Chapter 224: The Blood of Liu Dashao!

The entire team had only one compass, and everyone knew that once they entered the heart of the Taklamakan Desert, without a compass, it would be impossible to tell directions apart. There would be no way out of the desert, meaning that without a compass, death was inevitable.

Liu Dashao hurriedly asked Wang Feifei where she had last seen the compass. She said it had just been there a moment ago, probably lost when someone exerted too much force while running.

Liu Dashao turned his head and spotted the compass lying in the sand not far from the group. Chu was barely half a meter away from it.

Liu Dashao didn’t think twice. Dying from being attacked by the creatures or dying without the compass was the same fate. He figured he might as well take a risk. With that, he turned and lunged straight toward the compass.

Fan Debiao had no idea what was happening and shouted, “Dashao, are you trying to get yourself killed? This isn’t the time to go picking up treasures!”

No one paid attention to Fan Debiao and continued running toward the compass.

Liu Dashao successfully grabbed the compass, his heart filled with joy. Standing up, he started sprinting toward the oasis. As soon as he took a step, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He immediately realized that one of the creatures had climbed onto him. His nerves tensed up instantly, and waves of pain shot through his neck.

He touched his neck and looked at his hand. It was covered in blood. Looking down, his chest was soaked in red, even staining the beads on his necklace.

Liu Dashao was certain that the creature had hit an artery. Whether it was from blood loss or extreme stress, his head began to feel dizzy.

He thought he was surely going to die. Gripping the compass tightly, he summoned all his remaining strength, swung his arm in a wide arc, and hurled the compass toward the others.

Then Liu Dashao collapsed onto the sand. Instantly, countless creatures swarmed onto him. His entire body trembled uncontrollably as he clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tightly.

At that moment, Liu Dashao was still conscious, but strangely, he felt no pain. He opened his eyes and was astonished to see the creatures retreating to a distance of about a meter away from him.

Looking closer, Liu Dashao noticed that about a dozen of them were still within a meter of him. To his further amazement, these creatures weren’t even approaching his blood. Could it be, he wondered, that the creatures were afraid of his blood?

Wanting to test his theory, he dipped his fingers in the blood on his neck and flicked a drop toward one of the creatures nearby. Before the droplet even hit the ground, the creatures scattered away in panic.

Liu Dashao was stunned. He never imagined that he might possess what could be called “sacred blood.” He wasn’t sure whether he should feel happy or sad about it.

Since the creatures were afraid of him, Liu Dashao decided he should quickly reunite with Fan Debiao and the others. He forced himself to stand up. As soon as he straightened his back, a sudden, excruciating pain shot through his neck, causing him to lose consciousness instantly.

Half-conscious, he had wanted to tell Fan Debiao and the others about his special blood, but he didn’t even have the strength to lift his hand and write. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, and then everything went black as he fainted.

Before fully losing consciousness, Liu Dashao could still vaguely hear a lot of noise around him. Gradually, all sensation faded away.

His unconscious state was interrupted by a sudden, intense itch on his neck. Sitting upright, he scratched instinctively and found a thick layer of gauze wrapped around his neck. Looking around, he saw that the group had reached an oasis. It wasn’t large, filled with trees of unknown names and various unfamiliar animals resting among the branches.

In the center of the oasis was a small, clear pond. Occasionally, strange fish could be seen darting past beneath the surface.

Beside the pond, three sleeping bags were set up. Liu Dashao was sitting in the middle one. He peeked out and saw Wang Feifei and Wang Zhicai on his right, studying an ancient manuscript left behind by the descendants of the lost city. On his left, Fan Debiao and the others were playing cards in the sleeping bag, laughing and enjoying themselves.

Liu Dashao realized he had been lucky enough to survive. He wanted to get up and take a walk, but his body wouldn’t obey. It seemed he had merely passed the critical stage.

Seeing Liu Dashao awake, Wang Feifei and Wang Zhicai immediately stopped their discussion and rushed to his side, asking how he was feeling. Others followed, all talking at once, asking a flood of questions. Liu Dashao didn’t answer any of them but instead asked how he had been rescued.

Wang Feifei explained that during their escape, the compass suddenly flew toward them. Everyone immediately realized something had happened to Liu Dashao. Consultant Fan didn’t hesitate—he dropped everything and rushed to save him, and then she went on to describe how bravely Fan Debiao had rescued him.

After listening to Wang Feifei’s account, Liu Dashao nodded slightly and asked, “How long have I been unconscious?”

Fan Debiao shouted loudly, “You’ve been out for two or three days! And it was Miss Wang who bandaged your wound!”

Wang Feifei asked, “When I got there, I saw all those creatures avoiding you. Why was that?”

Hearing her question, Liu Dashao recalled the creatures’ fear of his blood. He had originally intended to tell them about his “sacred blood,” but then thought better of it. Who would believe such a thing? If he said it out loud, they would think he was making it up. So he simply shrugged and said he had no idea, claiming he was unconscious the whole time.

