Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 566 - 509: The Steppe
In the tent on the steppe, the Nearby Worm retracted its wings and disconnected the communication. The girl named Galuo stared at the disconnected Nearby Worm, silent for a long time.
"From Chang’an to the Royal Court, it’s almost four thousand miles. Can they make it on time?"
Galuo’s elder brother, Ashina Que Teqin, spoke in a deep voice, "The group at Taihao Mountain will be monitoring the border between the two nations. They can’t just fly over directly by sword control. Besides, a large number of Cultivators loyal to Ashide Keluo are roaming and patrolling the steppe."
"They will make it." Galuo said with conviction, "He will make it."
Que Teqin, of course, understood who "he" was. That person, in the hearts of the Yu people, and even in the hearts of foreigners, was an existence that could constantly create miracles.
"Alright." Que Teqin sighed. "You keep the Nearby Worm safe. I’m going to attend the Ashina Clan meeting. Damn it! Disaster has already fallen upon us, yet those uncles and elders are still bickering without reaching a unanimous decision. Some believe the Khan isn’t dead and we should find a way to forcibly retrieve him. Others believe the Khan is already dead and now we must rescue those few heirs under house arrest. There are even fools who actually believe Keluo’s words. They think the Khan was poisoned by his own son, that the Ashina Clan’s dominance is over, and are advising everyone to prepare to cede power to the Ashide Family—after all, we’re all related by blood."
Que Teqin angrily pounded his fist on the wooden table, leaving an imprint. Among his uncles and elder relatives, many had graduated from Wolf Garden and slaughtered countless demons. Yet decades of glory and wealth had long since made these Nobles complacent and dull-witted, their weapons neglected. Faced with the aggressive enemy, they couldn’t even agree on a strategy.
Angry and worried, Que Teqin walked out of the tent. Galuo silently picked up the Nearby Worm and placed it inside a lead box padded with brocade.
Eternal Heaven above, please bless your people. May war never come...
「————」
"While I am away, the Academic Palace will claim that I am in seclusion developing follow-up medication for the plague." In the pavilion on the back mountain, Li Ang instructed Chai Chai, "Le Ling will move in and live with you. You will attend classes at the Academic Palace as usual, pretending that I am still in the back mountain. During this period, the Supervision Department will protect you in secret—there might be spies or assassins." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Chai Chai wore a complex expression. She didn’t ask Li Ang what kind of mission he had received in the Great Ming Palace, nor did she protest about having to endure such disruption again. She just nodded and said seriously, "I understand."
Li Ang gave a wry smile and scratched his head. "...Sorry for all this happening again."
Chai Chai shook her head. "Eldest Son, you often say, ’Power and responsibility are unified.’ I live in the back mountain pavilion and study at the Academic Palace; everything I eat and use is provided by Yu Country’s citizens. This isn’t a big deal."
Seeing the serious expression on the little maid’s face, Li Ang couldn’t help but gently pinch her cheek. Amidst Chai Chai’s protests, he withdrew his hand with a smile.
"Risheng." He Fanshuang stood at the doorway of the pavilion and said calmly, "It’s time to go."
The moment of parting had arrived. Li Ang pursed his lips, summoned his luggage with Telekinesis, left Chai Chai with a "Take care of yourself," and followed He Fanshuang onto the carriage.
Two people were already sitting inside: Sui Yi and Qiu Feng. Sui Yi was holding makeup tools, carefully applying them to Qiu Feng’s face. When Li Ang and He Fanshuang arrived, Sui Yi reached under his seat for two stacks of documents, tossed them over, and said, "This operation is covert. We’ll first take the train from Chang’an to the Anbei Protectorate. The garrison has already arranged a Turkic Caravan there, made up of our own people. These are your aliases and identities. We’ll follow the caravan, cross the border, pass the steppe Cavalry patrols, and then hurry on our way, avoiding the roaming Cavalry Scouts as much as possible. If all goes well, we should reach the Turkic Royal Court in four to five days."
"Four to five days..." Li Ang flipped through the documents. His new identity was listed as an assistant in the caravan. "Isn’t there any faster way?"
"This is already the fastest route." Sui Yi shook his head. "We can’t use Sword Flight, nor can we use the latest airplane invented by the Academic Palace—that thing is too conspicuous. The fluctuations of its Spiritual Energy Machine can be sensed on the ground from a hundred miles away. And if the plane flies too high, it will be damaged by the Gang Wind."
The carriage left Xia Mountain and arrived at the train station. There, Li Ang met his fellow travelers: his Academic Palace classmate, Ashide Tumen—a relative of the Ashide Family who could help them enter the Royal Court; the Imperial Palace Tributor, Shen Tuyu, who was leading the mission; and He Fanshuang’s brother, He Siping.
Li Ang was somewhat surprised to see He Siping, who explained with a smile, "Before I served as the Crown Prince’s Assistant, I was an expert on Turkic affairs at the Academic Palace. I was sent to the Royal Court many times and have some friends there. The garrison has already dispatched Shadow Warriors to take my place in Chang’an City."
He Siping had once been an Academic Palace Patrol and was a Cultivator of the Cloud Patrol High Realm, so his capabilities were assured.
The group disguised themselves, boarded the train, and arrived at the Anbei Protectorate. They joined a hundred-person caravan composed of Turkic People and Yu people. This caravan had previously been under Jin Wusuan’s name, and the assistants within had been instructed not to ask unnecessary questions.
The caravan passed through the frontier and entered the grasslands. They traveled normally during the day and continued their journey at night with the help of Wind Talismans, pressing on day and night toward the Turkic Royal Court. They encountered Turkic Scouts and even Cultivators on patrol several times, but thankfully, their disguises were convincing enough not to arouse suspicion.
On the fourth day, they arrived at Tongluo City, with only three hundred more miles to the Royal Court.
「————」
"By this time tomorrow, we should be able to see Galuo," Qiu Feng remarked in their inn room in Tongluo City. "I wonder how she’s been."
"Fortune favors the worthy." He Fanshuang picked up a paper-thin slice of lamb from the copper pot before her with her chopsticks, speaking calmly. "She’s the Old Khan’s grandniece and not high on the succession list, so she should be safe."
"Hmm." He Siping nodded and also put a slice of lamb into his bowl. "Based on the information we’ve gathered along the way, the Turkic common people still hold the Old Khan in high regard. The Ashina Clan still has the means to protect itself, and that Prime Minister, no matter how arrogant, wouldn’t dare to push them too far. Risheng, aren’t you going to eat?"
The inn was built by a Yu person living among the Turkic, so it served food that suited the tastes of Yu people. The lamb, soaked in clear water for several hours, was cooked with a whole pine branch and abundant spices, leaving it free of any gamey odor.
"No, thanks." Li Ang stood by the window, waving a hand. "You guys go ahead."
He gazed thoughtfully at the city.
In the minds of many Yu people, the Turkic were a barbarian race who lived in sheepskin tents, followed water and pasture, and occasionally raided southward. Yet, this Tongluo City before him also had roads, bridges, residential houses, shops, and pavilions. Aside from the slightly lower buildings, the greater amount of dust and sand, and the different appearances of the pedestrians, there was hardly any difference from the cities of Yu Country. Yu Country had developed rapidly with the help of the Academic Palace, and other nations were also trying to keep pace.
A few Turkic soldiers passed by on the street below. They took out a stack of papers and began pasting them onto wooden boards at the street corners.
Li Ang squinted at the text on the paper and couldn’t help but chuckle wryly—it was a rat extermination notice written in both Turkic and the Yu script.
He walked towards the door and said to his companions, "I’m going down to take a look."
