit the ground, it exploded with a "crack," and a swarm of glowing red insects flew out of its body, rushing towards us like a swarm of bees.
Seeing the strange flying insects approaching aggressively, Ah Bao instinctively shifted into reverse, stepped on the gas, and quickly reversed. "Quick, close the windows! Quick, close the windows!" Zasim shouted, as if remembering something, after clearly seeing the insects. "Those are phosphorus beetles! We mustn't let them touch us!" Hearing Zasim's shout, without time for further questions, everyone quickly closed the windows around them. The instant the windows were closed, the so-called phosphorus beetles swarmed around the car, landing on the windshields.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that these strange insects were about the size of ordinary ladybugs, with a thin, semi-transparent red carapace that allowed me to vaguely see their internal organs. A black, skull-like marking was present on the carapace. They looked rather eerie and unsettling. With each breath, a red glow flickered from their bodies, adding to our fear.
As more and more beetles piled up on the car, Ah Bao, wanting to get rid of these strange insects as quickly as possible, stepped on the gas and reversed. But during the rapid reverse, he bumped into something with a "hiss," and the car stopped abruptly. Instinctively, I turned around and looked through the rear windshield, and was immediately shocked.
While we were focused on the beetles in front of the car, the two monstrous corpses we had previously suppressed on the hillside with our AK-47s had sneakily circled around to the back of our vehicle, intending to ambush us. However, they were caught off guard by the car suddenly reversing. The violent impact from the rear of the car caused the two corpses to explode almost simultaneously. From their bodies flew numerous red beetles, which densely packed around the outside of the car. Several windows were almost completely filled with these beetles, severely impairing visibility.
"Drive faster, drive faster, turn up the throttle and shake them off!" Dunzi reminded Abao. So Abao shifted gears again and stepped on the gas. The car sped forward like lightning. We could hear occasional "bang, bang" sounds coming from in front of the car; I knew that was the sound of the car hitting the oncoming beetles. Since the front and rear windshields were almost completely covered by beetles, we could only barely see the road outside through the gaps between them. Coupled with the treacherous terrain of the gravel road and the car's relatively high speed, we couldn't help but worry for Abao, hoping that he wouldn't lose his sense of direction and control due to the poor visibility.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, and no other vehicles were on the road, reducing the danger. After driving three or five hundred meters, the car finally broke free from the swarm of beetles. By then, Ah Bao had increased the speed to sixty or seventy miles per hour. Although he had temporarily escaped the danger of more beetles continuing to block his windshields, the beetles that had previously stopped on the car clung tightly to the glass and refused to leave easily.
Inadvertently, I glanced again at the beetles on the glass, and that's when I noticed something truly terrifying. The tiny beetles were spitting out amber-colored, viscous liquid from their mouths. This liquid sparked briefly upon contact with the glass, then a shallow pit appeared on the window. They repeatedly spit the amber liquid onto the glass, gradually deepening the pit. Over time, this would corrode the glass, creating numerous holes. Once they swarmed into the car, we'd have no other way to deal with them.
Ah Bao probably noticed this phenomenon as well, and stepped on the gas, increasing the car's speed. Finally, some beetles were blown off the car by the oncoming wind. The number of beetles on the car window gradually decreased as the speed increased. However, when the car could go no faster, many beetles still clung firmly to the car window, continuing to spew corrosive liquid.
Fortunately, Ah Bao had received special training and was incredibly skilled. After driving at high speed on the gravel road for about half an hour, the sky was no longer pitch black, but rather had a hazy gray hue. Checking the time, he realized that dawn was approaching. Seeing that he couldn't shake off the insects, Ah Bao simply slowed down. Continuing to drive like this would not only fail to shake off these pesky beetles, but would also damage several tires, which wouldn't be worth it. It was better to drive slowly and think of other solutions.
“Uncle Zasim, you just mentioned the names of these strange insects. Do you know their origin?” Jenny broke the silence in the car, asking. Zasim nodded and said, “Yes, I remember seeing these little creatures mentioned in the *Lotus Subduing Demons Sutra*. Do you remember the stories I told you about the Yin Mountain Ghost Mother and the Demon-Slaying Ghost Mother?” “Yes, do these insects have anything to do with the Ghost Mother?” I asked. Zasim glanced at me, nodded, and replied, “That’s right. It’s said that these insects only appear in the Ghost Mother’s grave. Because they survive by absorbing the Yin energy that transforms after the Ghost Mother dies, they are extremely evil. You shouldn’t underestimate them.”
