Peces hundidos

Capítulo 3

At the base of the cliff, several large, dark caves were carved out. Many tourists came; the two bought tickets and followed the flow of people into the caves. The caves here are all single-chambered, with simple structures, rectangular or square in shape. The walls inside are flat, and the ceilings are arched or dome-shaped. Few artifacts remain; the walls are adorned with grand murals depicting Buddhist stories. Unfortunately, due to its great age, even after restoration, only faint traces of its former glory can be seen.

“Xiao Li, there’s a legend about the Thousand Buddha Caves.” Qin Wen, who was quite knowledgeable about the culture and history of the Western Regions, showed off as she pulled Yin Li along. “Legend has it that there was once a queen who gave birth to a princess. The priest said that the princess was beautiful but destined for a short life and that she had to go to a cave to avoid disaster. So the king carved out about ten caves in the sand cliffs of the Qipan River Valley for the girl to live in, so this place is also called ‘Girl’s Caves.’ But legends are just legends; these caves are Buddhist relics. Look, the walls are painted with stories from Buddhist scriptures.”

Yin Li's eyes swept across the numerous murals, finally settling on one in particular. The painting depicted a deer, its body a riot of colors, before which stood a man in magnificent robes. Below, a short man knelt tremblingly, gazing at the deer. She patted Qin Wen on the shoulder and said, "This mural... doesn't it depict the story of the Nine-Colored Deer?"

Qin Wen turned around, looked closely, and nodded, saying, "That's right, it's the Nine-Colored Deer. It saved that man, asking him not to reveal its whereabouts to anyone. But that man, for wealth and power, betrayed it and sold it to the king. The Nine-Colored Deer denounced the man's treachery before the king, who then repented and stopped harassing the deer. The man also received his due punishment, dying covered in sores." She became increasingly excited as she spoke, continuing to boast about her extensive knowledge, "Actually, in Buddhist scriptures, the Nine-Colored Deer is a previous incarnation of the Buddha."

"A past life?" Yin Li was startled, looking at her in surprise. The images she had seen in the mirror last night flashed through her mind again. Was it really just a dream? But why would she have such a dream for no reason?

"Xiaowen," Yin Li hesitated for a moment, but still spoke her mind, "Do you think the dream I had last night could be my past life?"

VI. First Encounter at the Buddha Cave

Qin Wen froze for two seconds, then burst into wild laughter that shook the earth. People around her stared at her strangely, as if she had escaped from the psychiatric ward of some hospital.

"Xiao Li, you've been reading too many fantasy novels, haven't you? Reincarnation and all that, there's no such thing in the world." Qin Wen laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight, mimicking her old tone when she scolded her, "Did you waste all those years of materialistic education?"

Yin Li blushed deeply at her laughter, wanting nothing more than to punch that pretty face, and turned to leave. Qin Wen quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm so bored, let's go for a walk!" Yin Li replied irritably and stepped out of the cave. It was almost noon, and the sun was blazing down on the Gobi Desert in front of them. There were very few tourists left; most had already gone into the caves. Only a few larger tour buses were still parked not far away, and occasionally, you could see drivers checking the performance of their vehicles.

She leaned against the cliff, her stomach growling loudly. Looking around, she saw that even the souvenir vendors had gone into the caves to escape the heat, so she had no choice but to take out a few pieces of chocolate from her backpack to temporarily stave off her hunger.

Just as she finished her third chocolate, a familiar figure appeared in her field of vision. It was the arrogant, rude, bear-like man from last night, I think his name was something like Fourth Brother.

What is he doing here?

The man called Lao Si, carrying an iron shovel and some food, circled the cliff and disappeared. Yin Li stared curiously at the spot where he vanished, stuffed the remaining chocolate into her backpack, and followed him.

As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Unfortunately, Yin Li didn't believe it at that moment.

