See that she is confident.
Chen Yulou couldn't help but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The black desert is endless, and it is the windy season now. It snows nine out of ten days. It is hard to find a sunny day, but the wind is also howling, and it is impossible to identify the direction by ordinary means.
I rely on her to guide me along the way.
And her performance was worthy of the original guarantee of Patriarch Wutuo.
Although there may be ambiguities between each other on certain things, this does not hinder them too much.
As for the Zidu Anhe River, he has also heard about it.
It is said that the snow water melted by the Kunlun Glacier flows from the top of the mountain to form a large river. However, the Black Desert is in extreme drought most of the year, and the water on the ground cannot be retained.
Rivers flow underground.
Thus forming an underground river.
In the ancient Uighur language, Zidu means shadow.
Describe it as elusive and hard to find.
But where exactly it is located is unknown.
But according to Oona, it seems that she has seen it before.
After a simple breakfast, we packed our tent and luggage.
The group set off again from Xiye Ancient City.
After a treasure hunt in the ancient city, the atmosphere in the team was obviously much more enthusiastic than in the previous days, especially the young people, whose faces were full of expectations and longing.
From time to time, he would take out the artifacts he found and show them off like trophies.
There are fragments of jade, golden beans the size of your thumb, and some weird and Western-style antiques.
Although it is not as valuable as expected.
But after all, I dug it out of the yellow sand with my own hands, and the sense of accomplishment cannot be summed up simply by its value.
After passing Yumen Pass and entering the Western Regions.
I don’t know how many times I have heard the saying that there is gold everywhere in the desert.
Now they finally feel it.
Everyone was riding on the back of a camel, scanning the surroundings, hoping to find another ancient city.
After all, didn’t the shopkeeper say so?
Along the ancient Kongque River below you, dozens of ancient countries once existed. If you can find another one, wouldn't it be a windfall from heaven? Anyway, you are just idle.
It’s just that the ancient city is so easy to find.
Most of them have been covered by wind and sand.
Sealed deep underground.
At first glance, the scenery machine looks like it has been copied. Unless you are a master of inversion who lives in the black desert all year round, you can calculate based on the subtle changes.
Otherwise, you would not notice it even if you walked over the top of the ancient city.
But...
There are unexpected surprises.
On the way to the ancient well, you can often see black shadows floating on the sand dunes.
At first, no one paid much attention to it, just thinking it was a dead Haloxylon ammodendron tree or piled iron sand and gravel.
It wasn’t until they were resting on the way that a few young people couldn’t sit still and walked together. As they got closer to the black figures, they discovered that they were actually a stone tomb buried under the dunes with half of the top exposed. .
Because the desert is always moving.
No matter how deep the coffin is buried, it will be blown out of the ground by a sandstorm in a few years.
It will even attract those ferocious beasts in the desert to break open the coffin and eat the corpse.
In order to prevent this situation.
That’s why the ancient people of various countries in the Black Desert used this method to quarry rocks and integrate the coffins and tomb chambers into one body. The gaps between the stone slabs were glued together with fish glue.
Buried deep in the desert.
Like an ancient ship sinking into the sea of sand.
Even the most ferocious pack of wolves cannot destroy the coffin.
However, a sandstorm swept through the past few days and blew away a thick layer of yellow sand, allowing the top of the stone tomb to emerge from the sea of sand.
A few people shouted excitedly.
The movement quickly attracted a lot of attention.
Huama kidnapped the person and took a look, with a look of surprise on his face.
Stone coffin tombs may be difficult for ordinary people to start with, but Changsheng Mountain is the home of Xiling. Even newcomers to the world have at least three or five kinds of techniques for breaking into tombs and opening coffins. Method.
There were about ten people in the group.
It took less than half a quarter of an hour to dig out the entire coffin and tomb from the sand dunes.
One rock after another is connected to each other.
Seeing this situation, Huamaguai decisively took out the probing claw.
The sharp hook swiped hard along the gap in the sarcophagus.
The already weathered fish maw cracked instantly, and little cracks appeared from the inside out. After a while, the glue like broken glass fell to the ground.
The vaginal claw changes direction.
Insert a sudden hook.
The entire stone panel was removed with great ease.
The waiters on the side felt itchy and swarmed forward, opening a cave in the coffin that could accommodate two people in and out.
A wind lantern is hung from a bamboo strip deep inside.
The light of fire dispels the darkness.
The group stood on tiptoes and looked.
The size of the tomb chamber is not large, just like a gourd lying horizontally. There are two tombs in the front and the back, each with a coffin.
The common willow and poplar trees in the Western Regions are used.
After just one glance, Huamaguai felt a little uninterested. From the style of the coffin, it could be seen that the tomb was not of high standard. He was probably just a low-level official.
If it had been released before, he might still be interested.
But I just bought an entire Xiye Ancient City.
Both the horizons and the appetite have invisibly improved a lot.
“Okay, let’s drive.”
"Move quickly, don't delay the trip."
He glanced at the young guys beside him.