Zaxi's words suddenly reminded me that the man had indeed mentioned the Demon Mother before his death. "Could it be that they entered the Demon Mother's tomb, were attacked by these phosphorescent beetles, and accidentally tumbled off a cliff and died while fleeing in panic?" I muttered to myself. Dunzi continued, "So the ancient legend isn't just a legend, but a fact. There really is a Demon Mother's tomb in the mountains around here?" "If the Demon Mother is true, then the Heavenly Ladder might also be true. It seems our speculation has been further verified," Jenny said. "Hey, don't get carried away. Let's think of a way to deal with these terrifying insects! They're about to crawl in, and you still have the leisure to discuss other things?" Abao reminded me while driving.
It was only after Abao's reminder that we realized the urgency of the situation and hurriedly asked the old craftsman if he had any way to deal with these insects. "I don't know," Zaxim replied helplessly. "Although the scriptures say that they have poisonous fire inside their bodies, and that no one can survive being burned by this poisonous fire, they don't mention any way to restrain them. Otherwise, I would have told everyone long ago. Would I have waited until now?"
Hearing Zasim's words, everyone was once again filled with disappointment. Several windshields had already been corroded into pitted "art glass" by the phosphorus beetle's corrosive liquid. They were on the verge of being completely corroded through. Just at this critical moment, for some unknown reason, the phosphorus beetles suddenly seemed to be greatly startled. Almost simultaneously, they flew away with a "buzz," leaving only the windshields, badly corroded by the liquid. Because the glass was so corroded that visibility was blurred, and to avoid interfering with Ah Bao's driving, Dunzi simply raised his rifle butt and smashed the entire windshield with a few "smacks."
The instant the glass was shattered, I saw the sky, already turning white, revealing a splash of red where heaven and earth met. To our left, beside the undulating plateau slopes, a vast lake appeared before us like a smooth mirror. Auspicious clouds, like woven silk, filled the sky; snow-capped peaks surrounded us; and prayer flags fluttered among mani stones in the distance. Herds of wild yaks roamed the lakeshore—all of this presented a unique beauty of the Tibetan plateau, instantly filling me with awe.
I was about to ask why those terrifying phosphorescent creatures had suddenly flown away when Zaximu shouted excitedly, "It's the Holy Lake! It's the Holy Lake Baga! It must be the power of the Holy Lake that terrified those evil spirits, causing them to flee immediately." "The Holy Lake?" Dunzi said, looking at the huge highland lake. Tashim nodded and replied, “Yes, Lake Manasarovar, also known as Lake Manasarovar, means ‘the invincible turquoise lake’ in Tibetan. Located 26 kilometers southeast of Mount Kailash at an altitude of 4,587 meters, it is one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world and the king of the sacred lakes of Tibet. Buddhists believe that Lake Manasarovar is the supreme nectar bestowed upon humanity by Chakrasamvara. Purifying oneself with its waters can cleanse the mind of all delusions, afflictions, and sins. Drinking its waters can cure all diseases and strengthen the body. Pilgrims who circumambulate the lake can gain immense merit. Throughout history, pilgrims have considered visiting and bathing in this lake the greatest blessing in their lives. Eight Buddhist temples still exist along the lake, the largest being Chugu Temple. Due to time constraints, tourists generally do not visit these temples.”
“I see. It seems this sacred lake truly possesses extraordinary power,” I said. “Why don’t we go for a walk by the lake, drink some holy water, and take a shower? Then we can begin our devout circumambulation ceremony once we reach the sacred mountain.” “Si Nan makes a good point,” Zaximu said with a smile. “Alright, destination: Baga Sacred Lake, speed 60 kilometers per hour, let’s go!” Dunzi shouted excitedly. Under Dunzi’s direction, Abao found the road to the lake, turned the steering wheel, and the car turned off the gravel road, driving straight towards the lake. Having escaped the crisis and suddenly seeing such a beautiful view, everyone felt incredibly happy, their emotions soaring to their peak.
26. Sacred Mountain
Wild yaks that had been leisurely strolling along the lake were startled by the sudden speeding car and scattered in all directions; a flock of waterbirds resting on the nearby lake surface were also startled by the sound of the engine and hurriedly took flight into the sky with a "plop, plop". This vibrant scene excited everyone.
After Ah Bao chose a relatively flat spot and parked the off-road vehicle, everyone quickly jumped out and ran towards the sacred lake. Jenny, supporting Zasim, followed closely behind. Just as we reached the lake, the sun rose above the distant horizon. The golden fireball reflected in the water like a giant gemstone, radiating dazzling light and instantly turning the vast expanse of lake a brilliant gold. At the same time, the surrounding towering snow-capped mountains and ice peaks seemed to be adorned with a golden hue, adorning this vast region with a sacred and magnificent aura.
