The Lost Tomb : Sea Of Sands

Chapter 15: Badan Jilin

The jeep sped through the poplar forest on the edge of Badan Jilin. It was noon, the sun was shining, and the dust from the jeep ahead was flying everywhere.

Badan Jilin Desert was located in the Alashan Plateau in western Inner Mongolia. It was part of a plateau desert and the dunes were especially mobile. It was said that most of the dunes were categorized as mobile dunes, and blowing sand was very frequent.

Wu Xie, Wang Men, Li Cu, and another man named Ma Rila were in a jeep. Li Cu figured there must be a lot of explanations for a name like Ma Rila, some of which were surely quite interesting.

Along the way, Wu Xie started talking about some things he hadn't mentioned before, and told Li Cu what he needed to know. For example, Wu Xie used the alias Guan Gen while with this team, and pretended to be a travel guide writer. Li Cu would act as his photography assistant, while Wang Meng used his real name as Wu Xie's personal assistant. Ma Rila was a Mongolian who knew several local dialects, and acted as their translator when they needed to communicate with other people.

They set out from Beijing, and switched to a car after the plane landed. There were three cars in total: theirs, the car in front of them that held several professors and their students from the Department of Archaeology, and the car behind them that held the expedition team's co-investors. In front of all three cars was an auxiliary vehicle from the local army. The four-car motorcade had entered the government's jurisdiction just now, which was a poplar reserve that others couldn't enter at will.

They wouldn't drive directly to their destination, because the perimeter was surrounded by a large number of huge sand dunes. They needed to find camels at the army service station up ahead, and Li Cu had heard the soldiers say that the camels were already ready.

Wang Meng gave them some basic facts along the way, but Li Cu didn't know from which crackpot website he had collected them from. He said that the height of the sand dunes was a prominent feature of Badan Jilin, and they generally ran as high as two to three hundred meters. The highest peak, Wuzhumu, even reached five hundred and twenty-eight meters, making it the tallest desert sand dune in the world. There were more than a hundred and forty inland lakes distributed among the tall sand dunes, which were called haizi by the local people. Most of the haizi were salt water, but there were also the very rare fresh-water ones, which Li Cu found puzzling no matter how much he thought about it. The haizi were surrounded by a large number of both marshy meadows and salt meadows, which were important grazing sites to the herdsmen who had settled there.

Most of the herders were Oriat Mongolians, which was quite an ancient nationality. Badan was the name of the man who discovered the desert, and when he entered it, he found a total of sixty haizi. The word for sixty in Mongolian was jilin, so later generations named the desert "Badan Jilin".

The haizi here were a miraculous sight, but the view was usually blocked by the sand dunes. As a result, when travelers climbed over the dune and saw the blue water of the haizi surrounded by sand, they usually thought they were looking at a mirage. Even during sandstorm season when sand was flying all over the sky, the water surrounded by sand was still crystal clear and wouldn't be buried.

Many people should have seen a picture in Microsoft's operating system of a sand dune formed by the wind and sand undulating and scattering about. Under the light of different colored temperatures, dazzling light yellow, orange yellow, and fiery red patches could be seen. Under the light and shadow, the sand lines as smooth as waves would change into all kinds of beautiful patterns, like Dunhuang Flying Apsaras [1], Egyptian pyramids, Buddha's face, or even birds and animals. Some were concrete and others were abstract, as if it were a large exhibition of various genres. Among them, Lake Nuoertu and its small temple surrounded by sand dunes in China's hinterland were considered to be the most magical and beautiful (this description came from the internet).

But the place they were going to, called Gutong Jing, seemed to have nothing to do with all of that. Gutong Jing was said to be a very strange area, and was regarded as "a place where demons lived" by the local Oriat Mongolians.

According to the information Li Cu saw, the purpose of this team's visit was to conduct an archaeological and geological investigation. After Wu Xie disguised him as a photographer, it was obviously very easy for him to join the team. This man was very shrewd when it came to planning.

The desert was boundless and he didn't know what fate awaited him.

The dry air made the wound on Li Cu's back unbearably itchy, and that, coupled with grave robbers mixed into the team, and Wu Xie's seemingly serious words, made Li Cu feel inexplicable waves of anxiety rise up from time to time.

They arrived at the army service station seven hours later, and with the help of the officers and soldiers, they organized a camel team. The local people even joined in and helped them guide the camels.

As the camel walked into the sand dunes, Li Cu was so bored that he summoned up his courage and asked Wu Xie a question for the first time.

"Boss, I'll be obedient so let's have a chat. Tell me one thing: why didn't you come by yourself instead of following this team?"

"It just so happened that this group of people also wanted to go to Gutong Jing, and they get considerable support from the locals since they're here to conduct research. It's much more convenient for me to join their team than to act alone." Wu Xie said, "So that's what I did. Anyways, I know much more than them, and what I want doesn't conflict with them, so it's nice to join forces."

"It's that simple?"

"Not necessarily. To a large extent, there's some connection between what they're looking for and what I'm looking for. I'm following them and they're also hoping that I can protect them as much as possible. The place we're going to is very dangerous. If you don't know anything, it's very easy to have an accident."

Li Cu looked at Wu Xie and thought that he was telling the truth. It was just his intuition, but he kept feeling like Wu Xie had some reservations. Was it possible that the grave robbers would protect the archaeological team?

"I'm an antique dealer, not a grave robber. I haven't been a thief for a long time." Wu Xie said. "No amount of wealth can buy back what I want." He sighed and seemed very depressed.

Then you're still crazy, Li Cu said to himself, if you don't want to be a thief, why don't you just think it over, give up this whole damn thing, and go back together.

"I didn't come here for the money. Don't look down on me." Wu Xie said, "I'm looking for this place for other reasons."

"What are they?"

"I'll tell you when I'm in a good mood." Wu Xie looked at Li Cu and suddenly smacked his back, causing him a twinge of pain. "Alright, let's change the subject." Wu Xie said.

"Do you have a plan? I can't take your money for nothing. If it's within my power, I can also help you do something; otherwise, all this walking will make me go crazy without even making it to Gutong Jing." Li Cu was really bored to death. These people hadn't talked at all while they were walking.

"My plan..." Wu Xie thought for a moment, but didn't go on. He paused before saying, "I'll tell you when we arrive at the first camp. It's not something that can be said in a few words." With that said, Wu Xie suddenly showed a tired expression.

This made Li Cu feel a little puzzled. He vaguely felt that although Wu Xie seemed calm and unperturbed, there was something weighing on his heart. Of course, given his current situation, he had no obligation to care about other people's affairs. He watched Wu Xie speed up his camel and ride past him, obviously unwilling to talk to him anymore.

****************************************

Note:

[1] 'Apsaras' are a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist culture.