Mercenaries, I Will Be King Chapter 791 - 731: The Secret in the Fayum Desert

Under the night sky.

Fayoum Desert.

This vast sea of sand appeared particularly mysterious and desolate in the glow of the setting sun.

Song Heping drove an old Toyota Camry along the desert highway, with Nura sitting in the passenger seat, gripping the door handle firmly, her gaze resolutely fixed ahead.

The desert nights were bone-chillingly cold, and Song Heping handed the last sip of water to Nura.

In the distance, Egyptian military police helicopters hovered between the dunes, with searchlights piercing the night sky like sharp swords.

Ahead, sand mountains appeared, resembling a continuous range under the moonlight.

"The entrance to the secret passage is up ahead."

Nura pointed to an inconspicuous dune in front of them.

"For hundreds of years, the Bedouin people have created secret tunnels and storage points in the desert for ergencies. Even satellites can't detect them; only the Bedouin know these secrets."

This was Nura's bargaining chip.

The reason she dared to lead Song Heping deep into the desert and claid she could evade the military police was that she could certainly do it.

Song Heping drove the car into the shadows behind a dune, the tires making a soft scrunching noise as they passed over the loose sand.

Nura jumped out of the car, skillfully walked to the dune, scraped away the sand behind a rock, and pulled out a rope from inside.

"Co over and help!"

Song Heping hurriedly stepped forward and, together with Nura, began pulling the rope with force.

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

As the rope was pulled back, a corner of the sand mountain began to collapse gradually, revealing a pitch-black entrance to a tunnel.

"Hurry, they are coming! Drive the car inside."

The sound of helicopters got closer, and Song Heping quickly returned to the car, hit the gas, and drove straight into the passage.

The tunnel was just wide enough to accommodate the vehicle. Song Heping got out of the car and, together with Nura, triggered a chanism that soon restored the tunnel entrance to its original appearance.

Inside the tunnel, it was pitch black, and Song Heping took out a tactical flashlight and turned it on.

In the bright light, the original look of the tunnel was fully revealed.

The ceiling was rocky, and the ground was sandy.

Everywhere was dry, so there were no issues like water seepage.

"This is a secret hideout our ancestors dug to avoid war. If you reach the point of desperation, you can co here to hide. Each tunnel has an underground river, providing a water source. If the Bedouin are in trouble in the desert, they will look for these places to survive. But so places might no longer have water due to the passage of ti."

Nura explained, slowly walking forward.

Song Heping was still standing there in a daze.

Seeing the surroundings, he suddenly felt that the stories of Alibaba and the Forty Thieves he heard as a child might not be nonsense; they could be real.

"What are you standing there for? Move! They will trace our steps and find this place. We must leave before they arrive."

"Oh, right!"

Song Heping took out the gear bag from the trunk and followed Nura further into the tunnel.

The entrance to the tunnel was very large, but it beca narrower as they went, eventually requiring them to bend over to proceed, with the air filled with the sll of mold and sand.

"This tunnel leads to a water source. About twenty kiloters from here, there is a small Bedouin tribe."

Nura led the way, saying, "We have to walk for three hours to reach there. Afterward, it will be safer."

"What do you an by 'safer'?"

Song Heping asked curiously.

Nura replied, "The Bedouin people have been scattered across various places for years. Each tribe has different rules, but there is an ancient agreent to help each other when in trouble. However, I am not sure if the tribal chief will accept us, given the big ss we caused..."

"I see..."

Song Heping illuminated the walls with his tactical flashlight, revealing so strange patterns. On closer inspection, they turned out to be ancient murals.

The Bedouins had depicted scenes of desert life using simple lines, including one mural illustrating two figures confronting each other with knives.

"That depicts a duel," Nura explained. "In Bedouin tradition, disputes are settled through duels."

The tunnel ended at a natural rocky cave with a moonlight beam shining from a crack in the top.

Nura led Song Heping out of the opening, pointing westward, "Twenty kiloters in that direction, you will find the tribe I ntioned."

"How do you navigate?"

Song Heping turned off the flashlight. The moonlight was good, so their visibility was fine without exposing their position.

"It's a gift."

Nura's expression appeared slightly lancholic.

"When a people have survived in the desert for millennia, their descendants develop this ability. However..."

She hesitated before slowly adding, "It's a cursed gift."

Song Heping chose not to inquire further.

He knew there must be unpleasant stories in their history.

No need to rub salt in the wounds.

Walking twenty kiloters in the desert was not difficult for Song Heping.

Especially with an excellent guide like Nura by his side and mineral water they stole from the Cairo military police, it was just a matter of physical effort.

At 3 a.m.

After crossing endless dunes and vast deserts, vegetation suddenly appeared in their sight!

Trees!

A grove of trees!

And grass!

It turned out to be an oasis, with several tents scattered among the palm trees.

"Welco to the Bedouin tribe."

Nura gave a weary smile.

Song Heping breathed a deep sigh of relief.

At least for now, the two of them were safe.

"Let's go et the chief and request his protection."

Not far from the edge of the oasis, seven or eight ard n erged from the dunes.

"People."

Song Heping pulled Nura back.

"It's okay. They are tribal guards."

Nura approached them confidently, speaking in the Bedouin language.

Minutes later, Nura returned and said to Song Heping, "Let's go. They will take us to et the chief."

The two of them followed the guards into the tribe.

Song Heping observed the surrounding tents.

And the cals, along with sheep that looked similar to but weren't quite like woolly sheep.

The tribe was quiet at night, without any lights.

The moonlight shone on the tents, giving them a whitish-silver gleam.

Soon, they were stopped in front of a large tent. The guards gestured for them to wait, then went inside to report.

Shortly after, they ca out and said, "The chief invites you in."

Suddenly, a fla lit up inside the tent.

As the duo lifted the tent flap and entered, a yawning man with a beard and red-and-white checkered headscarf in his fifties, draped in an outer robe, sat before a freshly lit fire with two won preparing boiled water to welco guests.

"Nura, have a seat."

The chief was very polite.

Because Nura had shown her token.

She was also a chief of a tribe.

The chief's gaze fell on Song Heping, scrutinizing him for a while.

Perhaps China People were rare here, so he took a few more glances.

"Guest, please sit."

Song Heping nodded and smiled but, not knowing how to greet, could only say, "Thank you for your hospitality and sorry for the intrusion."

The three sat around the fire.

The desert night's temperature was slightly low, making the fire quite necessary.

"Chief, I ask for your protection. Let us stay for two days. We ran into so trouble in Cairo, being mistaken for terrorists and being chased all the way here. I hope you can extend your rcy."

She finished and bowed in respect.

Song Heping was surprised by Nura's frankness.

She didn't need to say that.

Especially claiming to be terrorists.

Which tribe would dare harbor them?

That would just invite trouble.

Surprisingly, the chief didn't seem to care, waving his hand and saying, "According to ancient laws, you have the right to stay and receive my protection."

"Thank you..."

Before Nura could finish, a strange whistle sounded outside.

The old chief's face changed slightly.

Nura's brow furrowed.

Song Heping quietly asked, "What's going on?"

"That's a warning of intruders. If it were soone like us, the guards wouldn't issue a warning."

Nura's face grew serious.

"Not sure who's coming. Egyptian military police don't have the skill to track us here."