However, this journey was quite different. The previous few times, the desert had been very calm. Tarico said Ji could tell from the stars when there were high winds in the desert, so Ji could help them avoid the risks of traveling onward on a windy day. This time, it was obviously blowy and dark in the desert.
Ye Xiaoxian had read some books about desert climates, through which she knew the desert was mostly dry with sunshine and occasionally saw rainfall. The wind and rain in the desert were more dangerous than elsewhere. They could prove deadly.
Ye Xiaoxian caught up with Tarico and asked him to inquire about whether it was going to rain. At this moment, Tarico stopped being playful and looked exceptionally serious. He rode up to Ji’s side, talking to him for a while. Then, he went back and told Ye Xiaoxian, “He said it wouldn’t be rainy but at most windy.”
Ye Xiaoxian was dubious. The wind was terrible in the desert. It could cause a sandstorm that would bury people alive. Highly vigilant, she shouted behind her, “Be careful of the wind and sand! If the wind becomes stronger, we must protect ourselves well. Cover our mouths and noses and don’t let the sand in.”
Ji turned around and stared at her, as if thinking she was being troublesome. Catching his glare, she felt that he seemed very suspicious. He must be plotting something. If so, it was essential to watch out for him. Perhaps, he would murder them in order to take their property. She tried hard to recall the books and films she had read or watched, thinking about how to face a sandstorm in a desert. However, time had clouded her memory. She only remembered how terrible a sandstorm was instead of how to respond to such weather. As such, she could only keep a close eye on Ji and see what he would do to protect himself.
…
The sky became gloomier and darker. The wind also got stronger, coming gust after gust. The camels also grew restless as the sand reached their shins.
Ye Xiaoxian shouted, “Tarico, shall we stop to take shelter from the wind?”
The wind was too strong. Despite wearing a veil, she felt a lot of sand blowing into her mouth when she spoke. The sand filling the air blurred her view of the people in front of her. She was not sure whether Tarico had heard her voice or not.
Apart from her, the others were also starting to panic. Blinded by the sand, they called out to each other loudly. If they didn’t hear the responses, they would feel even more nervous.
After a while, she finally recognized Tarico’s voice from the noises, “Stay where you are and wait for me!”
Ye Xiaoxian then warned loudly, “Everyone, stop!”
But Ji said, “There’s a sand dune ahead. Hurry and hide on the leeward side!”
Hearing that, all the people hastily flocked to the dune. Ye Xiaoxian also hurried over there without a second thought. But after two steps, she realized that something was wrong. They shouldn’t hide behind a dune as it was not as strong as a wall. They would be buried in the sand even faster. She soon, awoke to the danger.
Ji gave the wrong instruction on purpose! He wanted to kill them!
Ye Xiaoxian yelled at once, “Don’t go there! Stop!”
Her voice was sharp with worry. Since her people were used to listening to her, they stopped instantly.
Ji cried again, “Do you want to die here? Do you believe me or her? We don’t have time to waste!”
Ye Xiaoxian tried to bring Tarico to his senses. “Tarico, think about it! Can we hide behind a sand dune when there’s wind?”
Hearing that, Tarico finally came to reason. He had almost fallen into the trap out while flustered. But where else could they hide?
At this critical moment, he remembered that when Ji had been once drunk, he had mentioned how he protected himself facing a sandstorm. The best way was to make the camels lie on the windward side and hide behind them with noses and mouths covered.
So Tarico looked back and instructed, “Don’t panic! Get off the camels now.”
Ji was irritated into cursing. “Tarico, how could you listen to a woman? I’m Desert Eagle! If you listen to her, you’ll all die here!”
As the sandstorm became increasingly fierce, they failed to recognize each other’s faces. In the flying sand, their figures were as vague as ghosts.
Tarico shouted, “Then you can go and hide behind the dune. The others get off the camels and pull them into a line. Hurry up!”
Wong Wen and Wong Wu obeyed Ye Xiaoxian’s instructions because of Li Chengru. Xiao Baozhu and Xiao Tieshu trusted her unconditionally. Although Dawu and Jia Zhenbo doubted her judgment they still listened to her, as she had proven her ability to survive all these years.
They hid behind the camels and covered their mouths and noses. With the camels’ protection, they managed to stop the sand from hitting their faces. They covered their heads, especially their noses, as they ensured that they wouldn’t be suffocated. But as long as the wind blew, the sand still stung their skin.
Just like a flood, the wind soon buried their legs and then their upper bodies. They could only shake the sand off their clothes from time to time. Although they were worried about each other, they couldn’t speak, or the sand would fill their mouths and noses in a second.
The sandstorm lasted for half an hour. It isolated everybody from each other. Every time a gust of wind blew, they would feel a wave of helplessness. Ye Xiaoxian didn’t dare to move. To save energy, she did nothing except for shaking off the sand. But as the sand accumulated, she could only trample the new sand underfoot, lifting herself higher and higher. She had no idea whether the others were safe or not. Among all the people, she worried about Xiao Baozhu most. She remembered that Baozhu was behind her and guessed she would find Baozhu by moving a little. So she took two steps back and fumbled along the camels. To her surprise, she really touched someone. She thought it was Xiao Baozhu, but, strangely, this person had strong arms and appeared to be a man.