Chapter 777: Joys and sorrows in the desert (Part )

With Li Haitang's "looking at the plum to quench thirst" as a guide, the originally slow-moving camel caravan now successfully reached Crescent Lake in just half an hour.

The terrain of Crescent Lake is very low and gentle compared to its surroundings, like a valley in the desert.

There were sand dunes all around, some several feet high and some only ten feet high, which just divided the team of hundreds of people into independent "camps" one after another.

Among them, Crescent Lake is the most secluded. Because of the lush vegetation around the spring, the sand is the most solid, and even if there is a strong wind, the sand stirred up is also insignificant.

For safety reasons, Zhao Xin's tent was pitched beside Crescent Lake without any suspense, and Pan Yuyin shared the tent with her.

On the back of a low sand dune adjacent to the west side of Crescent Lake is the camp of Liu Xunyi, Li Haitang, Wu Chan, Feng Tianba and others. Of course, Ding Qinghong's tent is also set up here.

Behind the towering sand dunes a little further to the east are the tents of Su He and Long Yu.

With the three "camps" as the center, the tents of the other soldiers were scattered in all directions, the farthest of which was a mile away from Crescent Lake.

By the time the tents and defenses were set up, it was almost dusk.

In the sky, a red sun finally showed its "merciful" face to the world. The scorching heat gradually dissipated, bringing a little relief to the suffering people.

The red sunset is quiet and silent, contrasting with the yellow desert.

In the sky, vultures and ravens occasionally soared and circled around Crescent Lake for several weeks. They seemed dissatisfied that someone had occupied their territory, but they did not dare to plunder it rashly. So they could only let out bursts of angry cries and then spread their wings and flew away.

Since there is abundant water in Crescent Lake, everyone does not need to gnaw on hard dry food and dried meat tonight. They can just light a bonfire, boil water, and have a rare hot meal.

Wisps of smoke slowly rise from the surroundings of Crescent Lake. The vast desert, which seems to be a deserted place, is rarely filled with wisps of human fireworks today. In the empty and lonely desert, there is an indescribable leisurely mood.

"I want to visit the border on my own bike, passing through Guyuan, a vassal state. The expeditionary army leaves the Han frontier, and the returning geese fly into the Hu sky. The smoke rises straight up from the desert, and the sun sets over the long river. I meet a scout at Xiaoguan, and he tells me that the governor... is at Yanran."

Zhao Xin sat hugging her knees beside Crescent Lake, staring at the still spring infatuatedly, reciting Wang Wei's "Envoy to the Frontier" in a low voice. Suddenly, a myriad of thoughts flooded into her mind.

At this time, Feng Tianba, Li Haitang and Wu Chan helped Pan Yuyin to light the stove and cook.

Some people were drawing water from the spring, some were harvesting weeds, some were fanning the fire, and some were picking dry food... Several people were coming and going, talking and laughing, and were busy and having a great time.

After a while, Liu Xunyi, with his hands behind his back, walked towards Zhao Xin with a mysterious look on his face.

As if disturbed by the footsteps, Zhao Xin, feeling lost, quickly suppressed the sadness on her face, and replaced it with a gentle smile like a spring breeze.

"Xun Yi, you are here..."

"Look!"

Before she could finish her words, the mysterious Liu Xunyi suddenly stretched out his hands, and a snake as thick as his forearm and a fat goose appeared in front of Zhao Xin.

"what……"

Zhao Xin was startled by the sudden appearance of the snake and the wild geese. She screamed and subconsciously took two steps back.

"Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" Liu Xunyi quickly handed the snake and goose to Feng Tianba and comforted him, "This is the game I just hunted. It's for everyone to enjoy."

"Little monk, why don't you do the grilling?"

"Amitabha!" Although he knew that Feng Tianba was teasing him deliberately, Wuchan was still frightened and his face turned pale. He fled far away in panic and did not dare to get close again.

"Monks are vegetarians because they have never tasted the deliciousness of meat." Li Haitang joked, "Since your master is not here, why not try it tonight? I guarantee you will never forget it."

