Finest Servant

Chapter 566 Such a Foolish Man

The handwriting on the silk was awkward, even worse than that of a child in the Great Hua Empire. It must have been written by Lu Dongzan. He returned the golden blade and wrote these words—what could he possibly mean? That anything is possible? That phrase sounded oddly familiar. Was Lu Dongzan trying to advertise for someone?

The more he thought about it, the more confusing it became. Eventually, he decided not to dwell on it any longer. Tucking the golden blade and the letter into his robe, Lin Wanrong grinned at Hu Bugui, "Lu Dongzan's command of our Great Hua language is passable at best. It's a pity that his handwriting is worse than mine."

"It is indeed a pity," Hu Bugui chuckled. "But if we're talking about the Turkic people writing in the script of Great Hua, I think Miss Yueya'er is quite skilled. Not only is she beautiful, but she also understands our culture thoroughly. She is both wise and graceful, surpassing ordinary people. Lu Dongzan would rather release us than compromise her safety. She must be someone exceptional."

Lin Wanrong nodded, "Every ethnicity has its remarkable individuals; that's not surprising. What matters is how these exceptional people apply their intelligence and talents. Those like Yujia, who think of bettering their tribe's life through plunder, only achieve the opposite effect."

Hu Bugui wholeheartedly agreed with Lin Wanrong's viewpoint, nodding thoughtfully.

The moon was shining amidst scattered stars, and the wind was picking up, driving the sand into the air. Under the night sky, the vast desert gleamed like snow, even the heavens above were a pale white. Shallow hoofprints etched into the silvery sand stretched far into the depths of the desert.

The wind and sand made it difficult to keep one's eyes open. Following the faint hoofprints in the desert, the two rode swiftly. After an hour, they finally caught sight of their large troop.

Gao Qiu was at the rear of the formation. Catching sight of them, he enthusiastically waved, "Brother Lin, Old Hu, we're here!"

Seeing Lin Wanrong and Hu Bugui return safely, the five thousand soldiers erupted in cheers and shouts, their jubilant spirits instantly overpowering the desolate desert winds.

The Sea of Death, the Lop Nur, stretched from the Qilian Mountains and extended northward from Dunhuang in Gansu, reaching the base of the Tianshan Mountains. Sand dunes in the shape of pyramids stood tall, some reaching hundreds of meters. The desert winds could blow these walls of sand even higher, giving the terrifying illusion of mountains collapsing.

The Lop Nur was arid all year round and received almost no rainfall. Under such harsh conditions, hardly any flora or fauna could survive, hence its name—the "Sea of Death."

They were already in the latter half of the Sea of Death since entering from Yiwu. But after three continuous days of travel in the boundless desert, all they could see was endless sand, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars. Not a trace of green was visible. Had it not been for Hu Bugui continuously adjusting their course using a compass, Lin Wanrong would have doubted they were on the right path.

"Damn, it really is the Sea of Death," the scorching sand emitted heat that soaked every soldier in sweat. Many had taken off their shirts and were marching bare-chested. Old Gao wiped the rolling sweat beads from his forehead, took a tentative lick from his water flask, and carefully hung the life-saving container back at his waist. Panting, he said, "We've walked for days and nights, and all we see is sand, sand, and more sand. Not even a rabbit dropping or a single feather. Is this even a road fit for humans?!"

Hu Bugui stowed his compass into his pouch and chuckled, "It's not surprising you feel this way on your first trek through the desert, Brother Gao. Don't think you're alone. I've been crisscrossing the desert for years, traveling thousands of miles, and I thought I had the measure of its wild terrain. But upon entering the Lop Nur, I've come to realize just how smooth the previous roads have been. Not a feather, not a long-legged insect or a thorn—nothing in sight. Truly, this 'Sea of Death' lives up to its name."

