Edgar took a moment to come to his senses. He couldn’t help but look back and forth at the sand in Zong Yuan’s palm, his expression full of suspicion. “What did you say? Moving oasis?”
Zong Yuan sat beside him, calming in tone. “Don’t get too excited, Edgar. I’m just curious if there really are moving oases in this world.”
Edgar sighed, rubbing his face with a bitter smile. “I once wandered in the desert for a whole year and experienced many small and large oases. Many people advised me to stay and told me not to risk coming back, but I still miss the DuPont River and Ramaghi. I also need to explain things to my companion’s family.”
Zong Yuan listened quietly as Edgar got to the point. “I’ve only heard of moving lakes, and that’s only because sand dunes shift under the influence of the wind. It’s impossible for a lake to move in a short period. As for Skanda… how could such a large oasis move? Twenty years, is that even possible?”
Zong Yuan continued, “So you think it’s the desert changing, not Skanda suddenly appearing?”
“Of course,” Edgar chuckled. “The general direction is right, but the shape of the dunes can be a bit misleading.”
After leaving Edgar, Zong Yuan and the others walked slowly back. Larry chattered all the way, and the previous conversation left him feeling incredulous. As they approached their residence, he finally noticed Zong Yuan’s silence. “Zong, what’s wrong?”
Zong Yuan replied, “Nothing.”
He was just thinking about what happened when they entered the desert, the mummy’s vague mention of “find me in Skanda.”
If Skanda was their original destination, why did he have to be told multiple times?
Larry said, “I don’t care if it moves or not. As long as we survive, meeting Skanda is already enough for me to be grateful.”
“Who says it’s not.” Zong Yuan smiled. If it weren’t for the mission, he wouldn’t have held on so tightly.
Even though it wasn’t part of the current mission, Zong Yuan planned to get to the bottom of it. After all, why did the little mummy speak vaguely and tell lies to deceive him?
Sarcastic_laughter.JPG.
Zong Yuan and Larry had just walked out of this thicket of bushes when suddenly, a palm-sized scorpion emerged from the nearby shrubs. A note was attached to its tail needle, and it crawled in front of Zong Yuan, blocking the way. Zong Yuan carefully took the note off, and the part of the scorpion’s tail needle that had been pierced was already blackened with poison.
The note was, of course, sent by the mummy. It read, “Companion, I’m hungry.”
“…”
Zong Yuan folded the note and put it in his pants pocket. He turned to Larry, who had a curious look on his face, and said, “Larry, lend me some things.”
It was time for a meal.
Larry went back to get things for him, and Zong Yuan looked for some flavorful ingredients in the forest. He didn’t overlook the poison scorpion “monitoring” him by his feet and commanded, “Go hunt a small animal.”
The scorpion glanced at him, wondering what this human was saying.
Zong Yuan extended three fingers, “One, two…”
Scorpion: “…” After abusing the spider, is it my turn now? QAQ
In a flash, it ran back into the thicket of bushes. Zong Yuan knew that its tail needle was poisonous, and once the venom entered an animal, it could no longer be consumed. However, he wasn’t worried. He believed that the little creature following the mummy could handle it perfectly.
When the mummy awaited Zong Yuan in his “palace,” he saw him approaching with a bundle of muddy and wet grass.
Pointing at the grass in his arms, the mummy asked in confusion, “What is this?”
Zong Yuan teased him with a serious expression, “Food for you.”
“…” The mummy felt a bit uneasy. He softly retorted, “I don’t eat grass.”
He still remembered the only story he had read – they would dissipate if they were not together. Did that mean they had to eat grass once they were together?
Zong Yuan, who was sweet and promising in the morning to cook delicious food, was now offering these grasses?
Zong Yuan sighed softly, his tone revealing some hardship. “I’ve been eating this grass all along.”
The mummy paused, looking at him in surprise.
Zong Yuan dug up many good things, finding many plants that shouldn’t grow in the desert. Setting aside the strangeness of Skanda for now, Zong Yuan picked out some chili peppers from a pile of plants. Green, sharp little things hung in a row. “I really like these. Do you want to try?”
