After avoiding the snowstorm, we set out again and found Aning's horse team at the bottom of a slope. We also found the mysterious snow mountain in the underwater tomb image, which suddenly appeared at the end of our vision. When we asked the guide how to get there, Shunzi shook his head and said that we absolutely could not get there.
"Why?" I asked curiously, thinking, didn't you say you could climb every one of these 800-li snow-capped mountains? Why can't you climb this one?
Shunzi explained: "That mountain is called Sansheng Snow Mountain (pseudonym). Only a very small part of the mountain is on our side. The part above the snow line to the other side is all on the border of North Korea, and we can't get through."
The fat man was stunned for a moment and asked, "Sansheng Snow Mountain? Is it the first snow mountain that the volunteer army's logistics troops climbed when they were building the post-war lifeline during the Korean War?"
Shunzi nodded and said, "Yes, it is that mountain, with an altitude of more than 2,400 meters. Beyond this mountain is the hilly area of North Korea."
When I heard that, I knew it was bad.
Anyone who has served in the military or is interested in modern Chinese history knows that there are three most difficult borders in the world: one is between India and Pakistan, one is between Israel and Lebanon, and the other is the 14-kilometer-long border line at San Sheng Mountain.
In fact, China and North Korea have always been friendly countries. People who are familiar with them know that it is very easy to cross the border on the west slope of Changbai Mountain. There are not too many checkpoints. Around 1996, when the forest area of Changbai Mountain in China was depressed, many people often crossed the border to dig a kind of Chinese herbal medicine called "Alpine Rhodiola rosea" to make money. Although North Korean soldiers also tried to catch them, the Chinese were very good at running away and fought guerrilla warfare. In addition, many people who came to steal herbs brought cigarettes and alcohol with them, so they could use them to get away even if they were caught. So after a period of time, this border on the west slope has become a mere formality.
Only the border of Sansheng Mountain is still tightly blocked. No one knows the reason. It is said that this section of the border is the old border between China and North Korea. Above the snow line is the North Korean border. During the Korean War, in order to quickly transport strategic materials to North Korea, many temporary strategic passages and underground fortifications were built on the mountain. Both sides could quickly send troops through these passages, so it was necessary to guard against them strictly.
Our current food reserves do not allow us to bypass the border sections with very high altitudes. The only way to catch up is to go in a straight line from Sansheng Pass directly across the China-North Korea border and then enter the snowy summit.
Our trouble is not some mysterious tricks or magic tricks, but very real bullets from the Type 81 automatic rifles and regular troops ranging from platoons to companies.
The other few people also knew more or less about the situation in Sansheng Mountain, and they all looked worried. We exchanged glances and thought about what to do next.
Pan Zi comforted us, "Don't worry, there must be a way to sneak across the border. Shun Zi, who served in the army here, must know it. We can convince him to take us across, and then just give him some more money."
Then he went to ask Shunzi, but Shunzi shook his head firmly and said, "No, it's impossible. There are only a few roads leading up to the mountain, and they are all high ground. There is a searchlight every ten meters. From the foot of the mountain, it is all a military restricted area. Although there are not many people, the sentries are densely packed. Let alone crossing the border, it is impossible for you to get close to our sentries. The order I received when I was in service was that if I saw any stranger enter the field of vision, I would immediately fire a shot into the air to warn you. If you still didn't retreat, the second shot would directly hit your leg, without any reason."
The fat man asked, "Then can we buy some fruit and bring it up , pretending to be ordinary people coming to express our condolences?"
Shunzi laughed and said, "Boss, you are really good at telling jokes. Of course not. First of all, this is not a place where you can fish in troubled waters. Secondly, where can we find fruit here? It's freezing and snowy. If we carry fruit above the snow line of Changbai Mountain, it will be more suspicious than if we carry nothing."
The fat man sighed and said, "What should we do? We can't get through this broken line no matter what? I don't believe it. The Macedonian defense line has been breached. How can this be stronger than the Macedonian defense line? Do you think the money is too little? Just tell me how much you need."
Shunzi scratched his head in embarrassment: "Oh, this is not a question of money. If there is a way, I will not go against money. If you want to go to North Korea, I will not take you this way if you tell me earlier. Now that you are here, I really have no choice."