The cliff face stretched for thousands of meters, its undulating peaks seemingly endless. The so-called bend was merely a protruding rock face, behind which lay a cave about two meters high. Unlike the other dozen or so caves, this one had an iron door at its entrance, seemingly not open to the outside. Yin Li peered inside; the cave was deep, its end invisible. She pushed the door; it was ajar. Staring at the deep, dark cave before her, her heart began to pound. A feeling called curiosity spread rapidly through her, uncontrollably.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, she slipped inside and gently closed the iron door. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the door, illuminating the flat stone floor. The murals on the walls were sparse, only a few faded fragments visible.

The further you go in, the dimmer the light becomes. On the cave wall, there is a niche every ten meters or so, with a stone Bodhisattva carved inside. The clothes on the Bodhisattva's body seem to have been colored once, but they have gradually faded over the years.

Suddenly, her expression changed, and she stopped in front of a Buddhist shrine, staring in astonishment at the Bodhisattva statue inside—it had no head!

No, it wasn't headless. Yin Li took a few steps forward and examined the statue closely, only to discover that its head had been chiseled off with a chisel or similar tool. The cut surface was still quite fresh, as if it had been recently chiseled off.

She was startled and gasped. Could those people be...?

Suddenly, a strong arm reached out from behind her. She was terrified, her face turning pale. Before she could even scream, a hand gripped her neck, silencing her completely.

"Little girl, curiosity can kill you, don't you know that?" The man's voice was familiar. Yin Li turned her eyes and was startled to see a pair of icy green eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, as if she had fallen into an ice cave that had never melted.

She struggled desperately, but the arm was like an iron shackle, tightening the more she struggled, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

"Little girl, don't make a sound if you don't want to die," the young man whispered in her ear, his tone icy. Then he shoved her forward, and Yin Li fell heavily to the ground, her whole body aching as if it were falling apart, but she dared not utter a sound.

She clutched her neck, panting heavily, and looked up at the handsome man with terrified eyes, feeling a chill run through her entire body.

The man stared at her coldly and said in a low voice, "What are you standing there for? Get out of here!"

Yin Li was stunned. Had she heard correctly? He was telling her to leave? She had caught them stealing national cultural relics, and she had even seen their faces! And he was telling her to leave? Did he have some kind of conspiracy?

“Remember, don’t call the police.” The man kept his voice down as he crouched down, his eyes cold. “I know your name is Yin Li. If you dare to call the police, I can find you no matter where you are, do you understand?”

Yin Li stared in terror at the pair of icy green eyes before her. The chilling aura emanating from them sent shivers down her spine, even in the sweltering heat of summer. She was finally beginning to believe the waiter's words; he truly was a devil!

"Do you understand?" The man emphasized, his eyes growing colder. Yin Li nodded repeatedly.

He stood up and said in a deep voice, "Let's go!"

Yin Li dared not think any further, got up and stumbled as she ran outside until she disappeared on the other side of the iron gate.

"Brother Xiang, what's that sound?" As soon as Yin Li stepped out of the iron gate, Lao Si and another man with a mole on the corner of his mouth walked out from a side passage, looked around, and asked.

"It's nothing, just a stray cat," Situ Xiang said coldly. "Let's go, don't let this interfere with our business."

“Okay.” The two seemed to trust him completely and followed him deeper into the cave.

Yin Li sprinted back to the cave, panting heavily, her muscles aching all over. She leaned against the cliff face and slowly sat down. The sun was still scorching, and wisps of steam rose from the Gobi Desert before her, the rising heat distorting the scenery. Cold sweat poured down Yin Li's back, soaking it completely. She would never forget this day for the rest of her life—those terrifying, icy green eyes, that chilling tone. Everything she had experienced today was enough to haunt her nightmares for a whole month.

"Xiao Li!" A familiar female voice rang out, and Yin Li jumped up as if she had taken a stimulant, rushed towards the surprised Xiao Wen, and hugged her tightly.

"Xiao Li?" Qin Wen looked at her best friend with a puzzled expression. She knew she was crying. Although there wasn't a single tear in her eyes, Qin Wen knew she was crying. Her whole body was trembling slightly. At this moment, she seemed so helpless, so heartbreakingly helpless: "Xiao Li, what's wrong? Who bullied you?"

