Looking at the sparse supply points on the huge map, Yun Ye let out a long sigh. Great Tang military men didn’t fear combat—the only thing that could make them worry was supplies.

The fortresses and strongholds in Guanzhong were densely packed. Within a hundred li, there would be three to five county towns. But here, the distances between points were often over a thousand li. Exiting west through Yangguan Pass was Yun Ye’s most helpless choice. If going to the Northern Court, departing through Yumen Pass would be most suitable. Departing from Yumen Pass, as long as one passed through Yiwu Province, crossed Gaochang, and passed through Turpan, one would arrive at Tingzhou where the Northern Court Protectorate was located.

Now it wouldn’t work. Spring was precisely when Devil City outside Yumen Pass was at its most terrifying. The officers and soldiers from Guanzhong who had never experienced the torment of such a terrifying place as Devil City might collapse before battle even began. There were many soldiers in Chang’an city who had returned from the Northern Court. Many people, even after arriving in Chang’an, seemed to still be able to hear the howling of those devils in Devil City. Examples of people going mad at midnight, killing family members, then committing suicide were countless. Even those who hadn’t harmed anyone—these strapping men would tremble and cower in corners, crying out for help.

Yun Ye didn’t want his subordinates to experience such situations, so he decided to exit west through Yangguan Pass, avoid Devil City, follow the sea of sand to reach Ruoqiang Kingdom, then turn back southward to reach Loulan to see if Di Renjie had prepared a place to conceal troops for him. Then proceeding all the way through Yuli Kingdom, Kucha Kingdom, crossing the Stone Lacquer River in a large circle to finally reach Tingzhou beneath the Tianshan Mountains.

Calculating the journey, it already exceeded six thousand li. This was a veritable march. Even if the main army walked fifty li daily without fatigue, it would still take four months. Even if his own main army were all cavalry, walking one hundred li daily—which was already the limit—it would still take two months.

Looking at the red line on the map, Yun Ye was dazed. This was the marching route that several old commanders had carefully prepared for him before departure, ensuring at all times that his main army had two paths to choose from. This way, the danger of ambush was reduced by half. The remaining half could only be dealt with by Yun Ye’s wisdom.

Now the barbarians preparing for the western expedition weren’t only the Turks, Tuyuhun, Xueyantuo, and the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu. These people also had to add the small countries of the Western Regions like Shache and Shule. Even Dayuan Kingdom, long thought to be extinct, had remnants existing. Not to mention the surviving tribes of Wusun, Kangju, Yancai, Greater and Lesser Yuezhi, Anxi, Tiaozhi, and Daxia. When Yun Ye saw the intelligence compiled by his family’s merchant caravans, he wanted to bang his head against the wall. Wumi, Yutian, Loulan, Gushi, Lixuan, Shendu, Huanqian, Dayi, Suxie—what kinds of countries were these? Why were there only so few small countries going to Chang’an to pay tribute?

No wonder Li Er believed Su Dingfang’s authority was insufficient to handle these matters and insisted on getting him over there. The black-eyed Han people had fought their way over, so those people in the Western Regions with blue eyes, gray eyes, and all sorts of chaotic-colored eyes had to move. Three hundred thousand soldiers, over two million women and children all gathered at Hengluosi City, waiting for the opportunity to enter Tuhuoluo and begin their long march.

Hengluosi City’s position was superior. Spreading out the map of the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu countries, Kang Kingdom was located southwest of Shi Kingdom. Further south were Mi Kingdom and Shi Kingdom. Northeast of Shi Kingdom’s capital city were, in order, Bai City and Luosi City. These places were like a row of diagonal buttons on a great coat, and Luosi was the collar of this coat. To the north was the vast desert, to the east it was blocked by the Thousand Springs Mountain, to the west it bordered the Yaoshui River. It had the strategic position of ‘grasping the collar.’ And Yun Ye’s ultimate objective was to reach here and wait for these people to move west.

With his mind in turmoil, he came out of the main tent and looked up at the starry sky filling the heavens, sighing endlessly. Those people, in order to find a piece of land suitable for their own survival, didn’t know what great price they would have to pay this time. Just like the wildebeest herds migrating across the African savanna, Yun Ye still clearly remembered the danger and tragedy when the wildebeest crossed the Mara River. The meaning of life was expressed to the fullest at that instant.

The Dashi people were the crocodiles during their migration. The Sassanians perhaps counted as hippos. Those small countries along the way perhaps counted as hyenas. So what kind of role did Great Tang represent here?

The wildebeest herds didn’t fear lions. What they feared was the approaching dry season. Also, only Great Tang could make these peoples see no hope after fighting hard, and could only choose the cruelest migration to escape the cruel fate they were about to face. The grievances between the two sides were too deep—there was no hope of resolution to be seen. Therefore, Great Tang was the dry season for these barbarians.

Watching the starlight on the Gobi Desert was an enjoyment, especially on this kind of moonless night. The sky was like a huge black silk cloth, and those constantly twinkling stars were gems adorning the silk cloth.

“From now on, how lonely this land will be!” Yun Ye muttered to himself twice. Without caring whether the ground was clean or not, he lay down on the ground, hands pillowed behind his head, planning to beautifully appreciate this sky full of stars. If he could have a good dream, that would be even better.

