"No, no, no... I don't know, sir, I really don't know. You'll have to ask that master..." The soldier pointed to the monk behind him.
Lai Xi immediately walked to the monk's side and placed the token in front of him.
“Master, I am a special envoy of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. You can trust me; I need to know what is hidden in the camel caravan.”
The monk remained silent, only glancing at the token before taking down the bamboo basket from his back. Inside was a Buddha statue wrapped in linen.
However, the monk gently lifted the Buddha statue with his hand, revealing an even smaller Buddha statue underneath. Then, lifting the smaller Buddha statue revealed an even smaller one inside.
Lu Xuan: "..." In his previous life, he found this scene extremely funny when watching a movie. Now that it was happening in front of him, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
This nesting doll of Buddha statues had nine layers. After the last gilded Buddha statue was removed, underneath was a transparent box, as if made of crystal. Inside was a pure white, crystalline solid that emitted a soft glow. That was the legendary relic.
In his previous life, Lu Xuan was not religious and did not believe in the existence of relics. However, now that he had transmigrated, he was not so averse to the idea.
Moreover, the relic before him faintly emanated a gentle energy. Lu Xuan's keen senses allowed him to even feel that energy sweeping across his body. His body remained unchanged, neither stronger nor giving him a mental boost. But this very phenomenon alone proved that this thing was a priceless treasure.
Lai Xi was stunned for a long while by the appearance of the relic. Then, he suddenly came to his senses, his expression turning somewhat grim. This was no ordinary treasure. This thing had strategic value on the Western Regions battlefield. This escort operation, which had been inserted midway, had clearly far exceeded his expectations.
“We need more swordsmen… no, not swordsmen, but soldiers. We need at least a hundred elite cavalrymen to escort us. This is not something we can do with just a few of us. The Turks have even sent their Wolf Guards, and we have less than ten of us in total.”
“We can’t do it. Now that Mr. An has taken action, all news in the surrounding area must have been blocked. Our information can’t get out.”
“The nearest post station is Shibaliduozi. It’s an important supply point, with over two hundred soldiers stationed there year-round. We’ll go there to ask for reinforcements,” Lai Xi said, flipping through a map.
"It's not that simple. Look here, this desert is full of shifting sands, making it impossible to travel. To get to Shibaliduozi, we need to take a detour. This will take at least seven or eight days. The bandits and Turks can ambush us at any time. I estimate that we will be wiped out before we even reach Shibaliduozi."
After listening to Lu Xuan's words, Lai Xi remained silent for a moment, then pointed in another direction and said:
"Then we only have one choice: head east to Little Lonely City."
"Just as I thought. But there are two routes to Little Lonely City: one through the desert, and the other through Red Stone Gorge. Which one should we take? Also, there's a fatal flaw in taking the route to Little Lonely City: there are no supplies along the way. It's a journey of at least twelve days. We have enough dry rations, but our water is running low."
After hearing Lu Xuan's words, Lieutenant Li took over the conversation.
"If we run out of water, we'll have to go through Red Stone Gorge. I know there's an underground river nearby where we can replenish our water supply."
"In that case, let's go through Red Stone Gorge, replenish our supplies, and head straight for Little Lonely City."
...............
Shortly after everyone left, Mr. An arrived at the place where Lu Xuan and the others had gathered, accompanied by dozens of bandits.
"Sir, they just left. Should we chase after them?" the bald man next to him asked.
"No rush. Judging from this direction, they only have one destination: Red Stone Gorge. Notify the Turks and let them go. The brothers can rest. After all, the Turks' only requirement is to find them."
Red Stone Gorge is a unique landform in the Gobi Desert. Some hills and rocks, eroded by wind and sand over the years, have become strangely shaped. When these rocks are densely packed, they form a special type of gorge composed of weathered rocks.
The winds are unpredictable, which is why the entire Red Stone Gorge is known as a labyrinthine maze. If it weren't for Captain Li, who was familiar with Red Stone Gorge, the group would never have taken this route.
Lieutenant Li was indeed an excellent officer. Even after so many years, he was still able to find the way with ease and lead his men into an underground river.
The riverbed was mostly dry, but some water could still be found in some low-lying areas. The group replenished their water supply here and rested for a while.
“The camel caravan is too cumbersome; carrying them makes us too slow. We’ll be easily overtaken,” Captain Li noticed, adding that the group’s pace was far slower than expected.
"But there's no other way; we need camels to carry supplies. If we put everything on the horses, they won't be able to handle it. By the time we reach Xiaogucheng, the warhorses will be the first to collapse."
Warhorses are actually quite delicate. Good warhorses require meticulous care and maintenance. Such continuous long-distance marches are actually a form of overexertion for them. If the load is too heavy, these delicate warhorses simply cannot withstand it.
"Then abandon some of them, take only eight camels, and throw the rest away. This will also confuse the Turks."
“Okay, but…” Lai Xi was about to say something when Lu Xuan suddenly raised his hand to stop him.
"Shh...don't make a sound, someone's coming..." Lu Xuan said, pressing his body against the wall of the underground river. After a moment, his expression changed slightly. His extraordinary senses allowed him to detect subtle sounds earlier than others.
"Yes, cavalry, they are deploying around Redstone Gorge. The Turks are here, it looks like we're in for a tough battle."
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Chapter Eleven: Street Fighting
Thanks to Lu Xuan's exceptional senses, the group detected the danger ahead of time, preventing the enemy's plan from being fully executed.
"I'm not sure exactly how many there are, but I estimate it to be over two hundred, maybe even three hundred. They're all cavalry, which means we're basically doomed once we leave Redstone Gorge."
“That’s right. Red Stone Gorge has a complex terrain that can greatly reduce the effectiveness of a cavalry charge. We must shake them off here,” Captain Li agreed with Lu Xuan. However, finding a way out proved difficult for the time being.
“Mr. Lu, do you have any ideas?” Lai Xi noticed that Lu Xuan was silent and couldn’t help but ask.
Lu Xuan thought for a moment, then said to Lieutenant Li.
"I need you to draw a simple map and mark the eastern exit of Redstone Gorge."
“No problem.” Lieutenant Li was very familiar with Red Stone Gorge. He quickly created a suggested route map composed of lines.
"This is just a simplified map. After all, it's impossible for me to remember all the passages in Redstone Gorge. This should be about 70% accurate."
Lu Xuan examined the map and then spoke.
"That's enough. Look here, if we break out from this direction, and run east through these side roads, we'll eventually reach this only exit. This is the key to getting rid of them."
Lieutenant Li and Lai Xi were both experts, and they understood what Lu Xuan meant as soon as they heard it.
"camel......"
“That’s right, it’s camels. Our only advantage might be these thirty-odd camels. Once we’re all inside this passage, we can cut off the caravan, even kill the first few camels. That way, the caravan will completely block the passage, giving us time to leave.”
“The plan is feasible. But the prerequisite is that the Turks and bandits must rush in and entangle us. What if they surround Red Stone Gorge and remain inactive?” Lai Xi tried to analyze the Turks' strategy from a military perspective. But Lieutenant Li clearly understood Lu Xuan's meaning.