West Night Lament

Chapter 2

"Li, Xiao Li, wake up." A familiar female voice rang in her ears, and Yin Li's hazy consciousness gradually cleared. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a young girl's face: "Xiao-Wen?"

"Xiao Li, get off the bus, we've arrived in Yecheng County." Qin Wen stood up from her seat and urged her. Yin Li turned to look out the window and realized that the bus she was on had already stopped at Yecheng Station. The station was a bit messy, with scattered black oil stains on the floor. Seeing that she didn't intend to get up, Qin Wen gently nudged her and said, "What's wrong with you? Did your brain get rusty after a nap?"

Yin Li rubbed her throbbing temples. Had they already arrived in Ye City? It had been four days since they left the Niya Ruins; along the way, they had also visited the Malikwat Ruins. But in her memory, all the ruins they had visited seemed to have faded. Only Niya, that eerie city of death, remained vividly etched in her mind, as if carved into her heart with a knife.

She shook her head, banishing the distracting thoughts from her mind, and got off the bus with Qin Wen. The two took their suitcases from the luggage compartment and walked out of the station. The station was in a very remote location, with almost no pedestrians on the street, only a row of taxis parked side by side in front, waiting for out-of-town passengers.

"Where are you two ladies headed?" A face with a distinct Western Region appearance emerged from a taxi and asked in heavily accented Mandarin.

"West Night Hotel." Qin Wen put their suitcases in the trunk and got into the car. The engine started, and the trees along the road rushed past. Yin Li stared blankly at the scenery outside the window. Qin Wen patted her shoulder and said, "What? Thinking about the Niya ruins again?"

Yin Li nodded in response.

Qin Wen frowned in displeasure and said, "Don't think about it so much. Maybe it's just an ordinary inscription on that wooden board? We're here on vacation, don't let this spoil our mood."

“I always felt something was off about this,” Yin Li said. “Who exactly is that old woman? What was her purpose in giving us the wooden board and jade pendant? She couldn’t have been playing a trick on us, could she?”

"So what do you think her intentions are?"

Yin Li lowered her eyes, seemingly deep in thought, before finally saying, "I think she's reminding us."

"Remind us?" Qin Wen's heart skipped a beat. "Remind us of what?"

“I don’t know, but…” Yin Li took out the wooden board from her travel backpack. The board was a little yellowed, but the writing on it was still very clear. She reached out and stroked the writing carefully, and said thoughtfully, “But I think she wrote what she wanted to tell us on this wooden board. As long as we solve the mystery of the writing on the board, all the questions will be answered.”

Before they could finish speaking, the taxi suddenly braked. Caught off guard, the two bumped into the front seats. They weren't injured, but they were quite frightened.

"Driver, how are you driving?" Qin Wen said with some dissatisfaction, but then she saw the driver turn his head and look at them with a strange expression. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his emerald green eyes were full of surprise and doubt.

The two girls felt uneasy under his gaze and exchanged a glance. The taxi was parked in the middle of nowhere, the sun blazing down, and there wasn't a soul in sight, not even a car. A sense of fear began to rise within them—had they been tricked into an unlicensed taxi?

"You...you just said you met an old woman in Niya City?" The driver's voice trembled, whether from excitement or fear, it was hard to tell.

The two girls exchanged glances, unsure how to answer. After a long pause, Qin Wen finally said hesitantly, "Yes, yes? Is there a problem?"

"Was that old woman very short, and wearing a long robe?" The driver's hands were trembling as he stared at the two of them, startling them so much that their faces turned pale. They leaned back together and said, "It seems so. What's wrong?"

"It's Apul! It's Apul! Thank God, you actually saw Apul!" The driver prayed to the heavens excitedly. Yin Li and Qin Wen looked at him, puzzled, wondering if they had accidentally encountered a madman.

"What is Aphur?" Qin Wen asked cautiously.

