West Night Lament

Chapter 4

"The tomb door opens, the phoenix awakens, fear and disaster come together, and the razor cloud is with you."

The tomb entrance? Why would the wooden plank mention the tomb entrance? Yin Li could hardly believe her eyes. Did that old woman know they were coming to participate in the excavation of the Xiye Ancient Tomb? But coming here was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Could it be that the old woman really was a prophet?

Chen Qiang looked at the two of them in confusion and said, "What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost. What's written on that wooden board?"

"See for yourself." Yin Li handed him the paper. Qin Wen, now completely convinced of Apul's prophecy, quickly grabbed the paper. "You can't look at it! The true god will send you to the scorching sand hell!"

Chen Qiang's confusion deepened. Because he was driving, he didn't dare to snatch the paper from her, so he could only let her take it from him: "What exactly is going on? What is this Apuer?"

“She’s the legendary prophet,” Qin Wen said. “That wooden plank was given to us by her.”

"A prophet?" Chen Qiang frowned. "How come I don't know that there is such a prophet as Apur in the legends of the Western Regions? Maybe I'm just ignorant. I'll ask Professor Li when we get to the camp. He is also very knowledgeable in the folklore of the Western Regions."

Yin Li and Qin Wen both fell silent. That sentence lingered in their minds like a curse: the tomb door? Was this tomb door really referring to the ancient tomb of Xiye? What would be inside after the tomb door was opened? A phoenix? Could it be that phoenixes really existed in history, and lived for two thousand years?

How is that possible?

The phoenix is merely a mythical creature created by the ancients. Although some say its prototype is the ostrich, this is just one opinion. Even ostriches don't live for two thousand years.

Ancient books record that the sight of a phoenix signifies peace and tranquility throughout the land. If such a creature truly exists, how could it bring fear and disaster to the world?

Who is Shengyun?

Mysteries, one mystery after another. The so-called proverb on that wooden board was like a huge, unspoken riddle, casting a shadow over the hearts of the two girls.

I don't know how long we drove, but the off-road vehicle had sunk deep into the desert. The sun was even more scorching, baking the undulating sand dunes and causing irritating heat to rise from them.

The car crossed a sand dune, and a towering stone forest came into view. Countless stones stood scattered on the sand dunes, riddled with holes by the wind and sand. When the wind blew, a wailing sound could be heard, like the wailing of ghosts or the howling of wolves. A chill ran down their spines.

"What is this?" Yin Li asked Chen Qiang beside her.

Chen Qiang replied nonchalantly, "It's a weathered forest. A long time ago, this was an oasis. Later, the environment changed, and it became a desert. After the trees died, they became fossils."

Gazing at the labyrinthine stone forest before her, Yin Li felt a sudden surge of sorrow. The vicissitudes of life—truly an eternal truth of nature. Over countless years, the once vibrant forest has transformed into hard rock. And over equally long years, it has been scarred and battered by wind and sand. Even nature cannot last forever, let alone human life?

The thought of life brought back memories of the previous night, of the skeletal woman standing in the mirror. Could she truly be the Han Dynasty princess buried beneath the ancient tomb of Xiye? And how did she die?

Throughout China's long history, countless princesses were married off to small kingdoms in the Western Regions. There, they were alone, speaking languages they couldn't understand, eating foods they couldn't stomach, and inevitably becoming embroiled in power struggles, either victims or victors in conspiracies. Historical records document the grandeur of their marriages and their significant historical importance, but few have explored whether they were happy. Perhaps, in the minds of historians, the happiness of a young woman was insignificant compared to the peace of the nation. Although for those princesses, they lost their beautiful youth and a lifetime of joy.

"My family married me off to a distant land, to the King of Wusun. My dwelling is a yurt, my walls are felt, my food is meat, my drink is milk. I constantly yearn for my homeland, my heart is wounded. I wish to be a swan, to return to my homeland." She suddenly began to sing this ancient ballad without thinking. Legend has it that Princess Xijun of the Han Dynasty was married off to the Wusun Kingdom in the Western Regions, and died less than three years later. During her short marriage, she often recited this song; its mournful melody and desolate voice seemed to change the very color of the desert.