Huama turned around and waved her hands.
Hearing the hidden meaning in his words, several people still didn't understand.
“Thank you for your help.”
I thanked him with my fists in my arms.
The group quickly rushed into the tomb.
Two wooden coffins were opened one after another.
Except for two mummies, a man and a woman, there were very few artifacts buried with them, and there were mostly pottery and jade pieces.
But less is better than nothing.
A few people can exchange it for a few pieces of silver each, which is better than nothing.
When they walked out of the tomb, they did not forget to seal the stone door again.
The wind howls all day long in the Black Desert, and within half a day at most, the quicksand will bury the entire coffin and tomb again.
Wait for the group to return.
Everyone in the team had almost rested.
Seeing the smiles that could not be concealed on the faces of several waiters, Chen Yulou asked casually. Hearing that it was a stone tomb, he couldn't help but nodded suddenly.
In the vast black desert.
That kind of stone tomb has not only one thousand but also eight hundred.
The real tombs of nobles in the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions often have big trees like those of the Han people.
Either buried very deep underground, or buried in the city, completely protected from wind and sand erosion.
It is extremely difficult to find valuable artifacts from an ancient tomb like an ancient ship in the sea of sand.
Without another word, the group continued on their way.
After noon, the heavy snow that had been falling intermittently for several days finally stopped, but the sky was still gloomy, with leaden clouds falling low, making people breathless.
“There will be a snowstorm tomorrow at the latest.”
“Shopkeeper Chen, it’s best to plan ahead. Should we stop or go?”
During the break, Oona approached the team where several people were, with a hint of deep sadness between her brows and eyes.
“Snowstorm?”
Chen Yulou is still studying the route with Partridge Post.
According to the ancient atlas left by the ancestors of Zagrama, the Holy Mountain is located in a barren land deep in the black desert, with two huge black magnetic mountains facing each other far away.
But how far away is it?
Do they really have a rough idea in mind?
After hearing what Oona said, the two of them did not care about the Holy Mountain. They subconsciously looked up at the sky above them, with a flash of thoughtfulness in their expressions.
"How did you see this? Can you confirm it?"
Yang Fang looked weird.
In his opinion, the weather is almost the same as usual.
"You can't be wrong."
"I have been learning how to identify weather changes with Atta since I was a child."
Oona nodded seriously.
The wizards in the village not only have the responsibilities of worshiping gods, witch doctors, and divination, but they also need to observe the changes in the four seasons and wind and clouds with their naked eyes.
Although they are nomadic people, they do not rely on the sky for their livelihood.
But if they go hunting and encounter extreme weather, it will be a fatal crisis for them.
Chen Yulou knew this very well.
I already believe it 70% to 80%.
Since she specifically mentioned a snowstorm, it must not be comparable to this snowy day. "Miss Oona, the ancient well you mentioned before can be sheltered from the wind?"
"There is a low broken wall around the ancient well. If you are quick enough, you can dig out a sand valley along the broken wall and squeeze in. It should be fine."
See him point out the key.
In such a short period of time, I thought of a way to break the situation.
When Oona looked at Chen Yulou, a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
However, the surprise was quickly suppressed, and after a moment of reflection, he responded seriously.
"Then we won't wait."
Chen Yulou nodded, having already made a decision in his heart, he turned and looked not far behind him.
"Guaizi, please pass on the order and tell the brothers to cheer up. If you encounter those stone tombs again, don't open the coffins as if they are treasures. Speed up your journey and try to get there as soon as possible."
"Yes, from the shopkeeper."
Being with the shopkeeper for so many years.
His mental habits have already been deeply rooted in his bones.
Huamaguai couldn't hear the seriousness in his tone at this moment. He immediately clasped his fists and accepted the order, patted the camel under him, and hurried towards the long team behind him.
Get the news.
No one dares to hesitate.
One is a strict order from the shopkeeper, and the other involves his own life.
Along the way, they had seen countless dead bodies, from ancient times to the present. Most of them had not rotted, but were dehydrated and turned into mummies. Almost without exception, they died of getting lost.
In the vast desert.
Once you lose your way.
There is no food and water supply.
The only thing left for them is death.
Whether it's petty profit or life and death, which is more important, anyone who has no brain problems can figure it out clearly.
Next.
Taking advantage of the brief clearing up of the weather, everyone ate and drank on the backs of camels, not daring to take any rest and hurried on as hard as they could.
I saw those old camels foaming at the mouth from exhaustion.
It made Pat very distressed.
There are more than a hundred camels in the team, many of which he raised by himself, while the rest were rented from various families, and countless efforts were put into each one.
He even thought about it.
Wait for this trip to return smoothly.
After you get rid of your slave status, you can use your savings over the years to buy one back, transport goods for others, or do some small business on your own, which is not a waste of the rest of your life.
But running like this now.
It is simply killing their lives in advance.
But he didn’t dare to say anything.
After all, the owner named Chen paid a lot of money.
Although he didn't know exactly how much it was, when he received the money, the master couldn't close his mouth with laughter.
