The wind and sand outside had gradually died down. Fine grains still hung in the air, and sunlight filtered through them, casting faint shafts of light.
The city seemed transformed, coated in a thick layer of yellow sand that left it desolate and vast. There was no oasis in the estate, only a lone plume of smoke rising straight over the desert.
They hurried through the city toward the library without encountering members of any other organizations along the way.
The library stood in the center of the city, but it was no towering building. Instead, it was squat and rectangular, like a brick, with a spacious interior.
As they entered the library, the smell of decaying books washed over them. Footprints lay scattered across the wooden floor, clearly showing that someone had beaten them there. Yet the library remained unusually quiet, with no sounds from any other organizations.
Xie De told them to split into groups of two or three and search.
Wei Yanchi volunteered to join him.
They went straight to the second floor, which was much more cramped than the first. Bookshelves stood in neat rows in every direction, with aisles between them barely wide enough for one person.
Xie De walked ahead.
Honestly, he had no idea what the treasure looked like.
But if it was a treasure, surely it would be different from ordinary objects. He should be able to recognize it at a glance...
"Mr. Xie, it's a little dusty up ahead. Why don't I lead?" Wei Yanchi suggested from behind him.
"No need. You don't have to follow me, either. You can look somewhere else."
"All right, I'll search farther ahead. Call me if you need anything, sir."
Wei Yanchi slipped past a bookshelf beside them.
Covering his nose and mouth, Xie De