387: Chapter 387 Zhang Liang: I will be back!

Zhang Liang had not been idle along the way. Besides continuing to study Taigong's Art of War, he had hired someone proficient in both the Great Qin dialect and the Xiongnu language to teach him the latter.

For Zhang Liang, if he wanted to better carry out his plans in Mobei, he certainly needed to learn the Xiongnu language.

With Zhang Liang's wisdom, he quickly learned the Xiongnu language.

However, he was still quite unpracticed when speaking.

To master a language, the most important thing is the linguistic environment.

Zhang Liang wanted to settle down in a Mobei tribe and find a way to integrate into it.

He needed to improve his Xiongnu tongue through daily conversations with the Xiongnu people.

The Xiongnu man who was teaching Zhang Liang would serve as a guide, leading Zhang Liang and the merchant caravan to Mobei.

“Mobei is definitely not a good place,”

Arunaduo said, “If we Xiongnu people can stay in the Southern Desert, we would never run off to Mobei.”

“We must be extremely careful as we head to Mobei.”

Arunaduo told Zhang Liang, “We need to cross hundreds of miles of Gobi Desert before we can reach the pastures of the Mobei tribes.”

“To successfully cross the Gobi, besides preparing a large amount of water, we also need a South-Pointing Spoon to determine direction. Once we get lost in the Gobi and cannot find an oasis, we will have no way out but death!”

“Mhm!”

Zhang Liang immediately sent people to make the purchases.

Arunaduo added, “If we encounter a sandstorm in the Gobi, we must not panic or run around blindly.”

“Using stones as cover, one must hide behind the stones according to the direction the sandstorm is traveling.”

“If there’s really no way to avoid it, then quickly lie flat on the ground; there is still a chance of survival!”

“Good!”

Everyone nodded.

No one dared to act tough; this was no joke when it came to their own lives.

After making thorough preparations, Zhang Liang and his caravan left the Southern Desert and headed toward Mobei.

Since the Southern Desert grasslands were vast,

Zhao Fusu did not have the spare money to set up wire fences across the plains.

Furthermore, according to his plan, he would eventually annex Mobei anyway.

Because of this, it was even less likely for him to put up wire fences on the Southern Desert grasslands.

This also made it convenient for Zhang Liang's caravan to travel to Mobei.

With the border of the Southern Desert stretching over two thousand kilometers, it was impossible for Great Qin's patrol soldiers to be everywhere at all times.

Therefore, they entered the Mobei Gobi without encountering any resistance.

The caravan led by Zhang Liang trudged with difficulty across the vast Gobi Desert.

The sky over the Mobei Gobi was very blue, without a cloud or a drop of rain for ten thousand miles, making it so only rolling piles of gravel were visible, with very little green to be seen.

The blazing sun hung high, roasting the earth; every grain of sand and stone seemed to be ignited, emitting a scorching temperature.

Zhang Liang and the caravan members had been in the Gobi for several days. The caravan's water was almost gone, and thirst and exhaustion left their eyes bloodshot.

The members of the caravan were truly exhausted, tormented by this harsh environment.

To make traveling easier, the food they brought was all dry rations. To eat dry rations when your throat feels like it's on fire—what an experience that was!

Even Zhang Liang's own lips were cracked due to excessive dehydration, let alone the others in the caravan.

It was only because these remaining Mohist Disciples were die-hard loyalists to the Six-Fingered Black Knight.

Otherwise, how could they survive in such a severe environment? They would have run away long ago.

Despite this, many of them were having second thoughts.

If not for their fear of the Six-Fingered Black Knight, and the fact that they were deep in the Gobi—where the only way was forward to find the Mobei tribes, as going back would be an even longer journey—they might have given up.

Their situation was too miserable.

The Six-Fingered Black Knight's mood was also very foul.

Only half a bag of water remained in the canteen, shimmering with fine golden light under the sun, yet it cut the heart more than a knife.

A Mohist Disciple at the very front suddenly stumbled; his boots were finally worn through completely, his flesh bleeding. Droplets of blood fell onto the sand and were instantly sucked into dark spots, leaving no trace behind.