The mummy stared at the peppers in his hands, feeling a bit speechless. “They’re too ugly.”
But he also felt a bit sorry for Zong Yuan. Taking the grass filled with strange things from Zong Yuan’s hands, he asked, “Have you really been eating these things all along?”
“Isn’t it pitiful?” Zong Yuan sighed again. Seeing the mummy hesitate, he was about to take it back. “Forget it. If you don’t want it, don’t force yourself. Abe, give it to me.”
The mummy made up his mind, holding the chili peppers and avoiding Zong Yuan’s hand determinedly. “I’ll eat!”
The mummy wrapped in white bandages stiffly stuffed a small green pepper into his mouth. Zong Yuan couldn’t resist; he laughed and grabbed the mummy’s hand. “I’m just teasing you. With this one chili pepper, you might be in pain for several days.”
The mummy obediently let Zong Yuan take away the plant called a chili pepper, his lips curved in a regal manner. “Heh, such a small thing wants to make me suffer for days?”
Zong Yuan placed this pile of things on the ground. “Don’t believe me?”
The mummy disdainfully glanced at the pile of grass. “Hmm.”
Zong Yuan plucked a small chili pepper from the branch, ate half of it, and nodded. The spiciness was manageable. He beckoned to the mummy, who eagerly ran to his side.
Mummy: “What’s up?”
Zong Yuan, who had just finished eating the chili pepper, kissed him, exploring his lips with relish.
The mummy covered his mouth, tears stimulated by the spiciness. “It hurts, hurts so much.”
This thing turned out to be so toxic!
Zong Yuan sighed helplessly. “It’s just that I kissed you after eating. You can’t handle it.”
The mummy looked at him with teary eyes. “Companion, aren’t you in pain?”
Zong Yuan leisurely ate the remaining half in front of him, chewing with a creaking sound. “Hmm, not spicy.”
The mummy found his voice making his scalp numb.
Humans, are they all this strong?
Zong Yuan took the mummy outside for a barbecue. It was more atmospheric outdoors. While the mummy didn’t need to eat, Zong Yuan did. They didn’t have much in their hands, and as they approached the lakeside, they saw a scorpion approaching with a python, and the tail of the python was entwined with a nearly lifeless rabbit.
Seeing them, the two animals noticeably accelerated their pace. Zong Yuan praised, “No wonder it’s the little thing beside Abe, clever and cute.”
The mummy, “…”
Scorpion: Damn, you stupid snake! Hurry up! The big boss noticed us! Have you forgotten how the rattlesnake died?!
Zong Yuan and the mummy saw the python dash from a distance, swiftly crawling towards them. It grinned eagerly (?), and the rabbit on its tail was presented to Zong Yuan.
Zong Yuan took it, “Well done!”
The python’s tail rubbed against his hand, skillfully withdrawing.
The mummy, “Companion, do you want to barbecue the rabbit?”
Zong Yuan nodded, “It would be even better if there were wild chickens.”
“Rabbit meat isn’t tasty,” recalling something from memory, the mummy ordered the scorpion, “Go catch a wild chicken.”
The palm-sized scorpion’s tail drooped to the ground, lonely, as it went to find help.
Zong Yuan exclaimed, “So Skanda not only has rabbits but also wild chickens. What about fish?”
“…” Feeling like he had exposed something, the mummy looked guiltily at the sky, “No.”
The mummy’s lying skills were neither high nor low. As long as Zong Yuan was watching, it was easy to discern when he was lying. Zong Yuan let it go, found a clean water source, and washed the thing he was holding. The mummy stuck close to him, helping out from front to back. The dignified and cold image he deliberately maintained earlier had already collapsed.
Zong Yuan had the mummy skin the rabbit, deliberately untying the white bandages on the mummy’s hands. The mummy’s nails didn’t seem very long or sharp. However, when he thought about it, the sharpness of those nails rivaled a well-polished knife.
Zong Yuan’s back was covered in scratch marks, all of which were from the mummy scratching him during their intimate moments.
