Yu Yi heard the brat teasing him and immediately rolled up his sleeves, pretending to teach the little master a lesson.
Sensing danger, Chu Qianli bolted away in a flash, darting behind Tan Muxing and cleverly avoiding capture.
Seeing this, Yu Yi was both exasperated and amused. He said, “I see how it is now. You’re fearless when you have a helper for your projects!”
Tan Muxing urged, “Yu-ge, let’s go inside first.”
Though the three of them liked to joke and play around, they were all well-behaved at night.
During the day, Chu Qianli had egged Yu Yi on to slay demons and exorcise spirits, but at night, she no longer mentioned the topic. Instead, she was startled by the fierce winds sweeping across the Gobi Desert.
Outside the workstation, the wind howled like a dragon’s roar. The buildings creaked and rattled under the violent storm, and even the walls and windows emitted eerie noises, as if they might be torn apart at any moment.
The temperature difference in the Gobi was extreme—scorching hot during the day and freezing cold at night.
It was Chu Qianli’s first time deep in the Gobi Desert, and she struggled to adjust to the conditions, unable to fall asleep. Giving up on rest, she wrapped herself in a thick coat and left her dormitory, heading to the workstation’s common area to meet up with the other two.
Chu Qianli spoke anxiously, “Living in a place like this really makes you feel like there’s something unclean around.”
Yu Yi agreed, nodding. “Yeah, I even put up talismans in my room. The way the wind blows is just too creepy.”
Tan Muxing looked at the two of them huddled together. As the calmest member of the expert team, he was curious. “…But aren’t you both experts? Why are you scared of this?”
After all, Chu Qianli was an astrologer, and Yu Yi was a Taoist priest—shouldn’t they be less afraid than him?
The two masters, who had been bickering all the way here, now reached a rare agreement. They muttered complaints about their ordinary teammate.
Chu Qianli pouted, “But the wind is just so strong.”
Yu Yi added, “A Taoist can’t be scared? Are you discriminating against Taoists?”
Tan Muxing quickly waved his hands in denial, panicking. “…No, definitely not.”
With the demonic wind raging outside, none of the three newcomers could sleep, so they gathered together to chat. Yu Yi suggested telling ghost stories, saying that this atmosphere was perfect for spooky tales.
Chu Qianli pulled out a deck of tarot cards from her bag. As she shuffled them with a rustling sound, she warned, “Yu-ge, are you sure you want to talk about this? I didn’t even bring it up tonight.”
Hearing this, Yu Yi recalled the incident with the sand-blocking net and immediately shut his mouth, afraid of being sacrificed on the spot.
Tan Muxing saw her take out a brand-new deck of tarot cards and asked, “Are we playing cards?”
“Yeah, might as well. There’s nothing else to do.” Chu Qianli’s deck wasn’t the red crystal tarot but a newly opened set. The workstation had poor signal reception, leaving them with only simple entertainment options.
Yu Yi said, “I’ve played poker before, but never this.”
“It’s similar to poker.”
Chu Qianli drew a few cards from the tarot deck and redefined the functions of some cards, turning them into a playable poker set. As they played, she and Tan Muxing chatted about their high school days, while Yu Yi shared stories from when he first became an apprentice.
The relentless wind outside made them dizzy, and they played cards late into the night until they finally started feeling sleepy.
“I can’t go on anymore, I’m really exhausted this time. If I close my eyes now, I should be able to block out the wind noise…”
Both Yu Yi and Chu Qianli were drowsy, rubbing their eyes as they prepared to rest, each returning to their own room to sleep.
Tan Muxing was the last to leave the common area. Just as he was about to go, he caught sight of the tarot deck left on the corner of the table. After a moment of thought, he decided to collect the cards and keep them safe for Chu Qianli.
The tarot cards had been spread out on the table. As Tan Muxing gathered them into a neat stack, one card unexpectedly slipped out. He picked it up—it was The Hanged Man, depicting a bound figure calmly observing the world from an inverted position.
After placing the card back in the deck and ensuring none were missing, Tan Muxing took the tarot deck with him and returned to his room.
That night was anything but restful.
The Next Morning –
The expert trio got up on time, had breakfast at the workstation, and after putting on their safety helmets and work uniforms, they followed the construction crew to the site.
In the middle of the Gobi Desert, a trench stretched across the land—the foundation for a railway under construction. On either side, piles of yellow sand had originally been held back securely by green protective nets. However, the nets had now been torn apart, destroyed by some unknown force.
The construction foreman was frustrated. “Not again!”
Just the day before, they had removed the damaged nets and replaced them with brand-new sand barriers. Now, they had been shredded once more, causing the workers to murmur among themselves.
“Could there really be ghosts?”
“Ugh, don’t say that. A few years ago, when I was working in J Province, I kept hearing about strange incidents like this…”
“Enough nonsense! Stop scaring yourselves!” The construction foreman sternly interrupted. Worried about how the expert team would perceive the situation, he quickly turned to them and explained, “These guys have been out here too long; they just like to gossip. Please don’t take it seriously.”
