WOOY Chapter 40

But when asked what great merit it was, Shen Gun had no answer.

“Some legends spread wider the more they’re told, but this one—fewer and fewer people know it as time goes on. It’s like the ‘water tail’ often spoken of in Lop Nur. When the water reaches its end, it vanishes completely. What I’ve recorded on these two pages are the last two drops snatched from the water tail. I doubt anyone knows about them anymore.”

His tone carried a hint of pride.

Chang Dong asked him, “Why did you tell us not to get involved? And why is it so dangerous?

Shen Gun replied, “First of all, if you don’t have real skills, don’t touch these matters…”

Ye Liuxi let out a scoff from the side.

“Secondly, there’s a theory that says Yumen Pass and Yang Pass were originally meant to be opposites. Yumen Pass should have been called ‘Yin Pass’ instead. The people who entered wearing shackles were never seen again—not because they disappeared, but because after crossing the pass, the connection between the worlds of the living and the dead was completely severed. No one could ever come out again.”

Chang Dong asked, “Then what about the shadow puppets?”

Shen Gun emphasized, “Pay attention to my emphasis—it’s on the word ‘people.’ Can shadow puppets even be called people? The real humans trapped inside the pass can never escape. One step beyond the boundary and their blood will be drained dry. And if the pass was originally designed to separate something, do you think outsiders can just waltz in?”

“Even if someone entered by coincidence, could they ever leave? I’ve been investigating this for a long time, and I’ve never heard of anyone leaving afterward. This suggests two possibilities—either no one can get in, or those who enter never come out.”

“Isn’t that dangerous enough? Once inside, you’ll never see your friends again—and I have many friends.”

Fei Tang curled his lip from the side—this guy acts so aloof and unlikable, yet dares to claim he has ‘many friends’? His friends must have… a very peculiar taste.

This was all Shen Gun could offer.

“I don’t know you, but since you found me through Liu Qi, I suppose we share some fate. Everything I know, I’ve told you… Can I ask—what exactly are you planning to do?”

Chang Dong remained silent, but Ye Liuxi suddenly leaned forward, speaking with precise clarity. “Enter the pass.”

Shen Gun said, “That’s impossible…”

Ye Liuxi pressed a finger to the phone and ended the call.

Chang Dong and Fei Tang both stared at her.

Ye Liuxi raised an eyebrow. “What? That guy acts like he’s so important—just hearing him talk is annoying. And besides, didn’t he say he already told us everything he knows? If he’s got nothing left to share, why bother wasting time?”

Chang Dong asked, “Are you really sure you’ll never need his help again?”

Fei Tang nervously eyed his phone. “Yeah, Liuxi—business may be off the table, but at least keep things civil. I went through so much just to get his contact—don’t ruin my hard work.”

Ye Liuxi shrugged. “…It’s not a big deal. Just make a new account and add him again.”

——

They continued on their way. Chang Dong remained silent the entire ride. After regrouping with Ding Liu and the others, he let Fei Tang off and switched seats with Ye Liuxi. “You drive for a while—I need to think.”

Ye Liuxi settled into the driver’s seat, buckled her seatbelt, and casually asked, “Can’t you think while driving?”

“Driving requires my full attention.”

Ye Liuxi held back from mentioning how she often drove while listening to opera, multitasking with all sorts of things. She found him too rigid, but then reconsidered—his cautious nature actually made him feel dependable.

The Black Camellia incident had truly ruined Chang Dong. He was meticulous, never careless in the least.

Yet he likely wouldn’t be able to clear his name—not because he lacked confidence, but because those who had condemned him no longer cared about the truth.

Throwing stones at someone in the well was easy—just one simple toss. But pulling them out meant bending down, wading through water, making an effort. Most people wouldn’t bother. They simply acted as if they’d never thrown a stone in the first place. The water covered it anyway.

Ye Liuxi sighed.

Over the radio, Fei Tang was playing music, humming along.

“Pleasant Goat, Pretty Goat… Don’t look at me, I’m just a little goat…”

Ye Liuxi scoffed in annoyance. Damn it. I spent all this time training him from a pet dog into a wolf—now he confesses he’s a goat?

Chang Dong turned off the radio.

“I’ll talk, you listen. No need to look at me—just focus on the road.”

Ye Liuxi shot him a sideways glance. “I wasn’t planning on looking at you.”

The scenery was monotonous, repeating endlessly. Staring at it too long made one drowsy. Having a conversation was good—it helped keep her alert.

