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Chapter 206: Eternal Sky
Regarding my injury, they expressed deep concern later on. However, after learning about the cause and process of the injury, everyone fell silent for a moment.
As for Yu Yu, although we were still not entirely convinced, Cold Snow did not avoid mentioning him, so it seemed he should be trustworthy.
With our eager anticipation, Cold Snow began to share the clues she had found in Beijing.
First and foremost, the issue we were most concerned about was the expedition team from over twenty years ago. After years of investigation, Qinglong had uncovered many leads. The destination they went to was no longer a secret.
The place the expedition team visited back then was—Tengri!
The Tengger Desert is one of China's four major deserts, located in the southeastern part of the Alashan region. It stretches south beyond the Great Wall, east to Helan Mountain, and west to Yabulai Mountain, covering an area of over 30,000 square kilometers. The elevation of the desert is around 1200 to 1400 meters.
The ancient people regarded "the sky" as the eternal highest deity; thus, Tengri means "Eternal Sky" in Mongolian. In Mongolian folk religion, Tengri, or "Sky God," is considered the supreme deity.
In ancient Uyghur mythology, as seen among Turkic-speaking peoples, Tengri is believed to be the ruler of the world and humanity.
The Kyrgyz also retain myths related to Tengri (Sky God) that originate from primitive shamanistic beliefs about the creation of the universe and humanity. The Kazakh word "AK" (white) signifies something extraordinary and worthy of gratitude in the consciousness of Northern Asian nomadic peoples. This understanding of "white" also exists in the languages of other ethnic groups like the Mongols, forming a sacred aspect within the spirituality of Northern Asian nomads.
Throughout different historical stages, due to varying religious beliefs, Tengri has been attributed different meanings associated with various deities: during Zoroastrianism, it referred to the supreme god Ahura Mazda; during Buddhism, it referred to Buddha; and after the Uighurs converted to Islam, it was used to invoke the one true god Allah. Thus, "Tengri" has evolved into an abstract term used to refer broadly to deities.
As for why it is referred to as deities? What stories lie behind this? We do not know.
The desert consists of two parts: the southern ridge and northern Tengri, commonly referred to as the Tengger Desert.
It is said that within the Tengger Desert, there are hundreds of ancient lakes that have existed for millions of years. From a distance, these lakes appear surrounded by salt flats resembling ice and snow, their surfaces shimmering like silver under the sun, akin to glacial seas. Underneath the vast blue sky, it feels expansive and desolate; towering sand dunes rise and fall like frozen waves, their graceful lines revealing extraordinary beauty. On the flat grasslands, herds of cattle and sheep roam freely while Camels wander about. The most famous area there is Tonghu Grassland, which was originally an inland lake deep within a desert; surrounding it are patches of grassland with many double-humped Camels.
Looking at descriptions online, a grand scene automatically emerged in my mind, making me eager to visit.
Cold Snow mainly talks about a place called Moon Lake.
Standing on the high dunes of Tengri, you will be amazed to discover a peculiar natural lake, which is Moon Lake. It is located in the heart of the Tengger Desert and is the closest desert adventure camp to major cities in the country, making it the best journey for modern urban dwellers seeking thrilling excitement and complete relaxation away from their competitive lives.
Moon Lake has three unique features:
First, it resembles a China Map: from the high dunes, a complete China Map unfolds before us, with the distribution of reeds marking each province and region of the country.
Second, the lake water is a natural Medicinal Bath formula: covering an area of three square kilometers, monitoring shows that Moon Lake consists of half freshwater and half saltwater! It is rich in iron oxide and over ten other trace minerals, closely resembling the Medicinal Bath formula recommended by the International Health Organization. Moreover, the lake water has remarkable purification abilities; despite being millions of years old, it remains crystal clear! Surprisingly, although the annual rainfall there is only 220 millimeters, the lake water has not only remained stable but has actually increased!
Third, there is a million-year-old Black Sand Beach! This natural bathing beach stretches for one kilometer and is nearly a hundred meters wide. Beneath its surface lies over ten meters of pure Black Sand Mud, which far exceeds the black mud of the Dead Sea and is a natural treasure for mud therapy! This truly represents a unique pure ecological resource of the Tengger Desert!