“Apur is the legendary prophet, the messenger of the true God Allah.” The driver was so happy that he danced with joy, and his eyes became respectful as he looked at the two of them. “The two ladies are so blessed to have received Apur’s blessing. You should know that in thousands of years, only a few people have received Apur’s divine oracle.”

"A prophet?" The two looked at each other again, momentarily at a loss. That old woman was a prophet? A messenger of Allah? We live in a scientific society; where would gods and prophets come from? But how could they explain the bizarre encounter at the Niya ruins, the old woman's mysterious appearance and disappearance, and the ancient jade and wooden planks of unknown origin?

"Then, what do you think the words on this wooden board mean?" Qin Wen took the board from Yin Li and handed it to the driver. Yin Li's expression changed, and she quickly grabbed Qin Wen's hand, giving her a meaningful look. Qin Wen then realized she had been too impulsive. Nobody knew who this driver was; how could she so easily trust someone?

Upon seeing the wooden plank, the driver waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Ladies, Apur's oracle cannot be read by anyone other than those who are protected by Allah, otherwise they will be sent to the hot sand hell by the true God."

"What? Down to the scorching sand hell?" Qin Wen's face turned deathly pale. Her hand trembled, and the wooden plank fell to the ground with a thud. Yin Li, startled, rushed over and caught the plank steadily, saying with displeasure, "Be careful! What if you break it?"

"I...I scanned the writing on the wooden board for my mother when I was in Yutian County, asking her to help me decipher it. What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" Qin Wen grabbed Yin Li's arm, almost bursting into tears. Yin Li rolled her eyes, wanting to say, "You actually believe in this kind of thing? All those years of materialistic education wasted?" But the words caught in her throat as she looked at the devout driver and swallowed them back. She could only comfort her, "No, it's nothing. It's not like you were showing the wooden board directly to your aunt. Allah won't blame you."

"Really?" Qin Wen looked at Yin Li, then turned to look at the driver. The driver looked regretful, hesitated for a moment, and said, "The two ladies are truly blessed by God. As long as you pray sincerely, Allah will forgive you."

Even though the driver, a devout believer in Allah, said so, Qin Wen was still filled with trepidation. With this uneasy feeling, the taxi arrived at the equally remote "West Night Hotel."

Yecheng is the legendary site of the mysterious Western Night Kingdom, one of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions. It's famous for its pomegranates and boasts many renowned tourist attractions. This small inn, though remote, is located on the main road leading to the famous Thousand Buddha Caves. It's peak tourist season, and the inn is full of guests. Luckily, the two had booked a room beforehand; otherwise, they would have had to sleep in the hallway.

The two girls got out of the taxi with their suitcases. The driver refused to take their money, saying it was a great honor for these blessed people, guided by Apur, to ride in his car. The two girls felt embarrassed, but unable to refuse his kindness, they thanked him and went into the hotel.

They successfully registered at the front desk and were led upstairs by a waiter. Just as they stepped onto the stairs, they heard a loud bang as the front door was kicked open behind them. Instinctively, they turned around and saw a group of burly men enter, arrogantly telling the receptionist, "Give me three rooms."

Seeing that the group of people were not friendly, the waiter felt fear and took a small step back, saying tremblingly, "Excuse me, do you have a reservation?"

"Damn it! I need a reservation to check in?" One of the men, with a burly face and lips as thick as sausages, slammed his hand on the front desk, startling the waiter so much he almost crawled under it. Qin Wen, intolerant of injustice, glared at him, ready to rush down and intervene. Yin Li quickly grabbed her T-shirt, pulling her back, and whispered, "Are you crazy? You're all alone, do you think you can handle five of them? Don't cause trouble!"

IV. The Phantom in the Mirror

Qin Wen snorted coldly, angrily shaking off her hand, and stomped upstairs. Yin Li shrugged helplessly. Just as she was about to follow, a man in his late twenties stepped out from among the five, saying coldly, "Fourth brother, don't cause trouble!"

His voice was deep yet carried a hint of authority, and the bear-like man stopped talking and obediently stepped aside.

