She was Han Chinese. Her father had been one of the educated youth sent to work in the countryside during those years, coming from a distant northern city to Xinjiang. He worked as a doctor in the village health clinic, and after marrying her mother, she was born. Until she was five years old, she had been an ordinary child with a plain but comfortable life. It wasn’t until separatists surrounded the government’s small health clinic and imprisoned their family in the basement that the truly difficult years in her memory began.

She could no longer bear to recall that period of hardship – not knowing how many days had passed, how many days and nights, how many sunless days. She drank the fishy, hot liquid her parents occasionally gave her, ate raw meat, leaned against her mother’s side, and listened to her father’s repeated reassurances over and over again: “Don’t be afraid, someone will come to rescue us, we will definitely escape.”

But in the end, no one came to rescue them. Even those who had imprisoned them had forgotten that an innocent family was still locked in that basement. Her father’s voice gradually grew weaker, and gradually he stopped comforting her and her mother, no longer deceiving himself with false reassurance that someone would come to save them. The stench of decay filled the entire basement. In the darkness, she couldn’t see anything, but her small heart despairingly and vaguely knew that perhaps, possibly, maybe, her father was no longer there.

Her mother’s mournful cries in the empty, dead-silent room sounded so terrifying. She was hungry and thirsty, crying loudly in fear. Finally, once again she drank that fishy, hot, nauseating liquid and ate that meat that simply couldn’t be chewed properly. But it was precisely these things that kept her alive day after day. In the sunless basement, she lived in worry and despair. As the days gradually passed, eventually even her mother’s crying could no longer be heard. She huddled alone in the corner, crying and shouting loudly, but no one responded to her.

Do you know what it feels like to have your parents’ corpses slowly rotting beside you?

Do you know that when a person’s body gradually rots and becomes putrid, there are actually sounds in that process?

Do you know the feeling of competing with countless huge black rats for food?

Do you know, do you know what it tastes like when gnawing on rotting, putrid corpses?

So, Qin Zhiyan, I beg you, please don’t die!

Don’t make me guard your corpse, alone in this deathly silent place, waiting by myself for death to arrive.

I have never feared death itself – I only fear the process of waiting for death.

So, Qin Zhiyan, stay with me. Even if no one comes to rescue us, we will definitely be able to escape this cursed place.

Qing Xia carried Qin Zhiyan’s body on her back, walking step by step slowly toward the long corridor.

“Cough…”

A low coughing sound suddenly rang out in the deathly silent air. Qing Xia’s resolute steps suddenly halted, and the breathing behind her once again began to pant slowly – weak, but genuinely breathing.

Qing Xia’s eyes opened wide, her eye sockets red. Finally, a large teardrop slowly rolled down her pale cheeks, striking Qin Zhiyan’s thin arm with a clear sound.

“Miss Tang… cough cough…” Before he could finish the sentence, Qin Zhiyan began coughing violently again.

Qing Xia’s brows furrowed tightly as she walked resolutely forward without saying a word. Ahead lay vast stretches of ink-black darkness, beneath her feet was ice that had been frozen solid for thousands of years, behind her was the collapsed and broken ruins of the fire scene, and on her back was Qin Zhiyan who had repeatedly rescued her. Qing Xia suddenly felt that even in such a hopeless situation with no way up to heaven and no path down to earth, she could still walk forward resolutely.

“Miss Tang…” Qin Zhiyan’s voice was weak, carrying death-gray frailty like a candle in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment.

“I… didn’t sleep.” Qin Zhiyan said with difficulty: “I’ve… implicated… you…”

“It’s nothing,” Qing Xia said softly, slowly shaking her head. “As long as you stay with me, that’s enough.”

“Qin Zhiyan, we will definitely be able to walk out of here. Hold on.” Qing Xia said firmly.

“Yes.” Qin Zhiyan’s mellow voice rang out low and deep, like warm ocean waves rolling layer by layer onto the golden sand of the beach. “I won’t die… I will stay with… stay with you…”

“Qin Zhiyan, you’re a prince, a wealthy person. Once we get out, you must treat me to a good meal.” A clear female voice rang out in the darkness, carrying a trace of forced cheerfulness.

On Qin Zhiyan’s pallid cheeks, an abnormal flush appeared as he nodded deliriously: “Alright.”

“I still don’t have anywhere to live. Considering I saved your life, you have to buy me a big mansion.”

“Alright.”

“I also want lots of money. I don’t want to live a life of running around anymore. I want to do business myself and make big money.”

“Alright.”

“You have to be my backing. I want to be an unscrupulous merchant who bullies people with power, specifically oppressing good citizens and the weak, making a fortune from national disasters.”

“Alright.”

No matter how long the road, it will eventually come to an end.

The heavy stone door finally opened. Qing Xia’s hands were bloody and raw, her whole body collapsing weakly before the door. Looking at the shocking sight before her, she felt that everything seemed as absurd as a great dream.