It can make that picky guy unable to find any faults. It is conceivable that it is definitely a temptation that ordinary people cannot refuse.
Fortunately, such rapid running did not last long.
Almost half an hour later,
Oona, who was walking at the front, raised her hand to signal the team to stop.
The rear team does not know what it means.
But news soon came.
It is said that we have arrived at Baluka.
This is obviously an ancient place name. A bunch of rough warriors can't even imagine how to write those three characters.
But Chen Yulou understood as soon as he heard it. Baluka was the ancient name of Gumo, also known as Qianmo. It followed the old name in the Tang Dynasty and belonged to the Qiuci Protectorate.
Wait for them to cross the sand dunes.
An ancient city no smaller than Xiye appeared in sight.
There are ruined walls everywhere, as well as the tops of turrets submerged in yellow sand.
Gumozhou!
Chen Yulou scanned around and took a rough measurement. Just from what he could see, there were almost three thousand households in the ancient city. It was considered an absolute big city in the thirty-six countries of the Western Region.
The only person with such a big city in Gumo is Gumo Prefecture.
Established in the Tang Dynasty, it is the first important town of Qiuci Protectorate.
It's just that thousands of years have passed, and the once prosperous towns along the Silk Road, with countless camel and horse traders, have been reduced to ruins, dead and silent, with no trace of life anymore.
“The ancient city.”
“Another artifact has been replaced.”
“I heard that the general plans to stay here for a few days to escape the wind and sand, isn’t it us? It’s a good time to show off your skills?”
“Shh, be gentle, you only have bright weapons in your mind, right?”
The guy who climbed up the sand dune after him looked at the ancient city at the bottom of the mountain, his face full of surprise.
“We’ll set up camp in the city first.”
Chen Yulou ignored the exclamations behind him.
But he looked up at the sky.
Compared with before, the lead clouds in the sky were thicker and lower, giving off a suffocating sense of depression.
Everything is going in the direction Oona said.
It is estimated that a snowstorm will come tonight.
He didn't dare to delay. When the order was passed, everyone did not hesitate. They led the camels into the city. After choosing a camping location, nearly 300 people got busy.
Take advantage of this opportunity.
Chen Yulou and several others went deep into the city.
Under a section of wall, they finally saw the ancient well that Oona mentioned.
Only the well fence is left around, and the ancient pavilion has long been broken by wind and sand. However, a thick bluestone slab was built over the well, which must have been done by the passing teams.
Kunlun stepped forward and moved the manhole cover away.
The mouth of the well is almost one meter square, and the bottom is pitch black and deep. I don’t know how deep it is, and I can’t see the bottom at all.
However, standing by the well, you can clearly feel the strong water vapor.
There were ropes and barrels hanging on the side.
It is probably left by the predecessors.
Huamaguai took the initiative to step forward and put the barrel down, thinking about getting water in the bucket to see if it was drinkable.
After almost half of the tens of meters of rope were put down, the sound of water finally came from below. The kidnapper's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly pulled back after it was filled with water.
Since practicing martial arts.
His body and bones are actually much better than in previous years.
The wooden bucket filled with water was pulled out of the well in a few clicks.
Put it next to Jingyan with a bang.
Clear well water spilled all over the ground.
Seeing this, Huamaguai's last remaining worry fell back into his stomach.
It's so clear, drinking it will definitely not be a problem.
The key is this ancient well.
The little water they had left was finally replenished.
“I have to try it again.”
He smiled and rubbed his hands.
Huamaguai made a show of reaching out to hold the water.
“That’s not right!”
“Knapper, get out of the way!”
It’s just...
Not before he gets deep into the barrel.
A shout rang in his ears.
He stretched out his hand and paused subconsciously.
At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, a black shadow suddenly burst out from the depths of the barrel. Before it even approached, a towering fishy stench and murderous intent shrouded it.
Hua Maguai’s head went crazy.
With no time to think, he rolled forward on the spot, barely able to avoid the fishy wind.
The next moment.
Chen Yulou returning from the ancient city wall.
I stepped on the yellow sand with my right foot, picked up a stone, and kicked it out with a bang.
Huamaguai felt a chill at the back of his head.
A cloud of pungent blood has exploded out of thin air.
Fortunately, he reacted fairly quickly and managed to escape several meters away without getting any blood stains.
Take a few heavy breaths.
After finally suppressing his heart palpitations, he turned around.
On the sand beside the ancient well, there was a strange snake that was as black as ink and almost half a meter long, but its head and neck were broken into two parts, and the head could not be seen.
Huamaguai was startled for a moment, then realized.
The snake head was clearly kicked to pieces by the shopkeeper.
Black snake blood fell like rain.
Wherever it falls.
There was a loud hissing sound and black smoke billowing from the yellow sand. In the blink of an eye, a deep pit was eroded.
This scene made Huamaguai even feel chills in his chest.
After narrowly escaping from death, his face turned extremely ugly and he couldn't help but curse.
"What the hell is this?" (End of Chapter)