For some reason, the moment Yin Li saw this man, she felt that he was different from the four people behind him. Perhaps it was because he had received higher education, but he was wearing an Adidas tracksuit, and his facial features were strong, angular, and quite handsome.

The young man took out an ID card from his bag, handed it to the waiter, and said, "We must stay at the hotel tonight, please make the arrangements."

The waiter, already pale with fright, dared not be negligent any longer. Trembling, he took the ID card and registered it in the register, his hand slipping from his grip several times. Yin Li looked at the young man in bewilderment. Was he really that scary, that he had frightened the waiter so much?

The young man seemed to sense her gaze and suddenly looked up, just in time to see the girl standing on the stairs staring blankly at him. In that instant, Yin Li saw his eyes, deep green pupils, as beautiful as emeralds. But she felt they were a deep pool, so deep that she couldn't see the bottom.

She suddenly had a strange feeling, as if there was a deep vortex in those eyes, drawing her in.

The young man's lips twitched slightly, a cold smile playing on his lips. Startled by that smile, Yin Li's soul, which had long since flown to the heavens, snapped back to reality. She quickly averted her eyes, her face flushed, and ran frantically upstairs. Just as she reached the top of the stairs on the second floor, she saw Qin Wen standing there with her hands on her hips, a wicked grin on her face. That look sent chills down Yin Li's spine.

"Tell me the truth, are you interested in that man?" Qin Wen interrogated her relentlessly, as if she wouldn't stop until she got a clear answer. Yin Li heard footsteps downstairs and quickly pushed her back into the room: "What nonsense are you spouting? It wouldn't be good if someone heard you."

Their room was in a corner on the second floor, with a dark blue metal plaque labeled "225" on the wooden door. The two girls shoved each other into the room. Qin Wen was about to speak when Yin Li quickly made a shushing gesture. She opened the door a crack and peeked out. Qin Wen chuckled to herself, "Looking all lovestruck, she dares to say I'm talking nonsense. Just wait and see how I deal with her later." Thinking this, she also stuck her head out.

The five men were assigned to several double rooms on the second floor, with the young man in room 217. He seemed to sense something, paused slightly before entering, and turned to look in the direction of room 225. The two girls were startled and quickly closed the door.

They didn't see the strange smile in the young man's eyes.

Yin Li had just sat down on the bed when Qin Wen pounced on her like a wolf, pinning her down. She gave an exaggerated, cold laugh: "Tell me, have you taken a fancy to him?"

"No," Yin Li replied decisively.

"Then why are you staring at her like that?" Qin Wen clearly didn't believe her.

Don't you think they're a little strange?

"Strange?" Qin Wen sat up as she was pushed aside. "What's strange about him? He's just an ordinary thug."

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Yin Li shook her head. “Each of them was carrying a very large and heavy bag. It looks like it contained metal tools.”

"A machete?" Qin Wen exclaimed in surprise, and Yin Li quickly covered her mouth: "Why are you shouting so loudly? Are you afraid others won't hear you?"

Qin Wen pried her hands away, lowered her voice, and said with a look of surprise, "Are they trying to rob us?"

"How would I know?" Yin Li said. "Xiao Wen, we're here on vacation. You absolutely mustn't provoke them. I don't want to die before we even get started."

"Don't worry, as long as I don't catch them committing violence, I won't bother with them," Qin Wen assured, patting her chest. Yin Li couldn't help but roll her eyes again: "Even if you do catch them, what can you do? Do you think you can beat those five burly men?"

"Alright, go take a shower and rest. We're going to the Thousand Buddha Caves tomorrow." Yin Li patted her friend's shoulder, picked up her clothes, and went into the bathroom.

Steaming hot water gushed down, splashing onto Yin Li's face, flowing down her neck, chest, and slender waist, gathering into streams on her fair, jade-like skin, cleansing her body. Every part of her body felt incredibly comfortable as the hot water touched her, as if every pore had opened up, greedily inhaling the clear, warm steam.

