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墨書 Inktalez
The new destination was set, and Kairuot immediately informed everyone that they would depart for Dunhuang the next day.
Early the next morning, under the enthusiastic farewell of the herders, Kairuot, Li Girl, and Bel Purewood boarded the Giant Dragon Osei and flew towards Dunhuang.
They quickly landed on the sand dunes of Mingsha Mountain, within the realm of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. To avoid drawing attention, the Giant Dragon Osei did not linger and soon returned to the sky.
Kairuot stood in the already desertified area and looked up. Under the blue sky, thousands of caves of various sizes were scattered across the cliffs of Mingsha Mountain. He marveled at this wonder of the earth, the Mogao Caves. He did not understand why Li Girl's parents had come here, wondering to himself: "Could there be some secret hidden within these Mogao Caves?"
Li Girl gazed at the surrounding scenery and said with confusion, "So many caves, but I can't tell which one is meant for habitation. Did my parents really choose to live among these peculiar caves?"
Kairuot replied, "We'll find out by going inside."
Bel Purewood, who usually didn't speak much, rare as it was, shook his head and said, "I heard about this place when I was on the grasslands. They said that those caves with sculptures and murals are not meant for living; the caves suitable for habitation are mostly arranged to the north." He pointed towards those caves in the northern direction.
"Regardless of whether they are for living or meditation," Li Girl said with a frown as she looked at the desolate area, "as long as I see my parents inside, I'll immediately bring them out. I won't let them stay in this godforsaken place."
"Your parents are martial artists and used to living in groups; I don't think they would be interested in these sandy cave dwellings," Kairuot expressed his thoughts. "They must have discovered something here."
At that moment, they noticed many Buddhist disciples, nobility, merchants, and common people—devout followers—continuously arriving at the Mogao Caves. It seemed to be a well-known pilgrimage site.
Li Girl stood at a distance gazing at the numerous caves and asked, "With so many caves, it feels like we won't finish exploring even in ten days or half a month."
"We'll choose to visit the most popular caves," Kairuot suggested. "That might help us find some clues."
Thus, they mingled with the crowd of worshippers and began their exploration at the cave with the highest number of visitors.
First, they arrived at one of the landmarks of Mogao Caves: Cave 1, home to the Giant Buddha. The building in front of this cave was five stories tall, sharply pointed and towering with uneven eaves; it was quite eye-catching. There were many people here to pay their respects. Incense smoke wafted through the air alongside chants; people were offering incense before the Buddha statue while bowing deeply three times. A devout monk stood before the Giant Buddha holding a string of prayer beads and continuously reciting scriptures. When he saw Kairuot and his companions enter without offering incense or paying respects but instead looking around curiously, he immediately approached them and asked, "You three seem extraordinary; you must not be here just to worship."
Kairuot couldn't understand what he was saying.
The monk immediately switched to Mars Language and said, "You are from Mars, right?"
"Are you Martians?" Kairuot asked. "We have encountered a fellow countryman."
The monk shook his head and replied, "I am not a Martian, I am an Earthling."
"How do you know Mars Language?" Lily asked.
The monk answered, "An Immortal Mistress taught me."
"Where is the Immortal Mistress?" Lily exclaimed. "Take us to see her."
"The Immortal Mistress rarely comes here now; it is said she lives in Penglai Wonderland, which is very far from here." The monk's answer disappointed them. "However, we have her portrait in our cave."
Li Girl was already impatient: "Take us to see it now."
The monk nodded and led them to the cave adorned with the Flying Celestial Mural. As soon as they entered the cave, Li Girl spotted a figure flying on the west side of the east wall, holding a lotus in both hands, her form light and graceful, with long ribbons fluttering beneath her, surrounded by falling petals, soaring in one direction against the wind.
Upon seeing her face and posture, Li Girl couldn't help but exclaim, "She is Belle."
The monk asked in surprise, "Do you know her?"
"Not just know her," Li Girl said, pointing at Kairuot. "This is her husband."
Upon hearing that Kairuot was the husband of the Immortal Mistress in the mural, the monk quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "My apologies, I did not know you were the husband of the Immortal Mistress. I have been disrespectful; please forgive me."
"Don't mention it," Kairuot said. "I just want to know where this Immortal Mistress is now."
The monk said, "I just told you, she is in Penglai Wonderland. I have never been to that place. The Immortal Mistress flies down from the heavens and comes here every year, sometimes staying for ten days or half a month. This year, she stayed the shortest time, leaving after just a few days. We wanted to learn martial arts from her, but she said she had urgent matters and left in a hurry."
Kairuot asked, "Did she leave anything behind?"
The monk replied, "It seems she left a Martial Arts Manual in the Cave of Scriptures for us to study on our own."
"Right, I remember now," the monk continued. "Not long ago, an elderly couple also inquired about her after seeing this painting of her flying. In the end, they left disappointed."
Li Girl eagerly asked upon hearing this news, "Where did they go?"
The monk recalled, "They were quite distinguished people. From their conversation, it seemed their home was in Chang'an City."
"Kairuot brother," Li Girl said anxiously, "we must go to Chang'an City immediately to find my parents."
Upon hearing Lily say she was the daughter of the elderly couple, the monk carefully examined her and said, "These two elderly people even had a statue made of their daughter here. I think that statue resembles you quite a bit."
Li Girl widened her eyes and said, "Really? Hurry and take me to see it."
They followed the monk and searched through several nearby caves for Lily's statue. They unexpectedly discovered a Dragon Mural and finally found Lily's statue in one cave. The statue was indeed remarkably lifelike.
Kairuot looked at the statue and said to Li Girl, "From this statue, you can see how much your parents love you. Your image will forever be etched in their hearts. We must find them no matter what."
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