Autumn in the northwest is unlike the subtle, gentle autumn of the south; it is fiery, unconstrained, and even tragic.
The north wind sweeps the ground, snapping the white grass; snow flies in the Hu sky as early as the eighth month.
Looking out, a vast expanse of grayish-yellow fills the eyes. The grass is withered and yellow, and the entire land is draped in a dark-colored coat.
—The yellow of autumn also has layers.
First, there are the broom cypress in the thickets, like pom-poms, the entire plant a heavy yellow like ripened wheat. Then there is the pale yellow dodder, winding in large patches over withered shrubs like spiderwebs. Next, spread across the wide plains to dry, are the golden yellow corn and the bright red peppers...
Finally, on the tips of willow branches, there are the slender, dark brown willow leaves, so dry they are brittle, adding a touch of desolation to the autumn wind.
The Gobi Desert is even more desolate.
There is no sign of human life, no settlements—only the boundless, vast desert that seems to merge with the sky. The low vegetation covering the ground is frosted with a layer of white. In the morning glow, a few desert poplars can be vaguely seen in the distance.
Nan Zhi, in the guise of Ma Jiu, walked across the vast Gobi wearing her Azure Sea Sky Garment. Beneath her feet was the desert floor, and before her lay the boundary between day and night.
She wore a loose, green, gauze-like robe. Unlike common styles, it was cut extremely wide, almost enveloping Nan Zhi in a layer of translucent jade-green.
As the north wind howled, her wide sleeves snapped and fluttered. From a distance, she looked as if she were about to ride the wind through the void and ascend to immortality.
She walked at an unhurried pace, yet she always managed to reach her destination just before the light of day swallowed the twilight.
Like the giants of old who chased the sun, she pursued the morning light and bid farewell to the night.
As she passed a certain part of the Gobi, Nan Zhi suddenly stopped. She looked up at a giant rock standing in the desert, her face brightening with a touch of joy.
“As expected, purple gold red iron ore can be found in the real world as well.”
Where she stopped was a concave section of the Gobi. Scattered among the hard loess exposed on the surface were thumb-thick fragments of light purple stone.
—This was exactly the ore needed to refine the Green Beetle Needles, though the quantity was unfortunately small.
Nan Zhi was not discouraged. She used the Earth Mud Art to carefully turn over the surrounding area, eventually collecting over ten pounds of purple gold red iron ore.
She had walked across this great desert for three days, using her divine sense to carefully scout every inch of her path, and she had finally seen some results.
“Spiritual energy is returning to the real world, but I wonder how long it will take for cultivation resources to fully recover.”
Nan Zhi stowed away the collected ore and patted her wide sleeves. “Thanks for leading the way. Once we find enough materials for the Green Beetle Needles, we’ll head back.”
“Squeak? Squeak!”
Corn’s tiny head popped out from her sleeve. Its moist nose twitched, its beady black eyes blinked twice, and it pointed a small paw in a certain direction.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak! Squeak, squeak!”
“I heard it too.”
Frowning, Nan Zhi tucked Corn back into her sleeve. She narrowed her eyes, her divine sense crossing over numerous sand dunes and desert stretches to glimpse the scene in the distance.
The branches of tall desert poplars reached toward the sky. When the wind blew, the leaves made a rustling sound, like someone standing in the desert clapping their hands.
—This was why, in some places, these poplars were called “ghost trees.” If one stood in a poplar forest in the middle of the night and the wind blew slightly, the sound of “clapping” overhead could make one’s skin crawl.
“Roar—Roar—Vroom, vroom, vroom—”
The rear wheels of a black Jeep were buried in the sand. The engine roared and growled, seemingly trying to break free from its shackles, but it was all in vain.
The Jeep was not alone. Noticing their companion in trouble, three G-Wagons buzzed down from a nearby sand slope and came to a stop one after another under the desert poplars.
Nan Zhi: “...”
How could she run into people even while out picking up ore?
One must realize that this was the heart of the no-man’s-land between the Tengger Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert, bordered by Mengnei to the north and Xiaoning to the south. Even off-road enthusiasts usually only dared to circle the outskirts; few ever set foot here.
When she stayed in the Qingmeng Mountain, she ran into people searching the mountain.
Now that she had come to the desolate Gobi of the Great Northwest, how could she still run into people?
Great Xia people really are Earth NPCs, aren't they?
They just spawn at fixed points everywhere.
Nan Zhi couldn't help but take a few more looks before choosing to avoid the convoy and continue her search for ore.
...
...
“Vroom!”
Under the desert poplars, the Jeep sank completely into the sand. With one final, unwilling roar, the engine died.
“Dammit!”
The young man driving jumped out of the car and couldn't help but curse.
“I’m seriously fed up! What kind of godforsaken place is this? The route the lead car took is absolute garbage. We barely started driving before we fell into this.”
People from the other cars in the convoy also got out. They circled the Jeep and began to mock him.
“Are you even capable, Lyu Dongfang? Even Hu Manni, who just started, isn't holding us back as much as you. And you still have the nerve to brag? You want to cross Lop Nur in the future?”
“Don’t bother moving it. Just leave it here. If you want it, call someone to tow it later. If you don’t, just leave it and ride with us.”
“Exactly. We have serious business to attend to when we get back. Lyu Dongfang, don’t hold us back.”
“Young Master Lyu, tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“I’m holding you back? You guys obviously gave me the wrong route on purpose just now, causing my car to stall. What’s with the act now?”
The young man called “Lyu Dongfang” was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old with green-dyed hair. Hearing this, his face darkened, and he struck back with a cold smile.
“What are you dreaming about? If you guys hadn't been shouting that the trial hadn't started yet and were bored, insisting on messing around for a few days, would I be bored enough to run into the Gobi with you?
It’s just a car. What’s there to be attached to? It’s my own lack of skill that got it stuck. Just don’t complain that I’m too ruthless when the trial actually starts.”
As soon as he said this, the other young men and women’s eyes flickered, and they stopped responding.
They weren't supposed to be here in the first place.
In a few days, it would be the time agreed upon by the families. They were supposed to be in Xiaoning, preparing for the trial organized by the authorities.
—But to seek excitement, they had secretly slipped out and found a local guide to drive them into the Gobi.
A young girl with a ponytail walked over to mediate, pulling him aside and whispering.
“Lyu Dongfang, why are you arguing with them? Save the tough talk for two days from now. If you really start a fight now, what are your chances of winning?”
“If it weren't for my grandfather’s instructions regarding the things inside the Imperial Tombs, I wouldn't bother hanging out with these idiots.
Just you wait. Everything is in chaos now, yet these fools still think it’s like the old days—where their families could just move their lips or sell off a daughter to seize resources.”
Lyu Dongfang curled his lip in disdain.
“I heard that woman surnamed Qin who recently burst onto the scene is also coming. These idiots... I bet not a single one of them will be chosen.”
Rate on N.U.
