Chapter 27：
Deserts and dune landscapes are not uncommon in the interstellar era. There are always barren planets with such terrain, which also hide resources beneath their surfaces.
For the people of today's StarSea era, the landforms of such barren planets hold little appeal.
Yet in this moment, they understood.
The moon above cast the sand in a silvery glow like snow, and in that instant, its beauty transcended the ordinary.
Beneath the moonlight stood a solitary figure.
The words on the travel landscape card seemed extremely simple, yet they perfectly captured the scene before their eyes.
Or perhaps, the landscape itself had emerged from those words.
[So beautiful. Even though it was just an ordinary barren planet's dunes during the day, could it really have such a stunning side?]
[This just goes to show everything has different facets. But did the words come first, or the landscape?]
[This line is similar to the aria Zhao recited before, but the number of characters is different. It's clearly a description of scenery.]
As night fell, the virtual character rested. When the next day arrived and the temperature was still low before dawn, he continued his journey.
The virtual figure walked steadily in one direction. As the sky brightened, he noticed that the sand he traversed, and the path ahead, bore more than just his footprints.
There were also traces of small animals.
Pressing forward, the virtual figure seemed to startle something—the shadow of a small creature darted out of a sand hole.
It had long ears and a slender frame—a desert hare.
The sudden appearance of this little hare delighted the live stream viewers.
They had gradually immersed themselves in the lonely virtual character's role, imagining being stranded on an unknown planet, waking in this desert desperate situation, with no sign of other people or life.
What good was beautiful scenery then?
But now, the emergence of a small life seemed to stir something in their hearts.
Even though the hare had fled in alarm, it at least proved he was not entirely alone.
[Say, can you eat rabbits? Does the virtual character have enough food?]
[Whoa, buddy, you're way too invested already. According to game settings, landscape games like this usually require players to find their own food. There might even be a side quest chain to unlock character details.]
The virtual figure pressed onward in one direction, walking until dawn broke and the desert heated up rapidly. Exhaustion forced him to stop and rest.
"Jingle-jingle—"
"Thump-da thump-da—"
The sudden sound of camel bells reached his ears. When the virtual figure looked up, he saw a camel caravan!
The iron bells on the camels were incredibly loud and melodious, echoing clearly in everyone's ears.
It was no small caravan. Every seventeen camels were tied together in a group, and the massive procession that suddenly appeared in the desert before viewers' eyes consisted of over a hundred camels.
The "jingle-jingle" came from camel bells, while the "thump-da" sounded from larger drums.
These sounds intertwined continuously. On one camel, a girl with a red veil covering her face seemed to glance sideways. A gust of wind lifted the veil, revealing half her beautiful features.
The caravan members wore strange yet distinctive clothing. Some rode on camels, others loaded goods onto them. With the rhythmic "thump-da" of the drums, they pressed forward.
The virtual figure scrambled to his feet, nearly stumbling into quicksand as he hurried to catch up with the merchants.
"Jingle-jingle—"
"Thump-da thump-da—"
[There's the plot! Wait, is this arranged by Zhao?]
[These beasts are specialized desert transport animals, right? Those two bulges on their backs are kind of cute.]
[Will joining this large group let them cross the desert to the next location?]
[Hesitantly saying—the people and clothes in this group are quite distinctive.]
The virtual figure followed behind the caravan, staying close to the last group of camels. The "jingle-jingle" of the bells echoed constantly in his ears, guiding his way.
Finally, following the caravan, even though they were still traversing desert, each step felt more hopeful.
Gradually, more and more animals appeared in the desert, with traces of various creatures everywhere.
During a group rest, the virtual figure dug into the sand, going deeper until the sand grew increasingly damp.
Everything indicated they were heading toward a populated area.
The presence of so many wild beasts meant there must be a complete habitat supporting an ecosystem.
The virtual figure continued following the group, stopping and going. Closer, ever closer.
Grass and trees appeared.
Dense forests, lush vegetation—a forest, with poplar trees beckoning.
There was an oasis, water sources, a river, with reeds and scattered cattails along its banks.
Drawing nearer, the virtual figure followed the massive caravan until finally, before them, stood an oasis in the desert—a magnificent ancient city amid swirling yellow sand.
Rammed-earth city walls, tall pagodas, beacon towers guarding the city...
And people—men and women wearing headscarves and veils. As the caravan returned, some be busy with unloading goods, others laughed loudly, and some stroked the camels.