Shunzi left no room for negotiation, and we were all a little surprised. However, this area is not rich, and this border crossing is not a big crime. If Shunzi really had a way, he would not have hidden it from us.
Monk Hua and the others didn't have a clear opinion, so they walked over to Chenpi A Si and asked the old man what he thought.
In fact, it is a question of whether to continue or go back. If you continue, you must take a detour through other border lines as Shunzi said, which may double the time, and you will have to climb the mountain on an empty stomach for the last few days. If you don't continue, you will have to go back to rest and start all over again, which means that all the hard work of these days will be in vain.
I myself tended to continue walking, not knowing the purpose of Uncle San's deployment of such an urgent action, and Aning's team put a lot of pressure on me, so I just wanted to see Uncle San as soon as possible. Of course, I had such thoughts at the time, and I was completely unaware of the pain of climbing the snow-capped mountains while hungry.
Chenpi A Si sighed, obviously he had not expected that this matter would be so troublesome. These old bosses in Changsha were all-powerful in their own business and dared to do anything, including murder and arson, but they would become dispirited when it came to matters related to official affairs. As the saying goes, the poor should not fight with the rich, and the rich should not fight with the officials. He thought about it for a long time without saying anything, and his brows became more and more furrowed.
I was a little anxious and glanced at Men Youping, wanting to ask his opinion, but he didn't participate in our discussion at all. He just looked at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. I don't know what he was thinking about, as if all this had nothing to do with him.
After much discussion, no one could come up with a solution. Just when we were at a loss, Ye Cheng called us.
We stopped talking and looked down the mountain. We found that Aning's horse team had started to move forward again. Judging from the direction they were heading, their target was undoubtedly the Three Sacred Mountains.
A lot of supplies were unloaded from the horses and thrown randomly in the snow, probably to reduce weight and speed up the movement. The snow at the foot of the mountain looked a mess.
Ye Cheng said in surprise, "It's strange. Don't these guys know that there is a border ahead? What does their guide eat? If it's really like what Shunzi said, carrying so many weapons over there, isn't it to give them live ammunition practice?"
I shook my head to indicate that it was impossible. I knew their company's habits, and they must have local guides, and maybe more than one. Such professional private inspection companies are best at research and public relations. They definitely understand the situation here better than we do, and they must have set a fixed route before coming, and they will not change it easily.
Fatty doubted Shunzi's business ability and asked him how he could explain this. Was there a way that others knew but he didn't know?
Shunzi squinted his eyes and said, "There is only one possibility for this. They want to go from the mountain pass ahead, go around to other mountains, bypass that section of the border, and then turn to Sansheng Mountain in North Korea. Although the risk is also great, it is much better than attacking the border. Their team is larger than ours. If they have enough food, or if North Korea opens up connections, they do have the strength to make a long journey."
"What should we do? Should we follow them first?" Ye Cheng turned and asked Chenpi A Si.
Chenpi Ah Si shook his head and said nothing. Suddenly he pointed to a small snowy hill on the other side of Sansheng Mountain and asked Shunzi, "What mountain is that?"
Shunzi picked up the telescope and looked at it, saying, "That is the Little Holy Snow Mountain. That mountain is within our country. The Three Holy Mountains, the Little Holy Mountain, and the Big Holy Mountain over there are collectively known as the Five Holy Mountains."
Chenpi Ah Si asked again: "Can we go up to this small sacred mountain from here?"
As soon as the words fell, everyone was stunned, not knowing what the old man wanted to do. Shunzi was also a little surprised and said, "The problem is that there is no place. It only takes one day to get there, and it is far away from the sentry post. The scenery is nice, but the road is not easy to walk."
Chenpi Ah Si patted the snow off his pants, stood up, and said to Shunzi, "Okay, just take us there."
Everyone was confused, and Monk Hua immediately reminded them: "What's wrong? Old man, going there is a waste of time. We don't have enough food to last that long--"
Chenpi Ah Si waved his hand and pointed to the continuous mountain range on one side, saying: "The mountains here are continuous and covered with snow all year round. Surrounded on three sides, they are a rare three-headed old dragon. Fengshui says that this is the so-called 'group of dragons sitting'. These three mountains are all dragon heads, which are very suitable for group burials. If this heavenly palace is on the cliff of the Three Holy Mountains in the middle, the two small dragon heads on the other side should have the tombs of the queen or the prime minister."
