Wolong City, in a quiet and elegant residential area, a wisp of smoke rose slowly, the faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the room, making one feel relaxed and at ease.

  An old Taoist with white hair and beard gently blew on the incense stick and sighed, "You people from wealthy families are indeed blessed. You can find such good things, but I've searched all over the world and found nothing."

  Although his words were mostly joking, they also contained a few parts of envy.

  An old woman behind him smiled and said: "These few dragon brain sandalwoods were also obtained by the junior unintentionally."

  The old Taoist looked back, with a head of white hair and a youthful face, was indeed the Taiyi True Man, who was praised by the Han people as the number one in the world. And the old woman beside him was the ancestor of the Fang family, Mrs. Fang Yuxin.

  His fingertips ran along the edge of sandalwood, gently rubbing it. Taiyi Zhenren's face was filled with intoxication: "This thing is precious beyond measure, how could it be obtained with mere gold? This... is good fortune."

  "Have you used this Longyan Xiang perfume before?" Fang Yuxin asked.

  He nodded slightly, and a rare nostalgic look appeared on Taiyi Zhenren's face: "When I was young, I followed my masters and heard it once. Hmm, it's really unforgettable. My masters said that the main ingredient of this dragon amber is floating from the deep sea, and lucky fishermen can guarantee a lifetime of food and clothing without worry if they find one piece."

  Fang Yuxin smiled slightly and said, "This junior happens to know that the dragon's saliva fragrance that floats in has several colors, and among them, the most rare is the white dragon's saliva fragrance. Fortunately, the main ingredient of these few pieces is made from white dragon's saliva fragrance, so it's especially precious. Otherwise, this junior wouldn't have dared to take it out to pay respects to you."

  Taiyi Zhenren's face was full of surprise, and he sighed repeatedly: "The old Tao is really pitiful, shameful, shameful."

  Fang Yuxin bowed deeply and said: "You have been taking care of the Fang family for decades, this small token of appreciation from me is hardly worth mentioning."

  Taiyi Zhenren looked at her with a profound gaze, twirling his long whiskers under his chin, and asked: "Yuxin, do you know where this Longyan incense comes from?"

  Fang Yuxin was taken aback, and after careful consideration, said: "I've heard from the older generation that in a certain place in the East Sea, dozens of large and small ancient dragons rest. When they come ashore to sleep, their mouths will be wide open. When their saliva drips down into the sea and is soaked by the seawater, it hardens and floats until it's accidentally discovered by people. That's why it's called dragon ambergris, and those who are lucky enough to find it are also chosen by the divine dragons."

  Taiyi Zhenren's face revealed a hint of a smile, and he slightly shook his head, saying: "These are purely absurd talks."

  Fang Yuxin asked in surprise: "Don't tell me you know the origin of Longyan Xiang?"

  Taiyi Zhenren looked up at the sky and laughed, saying: "In the depths of the ocean, whether there are dragons or not, I do not know. However, there is a type of enormous biological creature called the Sperm Whale. Its nature is ferocious, its appetite is extremely large, and once it bites down, it is difficult to escape. And dragon's saliva is actually the excrement of this giant beast, which has been washed by seawater, wind, and sunlight for many years, transforming into a hard, fragrant, thick block."

  Fang Yuxin's face was full of surprise. In her eighty years, she had never heard of such a strange thing. If it wasn't for Taiyi Zhenren speaking, she absolutely wouldn't believe it.

  "Your extensive knowledge and experience make me feel ashamed."

  Taiyi Zhenren burst out laughing.

  Fang Yuxin looked at him with an inexplicable expression.

  "Yuxin, do you know who told Lao Dao about this matter?" Taiyi Zhenren smiled for a while, then composed himself and asked seriously.

  "I am ignorant and would like to ask for your guidance."

  "Heh heh......" Taiyi Zhenren smiled coldly and said, "The one who told me about these things was none other than Jiang Gongming, the chief military strategist of the Black Flag Army."

  Fang Yuxin's heart skipped a beat as she asked in surprise, "How did he know?"

  Taiyi Zhenren shook his head slightly and sighed, "This person's strangeness is as if he knows everything. The old Tao has read countless books and traveled tens of thousands of miles, but compared to him, it seems that I am far inferior in terms of experience and knowledge. Truly a strange and wondrous thing."

  Fang Yuxin lowered her head and remained silent.

  "Do you know why I'm looking for you at this time?" The old Taoist paused, then continued: "Perhaps you've already guessed, but the old Tao still has to say it."

  "Please enlighten me." Fang Yuxin said respectfully.

  "For decades, I have had one unfulfilled wish, that is to destroy the Xiongnu and eliminate this threat for the great Han. The old Taoist's tone became increasingly severe: 'Looking at the imperial court, the four major families, they all have the heart but not the power. In my life, I have seen countless people, but there is only one person who can truly do it.'"

  Fang Yuxin's face changed color again, and a name slowly escaped her lips: "Jiang Kongming."

  Taiyi Zhenren said in a low voice, "Just think about it, Jiang Gongming doesn't even put the Xiongnu people in his eyes, how can he be afraid of you? It's better not to offend this person."

  Fang Yuxin's body shook slightly, and he said: "True person, I didn't mean to be an enemy with him."

