"Zhegushao" referred to the handful of foreigners aboard the vessel. "Zhegushao" stole several glances, finding their mannerisms suspicious. They were clearly armed, and their luggage contained shovels, iron bars, and ropes. They huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

The strangest thing was that these foreigners were unlike any "Zhegushao" had encountered before. He knew some foreigners and understood fragments of their languages, but these men on the boat resembled neither the stiffly formal British, the serious Germans, nor the casual Americans. These long-nosed, flaxen-haired men exuded a distinct air of ruffianism. It was very peculiar—which nation could they be from? "Zhegushao" peered again and finally realized: they were old, big-nosed Russians.

"Zhegushao" suspected these Russians might be heading to Heishui City to excavate antiquities. After the revolution in Russia, many émigrés fled across the border, and their descendants had since blended into Chinese society, refusing to acknowledge themselves as Soviet citizens, instead claiming the title of Eluoren (Russian émigrés), often engaging in illicit trade.

Elder Liao Chen, being a man who missed nothing, naturally grasped the implication of "Zhegushao's" observation. He subtly signaled "Zhegushao" to remain inactive: "What we are doing is highly confidential. We must avoid attention and stir up as little trouble as possible."

"Zhegushao" relayed to Elder Liao Chen, "If I go over and confirm that these devils are also targeting the treasures in Heishui City, they will be too close to our objective, merely getting in the way. I'll find a secluded spot and dispose of them quietly to prevent future complications."

Without waiting for Elder Liao Chen to dissuade him, "Zhegushao" squeezed through the crowd, positioning himself near the Russians to eavesdrop on their conversation. It turned out there were six of them in total: five Russians and one American.

The five Russians were descendants of the Tsarist refugees who remained in China, currently involved in the arms trade. They had heard rumors that a massive cache of cultural relics had been unearthed in Heishui City, saw potential profit, and planned to try their luck digging up a few crates in secret.

The American was a priest in his late thirties or early forties. He had spent the last few years proselytizing in Ningqing and other regions, and during his travels, he had visited the ruins of Heishui City. After touring China, the priest was planning to return to Yinchuan and neighboring areas to spread the gospel of eternal life through faith in God. He had casually mentioned this trip to the five Russians he encountered on the road. Seizing the opportunity, the Russians expressed interest in doing business there and asked the priest to guide them to Heishui City for a look.

Few people deceive clergy, so the priest suspected nothing. The six men couldn't communicate well—the Russians didn't speak English, and the American didn't speak Russian. Fortunately, having spent considerable time in China, they all spoke passable Chinese, which they used to converse amongst themselves.

After listening for a few sentences, "Zhegushao" noted that every three out of ten words spoken concerned Heishui City. The American priest, unaware of the Russians' intentions to loot relics, recounted everything he had seen and heard at Heishui City, down to the smallest detail. He described how half of a pagoda was buried underground, containing vast numbers of Buddhist statues, each one inlaid with gold and silver, exquisitely crafted. Some statues, he claimed, were carved from ivory and ancient jade, possessing a divine artistry that could only have been created by the hands of God.

The five Russians listened, their mouths watering. They took swigs of vodka, wishing they could sprout wings and fly to Heishui City immediately to claim those priceless relics, exchanging them for heaps of opium, women, ammunition, and more vodka.

Upon hearing this, "Zhegushao" sneered inwardly. He had previously sought the Tongtian Great Buddha Temple in Heishui City and was intimately familiar with its ruins. In reality, these big-nosed men were oblivious that a fervor for Chinese exploration had swept Europe back in the late nineteenth century, resulting in most of Heishui City's artifacts being stolen long ago. All that remained in the city ruins were some clay sculptures and roof tiles (wading), most of them severely damaged. Furthermore, the American priest knew nothing about appreciating cultural artifacts; seeing some brightly painted clay figures, he had carelessly claimed they were made of ivory and jade. Yet, these Russians swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

However, a second thought struck him. To mistake mud and stone carvings for treasures inlaid with gold and jade—what kind of eyesight must one possess? Even with the American priest's lack of taste, such a massive error seemed impossible. Could the American priest have stumbled upon the Tongtian Great Buddha Temple by sheer accident? The descriptions in the priest's words did indeed sound somewhat like a temple buried underground.

