Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

Wei Qingxu, along with Shen Zhen and Chen Xi, rode their horses through the alleys of Dayue City at dusk, the air still carrying the heat of the day.

The family that filed the report lived in a low-rise adobe house area in the western part of Dayue City, a world apart from the bustling Qian Mansion.

Pushing open a creaking wooden door, in the dimly lit earthen house, a woman in her thirties, with a sallow and haggard face, was embracing a little girl of about ten years old, who was pale and thin, and weeping.

The house was bare, with only a broken table and a few low stools.

This scene instantly reminded Chen Xi of Lu Renjia's house in Ruanjia Lane, and her heart ached, causing her to subconsciously clench her fists. A trace of solemnity also flashed in Shen Zhen's eyes.

"Miao'e, this is Envoy Shen from the temple and Miss Chen. They've come to ask you about the affairs of the household," Wei Qingxu introduced.

The woman, Miao'e, hurriedly got up and was about to kneel down when Chen Xi helped her up.

"No, sister-in-law, please sit down and talk slowly."

Shen Zhen's tone was gentle:

"Sister-in-law Miao, you said your husband hasn't returned home for half a month. What specific day did he leave? And which tribes does he usually deliver goods to?"

Miao E wiped away her tears:

"Reporting to...Reporting to Your Excellency, my master's name was Hu Sandao, and he passed away fifteen days ago in the morning."

They said they'd landed a big order, delivering a batch of goods to Black Wind Pass in the west, enough to equal a year's income. I was quite happy at the time, thinking I could buy my daughter a new dress, but I never expected...

She choked up again.

"He usually delivers salt, iron and other goods to the nearby small tribes, the furthest he goes is to Yaqiu Ridge, he has never been to such a deep place as Black Wind Pass."

"Black Wind Pass?" Shen Zhen and Wei Qingxu exchanged a glance; it was the area where the earthen city altar was located.

"Do you know what goods were delivered? Who is the employer?"

Miao E shook her head and said:

"The boss didn't say, only vaguely mentioned that it was a high-quality product. The employer was very secretive. The person who made the contact was a man who was wrapped up tightly. The deposit was in pure gold ingots."

She paused for a moment, then added:

"He was accompanied by several other men, all of whom had families. Their families searched all the routes they usually took, but they couldn't find a single person."

The clues she provided matched what Hogner had said.

Just then, Ye Zhi Qiu, Qiu Zheng Nan, Zhao Huai Jin, and others arrived.

The small earthen house felt even more cramped.

After discussion, the group decided to interrogate Agutto first.

Inside the branch palace's prison cell, Agutuo was brought in. Upon hearing the name "Hu Sandao" and the details of "delivering goods at Black Wind Pass," he looked completely bewildered.

"Hu Sandao? Never heard of him."

Our tribe rarely deals with outside deliverymen; the high priest or shaman arranges for people to purchase supplies.

"Think about it again!" Zhao Huaijin stepped forward, his tone sharp.

"If you dare to hide anything, you'll regret it!"

Agut shrank back in fright, his face contorted in pain as he said:

"My lord, I really don't know!"

I'm just a minor figure guarding the altar; I don't get to get involved in the important matters of the tribe.

Besides, you destroyed the altar; if I went back, I'd be dead anyway. How could I dare lie to you!

Shen Zhen stared at him for a long time. Seeing that his eyes were flickering but he didn't seem to be deliberately hiding anything, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get any more information out of him.

He hesitated for a moment, then turned to the crowd and said:

"It seems I'll have to go to the Wolf Batu tribe myself."

"I'll go!" Zhao Huaijin immediately agreed. "Perfect timing to meet those barbarian heretics!"

Ye Zhi Qiu, fanning himself, laughed and said, "How could I be absent from this kind of exploration and discovery?"

"Okay." Shen Zhen nodded.

"It's best not to have too many people. Zhao Huaijin and Ye Zhiqi will accompany me, and we'll also ask Brother Hu to be our guide."

He then looked at Agutto, "You lead the way."

Agutuo's face turned pale, as if he wanted to refuse.

Chen Xi stepped forward:

"Captain Shen, I'll go too. I know a bit about herbs, and I might be able to help if we encounter any danger."

Shen Zhen frowned:

"This journey is perilous. You will remain in Dayue City to assist Prince Feng and Vice Minister Su in handling the pacification affairs."

"No!" Chen Xi's tone was stubborn, her voice soft yet exceptionally firm.

"I promised Sister Miao that I would do my best. I am powerless to change Lu Renjia's fate, but as long as there is a sliver of a possibility, I want to find him."

"I'm not a burden, Captain Shen, please let me come with you."

Shen Zhen saw the determination in Chen Xi's eyes and understood that she had a lingering resentment because of Lu Renjia, but the trip was too dangerous, so he ultimately shook his head.

