“At this point, Ma Xiong interrupted Lu Sha, asking doubtfully, “Controlling another person’s actions? What’s the difference between that and sticking pins in a straw doll in Chinese Daoism? I actually really like that Daoist technique; if I have time, I’d like you to teach it to me.”

Lu Sha shot him an unimpressed glance. “That’s a world of difference from Chinese straw-doll sticking. Everything Chinese is too primitive. The Shamans control people’s souls—they bind the soul of the living through non-material means to achieve control. And souls don't die, which is why Shamanism can control the dead.”

Ma Xiong pursed his lips and retorted, “What’s the big deal? We Chinese have plenty of Jiangshi masters—which one of them doesn't command seven or eight corpses? Humph.”

Lu Sha ignored him and continued, “I suspect a Shamanic witch must have used sorcery to control the deceased Zhang Qian, leveraging Zhang Qian’s power in the Central Plains to achieve some unknown objective.”

But what purpose were they trying to achieve through him?

Han Chong pondered for a long time, finally shaking his head and saying to Lu Sha, “Your theory isn't credible. China’s Shiji clearly records that Zhang Qian died inside the palace, his body interred with extreme secrecy—rumor has it he received a mountain burial on the level of Wu Zetian. A mountain burial, as they call it, means hollowing out a desolate mountain to serve as the resting place for the body and the soul. They believe that as long as the physical body is preserved and the soul is trapped, the person is certain to reincarnate in a number of years. Therefore, the reigning emperor would ensure the tomb was perfectly arranged, keeping others away, and to keep the entombed attendants locked in, it’s impossible for anyone inside to get out. So your assertion is hard to uphold.”

Hardly had he finished speaking when Ganda’s camel suddenly let out a frantic neigh, kicking restlessly at the sand surface. The kicked-up grit flew into Lu Sha’s eyes. Lu Sha cursed angrily: “Oh, shit.”

Ma Xiong asked Lu Zong curiously, “What did he say?”

Lu Zong turned and said bluntly, “Damn it.”

Ma Xiong grew indignant: “He prioritizes romance over friendship, this guy.”

Ganda, silent for a long while, suddenly spoke up: “Listen everyone. Because of the Ghost Sand just now, the surrounding air pressure is imbalanced. A powerful whirlwind will temporarily form here, which might sweep away these city wall ruins. Don’t panic later; hold tight to your companions’ hands and absolutely do not let go. Form a circle, lie flat on the ground, and close your eyes. In a moment, my camel will kneel on me to maximize everyone’s weight so we aren't blown away by the whirlwind.”

Han Chong suddenly pointed behind Lu Zong and exclaimed in astonishment, “Look! A miracle of nature, a masterpiece of the desert.”

Everyone hurriedly turned to look and saw a cone-shaped column of sand and stone rising straight into the sky. The sand grains flung out by its rotation were even reaching the five of them. Ganda shouted, “Hurry and circle up! Grab the hand of the nearest companion and form a ring!”

Without a word, Ma Xiong grabbed Lu Sha’s hand with his left and Han Chong’s with his right, dropping to the ground. Seeing this, Lu Zong hurriedly grabbed Ganda’s hand and dropped down. The five formed a circle.

Perhaps Ganda’s camel was already accustomed to such danger and knew how to cope. One camel staggered over to Ganda, bracing its body horizontally across Ganda’s back, allowing its four legs to touch the ground so it didn't have to press its entire weight onto Ganda.

The other two camels, seeing Ganda already occupied, had no choice but to follow the principle of proximity; one lay down across Ma Xiong’s back, and the other across Lu Zong’s. Both men’s eyes flashed with anger, and they cursed incessantly, “Damn camel, wait till I get out of here and I’ll break your hump off to feed the dogs.”

But as soon as they spoke, both had their mouths instantly filled with sand and had to shut up.

Seeing the sand vortex approaching them, they could only lower their heads, hold their companions’ hands, and await the assault of the storm.

Finally, the hurricane struck like a tidal wave. The roaring sound was like a colossal beast screaming, the earth vibrating violently, and sand and stones constantly battered their bodies. They could only close their mouths and moan loudly, terrified of any sand getting inside.

The hurricane hit its peak. The ancient city ruins were lifted up, and broken bricks and debris raged in the sky, threatening to shatter at any moment. They stubbornly held on, unwilling to perish just like that. Finally, with a sound like thunder, the broken walls dispersed, and sand, stone, and debris flew everywhere.

Their bodies became uncontrollable, constantly wanting to lift off the ground. Although they secretly wished they could fly, they wished for a flight that ended in a safe landing. It was better not to engage in such high-risk maneuvers.

Fortunately, with the weight of the camels pressing down, they were not completely lifted away. They could only grit their teeth and persevere, hoping the sand vortex would pass quickly.

The bricks and rubble of the city ruins shattered and fell onto the five people. Although they felt extreme pain, they could only endure it; the taste of the sand was not pleasant. The wind and sand mingled with the decaying bricks settling on them. The biting wind had the bold, sweeping spirit of fallen leaves returning to their roots. The sand gradually covered their bodies, and soon their forms were about to be submerged in the sea of sand.

