The salt-shell road was so bad it seemed to send one's soul into a frenzy; Fei Tang couldn't even glance at Ye Liuxi's bag without losing concentration. Only then did one truly appreciate the greatness of road workers—on such a vast scale, the road workers are truly the most important. How can this even be called a road? Every step was jolted, as if countless hands were raised beneath the vehicle, bustling and pushing it wildly from side to side. Eventually, one's body grew numb, and whenever the vehicle wasn't jolting, the body would spasm, trembling left and right as though struck by an electric shock. Even more terrifying was the fact that not only front, back, left, and right, but all 360 degrees looked identical—direction completely vanished. As soon as the wheels shifted even slightly, the vehicles would lose contact completely after traveling just ten miles. Once heard of two vehicles traveling side by side that, due to a dust storm making visibility poor, lost each other completely within just one minute—then thought it was just exaggeration, thinking they could simply retrace their steps. Now one realizes: there is no such thing as a "return route" at all. No technique is better than technique. Here, there are no winding paths or detours—yet so many people are trapped. It's truly the largest maze in the world. Fei Tang was sweating profusely, his gaze locked firmly on the vehicle from Changdong in the distance. By the time they reached their destination, he had lost all hope, moving at a speed barely exceeding seven kilometers per hour. Ye Liuxi was tossed about, her stomach churning so violently that she felt she could vomit at any moment. She pounded the carriage walls, saying, "Stop! Stop! Stop! You're not moving faster than I am on foot. Let me catch my breath—I'll get off and walk with the vehicle." Fei Tang admired her greatly; he too had the desire to get off and walk, but he couldn't—there simply weren't enough staff. If he stepped down, the vehicle would have no one to drive. —— Changdong was hesitating. His car had, in fact, half its components modified specifically for this terrain, so the journey wasn't particularly difficult. This route was actually rarely used—there was another one along the saline flats, though it was longer and less challenging. He'd chosen this one to save time, aiming to cut diagonally into the Lop Nur town. But he hadn't expected the vehicle from Fei Tang to be so worn out. Probably because it was rented, they were cautious not to risk damage and potential compensation, so they hadn't pushed it hard enough. As a result, his own pace had been significantly constrained by Fei Tang's vehicle. Now, he had to decide whether to press on with this route or take the longer one. He glanced into the rearview mirror. Wait—why was there someone walking on the salt crust? Chang Dong immediately stopped the car, left the door slightly ajar, and leaned back to shout, "Ye Liuxi! Don't walk on the salt crust!" The fields were vast and open, so that when voices roared, they spread out and faded. Ye Liuxi couldn't hear them clearly. As she looked up, seeing him wave, the salt shell beneath her feet suddenly cracked with a crisp sound. Unprepared, she lost her balance and slipped backward, a thin, sharp salt slab grazing her ankle. She hadn't yet felt the pain when blood began to well up. Ye Liuxi exhaled sharply and sat down. Good heavens! The first real highlight of the Luo Bu Po expedition—she'd just missed it! She'd thought that even if someone died, it would be either Fei Tang or Chang Dong who would bear the mourning. Chang Dong noticed her leaning to one side and knew trouble was brewing. He had a thick stack of medical gauze in his hands when he got off the vehicle and hurried over. The salt crust terrain is extremely difficult to traverse. Some experienced hikers consider it even more challenging than the most perilous C route of the Wolf Tower. First, the terrain is constantly undulating, and a slight misstep can easily result in a sprain. Second, although the salt crystals are hard, years of erosion mean they may suddenly fracture and cause someone to stumble at any moment. Third, the salt crust is quite sharp, and due to its various elemental composition, wounds from cuts heal slowly—indeed, they heal more slowly than if cut by a knife. Ye Liuxi pressed on the wound, furious but unsure where to direct her anger, and laughed with rising irritation: "I can still fly. Want to see?" "Then fly for me." At a distance, Fei Tang stopped the car, but Ye Liuxi failed to take off. Chang Dong knelt down, lowered his neck slightly, reached out to grasp her waist, said nothing, simply waiting for her to understand. After a moment's hesitation, Ye Liuxi wrapped her arms around his neck, and as soon as she did, she felt herself grow lighter, lifted into his arms. He walked with care, trying to move as swiftly as possible, though drops of blood still fell, splattering against the edge of the salt shell. As they walked farther, the spot where the blood had first pooled suddenly began to bubble and hiss, as if boiling over. —— Chang Dong gently placed Ye Liuxi on the car seat, pulled down her socks, dipped a cotton ball in alcohol, and helped her clean the wound. The cuts made by the salt shell were uneven, with blurred edges and embedded silt and sand; without proper cleaning, they would be troublesome, and the healing process would be even more challenging. Chang Dong frowned Ye Liuxi observed Chang Dong for a while and found that though he was often careless in his personal conduct, he was genuinely dedicated when it came to tasks. Whenever he was entrusted with leading a team, he always ensured that every responsibility was handled thoroughly and promptly, never dragging his feet. She preferred men who were serious about their work. Fei Tang finally arrived, seeing the blood-streaked trail on her ankle and her voice trembling as she asked, "Xī姐, are you all right?" In truth, the trembling wasn't due to blood phobia—it was from dizziness, excitement, and an overwhelming sense of emotion. Having lingered so long just to sneak into Ye Liuxi's bag, which was packed with numerous items—notebooks, pens, an outdated camera, and a soft, embroidered pouch—her heart nearly stopped when she saw the pouch's full, rounded shape. Upon opening it, the golden-brimmed hat and the smooth, silk-wrapped jade with delicate inlaid patterns made Fei Tang's eyes glisten, her gaze shimmering with the vision of a half-enchanted Hong Kong. Indeed, she had them. Thanks to the ancient *Book of Changes* passed