The pattern of the three-headed dragon is very peculiar, and the three heads must be connected. Otherwise, the three dragons will fly in different directions, and the dragons will be in a mess. The descendants buried here will kill each other. Therefore, if there is a tomb for burial, there must be a secret passage under the tomb that connects to the main tomb of the heavenly palace in the middle.
There are many ancient tombs with three-headed dragons in history. For example, the tomb of three sons of the Warring States Period in Mangshan, which was excavated in 1987, is a collection of three related ancient tombs located on three hills of the same mountain range. The two tombs on both sides originally had corridors with a diameter of about half a meter leading to the main tomb in the middle. Unfortunately, when the corridors were excavated, they had collapsed. The archaeological team did not know whether these corridors were really connected or just a symbolic display.
We looked in the direction of his hand and saw three snow-capped mountains stretching across the sky and earth,
There is no difference at all. I don't know where Chenpi Asi's judgment comes from.
After Chenpi Ah Si finished speaking, he glanced at Menyouping and asked him, "Brother, am I right?"
For the first time ever, Men You Ping responded to someone's question. He turned around and glanced at Chen Pi A Si, but said nothing. He turned back and continued to look at the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
We don't understand Datou Feng Shui, so we were confused after listening to it and felt it was a bit mysterious. But since the old man said so and Men Youping seemed to agree, it's best not to doubt it.
When we got down to the place where Aning and his friends had stayed, we saw abandoned luggage scattered in the snow. Many of them had been rummaged through, with no food left. It was obvious that all the equipment had been re-screened, and some useless or duplicate items had been discarded.
The fat guy even found a few guns, but the bullets were all gone, leaving only the empty gun bodies. The fat guy liked the guns and wanted to take one with him, but Shunzi stopped him and said that if you carry a gun, you will be embarrassed if you meet the border guards here. If you don't have a gun, he can help us get away if we are found. The fat guy said it was a pity.
After passing the flat slope where Aning had stayed at the foot of the mountain, there was a valley behind us. We saw the footprints of Aning's horse team extending into the depths of the valley.
We also took a rest here. Shunzi took us to the other side of the Xiaosheng Pass. Soon, we walked into a white world. All we saw was endless snow and the
You can see the bare rocks and ice spikes.
Changbai Mountain may be the only snow-capped mountain in the world that you can walk up. Compared with the glaciers in Kunlun Mountain, the environment here is much better. There is no huge ice sheet with cracks, so you don't have to worry about sudden breaks under your feet. However, the glaciers in Changbai Mountain are also typical ancient glaciers. The continuity of the mountain is not good, and there are glacial landforms, mortar holes, giant ice buckets, and bottomless ice wells. Anyway, I didn't learn the landforms of snowy mountains well, so I can't explain it. I just know that there is often no way ahead, and there are cliffs thousands of feet high. You have to go around the edge or crawl over, which is also very thrilling.
We walked in silence for a long time. It took us nearly a day to reach the straight-line distance that seemed to take only a few hours. It was already evening when we arrived at the valley below Xiaoshengxue Mountain.
We dug a snow cave and camped on the snow slope about 500 to 600 meters above the valley and ate some hot food. The starry sky at high altitude was extremely bright and clear. Chenpi A Si used the compass, the astronomical compass in his mind and the arrangement of the stars in the sky to roughly determine the route for the next day.
Everyone was exhausted after walking all the way, but it was still early, so the fat man kept asking Shunzi if there were any hot springs around.
Shunzi was also thinking about the hot springs, but he said that the altitude here was too high and he didn't come here often, so it was a bit difficult to find hot springs. If you feel bored, you can walk around and look for them. By the way, you can also visit the place where ancient ancestors were buried in ice, which is more than one kilometer away from where we camped.
Tomb robbers always have a special feeling for corpses. Since we have nothing to do anyway, we all become curious when we hear that there is a dead person.
