Tomb raiding: Trying to become a little painter

At dawn, the sun shines on the desert. The blue sky is cloudless, and the sand, illuminated by the sunlight, glitters in patches, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Everyone packed their things early in the morning, cleared away most of the gravel blocking the wheels, and got into the car, all ready to go.

The car that Qin Henian and the others had been in was replaced with a slightly larger one with two rows of seats in the back, just enough to fit the five of them, plus A Ning sitting in the passenger seat to give directions. The group continued their journey on the golden gravel.

"Yesterday, the guide said we absolutely had to reach a place called Devil City today. If we arrived early, we could just pass through; if we arrived too late, we'd have to camp on the outskirts. We're still quite far from there, and I don't know if we can make it even if we rest today..."

Qin Henian had only been in the car for a short while when he heard Wu Xie talking in the back. It has to be said that Comrade Tianzhen's mouth really couldn't stop; he started chattering as soon as he got in the car.

"According to Dingzhu Zhuoma, as long as we speed up, we can arrive before dark."

At this moment, Ah Ning, who was in the passenger seat, heard Wu Xie's question, turned her head and glanced at him sideways, and answered casually.

Wu Xie listened to A Ning's explanation but didn't say anything more. He just turned to the others and changed the subject.

"I know you know this blind man, I've heard Fatty mention it before. But how did you two meet, Henian?"

With a different person involved, the topic shifted to Qin Henian, because Wu Xie was genuinely curious. He had been itching to ask before, and now that they were in the car, he finally asked.

Ok?

When he heard someone call his name, Qin Henian frowned, raised his eyelids, and forced his dizzy mind, which had been foggy since he got on the bus, to start working.

"Huh? Who do you know?"

Qin Henian's brain was still foggy and his IQ hadn't kicked in yet, and his ears were as if they had been silenced, so he could only understand a fraction of what he heard.

*Pfft... Pfft...*

Qin Henian's question, which came out of his mind, made one or two of the people in the car who were silently watching unable to hold back their laughter.

"He Nian, are you very tired? Didn't you get enough rest last night?"

Xie Yuchen looked at Qin Henian's bewildered expression and asked with a smug, bright smile on his face.

"Ahem... Well, no, it's just that I have a little problem; I get dizzy whenever I sit in a wheeled, slightly enclosed vehicle."

Qin Henian explained his peculiar little problem with some embarrassment.

"Oh, I see. I thought you just hadn't rested well."

After Qin Henian answered the question, his mind gradually cleared up, and he was no longer so dizzy. He turned his head to look out the car window, and suddenly, as if he had thought of something, the corners of his mouth turned up.

He remembered a legend about this place called Ayao, which she had ordered to be spread, with the aim of making the people who used to live here fear this place.

Do you know the legend of the Devil City in the rain?

Qin Henian's deliberately sinister voice rang out in the car, a bright smile spreading across his handsome face, his phoenix eyes narrowing for a moment.

Devil City in the rain?

The people in the car were a little confused. They had learned about the Devil City before they came. Especially A Ning, who had asked Dingzhu Zhuoma about all the places they would pass through on the way to find out their destination. She knew some of the legends about the Devil City, but this was the first time she had heard of the Devil City in the rain.

"Oh? Mr. Qin, do you mean there's some other explanation for that place we'll inevitably pass through next?"

Ah Ning gazed intently and tentatively asked the question.

“Following the route, we can set up camp in the Devil City, but the guides that Miss Aning brought will definitely not let us in.”

"Miss Ning, how about we make a bet?"

Qin Henian still had that same smile, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"No bet! Since I already know we'll be passing through the Devil City, why would I make a bet with you like this?"

Ah Ning spread her hands, indicating that she wouldn't gamble; she wasn't really a sucker.

"Alright then... It seems I'll have to wait until you find the guide and tell him the story he knows before I can add to it."

Qin Henian didn't care about A Ning's answer. Anyway, he could say whatever he wanted. He just wanted to prevent that woman from having too much of a peaceful and comfortable life and give her a "bad reputation" for her countdown to the good days ahead.

Over the next few hours, the convoy sped up, and just as the sun was about to set, it arrived at a stretch of Gobi Desert. This was only the entrance to the Devil City, a place devoid of any vegetation, filled with black sand dunes and bizarre yellow rocks.

"This place is quite beautiful, a typical Yardang landform, with large areas that are perfect for taking photos!"

Of course, the most important thing is to prioritize posting on WeChat Moments!

As soon as the car stopped, Qin Henian got out and stood to the side, sighing and glancing from time to time at Hei Xiazi, who had gotten out of the car earlier and was already setting up a tent.

"Blind man, my eyes can see perfectly well! Don't take my money and then not make sure it's secure!"

"Oh dear! Henian, how could you say that about me, a blind man! Do you think I'm that kind of person? The customer is always right. I charged you four hundred yuan to set up the tent, so I'll definitely make sure it's sturdy and reliable!"

Hei Xiazi, who had already finalized the small deal in the car, was now assembling the tent frame and answering Qin Henian's question in a cheerful voice.

The boss was supervising the work, and the bearded man was just doing all the work!

On the other side, Wu Xie was also carrying a tent frame and a shovel, preparing to find a good place to dig a pit. He glanced around and then randomly walked in a direction where the terrain was flat. His eyes lit up and he headed towards that place.

While watching everyone busy at work, Qin Henian, who was also observing the outer perimeter of the Devil City, noticed the direction Wu Xie had walked and his eyelids twitched.

Tsk, this isn't good news! Someone who survived being buried for so long in such a massive sandstorm...tsk tsk...they're definitely not a good person~

"Ah! Someone...someone! Quick...someone come quick!"

Just as Qin Henian finished pondering the information he had observed, he heard an exclamation coming from Wu Xie's direction. Soon after, many people who heard it gathered around, but Qin Henian lagged behind the crowd and didn't go in to check.

Before long, Wu Xie and A Ning's men dug out a person who had been separated from the group from the sand. The person had a thin heart on his chest, and A Ning quickly took out a water bottle and fed him some water.

Cough cough cough....cough cough cough

"Boss...!"

After drinking some water, the person regained some consciousness. Lying on the ground, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Ah Ning and Wu Xie's faces, which were closest to each other.

"Alright, alright, it's good that you're awake. By the way, how did you get here?"

"Where are the others? Why are you the only one here?"

Seeing that the person was awake and their eyes had cleared up considerably, Ah Ning asked with a worried expression.