down through generations, to the turtle-shell divination tools, to the Qianlong-era coin divination pieces, and most importantly, to my keen sense of awareness—after all, opportunities always favor those who are prepared and bold enough to act. Ye Liuxi said, "How could I have just been fine? Go ahead, insert a pole there. Next time I’ll come back and clear out that salt shell." Chang Dong’s vehicle was equipped with poles and flags, used as landmarks when getting lost. Fei Tang, half-dazed, genuinely wanted to fetch them, but Chang Dong instructed him, "Go back to the vehicle—should you get hurt, you’ll have to climb back yourself." Fei Tang hurried back to the car. —— With an additional passenger now injured, the journey through the salt shell terrain became less feasible, as recovery requires rest, and walking through the salt shell terrain involves constant movement. Changdong used the GPS to check his bearing, locating the turning points he had passed before, and gradually moved away from the salt crust, taking a longer route onto the salt marsh. Here, the salt crust was much flatter and less undulating. After driving for some time, scattered small yardangs appeared in the distance—some standing alone, others grouped in small clusters. Because they were distant and not in groups, these yardangs looked strangely ominous. As dusk approached, some seemed to rise like human heads from the ground, while others resembled strange creatures engaged in feeding. Even Fei Liuxi, who had been accustomed to the scene, felt a bit uneasy, let alone Fei Liang, who often reacted with surprise over the radio. Changdong remained silent throughout, as if this were routine. They camped that night. To protect against the wind, Changdong chose a large yardang mound, forming a triangle with the two vehicles, and set up three single-person tents, each anchored to one side. A fire was lit in the central open space. Dinner consisted of dry rations, supplemented by a pot of radish soup, to which dried shiitake slices and vermicelli had been added. Though rough, it was already quite good here. Last night, Ye Liuxi had slept poorly, so after eating, she lay down in the tent and instructed Fei Tang, "Bring me my bag." Fei Tang smiled, though he was reluctant; he had to carry the bag over to her with quiet obedience. He had imagined dozens of plans, all of which had failed: if this were a city, how wonderful it would be—he could simply take his belongings and disappear into the crowd. Then he could close down his shop on Fenghua Lane, after all, it wasn't worth much; once the goods were sold, he'd undergo cosmetic surgery, change his name, and live a life of wealth and comfort. But here, in Luo Bu Po, without Changdong to guide him, he couldn't even find his way. If he were to get stuck, he'd add another dry corpse to the desert's growing list—so he could only patiently wait. The jade stag head was right before him, visible, touchable, yet unreachable, and he felt deeply frustrated. Ye Liuxi took out the small bag containing the jade stag head, placed it inside the sleeping bag right before Fei Tang's eyes, and then settled down comfortably. Fei Tang felt a bit tender-hearted: she still remembered to tuck in her sleeping bag, showing a surprisingly high level of alertness. The fire crackled softly, and Ye Liuxi slept fitfully. Once, she blinked open her eyes half-drowsy and saw Fei Tang curled up inside the tent, idly playing a single-player mobile game on her phone, while Chang Dong was carefully stitching together the head and body parts of shadow puppets with threads. Those colorful cowhide panels, once connected, became lively little figures with overly active joints, swaying gently in the firelight. Chang Dong will surely become a seasoned folk artist when he grows older. Once again startled by the rustle of the zipper, it was already deep night, and the air carried a distinct dustiness. Peering up, she saw Chang Dong helping her pull the tent door closed—before bedtime, to allow fresh air in, the tent door had been left open. Fei Tang was already snoring, surprisingly, so slender and agile like a monkey, her snoring sounded as powerful as a river rushing over mountains. Seeing her awake, Chang Dong lowered his head to explain, "It seems like a sandstorm is approaching—we should close it up." Ye Liuxi looked at him, speaking with subtle meaning: "Will a sandstorm cause deaths?" Chang Dong's face showed no expression: "Not here—this isn't a desert. It's just a lot of dust and sand." "That night, why did you think I was Kong Yang?" She was truly persistent. Chang Dong deliberately ignored it, pulling the zipper up steadily: "We'll reach the town tomorrow. You can rest there. If we hurry, we'll arrive in Long City by tonight..." As the zipper neared closure, Ye Liuxi suddenly reached out, grasping the width of the zipper seam. Her fingers were long and slender, with rounded oval tips—truly not the hands of someone who works hard. Yet the sudden emergence from the seam was quite startling. After a while, the zipper seam was pressed down, revealing her two eyes. "Chang Dong," she said, "there must be some connection between us—something I currently can't recall, while you remain unaware. If we're to move forward, you are my left leg, and I am your right leg. Shouldn't we be honest with each other?" "That's true," Chang Dong said calmly, "Let's start with the right leg." It wasn't until half an hour later that Ye Liuxi finally caught on. She bent down, flipping through her notebook with a rustling sound, and then set it down on the ground. "All here," she said. The fire had gone out, and Chang Dong turned the camp lantern toward the side, then sat down beside her tent. He opened the first page. The first line read: "Purely natural—no cosmetic surgery." What did that mean? Before he could even offer a comment, Ye Liuxi had already explained: "You see it all the time on TV—after the protagonist forgets their memories, they're surgically altered by unseen forces to interact with certain people, and to deliberately orchestrate conspiracies. I'm definitely not like that." He turned the page— "Good physical condition—no set routines." She added, "I mean, the kind of fighting style you see in outdoor survival shows—something I've seen online. Not tied to any specific martial arts tradition." He turned another page— "Family members have been unkind, or have passed away; friends have been un Yexi said, "If I've been missing for so long, why haven't anyone come looking for me? Why isn't there a single wanted notice?" Suddenly, she lost interest.