Fan Debiao leaned close to Liu Dashao’s ear and whispered, “Hey, did you bring out some kind of treasure from your Taoist master that can repel those creatures? Let me see if it’s worth anything.”

Liu Dashao gave Fan Debiao a sharp look and whispered, “If I had such a treasure, wouldn’t I have used it already? Look at my injuries—does it look like someone who has a protective charm?”

Fan Debiao was momentarily stunned and fell silent. Liu Dashao suddenly realized something—someone was missing. Where was the old man, Klama?

He asked Fan Debiao where Klama had gone.

Fan Debiao pointed toward the desert behind them and said, “That old guy got a bit freaked out when he saw the creatures. He refused to go any further, insisting he must perform rituals for three days here before continuing. He’s been up there for two days already without coming down.”

Liu Dashao, sitting opposite Fan Debiao, stretched his neck and saw Klama kneeling on a carpet, doing something that looked mysterious.

After chatting for a while, everyone returned to their sleeping bags. Liu Dashao, feeling bored, lay back down and tried to sleep.

Before he knew it, night had fallen. He was gently shaken awake by someone. His strength had mostly returned, so he sat up and saw that it was old Klama.

Klama made a gesture for silence and whispered, “Comrade, come with me. I need to speak with you.” Then he turned and stepped out of the sleeping bag. Liu Dashao felt puzzled but, out of curiosity, followed him.

Stepping outside the sleeping bag, Liu Dashao looked around. Everyone else was fast asleep, especially Fan Debiao, whose snoring was loud enough to wake the dead.

Klama led Liu Dashao to a sand dune outside the oasis and suddenly knelt down in front of him, saying, “Comrade, you are the reincarnation of Hu Da.”

Liu Dashao was completely taken aback and quickly said, “Old man, are you okay? How could I possibly be Hu Da’s reincarnation?”

The entire team had only one compass, and everyone knew that once they ventured deep into the Taklamakan Desert, without a compass, it would be impossible to tell which direction was which. Escaping the desert would be out of the question, meaning that without the compass, death was certain.

Liu Dashao quickly asked Wang Feifei where she had last seen it. She said it was just there, probably lost when she exerted too much force while running.

Liu Dashao turned his head and saw the compass lying in the sand not far from the group, with a strange creature less than half a meter away from it.

Without thinking too much, Liu Dashao realized that whether he was killed by the creature or died without the compass, it was the same fate. So, he decided to take a chance and lunged toward the compass.

Fan Debiao, unaware of what was happening, shouted, “Dashao, are you out of your mind? This isn’t the time to be messing around!” But no one paid attention to him, as everyone was focused on running.

Liu Dashao managed to grab the compass and, filled with relief, stood up and ran toward the oasis. Just as he lifted his foot, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He immediately realized that one of the creatures had latched onto his neck. His nerves tightened, and waves of pain surged through his neck.

Liu Dashao touched his neck and looked at his hand—it was covered in blood. Looking down, he saw his chest soaked in blood, the beads on his necklace stained red.

He was certain that the creature had hit an artery. Whether it was due to excessive blood loss or extreme mental stress, his head began to feel foggy.

Liu Dashao thought he was doomed this time. Clutching the compass, he mustered all his strength and swung his arm in a wide arc, then released the compass, throwing it toward the others.

Immediately after, Liu Dashao collapsed onto the sand. Countless creatures swarmed over his body, and he couldn’t help but tremble, gritting his teeth and tightly closing his eyes.

At that moment, Liu Dashao’s consciousness was still intact, but he couldn’t feel the pain on his body. He opened his eyes and was shocked by what he saw—the creatures had retreated to a meter away from him.

But something didn’t seem right. About a dozen of them were still less than a meter away. Upon closer inspection, he was even more astonished—the creatures seemed to avoid his blood. Liu Dashao wondered if they were afraid of his blood.

To test his theory, he smeared some blood from his neck and flicked it toward the nearby creatures. Before the blood even hit the ground, the creatures scattered.

Liu Dashao was dumbfounded. He never expected to possess what could be called “sacred blood.” He wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or sad about it.

Since the creatures didn’t dare approach him, Liu Dashao knew he had to quickly reunite with Fan Debiao and the others. He struggled to stand up, but as soon as he straightened his back, a sharp pain shot through his neck, causing him to lose consciousness.

In his dazed state, he wanted to tell Fan Debiao and the others about his “sacred blood,” but he didn’t even have the strength to lift his hand to write. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, and suddenly, everything went black as he fell into unconsciousness.

For a while after losing consciousness, Liu Dashao could faintly hear a lot of noise, but gradually, all sensation faded away.

His unconsciousness was interrupted by an intense itch on his neck. He sat up and scratched it, only to find his neck wrapped in thick bandages. Looking around, he realized they were in a small oasis filled with unfamiliar trees and unknown animals resting on the branches.

In the center of the oasis was a small but crystal-clear pond, where strange fish occasionally darted by.

Three sleeping bags were set up by the pond, and Liu Dashao was sitting in the middle one. He peeked out and saw Wang Feifei and Wang Zhicai studying the descendants’ chronicles of the ancient city to his right, while Fan Debiao and others were playing cards in the sleeping bag to his left, laughing heartily.

