But when asked what great merit this holds, the so-called sage has no idea. "Some legends grow richer as they're passed on, with more and more people coming to know them. But this one fades—fewer and fewer people hear of it, just like the last drops of water in the Lop Nur basin, where the stream eventually runs dry and vanishes. The two pages I've preserved are the final two drops I managed to gather from that dwindling stream—now, I suspect, few, if anyone, knows of them." There's a tone of pride in his voice. Chang Dong asked, "Why do you tell us not to interfere, yet say it's too dangerous?" The sage replied, "First of all, if you don't have the right qualifications, don't even attempt these matters..." Ye Liuxi gave a dry sigh from the side. "Secondly, there's a belief that the Yumen and Yangguan passes are meant to be complementary—by nature, they should have been called 'Yin Passes.' Those people who entered the passes, shackled and burdened, disappeared completely. In truth, after entering, the balance between yin and yang was severed, and no one ever came out again." The genuine people inside the realm simply can't come out—stepping beyond the threshold means bleeding to death. Moreover, if the original intention behind establishing this gate was to isolate, wouldn't you think outsiders would be allowed to enter freely? "Even if by chance someone manages to enter, could they possibly make it out? I've been inquiring for so long, and never heard of anyone returning after entering. This suggests two possibilities: either they never managed to enter, or once they did, they never came back again." "Isn't that already dangerous? Once someone enters, they're cut off from their friends—myself, I have quite a few friends." Fei Tang, standing by, gave a slight disdain: such a reserved, unappealing person, claiming to have "many friends"—his friends must have rather refined tastes. That's all the divine charlatan can offer. "I don't know you personally, but since you came through Liu Qi to find me, there's clearly a connection. I've shared what I know with you all. May I ask—what would you like to achieve?" Chang Dong remained silent, but Ye Liuxi suddenly stepped forward, speaking clearly and formally: "We're going through the gate." The god of the staff exclaimed, "That simply can't be possible..." Ye Liuxi pressed the phone aside with one hand. Chang Dong and Fei Tang both looked at her. Ye Liuxi asked curiously, "What's the matter? This person is so stiff and pretentious—I just find him irritating. Besides, didn't he say he'd already informed everyone he knew? If he has nothing more to offer, why keep talking to us?" Chang Dong said, "Are you really certain... you won't need him again in the future?" Fei Tang, equally anxious, kept glancing at her phone, "Yes, Sister Xi. Business is business—after all, it took us a while to get through your friend request. Don't you dare kick me out!" Ye Liuxi replied, "Well, what's so big a deal? Just create a new account and add me again." — On the way, Chang Dong stayed quiet throughout. After reuniting with Ding Liu and the others, he let Fei Tang get off and then switched Ye Liu Xi sat in the driver's seat, buckled his safety belt, and casually asked, "Can't you just drive while thinking?" "Driving requires full concentration," he replied. Ye Liu Xi didn't dare to mention how often he drove while listening to plays and juggling tasks at the same time—inside, he thought he was too rigid, yet in a moment's reflection, he found such a person reassuring. The black camellia incident truly did a lot of damage to Changdong. He was actually very careful, never careless. But it probably wouldn't clear up—not because he lacked confidence, but because the people who had harshly criticized him had long since stopped caring about it. It's easy to pile on burdens; all it takes is to drop a stone. But to actually retrieve it requires bending down and wading through the water. So many people just let it go, pretending they never dropped it, since the water always covers it. Ye Liu Xi sighed. On the radio, Fei Tang was playing a song, humming along. "Xiyangyang, Meiyangyang... don't look at me just as a simple sheep..." Ye Liu Xi groaned. Honestly, they were Chang Dong turned off his walkie-talkie. "Listen, I'm saying, don't look at me—just look at the road." Ye Liu glanced at him sideways. "I didn't plan to look at you." The view along the road was monotonous and unchanging; after a while, it made people drowsy. A casual conversation was a nice way to stay alert. "I've just thought more carefully about what Liu Qi said, and what the soothsayer mentioned—by the time we reach the Sima Road, we might still