Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Dead Sea Illusion

The Taoist who moved the mountain is the descendant of the ancestors. His ancestors lived in the sacred mountain of Zagrama and worshiped the moon pearl for generations. People took it away, and after several twists and turns, it was introduced to Xixia by merchants.It is said that this bead can compete with the bright moon in the sky, so it is called the bright moon bead. It is actually a rare gem, similar to the ancestor of the Mani gem mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures. It contains huge energy and can "shine through all ignorant people, Extinguish all the darkness of ignorance", what is the mystery, I can't say it.Tomb robbers from all over the world moved after hearing the news, and most of their targets were the Moon Pearl in the Xixia Underground Palace.If no one can find the ancient tomb, Xueli Yang would not have thought about it, but Da Jinya passed on the photo. The sacred objects enshrined by the ancestors of Taoists moving mountains for generations may fall into the hands of tomb robbers, so we must take this trip.

The three drank the remaining wine, and it was almost dawn.Early in the morning, I met Sydney Yang and took the train westward together.The first time I stopped at Shahe Maozi in Jingbianbao, I ate a meal of mutton noodles, and then I started to discuss the route. Xue Liyang had already taken photos of all the Xixia Golden Books and put them in a waterproof notebook. She opened the notebook and took out four photos. I said, "Since the Xixia Golden Book is a map, shouldn't there be a location?" Big Gold Tooth said: "Excuse my ignorance, I really can't see that this is a map?"

Xue Liyang took out the first photo. On the top of the iron-cast scroll is a monster with a ferocious appearance, a human face and tiger claws, nine heads and nine tails, eyes like copper bells, its front feet on the ground, and its nine tails volleying in the air, showing a galloping chase. .The second photo is the pattern at the bottom of the iron scroll, with nine scales and nine heads, snaking and sneaking, echoing Lu Wu from a distance. Although it is a human face, it still has a pair of snake eyes, greedy and ferocious. According to what Da Jinya said, the two monsters are Lu Wu and Peng Fu, guarding secrets and treasures that should not be known to the world.

Xue Liyang said: "The meaning in the two photos is very simple - in the ancient tombs of Xixia, there are treasures guarded by gods and monsters." Da Jinya said: "Is there such a thing in the world?" The fat man said: "You cowarded before you got there? It's too late to regret it now, don't be so frightened that your legs go limp, and you lie on the ground and pretend to be dead. Don't you have to carry you on your back? I can tell you in advance, don't Count on me!" Da Jinya said: "Fat Master has a sharp mouth and a bodhisattva heart. You say so. You show your skills in times of crisis, and you are more righteous than anyone else."

Xue Liyang: "There are no gods and monsters like Lu Wu and Peng Fu in the world. This is equivalent to a curse, or a kind of deterrence. Anyone who approaches the treasure will die." I said: "There will always be dangers. Those who deserve to die will not survive, and those who deserve to live will not die. If you think too much in advance, you will scare yourself." Xue Liyang nodded and pointed to the third photo. There are nine dragons and snakes in different shapes in the photo. Some are dragons, some are snakes. Dragons have claws, while snakes have no claws. "Deer" circling and connecting end to end.Xue Liyang said that Xixia people believe in Buddhism, and "gods, birds, and deer" circle and unite to symbolize the cycle of life and death, which has the meaning of previous lives and afterlife, and also refers to tombs.The nine dragons and snakes in the photo allude to the nine rivers around the underground palace. The underground palace is chiseled in the mountainside, facing the abyss, and nine rivers flow into it.Nine rivers are bright or dark, the dragon points to the river, and the snake points to the dark river.In the Feng Shui situation, this situation is called "Nine Dragons Shining on the Moon".The mountain we are looking for is just at the end of the nine rivers. We only need to find one of the rivers, and it should not be difficult to determine the location with the skill of searching for dragons.

