My Demon Friends-Chapter 550 - 529: The Sky is High and the Emperor is Far Away

Yadan Geological Park was the terminus of the western route from Dunhuang.

It was not far from Yumen Pass now.

The park closed at 5:00 PM.

By this time, tourists could no longer enter. However, the park was situated in the midst of the Great Desert, in the Gobi terrain—there was always a way to find a path inside.

Because most of the Gobi area far from the main roads was an ecological preservation zone protected by barbed wire fences, one first needed to find a gap and then plan a suitable route.

The road conditions in the Gobi were complex; even rugged off-road vehicles could easily get stuck. It was also common to find the path ahead blocked for various reasons, and sharp stones could easily puncture tires. The difficulty was probably higher than crossing the Great Highway, just not as long, so ordinary people couldn't manage it. People like Zhou Li and Huai Xu had gotten their vehicle stuck dozens of times and encountered several roadblocks. Fortunately, they did not experience any tire blowouts; otherwise, they would have had to learn to change tires on the spot.

Moreover, this kind of activity was illegal, against regulations, and unethical.

Therefore, Zhou Li felt both excited and apprehensive. He was afraid of becoming an internet sensation if discovered, at which point Brother Nan would definitely laugh at him. His only recourse would be to seek help from Yin Le, but Yin Le would undoubtedly laugh at him too.

It would be even worse if they were mistaken for poachers.

Luckily, they had not been discovered yet.

It was half past six when they saw the Yadan formations, approaching sunset for that time of year. The wind grew stronger, blowing Lord Dumpling's fur in one direction, making it look soft and sleek. The temperature had already dropped to the point where Zhou Li felt cold even in a down jacket.

The car stopped.

A crimson sun hung on the distant horizon. The previously azure sky was dyed blood-red, and a few feathery clouds that had appeared overhead at some point were also tainted red.

The Gobi still stretched boundlessly with slight undulations. This place was not only a scenic area but also beyond the reach of typical tourists. As far as the eye could see, there was no trace of civilization. The ground was scattered with numerous rocks sculpted by wind and sand over countless millennia into their current bizarre and peculiar forms, making one feel as if on another planet.

These wind-eroded rocks were the Yadan, meaning steep earthen mounds.

Some of these rocks resembled castles, some battleships, some human faces, and some religious statues. At night, when the wind blew through them, they produced eerie howling sounds, which were quite terrifying, earning the place the name Devil's City.

"Whew…"

Zhou Li exhaled deeply, his breath turning into white vapor.

The sun edged closer to the horizon.

Before coming, he had read online reviews stating the park was a bit of a scam. The combined cost of tickets and the sightseeing bus was not cheap, yet the viewing time was very short and inflexible. Visitors could only ride a bus, which would stop at each site to let people get off and take photos, but generally not for long. Moreover, one couldn't stray too far from the road or get close to the Yadan formations. The tour would be over quickly. In comparison, there was another Devil's City in Hamigua City, near the start of Qingjiang. Entry tickets there were just twenty yuan, and visitors could drive their own vehicles inside without additional charges. That area was large, even allowing for overnight stays. As long as one wasn't afraid of getting stuck, one could drive freely. The famous remote route, the Great Highway, started there. Thus, one could even drive all the way to Turpan, enjoying Gobi and Yadan landscapes along the way, though that would require a well-prepared team of off-road vehicles.

Zhou Li hadn't originally planned to come here. He only decided to check it out after Huai Xu mentioned it, and unexpectedly, he found it quite liberating.

The feeling of not buying a ticket… was thrilling.

Zhou Li stealthily glanced at Huai Xu from the corner of his eye.

At that moment, the Old Monster was standing atop a Yadan. His head was raised, gazing distantly at the blood-red sunset, his face showing no emotion. The Great Devil King had waged wars here, his hands stained with copious blood; of course, he wouldn't be thrilled over something as minor as sneaking into a park.

Suddenly, Huai Xu lowered his head to look at him. "Why don't you come up too? I haven't seen such a beautiful sunset in a long time."

Zhou Li surveyed the Yadan.

It was vertical, larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, making it very difficult to climb and looking quite dangerous.

So he pursed his lips. "I've heard that climbing on them can cause irreversible damage to the Yadan. If a piece of rock is dislodged, it might accelerate erosion from that spot."

After saying that, he climbed onto the roof of the car.

The sunset was indeed magnificent.

The ground was virtually barren of grass and utterly deserted, adding a touch of desolation to the splendor.

"Desert smoke rises straight, the long river's sunset is round..."

"What?"

"A poem."

"Which poem?"

"'Sent to Beyond the Great Wall,' by Wang Wei."

"I know Wang Wei," Huai Xu said. "He wrote, 'Though all are adorned with red jade, one person is missing,' and also, 'After new rain in the empty mountains, the weather at dusk feels like late autumn.'" He paused, then lowered his head and asked, "What grade were you in when you learned that one?"

"I think I learned it in middle school," Zhou Li said uncertainly, his memory a bit fuzzy. "The original lines are: 'Beside my lone cart, I ask the way, my mission takes me past Juyan of the vassal state. Like windblown tumbleweed, I leave the Han frontier; the returning geese fly into the northern sky. In the great desert, lone smoke rises straight; over the long river, the setting sun is round. At Xiao Pass, I meet dispatch riders, only to learn the Protector-General is at Yanran.'"

