Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Black Stone Mountain, where Aman’s Tribe resided, was roughly a three-day journey from Golden Saddle Mountain.

On level plains, such a distance would be an easy trek. However, the transformed Chixia Region was fraught with countless perils.

The further they ventured inward, the harsher the environment became. Ordinary horses from Yunwu County were no longer suitable as a means of transport.

They needed to prepare a more appropriate mount and stock up on Antidotes. Furthermore, before departing as their guide, Aman had to fulfill his duties as the Village Chief and Clan Leader by settling his people.

Consequently, Han Lie and his companions expected to rest and wait in Aman’s Tribe for two days.

At night, the tribe felt a spark of renewed vitality. The nighttime temperatures in the Chixia Mountain range were quite low, but the two Black Stone Mountains, meeting at an angle, provided a natural windbreak against the sandstorms.

Several bonfires were lit, dispelling the nocturnal chill.

Inside copper pots suspended over the flames, broken rice congee bubbled away, with bits of pink minced meat tumbling through the porridge.

Aman’s surviving tribespeople sat around the fires, the light dancing in their golden-tinted eyes. Every face was lit with an irrepressible smile.

The younger children dutifully watched the pots. Some of the older adults habitually pressed three fingers to their hearts, intending to thank the Heaven and Earth God they had always worshipped.

But as their hands were halfway raised, they suddenly recalled the colossal shadow that had showered the world with rain and food. They quickly curled their fingers back and performed a Central Plains salute, murmuring, “Thank you for the grace of the Supreme Deity.”

One after another, expressions of gratitude were chanted in the language of the Sand People.

Han Lie could not understand the tongue of the Sand People, so Aman explained the situation to him. Han Lie nodded with satisfaction.

Aman did not sit with his tribespeople; instead, he sat with Han Lie and the other four. Tossing a handful of Sand Camel Thorn-a plant unique to the Chixia Region-into the fire, Aman said, “Tonight, I will take you to find our mounts.”

The mounts he spoke of were a type of Sand Lizard that lived in the Chixia Mountain area. These Sand Lizards were large enough to carry a person. Though their bodies were covered in menacing spikes, their feet possessed thick, swollen pads.

These heavy, clumsy-looking pads contained a jelly-like semi-solid substance that could absorb heat, allowing the Sand Lizard to walk steadily across the scorching hot sands.

In a Sand People tribe, a Sand Lizard was an asset no less precious than a water source. Back when Aman’s tribe was prosperous, they had raised a large herd of them.

After their failed attempt to poison the Thunderbirds in the sky, they had been besieged at the foot of Black Stone Mountain for over a year by the birds’ retaliation. However, the Thunderbirds only targeted humans. Aman had simply released the Sand Lizard herd to prevent them from starving to death alongside the people.

Now that they were heading to Golden Saddle Mountain, they had to call these big fellows back.

As they spoke, a rhythmic thumping sound drifted from the Shaman’s tent behind them. It was the Shaman grinding herbs inside.

Of the Immortal Grass offered by the Sand People tribe, Qin Ying had kept one small stalk and returned the rest to the World in the Box so the Shaman could prepare some medicines that would be useful for the journey.

Late into the night, Han Lie and the others draped pungent-smelling blankets over themselves to block the wind as they approached the outskirts of the village.

Aman took a finger-length Bone Whistle from around his neck. He didn’t blow it; instead, he grabbed the leather cord and swung it in rapid circles. The night wind rushed through the Bone Whistle, and an ancient, wind-like sound echoed through the night.

A long, long time passed without any movement.

Aman’s expression gradually soured, fearing that the Sand Lizard herd had been wiped out. Han Lie pursed his lips and gazed into the distance, wondering what they could use as a substitute if the Sand Lizards didn’t come.

Just as Aman’s grief reached its peak, a sand dune in the distance suddenly rustled and collapsed inward. A white claw, resembling that of a gecko but far more bloated, poked out from the sand.