I said to myself: "You are completely wishful thinking. The river has been eroded by quicksand and has disappeared for hundreds of years. The wind moves the sand and there is no fixed situation. What's more, my two strokes are not above the second or fifth eye, nor are they in the second. Under the fifth eye, on the second and fifth eyes, my little aunt, where can I find it for you?" Before I could ask, Sydney Yang had already stated her plan. The Jingbian Fortress is vast and long, bordering the desert in the north, located at the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Mongolia. It is a fortress of the Three Qin Dynasties.Most of the city wall was covered by quicksand, and only a row of mounds could be seen.There is a local saying - Heifeng's house lights up the lamp in front of the door, and you can't see clearly within ten steps.Describe the wind and sand blowing, the sky and the earth are dark, sitting in the house during the day, not seeing people without lighting the lamp.Before liberation, this place was as poor as it was. The sorghum noodles were muddy, and they could not drink twice in three days. Those who could escape famine all escaped, and those who could not escape starved to death. people.There is a local folk proverb that goes, "The vast desert is as wide as it is far away from Helian City".Helian City is also an ancient city of Xixia, which has been flattened by thousands of horses due to the Mongolian conquest.Due to too many murders, the dead bodies were thrown into the river, blocking the river until the river dried up, and there were still bones like mountains.Looking around, there are jagged bones and no end, so it is called "Bone River".Although so many dynasties have passed, after the wind and sand, the bones of the dead can still be seen under the quicksand.The Baigu River is one of the nine rivers. In recent decades, the disaster of wind and sand has become more and more severe, and those bones will never be seen again. However, most of the hunters who hunted yellow sheep in Jingbian Fort and the herdsmen in those days have seen the Baigu River. , according to the descriptions of those people, at least there can be a general direction.Depart from Jingbian Fort, cross the Ming Great Wall, enter the southeastern edge of the Mu Us Desert, and after arriving at Dashaban, search northwestward.

I secretly admire Sydney Yang, this route is indeed feasible, but one thing always makes me feel strange, it is said that the big gold tooth has already passed on the photos of the iron box, and the tomb robbers must have got these three photos, those people are not Ordinary local thieves not only have guns and explosives, but also have top-level technical equipment, and have photos in their hands. It is much easier than us to find the Nine Rivers. Why are people willing to buy the Xixia Golden Book at any cost? Da Jinya: "There wasn't enough film at the time, so I only took three photos. Could there be a secret in the fourth photo?"

Xue Liyang picked up the last photo. In the center is a human-shaped coffin. Standing in the middle, there is a faceless ghost on the left and right sides. It looks like a human but has no face. It has only two eyes, and there are layers of ripples underneath. Everyone expressed their own opinions, some guessed wildly, and some analyzed based on reason, but none of them got the point.But they also reached a consensus that the final pattern on the Xixia Golden Book must be very important!I burned the photo with a match, and put the Xixia Golden Book into Xue Liyang's backpack.Xue Liyang and Da Jinya went to look for the camels that had entered the desert, while Fatty and I stayed to watch the backpack in order to prevent people from stealing things.Seeing that it was still early, I leaned on the bench and took a nap. I dreamed that two monsters, Lu Wu and Peng Fu, appeared in an illusion. He couldn't move either, and felt unprecedented despair and the horror brought by despair for a moment, and woke up in a startle during the struggle, breaking out in a cold sweat.Looking up, the fat man was lying on the backpack and sleeping in the dark.I knew it was a dream, but I still couldn't stop being afraid. I faintly felt that the omen was not good, and I made up an idea in my heart: "This action is more dangerous, but there is no turning back. If Xue Liyang encounters danger, I would rather be smashed to pieces than to die." Keep her safe!"

I was lost in thought when Xue Liyang, who went out to look for camels, had already returned.To enter the vast desert, you can't do it with just two legs. Trekking in the desert is difficult, there is no grass, and it is easy to lose your way. It can be called the sea of ​​death.Among the many animals, only camels are suitable for long-distance crossing the desert. Camels have humps on their bodies, which can endure hunger and thirst. They can trek for ten days in the desert without eating or drinking. It is not easy to fall into quicksand, stable as a mountain, running like the wind, and relatively tame, with a strong ability to know the way. In addition, the camel is tall, and a camel can carry a load of about 180 kilograms. Walking on the wild sand of the Dead Sea, there is no better than a camel. Good livestock too.If you can find a team of camels and an experienced guide, the danger of crossing the quicksand will be minimized.However, there are no camels in Maozi. In recent decades, roads have been built on the edge of the desert, and the camel caravans that travel through the desert no longer exist.