"Blah-blah-blah-blah at Yanran~~" Tuanzi recited along.

"What does it mean?" Huai Xu asked.

"It describes the poet's mission to the frontier garrisons," Zhou Li patiently explained to the Old Monster, who only had an elementary school education. "It means that the poet, sent on this mission, had traveled far. He arrived Beyond the Great Wall, feeling as disheveled as wind-scattered grass. By then, it was dusk; geese flew homeward in the sky. In the vast desert, a lone plume of smoke rose straight to the clouds, and the setting sun reflected in the long river appeared perfectly round. When he met the scouting cavalry and inquired, he learned that the Protector-General was at the front lines and hadn't come to greet him. The poem not only depicts the magnificent desolation of the desert landscape but also expresses his own feelings of frustration at being sidelined. Overall, despite a hint of sorrow and loneliness, the poet maintains a broad-minded perspective."

"Oh..."

Huai Xu nodded, staring at the sunset. After a while, he asked again, "Was he around here too?"

"I don't know. Probably not."

Actually, the poem mentioned three place names, but Zhou Li recalled that they likely didn't refer to specific, literal locations in this context. "Passing through the Vassal State at Juyan"—"Vassal State" was probably an official title. Juyan itself is likely located in what is now Alxa League's Ejin Banner in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Jinta County in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. Jinta County isn't far from their current position, but the poet's mission didn't actually pass through Juyan. As for Xiao Pass and Yanran, both are historical allusions. "Meeting the dispatch riders at Xiao Pass" might be an allusion to a line by He Xun: "Dispatch riders leave Xiao Pass, pursuing troops head to Mayi." Yanran, in this poem, simply referred to the front line.

"The sun is about to set. Are you cold?"

"A little."

"I'll make a fire for you in a bit."

"No need."

"Don't worry, I'll find a place surrounded by rocks where no one can find us," Huai Xu said, looking at the sunset and talking to himself. "And if someone does find us, I'll take them out."

"No need."

"I'll go get some food later—eating will warm us up."

"Okay."

"There's a strong scent of demons in the wind."

"Do you recognize any?"

"Don't know."

"I see..."

"Look at the sky, the stars are coming out."

"Hmm..."

Zhou Li sat cross-legged on the roof of the car, looking up. At first, he only saw the brightest star, but after watching for a little longer, he quickly spotted more.

The horizon turned redder and redder.

The elongated Yadan formations were neatly aligned, like a grand naval fleet.

The sun sank below the horizon.

...

Huai Xu built a fire anyway, damaging the environment.

Zhou Li sat down by the fire. The wind was cold, but the fire was warm. He held a thick bowl containing half a portion of rice, topped with stir-fried cabbage, a few slices of cured meat, and a pickled cowpea. It was from Little Zheng's Fast Food, which Huai Xu had just fetched. True to its name, it arrived quickly.

As Huai Xu ate, he said to Zhou Li, "Isn't it comfortable with the fire? See, you can even tend it."

"It's easy to be discovered."

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of becoming famous."

"We should find some wood and set up a pot. I can handle it. Catch a few wild animals, boil a pot of meat, then roast some chunks of meat below, and throw in a few sweet potatoes..." Huai Xu, completely ignoring Zhou Li's mood, indulged in his fantasy. "Simply delightful."

"Is this how you used to do it?"

"Of course, we had to. Otherwise, we'd freeze to death," Huai Xu said. "But back then, there wasn't much to eat. It was hard to catch small animals, and there was little in the way of vegetables or meat, with even fewer seasonings. We ate better in the military camp. Outside, it was worse—mostly just a mishmash stew or a random roast, seasoned only with salt. It wasn't tasty."

"Many vegetables were introduced much later."

"Yeah. Back then, even the capital didn't have much good food, so we were even worse off. We ate all sorts of wild vegetables, grasses, lizards, and poisonous insects. It's nothing like now, with so much food—better than what even the Emperor ate."

"What kinds of things are there in this Great Desert?"

"There are lizards, snakes, scorpions, foxes, wild donkeys, wild camels, and maybe a small type of wolf native to this area. I've eaten all of them."

"Foxes... Little Wei."

"I'm going to tell Li Daimao! That'll teach you for thinking about fox spirits!" Huai Xu snorted twice. "I've seen this TV show."

"Movie."

"What?"

"It's a movie, not a TV show."

"..."

Don't I know that? Do you need to tell me?

Huai Xu froze for a few seconds, feeling disrespected. He immediately took out his phone, intending to tell Li Daimao right in front of Zhou Li.

Zhou Li sat calmly across the fire, watching him for a few seconds before saying—

"No signal."

"POOF..."

Huai Xu vanished on the spot.

He reappeared a few seconds later. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

He held up his phone triumphantly for Zhou Li to see, shaking it. "So what if there's no signal? Think that can stump me? You're done for."

Yet Zhou Li still appeared very calm. "It might not be difficult for you, but it will be for me."

"Emmm..."

Huai Xu's joyful expression gradually froze on his face.