In the face of nature, all human beings, regardless of their status—whether noble, impoverished, or desperate—appear so small and insignificant.
After a long period of anticipation, like the dawn breaking before a storm, this moment has finally arrived.
In just a moment, it blotted out the sky and the whole world was plunged into darkness.
As far as the eye could see, there was only yellow sand, mixed with a faint smell as if the soil had just been turned over.
A fierce wind swept up a cloud of dust that billowed across the sky, sweeping across everything in the world.
With its majestic momentum, it surges forward with overwhelming force.
At this moment, they were in front of the last refuge before entering the desert.
This is an underground refuge room designed by Yi Shangyun himself, located far from the ground and built nearly ten feet underground.
Inside, they had already ordered people to prepare enough supplies to shelter from the sandstorm.
It looks like they're about to close.
One of the palace guards stood at the entrance, looking around anxiously and nervously, shouting loudly towards the outside.
Is anyone else here?
Is anyone else here?
"Is there anyone still outside who hasn't come in?"
"Hurry up and get in."
...
No one responded for a long time.
The guard anxiously turned to the people behind him and asked, "Has everyone come in? Hurry up and check on each other, your neighbors, and see if anyone else is still here. If everyone is here, I'm going to close the gate; the sandstorm is coming soon!"
The weak and helpless people huddled together in panic, men, women, and children, with their families and even their cattle and sheep, and upon hearing the noise, they hurriedly looked left and right.
Just then, Yan'er and Lanxiang, who had just arrived, each carrying a newborn baby in their arms, ran wildly, panting and shouting loudly.
"Don't close the door yet..."
"etc……"
"There are still people here...there are still people here..."
Finally, the guards, who had faintly heard someone shouting, looked closely in the direction of the sound and indeed spotted the two figures.
As soon as it appeared, it waved and called out loudly, "Hurry up, we're here, come quickly, the sandstorm is coming soon, hurry..."
Following the other party's response, Yan'er and Lanxiang found their way much faster and were pulled into a safe shelter by a powerful hand that seemed to have fallen from the sky.
Upon entering, the two immediately checked on the babies in their arms. The two children were rubbing their hands together, waving their little arms and legs, and were very active.
Lanxiang finally breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Thank God, we're finally safe!"
However, Yan'er was still deeply immersed in the heavy feeling of parting with the clouds on her clothes.
Staring blankly at the baby's face, she muttered anxiously, "Miss, Miss..."
Lanxiang felt extremely distressed looking at her current state.
He then comforted her, saying, "Alright, Yan'er, don't be sad anymore. Her Highness the Princess will be alright, don't worry!"
With a loud clang.
Finally, the incredibly heavy stone door of the shelter was slammed shut.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Oh no! The old clan chief is still outside and hasn't come in yet!"
"Old clan chief?"
Upon hearing the sound, everyone began searching through the crowded throng.
Just then, another person said, "The old clan chief is guarding the protective forest outside. He said that the protective forest is the result of the hard work of several generations of people in our Lu County. Even if he dies, he wants to die with the protective forest. As long as he lives, the forest will live; if he dies, the forest will die."
"Elder Chief..."
After hearing these words, everyone fell silent, filled with a profound sense of awe.
In another corner.
As soon as Long En and Shou Bo left the desert, they disguised themselves as locals.
He mingled with the crowd, inquiring everywhere about the whereabouts of Yi Shangyun, who had been separated from her by a pack of wolves in the Gobi Desert and then lost again.
Unexpectedly, they were hit by a sandstorm and had to stop and curl up in a ball to take shelter.
Shoubo was filled with remorse and said, "This old servant deserves to die. I should have investigated properly back then. Just because of the gossip and baseless speculations of a few idle and unruly people in the city, the young master suffered so much in Lu County. I never expected that he would also encounter this massive sandstorm in Lu County..."
He paused, a chill creeping over him as he pondered the matter, and continued, "Sandstorms in the Northwest usually occur in winter and spring, the driest seasons with very little rainfall. When the ground is extremely dry and loose, its resistance to wind erosion is weakened. Once strong winds arrive, large amounts of sand and dust are naturally swept into the air, resulting in sandstorms. But the Astronomical Bureau predicted that the sandstorms wouldn't arrive until more than a month into autumn. How could they have arrived so early? It's still the height of summer right now..."
With this thought in mind, he looked around and carefully surveyed the surging crowd around him.
Finally, his gaze settled on the unfamiliar basement structure, and he said with great concern, "I wonder if this shelter can withstand the sandstorm..."