Before the song was even finished, a hand reached out from behind her, touched her forehead, and said, "Xiao Li, are you alright? Did you get heatstroke?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Yin Li slapped her hand away with some displeasure and said, "I was just expressing my feelings, is it wrong for me to be a little bourgeois and express my emotions?"

"Sure, of course. But why did your singing sound a little off to me just now?"

"What?" Yin Li was startled and turned to look at her with a surprised expression. "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing, my voice just sounds a little strange. Maybe you have a cold." Qin Wen shrugged, putting on an indifferent expression, but Yin Li's heart was in turmoil. Qin Wen's unintentional remark had stirred up her innermost thoughts. Ancient folk songs were just verses, without melodies. How could she sing them so easily? She had never had any artistic talent whatsoever.

The two girls, each lost in their own thoughts, opened their windows and looked out. Not far from the sand dunes, a row of tents, the same color as the yellow sand, stood deep in the desert. When the wind blew, it looked like a wave of sand rising up.

Upon seeing the camp, Yin Li felt a chill run down her spine. Shivering in the scorching desert was an incredible thing, but after the series of terrifying events that followed, she realized that all the disasters had been foreshadowed from the very beginning.

Five minutes later, the off-road vehicle stopped in front of the camp, and several members of the archaeological team came out to greet them. Their faces, which had been full of joy, immediately darkened upon seeing Yin Li and Qin Wen, and their eyes revealed a hint of wariness.

"Xiao Chen, who are these two...?" one of the older women asked.

“Teacher Liu, they are reporters. They heard that we are excavating an ancient tomb here and want to do an exclusive interview with us,” Chen Qiang quickly introduced.

"A reporter? Who knows if it's real?" The other woman rolled her eyes, showing no respect for either of them. A boy next to her quickly tugged at her wrist, signaling her not to go too far. But she just sneered and continued, "Xiao Chen, why are you bringing people back again? Last time when we were excavating a Song Dynasty tomb in Shaanxi, you brought a reporter back too. What happened? He was a tomb raider. If I hadn't discovered him early, all the antiques in the Song tomb would have been stolen. What? Haven't you learned your lesson?"

IX. A Transaction

Her tirade left Chen Qiang blushing and speechless. The older woman, seeing how outrageous her words were, glared at her and then smiled at Yin Li and the other woman, saying, "I can't make the decision about the interview; you'll have to ask Professor Li. He's in his tent studying the newly unearthed wooden planks. Let Xiao Chen take you there."

"Thank you very much then." Qin Wen and Yin Li glanced at the arrogant woman and followed Chen Qiang toward the large tent not far away, the woman's dissatisfied voice still faintly echoing behind them.

Chen Qiang blushed, somewhat embarrassed, and explained to the two of them, "Her name is Zhang Yuanyuan, and she's the daughter of our school's vice principal. She has a bit of a temper, but she's not a bad person. Please bear with her."

"It's nothing." Qin Wen gave a nonchalant smile, which sent a chill down Yin Li's spine. Although Qin Wen was kind-hearted, she was also upright and always repaid kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge. Her smiling face now must be the calm before the volcano erupts. Thinking of this, Yin Li automatically took two steps back, maintaining a safe distance of five fists from Qin Wen, preparing to run away.

But Qin Wen seemed to have changed her attitude; instead of getting angry, she continued to ask, "What's that female teacher's name?"

“Her name is Bai Yunning. She is Professor Li’s teaching assistant. She graduated with her master’s degree less than two years ago, but she is very accomplished in academics.” Chen Qiang said as he lifted the curtain of the large tent. “Professor Li, I have brought two guests with me.”

"A guest?" Professor Li, who was intently looking at the wooden board on the table, looked up immediately upon hearing his voice. The man was nearly fifty, wearing black-rimmed glasses, his face full of wrinkles, and a somewhat dirty shirt—a typical intellectual. "What guest?"

