The sun was blazing in the sky, and the Gobi Desert was extremely hot. The yellow-red mounds and strange rocks were illuminated by the light and shadow, twisting, like monsters and monsters, with their bloody mouths open, intending to devour travelers. Snakes, insects, and birds disappeared without a trace.
I saw a burly man with thick eyebrows and short beard, with a strange appearance. He was dressed in a suit with arrow sleeves and a maroon horse with shiny hair under his crotch. He was carrying a sword and a bow. He looked like a knight-errant in the rivers and lakes, looking at the mounds and rocks not far away.
"Uu——"
Cheng Sanwu tightened the reins, clamped his legs slightly, and calmed the restless horse underneath him: "Is there any movement ahead? Could it be that I'm late?"
With this in mind, Cheng Sanwu didn't dare to be careless. He pulled out the horizontal knife from his waist, held it in his backhand, and immediately rode forward, picking up a wisp of smoke and heading towards the distant mound.
Not long after, Cheng Sanwu heard the faint sound of fighting among the ravines and strange rocks. Cheng Sanwu turned over and dismounted, patted the horse's neck as a signal, and asked it to hide aside, and then left alone.
One person goes deep inside.
In the deserts of the Western Regions, there are countless mounds like this, which are like mountain fortresses. They have been exposed to wind and sun all year round, forming many natural ravines and caves, where traders and travelers can rest and provide shade.
However, water and grass are scarce in these places, and supplies are difficult to sustain. The imperial court usually does not set up beacons here, so it is often a hiding place for horse thieves, bandits, and demons and ferocious beasts.
Cheng Sanwu secretly calculated that even though the imperial troops had already spread across the Western Region and set up military garrison in these days, doing business on this road was still full of dangers and unpredictable dangers.
Needless to say, horse thieves and others, such as the flying yaksha who specializes in sucking blood, and the giant sandworm scorpion that swims underground, are all elusive and powerful monsters. Once encountered by ordinary business travelers, very few can escape.
And now it seems that the caravan he wanted to support has been robbed and killed.
After Xun Sheng walked through the mound gorge, Cheng Sanwu came to an open space and saw a group of camels gathering against the wall not far away. Dozens of corpses were lying on the ground around them. Some had been hit by swords, guns, or sharp arrows, and their blood was stained red.
The yellow sand shows the fierce fighting.
Cheng Sanwu frowned slightly. When a caravan encountered thieves and bandits, they usually would not fight to the end, but would actively offer money in order to save their lives and goods. Horse thieves and bandits knew this very well. If they ran into
Those who are hard to chew will turn around and run away immediately, and it is impossible to kill all the people easily.
I saw five horse thieves armed with swords and guns working together to besiege a black-clothed guard. These horse thieves attacked fiercely. They lifted their feet, stabbed their shoulders, and shaved their hands. They cooperated tacitly and were quite organized. At first glance, they were experts who had been fighting for a long time.
As for the guard in black, he is even more impressive. The long sword in his hand is dancing and flying, the sword light is intertwined, and the movement is flowing, as if he is swiping a brush and splashing ink. His moves are exquisite, his strength is everywhere, and the cold light flashes. It would be difficult to have such martial arts without years of training.
.
However, the black-clothed guard seemed to be injured. His face was pale and his strength was low. He could not move his gun head and blade with enough strength. The flaws were gradually exposed. There were large beads of sweat on his forehead, and it was difficult to hold on for a long time.
Cheng Sanwu did not hesitate anymore and blew a whistle. The whistle reverberated among the mounds and rock walls. Two of the horse thieves turned around alertly, but before they could make a move, they saw only a flash of silver light in front of their eyes. Cheng Sanwu could not see clearly.
With one movement, the blade of the blade had already passed through the throat, and two bloody whips were thrown out.
Both the horse thief and the guard were shocked by the sudden change. Cheng Sanwu's offensive did not slow down, his body movements were like a hawk flying towards its prey, and the horizontal knife in his hand was like a bolt of lightning, suddenly lighting up the dim world.
Seeing this, a horse thief raised his gun and tried to block it, but he felt the sharp edge hit his face, and suddenly the tiger's mouth shook violently. The force of the horizontal knife in Cheng Sanwu's hand was comparable to a steel whip and an iron mace, and he directly cut the gun shaft, hitting the neck and shoulder, leaving a large amount of blood.
, cut nearly half of the horse thief's neck, and brought out a bloody mist!
The remaining two horse thieves were slightly startled when faced with such a powerful enemy, and then launched a fierce double attack. Cheng Sanwu was able to avoid the spear with ease, raised his foot to one side and raised his scimitar, and instantly grasped the flaw and whipped his leg.
It hit the horse thief under the ribs, causing a dull cracking sound, and kicked several of the opponent's ribs.
At the same time, the guard in black stepped forward and pierced the chest and back of another horse thief with his long sword, killing him.