not have officially entered the Jade Gate Pass." Ye Liu nodded, agreeing. "Then what exactly is the Sima Road?" Chang Dong replied, "In ancient times, entering a city wasn't as simple as just pushing open a door—you had to climb the golden hall and walk dozens of steps. The Sima Road might be the essential route to enter the Jade Gate Pass, like a corridor or a courtyard—something that's well-defined in function but still vague in its identity, a transitional zone." "Do you remember, Fat Tang searched online and found a self-driving driver who once took a photo of your back as you walked by? That driver, when he went to the Ye Liuxi suddenly remembered: "So, the strange incidents he's been experiencing are actually due to my presence nearby?" Chang Dong nodded: "More precisely, it's because you've activated the 'Wind Head' phenomenon. We assume that every time you pass through the gate, you must go through a series of fixed stages—blood, wind head, sandstorm, and the司马道." "The scent of blood attracts or summons, much like knocking on a door." "The wind head triggers the sandstorm. Have you noticed that, even if you bleed during the day, the sandstorm only occurs at night? This is a deliberate tactic—during the night, the sandstorm makes it hard to see clearly. People can easily get lost, vehicles can be misplaced, directions can be confused, and all sorts of strange events can be explained." "The ghost camel caravan simply vanished under the watchful eyes of the foreign merchants—could it be that the wind and sand were so intense that the merchant momentarily lost focus, lowered his gaze, or simply blinked, and in that brief instant, the caravan passed through the gate unnoticed?" "Let's go back to the Jade Gate. Last time we discussed it, we noted that when the Jade Gate appeared, it overlapped certain areas of the real world—like two film strips stacked on top of each other—so it's not surprising that some people just happen to be in these sensitive zones. For instance, that self-driving driver, or ourselves, who happened to camp alongside you." Ye Liuxi suddenly recalled something: "FATang was pulled by the tentacles, the driver was pushed, and Qiao Meina's car door was dragged open..." Chang Dong nodded: "Doesn't this sound like some kind of protective mechanism—driving away those who accidentally enter, making them afraid, prompting them to leave, and even passing this on orally, so that future visitors know to avoid these strange spots?" Indeed, FATang was so frightened he was practically running around, and the next morning he wanted to leave—though he couldn't find his way. Chang Dong mused, "We still don't know exactly where the gate is located, but we can be certain that if the gate is at its center, our camp lies on the periphery—there, the oddities occur only occasionally and are not intense. In contrast, the area of Sima Dao has already become a significant zone: it houses the shadow coffin and has seen strange eyes that attack me, not you." Ye Liuxi smiled, "Because I'm from beyond the gate, perhaps—whether it's tentacles or eyes, they've been showing leniency toward me." Chang Dong remained unconvinced, "We can't yet conclude that. The soothsayer said the purpose of establishing the gate is to 'separate'—and the song mentions 'a drop of blood spilled at every step beyond the gate.' To date, the only people we've known who have come out from beyond the gate are the shadow figures. If you truly are from beyond the gate, you must be quite special." "Yexiaoxi said: 'Not necessarily. Maybe I'm an evolved shadow puppet now. Tonight, when I sleep, I'll let you watch me—touch me too. Please check to see if I've become a cardboard figure inside my clothes, with my eyes still able to roll.' Changdong replied: 'You shouldn't be.' Yexiaoxi glanced at him: 'Why?' 'Shadow puppets don't eat or drink, yet they still have money. They're reserved and quiet. You don't match any of that.' —— In the afternoon, as the vehicle approached the Baidongdui, the supply truck confirmed the location of the supply depot and turned around. Changdong led the team, following the already disordered tracks, deeper into the heart of Baidongdui. Dingliu, for the first time, saw the gray-white city of devils and found it vast and imposing, full of fresh wonder. She was busy taking photos, then grew frustrated with Gao Shen: 'Why no signal? Can't post on WeChat Moments. What about my portable Wi-Fi—can't even use it?' Yexiaoxi thought Gao Shen truly owed Dingliu a lifetime of patience, Fei Tang was a bit nervous all the time, but Chang Dong didn’t want him to be so anxious. He seized an opportunity and pulled him aside: “Don’t worry—before anything happens, I’ll let you know.” Fei Tang blinked in surprise: “Even that? You can actually give us advance notice?” Chang Dong nodded: “Also, try to stay at the campsite. It’s safer here. You don’t need to come with us.” Fei Tang glanced at Ding Liu’s side: “What about those two? Will they come with you?” Chang Dong simply agreed. Of course they will—they’re representatives from the ‘investor side,’ and they’ve been deliberately causing trouble. They’ll follow us closely and hardly ever leave. “Well… I’ll have to stay at the camp alone?” There simply wasn’t a way to please everyone. Chang Dong didn’t want to say more: “Just pick what works best for you.” —Three vehicles, though close in location, clearly represented two distinct groups: While Chang Dong’s team was gathering stones to build fire platforms, lighting fires, and preparing meals, the other group was busy eating cookies, beef jerky, and drinking beer. You After dinner, Fei Tang sat by the camp lantern reading books he had brought specifically to avoid boredom. He had chosen titles closely related to this journey: *Ancient Chinese Gold and Silver Jewelry*, *Folk Costumes*, and *The Han and Tang Dynasties, the Western Regions, and Chinese Civilization*. Chang Dong, as usual, opened his shadow puppet box and began assembling the rods for the already-sewn shadow figures—this final step completed the figures, making them truly come alive. Glancing at the corner of his eye, he noticed Ye Liuxi approaching, knowing immediately that she would once again criticize him. She did. "Why are they all shadow figures? The one just now had the rod behind the neck, while this one has it behind the chest?" Chang Dong patiently explained: "This is a dan role—having the rod behind the chest gives the chest a natural lift, making it more visually appealing. The other one is a sheng role—placed behind the neck, it gives a more upright, spirited posture." "Everyone always prefers to see women with their chests lifted." Chang Dong: "...Because men with lifted chests don't look as good." Ye Liuxi suddenly noticed Ding Liu over by the other side—her head down, as if playing a mobile game, yet constantly glancing back at her. She approached Chang Dong: "I'm right here. Little sister, I'm sorry she hasn't come over yet—I'll move things for you." She gave a拍拍 to her seat, stood up, and moved on to FETang, who felt a bit intimidated by her. FETang read her book with even greater concentration, radiating a steady glow of "I am diligently seeking knowledge"—afraid she might point out any shortcomings. Chang Dong remained silent, continuing with his own tasks. A while later, Ding Liu indeed came over, holding a toiletry cup, her hair casually held up with hair clips, a few strands falling loosely at her cheeks, and asked Chang Dong: "Could I borrow some hot water? The cold water feels too chilly." She was timid, polite, and full of grace—quite a well-acted young lady. Chang Dong stood up, poured her a cup of hot water, and she thanked him before leaving. FETang, who had been reading and felt eye strain, lifted her gaze to see this scene and remarked, "Oh, another change of "Yes, there's a contrast from beginning to end—easy to catch attention. Started wild, then became a sweet, studious student, and now she's quite endearing. Honestly, Xi, you should too..." Ye Liuxi said with a cold, measured tone. "What should I do?" Fei Tang finally realized she'd blurted it out, her tongue still a bit unsteady. "Change... change my look a bit—something fresh, something that'll surprise people..." Ye Liuxi replied, "I don't need to change my appearance. My flaw is that I'm beautiful. No matter what I do, people will only see my beauty. Do you understand?" Fei Tang remained silent, then, after a moment, gripped her cup. "Xi... Xi-jun, I'll go take a shower." She said what she thought—she's a national three-time martial arts champion, she's beautiful, and in Xi'an, there's also the Cultural Heritage Appraisal Committee. Ye Liuxi watched Fei Tang walk away, then turned her gaze back, spotting Chang Dong approaching, still holding the blood draw needle and tubing. Man, another blood draw—had to hassle him a bit... Suddenly, Chang Dong threw something over, and Ye Liuxi caught it with one hand, holding it up to see. It was a single, large andehan red date, about the size of a small egg. The dark red skin shone, fresh and plump, not wrinkled at all—clearly a recent harvest, looking fresh and appealing. She lifted her eyelid slightly. "What for?" "ToAdd some blood to your reserves," Ye Liuxi said, tearing open the packaging, taking a bite. The date was thick, firm, soft and sweet with a subtle aroma. Then he handed it to her.