"We will keep this matter a secret for you, and no one outside will ever know about it." Feng Tianba kept instigating with a wicked smile on his face.

"Don't tease me, my two benefactors. It's a sin! Not only should I not eat them, but you two should not eat them either."

"They're already dead, wouldn't it be a pity to just throw them away?" Li Haitang pouted, "Don't you monks have a saying called... 'Three Pure Meats'?"

"This pure meat is not that pure meat..."

Seeing Li Haitang and Feng Tianba singing the same tune and Wuchan preaching to them in a serious manner, Liu Xunyi, Zhao Xin and Pan Yuyin couldn't help laughing.

"Brother Li, we were really amazed just now." Pan Yuyin changed the subject and said admiringly, "Crescent Lake is so far away, but you can actually see it from ten miles away. You must have been born with a pair of divine eyes."

"My eyesight is not innate, but acquired from practice since childhood." Li Haitang smiled awkwardly, "Practice your eyesight first before practicing archery, this is the rule. When I was a child and had just started practicing martial arts, my master did not teach me archery skills, but placed a lychee ten steps away and asked me to stare at it every day, from dawn to dusk."

"why?"

"At first I didn't know, but my master had strict orders, so I didn't dare to slack off even though I was dazzled." Li Haitang recalled, "Later, my master couldn't stand my repeated questioning and finally told me the truth. He said, 'I can only be considered to have made some progress when I see this lychee as big as a bamboo hat.'"

"This..." Li Haitang's words left everyone speechless.

"I watched the lychee every ten steps, rain or shine, day after day for three years." Li Haitang laughed, "Sure enough, the lychee got bigger and bigger as I watched it, expanding in circles, until one day it became the size of a bamboo hat. But before I could get complacent, my master told me to step back ninety steps and look at the lychee again from a hundred steps away. As a result... the bamboo hat turned back into a lychee. So I watched it as a bamboo hat for another year, but my master told me to step back a hundred steps. I watched it again, again, and again... In this way, I kept seeing the lychee as a bamboo hat, and gradually I couldn't tell the difference between day and night, and another three years passed in a flash."

"No wonder your martial arts are so poor..." Feng Tianba said bluntly, suddenly realizing, "So you wasted six years just staring at a lychee."

"It's not a waste. Six years later, my eyesight is amazing. I dare not brag about it, but at least... it's almost impossible for a target within a thousand steps that I'm staring at to escape my arrow. Of course, if I meet a real master, I will occasionally miss..."

"Your master is Tang Xuan, and he is a brother of Tang Clan's chief steward Tang Yuan. Didn't he teach you other hidden weapons besides archery?" Liu Xunyi asked curiously, "For example... Tang Clan's hidden weapons?"

"I have been taught, but my attainments are far inferior to archery." Li Haitang said helplessly, "Master said 'Every profession has its own specialty', and he didn't allow me to be too ambitious and indecisive."

"From my point of view, if you admit that your archery skills are second to none in the world, I'm afraid no one dares to claim first place." Liu Xunyi's mind straightened up, as if he sensed Li Haitang's bitterness, so he said to comfort her, "Your master is worthy of being from the Tang Sect in Shu. Not only is his ability to make hidden weapons amazing, but his ability to teach his disciples is also unique." "Master is a genius, but it's a pity...Tang Sect can't accommodate him." Li Haitang couldn't help but feel emotional, "In comparison, the Holy Lord is not bound by rules and boldly entrusted Master with important tasks, which allowed him to display his talents."

Speaking of Yun Zhuiyue, Liu Xunyi felt very complicated.

He had sent Si Wudao to secretly protect him for many years, and he even saved his life more than once. Liu Xunyi was grateful to Yun Zhuiyue for his kindness.

However, when Liu Xunyi recognized Yun Jianping as his long-lost sister "Liu Xunyu" at the martial arts conference, he hated Yun Zhuiyue for separating his brother and sister.

Now, Yun Zhuiyue sent Li Haitang to live and die with him, which could be considered as another favor.