He dealt with the wild chicken that had just been brought over. Although he had never cooked before, he had 0046 look up some convenient methods. In theory, someone who had never cooked should be at a loss with these things, but Zong Yuan, despite having a blank mind, showed skilled movements.
“It seems like he took good care of me during this period of amnesia,” Zong Yuan evenly spread salt borrowed from Larry onto the wild chicken. Half-jokingly and half-helplessly, he sighed, “I really want to remember that time quickly.”
Previously, he didn’t care because he didn’t think those memories were precious.
0046 found a recipe for him called “beggar’s chicken.” After finishing his tasks, Zong Yuan, with both hands sticky from the ingredients, and the mummy, who had cleanly removed the rabbit’s skin, patiently waited for Zong Yuan to finish. Zong Yuan’s hands were covered in messy seasonings. He took the mummy’s hand, which was also covered in blood and fur, and naturally called out, “Darling, let’s go wash our hands.”
The mummy firmly held his hand, eyes brimming with a playful smile, “Okay.”
In the moment the mummy uttered that word, numerous scenes flashed in Zong Yuan’s mind. These images tenderly and forcefully entered his consciousness, awakening memories that had long been sealed.
Fu Xin, Jiang Shengyan, mermaids, Qi Hanguang, Grad, Zhou Jin, Zhuang Feiyu, Chi Xu.
The final image froze on the mummy’s smiling emerald eyes.
Zong Yuan paused for a moment, then continued walking towards the water with him. “0046.”
0046, quietly enjoying its own business, looked puzzled. “Huh?”
“Give me an explanation,” Zong Yuan whispered, “What’s wrong with my memory?”
Equally clueless, 0046 helplessly replied, “You’ve seen the information provided by headquarters. They can’t determine anything, but…” Despite what the headquarters said – temporary amnesia that would eventually return – 0046 didn’t understand the trigger for Zong Yuan’s memories coming back.
Zong Yuan seized upon those last two words, “You’re hiding something from me.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
Having experienced so many worlds together, 0046 believed it knew Zong Yuan quite well, and vice versa.
0046 grumbled for several moments, failing to come up with a coherent response. Zong Yuan patiently waited, not yielding an inch.
“Ah,” 0046 sighed with genuine emotion, deciding to be straightforward, “I really don’t know much, and I can’t tell you. Once I do, I’ll face punishment from headquarters.”
Even uttering this sentence risked the punishment of being confined to a small, dark room!
The information in this sentence made Zong Yuan frown.
0046 reassured him, “But the headquarters absolutely, absolutely, absolutely means no harm to you!”
“Heh,” Zong Yuan replied with a single word.
Currently, he only harbored suspicions. Even if the headquarters had no malicious intent towards him in causing his amnesia, he wouldn’t hold any goodwill towards these people.
As for the timing of recovering his memories…
The mummy smoothed out the crease between Zong Yuan’s brows. “Companion, what’s bothering you?”
His eyes held subtle yet straightforward concern, softening Zong Yuan’s expression. He kissed the mummy’s cold hand, sighing with tenderness, “Darling, long time no see.”
The mummy paused for a moment. Before his brain could react, his mouth naturally responded, “Companion, long time no see.”
The two of them embraced and kissed by the water for quite some time. In the end, it was 0046 who reminded Zong Yuan, “If you don’t go and dig out the chicken soon, it’ll burn.”
Really, they couldn’t stand these two ╮(╯▽╰)╭.
The mummy had never seen this way of eating. He followed Zong Yuan in digging out a clump of mud, couldn’t help but show a disgusted expression. “This… can we eat it?”
The mummy would feel uncomfortable after eating, especially with his digestive system… It’s better not to mention it. After a meal, he needed several days to recover. During these days of recovery, every jump he made, he could hear his stomach rumbling.
Sigh.
Now, he had to eat mud with Zong Yuan and even graze on grass.
The majestic Lord of Skanda had turned into this bearish appearance, following his man.
OTZ。
Zong Yuan fetched a stone and, before breaking open the steaming mud, looked at the mummy with a mischievous glint in his eyes, saying, “Darling, is it that you’re willing to eat it with me no matter how it looks?”