In the absence of camels, the next best option is a desert off-road vehicle, but it is remote and difficult to find.We went out again and found a four-wheel-drive military jeep through the guidance of a sheepskin dealer. It was eliminated by the army and sold to a local government.The four of them packed as lightly as possible, only bringing goggles, scarves, diamond umbrellas, black donkey hooves, flying tiger claws, wolf-eye flashlights, compressed dry food, and lighting signal torches.The Vajra Umbrella and Flying Tiger Claws are still used by Xueli Yang. The fat man and I each have an engineer shovel, and each wear water, fire, and mouse fur jackets.It is also difficult to find a guide. In the past, there were many gazelle hunters in Jingbian Fort. Later, the water source disappeared, and the gazelle disappeared. Most people have been to the edge of the desert, but few people have gone deep.I took the sheepskin dealer aside, stuffed him with two packs of cigarettes, and asked him: "What did people in Jingbianpu use to shoot gazelle before? As far as I know, the range of common bird guns in the folk is too short, and the gazelle can run faster." Quickly, you can't shoot with a bird's gun or a sand gun." The sheepskin dealer said that there were sword bandits and horse bandits in Jingbianbao, and the knife bandits used swords.In the past years, the flag was changed every day, and after the bandit rebellion, there were too many guns left behind, and the camel team also carried guns.The rifles left by the horse bandits were used to shoot yellow sheep. They were single-shot or burst-fired. There were all kinds of guns. Now there is nowhere to find them.

