Chapter 26 Untitled Draft
The setting sun cast its last rays of golden red onto the rolling sand dunes. A breeze, still carrying the lingering warmth, swept across the area, stretching the four figures' shadows into long, thin lines on the scorching sand. Black Bear leaned half his body on Zhang Qiling's shoulder, his left leg slightly lame, his trouser cuffs still stained with dark red sand brought from the Queen Mother of the West's palace. Yet, the roguish smile on his lips hadn't faded. He even moved closer to Zhang Qiling's neck, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded: "Dumb, this time you owe me a life—if I hadn't shielded you from that blood corpse, you'd be buried under the meteorite jade with Jude Kao right now."
Zhang Qiling didn't respond, but the hand that had been loosely supporting Hei Xiazi's waist tightened even more, his knuckles gripping the fabric of the other's lower back, and his pace slowed by half a beat. Hei Xiazi deliberately swayed, trying to provoke him into saying something, but saw Zhang Qiling immediately look down at his legs, his eyes darkening, and simply begin to half-support him as they walked—the force was just right, enough to save Hei Xiazi some effort without making him look disheveled.
Wu Xie, standing behind him, kicked aside a pebble, his brow furrowed. He touched the half-empty bottle of water in his backpack, glanced at the two people supporting each other in front of him, and whispered to Xie Yuchen, "Although Jude Kao was buried by the fragments of the collapsed meteorite, not all of his men perished inside. They might still be watching nearby." Xie Yuchen gazed at the darkening horizon, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the compass at his waist. "What's more troublesome is the curse the old man guarding the tomb mentioned. Half of the clues to the Queen Mother of the West's palace have been severed. If we can't break it, the rest of us..." Before he could finish, the wind suddenly turned cold, whipping up fine sand that stung their faces.
The four found a sheltered spot against a recessed rock face. Zhang Qiling first helped Hei Xiazi sit down on the rock face before turning around and taking out a flint from his backpack. Wu Xie squatted down to help gather the dry grass, watching Zhang Qiling skillfully strike out sparks. He suddenly recalled the scene at the Seven Star Lu Palace—back then, Xiao Ge was the same, always at the forefront, blocking out trouble. But now, his attention was clearly more focused on Hei Xiazi.
As the campfire crackled and spread its warmth, Hei Xiazi leaned against the rock wall, his sunglasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing a pair of smiling eyes, staring intently at Zhang Qiling as he rummaged through his backpack. A moment later, Zhang Qiling pulled out a cloth bag containing dried herbs and bandages—the same ones Hei Xiazi had insisted on giving him outside the Queen Mother of the West's palace, saying, "You always forget to bring these, mute. I've prepared them for you."
"Hiss—" Just as Hei Xiazi was about to make a joke, Zhang Qiling's fingers touched the wound on his shoulder. The spot where the blood zombie had scratched him was still bleeding, and the herbal medicine stung when applied. He subconsciously shrank his shoulder, but saw Zhang Qiling's movements slow down instantly. His fingertips gently brushed the skin around the wound, and even his breathing became lighter.
“Little Third Master,” Hei Xiazi suddenly turned and called to Wu Xie, trying to divert his attention, “Let’s go back to that braised pork shop near the Drum Tower, it’s on me.” Wu Xie was checking the map with Xie Yuchen when he heard this and was stunned: “You’re injured like this and you still have the mind to eat?” “To celebrate our survival.” Hei Xiazi grinned, but just as he finished speaking, he hissed—it turned out that Zhang Qiling had deliberately tightened the bandages a little when she was bandaging him.
Wu Xie could see clearly that Zhang Qiling's face was expressionless, but the tips of her ears were slightly red in the firelight. He secretly exchanged a glance with Xie Yuchen, who was trying to suppress a laugh, but quickly lowered his head and pretended to look at the compass.
As night deepened, Wu Xie and Xie Yuchen fell asleep against the rock wall. The campfire gradually died down, leaving only a few sparks flickering. Hei Xiazi leaned on Zhang Qiling's shoulder, his voice low: "Do you recognize the jade pendant we picked up from the meteorite during the day?" Zhang Qiling looked down, his fingertips tracing the jade pendant in his pocket. The pendant was engraved with the totem of the Queen Mother of the West, its patterns somewhat similar to the bronze gate he had seen in Changbai Mountain. "The palace-guarding jade of the Queen Mother of the West's palace," he said softly. "I've seen similar ones deep within the meteorite before. They can suppress corpse energy, but they're also tainted with curses."
Hei Xiazi was silent for a while, then asked, "The old man guarding the tomb said that the curse would haunt anyone who touched the jade, you..." "I will find a way to break it." Zhang Qiling interrupted him, his fingertips tightening around the jade pendant, the warmth of his palm passing through the jade to Hei Xiazi's wrist—Hei Xiazi's hand was resting on his arm, and he could clearly feel the strength in his fingertips.
Suddenly, a wolf howl echoed from afar, a sound unlike anything one would expect in the desert. Zhang Qiling instantly straightened up, the Black Gold Ancient Sword already in his hand, the sound of the scabbard scraping against the ground exceptionally clear in the silence. He pressed down on Hei Xiazi's shoulder, signaling him not to move, and then, like a shadow, disappeared into the night, leaving no trace.