Yin Li didn't answer, just held her like that, for an unknown amount of time, before finally letting her go. Her face was pale, her hair was soaked with cold sweat and stuck to her forehead; she looked utterly disheveled.

"Xiao Li, what exactly happened?" Qin Wen frowned. "Who bullied you? I'll go teach him a lesson for you!"

"It's all over now." Yin Li smiled and reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes no longer held panic or fear, only a hint of unwavering resolve.

She looked into the distance and said softly, "Perhaps in this life, one has to go through certain things before one can become strong."

Qin Wen frowned even more, touched Yin Li's forehead, and muttered to herself, "She doesn't have a fever, so why is she talking nonsense? Xiao Li, what's going on? If you don't tell us, we're not going back today!"

Yin Li was both amused and exasperated by her friend's stubbornness, and had no choice but to lie: "It's nothing, I was just molested."

"What? Which bastard!" Qin Wen screamed, looking like a fierce demon. Yin Li regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth and quickly held her down: "They've already left."

"Hmph!" Qin Wen snorted angrily and said sharply, "I better not run into him again, or I'll skin him alive!"

"Yes, yes," Yin Li replied, recalling the young man's skills. If he were to fight Qin Wen... she dared not think any further. It wasn't that she didn't trust her good friend. It was just that, in terms of sheer presence, the man was already superior to Qin Wen.

"By the way, who is this?" Only then did she notice a young man wearing a baseball cap standing behind Qin Wen. He was wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue jeans, which seemed a bit dirty. His face was also tanned by the sun, and he was looking at the two girls with a gentle smile.

“His name is Chen Qiang. He is a graduate student in the History Department of S University. He is doing an internship in the desert ahead with his mentor.” Qin Wen’s expression softened slightly when she mentioned this man.

"Internship?" Yin Li didn't react for a moment.

Chen Qiang said with a smile, "I majored in archaeology. My mentor organized an archaeological team to excavate ancient tombs in the Taklamakan Desert."

"Ancient tombs?" Yin Li looked at Qin Wen and said, "Are there ancient tombs in the desert?"

VII. Beautiful woman withered bones

“Of course.” Qin Wen’s eyes lit up again when she talked about the history of the Western Regions. “Some ancient countries in the Western Regions had the custom of building tombs in the desert far from cities. When building the tombs, they dug a canal and diverted river water into the canal to transport goods. After the tombs were completed, they would cut off the water source and leave the canal to fall into disrepair, thus severing all ties with the world. They hoped that the dead could find eternal peace in the desolate desert.”

Chen Qiang nodded approvingly and said, "Miss Qin is indeed a reporter; she has a remarkable memory."

"A reporter?" Yin Li's eyes widened, but she saw Qin Wen constantly winking at her, so she could only say, "Yes, she knows a lot about the history of the Western Regions. I also benefited a lot from this trip." As she spoke, she blushed for Qin Wen, wondering what her intention was in telling this lie.

Qin Wen clearly saw through her thoughts, winked at her, and said, "I've already convinced Mr. Chen; he's willing to let us do the interview and take photos."

"Calling me Mr. Chen is too formal, just call me Xiao Chen." Chen Qiang said somewhat embarrassedly.

Yin Li opened her mouth wide, almost enough to fit a chicken inside.

It seems she's not the only one with a strong sense of curiosity; they're kindred spirits.

“Xiao Li, Xiao Chen is here to buy daily necessities and replenish his food and water supplies. He's also staying at the Xiye Hotel. He has a car and said he'd give us a ride.” Qin Wen grabbed her hand, a smug smile on her face. “Let’s go.”

"Xiaowen, are you crazy?" Yin Li asked abruptly as soon as they returned to the hotel. "We're here for tourism, not archaeology. Don't let this ruin our trip!"

"What does it matter? We have plenty of time anyway." Qin Wen went into the bathroom, and Yin Li followed her outside the door, continuing to persuade her earnestly through the door: "Chen Qiang is just a trainee, not the captain of the archaeological team. Can his promises be counted? We might be sent back as soon as we get there."

