The entire team possessed only a single compass, and everyone knew that once deep within the heart of the Taklamakan Desert, without that compass, direction would be utterly lost. Escaping the desert would be impossible; in essence, no compass meant certain death.

Young Master Liu quickly asked Fei Fei Wang where she had last seen it. She explained it must have been jostled loose due to excessive exertion while running.

Young Master Liu turned and saw the compass lying in the sand not far from the group, the Chu mere inches away, less than half a meter from it.

Young Master Liu didn't overthink it. Being killed by the Chu was death; having no compass was also death. It was better to take a gamble. With a sharp turn, he lunged toward the direction of the compass.

Fan De Biao, unaware of the situation, shouted, "Damn it, Young Master, are you tired of living? This isn't the time to feel around for ancient artifacts!" No one paid Fan De Biao any mind; they just kept running.

Young Master Liu's lunge allowed him to snatch the compass. A surge of joy hit him. He stood up and bolted toward the oasis. As soon as he lifted his foot, a sharp pain shot through his neck. Young Master Liu instantly realized a Chu had reached his throat. The nerves in his brain immediately contracted into a knot, and throbbing pain pulsed relentlessly from his neck.

Young Master Liu touched his neck, brought his hand to his eyes, and saw it was covered in blood. Looking down, his chest was a terrifying crimson stain, soaked through his garment.

Young Master Liu was certain the Chu had severed an artery. Whether from excessive blood loss or sheer mental adrenaline, his head began to swim, becoming muddled and disoriented.

Thinking he was done for this time, Young Master Liu gripped the compass tightly and swung his arm with all his remaining strength. He released his grip, flinging the compass toward the others.

Immediately after, Young Master Liu collapsed onto the sand. Countless Chu swarmed over him. His entire body convulsed involuntarily. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his eyes shut.

At that moment, Young Master Liu’s consciousness remained, yet he felt no pain from his body. He instantly snapped his eyes open, and the sight before him astonished him: the Chu creatures were stopping their advance, keeping a full meter away from him.

Young Master Liu looked again, uneasy. About a dozen were still within a meter of him. Looking closer still, his surprise deepened: these Chu were actively avoiding his blood. Young Master Liu wondered: did these creatures fear his blood?

He needed to test if his blood truly kept the Chu away. He dabbed some blood from his neck and flicked it toward a Chu nearby. Before the drop even landed, the surrounding creatures scattered away in panic.

Young Master Liu was utterly stunned. He possessed what might be termed "precious blood." He didn't know whether to feel elated or mournful.

Since the Chu dared not approach him, Young Master Liu knew he had to hurry to catch up with Fan De Biao and the others. He mustered his strength and managed to stand up. Just as he straightened his waist, a violent, searing pain erupted in his neck, instantly extinguishing his consciousness.

In his daze, he tried to signal Fan De Biao and the others about the precious blood he carried, but he lacked the strength even to lift a hand to write. Time seemed to freeze in that instant. Suddenly, everything went black, and he passed out.

For a short while before falling fully unconscious, Young Master Liu could still vaguely hear a cacophony of noise. Gradually, all sensation faded away.

Young Master Liu’s unconsciousness finally ended with an intense itching sensation spreading from his neck. He sat up immediately and tried to scratch it, only to discover his neck was wrapped in a thick layer of gauze. Looking around, Young Master Liu saw that the group was settled in an oasis—not a large one, filled with trees whose names he didn't know, and strange animals roosting in their branches.

In the center of the oasis was a pool—not vast, but strikingly clear. Occasionally, he caught sight of a peculiar species of fish flashing past.

Three sleeping bags were set up beside the pool. Young Master Liu was in the middle one. He peered out at the bags beside him: Fei Fei Wang and Zhi Cai Wang were to his right, engrossed in studying a chronicle left behind by the descendants of the ancient kingdom. To his left, Fan De Biao and the others were playing Da Di (a card game), laughing heartily.

He had miraculously survived, yet when he tried to move out and walk around, he found no strength left in his limbs. It seemed Young Master Liu had only passed the critical danger phase.

Fei Fei Wang saw he was awake. She and Zhi Cai Wang immediately stopped their discussion and rushed to Young Master Liu's side, bombarding him with questions about how he was doing. The others quickly followed, peppering him with an overwhelming barrage of inquiries, though none asked how he escaped.

