Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared

This was the ninth night, with an evening chill still lingering in the night air. Gu Fan, Du Jun, and Ouyang Jin were having hushed discussions whilst watching the drone footage in the early part of the night.

According to Ouyang Jin’s estimations, perhaps they would be able to reach the desert by the 11th day. This was one of the major differences between the ancient map and the present one. Wasn’t the land of the ancient Qianye kingdom free of desert during its time?

Although the task seemed daunting, their primary objective was to accurately mark their current location on the modern map. Ouyang Jin was confident in his ability to achieve this, as he rigorously calculated the distance each day.

Having replayed the maps multiple times, Gu Fan sighed and said, "We must find a common point on both maps before entering the desert, or it will be difficult to navigate once we’re in."

Ouyang Jin came up with an idea. "The ancient map shows three cities in the Qianye kingdom. We don’t necessarily have to head towards Qianye City. We could aim for the other two cities instead. If we find at least one, we could perhaps combine the clues from both maps."

"That’s a good strategy, although Professor Luo mentioned that the other two cities in the Qianye kingdom survived for centuries after the capital was destroyed overnight. It’s going to be difficult to find those ruins," Gu Fan responded.

Ouyang Jin took out his notebook and said, "My father’s notes mention that they changed their direction to the north after discovering that area because of scarce water resources. And if you look at the ancient map, there’s a lake to the east of the Qianye kingdom."

"Modern maps don’t mark the lake, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. If we find the lake, it will give us a sense of direction." Gu Fan felt that this could be a feasible idea, especially since their water supply was depleting, and they needed to find a source to replenish it.

Ouyang Jin continued, "The ancient map depicts a small city very close to the lake, southeast of Qianye City. If we find the lake, and the ruins of that city, it will validate that we’re on the right path."

Gu Fan nodded in agreement. "Alright, we’ll change our direction to the north and search for the lake tomorrow."

However, Ouyang Jin was not optimistic. "My father’s notes state that they found the lake, but there’s no guarantee it still exists. If we don’t find it, we’ll have to change our course and look for water elsewhere, diverging from our original destination."