The mummy choked on the reasons he had just come up with, “…Yes.”
Zong Yuan broke open the mud, tore apart the large, juicy leaves stained with juice—provided by 0046, a specialty of Skanda with a similarly fresh taste. He tore off the leaves, revealing the honey-colored flesh underneath. A unique fragrance instantly filled the air.
The honey-colored, glossy skin still showed the slow movement of juices, and the strong aroma wafted over. Zong Yuan tore off a piece of the meat, effortlessly pulling it from the tender, braised flesh. He tasted a piece, saying, “Crispy and tender, not bad.”
The advantage of the beggar chicken lies in the juice retention, extracting every bit of essence. Zong Yuan only tore off a small piece of meat, and from underneath it, rich and tantalizing sauce had already spilled out.
The mummy had long prepared himself for a stomachache and now, without hesitation, said, “Zong, I want some too.”
With a rising tone at the end, the mummy had mastered the skill of acting cute quite proficiently.
Zong Yuan tore a chicken leg for him, and the mummy clumsily caught it. The juice almost dripped onto his hand as he took a bite. His emerald eyes widened, “Delicious!”
Soft and tender, the mummy felt that even with his poor digestive function, this kind of food shouldn’t make him uncomfortable.
Zong Yuan ate a few bites and then gave the rest to the mummy. He only allowed him to finish these few legs and some tender meat pieces. The mummy nodded in agreement, but it was evident that he wasn’t paying much attention, with oil all over his mouth.
Zong Yuan pointed to the rabbit, “There’s more.”
The elegant eyes of Skanda’s lord lit up, nodding so fast it could rival a chick pecking.
Zong Yuan made sure to slow down his pace and went to the side to deal with the poor rabbit. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear to let the mummy eat more; he just clearly remembered that both the mermaid and the immature little vampire Grad had experienced discomfort due to overindulgence several times.
The stronger a person’s body, the more intense the discomfort when it occurred. This was especially true for the mummy and Grad, who had similar body structures.
The mummy quickly devoured the place Zong Yuan allowed him to eat, reluctantly pulling his gaze away from the beggar chicken. “Zong, how should we deal with the leftovers?”
Zong Yuan said, “What about your little treasures and the poor ones I compelled? They should also get some rewards.”
“You’re not eating?” Taking advantage of Zong Yuan not seeing him, the mummy secretly put the fingers that had just touched the meat into his mouth.
“Not eating,” Zong Yuan was dealing with the rabbit’s internal organs. When the mummy’s hands rebelliously reached out for the beggar chicken, he suddenly spoke up, “Behave.”
The mummy summoned his group of “subjects” and struggled to maintain his composure in front of them, “Okay…”
0046 laughed heartily, “Did you see him planning to sneak a bite?”
“Guessed it,” Zong Yuan smiled helplessly, “he’s silly like that in any world.”
0046 sighed, “Perhaps this is the understanding between an old married couple.”
The next moment, 0046 shivered at his own words.
Zong Yuan probably didn’t even know, but because of this meal, he completely shed the title of “big boss” in the hearts of this group of spiders, scorpions, and snakes, leaping to become their second favorite person.
The original ranking should have been: most liked – the big boss; most disliked – Zong Yuan.
Now, the ranking is: most liked – the big boss, second liked – Zong Yuan.
Seems like not much of a difference ╮(╯▽╰)╭.
After being well-fed and getting rid of all the little nuisances, Zong Yuan embraced the mummy for a stroll by the Skanda Lake. The mummy would burp every three steps, which was both funny and cute.
In this relaxed atmosphere, Zong Yuan asked, “Abe, tell me the truth, what is Skanda?”
The mummy’s body tensed, “Skanda is green, burp, a green oasis.”
Fortunately, there were no “subjects” around!
Zong Yuan patted his back and offered a solution, “Hold your breath for a minute.”
“…” The mummy tried to hold his breath while burping, but even five minutes wouldn’t work, “It’s useless, burp.”
Zong Yuan apologized, “I’m sorry, you’re a mummy; this should be ineffective.”