However, at this moment, Long En's thoughts were filled with memories of Yi Shangyun, who had always been strong and brave in the face of everything, no matter the time.
That day, if she hadn't appeared in the vast desert like a celestial being descending to earth, I'm afraid I would have become some kind of meal long ago!
Her appearance is always like a ray of light, warming people's hearts and illuminating their entire world.
Finally, she muttered to herself, "Are you really the legendary guardian of Western Qin, possessing mysterious powers and missing for many years, as everyone says?"
Seeing that Long En was lost in his thoughts and did not respond, Shou Bo called him softly again, "Young Master, Young Master..."
This time, Long En was finally awakened.
But a hint of displeasure, as if interrupted, suddenly appeared on her face, which had been gradually softening.
He slowly began to speak, “You have no need to blame yourself. It was my own insistence on coming to Lu County, and it has nothing to do with you. Besides, I already thoroughly inspected this place as soon as I entered. This underground shelter is constructed entirely of extremely sturdy granite. In the entire Lingkong Continent, it is unprecedented and unparalleled. I wonder which master designed it; even in the strongest sandstorms, it will ensure our safety.”
Upon hearing this, Uncle Shou looked around again and finally felt much more at ease.
But he still said, "However, we have been in Lu County for many days, and we still haven't found even the slightest trace of the Guardian..."
Before he could finish speaking, Long En interrupted, "Perhaps, I've already met her..."
"What? Young Master, you already..."
Upon hearing this, Shoubo stared at Long En's face in astonishment.
Just as the two were talking, a bowl of hot water was suddenly placed in front of Long En.
Before he could react, a woman's gentle voice rang in his ear: "Drink some hot water!"
Long En felt that the voice sounded somewhat familiar until he saw a sandalwood bracelet with orchid carvings on the wrist of the woman who was handing him water.
She quickly raised her head, and upon seeing the woman's face, she exclaimed in surprise, "Little Xiangxiang...it's you? What are you doing here?"
The woman looked at his face and was instantly astonished, thinking to herself, "This trip was truly worthwhile; he really is in Lu County!"
He paused for a moment, staring at the face before him that he loathed and even revulsed.
He slowly straightened up and said, "It's you! It's truly a case of finding something without even looking for it!"
Upon hearing this, Long En also stood up and moved closer to him, saying incredulously, "What you just said is... you came to Lu County to find me?"
Lanxiang snorted coldly and said with utter disdain, "Hmph... You really think too highly of yourself. I came to Luxian not to find you, but to collect a debt from you."
"Collecting debts?" Long En naturally didn't understand what she intended to do.
After calming down for a while and thinking for a moment, Lanxiang gradually shifted her gaze to the other side.
The old lady was holding a small baby in her arms, cherishing and protecting it like a precious treasure.
After Long En realized that she was paying attention to him, he followed her gaze.
Lanxiang gazed longingly at the figure sculpted mercilessly by the ravages of time.
If it weren't for unavoidable circumstances, if she weren't truly desperate and had no other choice, she would never have been willing to separate from her.
So she slowly said, "That was my maternal grandmother. She was the only one who depended on my mother and the three of us for survival. My mother was blind in her life. She fell in love with someone she shouldn't have loved and waited for a heartless man who wasn't worth waiting for. Before she passed away, she only said that the April day in the human world would never come back."
Upon hearing Lanxiang's words, Long En was immediately lost in memories of the past, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
But in the blink of an eye, Lanxiang suddenly raised her voice and said angrily, "All of this is because of your appearance. You are the root of all our suffering. But why can you live a good life? What did Grandma do wrong? Why does she have to suffer the cold stares of the world? Mother died young. What did I do wrong to have to endure this inhuman hellish life..."
Recalling the past, Lanxiang could no longer speak, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly. She turned her back to Long En and quietly wiped away her tears.
Just then, Long En also spoke, his voice filled with deep emotion: "Actually, your mother... Shulan... she is the only woman I have ever truly loved in my life. I know that no matter what I do for the rest of my life, I can never make up for the mistakes I made for you, but can you give me another chance? I promise..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lanxiang immediately interrupted him, shouting, "Shut up! You're not allowed to mention my mother's name again. Hearing my mother's name from your mouth is an insult to her. Since you really want to atone for your sins, then I'll agree!"
Upon hearing this, Long En was instantly incredulous and hurriedly asked excitedly, "Are you really willing to give me a chance?"
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