It took us four days to emerge from the Pamir Plateau.
The journey out was considerably easier than the way in. We encountered no wolf packs along the way, and with abundant resources, we almost felt like a tourist group.
On this expedition, Fu Kui and A Yuan had perished in the ancient city, while Song Bing had disappeared into quicksand at the lake, his fate unknown.
Fu Kui and A Yuan's deaths were, at most, a cause for some reflection, but I was genuinely worried about Song Bing, whether he was alive or dead. I couldn't be sure if he had sunk into the quicksand or not.
Most importantly, was he still alive now?
The thought of Song Bing brought a wave of melancholy and helplessness over me.
However, the current situation offered no possibility of searching for him. I could only notify Wu Tingxiu and ask her to find a way, and all I could do was pray he was alright.
After a day of rest in Taxkorgan, Li Chuang immediately arranged for someone to pick us up.
We were then escorted to the airport, and everyone began to part ways.
Li Chuang had initially asked me to accompany him to Yanjing to meet Guan Zhenwan.
I flatly refused, stating I had important matters to attend to and that we could stay in touch by phone.
Before boarding, Jin Qiaoyue gave me a phone number and an address, suggesting I could find her abroad when I had the time.
I didn't think I would ever go abroad, but I accepted her kind offer.
Ultimately, Fatty, Fu Honglang, and I bought tickets to Shangdu and boarded the plane together.
The reason for going to Shangdu was, naturally, to find An Ying, who was currently there.
With a mixture of trepidation and urgency, we arrived at Shangdu Airport. We didn't even have time to rest before heading directly to where An Ying was staying.
Fu Honglang led the way, but upon arrival, we discovered she was gone. Only Mao Guizhi, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, was there.
Mao Guizhi was also a "suozhe" (索者, seeker/collector of special items), and had naturally been looking after An Ying during her stay in Shangdu.
"Sister-in-law, where is the young lady?" I asked impatiently.
Mao Guizhi asked with a hint of suspicion, "What are you looking for her for?"
"I have some matters I need to ask her about."
Mao Guizhi glanced at Fu Honglang. After a brief exchange of looks, Fu Honglang said, "Xiao Fei is one of us, so don't keep it from him."
With that, Mao Guizhi began to tell me about An Ying.
An Ying had been staying in Shangdu all along, but she had left a few days prior.
"Where did she go?"
"I believe she went to the Philippines."
"What for?"
"I'm not entirely sure."
Mao Guizhi paused. "If you want to know more, you might as well go to Shangdu Hospital."
"Why would I go there?" I asked, a bit confused.
"When the young lady left, she asked me to look after someone for her. That person is currently staying at Shangdu Hospital, and they seem to know more about this matter," Mao Guizhi said.
I pondered for a moment, and without another word, I prepared to go to Shangdu Hospital.
"Brother Xiang, don't rush! It's not often you come here. Let us brothers have a good drink; I'll welcome you properly," Fu Honglang said, grabbing me. "Besides, the person is in the hospital; they aren't going to run away, are they? I'll take you myself later."
Honestly, I was in a hurry. I just wanted to find An Ying quickly and clarify things.
It was a shame that An Ying was so elusive; contacting her was extremely difficult.
If I waited for her to find me, it would likely be ages.
The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became. I said to Fu Honglang, "Brother Fu, I really have something extremely urgent I need to clarify..."
Seeing my expression, he relented. "Alright, I'll take you then."
"Thank you."
It was past one o'clock in the afternoon by the time we reached the hospital. We arrived at a private room. Everyone else waited outside, and I entered alone.
As I pushed open the door, I was filled with apprehension, unsure if the person inside would tell me about An Ying's trip to the Philippines.
But the moment I saw the familiar face, that worry vanished.
"Brother Yang?!"
I froze, looking at the bearded man leaning against the hospital bed, reading a newspaper.
Yang Hanxue also looked surprised. "Xiao Fei? What are you doing here?"
I never imagined Yang Hanxue was still alive!
This man had survived the great explosion at Shizi Ling!
Yang Hanxue and I were close friends; he had helped me many times, we understood each other well, and we had experienced several dangers together.
Seeing him again, I was truly happy. But when I saw his leg, an indescribable sense of regret and sadness washed over me.
His entire left leg was gone, presumably from that explosion.
"It's good enough to have kept my life," he said with a smile. "How did you end up here?"
I briefly explained the situation. He said, "So, you're looking for the young lady?"
I nodded. "To figure out what happened to my father, I need her help..."
He hesitated for a moment. "I do know what she went to the Philippines for."
"For what?"
"She's likely going to find the Golden Buddha."
"Golden Buddha?"
Yang Hanxue nodded. "Yes. Have you heard of the Northern Wei gilded Maitreya Buddha statue?"
I thought carefully. "The one kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States?"
He smiled. "Yes and no."
I was confused. What did "yes and no" mean?
"Actually, the Golden Buddha in the United States is merely a replica. The true gilded Maitreya Buddha statue has been lost..."
I was surprised. "An Ying went to the Philippines to find the gilded Maitreya Buddha statue?"
"That's right," Yang Hanxue confirmed. "If the information she received is correct, the real gilded Maitreya Buddha statue is in the Philippines."
I had heard about the Northern Wei gilded Maitreya Buddha statue from my father when I was a child.
This statue was unearthed by a farmer from his field in 1918.
Once the news spread, many antiquarians rushed there, all wanting to acquire the Golden Buddha.
Some even offered the exorbitant price of ten thousand silver dollars back then, which was a substantial sum.
At that time, a fairly large siheyuan courtyard house in Beiping could be bought for just over three thousand silver dollars. Ten thousand silver dollars could buy three such courtyard houses in Beiping.
However, the farmer refused to sell, saying, "Buddha is priceless. No matter how much money you offer, I cannot sell."
This statement left many antiquarians helpless. However, a man named Yu Huaiqing did not give up. He immediately recognized that the statue dated from the Northern Wei dynasty and was undoubtedly a treasure.
His certainty stemmed from the inscription on the statue, which read, "The fifth year of Zheng Guang of the Great Wei."
To obtain the statue, Yu Huaiqing devised a plan.
He knew an official named Wang Shizhen, a prominent figure from the late Qing and early Republican era, who, along with Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang, was known as one of the "Three Marshals of the Beiyang."
Yu Huaiqing presented Wang Shizhen with numerous gifts, ultimately persuading Wang Shizhen to order the local authorities to negotiate with the farmer.
Negotiate, in essence, meant to exert pressure.
Unable to resist, the farmer finally agreed to sell the Golden Buddha, but at a price of thirty thousand silver dollars.
Yu Huaiqing was also a determined man; he gritted his teeth and actually paid the farmer thirty thousand silver dollars for the Golden Buddha.