A person in black approached from a distance, seemingly looking for the mummy. Upon seeing them, he exclaimed with joy, “King!” The voice belonged to the leader from that day.
The mummy pulled Zong Yuan and turned away, quickly escaping from any life that might witness his image collapse.
Leader: “…”
A chill ran through the leader’s heart. Is the king disgusted with me?
Zong Yuan asked, “Isn’t he one of the sands?”
“No,” the mummy watched as the leader stayed in place without catching up, relieved, “he’s something from Skanda, burp.”
“Something from Skanda,” Zong Yuan asked again, “does he have life?”
The mummy nodded, covering his mouth.
“Interesting,” Zong Yuan gave his final verdict.
The mummy probably rarely ate human food; he burped all the way, covering his mouth couldn’t suppress the sound, and he had to maintain a calm expression on his face.
This was because the mummy’s subjects would occasionally emerge from the woods.
Zong Yuan came up with a solution for him, “What are you afraid of?”
The mummy thought for a moment, shook his head, and a few strands of his black hair fell messily on his face, “Nothing.”
Suddenly, Zong Yuan put on a serious expression and sternly said to the mummy, “If you burp again, we’re breaking up.”
The mummy’s pupils contracted. He grabbed Zong Yuan’s arm, burying himself in his embrace, “No, burp burp burp.”
Zong Yuan: “…”
Mummy: “…”
Sorry, it seems to have backfired.
The mummy’s consecutive burps almost scared both him and Zong Yuan.
But at least Zong Yuan’s attention shifted away from Skanda.
Zong Yuan’s task, if he hadn’t encountered the mummy, would have taken an unknown amount of time to complete.
His mission was to discover the desert’s greatest secret.
This desert, with millions of square kilometers in size, was full of wonders, and deserts, in general, were not lacking in mysteries. The biggest secret, however, was so vast that Zong Yuan couldn’t find a way to intervene.
However, within Skanda, Zong Yuan began to sense some clues.
Skanda looked small from the outside, but inside, there was no end in sight; it took an entire afternoon to circle the not-so-large lakes; there were plants not suited for desert cultivation and animals that shouldn’t appear in the desert; and there were movements that shouldn’t be in this location.
Perhaps there was one more, right beside Zong Yuan, his mummy.
Another colossal secret.
As the sky darkened, Zong Yuan saw the humanoid coffin belonging to the mummy, just like the coffin in his dreams. Zong Yuan suddenly remembered, “Can you enter dreams?”
The mummy honestly shook his head, with a hint of reserve, “My subjects can.”
Zong Yuan chuckled, “Alright, go to sleep.”
The mummy pulled him, “…Sleep together.”
“Coffin is too small.”
“You’re pressing on me.”
“…I’m the top.”
Although unsure of the meaning of “top,” the mummy readily complied and changed his words, “We sleep on the bed.”
Zong Yuan pulled his hands off his own clothes, “Alright, you let go first.”
The mummy obediently released his grip, eyes fixed tightly on him.
Zong Yuan said, “I have a condition.”
The mummy vaguely felt it was related to him and Skanda, hesitating a bit.
“If you agree,” Zong Yuan extended a finger, shaking it in front of the mummy’s eyes, “every night, I’ll tell you a story from our past.”
Want to hear! Want to hear, want to hear, want to hear!
The mummy’s eyes instantly gleamed with radiance, nodding in agreement, “Okay.”
Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow, “I want to know Skanda’s secret.”
The mummy still nodded, knowing that his partner would find out sooner or later. It just happened sooner than expected. However, “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Now, it’s time to go to bed. You need to tell me our stories.”
Zong Yuan patted the mummy’s head, “Sure.”
In the dark room, the two figures on the bed embraced each other. “The first time we met was in a high school classroom. You were sitting in the last row, thin and short, with traces of being beaten, trying to hide the wounds on your hands…”
The mummy listened attentively, visualizing scenes along with Zong Yuan’s narration.
Author’s note:
Tomorrow, I’ll finish it! [Assertive] (Of course, I’m talking about this world, not being indecisive)
Next world! Mwahaha, ready to cause mischief again!
