** Leaving the Sandaoyan county seat, the convoy of vehicles gradually melted into the encroaching darkness. On either side lay vast, desolate land, the moonlight cool and clear, illuminating the continuous stretch of distant forest where the earth met the sky.

Logically, past nine o'clock I shouldn't have felt sleepy, but because no one in the car was speaking, I actually started to nod off. I adjusted my seat to a reclining angle, preparing to sleep.

Before settling in, I glanced at the few people in the car: Boss Wu was engrossed in some game on his phone, Da Xiong was already snoring thunderously, and the assistant named Wang was strangely staring at his own palm, his thoughts a mystery.

I decided not to dwell on it. I chatted briefly with the driver, then pulled my overcoat over me and closed my eyes.

In my mind, I thought about how I hadn't informed my Second Uncle about this trip; they must be worried sick. But then I reconsidered: this wasn't the first time I'd vanished for a few days. Besides, Second Aunt had placed a gu charm on me; if anything truly bad happened, she should be able to sense it. So, even if I couldn't call home, they probably wouldn't worry too much, right?

Thinking brought on sleep, perhaps because the fighting during the day had drained too much energy.

I don't know how long I slept, lost in a jumble of strange dreams, when I suddenly felt my head knock against something hard, jolting me awake.

I sat up in my seat, rubbing my forehead, and realized I had bumped against the car door. Unbeknownst to me, the car had entered the mountain roads and was now navigating a very sharp curve.

Just then, Da Xiong next to me let out a slight chuckle and said, "You really can sleep, Comrade Xiao Chuan. We’ve been in the mountains for half an hour now, and these winding roads nearly turned Old Xiong’s stomach inside out. Yet you’re only just being shaken awake. It reminds me of a certain kind of animal."

I wasn't in the mood to bicker. I checked my phone—it was just past 4 AM—and asked him where we were now.

The driver answered first in fluent Xinjiang Mandarin: "Oh, we just passed Mao County and are currently en route to Songpan."

I murmured an acknowledgment. People unfamiliar with Sichuan might not know Songpan, but mentioning Jiuzhaigou, everyone knows that.

Songpan County sits right next to Jiuzhaigou County. Jiuzhaigou and Songpan's Huanglong Scenic Area together form the Jiu-Huang Scenic Zone, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The shortest route to Xinjiang would actually be through Guangyuan City, but the scenery around Jiuzhaigou is undeniably much better. As an archaeological team whose primary objective is exploration, taking this route is perfectly logical. However, the mountains here are far steeper, and the mountain roads are terrifyingly treacherous.

Watching the vehicle coil and wind its way through the mountains, I quickly grasped the feeling Da Xiong had described about his stomach almost flying out. But I had it better than him; I don't get carsick, though my eyes did feel a bit dizzy.

Da Xiong beside me held a plastic bag under his chin, his eyes glazed over, letting out gagging sounds with every turn, which made me want to laugh.

Master, seeing his state, also teased, "Young man, you can’t handle this little bit? You’ll probably faint dead away when we reach Xinjiang. The roads in Xinjiang, they can be compared to the Yellow Springs Road to hell. In the uninhabited zones of the Taklamakan Desert, those highways are simply not meant for humans. Encounter a sandstorm, and it can blow your entire vehicle up into the sky."

At that moment, Boss Wu, who had been playing on his phone, suddenly spoke up: "Master, you’ve driven so many roads in Xinjiang—do you know anything about Lop Nur?"

The Master picked up his tea cup, took a sip, and said, "I was just about to bring this up with you all. Lop Nur—that’s not some immortal lake; it’s the Devil’s Lake! It eats people without spitting out the bones. It’s a good thing I’m the one taking you this time; otherwise, no one would agree to take you in this July heat."

Without waiting for our reply, the Master continued, "I find you scientists so strange. June and July are the most dangerous times at Lop Nur, frequently hit by sandstorms, yet this is when most explorers show up. Do you know that Peng Jiamu and Yu Chunshun both met their ends during this period?"