The expert team had been brought in specifically to investigate the issue, and the foreman didn’t want them to form a bad impression of the crew. He feared that any talk of supernatural occurrences might make the experts skeptical about the workers’ professionalism.
Of course, what the foreman didn’t realize was that the expert trio was even more unconventional—especially since Yu Yi was actually a Taoist priest.
Yu Yi patted the foreman on the shoulder reassuringly. “No worries, don’t take it to heart. We spent all of yesterday talking about ghosts, too.”
Chu Qianli stared at the shredded sand net and casually began calculating. “How about we do a divination to see what’s causing this…?”
The foreman: “?”
Tan Muxing noticed that the foreman was still present and quickly cleared his throat. “Ahem.”
Chu Qianli immediately retracted her hand and smoothly changed her wording. “Oh, oh, oh, I mean, how about we conduct an on-site investigation and find out what’s going on?”
With that, she jogged over to the sand net, making sure she was out of the foreman’s line of sight before secretly resuming her divination.
Meanwhile, Yu Yi casually slung an arm around the foreman’s shoulder, trying to divert his attention. “So, could you tell us about the current progress here?”
The foreman, suddenly drawn into conversation, momentarily forgot about Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing.
Chu Qianli peeked around to make sure no one was watching her. As she performed her divination, she quietly praised, “Not bad. Yu-ge, as a modern Taoist, you have pretty good instincts in certain situations.”
Yu Yi often bragged about his talismans when talking with his fellow experts, but around ordinary people, he remained perfectly composed and didn’t act suspicious at all. No wonder he was selected for the project—he knew exactly what to say and what not to say. If he didn’t reveal his identity, no one would guess he was a Taoist priest.
Tan Muxing suggested, “Let’s take a walk around and then head back.” He mimicked an official investigation, even snapping photos and taking notes with a professional air.
A short while later, Chu Qianli finished her divination and returned with her findings. She reported to the construction team, cautiously testing the waters: “It seems like the damage was caused by some kind of bird attacking from above, and it’s a particularly dangerous one.”
Divination could only provide general characteristics, and since Chu Qianli wasn’t well-versed in zoology, she couldn’t determine the exact species.
The workers were puzzled. “Birds? In this barren place?”
The Gobi Desert rarely even had clouds in the sky, let alone birds passing through.
Chu Qianli glanced at the celestial patterns and subtly moved her fingers before stating, “It looks like there won’t be any wind tonight. We might be able to capture something on camera.”
For the past two nights, the sandstorms had been so intense that even surveillance cameras were useless.
The foreman noticed that Chu Qianli was empty-handed and had no idea how she came to this conclusion. Curious, he asked, “How did you figure that out? We didn’t see any traces of birds at the site.”
Chu Qianli calmly replied, “Oh, just some advanced surveying techniques.”
Yu Yi nodded seriously. “Very professional stuff.”
The foreman, half-understanding, said, “I see…”
Tan Muxing: “…”
Since the expert team had used “scientific and advanced methods” to make their predictions, the construction crew decided to station some people on-site overnight to catch the unknown intruder.
That Evening –
Sure enough, just as Chu Qianli had predicted, the wind did not pick up that night.
“This is incredible. I thought the wind would never stop,” the foreman marveled as he gazed at the unusually clear sky. The team had been battered by sandstorms for so long that a windless night felt like a rare gift.
Then, someone noticed something unusual in the sky. “Wait… is the wind picking up again? Something’s coming…”
“There’s no wind.” Others were confused.
“It’s not wind—it’s vultures!” The foreman, who had seen his fair share of wildlife, finally recognized the ominous sight. He raised his voice in alarm: “Everyone, put on your safety helmets and watch out!”
The once-clear twilight sky darkened as a massive flock of vultures descended like a storm cloud. The scavengers swooped down, aggressively searching for targets to tear apart.
Chu Qianli had already predicted a ferocious bird attack, but seeing the vultures with her own eyes still startled her. Their black, hooked beaks and razor-sharp talons gleamed in the fading light, and the sheer number of them was far greater than she had imagined. The sight was utterly terrifying!
“So many of them! I’ve only ever seen a couple on the grasslands!” The foreman was shocked. The vultures he had encountered before were usually weak and starving, often requiring rescue by the forestry department. He had never seen such a fearsome and aggressive flock.
The vultures were extremely cunning. They noticed that Chu Qianli was alone and vulnerable, so they continuously swooped down around her, attempting to launch an attack.
This was a strategy used by wild animals—to mainly target the weakest member of a group, just like how predators harass a lone lamb when hunting sheep.
Chu Qianli sensed that something was off. She quickly clutched her little yellow hat tightly and fled in a panic. “All I did was report you for damaging public property! No sportsmanship at all!”
Why were they coming after her? There were plenty of people present!
These birds were actually seeking revenge!
“Xing Xing Xing Xing!” Chu Qianli, completely defenseless, suddenly felt like she was being chased by chickens in the village. Instinctively, she called out to her teammate for help in distress.