Feeling unwilling, I asked the sheepskin dealer if I didn't have a rifle, but I would have liked to have a short gun or a sand gun. The fat man leaned over and said, "I don't need the old stuff, is there anything powerful?" I asked him to go to the side to cool off: "Intercontinental missiles are powerful, can you carry them?" After asking again and again, there are no guns in the local area, and there is no bird gun, and the guide can't find a suitable one.I inquired about the direction again. I didn’t stay overnight in Maozi. After a little tidying up, I drove into the Mu Us Desert with the map and compass as a reference. At first the road was fine, there were many shrubs growing on the edge of the desert, and even sheep herders could be seen, but in the depths of the desert, where there was no trace of wind in the air, the flaming sun was hanging in the sky, and the sand would burn the skin when it touched it. Out of a pit, it can freeze people to death after dark. On the way, they pass all Kushui Haizi, and there is no supply. Even if the lips are dry and chapped, they are reluctant to drink more water. I don't know how much sand I ate, the broken jeep bumped and swayed, sank for a while, stopped and stopped, and made do with the big sand slope. The jeep emitted black smoke and lay down on a nest under a sand dune. Xue Liyang checked it out, shrugged helplessly, and then had to walk. Da Jinya was a little panicked: "How many days have I been in the desert, I don't have a jeep, I can't go back..." The fat man said, "Your brain is broken like this broken jeep? It's been more than half of the way, and you still want to go back?" Da Jinya's lips were dry and chapped, and his throat was smoldering: "I can't survive, I'm going to be a Loulan girl!" The fat man said, "If you sit still, your butt will be cooked?" Big Gold Tooth said: "It's a short rest, isn't it so hot to walk forward?" I said: "When we arrive at the junction of the desert and the mountains, we will have to drive for a day. I found out in Jingbian Fort that there is a Kanergou in the southwest of Dashaban. Before 1949, Kanergou was used by camel caravans. The place where the water goes, the water vein has dried up now, but it is not far away and can be reached on foot, let's go there first." Da Jinya said: "Kan'ergou has been dried up. Doesn't going there mean a detour?" I said, "It's a ditch anyway, go in and hide, rest your feet, and wait for the sun to set in the west before leaving." Da Jinya suddenly said: "So that's what Mr. Hu meant! It's not a whimsical idea, it can't be like this! There is a tendency of not seeing the ancients before and not seeing the new ones in the future! Two words of exclamation welled up in my chest... Awesome! " The fat man said, "Big Gold Tooth, I heard people say that your tongue can cut through iron bars. It's so damn good!" Da Jinya said: "The tongue is good, but it can't be used as a leg. You have to walk step by step." According to folklore, Kanergou is also called Shatugou. In fact, it is a large group of tombs for the nobles of Xixia. Xixia was influenced by Tang and Song Dynasties, and they believed in Buddhism. The tombs are also in line with Fengshui. Shaozi refers to a dark river originating in a distant place, which gushes out of the desert on the way, forming a sea with its back against the sandy mountain.There are photos in the front and leanings in the back. The nobles of the Western Xia Dynasty considered it a treasure land, with murals and tomb bricks as rooms, and the number of large and small tombs is extremely large.Back then, there was Shuishaozi, where camel teams crossing the desert would usually go to the water. Later, when the water source dried up, there were bandits, warlords, defeated KMT remnants, and even White Russia. It was hollowed out, but the situation still exists, and it has not been completely buried by quicksand. In the past, there were groups of gazelle in Mao Us, and those who beat gazelle often went to the tomb to avoid the wind and sand. The four of them put on their backpacks, abandoned their cars and walked. The fine sand was soft, and every step was sunken. It was extremely difficult to walk. Under the scorching sun, they checked their directions with the map and compass. ditch. We arrived at Shatugou on foot, dug through a few robbery holes, and found a tomb with little sand to go down. Immediately, we felt a chill. Although the ancient tomb was gloomy, it was much better than being exposed to the scorching sun.I took a few breaths, shook off the sand on my body, and turned on the flashlight to look around. The tombs of the Xixia nobles are relatively small, and the mounds are mostly tower-shaped. The tomb bricks are used to form two or three rooms. The tomb bricks on the ground are engraved with patterns, and the four walls are painted one by one. The significant difference between the Xixia tombs and the Central Plains tombs is that there is a small hole on the top of the Xixia tomb, from top to bottom, hanging a long light, before sealing the tomb, the long light is lit, and then sealed with seven layers of tomb bricks. A vacuum is formed, so that the murals are preserved extremely well. In front of the gate of the tomb, there is a screen wall with embossed generals and beasts on the beams, and the door with nebula patterns painted on the top, and various fairy spirits and beasts, all of which are imposing.The murals of the tomb bricks are mainly divided into four categories. One is that the owner of the tomb rode a horse to hunt during his lifetime; Cook and other chores.In addition to the dazzling murals in the tomb, there are only four stone figurines carrying the coffin. The platform under the coffin is also called the coffin foundation. The belly is big and the waist is round, the arms are thick and thick, the head and shoulders are on the same level, and