Zong Yuan saw a humanoid coffin in his dream.
This coffin had endured years of wind and sand erosion, causing the surface patterns and text to become blurry. Thick iron chains bound the entire coffin, indicating its danger.
The humanoid coffin stood upright, locked horizontally at the base of the humanoid coffin, facing Zong Yuan.
Zong Yuan walked over and lifted the iron lock on the ground. The lock had the simplest design, with a hastily written sentence on it, “Do not open it.”
Zong Yuan thought, ‘With such a large lock, even if I wanted to open it, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to.’
As soon as this thought emerged, the lock in his hand made a “click” sound and opened.
Zong Yuan threw the lock on the ground, and the thick iron chain binding the coffin waited discreetly for a while before making urgent knocks on the door.
The iron chain slid down from the coffin in an instant, revealing the coffin unabashedly before Zong Yuan.
A mysterious, dangerous, and beautiful coffin.
Zong Yuan approached, “What are you knocking on? Are you annoyed?”
The coffin stopped, and Zong Yuan reached out to touch the uneven patterns and text on the coffin, “Interesting.”
He crouched down to study it, and with a bang, the coffin lid fell off. Zong Yuan looked up and saw a corner of white cloth in the palm-sized gap.
A mummy. Zong Yuan recalled the previous events. He was well aware that he was dreaming because, apart from him and this coffin, everywhere was a vast expanse of white.
Zong Yuan became interested. He lifted the coffin lid and threw it aside, revealing the contents of the coffin.
A body wrapped in white cloth.
Zong Yuan, “A mummy?”
The entire body of the mummy was wrapped in white cloth, and the material of this fabric was unknown. It still looked brand new and immaculately white. Zong Yuan could even smell a fresh and fragrant scent… laundry detergent?
Through the gaps in the white cloth wrapping the head of the mummy, a few black hairs were visible. Zong Yuan touched one, confidently giving it a tug. The white cloth on the mummy’s head loosened, and Zong Yuan pulled out the hair.
The mummy: “…”
As the white cloth relaxed, the fair skin revealed in the gaps was as flawless as the cloth. Zong Yuan placed the hair he pulled out in his pocket and attentively observed the mummy before him.
It didn’t seem very frightening.
Zong Yuan identified a piece of fabric, lifted the back of the mummy’s head with his left hand, and began to unravel the white cloth.
Black, curly long hair, handsome features with a hint of wickedness, slightly red at the corners of the eyes, lashes so long they were intimidating. This thing looked like a collectible item. The long hair didn’t make him appear feminine; instead, it exuded a bewitching and alluring charm.
Zong Yuan stopped at the mummy’s neck. He leaned in and sniffed, detecting a familiar scent of shower gel, still with a hint of mint.
Hmm, this was getting intriguing.
Zong Yuan scrutinized for a good while, hesitating to proceed further. The mummy couldn’t resist any longer; it opened its beautiful emerald green eyes.
The curved eyelashes cast a shadow, and a malicious smile curled up at the pale corner of the mummy’s mouth.
A contradictory allure that made one shudder, scalp tingling, and yet unable to look away.
He moved his body slightly, and the loosely wrapped white cloth around him, whether intentional or not, revealed not much where it should and quite a daring exposure where it shouldn’t.
Clad in such straightforward white fabric, it oddly gave off the vibe of wearing intimate lingerie.
“Human, come to Skanda and find me.”
The mummy’s voice was deep, carrying a mysterious and ancient flavor. Zong Yuan felt oddly good, circling around the mummy’s coffin. “Dead thing, why should I come find you?”
The mummy hesitated, “I…”
“Do you wash your own clothes?” Zong Yuan lifted a piece of cloth that had come loose from him. “Clean, not bad. You even took a bath. The first one in a few hundred years?”
The mummy’s hair was scattered, a few strands floating in front of the chest, perfect for shampoo advertisements. He turned his head to look at Zong Yuan, and the hair brushed across Zong Yuan’s nose. “No.”
Zong Yuan frowned, pretending not to like it. “I don’t like this scent.”
Humans change so quickly?
The mummy’s emerald eyes glowed mysteriously, and the white cloth on him suddenly extended towards Zong Yuan, wrapping around Zong Yuan’s body and pulling him closer.
Under the white cloth, Zong Yuan and the mummy’s bodies were tightly pressed together. Zong Yuan’s nose was filled with the refreshing scent of mint, and the mummy stared into Zong Yuan’s eyes, commanding, “You must like it.”
Zong Yuan chuckled, not bothering to struggle. He treated the white cloth as a recliner, facing the close proximity of this strange, non-human mummy. From start to finish, he felt no aversion, lazily saying, “What if I don’t?”
On the face of the mummy, which carried a bit of mischief and a hint of grievance, a mischievous expression emerged. He lowered his eyelids, “What do you like?”
Humans are truly not easy to please.
Once again, the mummy recognized this issue.
Nails were driven into the mummy’s feet, piercing through the coffin from his ankles. When Zong Yuan touched one of these nails, he unconsciously frowned, “What is this?”
“It—”
“Zong Yuan, wake up! We need to hit the road!”
