Wu Gen rode a horse and walked dejectedly on the way to the camp of the Xiang army.

Mo Xin brought Zhang Yuan's message and ordered him to rush back to the camp and go on a mission. What is so urgent, Zhang Yuan did not say it explicitly, but just asked Mo Xin to replace Wu Jian to stay here.

Mo Xin naturally didn't want to come, Barren Mound Ridge has always been a fierce place in the camp, and idlers can't stop it.

But the military order was difficult to disobey, and he trembled all the way here. When he saw Wu Geng's vigorous appearance, Mo Xin's heart hanging in the air was put down.

Thinking that the night of the full moon was still far away, leaving the bell behind, Wu Qian hurried to the camp.

It was almost the end of the year, and everything around was depressed and lifeless.

Along the way, frost and ice blocked the road, and the thin horse under him fell a few times, knocking Wu Gan to pieces.

"Good luck, no taboos." Wu Gan muttered and walked into the camp, his right eye jumping straight along the way, which was not a good sign.

Familiar with the road to Zhang Yuan's residence, as soon as they met, Zhang Yuan said: "Quickly clean up and follow me to the waste pass." ”

Wu Yan said with a sad face: "My Tun elder, these days I have been working hard, living in isolation, and guarding my Dazhao territory without losing. Why is it suddenly recalled, I can't rest assured that I can't go down, and I ask the tun chief to let me go back. ”

Zhang Yuan didn't talk nonsense, and threw a piece of broken silver over, "If ordinary servants and commanders said like this, they would have cut things down a long time ago."

Approaching the end of the year, according to the rules of the army, it is necessary to pay tribute to the martyrs in the abolition of the pass. I think you have a lot of means on weekdays, and you have a stubborn temperament, so you just take on this trip. In addition, as the New Year approaches, there are many rewards in the camp, which is just a good time to compensate for your hard work these days. , let's go tomorrow. ”

Wu Yan stuffed the silver into his arms, opened his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Tun Chang, did you say it earlier, the small one must be smeared with his liver and brain, and he will swear to death." ”

"You crow's mouth, what do you say about the dead word for the New Year, get away." Zhang Yuan was about to fight, but Wu Yan quickly slipped out with a smile.

After a night's rest, Zhang Yuan took three people, each with a strong horse. Only Wu Gan drove a carriage loaded with sacrificial objects and hurried out of the camp gate to the west.

Except for Wu Gan, the other four are all Chinese. Along the way, the four of them ignored Wu Gan and discussed the sacrifice by themselves.

From the conversation of several people, Wu Jian heard that the so-called ruined customs that he went to this time was in the desert, and he didn't know what year it was built.

But there has always been a rule in the army, every Qingming Festival and the end of the year, no matter which country's soldiers, they must send people to worship, and they are not allowed to attack each other, but the places where they worship are different.

It was originally a routine, but for some reason this year, none of the people who sent out the sacrifice returned. Later, the army sent people to investigate, and found that these people had all died in the ruined pass, their faces were distorted, and there were no scars on their bodies.

After careful searching, no clues were found, and the matter was put aside. Approaching the end of the year, the army needed to send people to worship again, so Zhang Yuan led the team.

For three days, there were no waves on the road, and the further you went, the more desolate the surroundings became, and the ground was full of black-brown sand, which meant that you had reached the edge of the desert.

The five of them camped in a sandwillow thicket, the last supply point before entering the desert.

The four of them gathered around the fire and chatted together, and Wu Yan wandered around boredly. It was really annoying to see it dangling around, so Zhang Yuan threw a pot of wine over and let him go outside. The night in the desert is extremely cold, and there is nothing to warm up, so I am afraid that I will not survive the night.

It was late in the night, and several people had already fallen asleep. Wu Yan punched outside for a while and was about to return to the camp. Suddenly, my heart sank, and I slowed down.

Outside the camp, on the poplar tree, a black crow rested, its dark red eyes looking ghostly in the night.

This crow that appeared suddenly gave Wu Yan a bad feeling. It is said that in this desolate place, the birds are gone, the people are gone, and a crow suddenly appears, which really reveals some strangeness.

Reaching out and picking up a stone, he slowly approached the poplar tree.

The crow was staring at the camp, feeling the threat behind him, and looked sideways at Wu Gan. When he saw the stone in Wu Gan's hand, the crow was not only not afraid, but tilted his head and looked at each other playfully.

Wu Gan's heart was a little hairy, and he always felt that this crow had seen through his thoughts, and the hand that was about to throw stopped.

One person, one bird, four eyes facing each other, the atmosphere is a little weird. After a long confrontation, Wu Gen suddenly burst out, and the stone shot like an arrow at the crow on the tree. At the same time, he didn't look at it, but the knife in his hand was slashed behind him.

