Que Qiu sat up immediately, realizing the campfire had gone out at some unknown time, not even a wisp of white smoke remained. Everything seemed normal by the tents, with occasional snores coming out.
The appearance of the phantom moon indicated a sandstorm was approaching. This sandstorm was extremely eerie and feared by all creatures of the desert. He swiftly got up, intending to wake everyone in the camp. They had to guard the camels, for he alone couldn’t possibly stop the terrified camel herd. He had no choice but to call for help. Without supplies or means of transportation, they might genuinely perish in the desert.
The camels that had been resting on the ground emitted a series of uneasy low growls, as if sensing the dangerous signal coming from the sky, yet they remained restless without instructions from their leader.
"Wake up! The sandstorm is coming! The camels are going to bolt!" He ran over, shouting loudly.
But it was already too late. The instant he left the camel herd, a gust of sandstorm blew from behind, causing him to stagger. This sandstorm wasn’t the usual dust storm but rather gathered like a swarm of bees, tinged with blood-red, swirling and persistently gusting towards the camp. The leading camel, which had been trembling all along, could no longer withstand the fury of the sandstorm, kicked up its hooves, and ran off swiftly.
By the time everyone emerged, groggy and still dressing, there was no longer any sign of the camels. Most of the remaining supplies and water were on the camels, causing everyone’s hearts to sink.
"Sandstorm?" Professor Wu asked, somewhat puzzled. Despite his years in archaeology and exploration, he had never heard of such a term.
"You don’t understand Yiriel. This place is completely different from ordinary deserts," Que Qiu explained. "Did you forget? It’s said in legends that this land is cursed."
Cheng Luo followed up with a tense face, "So what do we do now? We need to find the lost camels first."
Que Qiu took out the object resembling a Compass from his chest pocket, rotated it around, and said, "I’ll go find them. You all tidy up the camp and stay on standby. If anyone wanders off and dies, don’t blame me for not warning you."
"Guide! I’ll go with you!" Cheng Luo wanted to follow.
"No need, just stay here with the others." Que Qiu gestured to deny him, then ran towards the sand hill close by.
Beyond the sand hill, one could see an almost completely weathered fragment of a wall, with faintly visible engraved totems on it. Que Qiu raised his hand, spread his fingers, and felt the air currents. The sandstorm wouldn’t dissipate for a while, but the direction in which it would vanish could be traced.
He sensed this inexplicable sandstorm bore no malice; otherwise, when he noticed the phantom moon in the sky, the sandstorm could have already turned into a whirlwind, ripping all the tents apart.
It seemed like they were driving him away.
He opened his eyes, confirmed the direction, and followed the tracks, finding five camels gathered together. He whistled, and the leading camel quickly ran over.
Within less than an hour, Que Qiu returned riding the leading camel, followed by six camels. Unfortunately, four camels, specifically those meant to carry water and some supplies, were missing and seemed to have run too far to hear any commands.
Seeing Que Qiu, those who stayed on standby at the camp couldn’t help but cheer, praising the reliability of the guide. Que Qiu jumped down from the camel’s back and delivered bad news: "The water’s gone."