Chu Jian picked up some broken stones from the ground, intending to throw them to scare off the stragglers among the big rats, but I stopped him. There was an old rule in our family, passed down since my grandfather's time: the Hu family is forbidden from harming rats. These vermin weren't bothering anyone anyway, so we might as well let them be.

Fatty cursed, "Old Hu, you’re nurturing evil! This water is where the rats bathe and eat. It’s absolutely revolting! After all that shouting just now, who knows how much rat filth, urine, and hair we swallowed.”

I said, "Can we not talk about it? The more I think about it, the more disgusting it is. Let's get out of here; we'll find another spot."

None of us were willing to drink the water here anymore, so we had no choice but to continue deeper into the cave complex, searching for the subterranean dark river. There was no other way forward; only one passage led on, and the sound of flowing water emanated from its far end.

We proceeded along this path. The closer we got, the heavier the damp air became, and the walls grew steadily wetter. Along both sides of this passage were numerous man-made stone chambers, all fitted with iron grilles and heavy locks. They were clearly designed to hold prisoners, but now they had all become rat nests, the ground pitch-black with droppings.

Walking several hundred meters further down the passage into the mountain, we finally saw a swiftly flowing dark river blocking the cavern mouth. This was the Zidu Dark River, which had flowed beneath the sea of sand for millennia without ever drying up. The river was not only voluminous but also deep, and at its end, it would eventually merge with the Tarim River.

However, inland rivers in the Xinjiang desert share a distinct characteristic: regardless of the volume of water, they can never escape the desert to reach the sea. These inland rivers and subterranean streams are ultimately destined to be slowly swallowed by the sands.

Across the river, there was another massive mountain cavern, connected by a black stone bridge spanning the gap. The bridge itself was constructed from the same black stone of Mount Zagulama, arching over the surging waters of the Zidu River.

In front of the cavern on the other side of the Black Bridge stood a gate weighing a thousand catties, suspended halfway by chains as thick as a man’s arm, with a huge stone propping up the gap below. Looking into the cave through the opening, the depth was unfathomable—it was impossible to tell what lay within.

Professor Chen exclaimed in surprise, "The stone door leading to the underground palace was blown open previously; someone must have entered here before. Given this gate's immense weight and its location in the deepest part of the third level of the palace, it's highly probable that this is the final resting place of Queen Jingjue."

In ancient kingdoms of the Western Regions, royal burials were often situated within the city walls, unlike the practice of the Central Plains Han people who excavated mountains for tombs and constructed them along ridges. We had already witnessed this at the ancient city of Xiye, where the tomb of Prince Pumo was built inside the old city's sacred well. Thus, the Professor’s hypothesis that Queen Jingjue’s tomb lay beneath the underground palace was not surprising.

Yet, it all seemed too straightforward. Other exploration teams had visited this underground palace before, and the cave wasn't exactly hidden. Someone must have discovered it earlier. Could it be that everyone who entered the Queen's mausoleum died inside? What exactly was in there? Could the colossal cavern depicted in the murals also be located within?

I looked to Professor Chen for instruction: should we enter or not?

Professor Chen responded without hesitation, "Enter! I absolutely must see if Queen Jingjue's tomb has been looted or damaged. If I cannot look upon it, I will die with regrets. If this old body is to be buried inside, it would be a fitting end. I am old now and care for little else, but you children are all still young; none of you should go. I will go alone."

Shirley Yang, without lifting her head from loading new film into her camera, stated flatly, "Of course, I'm going too." Her casual tone suggested she hadn't even considered whether to enter the Queen’s tomb, only whether she would be the first or the second to go in.

Seeing this, I realized I couldn't stay behind. If anything happened to those two, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I instructed Fatty to remain behind and look after the three students.

Fatty immediately objected, "Why am I stuck playing nanny to these kids? The three of you are going in, and I’m worried. If you go, I go with you, or else none of us go. Don’t worry, I won’t touch any gold or silver treasures in there."

