Beyond the borders, in the great desert.
Yellow sand stretched to the horizon under a scorching sun. The wind whipped scalding grains of sand against the skin, stinging slightly.
Behind a sand dune, the sharp ring of a blade suddenly cut through the air.
Immediately after.
A figure tumbled down from the crest of the dune, rolling over twice before crashing heavily onto the shaded sand.
The man propped himself up on his elbows.
He gripped a jewel-encrusted scimitar, his hood blown back by the wind to reveal a face with exotic features.
He had fair skin, crimson lips, and a naturally wild, defiant look in his eyes. His dark hair was plastered to his cheeks with sweat, a few stray strands hanging over his brow, where a gold headpiece inlaid with turquoise rested.
Not far away, three swift horses galloped along the trail of his fall. The riders wore black masks, their scimitars half-unsheathed, the blades glinting in the sun.
“He's over there! After him!”
Hearing them, the man grit his teeth and forced himself up, a fierce glint flashing in his grayish-green eyes.
Dragging his injured leg, he continued to shuffle forward, his boots leaving uneven tracks in the sand.
The wind lashed his face with waves of heat.
Between the blood loss and the scorching sun, he was at his absolute limit.
Just as he fell once more and tumbled down a sandy slope, his forehead struck a cool, damp stone.
The sudden coolness made him snap his eyes open.
Sprawled on the ground, the man lifted his head. Sand still clung to his eyelashes as his grayish-green eyes slowly focused.
Before him was an oasis!
Various trees rose from the sandy earth, their broad leaves overlapping to cast a dense canopy of shade beneath the blazing sun.
Underneath the trees lay a quiet, crystal-clear spring. The water reflected the sky and the silhouettes of the branches, with tiny ripples occasionally spreading outward to lap gently against the sandy shore.
Clusters of wild flowers bloomed along the edge of the spring.
The three pursuing assassins were equally dumbfounded as they stared at this massive expanse of vibrant green.
【Yue Sheng Shock Value +100】
【Assassin One Shock Value +100】
【Assassin Two Shock Value +100】
【Assassin Three Shock Value +100】
【Current Shock Value: 73770400】
Yun Shu, who was currently sleeping invisibly in a large tree, was awakened by these meager pittance of Shock Value notifications. Her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of annoyance showing on her face.
After working so hard, she had finally found some time to rest. Anyone would be displeased to be woken up like this.
She opened her eyes and looked down at the people who had barged into the oasis.
Since the Central Plains territory was currently only unified in the north, the regions beyond the borders were not yet part of her immediate plans. However, things had taken an unexpected turn. The range of the Peerless National Beauty Set's skill far exceeded the northern Central Plains, and even the vast desert had sprouted patches of oases under its Revitalizing Withered Trees skill.
This was a pleasant surprise.
In any case, once she unified the Central Plains, her next step would be to expand the territory beyond the borders and overseas.
“Host, that injured man being hunted by the assassins is the First Prince of Loulan, Yue Sheng,” the little fox said. “It looks like he's fighting his brother for the throne...”
Yun Shu looked thoughtful.
Yue Sheng and the others had no idea there was someone in the tree. They remained locked in a tense standoff just outside the oasis, weapons drawn.
As the assassins closed in, Yue Sheng was forced back to the very edge of the oasis. He tightened his grip on his scimitar. “The desert is nothing but endless sand. An oasis like this shouldn't exist. This must be the dwelling of a deity! Aren't you afraid of divine punishment for drawing weapons here?”
The assassins exchanged glances. Looking at the oasis that stretched for who knew how many miles behind Yue Sheng, a mutual look of apprehension appeared in their eyes.
There were oases in the desert, but they had never seen one so bursting with life.
They could think of no explanation other than a miracle.
Sensing their leader's hesitation, one of the lackeys lowered his voice to remind him, “Boss, if we let the First Prince return to the royal court alive, we're dead anyway when we go back!”
Seeing that the assassins had clearly resolved to kill him, Yue Sheng had no choice but to flee deeper into the oasis, his blood staining the wild grass along the path.
“Go in and search! He can't have gone far!”
The assassins gave chase.
The two sides clashed again by the spring, the screech of clashing blades startling a flock of waterfowl into flight.
“Why do you disturb the living creatures of this place?”
An ethereal, melodious voice echoed from all directions, so startling the men that their weapons slipped from their trembling hands and clattered to the ground.
The group was completely lost in a daze.
A single peacock feather drifted down through the gaps in the leaves, spinning gently before landing squarely on Yue Sheng's shoulder.
The feather was woven of gold and green, with a deep blue eyespot shimmering in the center, extraordinarily magnificent.
As more and more glowing feathers drifted down from the sky, a figure floated down gracefully from the highest canopy of the trees.
The Divine Lady wore a teal feather robe embroidered with subtle peacock feather patterns. Her wide sleeves billowed like wings, light and elegant.
“G-Great... Great Immortal... spare us...”
The assassins turned deathly pale. They fell to their knees and began kowtowing frantically, their foreheads quickly bruising against the ground.
Yue Sheng had not expected a real deity to reside here either.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he forced himself to endure the pain and fear, bowing deeply to the Divine Lady. “Yue Sheng had no intention of disturbing the Divine Lady. I beg for your forgiveness...”
“A sanctuary for living things should not be stained with slaughter.” The Divine Lady raised her hand, gently waving the Peacock Fan in her grasp.
“Depart at once.”
Before the words had fully faded, Yue Sheng and the others felt an invisible force sweep them up and carry them out of the oasis.
【Yue Sheng Shock Value +100】
【Assassin One Shock Value +100】
【Assassin Two Shock Value +100】
【Assassin Three Shock Value +100】
【Current Shock Value: 73770800】
Having earned another pittance, Yun Shu looked at the Shock Value balance on the system panel and opened the permanent prize pool.
This time, she was definitely going to empty it out!
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The yellow sand stretched endlessly, and the sun remained scorching hot.
Yue Sheng looked back.
The oasis was still there, and the peacock feather on his shoulder remained as well. He took it off and tucked it into his waistband.
The three assassins scrambled to their feet, covered in dust, their eyes locking onto Yue Sheng at the bottom of the dune. “After him!”
Yue Sheng cursed under his breath.
He spoke in Loulan.
The words were not very polite.
And so, the chase resumed in the desert—Yue Sheng fleeing ahead, and the assassins pursuing close behind.
Just when Yue Sheng felt he was about to collapse in this boundless desert, a winding silhouette of camels suddenly appeared on the gentle slope of a sand dune ahead.
The sound of camel bells drifted on the wind.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Yue Sheng squinted his sweat-stung eyes, spotting a caravan moving slowly along the ridge of the dune.
A dozen or so camels walked in a single line.
Their backs were laden with neatly bundled goods, flanked by numerous mounted guards with scimitars at their waists.
At the very front, riding a white camel, sat a woman dressed in purple. A veil obscured her face, leaving only a pair of beautiful, almond-shaped eyes visible.
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