Chapter 3, In-depth

The expedition team is divided into three groups. The first group consists of fifteen prisoners and four armed security guards. Five kilometers behind them are the members of the classical exploration company, and ten kilometers behind them is the logistics caravan, which carries a large supply of food, water, and accompanying doctors. Each team is equipped with a radio station to report their current situation.

At dawn on the second day, a group of people set off on their adventure riding camels

Cui Ming felt a sense of unease. The precise location of the oasis indicated that the classical expedition team was not here for the first time. During their first visit, they did not hire prisoners to come here; during the second visit, they did hire prisoners. It was evident that something had gone wrong during the first expedition, and they were unaware of what the problem was. The logistics team set up camp at the oasis and would no longer follow the main team; they would only send people to deliver food and water.

During a day and night of travel, Cui Ming gained some understanding of the beautiful woman Ding Ze. Bei Yue, the head of the Bei Yue Agency, is not very talkative and rarely shows expressions on her face, yet she possesses an exceptional demeanor, sitting like a clock and standing like a pine tree. Ding Ze is not particularly concerned with prisoners or exploration; he mostly spends his time chatting with Bei Yue. His attitude towards her is not one of romantic interest, but rather a gentlemanly courtesy that prioritizes the lady, as one would expect between friends. This gentle and patient demeanor is not only directed towards Bei Yue but is also evident in his interactions with the women from the classical exploration company and those on the train.

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The Classical Exploration Company is well-prepared, having established a camp 80 kilometers away from Karma Town, which is already 15 kilometers deep into the desert

A tent was opened, and Beiyue walked out from inside. She was not wearing pajamas; after arriving in the desert, she changed into a set of yellow clothes and walked towards the campfire with a large cloth bag. She glanced at Cui Ming, who was sitting upright, and without greeting him, sat down in front of the bonfire, quietly watching the flames, her thoughts unknown.

The old expert stated: "A batch of artifacts was unearthed a few months ago, among which there is a collection of documents recording the march of five hundred soldiers at that time. Based on various clues, the locations of two missing groups of soldiers have been inferred. There is no need for concern; I believe the ancient city has not disappeared, but rather has been covered by a massive sandstorm or storm that struck the ancient city and the oasis, burying them beneath a sea of sand. This archaeological endeavor will employ drill bits to penetrate deep into the sand, followed by the use of metal detectors to search for the ancient city. This task is quite straightforward. If all goes well, we should be able to return home in ten days."

Upon arriving at the camp for rest, equipment distribution commenced. Each prisoner received a ration of emergency food, a compass, a walkie-talkie with a range of 4 kilometers, and three portable drill metal detectors

In the deep of night, under a multitude of stars, Cui Ming lay on the sandy ground beside the campfire, gazing at the starry sky. It was not that he did not want to go to the tent ten meters away, but because he was on night duty today, and he had to ensure that the bonfire did not extinguish. As the night deepened, the guards had completely abandoned their watch over the prisoners. At this point, without logistical support, no prisoner could escape and survive in the desert.

Cui Ming smiled inwardly, ten days to return home? If it were that simple, why bother finding a prisoner? Moreover, two experts had to be hired. Cui Ming glanced at the stunning beauty in the front row of the carriage, Ding Ze. Unbeknownst to Ding Ze, the stunning beauty was definitely an expert. The stunning beauty had already demonstrated a level of physical ability in prison that was beyond what humans could achieve. What intrigued Cui Ming was that the stunning beauty always carried a large cloth bag with her, which appeared to contain nothing, a perfectly flat large cloth bag. The stunning beauty had already demonstrated a level of physical ability in prison that was beyond what humans could achieve. What intrigued Cui Ming was that the stunning beauty always carried a large cloth bag with her, which appeared to contain nothing, a perfectly flat large cloth bag.

Early the next morning, fifteen prisoners boarded a minibus to the train station and then took the train. In addition to the fifteen prisoners, there were also ten armed security personnel, twenty employees from the Classical Exploration Company, and finally, the stunning beauty Ding Ze. Among the employees of the Classical Exploration Company, there was an elderly man who was the core of this expedition. Through extensive analysis of historical materials, he had approximately located the position of the lost ancient city. When he came to the prisoners' carriage to explain the purpose of this expedition, he also introduced the lost ancient city.

The train vendor squatted on the small cart, feeling puzzled: "I wonder, a whole row of ten boxes of playing cards is missing. Perhaps I didn't put them up?" She was uncertain. Playing cards are not worth much, so stealing ten boxes doesn't make sense logically

The Lost Ancient City is only recorded in a few documents. Over a thousand years ago, the Chuxiao Empire sought to establish a land route to the Iron Empire, which is now known as Twilight City. An expedition team set out and discovered the Lost Ancient City. According to the records, the Lost Ancient City is located on a desert oasis, with a total population of over 7,000. Months later, the Lost Ancient City sent envoys to return to the Chuxiao Empire together with the expedition team to pay a visit to the emperor of the Chuxiao Empire at that time

Cui Ming sat opposite her, gazing at her through the flickering flames. Bei Yue resembled a lotus flower, silent and still, yet her beauty and grace were ever-present and unmistakable. Her eyes were striking, sparkling like the stars, yet tranquil like the depths of the sea. Thus, the two sat quietly across the campfire until dawn, with the difference being that Bei Yue looked at the flames, while Cui Ming looked at her

The beautiful woman stood up and walked to the connection point with the other carriage, asking: "What happened?"

The beautiful woman returned to her position, and her thoughts were the same as those of the vendor. Although the cart passed through this carriage, the likelihood of losing something was quite high, after all, this carriage was filled with prisoners. However, the reason for taking ten boxes of playing cards could not be explained at all; there was only one explanation: the vendor had forgotten to place the cards on the small cart.

The duty prisoner got up to prepare the meat soup. Beiyue stood up, did not look at Cui Ming, and turned back to his own tent with the books. The east was bathed in red, heralding the arrival of a new day

The record ends here. In the second year, the Chuxiao Empire sent envoys to visit the ancient city again, only to find that the ancient city had vanished, along with the oasis upon which they relied for survival. The Chuxiao Emperor dispatched five hundred soldiers into the desert to search for the ancient city, but not only did they fail to find it, two teams of fifty soldiers also went missing without a trace.

Advancing during the day and camping at night, as the team delved deeper, the temperature difference between day and night grew increasingly pronounced. Following the guidance of the classical exploration company, the prisoner team successfully reached a small oasis after one week. While resupplying and camping at the oasis, the senior expert informed the prisoners that there were eighty kilometers left to reach the destination of this journey

The envoy of the ancient city introduced the situation of the ancient city. They were originally a tribe that gradually developed and grew stronger relying on the oasis. Emperor Chuxiao dispatched envoys to return to the ancient city, bringing with them a large number of gifts. After the envoys returned to their country, they recorded that although the ancient city was small, it was not peaceful. Two princes were vying for the throne, and the sorcerer believed that the elder prince was the source of disaster for the ancient city. Consequently, the citizens exiled the elder prince, and the younger prince became the ruler of the ancient city.