Chu Jian, Sa Dipeng, and the others vehemently pleaded when they heard they wouldn't be allowed in. They were desperate to see; this opportunity was too rare. After enduring hardships crossing the Black Desert for thousands of miles to reach the ancient city of Jingjue, how could they miss seeing the most crucial part—the Queen's tomb? Besides, if anything went wrong, they could lend a hand.

Now everyone wanted to go. That left Ye Yixin, who was physically weak and fluctuating between lucidity and confusion. After taking some cold salt water, Ye Yixin had regained some strength and told the group, "Whatever you do, don't leave me here alone. I’m fine, and I’ll go in with everyone."

This presented a real problem. Even with Fatty and me, we could hardly look after five people, especially when they were mostly the elderly and frail—only the tall Chu Jian could offer any real assistance.

I addressed the group, "How about this: I'll go in alone first to scout. If it seems safe inside, then we all go in together. If I haven't come out after four or five hours, don't wait for me. Absolutely do not enter the tomb, and leave this place immediately."

Fatty countered, "No way. If you go, we go together; we need to look out for each other."

I clapped Fatty on the shoulder. "I can manage alone. I'm lucky, I'll be fine. If something does happen to me, you need to be the one to lead everyone safely out."

Shirley Yang cut in, "Enough with the dramatic farewells. I’m going with you."

I thought I misheard. "You're going with me? Don't joke. If there’s danger, it’s easier for me to escape alone. If you come, I’m worried I won't be able to protect you."

Shirley Yang retorted, "We don't know who will be looking after whom. In any case, you aren't going into the Queen's tomb alone to take risks." Saying this, she took the hunting rifle from Chu Jian's hands. With a sharp clack, she pulled back the bolt, confirmed the chamber was loaded, and pushed the bolt home, chambering a round. Seeing her proficiency made my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth; she was clearly a seasoned shooter—I never would have guessed.

As we both busied ourselves packing the necessary gear, Fatty quietly leaned toward me, "Hey, Old Hu, I think the way she’s been looking at you lately is a bit off. Does she have a thing for you? She’s already sticking close, and we’re only just starting."

I laughed and cursed him, "I think your eyesight is the problem. I haven't noticed anything, but you see it all? I'm not interested in her. A woman that aggressive—I wouldn't dare take her on. Besides, if my old man saw me bringing home an American girl, he’d have me quartered."

Fatty said, "It’s good that you realize that. I was truly worried you’d marry someone like that—the type who acts arrogant because she has a bit of money and looks down on everyone. Damn it, what was that old saying? The clicking of small leather shoes, bourgeois rotten thinking. You absolutely must resist the temptation of these sugar-coated bullets."

I loaded my assault rifle, which I’d picked up from the grave robbers in the valley, filled it with ammunition, strapped on explosives and the trenching shovel, and replaced the batteries in my flashlight. I held the gold-digging charm made from a pangolin claw for a moment, murmuring, "I beg the Ancestors for protection."

Shirley Yang had finished packing by then. She asked if I could discern the internal structure of the tomb from the outside. I replied, "I've never heard of a tomb located beneath a city like this. For me to determine a tomb's internal structure from the exterior, I must go through steps like: locating the earth veins, observing the terrain, finding the star peaks, identifying the water sources, measuring the orientation, fixing the burial spot, and assessing the depth, among others. These geomancy techniques allow me to determine the tomb's age and internal layout. But this tomb is beneath a city—it's the first time I've encountered such an ancient burial. With a bridge and water at the entrance, it defies conventional feng shui theories. I truly cannot guess what secrets lie inside. Once we enter, we must be extremely cautious, especially about triggering any mechanisms. Furthermore, the creatures we must be most wary of are those strange snakes with a black eye on their heads; they move with incredible speed and are hard to evade."

Shirley Yang nodded and led the way across the stone bridge. I followed closely behind her. Watched by the other five, we passed one after the other over the black stone bridge and slipped beneath the thousand-catties gate.

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