“I’ve been thinking about what Liu Qi said, along with what Shen Gun told us… Reaching Sima Road might not actually mean we’ve entered Yumen Pass.”

Ye Liuxi nodded. She had the same feeling. “Then what is Sima Road?”

Chang Dong explained, “In ancient times, entering a city wasn’t as simple as pushing open a door. You had to climb dozens of steps. Sima Road might be the passage required to reach Yumen Pass—a corridor, a front courtyard, a transitional zone with blurred boundaries.”

“Do you remember? Fei Tang looked it up online—there was a driving tourist who secretly took a photo of your back. Later that night, when he went to the bathroom, he was mysteriously pushed. Based on the timeline, it happened right after you drove past in the truck.”

Ye Liuxi started to piece it together. “So, you’re saying he encountered something strange because I was nearby?”

Chang Dong nodded. “To be precise, because you opened the head of the wind[mfn]For context if you don’t remember this was said in an earlier chapter: “There’s an old saying about Lop Nur: ‘The head of the wind, the tail of the water.’ They believed that water and wind were alive. When water dried up here, it was because it had reached the ‘tail of the water.’ And where the wind was most ferocious, that was the ‘head of the wind,’ its source, endlessly producing more.”[/mfn]. Let’s assume that every time you enter the pass, you go through a set sequence: blood, wind head, sandstorm, Sima Road.”

“The scent of blood acts as an attraction or a summon—like knocking on a door.”

“The wind head triggers the sandstorm… Did you notice? Even when your blood was spilled in daylight, the sandstorm only happened at night. It’s a deception—inside a night sandstorm, it’s hard to see anything. Losing people, losing vehicles, getting disoriented, encountering strange occurrences—all become plausible.”

“The phantom caravan disappeared right under the merchant’s eyes—could it be explained by too much sand? Maybe the merchant’s vision blurred for a moment, or he looked away, and just in that brief instant—the caravan crossed into the gate.”

“Going back to Yumen Pass—last time we talked about how Yumen Pass overlaps certain regions in the real world, like two film layers stacked together. It’s possible that some people just happen to exist within this sensitive zone—like that tourist, or even us, setting up camp.”

Ye Liuxi suddenly thought of something. “Fei Tang was dragged by tentacles. That tourist was pushed. And Qiao Meina’s car door was forcibly opened…”

Chang Dong hummed in agreement. “Doesn’t it seem like some kind of defense mechanism? Something scaring off unintentional trespassers—pushing them away, making them flee, ensuring they spread stories that warn others to avoid these eerie places?”

It worked—Fei Tang had been so terrified he wanted to run the next morning, but he couldn’t find a way out.

Chang Dong pondered. “We still don’t know where the gate is. But if we take the gate as the central point, then our campsite is in the outer zone—because odd occurrences there are infrequent and not too intense. Meanwhile, Sima Road is already an important region. It has shadow-puppet coffins buried within it, and that strange eye appeared there. It attacked me, but not you.”

Ye Liuxi smirked. “Because I’m an insider, right? Whether it’s the tentacles or the eye, they give me special treatment.”

Chang Dong remained neutral. “We can’t conclude that yet. Shen Gun said the purpose of the pass is ‘separation,’ and the old songs say ‘one step out and your blood runs dry.’ So far, the only known beings to come out of the pass are shadow puppets… If you are an insider, you must be something exceptional.”

Ye Liuxi joked, “Not necessarily. What if I’m just an evolved shadow puppet? Tonight when I sleep, I’ll let you observe me—you can even touch. See for yourself if I’ve turned into stiff cardboard leather beneath my clothes, and check if my eyeballs still rotate.”

Chang Dong said, “You’re probably not.”

Ye Liuxi squinted at him. “Why?”

“Shadow puppets don’t eat or drink, yet they have money. They’re discreet, introverted. None of those descriptions fit you.”

——

In the afternoon, the vehicle neared Bailongdui. After confirming the location for material reception, the supply truck turned around and headed back.

Chang Dong led the team, following the already chaotic tire tracks deeper into Bailongdui.

It was Ding Liu’s first time seeing the gray-white ghost town. She found the vast, desolate landscape fascinating, busying herself with selfies. After taking her photos, she turned to Gao Shen in frustration. “Why is there no signal? I can’t post to my Moments! What about the portable Wi-Fi? Can’t use it either?”

Ye Liuxi figured Gao Shen must have owed Ding Liu in his past life. He stayed patient, quietly enduring the reprimands no matter how harsh.

