I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

The wasteland was more spacious than I had imagined.

After walking for nearly two hours, the scenery in the field of vision remained almost unchanged.

The ground was the same grayish-brown, the grass was the same low and withered, and the lines stretched to the horizon in the same flat pattern.

Occasionally, a few scattered stones protrude from the ground, smoothed and rounded by the wind, like old bones pushed up from the depths of the earth.

There were no trees, no bushes, no birds, and even the sounds had diminished.

The horses' hooves pounded on the dry, cracked earth, producing a dull, even sound, like a drumbeat with a drawn-out rhythm, unhurried yet never ceasing.

Yin Sutang walked at the front of the group, her gaze occasionally falling on the line where the ground met the sky in the distance.

She didn't frequently look at the road or turn back to confirm the direction, as if she already had enough memory of this wasteland.

She rode for a while, then slowed down, turned her head, and waited for Qin Mu to catch up with her: "After crossing this wasteland, you'll encounter cavalry from the Northern Wilderness border. Their numbers vary, but they're usually no fewer than five. They won't approach on their own, nor will they stray far. They're like markers placed in fixed locations."

Qin Mu asked, "What do they usually do?"

Yin Su-tang said, "It depends on the people. If the group doesn't seem like they're there to cause trouble, they won't stop them or follow them. But if they seem to be hiding from something, they'll follow them for a while until they're sure you won't cause any trouble."

Qin Mu listened without saying a word.

The procession continued onward.

After walking for a while, Jiang Zhaoyue caught up from behind on horseback.

She still held the map in her hand, but the map only had a few sparse dotted lines marking this wasteland: "Following this direction, if we walk for another two hours, we should be able to reach the inhabited place Elder Yin mentioned. But the map doesn't mark the exact location, so we might have to find it ourselves once we get there."

Qin Mu said, "Having a direction is enough."

The sun had moved from noon to the west, and the light on the horizon changed from bright white to a warm, yellowish hue, gilding the low, withered grass on the wasteland with a pale gold.

Finally, some different outlines appeared on the horizon.

At first, there were just a few tiny bumps, like earthen mounds piled up by the wind. As the group approached, the outlines gradually became clearer.

It was a row of low earthen walls, the walls were mottled and uneven from wind and sand erosion, but traces of human construction could still be seen.

Behind the wall were a few rooftops, not very tall, their color almost blending into the wasteland, as if they had grown out of the ground.

Yin Sutang reined in her horse and looked at the row of earthen walls for a while: "We've arrived."

She paused for a moment: "This place is called Shamen Town. It used to be the largest distribution center in the southern part of Northern Mang, but the official road was changed, and it gradually became deserted. However, people still live here, so it can be used for resupply."

The procession stopped at the entrance to the town.

There was no one guarding the entrance to the town, nor was there a gate; it was just a gap that had been somewhat dented by the wind and sand.

The streets inside the walls were quieter than outside. Occasionally, someone would peek out through a crack in the door, see that it was a passing procession, and then close the door again.

Only one shop with an old cloth curtain hanging at the door was still open, its dim light shining through, seemingly the only place still in business in the entire town.

Qin Mu dismounted, tied the reins to the wooden post at the entrance, and walked towards the shop.

When the curtain was lifted, a scent mixed with dried spices and old wood wafted out.

Behind the counter sat an elderly man with gray hair, wiping a copper kettle with an old cloth. Hearing someone enter, he looked up and his gaze fell on Qin Mu: "Just passing by?"

Qin Mu said, "Hmm. I'd like to buy some dry food and water."

The old man put down the copper kettle, stood up, and walked towards the back room: "Wait here."

He didn't ask any more questions, as if he had already gotten used to the occasional passerby.

Qin Mu stood in front of the counter and waited for a while.

His gaze swept over the old shelves in the shop, which displayed some unusual items.

Several rolls of dried meat, several bags of grain, and several short knives wrapped in old cloth.

He didn't reach out to touch it, but just stood there quietly, as if waiting for a voice that he already knew would come.