Boss Wu replied calmly, "I’ve heard of both those incidents. Peng Jiamu perished because he didn't bring enough food and water. And Yu Chunshun died because he lacked modern navigation equipment and got lost. We are bringing sufficient food and water this time, and our instruments are the most advanced. Nothing can go wrong."

The Master shook his head. "Well, since I've taken your money, I shouldn't say too much, but there are some things I must remind you bosses first. Apart from the climate and the sandstorms, the most terrifying aspect of Lop Nur is the unknown factors. You’ve probably heard all the legends surrounding Lop Nur yourselves."

I interjected then, "Oh, are you talking about the zombie rumors? And that place, the Lop Nur Ear Hole, where there’s a cave leading down ten thousand meters, supposedly a former Russian deep-earth research base?"

The Master shook his head. "My family has lived in Ruoqiang County for generations. I’ve heard all the major events that happened at Lop Nur from my elders. Those stories are fake. There are no zombies, and no deep holes. However, there is one thing my uncle told me personally; it is absolutely true. I wonder if you bosses would like to hear it."

Da Xiong loved stories the most and immediately shouted, "Tell us quickly! Old Xiong is about to die of boredom!"

The Master cleared his throat, gazing toward the lights of the convoy ahead sweeping across the cliff faces that looked as if they had been cleaved by a giant axe. He seemed to fall into memory. After a moment, he began, "My uncle was a guide at Lop Nur, just like me, though he doesn't do it anymore. His active period was in the nineties, after the nuclear testing had stopped, and more adventurers began visiting Lop Nur."

"Once, my uncle was guiding a group of young backpackers, planning to drive across the entire dried bed of the Lop Nur lake. It was late autumn, October, so the weather was relatively cool, and the journey went smoothly. But when the vehicles reached the vicinity of the Loulan outpost, my uncle's car bottomed out, hitting a large rock protruding from the ground, causing an oil leak. He had to get out and fix it."

"At that time, there were three backpackers in my uncle’s car. So as not to delay their journey, my uncle suggested that the three of them squeeze into the two vehicles ahead. He would fix the car quickly and catch up. After those three got out, my uncle took out his toolbox and climbed underneath the vehicle to make the repair."

"I must mention this detail: after leaving the Loulan outpost, the convoy had entered the dry lakebed of Lop Nur—a vast expanse of blackish-brown Gobi desert. Except for a few small hills rising from the sand, there was no vegetation, no birds, not even a few insects, and certainly no human habitation."

"It was past 4 PM. The sun should have been scorching, but after lying under the car for about ten minutes, my uncle suddenly noticed that, without knowing when, the sky had darkened, and wind and sand were whipping around them. Desert dust storms happen that suddenly; one moment the sun is blazing, and the next, you could be buried alive in the sand sea. However, my uncle saw that the wind and sand weren't too severe; he estimated it would pass in an hour or two, not affecting their travel, so he didn't pay too much attention."

"About half an hour later, my uncle felt thirsty and prepared to crawl out from under the car. Just as he turned his head toward the front of the vehicle, he suddenly saw a line of people walking toward him from directly ahead of the car! My uncle was greatly startled. He wondered how a group of people could be walking in this desolate Gobi, coming from deep within Lop Nur? Moreover, these people marched with remarkably even steps, as if they had received training."

"My uncle held his breath, waiting for the group to approach. When they drew near, my uncle realized that these people were all walking barefoot. From his angle, he could only see that their toenails were very long, their toe gaps filled entirely with yellow sand, and the skin on the tops of their feet was cracked and dry—evidence of a long journey. The trousers they wore were dark blue, the lower parts shredded into strips."

"But what struck my uncle as most incredible was that every single person carried a rifle on their back, the butts made of wood, dangling behind their legs—perhaps old-fashioned rifles. The group didn't speak; their movement produced only the faintest sound. When they reached the side of my uncle's car, the group suddenly stopped. Then, one person walked out from the line and walked straight toward the car."

"At this point, my uncle’s heart was pounding against his throat; he dared not even breathe. He watched those large feet approach step by step until they stopped in front of the driver's door, seemingly peering into the vehicle."