Chapter 103: Something Strange
Under the scorching sun, with yellow sand swirling all around.
“Young man, wait for me…”
Li Changluo looked around the desert anxiously, his face filled with confusion. He kept pondering whether he had just heard a cry for help.
Had he imagined it?
In the desert, it was easy to suffer hallucinations, like mirages.
Thinking this, Li Changluo quickened his pace, eager to leave the desert as soon as possible…
But why did his legs feel heavier with each step? Was he running out of strength?
“Young man, are you not only deaf but also blind?”
The voice sounded like an old woman’s, filled with helplessness. It echoed through the desert, sometimes near, sometimes far, as if right beside him.
“Who’s there? Show yourself! I’ve been patient long enough.”
Li Changluo enjoyed teasing others but hated being teased himself. This voice had followed him for quite some time, yet he could see no sign of anyone.
“I’m right beneath your feet…”
“…”
Li Changluo looked down. There was no one at his feet, but—
A thin rope was tied around his ankle.
He hurriedly tugged at the rope and finally found its other end held by someone…
An old woman with dry yellow hair, dressed in dusty yellow cloth and trousers, clutching the rope tightly, her body covered in sand…
“Ma’am, are you hunting in the desert?”
Li Changluo asked in surprise.
Wearing such an outfit looked quite professional.
“Young man, what nonsense are you talking? I got lost in this desert.”
“Grandma…”
“Hey?”
“Let’s not do it like this. Kneeling and begging me—I can’t take it. Please stand and speak.”
“…”
Li Changluo rushed to help the old woman up, but—
When he reached her, he realized she had been standing all along.
He circled around this old woman who looked as if she had crawled out from a mound of earth. She was incredibly short, even shorter than a certain Lin Dandan by half a head.
With her outfit and appearance, and a big set of teeth, she resembled a close relative of Hei Wa—a groundhog.
---
“Young man, your legs are too strong…”
The old woman said sarcastically, patting the dust off her clothes.
“Don’t praise me—I might start floating…”
Li Changluo said confidently. Would he tell her he had maxed out his escape skills?
“How long have you been dragging my old bones around this desert? You don’t even know?”
The old woman first paused, then complained.
Of course, there wouldn’t be any old women lost in the desert; she was a creature set to trap Li Changluo—a groundhog demon.
The sand people rumored in Lop Nur were actually her kind—a tribe of groundhog spirits.
She had been hiding under the desert sand for a long time, scheming…
Planning to use the rope to trap Li Changluo…
Once caught, drag him into the sand and finish him with a set of skills…
But who knew this guy’s legs were so strong that he avoided the trap and ended up dragging her dozens of meters instead…
Awkward and furious.
“How did an old lady like you end up in the desert?”
Li Changluo asked suspiciously. This place was utterly deserted…
“Oh, haha, it’s like this. My home is near Yellow Sand Slope. My husband and son work in the desert. I was delivering lunch to them, but the wind stirred up too much sand, and I got lost. I’m getting more useless by the day.”
The old woman explained while patting herself, clearly blaming herself…
Li Changluo felt this scenario was oddly familiar—like the story of fighting the White Bone Spirit.
He stared at the short old woman with suspicion, shaking his head slowly.
“No, something’s wrong.”
The old woman was startled, thinking, “Could he see through my flawless excuse? He must be a trial participant, his IQ is sharp…”
Tricking him wouldn’t work…
It seemed a direct confrontation was inevitable…
Immediately, the old woman shifted into attack mode, her fingernails slowly growing longer…
“Wait, does that mean you have food?”
Li Changluo asked with a smile.
“…”
The old woman quickly retracted her nails. Thankfully, she had packed some extra food and water before leaving, or she would have been exposed…
She hurriedly took out some food and a bottle of water from her bag…
Li Changluo didn’t hesitate, grabbing a piece of bread and a bottle of water to eat and drink…
The old woman watched him carefully, sensing something odd but unable to pinpoint it. Still…
Thankfully, she was clever and prepared enough not to be caught out by this little demon…
…
“Don’t worry. After I eat your food, I’ll definitely take you out of here.”
Li Changluo burped, then handed back the water bottle, now half-empty.
So…
Li Changluo and the old woman strolled through the desert, continuing forward.
On the desert sands, a young man and an old woman struggled onward.
“Young man, shouldn’t you carry me?”
The old woman panted, asking Li Changluo.
According to the usual script, like in movies, she should be insisting repeatedly while he refuses time and again, only to be forced onto his back in the end.
The old woman was puzzled—something felt off.
“Eh, I’m saving my strength now so I can help you get out later. Someone has to conserve energy…”
Li Changluo explained seriously.
The old woman thought it over and found his reasoning somewhat sound, so…
She gritted her teeth and lifted him higher onto her back.
Yet, despite this effort, their height difference meant Li Changluo’s legs still dragged on the ground…
So the old woman carried him with difficulty across the desert, leaving a trail behind them…
“Young man, give me a sip of water. I’m incredibly thirsty…”
The old woman was truly parched. Carrying Li Changluo drained her energy quickly. Though she was a desert native and ruler beneath the sands, capable of digging and maneuvering effortlessly…
Still, water was life’s source, and she couldn’t live without it.
“Grandma, do you think I want to drink water?” Li Changluo’s voice choked with emotion, nearly breaking down. After a long moment, he steadied himself and said solemnly, “We are in this desert where water is scarce. Even you got lost here…”
“We might not find a way out. If we can’t escape, the first to die will be the luckiest, spared from suffering…”
“I drink this water to become the one who suffers the most…”
Li Changluo spoke through tears, resolutely taking another sip from the bottle…
Young man, truly a kind soul…
Selfless in these times, a rare virtue…
Hearing his words, the old woman’s eyes welled with tears, moved to carry him higher still, but…
Still, something felt strange…