Realizing something was amiss, "Zhegushao" prepared to listen closer, when suddenly the hull lurched violently. The massive ferryboat swung sideways in the middle of the river, causing the hundred-plus passengers to lose their footing, staggering wildly. Cries of panic erupted across the deck.

Worried about Elder Liao Chen, "Zhegushao" ignored the foreigners and quickly pushed through the chaotic crowd to his side. Elder Liao Chen told him, "This is bad. I fear we have encountered something in the water."

At that moment, the previously calm river water began to churn as if boiling, and the boat spun furiously in the center of the river. Passengers and crew alike descended into pandemonium. The boat captain, as if performing a sleight of hand, produced a pig's head and tossed it into the river, followed by a platter of roasted chicken. He lit several sticks of incense, knelt on the deck, and kowtowed repeatedly toward the water.

But the captain's appeasement efforts were useless. The boat remained stuck, spinning helplessly. The captain suddenly had an inspiration. He dropped to his knees before the passengers, banging his head on the deck while pleading, "Gentlemen, ladies, sirs and madams, did someone aboard say something taboo? The Dragon King has taken it seriously this time! If we don't appease him, none of us will survive! Who said anything? Please, don't drag us all down with you! I beg you!" He struck the deck with his forehead, making loud thudding sounds.

Seeing massive walls of water rising around the ship, everyone's face turned ashen. Even if someone had uttered an inappropriate word, there was no way to find them now.

Just as confusion reigned, a merchant pointed toward a woman cradling a child and shouted, "It's her... it's her... she said it! I heard her!"

"Zhegushao" and Elder Liao Chen followed the crowd's gaze. They saw the merchant roughly grabbing a woman holding a three or four-year-old child, saying, "Her baby kept crying, and the woman got so annoyed that she threatened to throw the child into the river if he didn't stop!"

Once the merchant spoke, several others quickly confirmed the story, agreeing that it was indeed this woman. Her child had been wailing uncontrollably since boarding, and no matter how she tried to soothe him, the crying only grew louder. Annoyed, the woman snapped and threatened the child: "If you keep crying, I'll throw you in the river for the fish!"

Even the threat didn't work; the child continued to scream. It was at that moment the boat began to spin. The unworldly woman, having never encountered anything like this, was terrified as everyone stared at the child in her arms. She slumped onto the deck and began to weep hysterically.

The captain knelt before the woman, "Sister, how could you utter such reckless words on a boat? It’s too late now. The Dragon King heard you, and he’s waiting for you to throw the child into the river. If you don't, all of us on this boat are finished! Please, have mercy!" With that, he lunged forward to snatch the child from her arms.

The child was her flesh and blood, and she refused to surrender him, crying and struggling desperately. But the captain, a burly man hardened by years on the water, overpowered her easily. She could only cry out for help from the surrounding passengers.

Every passenger's face was the color of death, and everyone remained coldly indifferent. They all knew perfectly well that if the child wasn't tossed into the river, nobody would survive. Their own lives took precedence. Although the child was pitiful, they thought his misfortune was his mother's fault for speaking carelessly on the boat—she brought this upon herself. A wave of avoidance spread, and no one stepped forward to intervene.

Elder Liao Chen, seeing the captain about to hurl the three-year-old into the river, felt a pang of pity and prepared to stop him with "Zhegushao." Just then, a figure darted out from the crowd and blocked the captain. "Zhegushao" looked closely and saw that the person was the American priest.

The American priest held up his Bible and declared, "Captain, in the name of God, I must stop you."