"No, this is a reconnaissance mission, not a direct confrontation. Having too many people will only make us more vulnerable to being exposed."

Chen Xi wanted to argue, but Shen Zhen had already turned to instruct the others:

"During my absence, the affairs of pacification will be handled by Feng Yu, Qiu Zhengnan, Su Mingyuan, and Gu Chengye. Prefect Han and Garrison Commander Wei will continue to investigate the missing persons cases."

Qiu Zhengnan nodded and said:

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of Dayue City. Just be careful and retreat immediately if anything happens."

Feng Yu toyed with a jade pendant and said casually:

"Don't worry, with me here in Dayue City, there won't be any trouble. We can't let you fight yourselves in the desert while we relax in the city."

He still had that relaxed demeanor, but his expression became more substantial, and the consideration hidden deep in his eyes seemed more natural.

The next morning, Shen Zhen, Zhao Huaijin, Ye Zhiqi, and Director Hu escorted Agutuo, who was under a restraint, and quietly left the city to head west.

This time, Shen Zhen did not want her master to follow her secretly.

He didn't want to rely too much on his master, but Yi Tianxing insisted, so he had no choice but to agree, on the condition that he go to the Wolf Batu tribe and only help them in the most dangerous moments.

Seeing Shen Zhen like this, Ye Zhi Qiu and Zhao Huai Jin felt they couldn't be outdone, so they made the same demands of He Wu Shuang and Zhao Yi.

More than forty miles from the city, on the edge of the desert, Shen Zhen suddenly slowed down and gave Ye Zhi Qiu and Zhao Huai Jin a wink.

The two understood each other, and in a flash, they disappeared into the nearby tamarisk bushes.

A moment later, they discovered that Chen Xi had been secretly following behind them.

"Captain Shen...I..." Chen Xi lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

Ye Zhi Qiu said with a smile:

"Miss Chen, you're keeping up quite well. We've covered over forty li already; you have a good pace."

Zhao Huaijin frowned and said, "Nonsense, didn't Captain Shen tell you to stay in Dayue City?"

"Never mind," Shen Zhen looked at her, thinking of Miao E and her daughter, and finally softened, sighing.

"Stay close, obey all orders, and do not act without authorization."

Chen Xi's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded vigorously:

"Yes!" She handed over a package.

"These are the herbs and dry rations I prepared. I won't hold anyone back. In case of any emergencies, I can also help treat everyone's wounds."

Shen Zhen took the package; it felt heavy in her hand. When she opened it, she found some hemostatic herbs neatly arranged inside, along with several packets of dried meat and flatbread carefully wrapped in oil paper.

He looked at Chen Xi, "When did you prepare all this?"

"Last night," Chen Xi said softly, "I was thinking... what if you wanted me to come along?"

Shen Zhen nodded slightly and retied the package.

Agut was extremely unruly along the way, trying to slip away several times.

Even when they deliberately led the enemy to quicksand areas or scorpion nests, the experienced Boss Hu saw through their schemes.

After being brutally beaten by Zhao Huaijin, Agutuo was left with a bruised and swollen face and finally became more obedient.

"If you dare cause trouble again, I'll leave you here to feed the sand scorpions!"

"Please spare me, my lords! I will never do it again!" Agutuo knew he couldn't escape, and cried out with a mournful face:

"I am just an insignificant nobody, keeping me around is just a waste of food. I beg you gentlemen to have mercy on me and let me go. I promise I will never have anything to do with the Wolf Batu tribe again."

Shen Zhen said coldly, "If you perform well, perhaps we can consider it."

But now, you must obediently lead us to the Wolf Batu tribe.

Agut immediately swore an oath to lead the way properly.

He muttered to himself as he walked:

"If only the spatial passage at the altar of the ruined city hadn't been destroyed, we could have gone directly to the outskirts of the tribe and wouldn't have had to travel so arduously."

Shen Zhen noted this down; the spatial passage might be the key.

The journey westward was far more difficult than imagined.

The reddish-brown sand dunes stretched endlessly, the scorching sun baking the earth, making the air seem distorted.

Fortunately, everyone had prepared camels in advance, and riding on their backs saved them some energy.

Old Hu was very experienced and could identify the constellations and the direction of the sand dunes, thus providing guidance.

Chen Xi didn't feel anything for the first two days, but by the third day, she couldn't hold on any longer. The scorching sun made her dizzy and her lips chapped.

"Drink some water, use it sparingly." Shen Zhen handed her a water pouch.

"The most scarce resource in the desert is water, and it should not be wasted unless absolutely necessary."

Chen Xi took the water pouch and carefully took a small sip. The sweet water soothed her parched throat and made her feel much better.

Agut, riding on his camel, kept complaining:

"This awful weather, it's so hot! If I had known it would be this hard, I would never have helped the High Priest guard the altar."