Meanwhile, Fei Tang was visibly anxious. Noticing this, Chang Dong pulled him aside. “Nothing will happen. If anything does, I’ll let you know beforehand.”

Fei Tang’s eyes widened. “Dong ge, you can tell in advance?”

Chang Dong gave a slight nod. “Also, try to stay in the camp—it’s safer. No need to follow us outside.”

Fei Tang glanced at Ding Liu’s direction. “What about them? Are they going with you?”

Chang Dong didn’t answer outright.

Of course, they would go. They were the ‘investors’ here, intent on stirring trouble. They would follow step by step—shaking them off was nearly impossible.

“So… I’m staying in the camp alone?” Fei Tang hesitated.

There was no perfect solution. Chang Dong didn’t elaborate. “It’s your choice.”

——

Three vehicles, though close together, clearly split into two groups—while Chang Dong’s side was busy gathering stones, building a fire pit, and cooking, the other side was munching on biscuits and beef jerky, drinking beer. If one didn’t know better, they might have assumed they were out on a picnic.

After dinner, Fei Tang sat beside the camp lantern, reading. He had anticipated boredom and brought several books tailored to their expedition—titles like Ancient Chinese Gold and Silver Jewelry, Folk Costumes, Han-Tang Western Regions and Chinese Civilization.

As usual, Chang Dong opened the shadow puppet case and attached rods to the assembled figures—this was the final step. Once the rods were secured, the shadow puppets would come to life.

Catching a glimpse of Ye Liuxi approaching from the corner of his eye, he knew what was coming—she was bound to make some remark.

Sure enough.

“Why are the shadow puppets different? Just now, that rod was attached behind the neck—but this one goes behind the chest?”

Chang Dong patiently explained. “This one is female—placing the rod behind the chest keeps the posture upright, making it look better. The other is a male—attaching it behind the neck makes the head tilt upward, giving a more spirited appearance.”

“Why is it always like this? People just like to see women push their chests forward.”

Chang Dong: “…It’s because men pushing their chests forward doesn’t look good.”

Ye Liuxi suddenly noticed Ding Liu in the distance—head down, seemingly playing a mobile game, but constantly sneaking glances this way.

She leaned toward Chang Dong. “I’m here, so the little miss is too shy to approach. I’ll relocate.”

Patting herself off, she got up and moved to where Fei Tang was sitting. Fei Tang, already wary of her presence, immediately buried himself deeper into his book, radiating pure academic focus—as if proclaiming, I am diligently expanding my knowledge!

He was desperate to avoid being criticized.

Chang Dong said nothing and continued working.

Sure enough, Ding Liu came over moments later, holding a washing cup. Her hair was lazily clipped up, a few strands falling near her cheeks. She asked, “Can I borrow some hot water? Cold water is too freezing.”

She was timid, polite—a young lady with quite the act.

Chang Dong got up, poured her some hot water. Ding Liu thanked him and left.

Fei Tang, eyes sore from reading, glanced up at the scene and commented, “Oh, she changed her look again.”

Ye Liuxi shot him a sideways glance. “You remember quite well, huh?”

“Yeah. The contrast makes her stand out—she started out wild, then switched to a schoolgirl look, and now she’s going for cute. Actually, Liuxi, you should—”

Ye Liuxi’s tone turned sharp. “Should what?”

Fei Tang finally realized he had slipped up. His tongue faltered. “Change… change up your style. It’d make you look… uh, refreshed.”

Ye Liuxi said, “I don’t need to change styles. My only flaw is being too beautiful. No matter what I wear, people will only see my beauty. Got it?”

Fei Tang wisely stayed silent. After a moment, he grabbed his toiletry cup. “L-Liuxi, I’m heading out to wash up.”

Whatever she said went. She was a three-time national martial arts champion. She was stunning. And Xi’an had a Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee

Ye Liuxi watched Fei Tang walk away, then pulled her gaze back—only to see Chang Dong approaching, carrying a blood-drawing needle and tubing.

Damn it, he’s here to draw my blood again. I better make things difficult for him.

Suddenly, Chang Dong tossed something at her. Ye Liuxi caught it with one swift motion and brought it to eye level.

It was a single-packaged red date, about the size of a small egg. Its dark red skin gleamed—fresh, smooth, not wrinkled.

She raised an eyebrow. “What’s this for?”

“To replenish your blood.”

Ye Liuxi ripped open the packaging, took a bite. The flesh was thick, firm, soft, sweet, and fragrant.

Then, she extended her hand toward him.

---