If it had been anyone else interfering, the captain would have knocked them down with one punch. Seeing a foreigner, the captain hesitated to offend, but the boat was still spinning dangerously, threatening to capsize at any moment. He glared at the American priest and said, "Mind your own business! If this child isn't thrown in, the Dragon King will take us—boat and all. Your little black book won't save you then."

Before the American priest could argue further, a short, stout, red-nosed Russian pulled him back. "Father Thomas, don't meddle in things that don't concern you. These ancient mysteries of the Orient are strange. Let them do what they need to do. It's only a Chinese child anyway, and this boat might actually sink otherwise."

The American priest flared up, "Mr. Andrei, I can hardly believe you would say such a thing! In God's eyes, all men are equal. Only the devil believes that throwing a child into the river for the fish is the right thing to do."

The captain seized the opportunity while the American priest and the Russian named Andrei were locked in dispute. He kicked the woman down and hurled the child overboard. The woman screamed once and fainted.

Elder Liao Chen gasped, intending to tell "Zhegushao" to save the child, but it was too late. Although "Zhegushao" wished to avoid trouble, in this critical moment, he could not simply stand by and watch someone die. Before anyone else could process what happened, "Zhegushao" deployed his Flying Tiger Claws.

The Flying Tiger Claws were forged from fine steel, shaped like a tiger's paw at the front, with adjustable joints, and attached to a long rope at the rear for long-distance grappling. "Zhegushao" snagged the child falling mid-air and, with a sharp tug, hauled him back up.

The passengers watched, dumbfounded. The moment "Zhegushao" secured the child, the Russians aimed five dark muzzles of their revolvers directly at his head.

The river waves grew fiercer, and the boat pitched violently, dizzying everyone. It seemed the vessel was on the verge of capsizing. The Russians, having lived in China for years, knew the captain spoke the truth—if the child wasn't fed to the river spirits, the boat wouldn't move. Seeing "Zhegushao" pull back the child they had just thrown overboard, they couldn't resist drawing their weapons, intent on eliminating this complication.

Just as the five Russians were about to fire, the sharp crack of a machine gun ripped through the air. Everyone flinched, looking around wildly, wondering who had fired.

"Zhegushao" used a vocal trick to distract them, tossing the child toward Elder Liao Chen behind him. Simultaneously, he whipped out two German box-magazine pistols from his coat, scraped the hammers against his thigh, and unleashed a whirlwind volley: Paka-paka-paka-paka! Bullets tore through the air. The five Russians were struck down, collapsing into pools of blood.

The passengers were frozen in shock, their faces pale. Killing five men in an instant—the speed and accuracy were one thing—but the sheer killing intent, dispatching so many without batting an eye, made him seem like a Rakshasa demon. "Zhegushao" paid no mind to their reactions and personally began heaving the five Russian corpses into the river.

As the saying goes, even ghosts fear the vicious. The moment the five bodies hit the water, the boat stopped spinning and began to move again. The violently churning river slowly calmed. "Zhegushao" ordered the captain to immediately pull over to the north bank.

The captain, still recovering from the shock, dared not disobey. He guided the boat to calmer waters and lowered the gangplank.

Elder Liao Chen had already returned the child to the hysterical woman, sternly warning her never to speak recklessly again, or she wouldn't be so lucky next time. "Zhegushao" knew that killing five people in public was a massive affair, requiring immediate flight from the main routes toward sparsely populated areas. As he disembarked, he also took the American priest with him. Should they run into military police, the American could serve as a hostage. Furthermore, since the American priest was associated with the five Russians, and their bodies were disposed of in the Yellow River, the authorities would have difficulty tracking any accomplices.

"Zhegushao" and Elder Liao Chen fled, coercing the American priest. Fortunately, they were not far from the Helan Mountains; they could reach them by land in three or four days, and the region was vast and sparsely populated, minimizing the chance of encountering anyone.

The American priest, Thomas, initially believed he had been kidnapped by murderers. He ceaselessly preached about God's mercy, urging them to reform. He was particularly shocked by the elderly monk, who looked so benevolent yet was engaged in kidnapping; he urged him to convert to God and attain eternal life.

