freenovelworld Chapter 426 Is it raining?
Chapter 426 Is it raining?
Time slipped by unnoticed, the sun began to set, and the group, having run frantically all day, were utterly exhausted and weary.
Traveling through the Gobi Desert at night is tantamount to suicide. After discussion, we decided to find a place to camp by the lake for the night.
Luckily, we found several huge rocks not far from the lake shore, forming a natural shelter from the wind.
Using the sand they had on hand, they built a sand wall about half a person's height on the leeward side of the rock, which was barely enough to withstand the sandstorms and sudden drop in temperature at night.
Night completely enveloped the earth, and the temperature plummeted like a high dive, a stark contrast to the scorching daytime heat.
The group huddled in a hollow under the rocks. The sand wall blocked some of the cold wind, but its effect was limited. What was worse was the hunger; they hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, their stomachs were growling with emptiness, and they were experiencing bouts of dizziness and lightheadedness.
Seeing that everyone was really struggling, Zhong Yuemin had no choice but to think of a solution. Under the cover of night, he quietly crept to the lakeside. With a thought, he took out dozens of plump grass carp and crucian carp from his system space and threw them haphazardly into the shallow water on the shore. The fish, out of the water, struggled desperately in the moonlight, their scales reflecting a faint light.
"Fish, lots of fish!"
He feigned surprise and let out a soft exclamation, putting on a full performance, though it was a bit over-the-top.
The shout was like heavenly music, a lifeline, instantly igniting everyone's listless spirits. Forgetting all about how so many fish had suddenly appeared in the crystal-clear lake, they rushed forward, frantically scooping the fish out and deftly scaling and gutting them.
Someone gathered some dead saxaul branches and built a campfire; he didn't even need to direct them.
Zhong Yuemin took out a small packet of salt from his seemingly empty satchel, which was actually from his system space, and distributed it to everyone.
The campfire crackled, and the fish skewered on the branches sizzled and dripped with oil, their skin gradually turning golden and crispy. Sprinkled with fine salt, the aroma of caramelized fish and fresh fish filled the cold night air, making one's mouth water.
For the starving crowd, this was undoubtedly the most delicious delicacy in the world. They didn't care about the heat or their appearance, and they all wolfed it down. Even the female members of the expedition team, who were usually the most particular, had their hands and faces covered in oil, and they even wanted to chew up the fish bones and swallow them.
While hissing in pain from the scalding heat, Zhang Haiyang tore at the fish, mumbling incoherently as he spoke.
"That's strange... During the day, the lake water is as clear as a mirror, but there aren't any fish, not even a single fish scale. Yuemin, do you think there might be something wrong with these fish? Could they be poisonous?"
Seeing that the man's mouth was covered in soot and there were hardly any fish bones left, Zhong Yuemin ignored his hindsight advice and focused on his own grilled fish.
With food in their stomachs, their cold bodies warmed up a bit, but extreme exhaustion washed over them like a tide. The campfire gradually died down, and everyone was too exhausted to stay awake any longer. Forgetting about the lack of tents and enough clothes, they huddled together, relying on each other's body heat for warmth, and fell into a deep sleep...
A speechless night!
The next morning, Zhong Yuemin was awakened by his biological clock. After so many years in the army, he had gotten used to it; no matter how tired he was, he would always wake up on time.
The moment he opened his eyes, he felt a heavy, soft, and warm weight in his arms. Looking down, he saw Yang Qing curled up in his embrace, fast asleep.
In the soft morning light, the woman's fair face was close at hand, her features appearing exceptionally delicate and refined. Her long eyelashes, like two small fans, trembled slightly with her steady breathing. Occasionally, she would unconsciously smack her lips, as if she were having a sweet dream. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, he moved gently, not having the heart to disturb her.
However, this morning tranquility was quickly shattered when Zhang Haiyang, who had gone out to relieve himself, came running back in a panic, his face contorted in a bizarre expression, as if he had seen a ghost, and his voice even changed tone.
"Damn it, damn it, Yuemin, Yuemin...!"
His wailing and howling immediately woke everyone who was still fast asleep.
Yang Qing groggily opened her eyes and found herself lying in Zhong Yuemin's arms. She was startled at first, then blushed deeply. Even with her relatively outgoing personality, she felt somewhat embarrassed. She quickly sat up, smoothed her disheveled hair, and tried to explain:
"Um... I, last night... um, I was a little cold..." Her voice trailed off.
Zhong Yuemin simply nodded calmly, saying nothing, his gaze shifting to the panicked Zhang Haiyang:
"Haiyang, what's wrong with you so early in the morning? What are you yelling about? What ghost have you seen?"
"You...you come out and see for yourselves, hurry! Hurry up!" Zhang Haiyang pointed outside, speaking incoherently.
Filled with suspicion, everyone crawled out of the sheltered ditch. When they saw the scene before them, they were all frozen in place, mouths agape, dumbfounded...
The vast lake that was shimmering and crystal clear just yesterday... has vanished!
All that remained before me was an endless expanse of undulating Gobi desert, reflecting a blinding light in the rising sun.
The sand wall they built yesterday, the ashes left from grilling fish, and even some damp traces on the shore proved that it was not an illusion. But the vast expanse of water that occupied their entire field of vision seemed to have been wiped away by an invisible giant hand, leaving no trace of its existence.
“Fuck…” Someone murmured these two words.
This is fucking unbelievable!
Zhong Yuemin and Wang Ye reacted the fastest. Almost before everyone else was in shock and confusion, the two of them rushed to the place that should have been the lake shore, but was now just sand and gravel.
Wang Ye was the first to squat down, eagerly digging his fingers into the sand, grabbing a handful and rubbing them together in his hand, then bringing them to his nose to smell them, his tone urgent and certain:
"The sand is wet, and quite humid. This lake... this lake water didn't evaporate or seep slowly, it's more like... more like it was 'drained' by something in a very short time!"
This conclusion sent a chill down his spine.
Zhong Yuemin also squatted down to the side, his brows furrowed, his fingers touching the cold, damp sand, and guessing from Wang Ye's words:
"Could it be that a sudden shift in the earth's crust caused the underground river channel to collapse or change course, draining the lake of water all at once?"
Just as Wang Ye was about to respond to Zhong Yuemin's speculation,
"Tick."
A drop of icy water landed unexpectedly on the back of Zhong Yuemin's hand, splashing out a small spray.
Hmm? It's raining?
He subconsciously looked up at the sky.
"Tick-tock...tick-tock tick-tock..."
Then, more water droplets fell from the sky, sparsely landing on the dry, scorching sand, leaving behind dark dots.
Everyone was stunned, staring blankly upwards.