Wu Gan's projection technique has always been very good, he grew up in the village since he was a child, but he has practiced this good craft, not to mention a hundred shots, but within ten steps, it can be said that there is no bullet.

The crow seemed to see through Wu Gan's movements, and grabbed the branch in a circle with both paws, avoiding the stones, and stood firmly on the branch again.

The knife slammed into the ground, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Fang had a feeling that there was an inexplicable danger lurking behind him, so Wu Yan broke out.

"Quack." The crow made a mocking sound and flapped its wings away.

Wu Yan stared at the sky and returned to the camp in silence.

Zhang Yuan was already standing in front of the tent with a knife, and when he saw Wu Gan coming, he asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Wu Gen glanced back, "A strange bird, at night, there are some evil sects." ”

"Be careful, you're about to enter the Yellow Springs Desert. It's not peaceful there, and if something is wrong, warn in time. Zhang Yuan instructed and walked into the tent.

The next day, the five of them packed up and went into the desert.

As soon as they entered the desert, the wind was fierce, the sand and gravel were raging, and the sky and the sun were obscured, and the five of them trudged through it with difficulty, and even the horses did not want to move forward.

The gale blew for two days, and the day finally subsided. The scene in front of me has changed almost completely, the sand dunes are undulating, and the original landmarks are no longer to be found.

Zhang Yuan has been in the army for many years, but he is quite familiar with this, looked at the sun, and continued to move forward with a few people. It had only been five miles before the mount suddenly became restless.

These horses are all authentic Sanshan horses of the Zhao Kingdom, very tame, and have excellent endurance. Somehow, today he did not listen to his master's command, and turned to leave.

The five of them gently comforted, and finally had to dismount and lead the way. But such an abnormal thing also cast a shadow on everyone's hearts.

Over a tall sand dune, the five stood on the top of the hill and opened their mouths wide in unison.

In the afterglow of the setting sun ahead, a huge ship was slowly sailing in the sand sea in the distance. The boat is black throughout, with a round ring on the tall mast.

The hull of the ship was tattered and tattered, with mottled scars of all sizes. The black hole window in the cabin was like an eye, staring coldly at the five people on the sand dune.

"I didn't expect the legend to be true." Zhang Yuan muttered to himself.

"What's that?" Wu Jian always felt that there was something on the ship that attracted his heart, so he asked.

"Ghost ship, legend has it that there is a boat in the Huangquan Desert that travels on land, carrying the undead who unfortunately died in the desert to the netherworld." Zhang Yuan swallowed his saliva, "It is said that anyone who can see a ghost ship may encounter misfortune. When he said the last sentence, Zhang Yuan's face was a little gray.

The other three were all dead-faced, but they didn't expect to encounter such a hoodoo in this sacrifice.

Wu Yan silently looked at the ghost ship in the distance, and inexplicably, a burst of sadness suddenly surged in his heart.

At sunset, the dilapidated hull plows the sand and gravel, chasing the twilight all the way to the west. In the wind, there was a faint sound of singing.

"Let's go." Zhang Yuan said in a deep voice.

A few people settled down and walked down the sand dunes to continue walking, and the atmosphere was much darker than before.

After walking for a few more days, I didn't encounter anything strange, but the original yellow sand became a little darker.

Early in the morning, a few people were ready to move forward after eating. Suddenly, Zhang Yuan exclaimed, "It's here, it's finally in the ruined city." ”

In the distance, on the horizon, a low hill winds like a long snake across the desert. The sun was dyed, and the low hills were gilded with a touch of bright red.

A few people pursed their chapped lips and walked towards the low hill.

When he got closer, Wu found that the low hill was very regular, with a bulge at intervals. The sand was cut open by hand, revealing a ruined stone wall.

The stone wall, which is as far as the eye can see, is all artificially built. It's just that it has been invaded by wind and sand all the year round, and it is hidden under the sand dunes, and the protrusions are the beacons guarded by the soldiers.

Looking at this city wall with no end in sight, Wu Yan was shocked and speechless, how many people and how many lives had to be used to build such a magnificent wall.

Zhang Yuan's face was solemn, and he led everyone to salute from afar. No matter who built these walls, as a soldier, his predecessors guarded the land and desert, and this action is worthy of the respect of future generations.

Walking along the city wall, walking for half an hour, passing through the beacons, a black spot appeared in the distance, which looked very eye-catching in the desert with the same eyes.

Zhang Yuan's face was happy, "There is Guancheng, and the sacrificial hall is in it." ”

After walking for so many days, they finally arrived at their destination, and the five of them couldn't help but be a little excited.

When he got closer, Wu Jian found that this was a closed city next to the city wall, although most of it had been covered by yellow sand, but it could still be vaguely seen that the majesty of this place at the beginning. According to the regulations, this gate can accommodate at least 10,000 people.

