Yang Xueli

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yang Xueli (杨雪莉)
Alias(es)	Shirley Yang
Gender	Female
Nationality	American 20 45
Affiliation	Professor Chen's archaeological team
Occupation/Role	Expedition funder, planner, and field member
Status	Active 50
First Appearance	Chapter 19

Background & Motivation

Yang Xueli is the wealthy daughter of a Wall Street magnate and has inherited his assets, giving her the means to fund Professor Chen's expedition for Jingjue Ancient City. 20

Her interest in Jingjue is personal rather than purely archaeological: she seeks the means to break the Ghost Eye Curse affecting her family line. She is shocked when Hu Ming demonstrates prior knowledge of the curse, immediately recognizing the value of recruiting him and Hu Bayi. 24 26

Her father previously led an expedition connected to the route toward Jingjue Ancient City. Its members disappeared around the Kunlun Glacier, leaving behind exploration materials, a notebook, and other clues that Yang Xueli continues to pursue. 31 34 39

Appearance

Yang Xueli is repeatedly described as beautiful, with a fair complexion and a polished, practical style suited to changing expedition conditions. 24 32

• Wore a red leather jacket, white casual trousers, and white sneakers when meeting Hu Bayi's group in Beijing. 24
• Wore a red ski suit, red wool hat, and windproof goggles while crossing the Kunlun snowfields. 32
• Carries herself with composure even during the desert expedition and sandstorms. 48

Personality

Yang Xueli is meticulous, quick-witted, decisive, and accustomed to using money and planning to achieve her objectives. She initially tests Hu Bayi, Hu Ming, and Wang Kaixuan with an arrogant attitude, but immediately apologizes when Hu Ming reveals knowledge of the Ghost Eye Curse and she realizes the team needs them. 24 26

Her determination can become recklessness. She repeatedly acts alone in dangerous areas, approaches the Fire Ladybug-infested Nine-story Demon Tower despite warnings, and later points a gun at Fatty to reclaim her father's notebook. 35 38 39

She is not indifferent to her companions' welfare. She gives Professor Chen oxygen during the Kunlun ascent, helps support Ye Yixin through altitude sickness, and checks supplies and the condition of the others during the desert sandstorm. 32 33 48

Abilities & Skills

Expedition Research and Route Planning

Yang Xueli studies maps, books, diary materials, and prior expedition evidence to locate Jingjue Ancient City.

• Possesses materials from her father's expedition, including route information connected to the Kunlun Glacier. 31
• Plans a route from Bosten Lake through the ancient Peacock River bed and toward the ruins of Gumo Kingdom. 42
• Recommends entering the desert during the Wind Sand Month, when buried ruins may be easier to detect. 42
• Recognizes a durable American clothing-factory button as likely belonging to her father. 37
• Observes desert landmarks and understands how poplars, dunes, and ruins can form a navigable route. 45

Firearms Proficiency

Yang Xueli handles firearms with practiced familiarity.

• Efficiently retrieves and inspects a handgun found on a dead member of her father's expedition. 34
• Collects ammunition from the explorer's belongings. 34
• Uses a handgun to threaten Fatty during the dispute over her father's notebook. 39

Field Endurance

Yang Xueli has substantial outdoor training and adapts well to severe terrain.

• Crosses the high-altitude Kunlun snowfields without visible exhaustion and assists Ye Yixin while moving. 33
• Her endurance is attributed to outdoor expeditions with her father since childhood and continued physical training after learning about her parentage. 48
• Remains composed enough to inspect supplies and check on the group during a major sandstorm. 48

Negotiation and Financial Resources

Yang Xueli uses her wealth to recruit specialists and secure expedition logistics.

• Funds Professor Chen's team and offers Hu Bayi a reward of fifty thousand US dollars, doubled upon finding Jingjue Ancient City. 26
• Agrees to Hu Ming's demand for an additional fifty thousand US dollars for the Kunlun Glacier detour. 31
• Doubles the payment and provides an advance to persuade Hu Bayi's group to continue after the glacier escape. 42
• Pays An Liman in advance to secure his services and the use of his camels for the desert crossing. 44 45

Equipment

• Marked maps and expedition documents — Used to plan the route to Jingjue Ancient City. 30 42
• Oxygen bottle and mask — Used to revive Professor Chen during the Kunlun ascent. 32
• Handgun and ammunition — Recovered from a deceased explorer from her father's team. 34
• Laptop — A key item she refuses to abandon during the Fire Ladybug attack until Hu Bayi throws it across the river to safety. 40
• Camera — Used to photograph desert landmarks and the blood-red cloudscape near Sacred Tomb Mountain. 46 47

Relationships

• Hu Bayi — Hires him as the expedition's leader because of his military experience and feng shui expertise. Their relationship becomes closer after she saves him in the river during the Kunlun escape, though he remains wary of her decisions. 26 38 42 45
• Hu Ming — Recruits him for his knowledge of the Ghost Eye Curse, Western Regions history, ancient scripts, and feng shui. She considers him “unfathomable,” while he distrusts her secrecy and threatens her after she aims a gun at Fatty. 24 28 39
• Wang Kaixuan — Initially considers him unsuited to the team, but accepts him after Hu Bayi insists the three brothers remain together. Their hostility peaks when he finds her father's notebook and she draws a gun on him. 27 39
• Professor Chen — Her father's friend and senior partner in the expedition. She calls him “Uncle Chen,” cares for him during the Kunlun climb, and works with him to preserve the team. 20 32 41
• Her father — A previous explorer whose lost team, diary materials, notebook, and route data drive Yang Xueli's search for Jingjue Ancient City. 31 34 39
• An Liman — Hires him as the desert guide by offering generous payment and an advance for his camels. 43 44

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment of Hu Bayi's Group

Yang Xueli visits Big Gold Tooth with Professor Chen to locate people capable of finding Jingjue Ancient City. After her initial confrontation with Hu Ming, Hu Bayi, and Fatty, she apologizes and secures their cooperation through high rewards and recognition of their specialized knowledge. 20 24 26 27

Kunlun Glacier Investigation

She redirects the expedition to Kunlun Glacier to recover clues from her father's lost team. There, she identifies one of the deceased explorers, retrieves evidence, survives a Fire Ladybug attack, and later helps convince Hu Bayi's group to continue toward Jingjue. 31 34 40 42

Search for the Nine-story Demon Tower

Yang Xueli secretly searches corpses and hidden caves for traces of her father's expedition. Her desperation to recover his notebook leads to a serious conflict with Fatty and Hu Ming, further damaging trust within the group. 35 39

Taklamakan Desert Expedition

After leaving Kunlun, Yang Xueli provides the planned route into the desert, hires An Liman and his camels, documents landmarks with her camera, and persists through escalating shortages and sandstorms. 42 44 46 48 50