Tomb Raiding: My Family's Last Clan Chief is Little Brother

Chapter 195 The Convoy Goes Missing
Looking out the car window, Zhang Wuxun saw the group of people laughing as if they had eaten two extra bowls of rice at noon, and he was furious.

Damn black bear!

He cursed through gritted teeth, washed his face with water, tidied his hair and clothes, and got out of the car.

With a stern face and a deathly cold gaze, he stared at everyone, causing their smiles to freeze.

Zhang Wuxun was finally satisfied.

After this commotion, the atmosphere eased a bit, and Aning ordered everyone to rest on the spot until it was completely light, then she would send someone to scout the camp.

They fled in such a hurry that the supplies on the vehicle wouldn't last until they found the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West. They would have to go back to find Dingzhu Zhuoma and the others, and without a guide, their journey would have to come to a standstill.

The shattered car window glass was pieced together and taped back together, making do with it for now.

The desert stretches endlessly under the rising sun, breathtakingly beautiful. Light and shadow flow in the straightest lines, like a magnificent oil painting. The golden yellow and dark ochre are pure and spotless, as if carefully sifted through a giant sieve.

The relentless cold wind, day and night, shapes the mountain ridges and slopes into undulating waves—waves of exquisite beauty and tranquility, without a single ripple.

The bright red sun leaps over the horizon, like a huge red agate, shimmering and dazzling.

Those with cameras on the bus were taking pictures non-stop. Wu Xiaoxie exhaled a puff of white breath, rubbed his stiff hands, and sighed softly, "Even if we can't find the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West, seeing such beautiful scenery here makes the trip worthwhile."

Zhang Wuxun laughed when he heard this, "You absolutely mustn't let A-Ning hear this, or she might just leave you in this godforsaken place to fend for yourself."

Wu Xiaoxie shrank his neck and made a zipper gesture with his hand near his mouth.

As dawn broke, A Ning called everyone together and then arranged for Hei Xiazi, Xiao Ge, and Wu Lao Si to go and investigate the situation.

Less than ten minutes later, the vehicle that had gone to the camp returned.

Wu Laosi got out of the car, his face looking very unpleasant.

Ah Ning stepped forward, frowning as she asked, "Where are the two of them? How's the situation at the camp?"

Wu Laosi looked grief-stricken, his eyes reddening. "They're all dead. Those who didn't escape, even their bodies are gone. The scorpion tide has receded. Hei Xiazi and the others stayed behind to pack up their equipment."

The team of nearly fifty people was reduced by half, but fortunately most of the dead were temporary hires.

The contract clearly stated in black and white when we hired them that this expedition could be extremely dangerous, and there was a high probability that they would die.

Since they chose to take a gamble and receive their commission in advance, they should be prepared to pay the price at any time.

Ah Ning's face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

This expedition has been unsuccessful and has suffered heavy losses. Morale within the team is also wavering. We must find Dingzhu Zhuoma to lead the way as soon as possible.

“What about the people in the village?” Aning asked.

Old Wu sighed, "I was just about to tell you this when the villagers were attacked, and the camels and sheep were also attacked."

At this point, he couldn't help but curse, lowering his voice as he said, "People were already panicking enough, but then that damned Zaxi jumped out and said that this Gobi Desert had never been attacked by a scorpion swarm before, and that it must be because we were going to the devil's territory that the devil got angry, so he sent out an army of the dead to warn us and bring down punishment."

"Those ignorant villagers believed his nonsense and tried to drive us away with tools, but Hei Xiazi and his companion gave them a little warning, and they became wary, only surrounding us and not daring to approach." Aning hurriedly asked, "Is Dingzhu Zhuoma here?"

Wu Laosi's expression was a little strange, and his voice was lowered even further. "It's strange, really. Last night, the scorpion swarm was so powerful that it almost razed our camp to the ground, but it somehow managed to bypass Dingzhu Zhuoma's tent. It's really too strange."

Ah Ning frowned even more, glanced at Zhang Wuxun, thought for a moment, and said, "Never mind that for now, tell everyone to get on the bus, we're going back to camp."

Wu Laosi nodded and turned to call everyone to get into the car.

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Looking at the chaotic campsite, stained with blood everywhere, Aning's face gradually paled, and she asked softly in Tibetan, "Is it this?"

Zhang Wu looked around at the villagers not far away, who were holding rakes and shovels and looking wary. There was an old man with a white beard who was holding an old hunting rifle with the muzzle hanging down, his posture was experienced.

“Perhaps,” Zhang Wuxun said. “If it is, then its purpose this time is likely to filter and eliminate some unnecessary burdens, leaving only what is useful. By the way, how was Jude Kao's Warring States silk manuscript translated back then?”

A Ning frowned. "It was deciphered from a star map found under a bronze alchemy furnace in a Taoist temple. You mean to say that there are traces of its involvement in this as well?"

Zhang Wuxun chuckled, "Shh, I didn't say anything."

Dingzhu Zhuoma was helped by Zaxi to talk to Aning. Zaxi was already unhappy that his grandmother, who was so old, was taking on such a dangerous job, especially after this incident. He was furious with Aning, but he couldn't persuade his grandmother otherwise, so he could only stay by her side.

The group quickly gathered up the usable equipment and loaded it onto the vehicle.

The convoy left Lancuo and continued its journey into the uninhabited area deep in the Gobi Desert.

Aning sent two clever subordinates to ride in the same car with Dingzhu Zhuoma to keep a close watch on her every move.

It is worth mentioning that the middle-aged Tibetan woman who had been accompanying Dingzhu Zhuoma was not there. When Aning asked, Dingzhu Zhuoma only said that she had gone home to take care of something.

The road conditions were terrible. Even high-performance off-road vehicles had to tread carefully on the steep, rocky slopes where rocks and deep pits would appear from time to time.

In such a deathly place, you can't find anything to prolong life. All you can see is desolation, with sandstorms raging and penetrating everywhere. Even sitting in the carriage with your face covered, you can't hide the dryness in your throat.

After traveling along the riverbed for two days, the wind and sand grew stronger and stronger. The gale-force winds whipped up gravel and sand that lashed against the car windows. The sky was filled with brown, and the visibility outside the window was pitifully low.

As soon as the car in front passed, its tracks were blown away by the wind. The leader's car had already driven off somewhere, and all that could be heard was Ah Ning's faint voice coming from the walkie-talkie on the control panel.

After driving a little further, the signal was completely lost.

In the boundless yellow sand, it seemed as if only their vehicle had survived.

The bearded foreigner and Zhang Wu, who were searching for their car, frantically pressed the intercom, shouting in despair, "What do we do? We can't contact them by radio, we've lost contact with the convoy!"

Wu Xiaoxie comforted him, "Don't panic, Muyu's car isn't going fast. Even if we deviate from the route, we won't be too far from them. There are still supplies in the car, so we can hold out until they find us."

Thank you to Nie Mowangqingchang, Chibubao de Da Keai, @（—－—）＠ and other big shots for their generous donations.

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(End of this chapter)