Chapter 436: Going Up to Take a Look

Since drinking the lake's water, my bones feel like they're being gnawed by insects every day.

Why?

Recalling the whole journey, I finally understand: Gui Tong is within the mirage!

Future travelers, if you see this, remember: don't wander off, just wait here.

If you're fated, you'll be able to see the true Gui Tong.

If, like me, you never see it before death, then stay here with me.

The handwriting on the last page is illegible, many parts covered by dark brown stains.

Those are ancient bloodstains,

I suppose by the time this was written, the person was already spent.

Tuan Tuan listened quietly and said, "He may not be a good person, but he told us how to find Gui Tong. What's that 'something building' thing anyway?"

Lu Qi replied, "I've heard the old wanderers say that the mirage is a dry flood‑dragon deep underground, infused with sun essence and moon brilliance, projecting the valleys of its chest outward."

"Seeing the jade towers and crystal palaces, they actually disperse at a touch; it's just an Illusion, and no one has ever truly entered it."

Xiao Er frowned, "So Gui Tong is just an Illusion? It doesn't exist?"

Tuan Tuan protested, "No way! It must exist! Second Uncle, I'll find it!"

"Alright, alright, Miss will definitely find it," Xiao Er hurriedly brushed the little tuft on her head.

Lu Qi tucked away the Sheepskin Paper and sighed lightly, "He's a pitiful soul, too."

Xiao Er said, "Brother Lu, let's bury him."

"Alright."

The two dug a pit on the spot, carefully placed the skeleton inside, and covered it with sand.

With nothing to erect a tombstone, they stuck a dead branch into the mound.

Tuan Tuan took a salt‑candy block from her little leather bag and placed it before the grave: "Please have some candy, thank you for telling us this."

Xiao Er surveyed the oasis, "According to him, this isn't Gui Tong; the lake water is still poisonous. But at least it's a place to rest."

Lu Qi nodded, "The roots of those shrubs produce water, so we won't lack drinking water."

"Waiting here is better than flailing about like a headless fly in the desert."

"But," Tuan Tuan looked up, "how long must we wait? Third Brother can't wait."

Xiao Er paused, "Miss, shall we think of a plan while we wait?"

He looked up at the sky, "At least for today, let's settle here first."

"If tomorrow we still don't see the mirage, we'll make new plans."

Lu Qi nodded, "Good!"

'Settling' really just meant finding a flat sand patch beside some rocks in the oasis and spreading the felt blanket.

Tuan Tuan, one in each hand, tugged them, "Shall we go for a walk?"

The two naturally agreed.

Unexpectedly, the farther they walked, the gloomier Lu Qi's expression became.

The sand often revealed fragments of skeletal remains, all scattered and never whole.

"Brother Xiao, look at the colors of these bones; some are fresh, some old. These people certainly didn't arrive together."

Xiao Er nodded, "It seems the legend of the lake water that can cure a hundred poisons and its treasure has already claimed many lives."

"Brother Lu, it's impossible to tell who's who; let's just bury whatever we've gathered together."

"Alright."

Xiao Er lowered his head and asked gently, "Miss, don't be afraid; we're all here."

Tuan Tuan shook her head, "I'm not scared, I just think they're all pitiful."

"Alone here, their fathers and mothers are still waiting for them to return home together."

"It's a pity we don't know their names, so we can't tell their families."

Xiao Er's heart was stirred; my Miss is truly wonderful!

Lu Qi patted Tuan Tuan's little head, "Miss is truly kind‑hearted; I didn't expect this layer."

The two dug a nearby pit, gathered every skeleton they could find, arranged them neatly, and covered them with sand.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi looked at the new mound, heavy‑hearted.

In just one day, they had already buried so many people.

"Brother Lu, if Miss hadn't discovered those skeletons and let us see that roll of Sheepskin Paper in time, we might have…"

"Yes, then we'd never be able to return, and Miss couldn't leave either—how dreadful!"

"It's been two days since we emerged; if we still don't see the mirage, we must turn back after at most three days."

"Right, that's the only option."

"Second Uncle, Seventh Uncle! Come take a look!"

The two turned around and saw Tuan Tuan squatting in the sand, digging something.

They hurried to her side, looked down, and saw Tuan Tuan holding up a slender, pale‑gold, semi‑transparent object.

It was only the size of her fingertip, crystal clear, radiating a gentle warm glow.

Tuan Tuan beamed, "Pretty, right?"

Lu Qi nodded, "Mm‑mm."

Xiao Er glanced and shrugged, "It looks like a water‑jade kind of thing, polished by the desert's wind‑blown sand."

Tuan Tuan carefully slipped it into her little Embroidered pouch.

That night, the three wrapped themselves in the felt blanket and fell asleep.

Tuan Tuan had a dream.

In the dream, she stood at the lakeside of the oasis.

The lake water was deep and dark, its bottom unseen.

Gradually, a point of golden light appeared in the lake's depths.

It grew brighter and gradually revealed a shape—turns out it was a huge eye!

The golden pupil slowly turned in the deep water, as if gazing at her.

Whose eye is this?

Just as Tuan Tuan was about to walk into the lake to take a closer look, the eye closed.

The golden light vanished, and the lake returned to darkness.

The next morning, Tuan Tuan told the two adults about her dream.

Lu Qi pondered: "Do you still remember what was written on that sheepskin paper? The lake water is clear, shaped like a human eye."

Tuan Tuan also recalled: "Right, right! But I just can't see how this lake resembles anything."

Xiao Er bent down and scooped her up: "Miss, we need to go to a higher place to see for sure."

"Lu Brother! Let's go!"

The three climbed the highest sand dune in the oasis and looked down.

The lake's shoreline wound and bent, resembling an oval, indeed bearing some likeness to an eye outline.

Tuan Tuan pointed at the lake water: "It really looks like an eye!"

Lu Qi nodded: "Indeed, but it's only similar in shape, lacking a pupil. It looks like a blind eye."

Xiao Er sighed: "I suppose that person once stood on high ground like us and looked this way; otherwise they wouldn't have so confidently drunk those poisonous lake waters."

The whole following day, the three found a shady spot, backs to each other, never ceasing to gaze into the distance.

But even when night fell, they still hadn't seen the legendary mirage.

Tuan Tuan, like a deflated little bun, exclaimed: "Why isn't there any!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi could only comfort her: "You'll see it, don't rush."

The two glanced at each other, both understanding deep down that this illusory emptiness was probably just a legend.

No matter what, today is already the fourth day; at most we can wait one more day.

Lu Qi quietly gestured three with his hand.

Xiao Er's heart sank; if the Miss returns and sees the Third Young Master's corpse...

The two dared not think further.