A clear water canal ran through the ancient city from east to west. People balanced pottery jars on their heads, carrying water home.
At night, a fire blazed in the city center. The virtual figure watched as the city's people—with diverse clothing and striking features—sang and danced. Bathed in moonlight and firelight, he accepted a clear cup.
The cup reflected silver moonlight and fiery flames, containing half a cup of clear red wine. In his ears were joyous music, swirling skirts in the firelight, and red veils floating on the wind.
Moonlight mingled with candlelight, firelight intertwined with moonlight. Through them, one could faintly see the strange patterns on the fluttering hems—dogwood, birds and beasts, clouds, and geometric shapes merged together, growing more vivid and dazzling.
The virtual figure lay down by the fire, falling asleep in warmth and intoxication.
The taste lingered on his lips—sour with a hint of astringency, and a touch of fruity sweetness.
When he woke, everything before him had vanished. The oasis, the bustling city, the lush vegetation—all gone, leaving only long earthen mounds and sunken trenches, with the wind howling like a devil through them.
As far as the eye could see was yellow sand—a desolate no-man's land.
No trace of last night's campfire, no dazzling array of goods, no various clothing, no large camel caravans.
It was like a fleeting dream.
The virtual figure struggled to his feet, standing dazed for a long time, staring at the dry water canal, the remaining sand dunes and trenches, and the beacon tower that had been extinguished for countless years.
He wandered through the remains of houses and water channels, eventually finding a tattered piece of crimson silk and a silent, rusted camel bell buried in the sand.
He picked up the silk fragment to cover his mouth and nose, took the camel bell with his burden,and stepped beyond the broken earthen mounds.
The virtual figure shook the bell, but it made no sound.
He looked back, and the camera recorded the moment. Another landscape card formed.
This time, no poem appeared—only two characters etched into the time-worn landscape:
—— Loulan
The virtual figure chose a direction and continued forward.
The path back was completely different. The oasis was gone, only dead poplars remained, with no sign of reeds or cattails.
Once again, he was alone in the vast desert.
Zhao followed closely behind the virtual figure, step after step.
In a trance, viewers felt she seemed to merge with the virtual character.
[Was that... just a dream? I'm confused—is it real or fake?]
[It must be real, but why did everything change overnight? If I were him, I'd really want to cry.]
[Loulan—that's the city's name? Did it also vanish from Huaxia civilization... like the lost Huaxia itself?]
[But the bell is still there, even if it can't make sound. And the red fabric the virtual character picked up—it's the same as the veil worn by the dancing girl by the fire, the one on the camel!]
The virtual figure trudged through the desert, deep step, shallow step.
The red veil on his face effectively shielded him from the swirling sand. As he walked on, he seemed to repair the camel bell.
"Jingle-jingle—"
"Jingle-jingle—"
The clear, loud sound of the bell echoed through the desert again. But this time, it wasn't a camel shaking it—it was attached to the man's clothing.
With each step the virtual figure took, the "jingle-jingle" seemed to embolden him, becoming the only response in the vast expanse.
On this journey, it was but a chance encounter and a silent farewell.
The most ordinary of occurrences.
Another night fell, and the virtual figure slept restlessly in his sleeping bag.
Howling winds whipped up black sand. He couldn't resist—the entire sleeping bag, with him inside, was swept into the violent black storm, buried beneath the sand.
The virtual figure had long been awakened by the commotion, but against nature's might, even as someone from an interstellar civilization, there was nothing he could do to save himself. That he wasn't torn to pieces or reduced to dust was already a testament to his protective suit's quality.
Moreover, in this moment, he was just a wandering stranger.
As the virtual figure struggled to stretch out a hand, seeking salvation, he heard a voice.
"Hey, boss, there's someone here."
"Could he have been blown here by last night's black storm?"
"He's lucky to be alive. Should we take him back?"
A sharp female voice replied, "The kid's lucky. Bring him along."
The virtual figure was dug out of the sand.
"Wow, boss, this guy must be really greedy for money. Look how tightly he held onto this bag—still intact. Nice fabric too."
The virtual figure was hoisted onto someone's shoulder. He had no strength left, covered in sand. Being carried along, he could only use his eyes to observe the world outside.
The virtual figure wondered if he was hallucinating again. Ahead appeared fences, enclosures, two-story buildings, animal pens, and a fluttering banner.
Emblazoned on it were two large characters, written in bold, forceful strokes with intense ink:
—— Inn