C161 A Sneak Attack

It might have been the intense heat that kept people away from the desert. In the blaze of the sun, Qu Ningyuan's solitary shadow stretched long across the sand, a stark emblem of isolation.

Earlier, when Qu Ningyuan had set out, he hadn't encountered a single soul. It was likely an off-peak time that others had wisely chosen to avoid, leaving Qu Ningyuan to face the harsh elements alone