Walking into the deserted Guancheng and stepping on the uneven sand dunes, Wu Gan's heart was a little heavy.

Under the sand dunes, it should be the barracks where the original garrison was stationed. The huge Guancheng finally couldn't withstand the changes of time and turned into a pile of ruins.

A tall building stands in the middle of the city, the lofty pavilion is towering, the eaves are anti-space, although half of it has been covered by the yellow sand, the original momentum can still be seen.

This high hall was obviously built later, otherwise it would have been flooded with sand and dust.

When he arrived here, Zhang Yuan asked Wu Gen to unload the sacrificial things in the car, including three animals, a giant candle, a high incense, and a large bundle of white grass.

According to the law of the army, servants were not allowed to enter. Wu Gen had to stay outside, while Zhang Yuan and the others entered it with sacrificial objects.

Wu Gan didn't know the specific sacrificial process, so he didn't let him participate, so he just hid in the car and was lazy. Ever since he saw the ghost ship, he had been looking gloomy and silent.

After waiting in the car for a long time, there were still no four people coming out, so Wu Gan had to prepare dinner first.

At night, the wind howled in the city. The wind blew through the sand and stones, like a woman screaming and whimpering. Wu Yan hid in the car and pretended to sleep, and in a daze, he vaguely saw a woman's face shaking in front of him.

Huo Ran got up, and Wu Yan was shocked into a cold sweat. This ghost place is too evil, even if I have stayed in the barren mound ridge, my heart is still a little hairy.

Seeing that the four of them still hadn't come out, Wu Jian simply sat up and waited in the car all night.

The sky was bright, and the four of them still didn't move, Wu Gan couldn't bear it anymore, got up and walked to the enjoyment hall.

The desert is windy, and the sand has long been poured into the hall. It was pitch black inside, and a chill came out.

Sliding down the gentle slope of the sand dunes, Wu Qian reached the high hall.

The inside is quite spacious, dozens of feet, and there are murals on the walls. Through the daylight, Wu Yan looked at the contents of the mural.

On the murals, there are mighty generals, leading thousands of soldiers to rush towards the surging black fog.

In the black mist, all kinds of hideous ghosts and monsters are swarming out. Some of them are not known to be geometric, and the mountains beside them are as straight as a mound under their shape. Some of them are shaped like water, like a rolling river.

The further back you go, the closer the figures in the mural are dressed to the present day.

In the last painting, a burly middle-aged man, holding a long lance, is majestic, and flies like lightning to pounce on an alien.

The Inhumans on the opposite side are armed with spears and blue eyes, fighting with the middle-aged man.

Walking through a series of murals, in a trance, Wu Gen seemed to have stepped into it, walking on one battlefield after another, hearing the sound of killing in the sky, and witnessing the tragedy and generosity.

Under the endless city walls, I don't know how many ancestors have been buried, and how many blood and tears have been poured. But now, only Shuo Feng is sad, and the bones are remnants.

The mountains and rivers are empty, and the ruins are dewed and no one is seen.

With a long sigh, Wu Yan withdrew his mind and walked to the deepest part of the high hall.

There are no other statues here, except for a huge torch that burns brightly.

Under the torch was a stone table, originally made of white jade, but now dyed with a layer of black. From the moment he entered, Wu Jian found that the Xiangtang here seemed to be smoked by smoke and fire, and there were black marks everywhere.

On the stone table, there is a thin layer of white grass, on which are some wine, three animals, two giant candles, and four long incense sticks have been burned out.

There were several people lying in front of the table, and it was the four people who participated in the sacrifice.

Wu Yan was startled, pulled out the knife and slowly moved forward, and did not rush closer. If there is anything strange here, it can also be withdrawn in time.

Walking in front of the four people, several of them had distorted faces, as if they had encountered something terrifying before they died.

Carefully put his hand in front of the noses of several people, the three of them were already out of breath, and only Zhang Yuan was still breathing. It's just that the pulse is weak, the trismus is clenched, the face twitches from time to time, and the expression is very painful.

Gently patted Zhang Yuan's armor, but the other party did not react. I tried all kinds of methods, but it didn't work.

Seeing that the other party's pulse is getting weaker and weaker, in such a cold place, if you don't treat it, I'm afraid you will have to freeze to death here.

Frowning, Wu Yan dragged Zhang Yuan and crawled outside the hall.

After walking a few steps, the ground suddenly shook, dust fell from the roof, and cracks appeared in the surrounding walls.

It's not good, it's the ground moving, Wu Yan secretly shouted that it was not good, and stumbled and dragged Zhang Yuan outward.

Just after running a few steps, the huge stone beams and roof tiles on the roof fell, and Wu Gan held Zhang Yuan to dodge left and right, which was able to avoid the heavy objects that fell from time to time.

After a long time, the surroundings calmed down. The two were trapped in a small space, surrounded by rubble.