I stood by the lake, gazing up at the sky. In that instant, I felt the vastness of heaven and earth, the immensity of the universe, and realized how insignificant the individual human being is compared to the power of nature. Compared to the endless expanse of the universe, a human life, a few decades, is indeed too short. No wonder so many people seek to break through this limitation, to find a way to achieve immortality—even the First Emperor of Qin, who unified China, and Emperor Wu of Han, a renowned ruler whose reign was marked by immense glory, were no exception.
As I let my thoughts wander freely, I knelt down, cupped a handful of lake water in my hands, and savored it. The clear, sweet taste of the lake water instantly refreshed me. The fatigue from the past few days of hard work vanished without a trace. I felt much more energetic, and although I hadn't slept a wink all night, I didn't feel sleepy at all.
Looking at Dunzi and Abao, they had already rushed into the lake, splashing each other with water, eager to wash away the dust and sins. Jenny helped Zaxim stand on the lakeshore. The old artist was closing his eyes, turning a prayer wheel, and silently chanting scriptures, praying for their well-being. So I went over and joined them.
After showering, we returned to the car. Jenny had already laid out a mat on the ground and placed several cans of meat and some dry food on it. Everyone sat around it, enjoying a delicious breakfast while admiring the blue sky, white clouds, and emerald mountains, feeling incredibly relaxed. "Tibet truly is paradise!" Dunzi exclaimed. "But it's also hell," Zaximu casually remarked, "You'll find out when the time comes." Hearing this, I felt a slight unease. Did the old man harbor some secret? But I didn't press him further. I simply continued chatting with everyone.
About an hour later, as we were preparing to leave the sacred lake and continue our journey, two people approached from the other side of the lake, one after the other. They took a few steps, then knelt in prayer, finally prostrating themselves on the ground. Zashim, watching them, murmured, “These two must be pilgrims circumambulating the sacred lake. It takes weeks, even months, to complete the circumambulation. During this process, they endure countless hardships, sometimes even risking death from wild animals, but they never waver in their devotion. Though their bodies are covered in dirty mud, their hearts are pure.” Hearing the old man's words, I was deeply moved. I hadn't realized that a belief could have such power, enough to make people do things that seem impossible to others.
When the two pilgrims approached us, I saw they were disheveled, their clothes tattered, their aprons made of raw yak hide worn through from long hours of prostration, and their wooden clogs were severely worn. Their faces showed exhaustion; they had clearly been walking for a long time. “People we meet on the road give food to pilgrims; this is a long-standing tradition in Tibet. To liberate all beings in the universe from suffering and bring them happiness and peace, they act as messengers spreading the untold teachings. They are setting an example for the world through their actions, and people admire these strong-willed and steadfast individuals, willing to do their best to help these prostrating pilgrims,” Tashim said, offering them some dry rations. The two pilgrims accepted the food, bowed with their palms together in thanks, and then continued their prostrations, continuing their circumambulation of the lake.
After saying goodbye to the pilgrims prostrating themselves in prayer, we packed our things and prepared to continue our journey. Suddenly, Jenny had a sudden inspiration and took a plastic bucket from the trunk of the car—the one we had used to store drinking water. We had used up the water during the past few days of travel, so the bucket was now empty. She hurriedly ran to the lake, filled it to the brim with clean water, and said, "We've finally made it to the sacred lake; we should at least bring back some souvenirs." Seeing her innocent and cheerful expression, we all smiled happily.
The car continued along the gravel road. According to Old Tashim, we should reach the foot of the sacred mountain around the same day. So, everyone chatted and laughed along the way, as if they had completely forgotten the terrifying events of the previous night. Perhaps because we were getting closer to the legendary sacred mountain—Mount Kailash—the area was becoming more lively. Pilgrims, tourist groups, photography enthusiasts from all over the world, and lamas from the surrounding monasteries collecting alms all gathered on this gravel road.
Around five or six o'clock in the evening, we could already see the towering sacred mountain peaks in the distance. From afar, it looked like a white pyramid, rising abruptly from the snow-capped mountains and piercing the sky. Zaxi pointed to the peak and said with a smile, "Do you see that giant peak? That's the head of the sacred mountains—Mount Kailash." "Wow, we've finally arrived!" Dunzi exclaimed excitedly.