Immediately after, a head covered in spikes emerged.

Aman waved his arms in great joy.
The pony-sized Sand Lizard trotted over like a dog.

Then came the first, the second… many more Sand Lizards followed, their right front claws marked with red pigment.

Aman did a quick count. Of the original hundred or so Sand Lizards, only fourteen remained. Moreover, all fourteen of them bore various degrees of injury.

Aman’s heart ached for them as he comforted them one by one.

These Sand Lizards were naturally dim-witted and, having been raised by humans, were extremely friendly. They showed no fear even when Han Lie and the other strangers approached, instead crowding around them.

One with a red scale on its forehead nudged Han Lie with its head. Han Lie gave its brow a gentle stroke before reaching out to grab the spikes growing from the side of its crest.

Wu Er and the others also found sturdy mounts for themselves, leaving only Wang Chang indecisive. One moment he wanted one with large paws, and the next he wanted one with a pretty pattern on its crest.

Han Lie and the others couldn’t be bothered with him. They led their Sand Lizards down Black Stone Mountain, intending to first give their new partners plenty of water and crushed rice.

Caressing his old companion, Aman said sorrowfully, “He’s grown so thin. He must have had nothing but dry thorns to chew on. It’s been a long time since he’s tasted fresh grass.”

He had only meant it as a passing comment, but Qin Ying, who was watching the scene from outside her box, took it to heart.

Eating grass was easy; her overgrown front and back gardens were full of it. She could test which ones the Sand Lizards liked and pick those for them.

Qin Ying stood up and placed a heavy book over the Fish Tank containing the white deer, Fuzhu. Fuzhu was currently napping, and since the rain wasn’t heavy, she didn’t bother with an umbrella. She headed down to the first-floor backyard and turned on the night light, pulling up two handfuls of weeds.

Just as she straightened up, she heard the sound of dogs barking one after another from beyond the backyard wall.

The Ancient Town was full of historic buildings, and it was common for households to keep cats and dogs to prevent rat infestations. Whether cats or dogs, they usually wandered the streets and rarely barked at or bit people. This kind of barking usually meant there was a stranger around.

Qin Ying frowned and looked toward the wall. Clutching the handful of grass, she quickly retreated into the house and locked the door tight.

The moment she turned off the backyard night light, a dark shadow slowly poked half a head over her backyard wall, a smile playing across a pale face.

Inside, Qin Ying took out her phone, hesitating over whether to call Old Miao. Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door.

Qin Ying’s heart skipped a beat, but then she heard a voice call out from outside: “Sister Ying!”

It was Yin Minmin’s voice.

Qin Ying slipped a fruit knife into the sleeve of her loungewear and walked to the door. “Minmin, is something wrong?”

Through the security monitor, she saw Yin Minmin standing at the door, followed by two men wearing long trench coats despite the sweltering July heat. Qin Ying’s suspicion faded slightly; anyone wearing a heavy black trench coat in the middle of summer clearly wasn’t thinking straight.

Outside, Yin Minmin replied, “Sister Ying, people from Headquarters are here. They have important information to share with you.”

Qin Ying’s grip on the fruit knife loosened. Yin Minmin wasn’t lying.

She opened the door, and Yin Minmin pressed her hands together in an apologetic smile. “Sorry to disturb your rest, Sister Ying, but the people from above… they’re in a bit of a hurry.”

Qin Ying let the three of them inside.

The man on the right extended his hand to her. “I apologize for the intrusion. I am Zong Li from the Second Action Team of the Cultural Preservation Bureau’s Emergency Management Department.”

Zong Li looked to be in his thirties. Setting aside the idiocy of wearing a trench coat in this heat, he seemed like a capable person. As soon as the door closed, he dropped a bombshell.

“We arrived in Yunlan City today to work with the police in tracking down the killer carrying the Dream-Embracing Grass. Based on the trail of clues, we discovered he has slipped into the Ancient District.”

Zong Li stared intently at Qin Ying. “His target might be you.”