Fei Fei Wang recounted how, during their frantic run, the compass suddenly flew away, and everyone instantly realized Young Master Liu was in trouble. Consultant Fan had not hesitated, abandoning Clara Ma entirely and rushing straight toward him. She then launched into a detailed, heroic account of how Fan De Biao had rescued him.

After listening to Fei Fei Wang’s narrative, Young Master Liu nodded internally and asked, "How long was I out?"

Fan De Biao boomed, "You’ve been unconscious for two or three days! Look at your wound—Miss Wang stitched it up herself."

Fei Fei Wang asked him, "When I caught up, I saw those insects wouldn't come near you—what was that all about?"

Hearing her question, Young Master Liu suddenly recalled the insects’ aversion to his blood. He had intended to tell them about his "precious blood," but on reflection, he decided against it. Who would believe such a tale? They would surely write him off as an outlandish braggart. So, Young Master Liu simply brushed it off, claiming he had been unconscious and remembered nothing.

Fan De Biao leaned in conspiratorially toward Young Master Liu, whispering, "Young Master, did you bring out some magical artifact from your Celestial Master that can control the Chu? Show me if it’s valuable."

Young Master Liu shot Fan De Biao a look, then spoke softly, "Hell, if I had a magical artifact, wouldn’t I have used it already? Do I look like a man who possesses powerful charms, given this injury?"

Fan De Biao paused, slightly speechless. Young Master Liu’s mind suddenly snapped to attention: one person was missing. Where was old man Clara Ma? He asked Fan De Biao about his whereabouts.

Fan De Biao pointed toward the desert behind him. "That little old man got a bit peculiar after seeing the Chu. He refuses to move, saying he must perform a three-day ritual here before we can proceed. He hasn't come down from up there in two days."

Young Master Liu settled opposite Fan De Biao, craning his neck to look. Old man Clara Ma was kneeling on a prayer rug, engaged in some unknown activity.

After chatting for a while, everyone returned to their spots. Young Master Liu, bored, lay down and drifted back to sleep.

Night fell unnoticed. Young Master Liu was jolted awake by two pushes. His strength had mostly returned. He turned and sat up, realizing it was old man Clara Ma.

Clara Ma made a "shush" gesture and said, "Young comrade, follow me for a moment. I need a word with you." He then turned and slipped out of his sleeping bag. Young Master Liu felt a strange sense of bewilderment, but curiosity drove him to follow.

Stepping out, Young Master Liu glanced around. Everyone else was sound asleep—especially Fan De Biao, whose snoring was thunderous.

Old man Clara Ma led Young Master Liu up a dune outside the oasis. He immediately knelt before Young Master Liu and declared, "Young comrade, you are the reincarnation of Hu Da."

Young Master Liu was completely thrown. He quickly urged the old man, "Old man, are you alright? How could I possibly be the reincarnation of Hu Da?"

Old man Clara Ma replied, "You wouldn't know. A long, long time ago, the Taklamakan Desert was the same sea of death it is now—but without any ruins or cities. Later, this desert attracted the favor of Hu Da. He brought water from the Tianshan Mountains into the Taklamakan, eventually forming the Peacock River. Gradually, people began to settle this desert, leading to the flourishing Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. However, humanity did not cherish what Hu Da bestowed; they violated Hu Da's principles. So, Hu Da reclaimed the water from the Tianshan. The Peacock River began to dry up, and eventually, many strange insects crawled out of the desiccated riverbed. Anyone who names these insects dies; only the reincarnation of Hu Da is immune to attack. Your survival when you collapsed, untouched by the bugs, proves this."

Hearing Clara Ma’s words, Young Master Liu was speechless to the extreme. Such absurd nonsense could only be believed by those devoted to Hu Da. Having been raised on the principles of scientific knowledge, Young Master Liu could never accept it.

Young Master Liu told Clara Ma, "I am not the reincarnation of Hu Da. Who said these insects wouldn't attack me? Look at my neck—my artery was ruptured! If Fan De Biao and the others hadn't arrived promptly, I would already be joining Marx."

The old man was stubbornly fixed on connecting Young Master Liu to Hu Da, no matter what he said. Unable to sway him, Young Master Liu changed the subject. "How did you know these insects fear water?" Young Master Liu asked old man Clara Ma.