Tan Muxing threw a work uniform over Chu Qianli’s head to confuse the vultures, making it harder for them to locate their previous target. He casually grabbed a safety helmet, blocked an oncoming sharp talon, and directly pushed the large bird into a mid-air spin!
With their weakest prey gone, the vultures circled in the air but did not dare provoke Tan Muxing, seemingly apprehensive.
Yu Yi said, “What do we do now? Do we have a gun?”
The construction team leader quickly replied, “No shooting, no shooting! They’re nationally protected animals, second-class!”
Yu Yi cursed, “Damn, this is just like Journey to the West—everything has a powerful background.”
Fortunately, the construction team was prepared. They pulled out bird deterrents and began frantically banging on metal objects, hoping to scare away the aggressive birds.
However, the vultures, emboldened by their numbers, were not intimidated. Though they no longer pounced on Tan Muxing, they set their sights on Yu Yi instead!
Yu Yi was alarmed. “What the hell? Won’t go solo in a fair fight and only target the marksman and mage?!”
The vultures had officially certified Chu Qianli as the weakest, followed closely by Yu Yi, specifically picking on the magic users.
However, Yu Yi was more athletic than Chu Qianli. He agilely dodged the vultures’ attacks. While not as physically strong as the construction workers, he was highly nimble—clearly a hidden expert with maxed-out evasion skills.
The vultures refused to leave, growing increasingly brazen.
The construction team had already sounded the alarm to drive them away, but it wasn’t very effective. The team leader frowned and said, “Go back and see if we have any firecrackers, the kind that are loud but not too powerful!”
Hiding behind a burly worker like a big white bear, Chu Qianli regained her confidence. Still holding a grudge for being bullied by birds, she angrily rummaged through her bag. “They really don’t take me seriously. I have to show them something!”
Tan Muxing picked up a metal rod and asked, “Do you need this? To shoo them away?”
The people around continued banging on metal objects, trying to scare off the vultures.
“No need, that won’t work.” Chu Qianli looked down at her phone. “I’ll check out some new idol group songs.”
“Why are you looking that up now?”
“I’m picking the worst one—maybe it’ll scare them off.”
Tan Muxing: “?” A new function of modern idol groups?
However, with no signal in the wilderness, Chu Qianli’s plan to use an idol group’s song to drive away the birds fell through. She continued searching through her bag, glancing at her compass and tarot cards before finally pulling out the Sanqing Bell.
Chu Qianli shook the Sanqing Bell and sighed in frustration. “I brought the wrong equipment—this is just a calming bell…”
Mei Rujing had once said the Sanqing Bell could calm the mind. While it was indeed a metal object, its sound indoors was rather soft.
Chu Qianli casually rang the bell twice, just about to put it away and pick up a nearby iron rod when suddenly, the Sanqing Bell let out a deep, resonant sound!
Indoors, the Sanqing Bell had always produced a crisp and delicate ringing, but when shaken in the vast, open desert, the sound became profound and powerful—completely different.
Chu Qianli panicked. “Oh no, did I break it? Why did the sound change?”
She had been careful in preserving this heirloom from Mei Rujing, fearing she might damage it. The Sanqing Bell, which had previously sounded like a beautiful, refined instrument, now rang like a crude, grating gong. No one knew what had gone wrong.
Had it changed to match its owner? Sounding melodious in a beauty’s hands, but turning coarse in hers?
Chu Qianli frantically shook the bell, trying to check for any abnormalities, and sure enough, the sound grew even deeper!
In the next instant, the powerful bell tones resonated through the air, startling the aggressive vultures and disrupting their attack formation!
“Hey, they’re scattering… they’re panicking…” Someone noticed the birds’ reaction and immediately reported it.
The construction team leader asked, “What’s that sound? Who’s knocking?”
The altered sound of the Sanqing Bell seemed unbearable for the vultures. They struggled to endure it, circling high in the sky while letting out sharp cries!
Yu Yi exclaimed, “They’re mad, they’re mad—they’re cursing us out!”
Tan Muxing looked at the Sanqing Bell and said, “The vultures really can’t stand this.”
Hearing this, Chu Qianli shook the bell even harder, producing a continuous series of resounding chimes!
Moments later, the vultures, unable to bear the noise, flapped their wings and soared into the sky, fleeing the area covered by the Sanqing Bell’s sound. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from view.
“They’re gone! Finally, they’re gone!”
“What was making that sound just now?”
As the group watched the dark swarm of birds dissipate, they finally had a chance to regroup and clean up the site.
Chu Qianli clutched the Sanqing Bell tightly and marveled, “Sister Rujing must’ve been mistaken—how could this be a calming bell? This is clearly a bird-repelling bell!”
The vultures had flown away, screeching angrily, clearly not calmed but utterly unable to endure the sound.
She even suspected that the legendary Sanqing Bell, known for repelling zombies, didn’t actually exorcise them—maybe zombies just wanted to off themselves after hearing it, just like how some modern listeners feel about certain new songs.
I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.
