"Ma Xiong!" Lu Zong exclaimed in surprise, "Kid, how did you get so fat? If it weren't for that scar over your eye, I wouldn't have recognized you!"

Ma Xiong replied irritably, "Please, can you stop bringing up my scar every other sentence? I took that knife for you. Don't be so heartless. Because of you, my lovely single eyelid was sliced into a mature double eyelid. It’s why I can’t find a wife even in my thirties."

"Haha, no worries, look at me—I'm still single just like you! Haha. Say, kid, did you come here to investigate the mummy for me?" Lu Zong asked.

"I knew coming here meant trouble. The moment I saw your name, I knew you’d stirred up some mess again. You’re nearly forty and you still have me, your big brother, worrying about you. You’re lucky this time you ran into me; I’ll find your desiccated corpse."

The mention of the mummy instantly galvanized Lu Zong, his expression turning serious, forgetting the pain of his wounds. He scrambled out of bed, pulled up a chair, and sat opposite Ma Xiong, listening to his superior's instruction with the devotion of a squad leader receiving orders from his colonel.

Ma Xiong pulled out several lab reports and handed them to Lu Zong. Lu Zong glanced over them quickly but couldn't make sense of anything, so he finally asked, "What does this mean?"

Ma Xiong said, "The one on display is fundamentally a fake."

"What? A fake?" Lu Zong's eyes shone with an unusual light, filled with anticipation as he asked, "Does that mean the one lying in the museum is the real one?"

"No, the one in the museum is also a fake," Ma Xiong's words were like a bucket of ice water, sharply stimulating his feverishly excited mind.

He couldn't understand, asking, "What do you mean? You’re saying both are fakes? How is that possible?"

Ma Xiong had anticipated his disbelief and pulled out a few more documents from his briefcase, handing them over.

Lu Zong took them and noticed a faint footprint impressed on the documents, prompting him to ask curiously, "What’s this?"

"Take a look. How many footprints can you see?"

"One..." He felt his reply was too abrupt and hastily lowered his head to examine it closely. However, the observation shocked him: it seemed like two overlapping footprints, slightly offset from each other. The footprint underneath was darker, while the one on top was lighter in color.

"What’s going on here?" Lu Zong asked in surprise.

Ma Xiong took the documents back and explained, "This sample was actually taken from the bottom of the crystal coffin where the mummy was stored long-term—it's the imprint left by the mummy's foot on the wood. In other words, it’s residue from the mummy's sole. We analyzed and extracted material from the residue and performed Carbon-14 dating. We discovered two substances with different ages: one dating back four thousand years, and the other just over two thousand years. Coupled with the slight misalignment of the prints, it indicates the real mummy was switched out long ago."

Lu Zong nearly collapsed. This was a significant blow to him. Had all his efforts been in vain? Had all his energy been expended on a fake? He leaned against the chair, slowly shuffling toward the edge of the bed, then slumped down onto the mattress with a thud, weeping uncontrollably.

To console him, Ma Xiong spoke with intense confidence, "But there’s still hope! I have a crucial lead here."

Lu Zong twisted around, his gaze fixed intensely on Ma Xiong: "What lead?"

Ma Xiong held up the footprint documents with both hands and solemnly declared, "Look closely. There’s another symbol on the true mummy’s footprint."

He quickly took the document and indeed could faintly discern a symbol, though it was unclear because the fake footprint was obscuring the real one, and the symbol only existed on the true mummy’s foot. It took him great effort to vaguely make out a shape resembling a large ear. He felt that this large footprint was strangely familiar, as if he had seen it before, but the feeling of displacement he experienced in the exhibition hall returned. He shivered involuntarily.

He pondered for a long time without finding any clues, eventually turning to Ma Xiong.

Ma Xiong shook his head. "Don't ask me. I only recognize the Five-Starred Red Flag."

Lu Zong looked at the symbol and said, "Since this symbol appeared on the body, it must be the mummy’s belief—a religion. It seems we need to find a religious expert to interpret this sign."

The two searched for a long time in the unfamiliar town before locating a religious expert. When they knocked and saw she was a woman, they were instantly disappointed. As far as they knew, women, aside from nuns, didn't seem to have much connection to other religions. However, they decided to make the best of it and ask anyway.

Her name was Lu Sha, sharing the same surname as Lu Zong, and she was also an expert in her field. In fact, as soon as the pair entered, Lu Sha jumped up excitedly and babbled in overly fluent Mandarin to Lu Zong, "Hello! Are you Lu Zong, the owner of the 'Loulan Beauty'? I attended your lecture today; it was brilliant. I adore Chinese culture, which is why I’ve mastered such good Mandarin, hoping one day to travel to China and explore its endless mysteries."

The men were taken aback by her enthusiasm and could only exchange a few superficial pleasantries.

Finally, they got to the point. He presented the footprint impression to Lu Sha and said, "Please examine this for me. What exactly does this large ear-shaped symbol on the footprint mean? Is it the belief or symbol of a certain religion?"

Lu Sha accepted it very seriously, staring intently for a long time, looking at it from every angle. Her brow furrowed and then smoothed out, her face turning red from concentration, before she finally managed to utter a single sentence: "Did this person have a very large corn? If so, I suggest you see a doctor. However, I appreciate you trusting me. But I’m afraid I’m not a specialized surgeon."

Lu Zong and Ma Xiong immediately felt they had been mocked and were furious. But upon deeper thought, they admitted her reasoning made sense; perhaps the mummy’s foot genuinely suffered from a corn during its lifetime.

The two turned to leave. The clue they had considered the most important and only lead had morphed into a corn, dealing them a serious blow.

"Wait a moment," Lu Sha called out to them, smiling as she clasped her hands together, giving a graceful laugh. "Perhaps I can help you."

"How can you help?" Lu Zong and Ma Xiong instantly regained their interest, looking at Lu Sha with excitement.

Lu Sha continued her captivating smile: "Didn't you say there was a large ear-shaped symbol on the sole? While I haven't encountered such a peculiar symbol before, Professor Lu Zong, surely you know? A large ear—isn't the Lop Nur also shaped like a large ear? I suspect there must be a connection between the two."

Lu Zong slapped his forehead. "Good heavens, why didn't I think of that? How scatterbrained of me to forget! The place where the mummy was unearthed, isn't Lop Nur also shaped like a large ear? It’s called the 'Ear of the Earth,' ah!"

Ma Xiong listened to their conversation with a bewildered expression, muttering to himself, "Large ear? Lop Nur? That actually rhymes!"