What appeared before her was actually a world of gold.

Gold sand covered the ground everywhere, flashing with dazzling luster. As far as the eye could see, everything was brilliant golden yellow. Lights blazed brilliantly all around, with South Sea whale oil lamps burning quietly through eternity, illuminating the golden sand with brilliant radiance. On the golden desert, an ancient palace stood majestically, every brick and tile actually carved entirely from gold – desolate and ancient, yet overwhelmingly wealthy.

Qing Xia immediately remembered Qin Zhiyan’s words: northern ice, southern flames, western earth, eastern wood. Could this be the western earth shrine?

“Be careful!” A low voice suddenly rang out behind her. Qing Xia was startled and turned around, only to see Qin Zhiyan leaning against the wall. Although his complexion was still pale, it was no longer the deathly gray it had been moments before.

“This is the western mirage monster-guarded southern earth shrine. Legend says the mirage monster dwells beneath the earth in the netherworld sea, skilled at creating dreams. Once you step inside, you’ll be trapped in dreams forever, never to wake again. Over the centuries, thousands upon thousands of tomb robbers have died in this western earth shrine – even more than in the flame and ice halls combined.”

Qing Xia didn’t believe in any mirage monster legends. She looked at Qin Zhiyan in surprise and smiled: “Are you better? Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly. “It’s an old ailment – I feel slightly unwell at that time every day. Thanks to you.”

Coughing up so much blood and nearly dying – this was just feeling slightly unwell? Qing Xia tactfully said nothing, but Qin Zhiyan’s recovery, whether substantial or psychological, was tremendously good news. Qing Xia immediately felt the heavy burden lift from her heart, smiling as she said: “As long as you’re better. Let’s hurry to the main hall.”

“There’s been a problem with the directions. It looks like we’ll have to pass through the earth and wood shrines to reach the main hall now.” Qin Zhiyan pondered slightly.

“You’re not worried about this so-called mirage monster dream-making, are you?”

“Aren’t you worried, Miss?”

Qing Xia raised an eyebrow and said: “I admit there are indeed some inexplicable strange occurrences in this world, but this mirage monster business is rather too absurd. How could the human heart be controlled by a mere large shell? If you ask me, those people died here simply because they saw all this gold everywhere and couldn’t bear to leave. In the end, it’s all just inner demons at work.”

A gleam flashed in Qin Zhiyan’s eyes as he smiled faintly: “That’s quite a novel explanation, but thinking about it carefully, it’s not unreasonable.”

“Still, we should be careful. Your ancestor set up so many elaborate schemes – who knows what hidden mechanisms might still be here.”

Qin Zhiyan nodded: “Good.”

Having experienced the fire and ice halls, Qing Xia no longer dared to be careless. She stood up, drew her dagger, walked in front, and said habitually: “You follow behind me.”

In the brilliant gold, Qing Xia’s petite figure walked ahead. Qin Zhiyan was just about to stand when he suddenly discovered a white silk ribbon tied around his wrist, with the long strip of fabric firmly bound to Qing Xia’s wrist at the other end. Noticing Qin Zhiyan’s gaze, Qing Xia’s face reddened as she quickly explained: “I was afraid there might be some mind-confusing directional mystical formations here, so I prepared in advance. Even if we get separated, we can follow the rope to find each other again.”

That white rope was the very auxiliary weapon that had been used to destroy the ships of Jia Linghe, Li Qun and others that day, and to sever Yan Pingxi’s head today. The middle section still bore large patches of mottled bloodstains – deep red and very conspicuous.

Qin Zhiyan suddenly looked up and laughed, different from his usual light smile that seemed devoid of emotion. This smile was very real – real enough to reach his eyes. The snow-white silk ribbon was tied in a knot around his wrist. Qin Zhiyan looked down and suddenly reached out to untie the knot.

“Hey! You…” Qing Xia was just about to speak when she suddenly noticed Qin Zhiyan’s slender fingers skillfully retying the loosened rope, only this time making a dead knot.

“This way, it can’t be untied.” Qin Zhiyan smiled and even childishly raised his fist toward Qing Xia.

“Alright, let’s go.” Qing Xia smiled knowingly and turned around.

The two walked one in front of the other, slowly stepping onto the golden earth shrine. In the ethereal distance, ancient winds blew gently through the air, brushing against their faces and bodies. In the pitch-black corridor, long winds roared with low, oppressive fury, echoing everywhere.

“Qin Zhiyan.”

“Hmm?” Qin Zhiyan responded, his voice low and very pleasant to hear.

“If we two walk out of here, wouldn’t we also be reeking of money?”

Qin Zhiyan smiled and shook his head without speaking. Seeing him chatting and laughing casually, completely unlike the critically ill man from moments before, Qing Xia couldn’t help feeling happy. No matter what, he was much better now than he had been earlier.