Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Chapter 270: Sand Sea Bandits

What Long Xianlin said about that year was exactly the same as what Tianlang said.

When the Sangyang Rebellion ended, the Shaling Mountains, damaged by the damage to their earth veins, withered and turned into a sea of ​​sand. In the endless desert, people lost their former land and starved to death.

Some young people could not bear to starve to death, so they stepped into the desert in search of food, but even so, the supplies they could find were pitifully few.

Gradually, some of them began to have evil thoughts.

"To eat their fill, these people took turns sneaking into the sea of ​​sand as thieves, constantly attacking passers-by and stealing their belongings, including those who ventured into the sea of ​​sand in search of food."

People who have gone out to look for food said this: they appeared suddenly, and before they could react, their companions fell to the ground one after another. If there was no sand to cover them, they would not be so lucky.

But their methods go far beyond this. As their numbers grow, they are like hungry wolves, setting their sights on the surrounding villages.

"Whether it's day or night, they'll pounce on anyone they see until they've plundered everything. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy. Therefore, the residents of Shaling have nicknamed them 'Pirates of the Desert.'"

"Is there such a thing?" Karen exclaimed.

At this moment, Zhao Heng looked at Tianlang beside him and asked, "Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

Tianlang was stunned and spoke a little haltingly, obviously having forgotten.

"So, the residents here don't think we are pirates, right?" Karin asked.

Doctor Long nodded: "You can say that, but the details have to start from five years ago."

"Back then, some seriously injured 'outsiders' arrived here. Seeing their attire was completely different from ours, we lowered our guard. But who knew they were actually pirates in disguise? That night, they took advantage of our unpreparedness, stole a lot of our supplies, and killed many of us."

At this point, Doctor Long fell silent. He looked at the table beside him. The two of them looked over and saw a ginseng on the table. A corner of the ginseng had been cut off, and it was covered in dust and even had signs of decay.

"If it weren't for him, I'm afraid none of us would be alive today." He said in a very low voice.

"What?" Kailin was stunned.

"Nothing, just consider it my own monologue," Doctor Long said. "Oh, by the way, I guess you all still don't have a place to stay. Since your identities are likely to attract discussion, to avoid any unexpected events in the next few days, I would like to ask you to stay in my humble abode."

Kailin nodded and said, "It's okay. We don't care. As long as Xuanxuan is okay, that's all that matters."

"Well, that's settled then." Doctor Long smiled and continued, "But I'm quite curious. There are only four of you. How did you escape from the Wasp Queen?"

"Because it was our companion who lured away the Wasp Queen and bought us some time," Kailin said. "By the way, he's in the rainforest now. Can you guys help him?"

"That's right, but I'm sorry, I can't do anything about it." Doctor Long sighed and said, "You've fought the Wasp King before, so you should know how dangerous it is. Let's not even talk about whether anyone is willing to help. As outsiders, I'm afraid no one would risk their lives to save someone who has nothing to do with them and may even bring danger to themselves."

"Why is this happening..." Karen said disappointedly.

"Don't you have forest rangers here? Normally, in such a dangerous area, there should be someone maintaining safety here on a daily basis," Zhao Heng asked.

Doctor Long nodded. "That's true, but they are all acting under the orders of Lord Poison Spirit. Without specific orders, they probably won't take the initiative to enter the rainforest to eradicate the scourge."

"Is Mo Yan hopeless?" Karen shouted.

Doctor Long shook his head and sighed, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's the case. I won't stop you from looking for him, because I'm part of this place and I experienced the disaster back then. Saving your companion is out of medical ethics, but I can't agree to anything else."

His words were like knives stabbing into Karen's heart. Looking at the distrustful eyes around her, it was the first time she felt so helpless in a foreign land.

"Why is this happening..." she said anxiously, her anxious mood turned into two tears that slowly fell from the corners of her eyes.

But her anxiety did not win anyone's sympathy. In desperation, she could only rush out of the room alone and run in the direction she came from.

"Karin!" Zhao Heng said anxiously and followed her out immediately.

At this moment, Tianlang looked at Doctor Long. Even though he saw the two of them leave, he did not make any move.

On the street, Zhao Heng grabbed Kailin in time before she entered the rainforest.

"Wait a minute, Kailin!"

"What are you waiting for! Mo Yan is still in the woods. Are you going to let me just watch him die?" Kailin shouted, waving her hands.

"That's true, but can you defeat the Wasp Queen?" Zhao Heng asked.

Hearing this, Karen hesitated for a moment.

"Mo Yan single-handedly led the wasp queen away, not only for Zi Xuan, but also for our safe escape. If you go back now, not only will you be unable to save him, you might even become a burden!"

"So you just want me to just sit there and wait!" she yelled. "Before at Sangang Bay, if it weren't for Yaohui, Sister Xueqi and the others, we would have almost lost him. But now so many people are watching, and they're indifferent out of fear. Do we have to wait until we lose Mo Yan before we regret it?"

"I understand how you feel. I'm just as anxious that Mo Ye hasn't returned yet, but impulsiveness won't solve the problem!" Zhao Heng continued to persuade him. "Listen to my advice. Mo Yan has a lot of ideas, and didn't you lend him the car? Think about what happened to the bandit leader Sang Yang before. With his methods, the Wasps might not be able to catch up with him. In my opinion, what we need now is patience. If you go over like this, not only will you fail to save him, you might even ruin his plan and make it difficult for him to get out of this predicament."

"Is this the only way?" Karen asked.

"I'm afraid so." Zhao Heng nodded.

Under his earnest persuasion, Kailin's consciousness gradually wavered. Indeed, under normal circumstances, he was the one with the most solutions, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a sudden decision. It seemed that now, praying for him was the only way.

Thinking of this, Karen slowly walked back the way she came. She looked into the depths of the rainforest, waiting quietly with sadness, worry and concern.

Zhao Heng stayed quietly by her side, gradually forgetting the time. Until dusk, when his legs were sore from standing, Karen still stared at that place intently.