Although Jin Qiaoyue looked young, she gave off a very composed aura.
Most of the information Guan Zhenwan gave me was about Fu Kui; there wasn't much about Jin Qiaoyue, only that she was Fu Kui's niece. Nothing else was provided.
I didn't understand why Fu Kui would bring such a young girl with him this time.
However, I figured someone like Fu Kui wouldn't be traveling with his niece for leisure. This woman was likely not as simple as she appeared.
Jin Qiaoyue looked at me and asked, "I heard Mr. Xiang is a master tomb raider?"
"I wouldn't call myself a master, just someone who's stumbled into ancient tombs a few times by chance," I replied, exhaling a puff of smoke.
A flicker of something crossed her eyes, and she said, "Mr. Xiang, my uncle is quite old, and this trip was not easy for him. You've seen his condition. He likely won't be able to make it to the Pamir Plateau anytime soon."
"What does Miss Jin mean?"
"I mean, let him stay here, and I'll accompany you. We can have him join us later once we find the place we're looking for," Jin Qiaoyue said.
I hesitated, then replied, "That's not entirely impossible, but I'm worried that once we get onto the plateau, electronic communication devices might lose signal. Then..."
"You don't need to worry about that. I have my ways," Jin Qiaoyue assured me.
"Is this Mr. Fu's decision?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Alright, if Mr. Fu wants to stay, it's not necessarily an unwise decision," I conceded. "Will Mr. A Yuan also stay behind?"
"A Yuan will accompany me."
"So, Mr. Fu will be left here alone?"
Jin Qiaoyue explained, "I've already notified people. They will arrive in the next couple of days to meet my uncle here."
I nodded and didn't say anything further.
After all, they were paying for this, and their arrangements were entirely up to them. Even if they didn't want to travel with me, I wouldn't object.
After dinner, our group returned to the inn to rest. The next morning, we continued our journey.
The Pamir Plateau is located at the border of Xinjiang and Kazakhstan and is the highest plateau in the world.
Its average elevation is above 5,000 meters, with many peaks exceeding 6,000 meters.
The scenery here is spectacular, featuring numerous lakes and glaciers. The climate is cold in winter, with frequent strong winds and blizzards. Summers are mild, but due to the high altitude, daytime temperatures are not high, and nights are very cold. The ecosystem is unique, with many endemic animals and plants.
In addition, the Pamir Plateau boasts many ancient cultural heritage sites. Among them is the ancient city of Dunhuang, known as the "starting point of the Silk Road."
We departed in the morning. The sky was overcast with mist, but it cleared up around ten o'clock. Our vehicle followed the road to a rest area.
What was called a rest area was actually a few herder families' homes.
Reshti knew them, so we stayed there for the night, and the next day we would begin our trek.
In the evening, Fatty and I stood outside the tent, smoking. Not far away, the mountain peaks soared into the clouds, covered in snow, resembling the mighty Himalayas.
Besides the distant mountains and deep valleys, we could vaguely see some lakes and glaciers.
As the sun began to set, the shadows of the peaks cast upon the lake's surface. The evening glow bloomed, and the red sunset dyed the valley, creating a breathtaking view that was hard to forget.
Fatty exclaimed, "Master Xiang, the scenery here is truly magnificent. Living here for a year or two would probably add several years to one's life."
I chuckled, "You say that, but if you were actually made to live here, you'd probably be unable to stand it after a day or two."
While the scenery and air were indeed good, this place was also extremely remote. Those accustomed to city life would find it unbearable.
There was no running water, no electricity, and no signs of modern conveniences.
For those who had lived here since childhood, it wouldn't be an issue. But for people like us, it was simply too much to handle.
That night, Reshti's friends prepared a lavish dinner for us, including lamb, chicken, pilaf, and flatbread.
We had been eating similar meals for the past few days. Besides the food, they also provided us with wine and beer.
The wine was acceptable, but I couldn't stomach their beer; it had too much of a kick.
During the meal, Reshti, while eating, briefed us on the local terrain.
We were heading towards the Alay Valley in the northern part of the Pamir Plateau. It would take several days to get there, and there were no roads, only hiking trails.
All our equipment would have to be carried by horses.
Of course, I didn't have to worry about these logistical matters; Li Chuang had already taken care of everything.
Before dinner, I had noticed Li Chuang talking to Reshti for a while and handing him a significant amount of money to buy horses from his friends.
Our vehicle would be left here, and someone would look after it for us.
The next day, we started our mountain trek. Initially, everyone was in high spirits, especially Fatty, who even belted out a few songs while walking, his voice echoing loudly in the valley.
However, his singing didn't last long. After a few hours, he was exhausted, gasping for air.
The altitude here was so high that even walking was tiring. It was no wonder he was panting after singing; he had brought it upon himself.
We didn't walk very fast, as it was difficult to do so at this altitude.
Along the way, Jiang Ye and his wife, Zhao Xuezhen, were quite busy, constantly taking pictures, not at all like people searching for treasure.
They were together all day, which was quite amusing to us.
"Mr. Xiang, how much longer until we reach the location on the map? I think the weather isn't very good. Will it change in the next few days?" Jiang Ye's half-baked Mandarin gave me a headache.
"What's 'weather'?" Fatty chimed in, asking.
"Not 'weather,' it's weather, the climate," Jiang Ye corrected.
Fatty gruffly replied, "If it's the climate, just say climate. Are you going to die if you speak Chinese? We're all Chinese."
Jiang Ye looked apologetic and said, "Sorry."
I asked Reshti, who said it would take about two days of heading north to reach the Alay Valley, and the weather wouldn't change significantly.
Hearing this, Jiang Ye nodded and began conversing with his wife in English, though I wasn't sure what they were discussing.
We continued like this, walking and resting. By evening, we set up camp in a valley, pitched our tents, made a bonfire, and heated up some canned food, having a rather simple meal.
After dinner, I lay by the bonfire, gazing at the vast starry sky, about to ask Fatty for a cigarette when a sudden shout made me sit up abruptly.