Chapter 083: The Fake Mutton Vendor

After listening to Soa’s account, Li Tianque fell into deep thought.

The Tartar Brother’s prairie restaurant was also located in the Siweiwei River basin. Perhaps the strange events he wanted Wu Miaoran to investigate were similar to the ordeal faced by Chief Jiayang Gongbu.

Moreover, although Li Tianque had temporarily slain this bizarre nuclear insect, many mysteries remained unresolved. According to Chief Jiayang Gongbu, if that entomologist truly understood the Shierwu so well, then perhaps the so-called Shierwu was simply a kind of insect, not a nuclear bug at all.

But how could an insect speak, or move such heavy rocks and sand?

Li Tianque shrank the black sphere to the size of a cantaloupe. The Shierwu inside was squeezed and contorted, struggling a few more times. However, the cell sphere Li Tianque created was extremely resilient; the Shierwu’s efforts were completely useless.

Using the nerves connected to the inside of the black sphere, Li Tianque quietly sensed what was within. The feedback showed that the creature imprisoned inside was not a single entity, but seemed to consist of multiple life forms fused together.

Most of them had been burned to death in the recent battle. Of the survivors now trapped inside the black sphere, only a few were still barely clinging to life.

Although curious, Li Tianque had no intention of releasing them, nor did he plan to provide them with oxygen. All he needed was a sample—even a dead one would suffice.

Holding the black sphere in one hand, Li Tianque said to Soa and Chief Jiayang Gongbu, “Rest assured, the Shierwu is inside here. I’ll keep a close watch on it.”

“So wonderful! Hero, you are truly amazing!” Soa praised, giving him a thumbs-up.

After hearing Soa’s translation, Jiayang Gongbu looked troubled. But perhaps out of reverence for Li Tianque, the chief hesitated to speak his mind.

Li Tianque easily saw through his concern and asked, “Chief Jiayang Gongbu, are you still uneasy?”

“Well… Hero, if it’s you, of course I trust you. But from what you’ve said, the Shierwu is still alive. If it escapes from the black sphere, everyone in the camp could be in danger!”

“I am the chief of the tribe. If I can’t completely eradicate the Shierwu from the Gobi, I doubt I’ll ever sleep soundly!”

The chief spoke haltingly, his brows tightly furrowed.

Li Tianque smiled and said, “Chief, that’s not a problem. I won’t be staying at the camp for long. By the way, I actually came here to visit Tartar Brother’s ‘Wolf Totem’ restaurant. That place should be near Wuerkuluo Township, right?”

When Chief Jiayang Gongbu heard the name, he snorted dismissively. “That stinky brat Uhebaru learned to use his phone to livestream and peddle fake mutton everywhere—such a shameless business.”

“But if you’re looking for him, you’re going the wrong way. There’s a direct train from Losa City; get off at Tusanglan Station, and there are drivers to take you straight to that yurt.”

“But I advise you not to go. That rascal is as sly as they come. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll arrange it for you!”

Li Tianque was taken aback by the chief’s words. He had already found it odd—a viral restaurant run by an influencer with fifty million followers, yet you had to drive over a hundred kilometers to reach it. It seemed absurd.

But if there was a direct route, why had Tartar Brother given them a map instead of simply telling them about it?

Li Tianque was bewildered, distractedly replying, “No, no, I’m meeting Tartar Brother for private matters, not for a meal.”

“Chief, I can’t return to Losa City now. I should be able to reach the place from Wuerkuluo Township up ahead, right?”

“Of course. There are small vans at the market entrance of Wuerkuluo Township. You could ride a motorcycle, too, though it’s a bit far. Tonight, you should rest well. If you’re not in a hurry, I can take you there tomorrow afternoon!” said the chief.

“No, Chief, I need to head to Wuerkuluo Township tonight. I still want to meet that entomologist you mentioned!” Li Tianque hurriedly refused, his curiosity about the insect expert growing.

“That won’t do! It’s too late tonight, Hero, you must rest well! You are our honored guest of the prairie. Tonight, we must drink heartily and not stop until drunk!”

The chief’s manner became warm again. He wanted to embrace Li Tianque, but after hesitating, did not. In his mind, the miraculous power Li Tianque had displayed must be beyond human capability.

Li Tianque was surely blessed by the gods. One must treat a divine envoy with utmost care—how dare he act rashly?

“That’s right, that’s right! Uncle Mosang has just slaughtered a sheep. Tonight, we will have roast whole lamb together! Hero, don’t worry—this big black sphere, my companions and I will watch over it. We’ll build a ring of bonfires around it, so even if the Shierwu escapes, it won’t break through the fire circle!” Soa suggested.

“Good idea. Let’s do as Soa says. Come, Hero, let’s return to the camp!” The chief said enthusiastically.

“Haha, alright then. Let’s eat first—I am indeed a bit hungry.” Li Tianque laughed awkwardly, no longer refusing.

Thus, Li Tianque followed them back to the camp.

However, he did not take Soa’s advice and continued to carry the black sphere with him. Only by maintaining constant awareness of its internal state could he feel reassured.

As soon as he entered, the tribespeople gathered around him eagerly. Soa’s mother, tears streaming down her face, embraced Chief Jiayang Gongbu, sobbing out words.

The others, seeing the father and son return safely, were naturally overjoyed.

When they heard from Soa that the two had captured the Shierwu with the help of the River God’s apostle, they pressed their hands to their foreheads in celebration.

Several tribespeople even presented Li Tianque with a khata, and like Soa and his father, knelt and bowed deeply before him.

Though Li Tianque could not understand what they were saying, he could feel their warmth and gratitude, and his heart was filled with a gentle warmth.

But his mind was more occupied with worries about Wu Miaoran and her companions.

From Chief Jiayang Gongbu and his son, he learned that no outsiders had passed by recently.

Within thirty kilometers, only one bridge crossed the Siweiwei River. The water was icy cold year-round, making swimming across nearly impossible. If strangers used the bridge, the local herders would surely notice, as it was a rare occurrence.

Failing to gather any news about Wu Miaoran and the others, Li Tianque decided to address another urgent matter.

“Soa, your camp has a power supply, right? I’d like to charge my phone,” Li Tianque said.

Though Wuerkuluo Township was remote and backward, some wealthy families could afford motorcycles, televisions, computers, and other modern appliances. Having seen Soa and the chief use their phones, Li Tianque immediately voiced his pressing need.

“Of course, Hero. I’ll get it for you right away! But…”

“But what?” Li Tianque asked.

“Hehe, you’ll see soon enough.” Soa grinned mysteriously.

Soon, Soa carried over a Dezhe outdoor power source. This device absorbed solar energy via panels, using photovoltaic power to meet the daily needs of the herders.

Li Tianque was overjoyed and quickly plugged his phone’s data cable into the power supply.

It wasn’t a fast-charging cable, so after about ten minutes, his phone barely powered on.

Once switched on, the outer screen was shattered—the lower half was blacked out, while the upper half displayed icons like grotesque faces mocking him. The signal showed a large X.

Seeing Li Tianque’s expression, Soa laughed and said, “Hero, I’m really sorry.

There’s no signal near our camp—none, for ten kilometers in any direction. Only in the town of Wuerkuluo can you get a weak signal, just enough to make calls or send QQ and WeChat messages.”

Li Tianque felt helpless. It seemed he would have to return to town to find a way to contact Wu Miaoran and the others.