the head is bowed and the weight is carried.From the murals on the bricks of the tomb, it can be seen that it should be a husband and wife joint burial tomb, and the owner of the tomb is a general. It is said that the murals in several of the tombs also have the demon gods. In the past, gazelle hunters often entered the tombs to escape the wind and sand, and camel caravans from Sheung Shui also came in. The local elderly herdsmen talked about the murals in the tombs, which can be described as vivid.There are also several Fumo Temples in Shanxi and Henan, dedicated to Fumo Emperor, with Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku, and Xuanwu as guardians. According to the tradition of Taoism, the Fumo Tianzun in the Western Xia murals belongs to the branch of Buddhism and was lost in later generations. How many people have seen it.I wanted to find the corresponding murals to see what happened, so I ate some dry food, rested in the tomb for a while, lit a torch and walked inside.The tombs of the Xixia nobles in Kanergou were excavated by tomb robbers before 1949. There are no fewer than 1,400, all of which are brick tombs with murals.The main murals in the tomb group are not on the four walls, but on the top of the head, which is completely different from the common tombs of the Western Regions.According to the concept of Xixia nobles, the owner of the tomb is the supporter of Buddhist murals. The more exquisite the murals in the tomb, the greater the merit after death.The top wall of the main tomb was plastered with white plaster, instead of painted bricks one by one, the paintings were huge, and some even used gold powder.We lit with torches and looked up as we walked.There are a few murals on the top of the tomb, which do not belong to the theme of Jingbian. Judging from the depictions in these murals, before the Xixia Kingdom was destroyed, the dark river gushed out of the desert, not only in Kanergou, but also in several Buddha statues. Caves and temples are distributed along the underground river, which leads directly to the underground palace.It is a pity that the theft was serious, the gold powder was scraped off, a large number of mural tomb bricks were incomplete, many of them had been weathered and peeled off, and the colors were dim and blurred.Moreover, the tombs are connected one by one, and there are too many murals in the tomb group. If you look at them one by one, you can't see so many in three to five days. After more than a hundred years of robbery and excavation, almost all of the 1,400 Xixia noble tombs have been hollowed out. Because the tombs are very dense and buried layer upon layer, the tomb robbers opened up each tomb, and the robbery holes extended in all directions.Bones can be seen in several tombs, some are the tomb owner and some are grave robbers.Some of them were robbers looking for money and killed each other, and there were also some thieves who had a guilty conscience and frightened themselves to death. At the corner of a tomb passage, there are two tomb robbers, who have been dead for decades, and next to them is a mummy in a red robe, with a sword and a magic arm bow.Maybe the two tomb robbers used ropes to pull out the mummy from the coffin, and when they took out the opener, they were black-handed by other tomb robbers. The fat man picked up the long sword and illuminated it with a torch. The blade was rusty, but its sharpness remained undiminished.Da Jinya said: "The swords and swords buried with Xixia tombs are called Xiaren swords, and there are also god-arm bows. According to historical records, they can shoot three hundred steps. In.” I said, “The tomb robbers in the past didn’t want these things, and they are worth a few now, but I can’t carry them anymore, and I only carry a water bottle and dry food. I’m almost tired.” They carried a long parcel on their backs, thinking that there were still artifacts, but when they were opened, they turned out to be two Russian-made M1891--Mosingan rifles, also known as Shui Lianzhu among the people, describing them as Lianzhu quick guns.In the past, four camels could be exchanged for one quick gun, which was already very valuable.Those who came to the desert tomb robbers were worried that the guns would get into the sand, so they often wrapped them in cloth, but they didn't apply gun oil, and one of the gun bolts couldn't be pulled.The other rifle was usable, but only had five rounds.The fat man carried the renju rifle on his back, and then dug around the dead man for a long time, and took out a pistol.It was an earthen pistol commonly known as "single hit one". It was made by folk gunsmiths. It was of average power and could only be fired once and reloaded once. In fact, this is a common weapon used by bandits.I checked the barrel of the gun and the percussion hammer. They were completely rusted and useless at all. The god arm bow next to the mummy, called the god arm bow, is actually a crossbow arrow. It has been preserved in good condition for hundreds of years. I asked Xue Liyang to bring the magic arm bow, just in case. Xue Liyang said: "The water and food we brought are limited, so we can't stay here for too long. If we still can't find the water source in the next two or three days, we have to go south." I said: "We have been delayed for a few days on the way, are you not afraid that other tomb robbers will find the underground palace first?" Xue Liyang said: "The ancestral relics of the Taoists who moved mountains are important, but they are not worth anyone's life." I agree with Xue Liyang. There are more than 1,400 mural brick tombs. I really can’t see them. Everyone rested for a while, went out of the mural brick tombs, and walked west from Kanergou. Moving forward, a sand ditch was dug in situ for the night. Early the next morning, continue on your way.After walking for two days, looking around, the