Chenpi Ah Si was exhausted, so Monk Hua took care of him. The others followed Shunzi to the left side of the camp.
We walked towards the valley for less than half an hour and came to a cliff. Below was the ice valley. It was pitch black and we couldn't see anything.
Shunzi found a good place to stop, lit a cold firework and threw it down.
There were indeed many black shadows curled up in the ice at the bottom of the valley. They were so dense that some of them looked like humans, while others were just small black dots. There were even some traces of sacrifices around the valley.
Shunzi said that in ancient times, villagers in the mountains were popular with ice burials. In the early days of liberation, some people were still buried in this ice cliff, so sometimes some old people come here to pay homage. The glaciers here are getting thicker year by year, so if you look at the bodies at the innermost part, those almost invisible dots, they are probably thousands of years old, and the ones at the outermost part are only a few decades old.
I roughly counted the black spots I could see and found that there were tens of thousands of them. It was obvious that this frozen cemetery had accumulated countless deaths over thousands of years. There should be more ice valleys like this in the Lesser Holy Valley. This means that this snow mountain is an extra-large grave mountain.
"Among these corpses, could there be any Dongxia slaves who were used when the Ling Palace was built?" the fat man suddenly asked.
"There may be some." Men Youping looked at the depths of the ice valley, the cold light gradually dimming, and wondered what he was thinking.
The body was buried in the ice and it was impossible to dig it out. We looked around but felt bored, so we went to look for hot springs. We actually found a small one. Several of us washed our feet and faces in the hot spring and returned to the camp feeling warm. When we told the story, Monk Hua was very envious.
On the snowy mountain, it's strange that people feel sleepy when they are warm, and they also feel sleepy when they are freezing to death. We had noodles for dinner, and I felt sleepy after we went out. The wind started to blow outside, so we all got into our sleeping bags to rest early. Shunzi was on the first shift. We had many people, so we didn't need to rotate them all in one day. The three people on duty today were Shunzi, Langfeng and Panzi.
I was very tired and fell asleep quickly, thinking I could have a good sleep. However, less than an hour later, Monk Hua, Fatty, Lang Feng and Pan Zi all started snoring at the same time, one after another, like a symphony. I woke up with a nightmare.
I couldn't fall asleep anymore and it was uncomfortable to lie down, so I climbed out of the tent and said to Shunzi, "Let me switch with you. I'll take your shift and you go and get some sleep first."
Shunzi was smoking there, staring at the huge black mountain in the moonlight. When he heard that I wanted to change shifts, he shook his head and said no, it would be bad if he couldn't do this after taking our money.
I thought to myself, it's up to you, so I took out a cigarette, went up to ask him for a light, and then started chatting with him while adding some fuel to the stove.
Chatting with the guide is a very informative thing. I told him a lot about the ancient tombs, and he was very interested. He also told me a lot about the local customs and interesting stories about the mountains and forests. I didn't feel sleepy at all, and the more we talked, the more energetic we became.
Later we talked about this expedition. Shunzi told me that he was a border guard for seven years, but he was in the reserve for four years. Before he joined the army, he was a herbalist, so he was very familiar with the snowy mountains. His comrades called him "Alangcai", which means the son of the snowy mountains. So we can be absolutely assured to follow him. There are not many people who can bring people into the mountains like this, and he is one of them.
I was skeptical and thought how come you fainted before even entering the mountain? He must be bragging. But since he was speaking so seriously, there was no point in trying to refute him, so I just went along with what he said.
As we chatted, we had more topics to talk about and we felt that the distance between us was shortened. At this time, Shunzi suddenly asked me: "Boss Wu... Actually, what are you doing in the mountains? Can you tell me?"
I was stunned when I heard that, and didn't know how to answer for a moment, and both of us fell silent again.
How can I explain our purpose? If I say we are here to look for Yunding Palace, can you believe it? If I say we are here to rob tombs, that doesn't make sense. If I say we are here for tourism, that's obviously not the case. It's really hard to say. I thought about it for a long time, and finally sighed, "Why do you care about this? I can't tell you."
Shunzi seemed to have expected my answer and smiled: "It's okay, I'm just asking casually."
