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墨書 Inktalez
The sandstorm rolled forward, unstoppable like divine punishment.
Four people squeezed into the watchtower, lying low in a pit about half a meter deep, too afraid to raise their heads.
Elida, strong and sturdy, blocked the entrance with her back, shielding her companions from the wind and sand. Mo Bei piled their luggage on Lin Luo, his expression anxious as he urged, "Make sure to cover your nose with your sleeve and don’t breathe through your mouth. The hot wind could take your life!"
The sand and dust surged in, and the cramped tower stood like a fortress clinging to the ground, struggling against the raging winds.
Lin Luo had thought this was the worst disaster she could face. However, when she realized that the hot winds were following closely behind, she truly understood the power of what was known as the desert's reaper.
In an instant, the dark and narrow space transformed into a steam room; the relentless heat caused her sweat to seep out continuously. The sensation was nothing compared to being in a sauna.
The extremely dry and hot air instantly evaporated the sweat that had just emerged, leaving salt residue on her skin that corroded tiny cracks. The sand penetrated those wounds, and the pain made her sweat even more.
This was undoubtedly a life-and-death struggle against death itself.
Amidst it all, Lin Luo felt deeply the scorching air and the ravaging sand around her. She could not imagine what kind of brutal torment Elida’s upright body was enduring.
Mo Bei held her tightly in his arms, trying to shield her from the relentless heat and sand. In that moment, his body shook violently as if struck by a powerful force.
Hours later, the sandstorm and hot winds finally began to subside. Lin Luo felt as if she were about to be buried in sand. Struggling alongside Mo Bei and Mo Nan, she stood up with great difficulty and anxiously looked toward the empty tower entrance but found no sign of Elida.
The blazing sun resumed its scorching over the desert. They emerged from the watchtower as if they had survived a catastrophe, calling out loudly for Elida. Yet deep down, Lin Luo already had an inkling of the truth: Elida had chosen to sacrifice herself to protect them.
At that moment, they caught a strong, foul odor of burnt flesh. Following the scent, they found Elida half-buried in the yellow sand not far away. Lin Luo could no longer suppress her grief and burst into tears.
The scorching wind, exceeding seventy degrees, mercilessly evaporated the moisture from Elida's body in a very short time. At that moment, his face was purple, his skin cracked and shriveled, resembling an ancient corpse unearthed from the ground. His expression was one of extreme agony, with deep-set eye sockets and skin tightly clinging to his face, giving him a terrifying appearance.
With heavy hearts, they buried Elida's body in the watchtower.
Mo Nan slowly knelt before his brother, whom he had grown up with, his expression reverent as he murmured, "Almighty Lord, grant you eternal rest. I'm sorry, Elida, forgive me."
The next morning, the remaining three finally reached their destination—the Loulan Ruins.
The legendary world once rich in water and grass had long become a distant myth. After relentless slaughter and cruel torment by time, it was completely forgotten by history, leaving only withered red willows and Hu Yang, along with the vast expanse of yellow sand stretching endlessly.
Lin Luo quietly gazed at the lonely houses, tombs, and pagodas standing there. The colors on the pagoda were still faintly visible, like a mysterious riddle that had slept for a thousand years, silently scrutinizing the souls of these intruders.
She no longer felt the excitement and joy she had anticipated at the beginning; the delight of successfully crossing the no-man's land was now replaced by a heavy sense of sorrow. She sighed softly as she looked at these scattered relics that were about to be weathered into ashes and whispered, "We have arrived."
"The last ones to reach here are only the three of us." Mo Bei observed his brother's gloomy expression. He stood against the light, with the sun casting a bright spot that created an illusion of a rainbow on his sweat-drenched eyelashes.
"Mo Nan, this trip you and Mo Bei meticulously planned was to lead me here, wasn't it?"
Lin Luo closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly as she spoke, "At first, I thought Chen Tuo's death was due to the curse of Sun Grave, and Li Xiang's death was because of the legend of demons residing in Wind City. But after that, the deaths of Cheng Ge and Elida made me realize something. I don't know why you did this, but now only we remain. I understood before Cheng Ge died that I might not escape death either. But I just want to know..."
Tears streamed down her face as her voice choked with emotion. "Mo Bei, I love you so much. Why did you set up such a trap with Mo Nan?"
"Why do you say that?" Mo Nan looked at Lin Luo in astonishment. This petite, delicate, and beautiful woman was challenging him. "We all live and eat together. What evidence do you have to prove that I killed someone?"
"Cheng Ge once mentioned her suspicions to me at night. When we discovered Li Xiang's lifeless body, she noticed the small red rashes on his arm. As Li Xiang's girlfriend, she must have known his health condition; he was healthy but had a fatal flaw that he would have certainly told Mo Bei about—his severe allergy to penicillin. So you took advantage of this and struck after he fell asleep. He didn’t even have time to scream before he died in his dreams. The desert winds are strong, and we wouldn’t be able to find any traces of penicillin powder. Your plan was perfect, but you overlooked one thing."
Lin Luo struggled to suppress her inner pain, striving to keep her voice steady.
"Heh, interesting. I never expected you to be so meticulous, girl. But tell me, what makes you suspect me? Since Li Xiang shared his flaw with Mo Bei, why don’t you suspect him? Just because he’s your boyfriend?" Mo Nan sneered, attempting to defend himself.
"Of course not. Each of us carries specific items, and your responsibility included not only your own food and water but also the guiding tools and medicine. Among the seven of us, only your bag contained penicillin—need I think any further? Unfortunately, we are all trapped in the Gobi Desert; even if I state this fact, it would only increase the panic.
Elida's remarks after Chen Tuo's death are worth pondering. First of all, that off-road vehicle was meticulously maintained by both of you; it should have been foolproof. Why did it stall right in the heart of Lop Nur? It’s likely that you tampered with it. Moreover, Chen Tuo was the first to finish his water yet also the first to suffer from heatstroke. Do you think that’s normal?" Lin Luo analyzed clearly, her gaze fixed intently on Mo Nan.
Hearing Lin Luo’s analysis, Mo Nan couldn’t help but regard her with newfound respect. He fell silent for a moment before breaking into a mocking laugh. "I underestimated you; no wonder your parents are both expedition team members—your observational skills are certainly not lacking. In fact, everything you've encountered up to this point has been carefully orchestrated by me and Mo Bei; it’s all part of our 'magic'!"
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