One of the horses pulling the cart had run off in the sandstorm. Hulü Guang whistled, summoning his own horse, which he harnessed to the cart. He personally took the reins to drive them.
Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun sat on top of the cart, while Wu Yingzong sat inside with Chaosheng. With Hulü Guang leading the way, they even took a shortcut through the middle.
Along the way, Hulü Guang kept introducing them to the local customs and geography of Gaochang. He asked several times what they had come for, but Xiao Kun deflected each time with vague answers.
Xiang Xian noticed a prominent Crescent Moon Tattoo on the back of Hulü Guang’s neck and suspected he was a member of some organization. As he pondered this, Xiao Kun patted him.
“Let me see,” Xiao Kun said, gesturing for Xiang Xian to turn his head. He examined the bloodstains on Xiang Xian’s face. “Let Chaosheng heal you.”
“We’ll talk about it tonight.” Xiang Xian no longer felt any pain. The knife had only superficially cut the skin, and the bleeding had already stopped.
Chaosheng had mostly recovered. For an immortal who constantly resided in the White Jade Palace, the filth of the mortal world had shocked him deeply. Hulü Guang explained to him that Abu Re and his son had roamed and committed crimes in the Tianshan Mountains, Tingzhou, and even Yutian, their methods far more cruel than ordinary people could imagine. No matter what, he had to kill them.
Abu Re’s head was packed in a bundle, swaying back and forth. The broken Short Curved Knife had also been sheathed.
“This knife was left to me by my father,” Hulü Guang said. “It’s for killing bad people—one slash, and it cuts off their head.”
“Oh oh!” Chaosheng exclaimed in admiration. “That’s amazing!”
Xiang Xian then remembered that although Hulü Guang’s knife was said to cut through iron like mud, it had been like paper before Xiao Kun’s Senluo Blade.
“What do we do?” Xiang Xian whispered.
“I don’t know.” Xiao Kun thought again that he still had to compensate Hulü Guang for the knife. For a martial artist, a weapon was more important than life itself. “Can you fix it?”
Xiang Xian was very troubled. “I… I’ll try. What I mean is, how long do we let him follow us?”
Xiao Kun also found it hard to decide. Hulü Guang’s skills were exceptional, but he was just a mortal. The key was that they had met in such an awkward way, and the embarrassment hadn’t worn off yet. And seeing his attitude toward Chaosheng… could it be…
By evening, rolling red clouds filled the horizon like a sea of Blazing Flame. They had arrived at Gaochang City.
This was the most prosperous city in the Western Regions, with a thousand years of history. A thousand years ago, during Emperor Xuan of Han’s reign, it was called Shanshan. During the Northern Liang period, it belonged to the Rouran. In Sui times, it was occupied by the Turks. By Tang times, it fell under the rule of the Heavenly Khan Li Shimin once more. After Tang’s fall, the Uyghurs came and made Gaochang City their capital, establishing a regime that encompassed Tingzhou, Yutian, Hami, and other areas.
Through a millennium of wind and frost, tribes came and went. The evening glow gently illuminated Gaochang under the passage of time. As they approached the city walls, it felt as if, separated only by rammed earth and massive stones, they could reach out and touch the world of a thousand years ago.
“When will Song ever be like the Great Han?” Xiang Xian sighed. “At the very least, they could learn from Li Tang.”
Xiao Kun wanted to say something, but since it involved disputes between nations, he feared another argument. He merely patted Xiang Xian’s shoulder and gave him a meaningful look.
Gaochang City was built beside Jueluo Lake, formed by the snowmelt from Jueluo Tage Mountain flowing down. Under the sky, the snow-capped peaks of the mountains blended almost seamlessly with the white sky. Beside the vast Jueluo Lake, greenery abounded, and fertile fields stretched for miles. After entering the basin, the air gradually cooled, and by night, it even carried a chill.
The houses in the city were built of stone, mostly flat-roofed two-story structures. Many residences were arranged in a courtyard layout, surrounding eight massive aqueducts. Colorful red, blue, and gray-green cloth awnings hung outside the stone houses. Streets, outdoors, and rooftops were planted with vibrant flowers.
“Let’s go to the inn first,” Hulü Guang said.
“Alright.” Xiao Kun and Xiang Xian said in unison.
Xiao Kun knew Hulü Guang wanted to play the perfect host, so he respectfully followed his lead. Gaochang City was the first major city on the Silk Road in the Western Regions. Its inhabitants were mostly Zhaowu Nine Surnames Hu people, along with Semu People, Uyghurs, and Han People. Temples of various styles stood mixed together in the distance.
The residents of Gaochang were accustomed to all sorts of appearances and showed curiosity toward their luxurious carriage instead. But as soon as Hulü Guang appeared, calls rang out.
Hulü Guang responded while keeping his hands busy, still diligently driving the cart.
“What are they shouting?” Xiang Xian asked.
“They’re calling ‘Bai Ju Er.'” Hulü Guang answered with a smile.
Laughter and cheers came from outside. Xiang Xian lifted the curtain and saw several Uyghur women chasing the cart, reaching out to pull Hulü Guang down, shouting in Uyghur—likely wanting to drag him off to play.
Hulü Guang hurriedly replied in Uyghur, probably saying he had friends with him.