As he spoke, his mouth grew parched, and he followed Old Gao's example by licking the edge of his water skin. Since entering the desert, Lin Wanrong had given strict orders: two small meals a day and rationed water for the troops. No drinking outside specified times. Similar rationing applied to the supplies for the warhorses.

The importance of water and food in a desert march goes without saying. The five thousand disciplined soldiers obeyed this order without question. Remarkably, not one had violated it in the past three days.

It was time again for ration distribution, and the large procession came to a halt. Hu Bugui looked around but didn't see Lin Wanrong. Gao Qiu pointed towards the lone carriage among the troops and smiled, "Don't bother looking. He's there!"

"Miss Yujia, how is my brother?" Lin Wanrong stared at Li Wuling's pallid cheeks, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concern. Three days in the desert had strained their supplies, and Li Wuling's condition had shown no sign of improvement. It was indeed worrisome.

The Turkic young woman lifted Li Wuling's eyelids and felt his pulse before coldly saying, "Why should I tell you?"

Despite days of hurried marching and lack of water, her lips were only slightly dry, and her skin remained immaculate. Lin Wanrong was amazed, wondering if she had been bathed in milk since childhood.

‘Not tell me?’ Lin Wanrong burst into hearty laughter. He reached into his garment and flashed a glittering small blade in front of her, quickly stowing it back.

Yujia was startled, then jubilant, "My golden blade?! Give it back!"

In her haste, she flung herself towards him, grabbing at his clothing.

‘Has she gone mad? Stripping a man in broad daylight! Turkic women are indeed formidable.’ Lin Wanrong was taken aback and hastily clutched his clothing, shouting, "What are you doing? This is daylight! A soldier can be killed but not humiliated!"

Both angry and embarrassed, Yujia firmly gripped his garment and pulled, "Give my golden blade back!"

With a sharp "ding," something fell from Lin Wanrong's chest and rolled away, clattering on the carriage floor.

"My hidden weapon!" Lin Wanrong cried out, about to leap after it. The object fell near Yujia's feet. She was quick to snatch it up and upon closer inspection, found it was a small copper coin. She paused, stunned.

Lin Wanrong snatched at the money in her hand, furious. "Dare to compete with a penny-pincher like me? Are you asking for trouble? Give me my money back—now!"

Yueya'er gritted her teeth, clutching the copper coins tightly in her hand. She wrapped both arms around her closed fist, refusing to let go.

‘This woman is incredibly stubborn!’ Lin Wanrong used every limb and appendage, sweating bullets as he strained to pry open her clenched hand. But despite exerting Herculean effort, he couldn't do it. The two locked eyes, faces inches apart, close enough to feel each other's hurried breathing.

Upon seeing the faces so close to them, both hesitated. Their movements slowed.

A tear shimmered in the corner of Yueya'er's defiantly upturned eyes. Lin Wanrong found it irritating. Releasing his grip, he sighed, "Fine, fine, just take it! Dammit, what rotten luck to lose a coin for no reason. This will haunt me for years!"

Yueya'er stifled a laugh, the copper coin now close to her lips. Realizing her lapse, she quickly regained her composure.

‘I can't believe I couldn't beat you!’ Wiping the sweat from his palms, Lin Wanrong took a golden blade from his belt and waved it menacingly. "Little sister, do you want this too?"

Panicked, Yueya'er exclaimed, "You—give me back my golden blade!"

"Give it back to you? It's not impossible," Lin Wanrong teased. "Once my brother wakes up, the blade is yours. It's up to you to decide what to do then."

Faced with Lin Wanrong's smug, thieving grin, Yueya'er gritted her teeth. "Despicable! I should have known you'd make such a shameless offer!"

"I've been called 'despicable' and 'shameless' for years; one more time won't hurt," Lin Wanrong chuckled. "So, what's it going to be? Yes or no?"

How could she refuse? He had her cornered! Frustrated but helpless, Yueya'er paused before finally saying, "Once the patient wakes up, you give me back the golden blade—you promise?"