One positive and one negative, one gratitude and one hatred, made Liu Xunyi's feelings towards Yun Zhuiyue more and more complicated. To this day, even he himself can't tell whether he feels "gratitude" or "hatred" towards Yun Zhuiyue.

All of this may only be answered when Liu Xunyi meets Yun Zhuiyue and asks him all the questions in person.

"smell good!"

"It's almost burnt. How does it taste first?"

"Little monk, do you want to eat?"

"Amitabha! What a sin! What a sin!"

"Brother Li, cut up the snake meat for the princess and Miss Pan, and cut a crispy goose wing for Lord Liu. Where's the wine? No banquet is complete without wine. How can we have no wine? Hehe..."

"It's so hot! So hot! Haha..."

……

With a few people joking and teasing each other, the Crescent Lake gradually became lively.

Before we knew it, it was night. The blazing bonfire reflected everyone's smiling faces, which were all red and so adorable.

In the bustle of the fun, they were fighting for food, adding grass to the fire, singing to the wine, dancing...sometimes they were talking at the same time, and sometimes they were laughing together.

That night, most of them were drunk. The princess was no longer out of reach, the monk was no longer cautious, the officials were no longer conservative, and the little girl was no longer sentimental...

Several people were in high spirits and full of enthusiasm. Their laughter and joy echoed in the endless dark desert and lasted for a long time.

Perhaps Liu Xunyi had already forgotten how long it had been since he had eaten and drank as much as he did tonight and laughed so loudly?
“Brother Liu!”

Just as a few people were toasting and drinking to their heart's content, Su He's voice suddenly rang out from not far away.

"Brother Su?"

Liu Xunyi got up in a hurry, and because he was drunk, he staggered. Fortunately, Su He supported him in time, otherwise he would have tripped and fallen.

"Brother Su, you're finally here!" Liu Xunyi hooked Su He's shoulders, stuffed his wine bowl into Su He's hands, and urged, "I've been waiting for you."

"Brother Liu, why don't you drink?" Su He took the wine bowl and held the drunken Liu Xunyi with his backhand. After hesitating for a long time, he reluctantly said, "I came... to tell you something."

"What is it?" Liu Xunyi looked at Su He with a complicated expression in his drunken eyes, and patted his chest to assure, "Your business is my business, just tell me! I will agree to anything!"

"Actually... it's not a big deal." Su He pondered over it again and again, hesitating, "Or rather, it's not a big deal..."

"What's the matter?" Liu Xunyi pretended to be unhappy, "Brother Su, if you keep hesitating, you will have to drink three glasses of wine!"

"Three cups is not enough, you have to drink three jars of wine as punishment! Haha..." Li Haitang took the opportunity to make a fuss.

"Here..." Su He seemed to be afraid to look Liu Xunyi in the eye, and said intermittently, "This is Crescent Moon Lake..."

"I know, you told us." Liu Xunyi teased, "This is Crescent Lake, not Sun Lake, nor Star Lake..."

"Do you know why I know this is Crescent Lake?" Su He ignored Liu Xunyi's nonsense and continued, "Not only because I have been here, but also because... Crescent Lake is a symbol."

"What symbol?" Liu Xunyi looked at the quiet spring with a smile and couldn't help but make a joke, "The symbol of the moon? Or the symbol of the teeth?"

"Neither, but the symbol of 'Khan City' and Khorin!"

"He Lin..."

Su He's blunt words prompted Liu Xunyi to blurt out something.

However, as soon as he said this, a terrifying light flashed through his chaotic mind, causing his unclear voice to stop abruptly and his heart to suddenly tighten.

In an instant, all the blood in Liu Xunyi's body seemed to run cold.

At the same time, the bustling Crescent Lake gradually fell into silence, even quieter than the dark desert.

"He Lin..." Liu Xunyi's lips and teeth trembled. He knew the answer but still pretended to be ignorant and forced a smile. "What do you mean?"

"It means... that arriving at Crescent Lake is equivalent to arriving at the 'Khan City', Helin." Su He said word by word, "If nothing unexpected happens, we will set off early tomorrow morning, and lunch... will be enjoyed in Helin."

……

(End of this chapter)