QTEBS Chapter 88

The leader said, “Now, who else meets the criteria?”

Zong Yuan had stepped back when the third condition came up. Now, pretending to watch the show, he looked at the group of people still standing in front. Those who knew his name were all staring at him, making him more confused when they saw he didn’t meet the criteria.

The person named Zong, wasn’t it him?

Ramaghi’s guy stood among the last twenty, and everyone looked at each other. The leader’s laughter was hoarse, “No one?”

No one responded, and those who felt they didn’t meet the criteria remained silent.

The leader said, “Luckily, this snake knows the person we’re looking for.”

The snake coiled up, hissing with its tongue out. Its pupils scanned the crowd, and Zong Yuan frowned, taking a step forward. All eyes instantly gathered on Zong Yuan. The leader let out a terrifying laugh, “Is it you?”

“I just wanted to ask where the bathroom is,” Zong Yuan said casually, “please tell me?”

The snake stared at him, and Zong Yuan blinked at it. The leader, seeing the snake’s lack of reaction, pointed to another person in black and said, “You take him, go.”

Zong Yuan followed the person in black into the dense greenery. When the group of people in front of the oasis was no longer visible, Zong Yuan loosened his fingers, ready to take action. He clenched his fingers together, slashing forward with a knife in hand toward the person in black. The next second, the entire body of that person instantly turned into yellow sand.

Zong Yuan held the black cloak in his hand, and the pile of soil on the ground was very conspicuous. He frowned, “What is this thing?”

0046: “Anyway, it won’t be a human.”

Zong Yuan bundled the black cloak in his hand. He crouched down, using the cover of the bushes to walk toward the center of the oasis. After passing the large lake, he saw several crude buildings.

There was a large open space in front of the building, with nearly a dozen or twenty pits about half a meter deep. Zong Yuan waited in place for about half a minute, not seeing anyone passing by. Boldly, he walked out of the bushes and approached the building’s entrance.

From a distance, these things looked shabby beyond words. However, upon closer inspection, even a simple pillar placed in the corridor was intricately carved with beautiful patterns.

There was no handle on the door, and in the middle of the door, there was a gap about a finger’s width, revealing the darkness inside. After thinking for three seconds, Zong Yuan decided to push the door open to inspect. As his hand pushed the door slightly, his ears perked up. “0046, did you hear that?”

There was a sound.

Zong Yuan tilted his head to listen. He moved toward the direction of the sound, and the noise became clearer in his ears—it was the sound of a shovel digging into the soil.

Zong Yuan remembered the large open space in front of the building. His expression turned serious as he lightened his footsteps. Someone was digging something, but what and for what purpose?

Behind the building was a shaded area. The sound was coming from there. 0046’s voice was solemn, “In the shade, there’s very little sunlight. Zong Yuan, be careful.”

Zong Yuan knew that when he reached the corner, he had to stop. He cautiously peered around the corner.

A figure wrapped in white cloth, resembling a young master from a club, was bending over, wiggling his buttocks while digging a pit.

The figure was fully engrossed in the task, and the white cloth obediently covered his body, not revealing even a hint of nudity.

It was the same person Zong Yuan had seen in his dream last night—the beautiful, mysterious, elegant, and powerful mummy.

“…” Zong Yuan didn’t know how to describe this feeling. He felt he should be more cautious about such peculiar behavior, but all he felt was speechlessness. “What is he doing?”

The mummy was focused on the task, paying no attention to the arrival of others.

Zong Yuan approached a bit more, hiding behind a clump of bushes, watching the mummy’s movements.

After digging a pit with a rhythmic humming, the mummy, still humming, shaped the excavated soil into a long form. Next to him was a muddy basin of water. The mummy gently patted the water onto the soil, and the part of the white cloth in his hands turned black. Muttering an incantation, a golden sand flew over, continuously wrapping the elongated soil, gradually forming a figure with no facial features, only limbs.

The mummy severed the path of the yellow sand still flying towards him and looked satisfied at the newly created servant. His voice remained low, mysterious, and stylish, “Go find a black robe for yourself.”

The sand figure nodded woodenly and walked towards the front of the building.

The mummy counted the pits he had dug, nodded slightly, and expressed a hint of reserved pride, “It’s enough.”

Zong Yuan had never seen a king so heart-wrenching—no servants were created for him, and the ones that were had to find their own equipment (black robes). There were twenty pits, and it was unclear whether to pity the servant for being so few or to sympathize with the mummy who dug each pit one by one.

Zong Yuan felt he didn’t know what expression to make.

A king with over a hundred oases presents a dangerous and mysterious image in front of Zong Yuan…

Zong Yuan wiped his face, shoved the black robe he held into the bushes, and slowly retreated, returning along the same path to find the main force.

When he passed by the lake, he coincidentally encountered the crowd. The leader of the group didn’t spare him a glance and walked around him, and the snake at his side even stuck out its tongue as if greeting Zong Yuan.

Seeing the leader and his group, he remembered the scene of the mummy wiggling its buttocks.

Zong Yuan walked strangely to Larry’s side, and Larry poked him, “Zong, what’s wrong? Your expression looks really off.”

