Although the strength of the three forces is different, they all go straight to the Kunlun Mountain, the ancestor of Wanshan, to draw the source of the demon jade-the ancient country of Yuhe; The Kunlun Mountains, the birthplace of Wuzong, are quietly waiting for the next event to develop.
Chapter 13 Arriving in Hotan
Chapter 13 Arriving in Hotan
It’s a long way from Wuhan to Hotan, Xinjiang. Zhang Hefang sent the equipment to Hotan in the first week, while Fan Peixi and others arrived in Urumqi in four flights.
Although the northwest of China has gradually developed in recent years, the traffic is still extremely blocked. In addition, most desert owners in Xinjiang and many cities are built near oases, but these oases are scattered and incoherent, so the traffic is very inconvenient.
After arriving in Urumqi, the foothills of Tianshan Mountains, they reunited with each other and desolate the northwest Gobi. They didn’t have to be so careful. Then they moved from Urumqi to Aksu region, the southern foothills of Tianshan Mountains, and then set off from Aksu region via Aral City. They crossed the Taklimakan desert all the way north and south, and finally arrived in Hotan region at the foot of Kunlun Mountains.
Before the adventure, the man was exhausted by this hard journey.
They haven’t stopped since they left Wuhan for nine days in a row. The most difficult part of the journey is the one across the Taklimakan desert.
Although provincial highway 21 was built along a nearly dry river in the desert, the desert weather-sandstorm and heat all the way made them miserable.
For a long time, people in China have been emphasizing that the mystery lies in the northwest desert, and Xinjiang is also an unknown territory for many people. There are towering and magnificent Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and mysterious Tibetan Buddhism, and the most famous place in Xinjiang is the vast desert of Taklimakan.
The Swedish explorer Sven? Heding came to Taklimakan and proudly declared that he was the first white man to set foot here. Later, his expedition team almost collapsed in this desert, hence the name "Dead Sea".
In addition, people are more curious about the world of Taklimakan Desert. In Uyghur, "Taklimakan" means underground and underground, while "Lamagan" means a place where they have lived and are rich. If translated directly, it means a rich home. However, the meaning of Taklimakan has become "once you enter, you will never escape".
What a few people did during the boring journey turned out these unofficial history anecdotes to talk about.
Fan Peixi is no longer interested in those things. He has repeatedly studied the gold mask brought out of the old man’s cave in Shennongjia all the way.
For this gold mask, Zhang Hefang did not want to bring it out, but Bu Jin repeatedly asked that it must be brought. According to Long Bu Jin, the Kunlun Mountains are dangerous and abnormal, and this gold mask will save lives when necessary.
This is the first time that Fan Peixi has carefully looked at this gold mask. He doesn’t know what this gold mask really has. He sees many fine and abnormal characters on the side of the gold mask, and these characters seem to have some furry things.
Fan Peixi recalled that when he tried to remove the mask of the six royal waiters’ faces in the old man’s cave, he found himself trying to remove the mask from the face, because the mask seemed to have the face. Could these furry things be the cause of that situation? At the same time, he remembered another thing-why did Liang Zan take the gold mask so effortlessly?
After gossiping and talking less, Fan Peixi and other talents found that this place is worthy of producing jade. Walking in the streets and alleys of Hotan area is full of business with jade. Some of them are doing wholesale business with the signboard of "Jade Out of Kungang". Many people with professional knowledge of jade come here to bid for Taobao to buy the most original jade, which is sometimes equivalent to gambling. Generally speaking, they need excellent eyesight.
Of course, there are also jade carving craft shops, large and small stalls, which don’t count. Generally speaking, as soon as I entered Hotan area, I suddenly felt that this was a jade day.
Fan Peixi finally learned something here. At that time, the boss Lu of Zuishitang saw at a glance that Bujin Jiling Yaoyu came from Hotan, Xinjiang. There are many famous jade types in Hotan, Xinjiang, but the most famous one belongs to suet jade, which is as white as snow. At first glance, laymen seem to think there is no difference compared with ordinary white jade, but it is clear that the advantages and disadvantages of two kinds of jade should be put together.
Zhang Hefang walked around a jade market with everyone seemingly aimlessly, shouting everywhere. After a while, Zhang Hefang came to a jade stall. The stall owner looked up and recognized Zhang Hefang. He invited Zhang Hefang into his room conveniently and quickly. This person with a standard Uighur face was the person who arranged this place by Zhang Hefang.
As soon as we entered his room, he took out the equipment for us and warned us to be careful. Recently, Xinjiang has cracked down on terrorism very hard. We have guns in our equipment bag. If anyone finds out, it will be difficult.