He glanced at Shen Zhen and the others from time to time, his eyes still carrying a hint of unease.

Seeing this, Zhao Huaijin snorted coldly:

"If you say another word, I'll throw you down and make you walk."

Agut immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Even Ye Zhi Qiu was getting a little annoyed. He waved his fan, but all he felt was hot air coming out.

After all, these people are all pampered and comfortable in the capital, and they have never experienced such heat and the hardships of a long journey.

Ye Zhi Qiu couldn't help but joke:

"This desert is like a giant furnace; if this continues, people will be roasted dry."

Shen Zhen said calmly, "Brother Ye, say less and conserve your energy."

The next two days were spent in a tedious and arduous trek.

On the fifth day at noon, the team passed through an area of ​​sand dunes with peculiar shapes.

Agutuo's eyes darted around, and he pointed to a patch of sandy land, saying:

"Sir, there seems to be traces of water over there... There might be a small spring nearby. Shall we go check it out and get some water?"

Old Hu squinted and looked around, hesitating, "This place doesn't seem to have a spring..."

Zhao Huaijin, already parched and restless, said upon hearing this, "Let's go check! What if there is?"

Before Shen Zhen could nod, Zhao Huaijin had already led the camel toward the sandy area.

Just as they approached the sandy area, a huge, worm-like monster suddenly sprang out from the dunes, lunging straight at Zhao Huaijin's face and the camel!

"It's a giant desert worm! Be careful!" Boss Hu shouted urgently.

Ye Zhi Qiu reacted the fastest, waving his folding fan and sending out several sharp gusts of wind that sent the giant earthworm flying through the air.

Zhao Huaijin also roared angrily, and with a flash of sword light, he cut it in two. Seeing that it was still twitching, he took the opportunity to strike it twice more, and the giant desert worm finally stopped moving.

The camel was startled and neighed.

Looking at Agutuo again, he had already taken the opportunity to roll off the camel and was desperately climbing towards a sand dune using both his hands and feet!

Shen Zhen moved like lightning, instantly covering dozens of meters, and stepped on Agutuo's back, pressing him firmly to the sand.

"What a cunning scoundrel!" Zhao Huaijin was so angry that he stepped forward to beat him again.

Agut screamed in agony:

"Spare me! I'll never dare to do it again! It was that giant desert worm lying in the shade, I... I just wanted to take advantage of the situation..."

Shen Zhen picked him up, tied him up tightly again, and said in an icy voice:

"This is the last time. Next time, you'll stay here and keep the giant worm company."

After this ordeal, Agutuo was completely deflated and dared not try any more tricks.

But this also made the atmosphere in the team more solemn.

At dusk, while setting up camp on a sheltered sand dune, Old Hu suddenly let out a low shout:

"Lord Shen, look!"

He pointed to the sand not far away, where several messy footprints meandered away, with a few dark brown marks remaining at the edges of the footprints.

Following the trail, the group found a patch of sand that had been clearly disturbed and was now a darker color. Several damaged cargo crates were half-buried in the sand, their bodies appearing to have been violently destroyed, revealing the goods inside and scattered pieces of wood.

What's even more unsettling is that there are several dark brown, dried and seeping marks on the sand—these are large amounts of blood.

Zhao Huaijin squatted down and used his sword sheath to push aside a piece of broken wood, revealing a corner of blood-stained coarse cloth underneath.

"The caravan...was attacked?"

Ye Zhi Qiu squatted down to carefully examine the bloodstains and traces.

"There was a lot of blood, but the person, or rather the body, was gone. The goods had also been ransacked, and all the valuables were gone."

He picked up a grain of sand stained with blood, held it to his nose, and sniffed it.

"The smell of blood has long since dissipated, but judging from the depth and extent of the penetration, it's likely that more than one person was injured. Moreover... the bloodstains are scattered in a chaotic pattern, as if they were splattered during a struggle or fight."

Chen Xi discovered another piece of wood fragments with the word "three..." faintly visible on them, which was likely Hu Sandao's cargo markings.

Shen Zhen's expression was solemn.

Agutto watched from the side, his face also turning pale, and muttered:

"This...this area isn't safe. Bandits occasionally appear...and it might not even be our tribe..."

But no one believed him anymore. After everyone returned to the camp, Shen Zhen said in a deep voice:

"We must be more careful on the road ahead."

Before we knew it, two more days had passed.

On the afternoon of the seventh day, the sky, which had been relatively clear, suddenly darkened, and the distant horizon turned a hazy yellow.

Old Hu looked up, his face changed drastically, and he shouted:

"Oh no! It's a black sandstorm!"

Following his gaze, everyone saw a massive black sandstorm rapidly approaching from the western horizon, obscuring the sky and sending chills down their spines.