The sun suddenly lost its warmth as a yellow rift tore open on the northwestern horizon, like the grinning maw of a giant beast.

At first, it was the rustling sound of fine sand hitting their robes, but in an instant, a massive amount of sand and stones took flight.

The Six-Fingered Black Knight said in horror, “Shit, a sandstorm is coming!”

The wild wind howled and dust blotted out the sun, plunging the entire world into chaotic darkness in an instant.

Flying sand and stones shot out like sharp arrows, mercilessly lashing the crowd and causing many to cry out in pain.

The caravan's horses whinnied in terror, and the carriages shook violently in the gale, looking as if they could be overturned at any moment.

Someone was blinded by sand, clutched their face and crouched down, only to be immediately flipped over by a brute force, rolling several yards before grabbing the corner of a giant rock.

Zhang Liang shouted loudly, “Everyone hide behind that giant rock! Quick, quick, hurry!”

In this desperate situation, everyone exploded with great strength, rushing behind the giant rock at top speed to avoid the impending sandstorm.

Just as they hid behind the giant rock, the sandstorm arrived.

The furious wind swept past their ears, letting out ghost-like howls, as if it wanted to roll them up and hurl them into the endless abyss of the Gobi.

Everyone used both hands and feet to grip the corners of the giant rock, resisting that massive suction.

A large amount of sand and stone poured over them like dumped earth, threatening to bury them alive.

Fortunately, the sandstorm passed quickly, and everyone hurried to crawl out from the sand piles.

Including Zhang Liang, their faces were full of lingering fear.

Once a person is scattered by a sandstorm in the vast Gobi, being separated from the main group would surely mean certain death!

“Quickly count, quickly count, see if anyone was blown away by the sandstorm.”

Zhang Liang kept a cool head and said hurriedly.

So everyone looked at each other, and no one had been blown away by the sandstorm.

“That’s great!”

Everyone was exceptionally emotional.

Although everyone was covered in dust and sand, at least they weren't dead.

Zhang Liang's caravan continued its difficult trek across the Gobi. This vast and boundless desert was like a beast that could never be crossed, standing in the way of their progress.

The water carried by the caravan was exhausted, and everyone's canteens were empty.

Their throats were so parched they felt like they were burning, blood seeped from their cracked lips, and every painful swallow was accompanied by a piercing ache.

Despair spread quietly through the crowd like a haze.

Everyone's footsteps became increasingly heavy.

Just as everyone was about to be completely swallowed by despair, Arunaduo, relying on his familiarity with this Gobi Desert, found an oasis.

That touch of emerald green appeared so abrupt in this sand-filled Gobi, yet it was so ecstatic.

The crowd seemed instantly injected with new vitality, dragging their exhausted bodies as they ran toward the oasis.

Upon reaching the oasis, everyone leaned down, impatiently bringing their cracked lips to the spring water and drinking in large gulps. The cool, sweet spring water flowed down their throats, moisturizing every inch of their parched bodies.

After drinking their fill, everyone busied themselves with filling various containers to replenish the caravan's reserves.

Only then did they let the horses drink.

After several more days of walking, they finally made it out of the Gobi Desert.

Having been exposed to such an environment for a long time, Zhang Liang's skin gradually lost its former luster and refinement. His once fair face had been eroded by wind and sand until it was dark and rough, no different from the skin of a Xiongnu.

However, because he had been tempered by this treacherous environment, his will had become incredibly firm.

The light shining from his eyes was almost tangible.

He, Zhang Liang, would definitely overthrow Great Qin!

“I will be back!”

Zhang Liang turned his head to look south.

He would eventually lead the tiger-and-wolf army of the Xiongnu south to destroy Great Qin and avenge his family members who died tragic deaths!

Relying on his familiarity with the surrounding environment, Arunaduo led Zhang Liang and the caravan toward a Mobei Xiongnu tribe in a nearby pasture.

This was a small tribe, with tents scattered in an orderly fashion, herds of cattle and sheep, and children galloping on fine horses.

Zhang Liang watched such young children handling horses and riding swiftly.

His expression changed. No wonder they said the Xiongnu were a nation on horseback!