Sandstorm

Finally, the wind and sand subsided. As the leader, Hu Bayi worried that Professor Chen and the other intellectuals wouldn't be able to withstand the continuous jolting, so he told Fatty to stop An Liman. www.

The old man knew that the camels were nearing their limit from running continuously. Out of concern for the camels, he had the lead camel stop.

Everyone could finally catch their breath.

As soon as Ye Yixin dismounted, she knelt on the ground, pulled off her face covering, and coughed violently. Her heart felt like it was being shaken, and she collapsed onto the ground. She looked up at the dim, sand-filled sky, tears welling in her eyes. She felt like she was dying, destined to become a pile of bones in this desolate desert.

"Xiao Ye, drink some water and rest," Hu Ming said, pulling Ye Yixin up and holding her. He sighed inwardly; taking care of the girl had fallen to him again. Well, he supposed he could play the role of a knight in shining armor just this once.

After feeding Ye Yixin a few sips of water, he saw she was still very weak. Hu Ming knew she wouldn't be able to survive the dangers ahead in her current state.

"Brother Hu Ming, will the sandstorm stop?"

The sand had lessened considerably by now, and visibility had improved significantly. Ye Yixin saw that although the sandstorm had weakened, it showed no signs of stopping. Her already pale face turned even whiter.

"Brother Hu Ming, do you think I'll die here?" Ye Yixin, leaning weakly in Hu Ming's arms, was constantly worried about dying. She spoke so softly that Hu Ming could barely hear her, but luckily his hearing was far beyond that of ordinary people.

"I don't know if you'll die, but a real sandstorm is coming, and it's a black sandstorm at that. You definitely won't make it. Fine, you can ride with me on one camel," Hu Ming said, looking somewhat exasperatedly at the girl in his arms. If she was so afraid of dying, why did she come here to join the fun?

However, the camel Hu Ming chose was strong and was a male.

"Okay," Ye Yixin nodded, feeling a sliver of security in her heart.

"Professor Chen, have some water." Professor Chen knelt on the ground, coughing violently, his face turning blue. Hu Bayi handed him water, thinking that this old man was really a burden in the desert. Fine, he'd take care of this old man himself.

Hu Bayi looked enviously at Hu Ming. See that? he thought. Mingzi is taking care of a beautiful girl. He pulls her into his arms, she leans against him, and she develops a sense of dependence. This is practically a match made in heaven.

He then looked at Fatty. This damned Fatty is even more hopeless, he thought. Fatty was currently berating An Liman.

No wonder people like us end up as virgins, Hu Bayi mused. It's not without reason.

Yang Xueli had excellent stamina. Because her father was an explorer, she had followed him on many outdoor expeditions since childhood. After learning the truth about her parentage as she grew older, she trained even harder.

Therefore, the few hours of jolting travel were nothing to her. At this moment, she was still calmly checking supplies and inquiring about Sa Dipeng and the others.

This, however, made Hu Bayi a little regretful. She wasn't like Ye Yixin; otherwise, Hu Bayi would have held her in his arms too.

As for An Liman, he was like a walking map of the desert. He was as comfortable in the desert as he was at home. After the bumpy journey, he wasn't out of breath or flushed. After a few arguments with Fatty, he went to check his camels, meticulously inspecting each one.

Wuwu~

The faint wind and sand shifted slightly, then abruptly stopped, catching everyone off guard.

But they quickly burst into laughter. The sandstorm had finally stopped, and it seemed like nothing else was coming. Everyone was beaming with joy. Only An Liman and Hu Ming's expressions turned grim.

They both looked towards the eastern horizon. The blood-red dawn glow hadn't dissipated; instead, it had grown larger and redder, like a bleeding wound.

"Run! The Hyacinths are really here! Hu Bayi is angry!" An Liman was utterly terrified, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't just stand there, get on the camels! Hold on tight to them!" Hu Ming said, exasperated. The group watched like fools as An Liman ran towards the camels, not knowing what to do themselves. At his urging, Yang Xueli, Fatty, Sa Dipeng, and the others quickly mounted their camels.

"Professor Chen, hurry!" Hu Bayi helped Professor Chen onto a camel, then rushed to his own, swinging himself onto its back. Meanwhile, An Liman sprinted to the lead camel, mounted it, and, disregarding everyone behind him, urged the camel into a mad dash.

The entire camel train seemed to go mad, racing desperately behind the lead camel.

Whoosh whoosh~

A mournful wail filled the air as a sky-obscuring sandstorm descended. The entire sky instantly darkened, like the end of the world, instilling boundless terror in their hearts.

In the face of nature, everything seemed insignificant, utterly powerless to resist.

Pat pat pat!

Before the sandstorm even reached them, its power whipped up countless grains of sand, which flew through the air and struck them. Everyone felt as if they were being hit by small stones; it hurt terribly.

They clung tightly to the camel humps, burying their heads to shield themselves from the wind and sand.

Panic spread through their hearts, unsure if they would survive this ordeal. The camels they rode galloped desperately, nearly throwing them off countless times.

Finally, their vision was completely obscured beyond two meters. The first wave of the sandstorm caught up to them. This wave was relatively weak, but everyone was almost swept off their camels, flying into the air.

This is too terrifying, they thought. If the main sandstorm hits, we'll truly be swept away, and our fate will be death.

Hu Ming tightened his legs around the camel, holding Ye Yixin with both arms.