Larry vigorously shook Zong Yuan, urging him to get up quickly. The spiders outside the tent were long gone, along with the segmented rattlesnake. The experiences of last night seemed like a dream.
“Damn,” Zong Yuan wiped his face, looking displeased, “What’s going on with his feet?”
0046, “Who?”
Zong Yuan, “That mummy!”
Since it represents death, how can it not resist being nailed to its own coffin?!
Instead of showing off, why not find a way to remove the nails from its feet?
The team set off quickly. Larry, perhaps having experienced a lot, behaved normally. He neatly packed everything, and there was no sign of anything wrong during the morning journey. Zong Yuan looked at him with newfound respect, “Larry, your mental resilience is better than I imagined.”
Larry wore a pained expression, “Zong, I’ve finally managed to forget those images. Please don’t mention them again.”
The person leading the team in the town of Ramaghi indeed had some skills. When everyone’s water sources were running out one after another, they saw a small spot of vibrant green in the left front direction.
To prevent it from being a mirage, many people turned back to look again. The anxiety in many hearts was palpable. Fortunately, the place was still there—it was an oasis!!!
They finally found an oasis!!!
The people from the town of Ramaghi were ecstatic. Zong Yuan, along with everyone else, breathed a sigh of relief. Over a hundred excited people rushed towards the oasis, their small trinkets clinking and clattering, “There’s water!!! There’s water!!!”
A crystal-clear, massive lake lay in the middle of the oasis.
“A water source even clearer than the DuPont River!”
A vast expanse of greenery surrounded the lake. Just as the crowd was about to charge into the oasis, about ten individuals dressed in black hooded cloaks emerged from the greenery and stood in front of the crowd. They had no weapons, but their presence felt dangerously intense. The leader, with a hoarse voice, asked, “Who are you?”
The guide from Ramaghi replied, “We are residents from the DuPont River. After an accident at the DuPont River, we migrated. Has this oasis already been occupied?”
The leader nodded, “You, get out.”
Insult!
The water source was right behind these people, yet they spoke so ruthlessly, showing no mercy. With only about a dozen people, could the Ramaghi group not seize this oasis from them?!
“Hiss, hiss.”
A thick poisonous snake slithered out from the greenery. It coiled obediently at the leader’s feet, continuously hissing in the terrified gaze of the Ramaghi people.
The leader nodded, and the snake lazily observed the crowd with its icy gaze.
The leader said, “Our king needs a companion. If you provide one, you can stay.”
He paused after saying a few words, and the next sentence was eerie, “Our king has over a hundred oases.”
The crowd erupted in commotion!
Setting aside the issue of whether there are hundreds of oases or not, let’s focus on the question of staying here — Give, give, give! Isn’t it just a companion? Does Ramaghi lack women?!
Too many people have reached their limits, and now, standing in front of the oasis, asking them to continue searching for the next oasis is simply absurd.
Unmarried girls and married women stood in rows, some reserved, some bold, all gazing at the leader. Many could be considered beautiful women exuding their unique charm and allure.
Zong Yuan and Larry stood at the back of the crowd. Irene, with a disdainful expression, walked to the last row, not thinking she would be chosen. Larry, on the other hand, had a different perspective, “What if my sister is chosen?! If the king is ugly or has a short stature and a bad temper, I won’t be able to get justice for my sister!”
Zong Yuan raised his chin, “With so many beauties in front, your sister is safe.”
If the king judged based on beauty, Irene wouldn’t even be in consideration; if it was about temperament, the women from the town of Ramaghi had similar temperaments. Zong Yuan thought Larry could rest assured.
And indeed, Zong Yuan’s guess was correct. The king wasn’t judging based on beauty or temperament. This king… was judging based on anatomy!
He was selecting male companions!
All the neatly arranged women were completely excluded from the list. Now, it was Irene who worried about her brother’s safety.
The rough and tough guys from the town of Ramaghi, who lived their days brashly, never thought they would have a day to become a “queen”!
Selling oneself to save the town, damn!
The leader said, “Our king has specified criteria.”
Everyone looked at each other.
“First, his age must be below thirty.” The leader slowly looked at the group of middle-aged men standing in front, and many middle-aged men with bald heads and big bellies thankfully took several steps back, preserving their dignity!
“Second, he must be handsome.”
Those who considered themselves ugly shrugged regretfully and happily exited the competition. Zong Yuan took a tentative step back and was immediately glared at by the black-clad individuals watching them. “…” Damn.
The leader looked at the remaining people, nodded satisfactorily, and continued, “Third, he must be over twenty-five.”
!!!
Zong Yuan didn’t care whether he was over twenty-five in this world; he only knew that he hadn’t reached that age in the real world before coming here! A day less is still less!
He calmly and confidently took a step back, giving Larry a look that said, “Good luck, buddy.”
The leader looked at the remaining people and continued listing the king’s conditions, “The last one, the king’s requirement, his name is Zong.”
—Damn.
All eyes instantly focused on Zong Yuan.
So, what were the first three screening criteria for?
Author’s note:
The mummy; before a date, take a bath, hmm, take a bath, wash clothes, hmm, wash clothes~