"If I don't keep my promise, may my wife ride me like a horse for the rest of my life!" Lin Wanrong solemnly vowed, raising his right hand.

Shameless bandit! Yueya'er blushed, gritting her teeth. "Fine, within three days, you will return the golden blade."

"On what grounds?" Lin Wanrong snorted dismissively.

Annoyed, Yueya'er shot him a glance. "Are you asking me—you don't have a brain?"

Lin Wanrong shot up, nearly putting a hole through the carriage wall. "You're saying he'll wake up within three days? Miss Yueya'er, could you please repeat that? I didn't hear you clearly!"

"I don't want to talk to you anymore!" Yueya'er turned her head away, ignoring him.

Three days! In three days, he would wake up! Staring at his brother's pale face and listening to his slow, steady breaths, Lin Wanrong was overcome with emotion, his throat parched. Trembling, he reached for his water pouch, only to find it empty, collapsed and hollow, leaving only the very bottom.

Just as Lin Wanrong lifted the water pouch to his lips, preparing to take a few sips, he noticed that Yujia was staring at him with an unusual gleam in her eyes. Seeing her slightly chapped lips, he realized she must not have had water for two days. He grinned and handed the water pouch to her. "Little sister, you saved my brother. This fresh water is my way of thanking you. Go on, drink!"

A flush came over Yujia's face. She spat out a quick, "No!" and shoved the water pouch back at him. "I don't want your stuff. It's filthy."

Before entering the desert, everyone had filled their water pouches. Lin Wanrong had even filled hers for her. He laughed, "By the looks of it, you haven't had water in two days. Water may be worth its weight in gold out here, but you can't just go without. Your life is at stake."

"Who asked for your opinion?" Yujia dismissively shook her head, waving her delicate hand in front of him.

Her hand was like a radiant pearl—smooth, tender, and white. Lin Wanrong was captivated, but then a sudden realization hit him. His face turned dark. He jumped up and shouted, "You... you used the water to wash your hands?!"

"So what?" Yujia replied coldly, "Not just my hands, I washed my face too!"

"You, you—" Lin Wanrong was so infuriated that his face turned purple. "In a desert where water is more precious than gold, you actually used it to wash your hands and face? Is there no justice? Is there no law?"

Seeing Lin Wanrong trembling all over, too angry to speak, Yujia broke into a slight smile. "A woman's vanity is natural. If I want to use my own water pouch to wash up, even if it leads to my death in the desert, that's my business. What's it to you?"

"I've had enough of your nonsense! Irrational woman!" Lin Wanrong angrily flipped open the curtain and jumped out of the cart. His indignant cursing faded into the distance. Yujia's eyebrows drooped in silent thought, pondering something unknown.

In the midst of her silence, the curtain was suddenly thrown open again. Lin Wanrong, face dark as night, leaned into the cart. He held his nearly-empty water pouch and growled, "Open your mouth—"

"Why should I?" Yujia defiantly shook her head.

Annoyed, Lin Wanrong grabbed her by her delicate neck, forcing her to open her mouth. "Whether you live or die is your business, but my brother must survive. You need to keep going for at least three more days. Drink—"

The last few drops of water in the pouch slowly flowed into Yujia's mouth. It had been days since she'd had a drink, and the water felt incredibly sweet as it entered her mouth. She choked and coughed, tears suddenly falling from her eyes.

"What are you crying for?" Lin Wanrong released her and snorted. "I've never seen such a disobedient woman. Wasting money and now water—I've never encountered such a losing deal in my life!"

Ignoring her tears, he turned and walked away. The empty water pouch swung at his side. From a distance, it looked like a floating gourd.

Watching his receding figure, Yujia sobbed for a moment before bursting into a giggle. She covered her face and softly said, "Such a foolish man."

Her lips curved into a light smile, her eyes sparkling like tranquil autumn waters. She laughed for a moment, but then she broke into tears again.

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