I felt uncomfortable, but I didn't want to lie to him, so I just changed the subject and talked about something else. I asked him why he became a snow mountain guide since he used to be a herbalist.
Collecting herbs in Changbai Mountain is very profitable and much more comfortable than being a guide, which is a thankless job. This is also the reason why there are so few snow mountain guides now .
Shunzi glanced at me and suddenly said something that made me almost vomit blood.
He said, "I'm not a professional guide. I've been collecting herbs since I retired from the army. I rarely lead people up the mountain, and I never go this deep. I usually turn back at Girl Lake. This is my first time leading a team here."
I laughed and said, "Don't be ridiculous."
"Really, Mr. Wu, I'm telling you the truth. In this season, no professional guide will take you into the snow mountain. If I don't take you in, you have to come in by yourself." He smiled at me and said, "It's too dangerous. If it weren't for the blessing of the Bodhisattva, we would have died. It's a miracle that we can arrive here without missing a single one.
. But you don't have to worry. Although I have never brought anyone in, I have walked here many times and am very familiar with it. Nothing will happen."
His expression was very serious when he spoke, and it was obvious that he was not joking. I cursed in my heart and wondered, "If it's so dangerous, why did you bring us here? Are you so short of this little money?"
Shunzi looked at me meaningfully and said, "Money is also a factor. Another reason... is because of my father. He... disappeared ten years ago. At that time, he also led a group of people into the snowy mountains, and the route you are going to take is similar, but in the end the whole group disappeared in the mountains. I vaguely remember that the tourists who were looking for him at that time were dressed very similarly to you. It was also winter and they had to go up the mountain. So when I saw you, I suddenly felt that I must follow you. First, I don't want you to die in there like my father. Secondly, I have a very naive idea that maybe your purpose of going into the mountains is the same as that of the group of people ten years ago. Then maybe I can know what happened to my father. Of course, this is just my imagination." He laughed at himself, "Maybe my father just encountered an avalanche and was buried in this snowy mountain."
I realized, "So that's why you asked us the purpose of going into the mountains..." Shunzi nodded embarrassedly.
Nodding: "Hey, you don't understand, the feeling of knowing that my father is sleeping in these snowy mountains, but I can't see him."
I didn't expect Shunzi to be so delicate and thoughtful. I couldn't help but look at him with new eyes. I used to think he was just an ordinary tour guide with a smooth tongue.
But the tourists who went missing in the snow mountain ten years ago were dressed very similarly to us. Could they also be looking for Yunding Palace? My heart skipped a beat. But then I denied my thoughts. No, it's impossible. There are too many places in Changbai Mountain where a person can go missing. There is no such coincidence. His father may have met with an accident and died in the mountain.
Shunzi saw that I didn't say anything and thought that the question he asked just now was a bit too much, so he said to me: "Boss Wu, I tell you these things because I see that you are different from others. I hope you don't tell these things to others. I'm afraid they will have concerns."
I thought to myself that I definitely wouldn't tell anyone that this was the first time I brought people here. Not to mention what Chenpi Ah Si would do to you, the fat guy might even beat you to death.
So I nodded and agreed. At this time, Lang Feng from the second shift came out of the tent, yawned, and was surprised to see us chatting. Shunzi packed up his things, peed in the snow, and went to sleep. Lang Feng and I had nothing to say, so we also said hello and went back to sleep.
Amid the deafening snoring, I was half asleep and half awake, and I dreamed of Shunzi's father, a bearded Shunzi, leading a group of people up the mountain ten years ago. The strange thing was that in the dream, I always felt that I had seen those people somewhere before. I tossed and turned and slept very uneasy.
The next day, before dawn, we started to continue walking up the mountain range.
Judging from Shunzi's question yesterday, he should have known that we were not ordinary mountaineers. I know we were not good at disguising ourselves. At least, no tourist would rush so desperately. But we couldn't care less. As a tour guide in Changbai Mountain, he had already been prepared to receive all kinds of mysterious groups. There were at least 800 poachers, Korean pilgrims, and herbalists every year. Everyone had their own secrets. Let him guess what we were doing.