"In Tibetan, 'Kangrenbuchen' means 'Mountain of the Gods, Treasure of the Snow Mountains.' Located in Purang County on the Ngari Plateau in Tibet, it stands at an altitude of 6,638 meters and is the main peak of the Gangdise Mountains. Its four sides are very symmetrical, and its shape resembles a pyramid. On the south side of the icy peak, a huge ice trough running vertically down from the summit and a section of horizontally extending rock strata form the Buddhist swastika symbol (a symbol of spiritual power in Buddhism, signifying the eternal existence of the Dharma and representing auspiciousness and protection), which is also its most famous symbol." Tashim continued to explain the sacred mountain to us.
27. The Path Around the Mountain
Guided by Tashim, our car finally stopped at a Lama temple at the foot of the sacred mountain. The temple was built on a relatively low hillside. Although not large in scale for the Tibetan region, it possessed typical Lamaist architectural style. The entire temple was constructed of earth and wood, giving it an ancient and rustic feel. High walls painted in red and white, a roof painted with gold, and huge thangkas and countless five-colored prayer flags hung on the walls. On either side of the temple gate were rows of huge prayer wheels. It is said that these prayer wheels contain different scriptures, and each turn of a prayer wheel is equivalent to reciting the scripture contained within. This demonstrates that Buddhism in Tibet had indeed developed very comprehensively and extensively. They possessed a vast number of scriptures, more than people could read them all, so their ancestors devised this method of turning prayer wheels to solve the problem of not having enough time to read all the scriptures.
“We’ll rest outside the temple for the night, and tomorrow we can begin the sacred pilgrimage around the mountain,” Tashim said. Hearing this, we were all delighted. After a bumpy day in the car, we could finally stop and rest. So we pitched our tents next to the vehicle and lit a campfire near the campsite to welcome the nightfall.
As darkness fell completely, I saw three or four more bonfires lit up on the open ground outside the temple. Needless to say, those bonfires were occupied by tourists like us, or local Buddhist devotees on our pilgrimage. During our rest at the campsite, we frequently heard conch shells and horns, as well as the chanting of lamas, emanating from the temple. These unique sounds, like sacred chants, cleansed the impurities in our hearts, allowing us to thoroughly wash away the dust and sins of the world and embark on the sacred pilgrimage route.
The next day, shortly after dawn, Tashim called us out of the tent. He had us kneel on a yellow woolen handmade rug he had already laid out, and then took out a bowl of clean water that Mengzhenni had fetched from the sacred lake. He then held the bowl in one hand, dipped the other hand in the water, and finally sprinkled the excess water from his hand onto our foreheads. As he did so, he chanted the six-syllable mantra of Tibetan Buddhism, "Om Mani Padme Hum." We closed our eyes slightly and cooperated with the old artist in completing these rituals for us with a devout heart. Finally, Tashim placed the bowl before us and had us take turns purifying our hands with the holy water in the bowl. Only then was the ceremony considered complete.
Afterwards, we left our car at the campsite, took some food, water, and light gear, and began the real trek with the elderly man. We first entered the pilgrimage route from Taijin, an unavoidable point on Mount Kailash. Taijin is 4,675 meters above sea level. Not far west of Taijin, there is a clear mountain path along the cliff edge. Following this path for about three kilometers, you will reach the prayer flag plaza at the entrance to Mount Kailash. Although this path is not very long, the mountain path is rugged and the terrain is treacherous, taking us nearly two hours to complete this section.
Upon arriving at the square, I saw a row of tall white stupas on the west side, the ground beneath them littered with burnt-out incense sticks and candles. Not far from the stupas was a huge mani stone pile, filled with various colored stones inscribed with the six-syllable mantra. These stones were brought from various places by devout Buddhist believers, each inscribed with their wishes. When they arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain, they left the stones here, and over time, this enormous mani stone pile was formed.
Following local custom, we first circled the square three times and offered khatas (ceremonial scarves) to the sacred mountain. Then, we officially began our pilgrimage along a slope beside the square. The path was unpaved, a gravel and dirt track worn smooth by countless pilgrims and practitioners over centuries. About three kilometers further on, we could see the Kagyu monastery, Chugku Monastery, on the opposite hillside. Built in the 13th century, it is said to house a Buddha statue that can speak. Whether this is true or not, even Tashim had only heard about it from the lamas in the monastery and had never had the opportunity to see it with his own eyes. It is said that the meditation cave of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) is preserved below the monastery. The monastery offers accommodation and is an excellent vantage point for viewing the western side of the sacred mountain. However, due to our mission, we didn't have time to visit these historical sites and could only continue our pilgrimage under Tashim's guidance.