The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 2266 - 2241: Don’t Keep Our Secrets

The sky gradually darkened, and the road ahead began to curve. It was a path winding along the base of a mountain wall. Because it was the Gobi, the road was a bit uneven, making the carriage jolt slightly.

After turning that mountain wall, they would encounter a stretch of road exposed to a broad view. This road twisted downward, making the checkpoint only about eight miles away. Anyone standing at a higher point could vaguely see them from there.

If the horses ran fast, they would indeed make noise. After all, there were quite a few horses and carriages, so the commotion wasn’t small either.

Assistant General Nie raised his hand to halt the convoy and ordered, "Let’s have dinner first, and move again after dark."

Everyone quietly dismounted their horses and took out the dry food prepared in the village. Although it had gotten a bit cold by now, it wasn’t too hard yet and could still be quite tasty when eaten with water.

After finishing their dry meals, they silently mounted their horses and carriages to continue forward.

In silence, they moved along the mountain wall, proceeding forward with the guides. They dared not get too close to the right side, where water and grass were abundant. However, they heard there was a swamp beneath those lush areas where it was easy for both people and animals to sink in.

Quietly, they moved forward, with only the stars above shining, just enough to let them barely see the path ahead. The old man’s eldest grandson smiled and said, "We came here to hunt deer before dawn, which is why we dared to take this route. You’re very brave to take an unfamiliar path at night."

Bai Shan smiled and replied, "It was you who gave us courage. If others were leading the way, we might not have dared to follow."

This was high praise indeed, and the old man’s grandson beamed with delight.

They traveled this path for two hours, only stopping when the two guides eventually halted and said, "This is it, we’ve arrived."

Assistant General Nie, too, sensed it. Earlier, they had made a turn, and he had walked back and forth there once, vaguely recalling the route.

He said, "Let’s go a bit further ahead and then stop to set up camp."

Everyone agreed and continued for a bit further before stopping.

The soldiers and guards huddled together to rest, grabbing a bit to eat in the meantime.

Manbao and her group stayed in the carriage.

Without lighting a fire, there were quite a few mosquitoes. In the dark, Manbao opened a chest, took out a bundle, and inside were packets of medicinal herbs.

She handed the herbal packets to Steward Li to distribute among everyone to ward off the mosquitoes.

The old man’s eldest grandson got one and was very fascinated. The buzzing mosquitoes that had been circling him gradually disappeared, much to his amazement.

When daylight came, they bid farewell to Manbao and the others.

Manbao, recalling the bandits eyeing them from somewhere, said to him, "If anyone, including bandits, comes to your village asking for information about us, just tell them truthfully."

After hearing Wei Xingren’s translation, the grandson widened his eyes and indignantly patted his chest, saying, "Sir, we are trustworthy people. We would never betray you."

Manbao was taken aback for a moment but quickly said, "You’ve misunderstood. This isn’t sarcasm; it’s a reminder."

She continued, "They’re very ruthless, and you might not be able to beat them. Even if you don’t say anything, they can probably guess. It’s better to tell them and at least ensure your safety."

She added, "Not to say we’ve gone far already, they might not catch up with us. Even if they do, it’s still better than them slaughtering your village directly. We have so many people and no elderly or children, far stronger than you are."

Upon hearing Wei Xingren’s translation, the two of them were dumbfounded. Clearly, this line of thinking exceeded the comprehension of the two young men. It was their first time seeing someone actively request to be betrayed along with their convoy.

However, Wei Xingren couldn’t help but admire Zhou Man’s righteousness and thoroughness in his heart. He also added to the pair, "Lord Zhou makes a valid point. Being too rigid could bring disaster upon your clan."

Bai Shan smiled and said, "If you’re hesitant, just go back and relay my words to your grandfather verbatim. I think he will understand."

At that, the pair stopped fretting, saluted the group, and turned to leave confidently.

Everyone watched as they walked away before mounting their horses and carriages to set off again.

They changed routes towards Gaochang, as the original road had been set with checkpoints by bandits. Now they took another route far away from the original path, though roughly in the same general direction.

Dayu hadn’t traveled this route before, but in the desert and the Gobi, as long as the direction is clear, one would not get lost. Even without a road, a path can be forged.

Moreover, Zhi Ren was with them.

Bai Shan and his companions found that Zhi Ren was even better at navigating the path than Dayu and the scouts. Despite not having traveled this road before, he could describe it vividly.

Seeing the six young men’s eyes gleaming, Zhi Ren couldn’t help but smile and ask, "Do you want to learn?"

All six nodded in unison, thinking that even learning something simple would help them avoid getting lost.

Zhi Ren smiled gently and began to teach them how to recognize the stars and determine directions.

"In daylight, there’s the sun. At night, there are stars and the moon. As long as the sun, moon, and stars are there, people won’t get lost."

Manbao asked, "What if it’s raining, and there are no stars at night?"

Zhi Ren laughed heartily, "It’s not easy to encounter rain in the desert. If you’re lucky enough to experience it, why not stay and wait until it passes before determining direction?"

Manbao felt shy and laughed before asking, "If not in the desert, somewhere else, are there other methods besides the sun, moon, and stars to determine direction?"

"Certainly." Zhi Ren had traveled a lot in his lifetime, both alone and with disciples, experiencing various hardships. Determining directions was second nature to him, a skill honed to perfection.

The six learned with keen interest, but within an hour, three had dispersed, leaving only Manbao, Bai Shan, and Yin Huo with Master Zhi Ren.

Bai Erlang and his friends had given up, finding it very dull. Looking at stars and the moon wasn’t fun, and figuring out all that stuff made their brains feel like exploding.

Thinking if navigating was this hard, Bai Erlang figured they should just take guards when traveling in the future — a guard who knew directions would suffice.

However, Bai Shan and Manbao grew more interested the more they learned. When stopping to rest at night, they could list many equations by the campfire.

When the firelight was too dim to see properly, they’d take out pen, ink, and paper to work out calculations, then compare them against the stars in the sky.

Zhi Ren watched them, feeling an involuntary sigh in his heart. Initially, he only taught them casually, but now found himself taking it more seriously.

Yin Huo was also learning diligently, but compared to Bai Shan and Manbao, he evidently found the Buddhist philosophy interwoven in Zhi Ren’s teachings more intriguing. Zhi Ren, recognizing his insight, couldn’t help but engage with him in discussions on Buddhist philosophy.

Jiechen remained by the carriage, only disembarking during rest. Now able to sit up, he watched as his master, seemingly forgetting him, contentedly moved among the three young men teaching, causing him to fall silent in contemplation.