Zhang Hefang asked the man a few words about his recent trends, and the man sighed and said, "There is no trace of the organizer."
Zhang Hefang left the jade market with us in a hurry so as not to arouse suspicion.
Fan Peixi was a little uncertain about the formation in front of him. He asked Zhang Hefang, "Mr. Zhang, you just said that the source of the demon jade is the foot of the northern foot of Kunlun Mountain, and we are looking for the last artifact to hide in this Kunlun Mountain, but the Kunlun Mountain Range is so big. Isn’t it equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack?"
Zhang Hefang smiled and said, "Mysteriously, there must be something strange. The Kunlun Mountains are narrow in the west and wide in the east. Our current location happens to be the narrowest zone of the Kunlun Mountains. The history of Kunlun Mountain, the ancestor of China, is not mysterious. Many novel wild things have been known to everyone, and we in Nanwu have already studied it. Just rest assured to follow us."
Fan Peixi nodded his head and said that he was also worried about Zhang Hefang’s work. He should rest assured that there are old people like the one-eyed old man, and they certainly won’t bump around like flies.
However, it’s a hard journey in the mountains. Zhang Hefang arranged for the informant here. After all, it’s not the old people in the mountains. In some places, they don’t have a long-term life. People here are guides, so they may get to where we want to go.
It is also easy to find a guide in this place, because there are indeed many people from different places who come here, hoping that some experienced local jade miners can pick jade at a reasonable price, and some local quarrymen will bring outsiders into Kunlun Mountain.
But few people are willing to go where Zhang Hefang and others want to go.
According to Zhang Hefang, they are going to the local area. The local people call it "devil valley" or "Hell Gate". Although the name is conventional, most local people are afraid to avoid it when they hear this name.
There are a few stone pickers who are fairly affordable. They told us bluntly that there are indeed many jades with different textures in devil valley, and even some jades don’t need to be mined directly along the entrance of the valley. When you look far inside, you can see many prominent rocks that often shine a little. That is the original jade.
In addition, there are abundant forage resources around devil valley, which is definitely a good place for herders in arid Xinjiang, but locals would rather starve cattle and horses than take them into devil valley.
Zhang Hefang suggested that we should look for it ourselves, but the one-eyed old man didn’t agree. Although the Nanwu people have a general understanding of the location of devil valley, after all, this is their first time to come to the towering Kunlun Mountains. If there is no professional guide, they are likely to get lost in various valleys.
Finally, Zhang Hefang and others can hire a guide by raising the price.
Those old stone pickers are extremely stubborn, and they are unwilling to go and dissuade Zhang Hefang and others from giving up the idea of going to devil valley as soon as possible. On the contrary, those young people are courageous and hard to refuse in the face of rich rewards.
Finally, a young Uighur named Alaba agreed to lead them to devil valley for 3,000 yuan.
Alaba looks very young, but he looks like he is in his early twenties. He has dark skin, aquiline nose and thick eyebrows. He speaks poor Mandarin, but he is very enthusiastic about money.
Zhang Hefang was not at ease to let such a hairy kid lead the way, but later Alaba talked to Zhang Hefang about many local things related to the terrain of devil valley, and finally moved Zhang Hefang.
that’s it
Chapter 14 Hell Gate
Chapter 14 Hell Gate
The most famous of the countless stories about the Kunlun Mountain is the Queen Mother of the West, but the old python told Fan Peixi that the Kunlun Mountain in ancient mythology was different from the real Kunlun Mountain. Now everyone refers to the Kunlun Mountain in general, but in ancient times it refers to a mountain in the Kunlun Mountain or Kunlun Virtual.
Fan Peixi and others, led by Alaba, walked towards the northern foot of Kunlun Mountain. Their place is Qaidam Basin, which really soars into the sky all year round. The plateau mountains are still far away. They haven’t had much altitude sickness yet, but Alaba is awake. They said, "Don’t look at the present journey, but once you step into Kunlun Mountain, the terrain becomes steep immediately. Although the altitude of the valley you are going to devil valley is not high, the terrain inside will change if you go deep into devil valley. At the end of the valley is a big snow mountain, which is a populated area. You should be more careful.
"devil valley devil valley …" Fan Peixi muttered this name as he walked. "This name is really confusing."
The old python said, "It’s one thing to spare your mouth, but the name is not too vulgar. It’s simply vulgar."
Alaba said with a smile as he walked, "The boss said yes, but we locals can’t avoid the valley there. It is said that there are many strange things happening in the valley, and we don’t know what to call it. We think the word devil is the most appropriate."