After a long day of travel, a hot shower was undoubtedly the most pleasant treat for Yin Li, completely releasing all the fatigue that had accumulated in her body. Her body felt limp, and she wished she could just fall asleep like that and never wake up again.

She turned around. A huge mirror, almost taking up half the wall, stood on the bathroom wall. She admired her reflection: a beautiful face and a shapely figure. The steam made her fair cheeks blush with an apple blossom-like red, adding to her allure. She was quite pleased with her appearance. She took a towel from the nearby hook, about to dry herself, when suddenly her vision blurred. The scene in the mirror began to distort and warp, until finally the entire mirror resembled an overturned paint box, several colors mixed together. She couldn't tell what it depicted; it was just a highly artistic chaos.

Filled with astonishment and questions, Yin Li momentarily forgot her fear and walked towards the mirror, reaching out her hand to gently touch its surface.

A ripple spread out from where she touched it, layer upon layer, like a stone falling into a calm pool, until it spread across the entire mirror. Where the ripples passed, the image became clear again.

She saw a woman, a very beautiful woman. Her face was covered in white makeup that didn't conform to modern aesthetic standards; such makeup was very popular in the Han and Tang dynasties of China.

The woman was like Yin Li's reflection, making the same movements as her, wearing a Han Dynasty red-based blouse with black cloud patterns. Over it was a black gauze overcoat. The gauze was so finely woven that it was so transparent that the patterns on the blouse underneath were clearly visible.

Yin Li stared at her, dumbfounded, as she looked at her with sorrowful eyes, her dark, night-sky-like eyes filled with deep sadness. Behind her stretched an endless desert, yellow sand swirling in the sky, the sun huge and crimson.

A wedding procession stopped in the desert. The exquisite carriages, the grand entourage, and the ancient attire of the maids and servants reminded Yin Li of the Han Dynasty princesses traveling to the Western Regions for political marriages. She suddenly felt a strange urge to speak with the woman in her wedding dress. She suddenly wanted to know where she was going and who she was marrying.

But she couldn't speak; something seemed stuck in her throat, and her chest felt heavy, like a wad of cotton was lodged inside. The woman in the mirror gazed at her intently for a long time. Finally, she turned around, boarded the carriage with its canopy, and the procession began to move again, orderly heading towards the place where the sun was setting, going further and further away until it disappeared into the desert.

"Don't go! Don't go!" Yin Li cried out in her heart, tears welling up in her eyes. But in the mirror, all that remained was a desolate, yellow desert, so barren it was terrifying.

V. Thousand Buddha Chessboard Cave

Qin Wen sat on the bed, eating the chocolate she always carried with her while watching TV. Chocolate was her favorite; she felt restless if she didn't eat five or six pieces every day. But for some reason, no matter how much she ate, she never seemed to gain weight.

The TV series ended, and she was getting impatient. She popped the last piece of chocolate into her mouth, slipped on her slippers, and walked to the bathroom door. She knocked loudly on the door and said, "Xiao Li, you've been in there for an hour! If you keep washing, your skin will get wrinkles! Come out now!"

No one answered; only the sound of running water filled the bathroom.

Qin Wen was startled and sensed something was wrong. She immediately pounded on the yellow-painted wooden door and shouted, "Xiao Li! Xiao Li! What's wrong? Xiao Li?"

Still, no one answered.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Qin Wen disregarded everything else and kicked the door. As a sixth-degree black belt, the force of her kick was considerable. The door swung open, and she rushed into the bathroom, finding Yin Li slumped against the mirror, water spraying from the showerhead onto her face and chest, her skin flushed slightly—she looked incredibly beautiful.

At this moment, Qin Wen was clearly not in the mood to appreciate her appearance. She took a bath towel from the side, wrapped it around her, and carried her out of the house.

"Xiao Li! Xiao Li, are you alright?" Qin Wen pinched her philtrum hard.

She frowned slightly, struggled to open her eyes, her vision blurred: "Xiaowen? What... what happened to me?"