Before Chen Qiang could answer, Qin Wen had already walked over. Looking at the professor, her face was full of surprise: "You must be Professor Li Deyou? I've heard my grandfather mention you. He said you're a very talented professor in the field of archaeology today."

Professor Li was clearly taken aback by her enthusiasm. He looked at her blankly and asked, "Who is your maternal grandfather?"

My maternal grandfather's name was Mai Tianyun.

"Mai Tianyun?" The name was clearly shocking. Professor Li's eyes widened, and he jumped up from his seat with the agility of a young man: "Your maternal grandfather was Mai Tianyun?"

"Yes." Qin Wen was very satisfied with his reaction and nodded.

"And who is your mother?" Professor Li seemed somewhat skeptical and asked tentatively.

“My mother’s name is Mai Jia, and she specializes in the history of the Western Regions. My name is Qin Wen.”

"So you really are Professor Mai's granddaughter. Please, please have a seat." Professor Li's face was beaming, his dry lips almost unable to close from laughter. He quickly led her to a stool to the side. "Professor Mai is my idol. I even considered applying to be his doctoral student back then, but unfortunately, there were too many applicants, and Professor Mai was very strict, so I failed. It's a regret of my life. If you could help me introduce her, my life wouldn't have been in vain. By the way, Miss Qin, what brings you here today?"

And so, Qin Wen and Yin Li officially stayed with the archaeological team. Yin Li would never forget the excited look on Professor Li's face when Qin Wen said she wanted to report on the entire archaeological process; his eyes practically sparkled, as if it were a tremendous honor. It seemed the celebrity effect really worked. However, Professor Li, over fifty years old, still acting like a little girl chasing after a star, was quite an eye-opener for Yin Li.

Of course, Professor Li's decision was met with strong opposition from Zhang Yuanyuan, but Professor Li remained firm and mentioned her graduation thesis. Only then did she reluctantly agree to let the two of them stay.

Looking at the angry and cold gaze directed at her, and Qin Wen's defiant low sneer, Yin Li felt a throbbing headache. It seemed that this rare archaeological trip was in jeopardy.

The two were settled in a tent designated for women. The archaeological team had more men than women, and mixed-gender accommodations were inconvenient, so a small tent was specially built for the girls. Originally, only Zhang Yuanyuan and Bai Yunning were staying there, but with Yin Li and the other two moving in, it immediately felt crowded. Professor Li felt bad for them, so he took it upon himself to move some of the equipment that had been stored there into his large tent. Zhang Yuanyuan was extremely dissatisfied with this special treatment, and her eyes gleamed with hatred at the two for taking her tent; she didn't give them a kind look all day.

The two had just put down their backpacks and were about to get something to eat when Chen Qiang walked in and said, "Miss Qin, Miss Yin, Professor Li would like to see you."

The two girls exchanged a glance, and seeing Chen Qiang's uncomfortable expression, they understood most of what was going on. Sure enough, as soon as they entered the large tent, Professor Li asked with a smile, "Little Qin, I heard you have a wooden plank that was found at the Niya ruins?"

"Yes," Qin Wen nodded, "but it's not an antique; judging from the wood, it should be modern."

"The writing on it is Kharosthi?" Professor Li's eyes gleamed with disbelief. "Even if it's a modern artifact, a wooden board inscribed with Kharosthi is a major discovery. Why don't we bring it out and let everyone study it?"

Qin Wen hesitated, "Professor Li, it's not that we don't want to show it to you, it's just inconvenient. We've heard that this is something from the prophet Apul, and if someone shows the prophet's oracle to others without permission, that person will be sent to the hell of hot sand."

"A prophet? Apul?" Professor Li looked at them with a strange expression, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "Xiao Qin, I've been doing archaeological work for a long time, and I know that there are many things in this world that cannot be explained by common sense. However, there is no prophet named Apul in the ancient legends of the Western Regions. Are you mistaken? Besides, I heard that what is said on the wooden board is related to our ancient tomb. Letting us see it will be helpful for the excavation work."