The road on the mountainside was even more difficult to walk on. The road was slanted in many places. There were snow-covered mountains thousands of feet above our heads, which made avalanches very likely. We couldn't speak loudly. The snow on the road was really too thick. It was a layer of snow that had been there for thousands of years, and there was almost nothing underneath. Sometimes people were buried in the snow up to their chests, and we couldn't get out without help. We could only carefully use long ice picks to poke our feet little by little, as if we were walking in a minefield.
The fat guy walked the fastest, which was related to his previous experience in snow exploration. He walked in the front all the way. Because of the altitude sickness, our tongues began to feel numb. Except for Chenpi A Si occasionally changing the direction of travel, the only sound left around was gasping for breath. The whole world was so quiet that it seemed as if there was no life anymore.
After passing the snowy road on the mountainside, we walked into an ice zone with giant snow slopes on both sides. There is no sunlight here all year round, and the snow is in a state of permafrost. The slope of the mountain becomes steeper and steeper, and the temperature is extremely low. Inside, we finally saw the location of Chenpi Asiding's Dragon Head Treasure Cave. It was a steep slope and cliff that formed an acute angle of almost 60 degrees with the mountain, covered with white snow.
We continued to move upwards, one by one, trying to stagger our bodies, and began to use ice picks and ice hammers to climb up the steep slope.
This small sacred mountain is not among the Sixteen Peaks of Changbai Mountain, so we didn't pay much attention to it when we came. However, it is not an unknown small peak. This peak is far away from the Great Sacred Peak opposite it, forming a valley in the middle. It stands in front of the Three Sacred Snow Mountains like two guards guarding the gate. This landscape is called Heavenly Soldiers Guarding the Immortal Gate.
From the perspective of Feng Shui, the two mountains of Xianmen are surrounded by tigers and dragons, and if it were not located on the border between China and South Korea, where disputes have always occurred, this place must be a place where royal nobles' tombs are gathered. Just now, even someone like me could see the peculiar trend of the mountains here, and with a strong dragon energy, we are more confident in the hypothesis that there is a mausoleum on the mountain.
Climbing a steep slope is different from walking, and it consumes more physical energy. After climbing for a while, Chenpi A Si reached his physical limit and could not climb anymore. Lang Feng had to carry the old man on his back, and we walked even slower.
After about another three hours of trekking, we finally climbed onto the snow slope. At this time, I had completely lost my mind and was relying entirely on conditioned reflex to follow the fat man.
The fat man arrived first. Although he was in good physical condition, he had reached his limit. After stepping on the snow, he was a little confused. He pretended to make a footprint with force, opened his arms and said to us: "This is just a small step for me personally, but for the tomb raider, it's a fucking leap." Then he lay down in the snow, motionless.
I was almost exhausted. My legs began to weaken involuntarily and I started to slide down. Pan Zi wanted to pull me up, but after several attempts I was unable to muster any strength and he also rolled to the ground.
I hit the snow hard with the ice pick and finally got myself stuck. The others also fell to the ground, gasping for breath and looking around.
This snow slope is a huge area, with almost no boundary between the left and right. If Chenpi Ah Si hadn't pointed the way, you would never feel anything special. The snow-covered area is very flat, with only a few black bare rocks sticking out. The Sansheng Snow Mountain is now on our left, much closer than yesterday. The top of the holy mountain is covered with white snow. The huge mountain stands majestically like a monster, with white top and black rocks, which seems steeper than other surrounding peaks. Due to the sunset, a strange light blue mist shrouds the entire mountain, and the fairy air is ethereal. The scenery is very shocking.
Ye Cheng panted and said with emotion: "It's so beautiful. No wonder they say that Penglai Fairyland is not as good as Changbai Mountain. It took so long to climb. It's worth it."
Although they were all rough people, they were all intoxicated by the beautiful scenery of the sunset around them, especially in the snow-capped mountains. The feeling of standing under the celestial ceiling was even more amazing.
Just when I was about to take out my camera to take pictures of the scenery, the fat man suddenly patted me and asked me to look over there.
I looked in the direction of his finger and saw that Menyouping had already knelt down and bowed his head respectfully towards the Three Holy Snow Mountains in the distance. His originally expressionless face revealed a faint, very sad expression.