Gu Shenwei sat on horseback at a small mound as he gazed far ahead in the direction of the desert. Behind him, the 10 teams were forming up and leaving Shuangquan Village in a long procession. It was the first day of their journey to the Stone Kingdom.
Suddenly, the children who had been running and giggling beside him stopped playing and pointed their fingers at the sky while shouting, "Eagle! There's an eagle!"
Gu Shenwei looked up and saw a black eagle flying unsteadily above in the sky. It looked as if it was about to lose its balance and fall to the ground at any minute.
"It's injured," said some child.
"No, it has been entangled by a snake," said an elderly man. He was the most experienced guide in this village and would be leading the teams across the desert.