After breakfast, the army began to pack up the camp and prepare to continue the march. At this time, the sun had just jumped out of the horizon, and it had not yet had time to show its fierce side to dispel the chill that had enveloped the surface of the night before. At this time, the climate is the most pleasant time in the desert, and you must know that after a while, the temperature will rise sharply after the sun rises. Chai Huaixing, who knew a little about all this, also knew that this time was the most suitable time to do some physical labor, and he hurriedly urged the army to quickly pack up all the supplies in the camp and hurry away as soon as possible.

As Tirch, who joined the army as a staff officer, he naturally did not have to pack the tent by himself at this time. So while the sergeants in the camp were busy packing up their belongings, he climbed a sand dune near the camp himself. On the sand dunes, he was even more convinced of his previous suspicion: the sudden chill last night was not his delusion, it was indeed the hyacinth that had come.

Just as the hynastics at sea indicate the imminent increase of the waves, the hyacinths in the desert indicate the possibility of a sandstorm. Even Tirqi and the fox, who had been roaming in the desert for a long time, could not say exactly when the sandstorm struck, but judging by ordinary experience, it is not known whether it will be attacked by a sandstorm today.

After confirming his guess, Tilqi slid all the way down the sand dune, returned to the camp and found Chai Huaixing, who was directing his subordinates to do things, and said to him: "General Chai, I look at the hyacinths in this desert, I am afraid that I will encounter a sandstorm today, and the army must prepare early." ”

"As early as when I was in the military academy, I heard you repeatedly emphasize how terrifying the sandstorm in the desert is, how fierce the prestige is, but is there really such a fierce sandstorm in this desert?" Chai Huaixing, who had never experienced a sandstorm in the desert, grabbed a handful of sand from the ground with his hands, then watched the sand gradually spill from between his fingers, and said with a smile at Tilqi:

"How can this sand like flowing water take people's lives, if it is really flowing water, it can drown people in it, but as long as this sand avoids the quicksand, it will not pose any threat to the army, and even if there is a threat, it is not as dangerous as the army to cut off the water."

Seeing that Chai Huaixing did not have the slightest fear of the sandstorm he said, but with a somewhat ridiculous tone, he solemnly said to Chai Huaixing: "The desert is different from the interior of the Central Plains, and the wind hyacinth is no longer obstructed. Whenever a sandstorm is formed, it is overwhelming. A person who is trapped in it cannot be discerned within five steps, and must cover his mouth and nose with a veil before he can breathe, otherwise he will drown like a person who is not good at water in the water. The general may not believe what I say, but for the sake of the army, I still hope that the general will act cautiously, and not carelessly miss the opportunity to attack the country of Khotan and establish a miraculous feat for the ages. ”

Chai Huaixing looked at what Tilqi said as solemnly, even if he repeatedly disdained it in his heart, he put away the contempt out of professional instinct, and finally nodded, which can be regarded as expressing his identification with Tilqi.

It didn't take long for the camp to be cleaned up. The supplies were all placed on the camel's back, and at this time, the sun that had risen in the east for a long time finally came into full swing again, roasting the originally somewhat cold sand to the red-hot heat. Chai Huaixing's Eighth Army once again embarked on the march and advanced in a northwesterly direction.

With the first day of adaptation, today's march was obviously much easier. At least after what happened the day before, there were very few people on the march who fell from heat stroke on this march. The army was now formed in a long line, slowly moving through the desert, leaving a long trail of camel footprints on the surface of the desert, which was then buried by the sand that was blowing up by the wind.

A trace of solemnity finally appeared on Tilqi's face, and the hyacinth had become very obvious at this time. It was no longer morning when he had to climb the dunes and spread his fingers to meditate to feel the slightest hint of wind in the air, which was so strong that it was difficult to breathe, and some fine sand was rolled up in it. So the marching men put the veils they had prepared on their heads as they had done during training.

Not long after, a sharp-eyed sergeant stretched out his hand and pointed to the distant horizon and shouted, "Sandstorm!" Sandstorm is coming! ”

Tirch looked in the direction of the sergeant's finger, and saw a puff of earthy yellow smoke rising from the distant horizon, covering almost the entire horizon as far as the eye could see, and slowly approaching them as soon as the eye could see it.

Di Tirqi turned his head to look at Chai Huaixing, and when he saw Chai Huaixing nodding to himself, he directly understood and began to command the army to stop marching and do a good job of dealing with the sandstorm on the spot. After all, there was no second person in this entire army who knew the desert as well as he did.

The whole army immediately halted its advance, and lined up the vehicles and waterwheels loaded with supplies in the direction of the sandstorm, and all the men and camels hid behind the formation of the vehicles. Be sure to cover your mouth and nose and don't let the sand and dust inhale too much. At the same time, pay attention to clean up the floating sand that falls on and around you, don't let them bury you underneath, and last but not least, no matter what happens before the sandstorm is over, you must not act without permission, you will honestly stay where I am and wait for the sandstorm to pass. ”

Tirqi repeated to the soldiers of the Eighth Legion how to deal with sandstorms in the desert while directing the soldiers to build the sand wall on the outermost part. At this time, the sandstorm, which was still far away in the sky, was also much closer, giving people a feeling of being close at hand.

At the same time, the wind in the desert was even more violent, and the people who blew were a little unsteady on their feet. Every time you travel, you need to rely on at least three people pulling each other to barely advance, and under Tirqi's repeated urging, the entire army's sand-control camp was finally reluctantly completed before the sandstorm came. All the soldiers hid behind makeshift sand shelters, covering their mouths and noses tightly with cloths, while their eyes were closed, and their bodies were pressed against the camels behind them, listening to the whining and wailing wind blowing overhead.

The sandstorm finally descended on the head of this army that had only been in the desert for two days, giving this army that had not yet had time to fully adapt to the desert climate to give the most real and powerful dismount.

(End of chapter)