"Don't worry about that," Qin Wen said confidently. "My grandfather is a leading figure in the field of archaeology. As long as he makes a call to Xiao Chen's mentor, it'll be settled. Anyway, as long as we don't cause any trouble, they have no reason to kick us out. Xiao Li, aren't you also very interested in archaeology? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

After hearing her words, Yin Li was speechless. They had lived together for four years and knew each other very well. Qin Wen's words had hit the nail on the head, striking at her heart, leaving her with no room for argument. Faced with this fait accompli, she could only manage a bitter smile and a resigned sigh.

"Xiao Li, I'm hungry. Go downstairs to the restaurant and buy me something to eat. I want wontons," Qin Wen said while enjoying the hot water in the bathroom. "Remember to add lots of chili."

Yin Li rolled her eyes, gave a weak reply, picked up her wallet, and walked out.

The restaurant was packed at this time; almost all the tourists had returned, and the place was full. Qin Wen ordered two bowls of wontons to go, but there were no seats, so she had to stand there and wait. After about half an hour, she finally heard the counter call for wontons and rushed forward. But she hadn't taken two steps when she bumped into a man's chest. She was about to apologize when she looked up and saw a pair of icy green eyes. Her blood seemed to freeze for a moment; she stared at him, forgetting even to run away. Those icy green eyes glanced at her coldly, as if they didn't recognize her. She stared blankly at his back, a strange feeling welling up inside her, unsure whether it was fear or something else. Just then, she heard the waiter at the counter shout impatiently, "Hey, your wontons! Do you want them or not?"

It was very late at night, and a dim wall lamp was lit in the room, emitting a faint yellow light.

Yin Li sat on the bed, turning another page of her book. Qin Wen was fast asleep, emitting soft snores.

She yawned, feeling a little sleepy. She put down her book, tucked Qin Wen's blanket in, got out of bed, and planned to go to the bathroom before going to sleep. Just as she slipped her feet into her slippers, she suddenly stopped. She looked up sharply and saw a full-length mirror, as tall as a person, staring at the opposite wall. She stared at the mirror in confusion, wondering why there wasn't one here.

She stood up and gazed silently at the mirror. In the mirror was a woman dressed in a bright red brocade robe, embroidered with lifelike phoenixes in various shapes and forms using gold thread. The woman's back was to her, her hair cascading down like a waterfall, smooth and beautiful.

"Who are you?" Yin Li asked suspiciously. She had a feeling that this woman should be the bride from last night.

The woman in red didn't answer. Yin Li took two steps forward and saw that the woman in red was holding a jade pendant. The emerald green jade was carved into the shape of an insect, neither quite a butterfly nor quite a moth, and it was exactly the same as the one they had obtained in the ancient city of Niya!

"Who exactly are you?" Yin Li asked again. "Are you my past life?"

The woman in red seemed to hear her voice and slowly turned around. The wind lifted her long hair, revealing a desiccated face beneath the cascading black strands—a withered, sallow complexion.

"Ah—" Yin Li screamed and sat bolt upright. Qin Wen, who was sleeping next to her, was startled awake and exclaimed in alarm, "What's wrong? What's wrong? Is there a fire?"

Yin Li looked around. It seemed that dawn was approaching, and a jewel-like blue hue appeared outside the window.

It was all a dream.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing her throbbing forehead. Her silk pajamas were soaked with cold sweat. Qin Wen realized it wasn't a fire, let out a complaining sound, and burrowed back into the blanket, saying, "Big sister, please. I need to sleep too."

"It's already dawn, why are you still sleeping?" Yin Li changed out of her pajamas, dressed neatly, and said, "Get up quickly, didn't Xiao Chen say we'd set off early this morning?"

"Let me sleep a little longer," Qin Wen said, displaying her exceptional ability to stay in bed, covering her head with a blanket and speaking indistinctly.

