"Done, let's go." Ren Yuanhao, carrying the snake woman, resumed his usual sunny and goofy demeanor.
"Wait a minute, I need to go up and give them a couple more kicks, just in case..."
Sha Yunba knew Ren Yuanhao wouldn't kill them, and considering it would take another five or six kilometers to get out of the passage and reach another city, it would be troublesome if these guys rallied and pursued them midway. Just as he was about to go up and deliver a couple of kicks, Ren Yuanhao stopped him.
"The guys I hit won't be waking up anytime soon. Be merciful, medical expenses are quite high." As Ren Yuanhao was about to leave, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and found the strange sonic device from the 'carnage' before leading the two towards Sand City.
...
At that moment, Sand City was completely plunged into darkness. Various people in the city hurried along the ancient streets, half of them wearing headscarves. It was the busiest time for inns, restaurants, and food establishments.
The most brightly lit area in the city was in the northeast corner, where a golden domed building stood. Even in the darkness of the night, one could feel its luxury and grandeur.
Above the dome, something resembling green agate or blue jade pulsed with a jade light that seemed not to belong to this dimension under the night sky.
At this moment, a man dressed entirely differently from the locals sat in the night, a Cuban cigar in his mouth. From his seating position, he could overlook the entire city.
Women in splendid attire stood on either side. Although the temperature had begun to drop, these women were dressed very sparsely. Due to the silk fabric and their position upwind, their skin was already slightly blue, covered in goosebumps.
"Report, according to scout reports, the fortress in the northwest direction has encountered a black sandstorm."
"The fortress in the northwest? No need to report anything that doesn't concern us." The man took a puff of his cigarette, the smoke rings dissolving into the night sky, the myriad lights flickering uncertainly.
"The snake... the snake woman was responsible for the exit of the underground passage in the northwest..."
The man's head snapped back. A scar stretched from his left eye to his chin, and his eyes flashed with a terrifying ferocity.
"If you say one more word, I'll throw you down from here."
The man nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, "According to reports, the snake woman has defected, and there is no further information."
"Heh, a cheap slut I've played with and discarded, dares to defect? Eliminate her, no need to report."
The man grabbed a woman who looked no older than twenty. The moment he touched her skin, his expression changed slightly.
"What, are you cold?"
The woman dared not answer, her eyes as vacant as a doll's.
"It's alright, everyone else can leave." The man pulled her into his embrace and said in a low voice, "It's alright, my beauty, you'll be warm soon~"
...
In an unknown corner, a heavy steel cover was pushed open by a man.
He was the first to leap out, followed by a man and a woman crawling out.
"It seems this is the so-called Sand City."
Sha Yunba had once heard from the elders that in the Western Wilderness, there was a place that would never be affected by black sandstorms. It was called the Golden City, but because it was untraceable, very few people who traveled the Western Wilderness could reach it.
Yet, he never expected to visit it in his thirties.
"I wonder if our cargo was hijacked by that mysterious bandit and brought here." Mu Yunyan's brow was furrowed, showing no joy at escaping. Instead, she grew more fearful.
"The boat will reach the bridge when it gets there; worrying endlessly is useless." Ren Yuanhao had put on his headscarf again. "The most important thing now is to find a place to rest, drink a steaming bowl of mare's milk wine, eat a whole sheep, and then sleep soundly before we have the strength to deal with what's coming."
Ren Yuanhao's words held another meaning: where crowds gathered, information also gathered.
"Brother Bao, the problem now is, we... we have no money at all."
Mu Yunyan blushed and habitually reached for her hair, but all the gold and silver hair ornaments had been removed before they set out for the desert.
Ren Yuanhao snapped his fingers and added, "Don't worry, it's my treat. Eat as much as you want, eat your fill. People say you should eat when you're happy, and eat even more when you're unhappy, because you never know when you won't be able to enjoy delicious food anymore."
...
In response to Ren Yuanhao's call, the two first found a secluded small inn to stay in. After settling the comatose snake woman and leaving a letter, they went out and found a specialty restaurant that matched their discerning tastes.
Outside the restaurant, wine flags fluttered. In the Western Wilderness, there was a popular strong liquor called "Huoshao Dao" (Fire-roasting Knife). It was said that no one could drink two pots consecutively; even the bravest men in the world would be defeated by its searing potency and dominance.
Coincidentally, this restaurant was holding a long table feast that day. In the open space behind, seven long tables, each about 10 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, were set up. Huoshao Dao was stacked as high as a mountain, and the bonfires burned as fiercely as erupting volcanoes. More than half of the warriors in the city or nearby (of course, some fallen warriors not holding important positions) were present. Some of the flushed-cheeked girls were not as reserved as those from the inland. When they met a man they liked, after a cup of Huoshao Dao, their passion would ignite, and they would pledge lifelong commitment.
This was a festival for warriors and a Qiqiao Festival for the daughters of the Western Wilderness. It witnessed the birth of warriors and the beginning of happy marriages.
Sha Yunba and Mu Yunyan changed into local clothing. Ren Yuanhao, of course, followed suit, putting on a loose robe. Although his figure was relatively slender, his clean and bright face, coupled with his eyes that occasionally flashed golden, gave him an air of innate nobility.
The long table feast had already been going on for a while. The moment the trio entered the backyard, they were greeted by the strong aroma of roasted whole lamb, and of course, the sharp scent of Huoshao Dao. Flames danced wildly, fierce winds howled, and warriors brandished huge sabers. Their movements were not as graceful and elegant as those of sword dancing but leaned more towards a raw aesthetic of violence, exuding dominance and high spirits from the alcohol!
The trio sat at the back. Warriors they didn't know and exotic women attracted by Ren Yuanhao constantly offered them mare's milk wine and roasted lamb. The three of them ate heartily.
Just then, a warrior adorned with seven animal teeth grabbed a pot of Huoshao Dao and drank it down. However, before he could finish half a pot, he, like other warriors, collapsed drunk on the ground. At first glance, there were already more than a dozen warriors lying near the bonfire, but not a single one managed to drink a full pot of Huoshao Dao!