After walking for three full days, Thomas realized the pair didn't seem like kidnappers. They kept heading north, seemingly determined to reach some destination. His motives unclear, he finally asked where they were taking him.

"Zhegushao" told the American priest Thomas, "You were deceived by those Russians. Look at the extensive tools they carried; they intended to loot relics in Heishui City. They heard you had been there and seen the treasures, so they planned to use you as a guide. Once at the destination, they certainly would have killed you to silence you. I saved you. Rest assured, I am not someone who kills the innocent indiscriminately. We have one task to complete at Heishui City, and then we will release you. We cannot let you go now for fear of letting word leak out."

The American priest said to "Zhegushao," "Mr. Quickdraw, your speed in drawing your weapon is like lightning, truly astonishing. I also realized those Russians were behaving oddly. They claimed to be mineral prospectors, but they were actually planning to dig up Chinese artifacts. But now, God has already punished them."

"Zhegushao" asked the American priest to recount his experience seeing the Buddhist temple ruins at Heishui City.

The American priest Thomas retorted, "What? You plan to dig for relics too?"

"Zhegushao" felt no particular aversion to the priest, so he explained, "I need to find something critically important, something that relates to the life and death of many people in my lineage. This is highly confidential, so I cannot tell you more."

The American priest replied, "I believe you. A few years ago, when I was near the Heishui City ruins, I stepped into quicksand. At that moment, I thought I was being summoned by the Lord to meet God, but instead, I fell into a Buddhist hall filled with many precious and vividly colored statues. Because I was pressed for time to preach, I didn't look closely before climbing out and leaving. I cannot find that spot again now, but it is very close to the Heishui City ruins, perhaps six or seven kilometers away."

The priest's account corroborated the accuracy of "Zhegushao's" intelligence. Moreover, it seemed the Tongtian Great Buddha Temple of Heishui City was not buried too deeply; finding the right location would allow them to easily dig a shaft inside.

Legend held that the Tongtian Great Sleeping Buddha Temple of Heishui City housed a colossal Reclining Buddha. Beneath the Buddha lay a crypt where a mystic chamber was constructed for burial, later used to secretly store the rare treasures of the Xixia imperial court. That was "Zhegushao's" current target.

The ruins of Heishui City were not hard to find. There were obvious remnants of structures on the ground; the pagodas stood silently bearing witness to the city's past splendor. When "Zhegushao," Elder Liao Chen, and the American priest Thomas arrived near Heishui City, dusk was approaching. The gray outline of the Helan Mountains was vaguely visible in the distance.

Standing in the vast twilight, the ruins of Heishui City seemed deathly silent, as if the Grim Reaper had choked the breath from every living thing. The desolate atmosphere made it impossible to imagine this place was once a vital stronghold of the Xixia dynasty.

Elder Liao Chen was a monk, "Zhegushao" had always posed as a Daoist practitioner, and the American Thomas was a priest. A combination of a monk, a Daoist, and a priest searching for the Xixia treasure cave near Heishui City—even they found their group composition strange.

Near Heishui City, the three waited silently under the pale moonlight that spilled across the land. This was the Northwest Plateau; the air was thin, and the stars in the sky glittered with a density and brightness manifold greater than on the plains.

Elder Liao Chen looked up at the stars, took out his compass, and performed the ritual of Fendings Dingxue (dividing the directions to fix the grave site). The Giant Gate, Greedy Wolf, and Minister stars in the sky were aligned squarely and without flaw, indicating a true main acupoint, auspicious yet noble, though lacking protective surrounding stars. The corresponding terrestrial acupoint was identified as the 'Cormorant Sipping Water' formation, and the precise location was pinpointed in moments.

After surveying the location, Elder Liao Chen led "Zhegushao" and the American priest under the flowing moonlight to the spot. He pointed to a place on the ground and stated, "The main hall of the Tongtian Great Sleeping Buddha Temple lies right here. However... it seems a one-eyed dragon is buried here."