Before she could finish speaking, there was a rapid knocking on the door. It was Xiao Chen's voice: "Miss Qin, Miss Yin, are you ready? We're about to leave."

"How annoying!" Qin Wen muttered, sitting up. Her eyes, however, remained covered in a layer of mud, and she couldn't fully open them even after getting into the car. Yin Li sat in the passenger seat, carefully recalling the events of the past few days. It felt as if fate had arranged all the strange things she was destined to encounter in her life to happen within these few days. Looking out at the Gobi Desert, a strange feeling welled up inside her, as if the approaching ancient tomb would bring even more bizarre and terrifying experiences.

"Miss Yin," Chen Qiang asked, noticing her lost in thought, "what do you do for a living?"

“Me? I’m a teacher,” Yin Li said. She had just signed a contract with a school, which wouldn’t start until September. So, she was practically a teacher, which wasn’t exactly a lie.

"Are you teaching elementary or middle school?" Chen Qiang, unable to find another topic, continued the casual conversation. Yin Li rolled her eyes in annoyance, thinking, "Are you checking my background?" Instead of answering, she asked, "Little Chen, which era's ancient tomb are you excavating?"

“It’s probably from the Han Dynasty,” Chen Qiang said. “Some time ago, someone discovered a cemetery in the desert, with several decayed pillars standing on the sand dunes. There must have been a small temple there before. Several wooden planks were found under the pillars, with Khotanese script on them. Those planks were sent to our school for deciphering, and they recorded an ancient tomb from the Han Dynasty, which is said to be the burial place of a princess who married into the Western Regions from the Han Dynasty.”

"A princess who married into the Han Dynasty?" Yin Li was startled. Before her eyes reappeared the beautiful woman in the Han Dynasty quju robe and the grand wedding procession across the desert. What was going on? She had just had a strange dream, and the story in the dream had become reality. Could it be? Was this really a legendary memory from a past life?

No, it can't be. She shook her head, banishing the absurd thought from her mind. There's no such thing as a past life or a future life; she's not a Buddhist.

"Xiao Chen, is there any record of this princess in historical books?" Qin Wen, sitting in the back seat of the car, overheard their conversation and became interested.

“There are very few records about the Western Night Kingdom in historical books, and it seems that… there is no mention of a Han princess marrying there. After all, the Western Night Kingdom was just a tiny country.” Chen Qiang’s tone also seemed to be puzzled. “We can only draw conclusions after the excavation of the ancient tomb is completed, and we may not even be able to draw conclusions yet.”

8. The Wooden Board Riddle

"The legendary Western Night Kingdom was a small kingdom along the southern route of the Silk Road, also known as Piaosha." Seeing the doubt in Yin Li's eyes, Qin Wen began to show off her historical knowledge. "Its location was in present-day Yecheng County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Some say that Usharbash, southwest of Yecheng County, was its capital. During the Western Han Dynasty, its king resided in Hujian Valley. It had four thousand people, more than three hundred and fifty households, and maintained a thousand soldiers. The people were similar to the Qiang people. Their economy was mainly nomadic, and they produced jade. Their language was Khotanese, but they also used Chinese. Among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, it was considered a relatively small country."

Before she could finish speaking, her phone started ringing in her bag. She took it out, somewhat annoyed, and said, "Mom, what is it? What? You translated the Kharosthi script on the wooden board?"

Yin Li was startled and turned around to see Qin Wen also looking excited: "Wait a minute, let me get some paper and a pen. Okay. What's the next sentence? Hmm, hmm..." She shook her phone, "Mom? Hello, hello? What's going on?" She picked up the phone and shook it hard, but only static came through: "No way? It broke at this time?"

"There might be no signal." Chen Qiang was very sensitive to the words "wooden board" and asked in a surprised tone, "What's wrong? What wooden board?"

“It was discovered at the Niya ruins.” Qin Wen turned off her phone and handed Yin Li a sheet of paper with the translation written on it. Yin Li’s expression changed, staring at the words in disbelief. The longer she looked, the more the characters seemed to transform into meaningless symbols, leaping like tadpoles before her eyes: