novelsite Chapter 57 The Flower Master Has Arrived
Chapter 57 The Flower Master Has Arrived
Wu Xie opened his mouth, turned to look at Qin Yuan, his brows furrowed: "Then what's wrong with your eyes?" He was still concerned about the sunglasses and gloves that Qin Yuan had been wearing since they met, even in the dim light inside the car. His attire was too strange.
"I got a bit of snow blindness from walking in the snow for so long. The doctor said I need to avoid strong light and wear sunglasses for a while," Qin Yuan lied without batting an eye, his tone so natural it sounded like the truth. He then changed the subject, "But you, Wuxie, how did you end up in this desolate place all by yourself? Does Fatty know? Who's watching Qin Jiu?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Xie immediately perked up. He glanced at A Ning first, but in the end, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a notebook that looked quite old.
"Don't worry, Fatty's been watching over things for a long time. I received a cassette tape a while ago and followed the clues inside to find this place. I believe Miss Aning did the same," Wu Xie explained to Qin Yuan. "This notebook was left by Aunt Wen Jin."
He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Zhang Qiling and Qin Yuan, his eyes filled with determination: "Brother, Qin Yuan, I know you're going to Tamutuo too, right? Take me with you! This notebook I have contains clues about the Western Queen Mother's Kingdom and what Chen Wenjin and the others experienced back then!"
Zhang Qiling stopped all movement, placed the scabbard on his lap, and quietly looked at Wu Xie. After a few seconds of silence, Zhang Qiling finally looked away and nodded: "Whatever." This was tacit acceptance of Wu Xie's joining. If he couldn't stop him, then keeping him by his side would at least allow him to keep an eye on him.
Qin Yuan sighed softly in his heart. He shrugged, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Since we're already here, more people will make things more... lively." Forgive him for not being able to say the word "helper" against his will.
Black Bear slapped his thigh with a grin in the back seat: "Alright, it's decided then! A warm welcome to Comrade Wuxie for joining the Tamutuo sightseeing tour. This tour requires everyone to bring their own equipment, meals are split equally, and we leave everything to fate. We are not responsible for any funeral arrangements unless you pay extra!"
Seeing that Xiao Ge and Qin Yuan had agreed, Wu Xie ignored Hei Xiazi and breathed a huge sigh of relief. His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and he felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, every cell screaming for rest. He leaned against the cold carriage wall, clutching the notebook tightly in his arms.
The car traveled for an entire night on the rugged dirt roads of the Gobi Desert. Exhausted and shaken, Wu Xie drifted off to sleep. Qin Yuan leaned against the car, closing his eyes to rest, but his consciousness sank into the system space, retrieving information about the Western Queen Mother's Kingdom.
It wasn't until dawn the next day that the car finally slowed down and drove into a relatively sheltered depression.
Aning's temporary camp has been reached.
The campsite was much larger than Wu Xie had imagined, with dozens of tents neatly pitched on a relatively flat area, forming a semi-circle. Seven or eight modified off-road vehicles were parked in the center.
As everyone disembarked, Aning took the wooden box handed to her by Hei Xiazi. Without lingering, she nodded slightly to Qin Yuan and the others, then walked straight to an inconspicuous tent at the edge of the camp.
Wu Xie looked around curiously, while Qin Yuan pulled Zhang Qiling toward the tent assigned to them, preparing to settle down first.
Inside the tent, the light was dim, and a faint aroma of yak butter tea filled the air. An elderly woman with a full head of white hair, dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing, sat cross-legged on a thick felt rug.
Beside her stood a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties, who bowed respectfully upon seeing Aning enter and said in accented Mandarin, "Miss Aning, my grandmother has made all the preparations."
Aning nodded slightly, then sat down on the felt cushion opposite Zhuoma. She carefully opened the wooden box and took out the blue-and-white porcelain plate. The blue-and-white patterns on the plate were clearly visible, depicting what appeared to be some kind of complex topographical map, interspersed with constellation markings and strange symbols.
Dingzhu Zhuoma stretched out her withered hand and gently took the porcelain plate. Her cloudy eyes were very close, almost touching them. After a long while, she put the porcelain plate back on the low table, raised her head, and slowly spoke a few words in Tibetan.
The young man next to her immediately translated: "Grandma said she's seen this plate before. It was brought by the leader of an archaeological team many years ago. That leader should be Chen Wenjin, whom you're talking about. This plate was used by them to record part of the route to Tamutuo."
Ah Ning's eyes lit up: "Since you can understand it, could you take us there again?"
The young man relayed the question, and Dingzhu Zhuoma nodded and said a few more words.
"Grandma said yes, but..." The young man looked troubled. "She said the plate isn't complete. Without that missing piece, the picture can't be pieced together, and the real entrance can't be found."
Ah Ning frowned: "A piece is missing? Where?"
Dingzhu Zhuoma said a few more words, and the young man translated: "Grandma said that the woman named Chen Wenjin was very cautious back then. She divided the complete route into two parts. This plate records the first half, and the most crucial part of the second half is engraved on another small porcelain shard, which she entrusted to another trusted Han Chinese for safekeeping. That porcelain shard is said to have later ended up in the nearby Lancuo area."
"Lancuo?" Black Bear, who had been leaning against the tent entrance, listening with his arms crossed, interjected. "A small town not too far from here?"
A Ning nodded and looked at Hei Xiazi: "Brother Hei, it seems I'll have to trouble you to make another trip. Go to Lan Cuo, find that porcelain shard, and get it at all costs."
Black Bear grinned, revealing his white teeth: "Alright! Boss Ning asked, so I, Black Bear, will do my duty. Remember to reimburse your travel expenses." He turned to leave.
"Wait," Ah Ning called out to him, "Bring enough cash and find out the details. That thing might be collected as an ordinary antique, or it might be in the hands of someone who doesn't know anything about it. Try not to cause any trouble and buy it at a high price."
"Understood, harmony brings wealth!" Black Bear waved his hand, lifted the tent flap, and quickly disappeared into the camp.
The sound of off-road vehicle engines could be heard outside the camp at dusk the next day.
Hei Xiazi has returned, but he did not return alone.
Black Bear jumped out of the vehicle, his face showing a mixture of helplessness and anticipation. Behind him followed a man wearing a pink shirt that seemed out of place in the rugged camp.
The man was tall and slender with fair skin and a gentle, harmless smile. His pink shirt was neatly pressed, the hem tucked into beige casual trousers, and he wore expensive-looking leather ankle boots. He was toying with a small, irregularly edged piece of blue-and-white porcelain in his hand, his posture as relaxed as if he were on a picnic.
All eyes in the camp were instantly drawn to this unexpectedly appearing person. Ah Ning quickly stepped out of the command tent, and upon seeing this person, her brows immediately furrowed.
Hei Xiazi walked up to A Ning, shrugged, pointed to the people behind him, and said with a hint of teasing, "Boss Ning, the fragment has been found, but unfortunately I was a step too late. However, this Master Xie said that the item can be given to us, but he has one condition."
The man the blind man had mentioned, Master Xie, took two steps forward, smiling gently at A Ning. Then, as if casually, his gaze swept over Qin Yuan, Zhang Qiling, and Wu Xie, who had emerged from the tent upon hearing the commotion. His voice was clear and resonant, carrying an air of composure.
"Miss Aning, I've heard so much about you. My name is Xie Yuchen. Since this porcelain shard is so important to you all, I'm naturally willing to help you. However," he changed the subject, his smile unchanged, "I'm also quite interested in our destination."