"Go on, beat this kid up hard, and kill the man. Leave the woman for the boss to enjoy."
The burly man raised his battle axe. If Sha Yunba hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that anyone could wield two battle axes longer than himself, almost like door panels. Not only was being hit by these axes deadly, but even if they were just pressed down, it would likely shatter his bones.
Unexpectedly, Ren Yuanhao suddenly blurted out something that completely enraged the burly man!
"Fatty, you need to lose weight."
"Damn it, the thing I hate most in my life is being called fat! Roar!"
The fatty roared, and due to the acoustics of the tunnel, this shout startled everyone. The two battle axes, carrying immense power, descended towards Ren Yuanhao's forehead. Sha Yunba retreated several steps and immediately closed his eyes, fearing he would witness Ren Yuanhao being cleaved in two.
Just as they were worrying about Ren Yuanhao, a clear and powerful clashing sound echoed, shaking their hearts. A gust of wind instantly swept over their heads, blowing away the wigs of two or three people, leaving their bald heads resembling powerful light bulbs.
Everyone, filled with unquestioning sympathy, looked at Ren Yuanhao. They saw Ren Yuanhao simply raise his Tang saber horizontally, seemingly blocking the burly man's two large battle axes with no effort at all!
"I said you need to lose weight. The force with which you swing those axes is as if you haven't eaten dinner," Ren Yuanhao said, covering his stomach and gently rubbing it. His eyes darted around several times, as if contemplating a very serious matter. "Uh, I don't think I've had dinner yet. Speaking of which, they should provide food here, right?"
This scene made Ma San'er extremely awkward. He gritted his teeth and stomped his foot. Everyone immediately received the order, surged forward like a tide, leaped up together, attempting to use their numerical advantage to subdue this incredibly arrogant man.
However, just as they leaped high, in the blink of an eye, Ren Yuanhao, pulling Sha Yunba and Mu Yunyan by their hands, flashed through a gap. With one hand on each of their shoulders, he poked his head out to look at the dark surroundings on both sides.
"It seems the food storage isn't here."
As everyone's attacks landed, Ren Yuanhao, with the two of them, walked towards the end of the tunnel as if strolling through a market. Ma San'er, repeatedly frustrated, had a sudden idea and signaled to his men, who then surged forward again.
"Run! With so many people, if they catch us, they'll probably just stomp us to death!" Ren Yuanhao threw Mu Yunyan over his shoulder. Seeing that Sha Yunba wasn't fast either, he simply hoisted him over his shoulder as well. Despite this burden, Ma San'er's group still managed to lose them!
It turned out this underground tunnel could be considered a second city fort. Furthermore, to prevent the great sandstorms from burying the fort, one of the many interconnected tunnels extended to another fort, so they weren't afraid of the sandstorm's onslaught.
Of course, unless there was heavy rainfall after such harsh weather, and the sand absorbed water, this tunnel would certainly be unable to bear the load.
Such extreme and opposing weather was already rare, so the tunnel was relatively safe.
At this moment, Ren Yuanhao, carrying the two, had run a good distance before setting them down and crouching in a dark corner, panting heavily. (Panting was not actually happening, but to avoid making the two feel he was too monstrous, he had to cover up a little, proving he was just a normal person with slightly greater strength and better martial arts.)
"Brother Bao, what do we do now?"
Sha Yunba seemed to have not recovered from the fear of the black sandstorm, constantly fiddling with his ears as if countless mosquitoes and flies were still buzzing inside.
Ren Yuanhao spread his hands, then covered his rumbling stomach, appearing resigned to fate as if facing the sandstorm and leaving it to destiny.
"I've seen this kind of facility online before. It's said that people in the Western Desert built these underground tunnels to resist the black sandstorms. We should be temporarily safe from the sandstorm's ravages now."
Mu Yunyan also squatted beside Ren Yuanhao, her mind still dwelling on her four deceased companions and the lost cargo.
"Young Miss, our cargo is probably..."
"Don't talk nonsense. I won't give up. This is my first time traveling to the Western Desert. I..." Mu Yunyan's voice suddenly lowered. "I cannot tarnish our family's name. Even though I am just a woman, I want to prove that our family has not declined..."
Ren Yuanhao was calmer than anyone else. He was also pondering who could have calculated his every move so precisely. Suddenly, he slapped the ground.
"That's right. If this is the only shelter nearby, I guess the person who stole your goods must also be here, because he has nowhere else to go."
Sha Yunba and Mu Yunyan's bodies stiffened, and a glimmer of hope seemed to ignite in their hearts.
"In any case, let's survive this ordeal first before worrying about other things. Instead of being uneasy, it's better to rest with peace of mind~"
Upon mentioning rest, Ren Yuanhao touched his stomach again. The feeling of his stomach pressing against his back reminded him of his childhood when he hadn't eaten meat for over a week.
"These tunnels are extensive, but I don't see many people. Something feels off."
After this incident, Sha Yunba remained vigilant, reminding himself of the importance of 'born in hardship, die in comfort.' Therefore, resting with peace of mind was absolutely out of the question, especially in this strange space where there was no movement, which might indicate even greater danger.
"Perhaps everyone else has already taken shelter in advance. After all, people living in such harsh places would have strong preventive awareness."
Just as Mu Yunyan finished speaking, a seductive female voice slowly drifted from deeper within the tunnel.
The tone was like a cat's head continuously scratching at one's neck, alluring yet not vulgar.
"Why can't it be that no one is here because this is a forbidden zone?"
Upon hearing this, Sha Yunba immediately jumped up from the ground, alert.
"Who's there!"
The woman's slender figure was elongated by the dim light, her shadow twisting and changing, resembling a giant black python.
"Retreat!"
Ren Yuanhao drew his saber without a word and stood up, gripping the hilt with one hand, facing the enemy as if on high alert. His eyes in the dim light emitted a faint killing intent. Upon closer inspection, the black shadow was not a python, but dozens of rattlesnakes, real snakes!
"I told you, you've entered a forbidden zone. Although there are two smelly men, my children are extremely hungry. Since you've come, you shall all stay."