Cheng Sanwu glanced back, and took advantage of the opportunity to inflict a blow on the seriously injured horse thief, thus wiping out all the thieves present.
The crisis was resolved, and the guard in black stepped back with a pale face, leaned against the camel, covered a wound on his waist and abdomen, gritted his teeth, and said nothing.
"My name is Cheng Sanwu. I have been entrusted by the Baochang Society in Quzhi City to come to meet you." Cheng Sanwu had already seen the white horse and the red flag on the camel's back: "You are the caravan of the Baima Society? Why are you so embarrassed?
?”
The guard in black did not answer, but took out a small gourd from the camel's luggage, sprinkled powder on the wound, and hurriedly bandaged it to stop the bleeding.
Cheng Sanwu didn't care about the other party's indifference. He shook off the blood and sheathed the sword. He didn't take the initiative to show courtesy, but looked at the corpses around him.
"interesting."
In addition to the caravan manpower, Cheng Sanwu took off the masks of several horse thieves. There were both Hu and Han people, and it was not easy to see anything strange. However, Cheng Sanwu discovered that the calluses on the hands of these horse thieves were mostly due to years of age.
Holding swords and guns, and considering their tacit cooperation when they besieged the black-clothed guards just now, it seems that they can only be from the military.
It's just that in the Western Regions, there are many soldiers, including military guards sent by the Great Xia court, as well as old soldiers who were affiliated with various countries in the Western Regions. Many of the soldiers who were scattered due to the war changed their appearance and became bandits, and they formed groups.
Teaming up and coming and going like the wind has always been a chronic problem in the Western Regions.
Cheng Sanwu had dealt with these "heroes" a lot in the past, but it was really rare to see dozens of masters all in one place like today.
"I see that you have more than a dozen camels. It doesn't look like you are short of money. Why are you fighting to the death with these horse thieves?" Cheng Sanwu asked.
The guard in black finished bandaging hastily, stood up with his sword, and cast a wary look: "Desperados, greedy for money and profit, do you still need to ask?"
Cheng Sanwu crossed his arms across his chest and said with a smile: "Then what are you going to do next? I just took a look and there is no one breathing around."
The guard in black lowered his head and looked around, with a trace of confusion on his face, as if he was aware of his difficult situation, while Cheng Sanwu stood silently aside.
"I still want to continue walking east." The guard in black regained his determination after a moment, and then looked up and down Cheng Sanwu: "Baochang Society only sent you here?"
"In the past, we had enough manpower, but for some reason these days, from Suye City to Yumen Pass, horse thieves and monsters are making trouble non-stop." Cheng Sanwu shrugged his shoulders: "The Great Guards of the four towns have sent troops to clear them out.
Many of the manpower of our trading companies has also been requisitioned... How did you get through this journey?"
The guard in black wiped the blood and sweat from his face and gestured to the corpse of the horse thief on the ground: "This is the fifth attack we have encountered on the road."
Cheng Sanwu secretly said that he was surprised. He could see that this black-clothed guard had extraordinary martial arts skills. An ordinary caravan with such a master could solve most of the troubles. However, in the face of multiple robberies and killings, they were still almost destroyed.
.
Rather, if this Baimashe caravan could get here despite five attacks, how many people would it have to kill along the way?
Cheng Sanwu had a strange premonition in his heart. This caravan was carrying some prohibited goods, which attracted the covetousness of heroes from all walks of life.
"What do you call a hero?" Cheng Sanwu asked, cupping his fists.
"Penning."
"You are the only one left in the caravan. Do you plan to report to Quzhi City?" Cheng Sanwu kindly reminded: "But the officers are probably busy with military affairs at the moment, so I guess they won't pay much attention to the caravan being robbed."
There is another thing that Cheng Sanwu did not say clearly, that is, this place is far away from the official road. Officials and soldiers rarely come here, and there is no fire fort. Even if the caravan is robbed by bandits, there is often no place to complain.
Peng Ning thought for a while, crossed his hands and returned the greeting: "Thank you for your timely assistance. I want to inventory the goods first, dispose of the bodies, and bother you to wait outside for a while to guard against the intrusion of thieves."
Cheng Sanwu curled his lips, knowing that the other party was unwilling to speak openly, and he didn't like to inquire about secrets anyway, so he turned around and left, going outside to rest.
After blowing a whistle, the big maroon horse came from somewhere with light steps. It was very humane and snorted when it met Cheng Sanwu, as if asking how things went.
"It's not good." Cheng Sanwu smoothed the horse's mane: "This caravan is almost dead, and there is only one guard left. The horse thieves who came to rob and kill are not afraid of death. They don't seem to be rushing towards us.
It’s ordinary property.”
When Cheng Sanwu said this, he inadvertently recalled the past. He committed a crime in the Central Plains many years ago and had no place to stay, so he had to flee all the way to the Western Regions. It has been almost ten years now.
