After Yun Liu left, the old Taoist struggled to his feet. Each movement caused excruciating pain in his wounds, like being cut by a knife, and cold sweat poured down his face. He laboriously moved to the bundle beside him, his hands trembling as he groped inside. After a long while, he pulled out a book with an ancient luster and carefully placed it in his robes. Next, he took out a silver hairpin from deep within his sleeve. The hairpin reflected a cold light in the dim light, and he also carefully placed it in his robes. Having done all this, the old Taoist slowly leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and frowned deeply, as if lost in deep memories and contemplation. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of his heavy, slow breathing.
The old Taoist seemed to float in a mist, his consciousness hovering on the edge of dream and reality. His eyes were tightly closed, his brows furrowing intermittently, images flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern. His master, Yun Jizi's, face appeared and disappeared, that familiar yet mysterious smile seemingly recounting past teachings. Then, from the depths of the cave came the urgent cries of Yun Qi and Yun Ba, voices that seemed to emanate from the deepest hell, carrying endless fear and longing, echoing in his dream. Before the cries faded, the scene shifted, and the Taoist temple hall was completely transformed. He sat upright, holding a scripture, chanting incantations, the solemn and dignified atmosphere like that of another world.
As the first rays of morning sunlight fell on the tent, the old Taoist priest slowly awoke from his jumbled dreams. Yun Liu entered carrying a steaming bowl of porridge and a piece of naan bread, and said softly, "Master, are you hungry? Eat quickly. The camel caravan has already left, and the remaining five men in the cookhouse under Company Commander Li have finished packing. Only one of them knows how to drive, so the seven of us will set off together to return to Ruoqiang City."
The old Taoist slowly sat up, took the porridge, and drank it all in one gulp. The steam rose from his face, restoring some of his strength. He said, "Take plenty of water and food. I have half a bottle of antidote pills here; take them for self-defense." He then struggled to get up, but the movement caused his wounds to burn as if on fire, making him break out in a cold sweat. Seeing this, Yun Liu quickly helped the old Taoist, "Master, let me help you." The old Taoist nodded slightly, and with Yun Liu's support, picked up his baggage and staggered out of the tent. Each step seemed to require all his strength, yet it carried an unwavering determination.
Yun Liu helped the old Taoist priest to the mess hall camp, where all five men were fully equipped and ready to go. Leading them was the squad leader, Zhu Dagui, a burly man with a resolute expression. He announced loudly, "Taoist priest, I am Zhu Dagui, and I can drive. We have two large barrels of gasoline and water in the car. If the weather is normal, we should be able to get back to Ruoqiang City within two days." The old Taoist priest nodded slightly, his eyes full of gratitude: "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Zhu. My disciple and I will sit in the back of the car."
Zhu Dagui turned and walked to the car, struggling for quite some time before finally starting it. The car lurched forward, wobbling as it drove off, clearly indicating that Zhu Dagui's driving skills were still lacking. The car was unbearably hot and stuffy, like a sauna. The old Taoist priest, already poisoned, was aggravated by the toxic fumes in this harsh environment. He struggled to breathe, his face ashen, as if he would die at any moment, clinging to life only with his last shred of willpower.
The car sped along, following the tracks left by the camel caravan, and by afternoon they had covered seventy or eighty li (approximately 35-40 kilometers). However, the caravan tracks ahead had suddenly disappeared. Zhu Dagui hurriedly stopped the car, jumped out, and shouted, "Master, there's a sandstorm ahead! The caravan tracks are all covered. We need to find somewhere to take shelter." Inside the car, the old Taoist priest, barely able to speak, said with difficulty to Yun Liu, "Disciple, do as he says, and be careful in everything." His words were as faint as a candle flame flickering in the wind, as if they might be extinguished at any moment.
Zhu Dagui led the group to a sheltered spot among the giant rocks, where the car could barely be parked between them. Everyone quickly got out of the car, and Zhu Dagui and a few others took out canvas and other items to build a temporary shelter. The old Taoist priest, supported by Yun Liu, struggled to a corner of the rocks and sat down. A fierce wind, carrying sand and gravel, howled in, pounding against the canvas with a thunderous crash, like a thousand horses galloping. Zhu Dagui secured the canvas with rope while shouting for everyone to move closer to the rocks. Yun Liu pulled a blanket from his luggage and wrapped it around the old Taoist priest, trying to shield him from some of the sand and gravel. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind ripped open a corner of the canvas, and sand and gravel poured in. Zhu Dagui rushed over, using his body to hold the canvas down, shouting for his companions to help. With everyone's efforts, the canvas was secured again.
The sandstorm intensified, turning the sky as dark as night. Zhu Dagui retrieved dry rations and water from the cart and distributed them to everyone. The old Taoist priest was extremely weak; Yun Liu carefully fed him a little rations and a few sips of water, but the priest merely shook his head slightly, indicating he couldn't eat. Amidst the raging sandstorm, the group huddled in their makeshift shelter, silently waiting for the storm to pass, each filled with anxiety about the unknown journey ahead.
The following morning, the raging sandstorm finally subsided. Everyone got up, shaking off the sand that covered them. Without a word, Zhu Dagui started the car again and sped along the edge of the desert towards Ruoqiang City.
However, after driving for about two hours, the car suddenly made a sharp, strange noise and then stalled. Zhu Dagui and two men quickly got out to check. Half an hour later, Zhu Dagui said gravely, "Everyone, get out of the car. The engine was damaged by sand in the sandstorm and is beyond repair. We can only walk back now, which is about two hundred li away. If the weather is normal, it will take four or five days."
Upon hearing this, Yun Liu was extremely anxious. He knew that the old Taoist's condition was critical, because the antidote pills had already been used up, and the few remaining ones could only temporarily slow the spread of the poison in his body, and could not completely cure the poison. Moreover, the old Taoist's health was deteriorating, and time was running out.
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