Additionally, there is "Mingquan" in the desert, which is said to predict earthquakes!
“Could it be that they went to Moon Lake back then?” Xianxian asked.
Cold Snow nodded and said, “That’s what the information says.”
I pondered for a moment and then asked Cold Snow, “What about other matters?”
Without me needing to elaborate, Cold Snow understood my question and replied, “According to the information from that area, your family did indeed move away from here. Although many years have passed, it seems that the location hasn’t changed. Should we go?”
“Let’s not go for now…” I thought for a moment and decided against returning to that so-called “hometown.” Since we already knew where the expedition team had gone back then, our current task was to find Lime. If he was unwilling to return, we would need to help him.
Back then, although he had been there once, he had ultimately risked his life there. This time, I didn’t believe he could return easily. If something unfortunate were to happen… we couldn’t bear such consequences nor dare to face them. Therefore, we must go to Tengri and bring him back!
“There’s one more thing.” Just as we were about to disperse, Cold Snow hesitated before speaking again.
“What else is there?” Xianxian, who had just stood up, sat back down again and stretched lazily as she asked.
Cold Snow looked at me and calmly said, "We have found the whereabouts of Feng Yuanliang."
"What!" Even though I had mentally prepared myself, I couldn't help but feel excited upon hearing this news. I stared at Cold Snow without blinking, hoping she would tell me more quickly. However, the moment she revealed it, I regretted it...
Xianxian comforted me with a few words, and everyone dispersed, leaving the surroundings much quieter. In this silence, which should have cleared my mind, I felt unusually restless and indecisive.
All along, my goal had been to trace my father's footsteps and clues. But now that I knew his destination, I found myself at a crossroads. On one side were my brothers who had shared life and death with me, and on the other was my flesh-and-blood father. I didn't want to give up either side.
Was Lime's destination dangerous? Naturally, it was dangerous!
But was the place my father was going to dangerous? Heh, Cold Snow told me that many people from the organization had been there before, but those who returned safely... were almost nonexistent...
What should I do?!
Holding my head in my hands, I felt an intense headache!
There were two paths ahead of me, but I could only choose one. No matter which side I chose, I had a foreboding feeling that if I chose one side, I would never see the people on the other side again—or rather, that there would be no chance to meet them again...
After a simple dinner, I called Xianxian and Pei Zi to discuss things and informed them of my decision.
"Have you really decided?" Xianxian asked, looking quite conflicted.
I nodded. "I've left it to you to prepare; we will set off tomorrow afternoon."
"So soon? Your injury hasn't healed yet!" Black Bear looked at me in surprise.
I smiled and said, "I can recover while on the road; it won't be a problem."
"Although I understand your feelings, you are really pushing it!" Yu Yu exclaimed in disbelief, jumping up and looking at us with curiosity. "I can't wait to meet the friend you keep talking about. It's so touching; this kind of friendship is truly enviable!"
I gave a wry smile. "He's saved me many times; it's nothing special." The most important thing is that Lime gave me The Dead. The value of The Dead is self-evident; it represents immense wealth. If Lime had The Dead, I wouldn't worry about him no matter where he went. But the problem is he doesn't; he gave it to me. So, when he needs help, I must go! I've said before that my life already belongs to him.
...
Another quiet night, I lay in bed unable to sleep.
The curtains were half-open, and the view outside the ship was unobstructed. Looking through the window at the vast night sky, the twinkling stars filled the entire horizon. Each star was a planet, yet we were suffering on this one among countless others.
I have never understood what it means to live in this world.
What significance do all these events hold for me? If we truly find the Divine Sign and uncover the secret of immortality, then what should we do afterward?
It seems that there are no answers to be found.
I just feel that everything happening right now is too burdensome for an ordinary person like me. This kind of life was something I had never imagined before. For a moment, I felt as if everything was just a dream. But when I came back to my senses, I realized that it was all real.
Tomorrow, we will head to Tengri. Since we've made this decision, there's no room for future regrets.
If we can survive this time, if we meet again in the next place, I just want to say one thing: Dad, I'm sorry I'm late... I can't just watch Lime go to such a dangerous place. In my subconscious, he has already died once over there, so I'm worried that this time he might... So, I hope you can understand me...
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