"This..." Qin Wen glanced at Yin Li, thinking to herself that Chen Qiang really had a big mouth.

Yin Li rolled her eyes helplessly and said, "Xiao Wen, let Professor Li take a look. He's not exactly an unrelated person."

“That’s right, that’s right.” Professor Li nodded, pointed to the table, and said, “These wooden boards were found in a cemetery. They have Khotanese script on them. Why don’t we bring them out and study them together?”

"What a masterful use of coercion and enticement!" Yin Li thought to herself. "It seems this old professor has the potential to be a negotiation expert."

Left with no other option, Qin Wen took the wooden plank out of her bag. During their trip, in addition to their backpacks and suitcases, each of them carried a sling bag containing their most important and personal belongings. They could leave their backpacks down, but they never took off their sling bags, not even when eating or sleeping.

Professor Li took the wooden board, adjusted his glasses, and carefully examined the writing on it. He was initially disappointed by how new the board was. But upon seeing the Kharosthi script, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "A miracle! A true miracle! Kharosthi written by a modern person is flawless in grammar and script. This person must be an expert in Western Region scripts. Little Qin, I heard your mother has already translated it."

“Yes.” Qin Wen pulled out the crumpled piece of paper and handed it to him. He carefully read through the Chinese text and then compared it to the wooden board. Nodding, he said, “Excellent, well translated! No wonder you’re Mr. Mai’s daughter!”

Qin Wen looked at him with a puzzled expression and said, "Professor, aren't you scared? The notice says there will be a disaster after the tomb door is opened."

"That's not surprising. In ancient times, people would usually write curses or something to protect their tombs. Every pharaoh of Egypt... of course, kings before the 19th century can't be called pharaohs, their tombs all had similar cursed stone tablets, and in the end, they were all looted and riddled with holes by tomb robbers, weren't they?"

Professor Li seemed to be an atheist, completely ignoring the prophecy on the wooden boards. He beckoned to the two men and said, "Come, take a look at these wooden boards."

The two walked over and saw five or six wooden planks on the small table. The planks were yellowed and dry, and all were more or less damaged, clearly indicating that they were very old.

Qin Wen's gaze fell on the first wooden board, and she involuntarily read aloud: "In the second year of the Yongshi era of the Han Dynasty, the Han court bestowed Princess Zhaoling upon our country."

10. The Terrifying Stone Forest

"You can recognize Khotanese?" Professor Li stared at the girl with wide eyes, his mouth agape as if he could stuff a chicken inside.

“Yes, I’ve been learning it since I was little.” Qin Wen began to show off her talent again. “When I was five years old, my mother gave me a book with pictures of all the Western Region scripts and asked me to choose one to study. I chose Khotanese.”

"As expected of an archaeological family." Professor Li adjusted his glasses, which had almost slipped off his nose in surprise, and said, "Come on, let's continue."

These fragmented wooden tablets record the identity of the tomb's occupant: a princess who married into the Han Dynasty, likely during the late Eastern Han period. According to Han Dynasty custom, princesses who married far away were usually members of the imperial family or palace maids, and this princess was probably no exception. Records indicate that Princess Zhaoling married Kunyuan, the King of Xiyezihe, and died of illness less than three years later. To commemorate the princess and prevent future generations from disturbing her peace, Kunyuan built a mausoleum for her far from the capital and erected a temple on top of the tomb to shelter her from the wind and rain.

Princess Zhaoling's story seemed to be explained very clearly on the wooden board, but for some reason, Yin Li always felt a surge of sadness and anger as she listened to it. She didn't know where these emotions came from or why they arose; she only felt as if a piece of cotton was stuck in her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

Even after returning to her tent, sadness still lingered in her heart. As a result, she ate very little for dinner, while Qin Wen unceremoniously devoured her entire meal.

Night deepened, and the campsite, which had been lit up, fell silent. The vast desert was finally left only with the low rumble of the wind.