"Thank goodness, you're finally awake!" Qin Wen breathed a sigh of relief, patted her on the head hard, and said, "You must have fainted because the water was too hot and you were short of oxygen!"

"Lack of oxygen?" Yin Li sat up, her head still throbbing slightly. "Xiao Wen, I... I think I just saw a woman in the bathroom mirror. A very beautiful woman."

"Isn't the woman in the mirror just you?" Qin Wen pretended to hit her again, but Yin Li dodged. "I know you're beautiful, but you don't have to show off to me as soon as you wake up, do you?"

“No, the woman in the mirror was wearing a Han Dynasty quju (a type of traditional Chinese robe). I also saw a very large wedding procession.” Yin Li tried hard to recall what she had just seen in the mirror, but Qin Wen interrupted her with a slap: “You must be dreaming. A mirror isn’t a television, how could it have those things?” Saying that, she picked up her clothes and walked towards the bathroom, “Rest for a bit, eat something. Don’t faint again, okay?”

"I understand." Yin Li grabbed her hair, her brows furrowed deeply. Was that just a dream? But why did it feel so real? So real, as if she had experienced it herself?

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, so she simply lay down. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of the sorrowful face of the woman getting married would appear in her mind—an expression that was heartbreaking.

She angrily pounded the bed, but the soft mattress made no sound. It seemed she was destined to have a sleepless night.

"Zzzzt—"

Qin Wen pulled back the curtains, and sunlight streamed in from the window, bathing her in its glow and making her figure appear somewhat hazy, as if gilded with gold and imbued with a warm feeling.

She took a deep breath of fresh air and said contentedly, "The morning sunlight is so nice; today is sure to be a good day."

"I'd rather it be cloudy." Yin Li, with huge dark circles under her eyes, was packing their backpacks, putting almost all their valuables inside. "This sun is so strong it could turn you into dried meat! I'd better bring more heatstroke medicine."

"No need to bring that kind of stuff. With our healthy bodies and strong physiques, we definitely won't get heatstroke!" she said, raising her right hand and making a bodybuilder pose to show her friend her biceps.

Yin Li rolled her eyes and ignored her. If her figure really became muscular, she would cause a huge uproar. Last time, she only gained one pound and she took half a bottle of laxatives. If she really became "muscular," she would starve herself to death.

After packing their things, the two walked down to the lobby with their backpacks. The receptionist was the same one from yesterday. Yin Li glanced towards the stairwell, leaned closer, and whispered, "Sir, may I ask if those five people from yesterday have left?"

The waiter shuddered at the mention of the five men, a look of fear crossing his face. He glanced around and whispered, "They left early this morning."

Qin Wen was very dissatisfied with his expression and said, "Hey, why are you so afraid of them? What's there to be afraid of? They're just a few thugs."

The waiter's fear intensified, and he lowered his voice, saying, "You don't know, one of the men has green eyes."

"What's so special about green? I've even seen people with red eyes," Qin Wen said dismissively.

“Green isn’t unusual, but for some reason, I always felt there was something strange about those eyes, like they had a magical power, almost like they could suck your soul in.” He swallowed hard, his hands began to tremble, and he stammered, “A devil, he’s a devil, he must be a devil!”

"A devil?" Qin Wen was startled and glanced at Yin Li, at a loss for words. Yin Li naturally thought of those green eyes from last night and couldn't help but shudder. But noticing Qin Wen's gaze, she quickly said, "There's no such thing as a devil in this world. Let's go, or we'll miss the bus." With that, she dragged Qin Wen out of the hotel and onto the bus heading to Thousand Buddha Caves.

The Thousand Buddha Cave is located on a cliff in the southwest suburbs of the city. After getting out of the car, the two saw a cliff face that looked as if it had been carved by a knife. Due to the long time and the erosion of wind and rain, the cliff face has turned bluish-green, and from a distance, it looks like it is covered with a thin layer of moss.