Black Bear leaned against the rock wall, his fingers unconsciously touching the gun at his waist, feeling a little panicked—he knew Zhang Qiling was powerful, but the desert was full of unknowns, and what if something unexpected happened… Before he could finish his thought, a soft sound came from the night, and Zhang Qiling returned, carrying a wooden wolf head in his hand. The wolf head's eyes were painted red, exactly the same as the markings in Jude Kao's team.
“It’s a warning.” Zhang Qiling threw the wolf’s head into the campfire, and the flames leaped up, crackling as they burned the head. “They’re following us.” Hei Xiazi looked at the coldness on his face and reached out to touch his wrist. “Don’t worry, I can still lend you a hand.” Zhang Qiling didn’t speak, but squatted down and tightened the bandages again, his fingertips brushing against the back of his hand with a soothing tone.
The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, the desert was already sweltering like a sauna. Black Bear's injuries began to worsen; his lips turned purple, he swayed after every few steps, and his breathing became heavy. Zhang Qiling simply half-carried, half-supported him, his left hand supporting his legs and his right hand cradling his back, bearing almost all of Black Bear's weight on his own. Wu Xie wanted to come and help, but Zhang Qiling shook his head: "His wounds are poisonous; getting too close would expose him to the stench of death."
At noon, Xie Yuchen suddenly shouted, "There's an oasis ahead!" Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw several poplar trees standing behind the sand dunes, with a pool of water beneath them, its shimmering light dazzling their eyes. Zhang Qiling quickened his pace, helped the bear to the shade of the trees, first squatted down to test the temperature of the water, then took out a water bag from his backpack, filled it with water, and held it to the bear's mouth.
"Dumb guy, drink some yourself." Hei Xiazi tried to push him away, but Zhang Qiling held his hand. He looked into Zhang Qiling's eyes, those eyes that were always as calm as an ancient well, and there was actually a hint of panic in them—was she worried about him? Hei Xiazi's heart skipped a beat, and he deliberately leaned closer, saying in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Are you worried about me?"
Zhang Qiling paused, looked up at him, and without speaking, brought the water pouch closer to his lips. Hei Xiazi smiled, opened his mouth and took a sip. The water was cold, but it warmed him from his throat to his heart.
While Wu Xie and Xie Yuchen went to fetch water, Zhang Qiling lifted Hei Xiazi's collar—the area around the wound had turned black, and toxins were seeping inside. He pulled out an antidote pill from his pocket, the one Hei Xiazi had given him earlier, saying, "This thing can cure corpse poison; keep it for emergencies." Now he crushed the pill and applied it to Hei Xiazi's wound, his fingertips trembling slightly—this was the first time Hei Xiazi had seen him like this, as if he were afraid of breaking some precious treasure.
"You won't die." Hei Xiazi grasped his wrist, the warmth of his palm transferring to him. "Don't make that grumpy face. Once we get out, I'll take you to eat braised pork offal." Zhang Qiling looked up, meeting his gaze, and after a moment of silence, softly replied, "Mmm." The voice was very soft, yet it was like a pebble falling into Hei Xiazi's heart, rippling outwards with warmth.
The four rested for half an hour before continuing their journey. Hei Xiazi, leaning against Zhang Qiling, still had the energy to hum a tune, off-key and unreliable, a type of flower-drum opera he used to sing in Changsha. Zhang Qiling didn't interrupt him, but simply steadied his steps, always managing to catch Hei Xiazi when he stumbled, his fingers gripping the other's waist as if to confirm he was still there.
As dusk fell, the outline of the city finally appeared in the distance, the gray shadows of buildings appearing and disappearing in the setting sun. Wu Xie breathed a sigh of relief and patted Xie Yuchen on the shoulder: "Finally out!" Xie Yuchen smiled as well, putting away the compass: "Let's find a hotel to stay in first, and then think about what to do next."
Hei Xiazi breathed a sigh of relief, leaning on Zhang Qiling's shoulder, his voice tinged with weariness: "Finally, I can have something hot to eat..." Zhang Qiling looked down at him, his fingertips gently touching his cheek, trying to make sure he was still feeling unwell. But before he could speak, his brows suddenly furrowed, his gaze darkening as he looked towards the city.
“Something’s not right.” His voice turned colder. “There’s a familiar aura.” Black Glasses instantly snapped out of his daze and looked in the direction of his gaze: “Are they Jude Kao’s men?” Zhang Qiling nodded, grasped his hand, and tightened his grip: “They’re waiting outside the city, trying to ambush us.”
Wu Xie and Xie Yuchen's smiles froze. The warmth of the campfire and the coolness of the oasis seemed to vanish instantly, leaving only the cold desert wind, carrying unease.
Zhang Qiling looked at Hei Xiazi, his eyes no longer filled with panic, only determination: "I won't let them hurt you." Hei Xiazi smiled, squeezed his hand, and stood beside him, gazing at the distant city—a place where unknown dangers lurked, but as long as this person was by his side, it seemed that no matter how big the trouble, they could get through it.
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