Chapter 1967

Peng Da is woken by a bearded middle aged man and finds himself in a desert, though he remembers falling asleep in his own room. The man gives his name as Mo Li, leader of a merchant caravan, and says this is wolf desert. Peng Da’s companions were already dead, eaten by desert wolves, when the caravan chased the wolves away and healed him. Peng Da accepts that this is no dream and that he has transmigrated, though only the day before he was programming and coding. He can speak this world’s language, which he takes for an innate ability. ^{ch. 1967}

Surrounded by strong men, Peng Da forces himself to stay calm and feigns amnesia, claiming to remember only his name. Mo Li asks whether he wants to travel with the caravan, and Peng Da, afraid to cross the desert alone, accepts and promises to repay the debt of his life. A camel is provided. The Gu Master who leads him there doubts that he is really from Western Desert, since he does not even know a fire pit camel. That Gu Master says he must work for his keep, but Mo Li lets him rest and recover first. ^{ch. 1967}

Alone on the camel, Peng Da finds that his body is not his original one. Only his soul came over, into an inhabitant of this world, and he gained none of that inhabitant’s memories. He does not mind, as this body is strong and young. That night he sees a Gu Master plant seeds that grow into fruit trees within a few breaths. Asked about it at dinner, Mo Li says they are Gu Masters and that Peng Da is himself a rank two Gu Master. Most of the caravan are rank two, and Mo Li, at rank three, is the highest. ^{ch. 1967}

Peng Da learns that rank six makes a Gu Immortal and that a rank nine Gu Master is invincible in this world. An orphan with no attachments in his old world, he resolves to reach rank nine, then falls deeply asleep. Meanwhile the Gu Masters wonder whether the amnesia is real, and one judges it unlikely to be an act. Mo Li rules that, memories or not, he is still a rank two Gu Master and useful to them, so saving him cost nothing. Nobody refutes this. Had Peng Da been a mortal, they would not have troubled to rescue him, since Gu Masters are far more valuable. ^{ch. 1967}

Mo Li suddenly frowns and asks whether the others hear something, and a commotion grows that shakes heaven and earth. The Gu Masters take it for a super-sized hurricane and rush out of the tent. Outside, a boundless qi tide approaches from all directions, carrying sand with unstoppable might. They feel an intense threat of death and judge the caravan doomed. Mo Li shouts to escape and retreats with all his strength, and the other Gu Masters copy him. The mortals and camels are abandoned to death, while Peng Da, still deeply asleep, has no idea the danger is upon him. ^{ch. 1967}