Normally, those who run away will either become refugees, become bandits, or join a wealthy family and serve as guests of tenant farmers. Fortunately, Cheng Sanwu still has martial arts, and the customs in the Western Regions are different from those in the Central Plains. The businessmen and travelers here are united and willing to recruit Cheng Sanwu
Five of these are wanderers who have lost their citizenship and fled.
On the surface, people like Cheng Sanwu escort caravans for Baochang Society, but secretly they inevitably have to compete with colleagues from other trading companies, and sometimes they also have to do dirty work for noble gentlemen.
After all, it is not easy to travel back and forth in the Western Region. The caravan might get lost in the desert and lose its life.
"Baima Society, I haven't heard of it before. It seems like a newcomer." Cheng Sanwu said to himself: "Looking at Peng Ning's swordsmanship, it is fast and dense. It should have come from Huiyun Tower in Lantian...
"
Cheng Sanwu was silent for a moment, Huiyunlou was not an ordinary sect. It was first established as a manor by an idle prince who studied painting in the early years of the Great Xia Dynasty. However, this idle prince himself was also proficient in martial arts, and he was a master of calligraphy and painting.
Embodying superior swordsmanship, it became its own school over time.
And those who can worship in Huiyun Tower and practice painting swordsmanship, if they are not the disciples of high families, they are the nobles of the imperial capital. Will such people come to the Western Regions to brave the dust and eat sand?
Cheng Sanwu couldn't think of a reason for a while, and he was too lazy to think about it, so he found a shady place to rest.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, I saw Peng Ning walking out of the mound gorge with a dozen camels.
"Let me declare in advance that although Baochang Society sent me to come and take over, there are only two of you and me now. If there is an accident on the way and the camels and belongings are lost, don't get entangled in it." Cheng San
Wu said proactively.
Peng Ning did not argue: "I know the rules."
"Then let's set off. It will be safe when we reach Quzhi City." Cheng Sanwu got on his horse.
"We are not going to Quzhi City."
Cheng Sanwu frowned: "The commission I received is to come and escort you to Quzhi City, and from here to the east, only the vicinity of Quzhi City is considered safe."
"I can pay you extra." Penning said and put his hand into his arms.
"This is not a matter of money." Cheng Sanwu explained: "You alone, with so much wealth, will definitely be targeted by others. When you get to Quzhi City, I will help you contact a few reliable helpers, and together we will
It’s not too late to go east.”
"No, if there are too many people, you will be targeted, and you can't take the main road." Peng Ning threw out a money bag.
Cheng Sanwu raised his hand to catch it, and realized that it was heavy. When he opened it, he found that it was filled with white silver coins, decorated with lion heads and figures. They originated from Persia and were recognized by many trading companies in the Western Regions.
"I told you, this is not just a matter of money." Cheng Sanwu admired Peng Ning's generosity: "If you don't take the big road, not to mention the dangers involved, if your customs clearance document does not have the seal of Qu Zhicheng and back, then it will be
If you go east and pass through Guancheng, you will be detained at any time."
Peng Ning took out another talisman card: "I have the direct pass ultimatum for the four towns and three passes in the Western Region. Don't worry."
Cheng Sanwu was speechless for a moment. He had only heard about the pass-through ultimatum in the past, but had never seen it with his own eyes. This thing was simply not something that ordinary trading companies could possess.
Thinking about Peng Ning's exquisite swordsmanship, he was really working for some royal relative, so he was able to obtain the direct pass ultimatum.
"Okay." Cheng Sanwu accepted the money bag, did not refuse again, and then began to calculate the journey: "If you don't go to Quzhi City, then you have to take the Hanhai North Trail, but this road is very difficult to walk."
"Are there many thieves?" Peng Ning asked.
These words immediately revealed that Peng Ning knew very little about the situation in the Western Region. The vast desert has always been regarded as an extinct territory. Decades ago, it happened that the imperial soldiers and horses were lost in the vast desert in order to pursue the enemy. Thousands of people on both sides could
Fewer than a hundred people escaped.
Cheng Sanwu didn't point it out, just said: "There are not many thieves, but there are many monsters lurking in the desert. They may smell the camels' scent and they may rush out. In addition, there are storms and quicksands raging. You have to prepare the camel team to make money."
Prepare for loss of goods.”
Peng Ning nodded heavily: "Okay, let's go this way."
The other party agreed so straightforwardly that Cheng Sanwu had to suspect that Peng Ning didn't care about these dozen camels and the goods they carried. There must be a more pressing reason for his trip to the east.
"But... forgive me for asking one more question." Cheng Sanwu still couldn't hold back: "It's the first time you and I met. Do you believe me so much? Aren't you afraid that I am a group of horse thieves?"
Peng Ning's eyes were fixed on Cheng Sanwu, and his tone was solemn: "With your martial arts skills in killing the horse thief just now, you wanted to kill people and seize wealth, but you did it by the way, but you didn't do it."
Cheng Sanwu looked up to the sky and laughed when he heard this: "Okay! Just say this to you, I will ensure that you pass Yumen Pass safely!"