Yuan Shoucheng didn’t intend to leave such brief happiness for Yun Ye alone to enjoy. His disciples and grand-disciples spread exquisite carpets for him on the Gobi, and the old fellow sat beside Yun Ye, chattering endlessly about his understanding of this world.

“Since the Three Sovereigns brought order to the world and the Five Emperors established ethics, we have never had such a broad world for us to gallop across. Running from south to north requires a year’s time. Running from east to west probably also requires a year’s time.”

“Young man, now we can finally turn over comfortably. Our nation is so vast, sufficient for us to maneuver and move about here. So, you shouldn’t always have a worried frown. We should have some higher pursuits.”

“Such as finding immortals? I have not the slightest interest in immortals.” Yun Ye answered impatiently.

“Of course you’re not interested. You once obtained it, so you won’t cherish it. This old man can imagine that at your young age back then, you had not the slightest favorable impression of things like longevity, because you believed you still had a long life for your own enjoyment. What’s obtained won’t be cherished, just like women—when you haven’t obtained them, your heart itches. Once obtained, it’s just that way. Moreover, you were so young when you obtained it—how could you understand the wonderful aspects of it?”

The Red Star Erguotou bottle that Na Rimu treasured was now gripped in the old fellow’s hand, filled with fine wine. He would speak two sentences, then drink a mouthful. If one didn’t listen to what he was saying, he would definitely be a graceful and elegant expert.

“That’s not the same. How is my feeling about my wife such that the longer we’re together, the more precious I find her? There are many beautiful women in the world—could you possibly collect them all into your bed chambers one by one? The Emperor can’t do it. Others embrace beautiful women in clouds and rain, while I hold my ugly wife and sleep soundly. It’s hard to say who is superior to whom.”

Yuan Shoucheng laughed coldly, took another drink, and said to Yun Ye, “Before Old Man Yan died, didn’t he tell you about the Land of Huaxu? This old man is accustomed to spouting nonsense—you can disbelieve me. But do you think Old Man Yan would also spout nonsense? That old fellow was one who wouldn’t speak a single wasted word. If he said he had seen people from the Land of Huaxu, then he definitely saw them. You could take this statement to a pawnshop and pawn it for a few silver coins.”

“Back in the day, he told this old man that in the fifth year of the Daye era, he had once seen a person from the Land of Huaxu. This old man had not the slightest doubt about his words. Only you, this young fellow, would be suspicious and think the old man was lying. Be careful he jumps out of his tomb to settle accounts with you. When he was alive, no one said he spouted nonsense. After death, being criticized by a young fellow like you—tell me, can he sleep peacefully in his tomb?”

This was actually also where Yun Ye’s confusion lay. Old Master Yan Zhitui definitely wouldn’t speak falsehoods. The judgments he made generally shouldn’t be casually denied, because they would necessarily be the results of his deep deliberation.

“Can you tell me exactly what counts as an immortal in your eyes? What is your definition of an immortal? Carrying Mount Tai to leap over the Eastern Sea, or being able to ride clouds and fog, scatter beans to become soldiers?”

The endless chatter about immortals had already annoyed Yun Ye. If one wanted to find immortals, one must first establish the definition of immortals. One couldn’t be like those vulgar people in Chang’an who, upon seeing a person with some mystical quality, immediately slapped the hat of ‘immortal’ on him.

Yuan Shoucheng was suddenly stunned. Having lived all these years, this was the first time someone asked him to give an accurate definition of an immortal. Since he became aware of things, he had believed that immortals were just immortals—they were different from people. Now suddenly being asked about the differences between people and immortals, he was immediately bewildered.

“You see, even someone like you has no way to determine an accurate definition for immortals, so how can you go find them? You say immortals can fly—now in Chang’an city, there are plenty of people who can fly in hot air balloons. If you put a pig in a hot air balloon, it can also fly. You say immortals have infinite strength—fine, the dragon gate crane that the Academy has now manufactured can let a frail scholar easily lift several thousand jin of stone. It’s nothing more than adding a few more movable pulleys and wrapping the rope a few more times. It doesn’t count as miraculous.”

“You also say eternal life without aging—this is the most annoying. You, old sir, are already a venerable elder, having lived one hundred and twenty years. Pengzu only lived to one hundred and thirty years. This is already rarely found in the world, right? Can you still find someone who lives longer than you? This young fellow would very much like to go pay respects.”

“So, I just don’t understand—how is it that you and those people are so single-mindedly determined to find immortals? You must certainly know Tian Xiangzi. Being deceived by this young fellow’s small fabricated lie, he spared no effort to go to the far north to find the Gate of Heaven. Even after going through countless hardships until finally his body died and his way perished, he still didn’t give up. What was it all for?”

“It’s not that this young fellow is disrespectful to you, but rather that this young fellow looks down on all people who attempt eternal life without aging. You are no exception.”

“For the sake of longevity, brilliant emperors lost their brilliance and were toyed with by fraudsters in the palms of their hands. For the sake of longevity, someone with wisdom as deep as the sea like Tian Xiangzi was deceived by a small celestial anomaly until he shouted ‘no regrets’ even at death. Now it’s come to you. What kind of result do you want to obtain?”

“This young fellow’s head is filled with strange tales and anecdotes. I can definitely find the anomalies you want. For example, immortal mountains beyond the seas, the Queen Mother of the West’s residence on Kunlun Mountain. I also know that on a distant island there are countless giant stone figures. No one knows how stones weighing over a hundred thousand jin were piled up. Do you want to go see?”