Zong Yuan shook his head helplessly. “It’s nothing.”

To drive away the images in his mind, he asked Larry, “Why did everyone come in? Did you find the person?”

Larry sighed, “Since you followed someone in, still no one met the criteria. The leader came back again, saying that the snake could recognize people, but still, no one appeared. He decided to let all of us in so that the king could personally choose his partner.”

Larry glanced around at the people and asked quietly, “Zong, it really isn’t you?”

Zong Yuan smirked without much amusement, “It’s a pity; I really don’t meet the third condition.”

“To be honest,” a tall man walking beside them leaned in, “they said this king has over a hundred oases? Even if I don’t like men, I think I can endure it for over a hundred oases.”

Larry was about to burst into laughter, but he caught a glimpse of Zong Yuan’s expression and was startled. “Zong, why do you look so dark?”

“Oh?” Zong Yuan remained expressionless. “It’s nothing.”

He just felt a bit annoyed all of a sudden.

The tall man continued to admire Zong Yuan and Larry, “Thinking about it, the king will probably like handsome men like you. There’s not much difference between men who like men and women. Friends, be enthusiastic and bold when the time comes. You know, I’ve been to bed with several beautiful ladies like this. I have a lot of experience… Oh! Now that I think about it, I still have a good chance. After all, I have a lot of experience…”

The stone in Zong Yuan’s hand crumbled into pieces and slid through his fingers. Zong Yuan glanced at the tall man, “I’m sorry; I can’t control my strength when I get irritated, especially when I’m irritated by useless babbling.”

Watching Zong Yuan pick up a stone and crush it with his bare hands, the tall man chuckled nervously, “Haha, I suddenly have urgent matters. Haha.”

After the man ran away, Larry and the other looked at Zong Yuan strangely. “Zong, are you angry?”

Zong Yuan kept a cold face. “Do I look like I’m angry?”

Larry internally complained, ‘More than angry! This clearly looks like the expression of a man erupting with possessiveness!’

‘Wait, who would Zong be possessive of?’

The leader led them to the front of the rudimentary buildings.

The leader and the black-clad men exchanged a few whispers, then instructed the crowd, “You all, stay here. Wait.”

A dozen people in nearly identical black robes stood stiffly in front, the spacious and rudimentary buildings, combined with their silent demeanor, easily caused panic among the people in the town of Ramaghi. Men and women stood separately, as the “king” sought male companions, so all the women stood at the back.

Even teenagers of around fifteen were at the forefront.

Irene stared at Larry and Zong Yuan through the crowd. Her brother had always been handsome, and the girls in Ramaghi secretly or openly admired him. Now, especially considering Zong Yuan…

She couldn’t deny that she had developed some romantic feelings toward Zong Yuan, and because of that, she felt even more anxious.

Meanwhile, after curiously surveying the surroundings, Larry discussed with Zong Yuan, “Zong, what kind of person do you think this king is?”

Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow and countered, “What do you think he would be like?”

“I don’t know,” Larry said, “but I feel he must be an outstanding and modest person. He must possess various virtues, like being reserved and gentle.”

“…” Zong Yuan rubbed his temples. “Why?”

“You see,” Larry pointed to the houses in front of them, “if he truly has so many oases, he could easily afford to build a magnificent residence. Yet, all these houses are old and dilapidated, indicating that he isn’t a crude or unrefined person. On the contrary, although these buildings are run-down, they harmoniously blend with the surroundings. The king hasn’t taken advantage of his wealth to completely transform this place. Therefore, he is humble and gentle enough. Don’t you think so, Zong?”

Big brother, you might not know, but the king you’re describing even creates his own servants.

“Oh.” Zong Yuan gave Larry a half-hearted response, and Larry looked troubled. “Zong, do you think I’m wrong? How do you feel?”

In Zong Yuan’s mind flashed the image of the mummy covered in mud. His mouth twitched. “You said it very well.”

The door opened with a bang, and five or six black-clad individuals walked out in succession. The leader from earlier respectfully waited by the door. The people of Ramaghi were startled by the sound, and their voices immediately ceased.

Footsteps echoed, and the black robe swirled around the ankles as a slender figure emerged from the darkened doorway.

The slightly curved, black, long curls spilled out from under a massive hat. The footsteps halted by the door, and the mysteriously enticing king, capturing everyone’s attention, spoke, “Welcome to… Skanda.”

The voice seemed to traverse through time, each syllable carrying a peculiar rhythm.

The people of Ramaghi stared in astonishment.

The lips of the mummy, hidden in the shadows, curled up, and his gaze fixed on Zong Yuan through the strands of hair.

Humans always feel curiosity and affection for mysterious things.

Mummies are always mysterious.

Zong Yuan: “…”

Really sorry, but even with the imposing entrance of the mummy, Zong Yuan couldn’t help but want to laugh.

 

Author’s Note:

The mummy: I’m mysterious! I’m powerful! I’m awesome! Yeah!

To the classmate who mentioned Häagen-Dazs, stand up! I had to forcefully change it to Skanda three times! [Laughs gradually becoming maniacal]

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