Qin Wen beside her was fast asleep, but Yin Li's eyes remained closed. She climbed out of her sleeping bag and stepped out of the tent. A mournful, howling sound came from the nearby stone forest. No one was afraid; everyone knew it was the sound of the wind striking the weathered rocks.

Bored, Yin Li decided to take a stroll in the Stone Forest. The desert was a bit cold at night, so she specially put on a black coat and hid in the darkness, making her seem almost invisible.

As she got closer, Yin Li suddenly felt a chill run down her spine from the numerous stone pillars in front of her, especially with the sound of the wind. Although she knew they couldn't be ghosts, she couldn't help but feel a coldness in her heart. Just as she was about to back away, she suddenly heard the sound of a car, as if it was approaching from afar.

She was startled and looked in the direction of the sound with suspicion. Who would be in the desert so late at night? Could they also be part of an archaeological team?

To find out what was going on, she hid behind one of the huge rocks and watched as the headlights of a car approached from a distance, finally stopping among the rocks. The car was quite large, seemingly an SUV. As soon as it came to a stop, she heard someone whisper, "Mountain Tiger, turn off the lights!"

Upon hearing the sound, Yin Li fell heavily onto the sand. Fortunately, the sand was soft and made no noise.

Cold sweat streamed down her forehead and back. That voice... She absolutely couldn't be mistaken. Just yesterday, he had grabbed her by the neck and ordered her not to call the police!

It's that gang of thieves who stole and sold cultural relics!

Calm down, calm down, you must calm down.

Yin Li kept repeating the mantra in her mind, but cold sweat still broke out from every pore of her body, soaking her shirt. Although she was wearing a coat, the wind still chilled her to the bone.

The SUV lights went out, and the young man's voice was low but still very clear in the quiet night: "Monkey, go scout out the cemetery. Go quickly and come back quickly, keep your footsteps light, and whatever you do, don't let them see you."

"Brother Xiang, you can rest assured about my handling of the matter." A slightly shrill voice came from the car, and Yin Li saw a slender figure jump out and run towards the camp. The speed was extremely fast; the sound of their feet landing on the sand was barely audible.

Going to the cemetery? Yin Li watched his retreating figure, her heart pounding like a drum. They really were after this ancient tomb in Xiye; she had to go back and inform Professor Li and the others as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, she stood up, intending to leave, but a terrible thought flashed through her mind, and she shrank back behind the stone pillar. She had seen the man called Monkey leave clearly; if she left now, wouldn't the people in the carriage also see clearly? If those ruthless bandits discovered her, would she still be alive?

Besides, what good would it do to notify Professor Li? Apart from the women and the elderly, the young men in the archaeological team are all intellectuals; even if they joined forces, they probably couldn't handle that man called Brother Xiang. As for Xiao Wen, she'd probably only cause more trouble.

What should we do? What should we do?

Yin Li clutched her head, racking her brains until her head felt like it was about to explode, but she couldn't come up with a plan. She turned around and looked at the camp. The stone forest, high above, revealed the undulating tents under the moonlight. The man called Monkey was running swiftly across the sand, heading towards a distant, protruding dune. On that dune stood several pillars, many decayed, their tops weathered into sharp points, as if piercing the dark blue sky.

Is that the legendary Xiye Ancient Tomb?

A gust of sand swirled in the air, blinding her, and the sorrow and anger in her heart welled up again. She wanted to cry, but her eyes were dry and aching. It was as if, long, long ago, someone had stood here, gazing at that tomb from the same perspective and with the same feelings, their heart breaking.

She closed her eyes, and a strange image flashed through her mind: in the sunset amidst the swirling yellow sand, a tall figure stood in the stone forest, dressed in black robes embroidered with ancient white patterns—likely a style of men's quju (a type of traditional Chinese robe) popular two thousand years ago. He gazed intently at the distant tomb, which at that time was a finely crafted temple, appearing dreamlike and enchanting in the wind and sand.

"Smack!"

The slamming of the car door shut snapped Yin Li back to reality. She quickly and carefully turned around, her expression instantly changing drastically.