Fortunately, Ganda was prepared. He fumbled on the camel’s back and pulled out a handful of thick tubes, each about a meter long. One end was open, while the other was sealed with a black rubber valve. The valve was stoppered but not entirely sealed; if air was blown in from the open end, the rubber would push open, achieving ventilation. If sand tried to pour in from the outside, the rubber would block it.

Ganda distributed the breathing tubes to the four, then covered his own mouth and loudly instructed them on how to use them. In this moment of crisis, everyone listened intently to the old man Ganda; their usual arrogance had completely vanished.

Finally, the bodies of the five were completely obscured by sand and stone, leaving only five breathing tubes, as thick as rolling pins, rising from the flat desert.

After a long while, when the wind and sand finally subsided, the elder Ganda muttered a string of words—presumably the camel language of this region—and the camels began to stir mightily to rise.

They had been suffocated underground for so long without air, but none dared to act without their master’s command. Now that permission was finally granted, their strength erupted instantly. With a loud roar from Elder Ganda, sand and gravel sprayed out as if a bomb had detonated in that spot.

The other four gradually clawed their way out of the sand and gravel, gasping deeply for the outside air, feeling as if they had just returned from the gates of hell.

The sandstorm seemed not entirely over; they could still feel the stinging pain of the grit hitting their skin. They could only close their eyes, treating it as a moment to rest and recover, though their minds were racing. They hadn't even entered the desert proper before encountering such danger; how would they survive the days ahead? They were fortunate to have Elder Ganda, or they would have perished right there.

When the storm had mostly passed, Lu Zong heard Ma Xiong’s gasp of astonishment.

It was worth noting that Ma Xiong was a man who had seen the world. From Vietnam to Zhongnanhai, there wasn't a place he hadn't stayed, nor any horror he hadn't witnessed. He had seen scenes grander than daily occurrences. For him to be astonished, how immense must the spectacle before them be?

Driven by curiosity, Lu Zong and the other four opened their eyes. As their vision gradually cleared, gasps of amazement rose one after another.

Before them loomed the ruins of an ancient city, even more vast in scale.

They were currently surrounded in the very center of the ruins. Although the ancient city had endured a thousand years of sandstorms, it had been buried beneath the earth, suffering minimal erosion, thus largely retaining its original appearance. The staggered city walls, their red paint long peeled away, stood next to watchtowers that had long since collapsed, scattering broken bricks everywhere. Directly in front of them, a large circular hole revealed the thickness of the city wall: a full two meters. It was likely the city gate; the wood had long since corroded away, leaving only fragments fluttering in the wind.

The group was stunned. Even Elder Ganda observed the long-silent ruins meticulously, sighing at heaven’s grace.

Finally, they began turning their heads, attempting to imprint every detail of the ancient city into their minds. They were awestruck by the sight before them, humbled by the wisdom of the ancients.

Lu Zong explained, “We must have been sheltering on top of this ancient city. The immensely powerful sandstorm stirred up the sand that buried it, causing it to surface from underground.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, then fell silent, marveling silently at the magnificent wonder before them.

Suddenly, Lu Sha pointed to a structure beside her and exclaimed, “Look over there, what is that?”

They curiously followed Lu Sha’s gaze and discovered a structure shaped like an ear.

“A large ear? Do you remember Shamanism? That must be their sacrificial altar,” Lu Sha stated confidently.

Lu Zong also looked and excitedly agreed, “Lu Sha is right, that is indeed a large ear, the same shape as the Luobopo. It seems we’ve found the Shaman’s nest. But look, that ear seems to be upside down, and the earlobe is missing.”

Han Chong interjected, “I also think that looks like an inverted large ear, but no matter how I look at it, it seems like a piece is missing. Don’t you think it’s missing the earlobe section?”

Lu Zong considered this and explained, “Look at the position of that large ear. Does it correspond to the spot where we were huddled before the storm? It’s highly possible that the ruin we took shelter in was the earlobe of the large ear.”

Ma Xiong nodded in agreement and said bluntly, “If that’s the case, then let’s go inside and take a look. Perhaps we can gain something.”

Thus, they casually prepared to enter.

Seeing the five attempt to climb up, Ganda, who had been standing silently, stopped them, advising, “You might as well save your strength. Can’t you see how dilapidated these walls are? If five people climb up together, wouldn't you collapse it? Everyone would be in mortal danger then. Let’s forget it.”

Lu Zong explained, “Ganda, although your experience surpasses ours, and you undeniably saved our lives just now, you don’t understand how difficult it is for us scientists to refrain from pursuing our prey. So please, do not stop us.”

Ganda shook his head helplessly and relented, “Since you insist on this, I won’t press the issue. However, I must warn you: these walls absolutely cannot bear the weight of five people—at most two men or three women. You should discuss amongst yourselves who will ascend the altar.”

The five exchanged glances, then huddled together, chattering amongst themselves.

Finally, they decided that Ma Xiong and Lu Zong would go up. If the wall couldn’t support the two and collapsed, their chances of survival would be slightly higher. Lu Sha and Han Chong would be entrusted to Ganda’s care. After all, the chances of running into hostile people in this desolate wilderness were almost zero.

Lu Zong gave Ganda a few instructions, and then headed toward the large ear with Ma Xiong.