Liu Dashao felt lucky to have survived. He wanted to get up and walk around, but he still lacked the strength. It seemed he had only just passed the critical stage.

Wang Feifei noticed Liu Dashao was awake and, after ending her conversation with Wang Zhicai, rushed over to ask how he was. The others followed, bombarding him with questions. Liu Dashao didn’t answer any of them but instead asked how he had been rescued.

Wang Feifei explained that while they were running, the compass suddenly flew toward them. Everyone immediately realized Liu Dashao was in trouble. Without hesitation, Fan Debiao dropped everything and rushed to his aid, and then she went on about how heroic Fan Debiao had been in saving him.

After listening to her, Liu Dashao nodded and asked, “How long was I unconscious?”

Fan Debiao boomed, “You were out for two or three days. Look at that wound—it was Miss Wang who bandaged it for you.”

Wang Feifei asked Liu Dashao, “When I got to you, I saw those bugs weren’t approaching you. What was that about?”

Hearing this, Liu Dashao remembered that the bugs were afraid of his blood. He had initially wanted to tell them about his “sacred blood,” but he decided against it. Who would believe such a thing? If he said it, they’d probably think he was making it up. So, he brushed it off by saying he was unconscious and didn’t know anything.

Fan Debiao leaned in and whispered, “Dashao, did you bring some kind of treasure from your Taoist master that can control those bugs? Let me see if it’s valuable.”

Liu Dashao rolled his eyes and whispered back, “If I had such a treasure, don’t you think I’d have used it already? Look at my injuries—do I look like someone who has a treasure?”

Fan Debiao was momentarily speechless. Liu Dashao’s mind suddenly clicked—someone was missing. Where was Old Man Klamar? He asked Fan Debiao where he had gone.

Fan Debiao pointed toward the desert behind them and said, “That old man went a bit crazy after seeing the bugs. He refused to leave, saying he had to perform a three-day ritual before we could continue. He’s been up there for two days now.”

Liu Dashao sat across from Fan Debiao and craned his neck to look. Old Man Klamar was kneeling on a carpet, seemingly engaged in some mysterious activity.

After chatting for a while, everyone returned to their spots. Liu Dashao, bored, lay down and went back to sleep.

Before he knew it, night had fallen. Liu Dashao was awakened by someone shaking him. By then, his strength had mostly returned. He sat up and saw that it was Old Man Klamar.

Klamar made a gesture for silence and said, “Young man, come with me. I need to talk to you.” With that, he turned and stepped out of the sleeping bag. Liu Dashao found it a bit strange but, out of curiosity, followed him.

Once outside, Liu Dashao looked around. Everyone else was sound asleep, especially Fan Debiao, whose snores were deafening.

Old Man Klamar led Liu Dashao to a sand dune outside the oasis and suddenly knelt before him, saying, “Young man, you are the reincarnation of Hu Da.”

Liu Dashao was utterly bewildered and quickly said, “Old man, are you okay? How could I possibly be the reincarnation of Hu Da?”

Old Man Klamar explained, “You wouldn’t know this, but long, long ago, the Taklamakan Desert was a sea of death, just like it is now. There were no rivers or ancient cities. But then Hu Da took pity on this desert and diverted water from the Tianshan Mountains into the Taklamakan, forming the Peacock River. Gradually, humans settled here, and the prosperous Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions emerged. However, humans didn’t cherish what Hu Da had given them and violated his principles. So, Hu Da took back the water from the Tianshan, and the Peacock River began to dry up. Eventually, strange bugs crawled out of the dried riverbed. Those bitten by these bugs never survived. Only the reincarnation of Hu Da is immune to their attacks. The fact that you weren’t bitten to death when you fainted proves it.”

After hearing this, Liu Dashao was at a loss for words. Such absurd tales could only come from those who believed in Hu Da. Having been educated in scientific knowledge since childhood, Liu Dashao couldn’t possibly believe it.

Liu Dashao said to Klamar, “I’m not the reincarnation of Hu Da. Who said those bugs didn’t attack me? Look at my neck—my artery was torn open. If it weren’t for Fan Debiao and the others arriving in time, I’d have joined Marx by now.”

The old man was stubborn. No matter what Liu Dashao said, he kept linking him to Hu Da. Liu Dashao had no choice but to change the subject. “How did you know those bugs are afraid of water?” he asked Old Man Klamar.

After hearing Klama’s words, Liu Dashao was speechless. Such nonsense could only come from someone who believed in Hu Da. Having grown up with a scientific worldview, Liu Dashao could never believe such a thing.

Liu Dashao said, “I’m not Hu Da’s reincarnation. Who says those creatures didn’t attack me? Look at my neck—my artery was torn open! If Fan Debiao and the others hadn’t arrived in time, I’d already be meeting Marx!”

The old man was stubborn. No matter what Liu Dashao said, Klama always found a way to connect him to Hu Da. Finally, Liu Dashao changed the subject. “How did you know those creatures fear water?” he asked Klama.