undulating sand dunes are endless, the long yellow sand is desolate and majestic, but the river has never been found. I don’t think even we can find it. What good tricks do others have?Seeing this situation, everyone gave up their minds and prepared to go south out of the desert. Trekking in the desert for two days in a row, Fatty, Xue Liyang and I could barely manage it. Big Gold Tooth really couldn’t do it. He sat on the sand dune and couldn’t get up. As for having hallucinations and talking nonsense, he insisted that there are three suns in the sky! Da Jinya's eyes were straightened, and he said in despair: "Fatty, we're done!" The fat man said: "If you want to finish it yourself, I am the sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning." Big Gold Tooth said: "Does God think that my Big Gold Tooth didn't die fast enough to let three suns shine on me?" The fat man said: "What nonsense are you talking about? There are three suns in the sky?" He looked up, then lowered his head and said, "I have to drink water too. I'm dry and thirsty. There are gold stars in front of my eyes. I can see things are heavy." Shadow!" Sydney Yang said to me: "If you don't turn around, the situation will be very dangerous. You should return to Dashaban as soon as possible, fill up the water in the jeep, and head to the desert road in the southwest." I thought it was time to withdraw, but when I looked up, I was also surprised. A thin translucent cloud appeared in the sky, and there were three suns in it, emitting a dazzling halo at the same time. According to legend, in ancient times, nine The sun rises at the same time, and the grass and trees are all withered. That can't be taken as true. Who doesn't know that "there is no two suns"? Xue Liyang said: "It was a parasol. Because of the refraction of light and fog, three suns appeared in the sky at the same time." I said: "I have never seen a magic sun, but the sun is dizzy and windy, I am afraid there will be a big sandstorm, I must find a place to hide!" The fat man looked around: "The desert is all around, where can I escape from the wind and sand?" I said: "There is nothing nearby, you can only avoid it by hiding in Kanergou, before the wind and sand arrive, hurry up!" The parasol spectacle lasted less than ten minutes, the halo shrank, and the bright sun turned into an egg yolk, which was the precursor to the arrival of a strong sandstorm.The Mu Us Desert is different from the other major deserts. It was rich in water and grass a thousand years ago. Later, it was eroded by quicksand, and several wind-sand belts were connected into one. The desert has become bigger and bigger. The total area has exceeded 40,000 square kilometers. The sandy land, as well as the desert grassland landform, the sand layer in the deep depression is loose, and is affected by the wind, forming quicksand.We are located on the sandstorm belt, where the shifting sand dunes are densely packed, and there is no place to hide when encountering a strong sandstorm!In order to buy time, we should not have found a broken jeep in Jingbian Fort, rushed into the desert, caught up with this big sandstorm, and fled to the tombs of the Xixia nobles in Kanergou. Although we can avoid the sandstorm, under normal circumstances , It takes at least two full days to walk, which is equivalent to going south out of the desert. In this situation, maybe the place has been buried by the wind and sand! Da Jinya lay down on all fours: "Master Hu, I can't do it anymore, I'm thirsty and tired, I really can't walk anymore!" I told Da Jinya to get up quickly, it wasn't time to pretend to be dead, but when the wind and sand came, I would really be buried alive for you. Da Jinya said: "Anyway, I'm almost finished, if you let me go forward, it's better to let the wind and sand bury me..." The fat man said, "If you don't want to live, I'll break off this golden tooth for you. I'll miss you from now on. Take it out to play with it from time to time." Da Jinya was taken aback: "No way! Is it okay to leave a whole corpse for my brother?" The fat man said: "I don't really want you. When I get tired of playing, I will give it back to your family and put it on the board for confession!" He rolled up his arms and sleeves, and came forward to break his teeth. Da Jinya knew that Fatty really had to do it, so he hurriedly said: "Don't do it! To tell you the truth, in my heart, I really can't let go of Beijing's iced sweet-scented osmanthus and sour plum soup. God of fire, there is no one else to serve such a big bowl! If you die, you won’t be able to drink it, and instead of being a mummy here, you have to go back!” The group had no choice but to turn around and walk back. If they were lucky, they might be able to return to the Kanergou Xixia Noble Tombs to avoid the wind and sand.After walking a few steps, the fat man stopped and looked straight up at the sky.I said, "You don't cry when you don't see the coffin. You have to wait until a strong wind blows and the sand blows, so that your legs can be unbolted? Why are you looking at the sky if you don't walk quickly?" The fat man pointed upwards: "Did you see, what is that?" I looked in the direction he was pointing, and there was a small black dot in the sky, hanging motionless in the sky. Big Gold Tooth looked up, he also opened his mouth and couldn't close it, UFO?Catch up with the flying saucer boom in those years, we have heard that UFOs are called UFOs, but we did not expect to encounter them in the desert, and as early as the 1960s and 1970s, there were many such cases, and they were not called UFOs at that time, Usually thought to be enemy reconnaissance aircraft.Some ancient petroglyphs in the desert actually depict such strange things.In ancient times, it was called Xingcha. Cha is a raft for crossing the sea. Xingcha is a ship in the sky. What is it if it is not a UFO?