  Taiyi Zhenren shook his head and said, "You understand the general idea, but those young ones from your family may not necessarily understand it." His voice gradually lowered: "Your Fang family has been loyal and righteous for generations. I really can't bear to see you following in the footsteps of the Dong family step by step."

  Fang Yuxin opened her mouth, but had nothing to say. Her old man's face was deathly pale.

  "Tell those young ones that this is a critical moment, I have guaranteed the safety of Chiang Kongming, whoever wants to harm him will have to get past me first."

  The soft voice seemed to have no deterrent power, but Fang Yuxin did not dare to be slightly careless, because the person who said this sentence was none other than the Taiyi True Person with the number one reputation in the world.

  In the north, amidst the swirling dust and sand, dozens of riders galloped by, most of them covered in wounds, their clothes stained with blood. Yet, their eyes remained as firm as iron, facing forward, never retreating.

  "Bang..."

  In the midst of a gallop, one horse suddenly fell, and the knight on it heavily fell onto the sandy ground, motionless.

  The leader of the group, with a pull on the reins, brought the entire cavalry to an immediate halt. The whole troop was silent, not a single murmur could be heard, it was clear that they were well-trained and lived up to their reputation as elite soldiers.

  The knight beside him jumped off his horse, reached out to touch the man's nose tip, and then touched his forehead before standing up. He didn't say a word, only silently shook his head.

  Suddenly, a sad atmosphere spread among the cavalry.

  "No time for sorrow now, let's keep moving."

  A loud shout interrupted the knights' reverie, they looked up to see a middle-aged man speaking, one hand grasping the reins, the other empty, with only an empty sleeve fluttering in the wind.

  "Alas... Mr. Zhang, the horse has reached its limit."

  Zhang Zihua glanced at the sky and said, "Commander Liu, you arrange it."

  Liu Zhengzhong nodded, and a string of orders were passed down. The knights dismounted one after another, and the first thing they did was to take off the water bags on their horses' backs and give them water.

  After half a month of continuous fleeing, their number has been sharply reduced from the initial eighty or more to today's thirty or more.

  If it weren't for the Huns suddenly going crazy and forbidding the use of bows and arrows during the pursuit, I'm afraid they would have been annihilated long ago.

  For the sudden change of the Huns, Zhang Zihua and others were greatly relieved. Along the way, they sometimes hid and sometimes launched surprise attacks, in short, they firmly tied the attention of the Huns to themselves.

  "Where is this place?" Zhang Zihua asked.

  "It's estimated that we're almost at the border." Liu Zhengzhong replied.

  "What is the terrain like?"

  Liu Zhengzhong beckoned with his hand, and a Han man immediately jogged over to their side.

  "You speak." Liu Zhengzhong simply instructed in a single sentence.

  Zhang Zihua took a look and found it was Chen Dahai, their guide for the past few days. He was an outstanding scout from the Red Ocean and was very familiar with the terrain here, making him the best person to ask.

  Chen Dahi nodded his hands, at this time of escaping for their lives, their etiquette couldn't be simpler.

  "Two sirs, this place is already the boundary between us and the Xiongnu dogs. If we go further north, it will be their territory."

  Zhang Zihua and Liu Zhengzhong exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in each other's eyes.

  In the previous pursuit, Zhang Zihua and others were able to escape multiple times, apart from the soldiers' bravery, there was another reason that cannot be ignored. The places they passed through were all previously Han territory, where the inhabitants were still those simple and unadorned Han people. Although they were powerless against the Xiongnu's swords and iron cavalry, they could still provide some necessary convenience for Zhang Zihua and others.

  No matter where they escaped to, there would be people who provided them with food and water, and someone informed them of the news, which was the biggest reason why they could persist for so long.

  Of course, there were also some greedy and deceitful people who would inform the Huns for personal gain, which led to several searches by the Huns' troops. Fortunately, Zhang Zihua was cautious and fled thousands of miles away as soon as he sensed any movement, leaving them empty-handed.

  These wretches who have forgotten their ancestors are after all only a minority of people, so they were ultimately able to escape here without any mishaps.

  However, the road ahead was not easy to walk on, especially in the territory of the Xiongnu people. Both of them felt a sense of desperation and hopelessness at the same time.

  "Isn't there another way?" Zhang Zihua asked, holding onto a glimmer of hope.

  After a moment of contemplation, Chen Dahai said: "There is one way, but..."

  "What's up?" Zhang Zihua was originally just casually listening, but hearing that he seemed to have something to say, he hastily asked.

  Chen Dahi pointed west-north with his hand and said, "The northwest is a desert. Many people go in, but few come out."

  "So few...so very few..." Zhang Zihua muttered repeatedly.

  Liu Zhengzhong looked up and saw that Zhang Zihua's eyes were fixed tightly on the northwest, and in those bright eyes, there seemed to be a hint of piety.

  Half an hour later, all the knights mounted their horses.

  Zhang Zihua took the lead, galloping straight northwest.

  Liu Zhengzhong sighed and turned his head to gaze southward, that one glance filled with boundless longing.

  He turned around abruptly, mounted his horse and shouted loudly: "Go..."

  The knights behind them entered one by one into that boundless expanse of yellow sand, until they disappeared from view.

  （）

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