I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 376: Chapter 207: Pingxi

First, Ri Di ordered his men not to lower their guard to the west. He then personally led a group to the eastern pass to set up a Bow Array and wait.

At this point, Ri Di dared not take any arrivals lightly, no matter which direction they came from.

It wasn’t long before Zheng Xiu and Xie Luohe heard the news. Zheng Xiu was puzzled to learn the party was approaching from the Great Desert. Though still recuperating, he patted Xie Luohe—who was basking in the sun with Mao’er in her arms, eyes narrowed contentedly—and exchanged a few words with her. Then, he walked alone toward the eastern entrance of Richan Valley.

As he waited at the valley entrance, he saw numerous archers crouched on the plank roads lining the cliffs. Zheng Xiu squinted into the distance, gazing out at the Great Desert. Sure enough, just as the rumors had claimed, indistinct figures were moving in its depths. ’Some group has crossed the Great Desert after all these years,’ he thought. ’No wonder Ri Di is being so cautious.’

After a while, the caravan drew closer. The first things to come into view were tattered banners. As they fluttered in the wind, he could make out a large word, "Martial," on one that was relatively well-preserved.

"It’s the Court!"

From his position on the cliffs, Ri Di’s gaze sharpened as he exclaimed in alarm. For so many years... although Richan Valley was technically Daqian territory, its harsh environment meant it had long been outside the Court’s control. Now that officials from the Court had arrived, Ri Di grew even more anxious, not knowing if this was a blessing or a curse.

’The Court?’

Unlike Ri Di, Zheng Xiu’s attention was caught by something else: a distinctly bald head in the approaching procession. The glare it cast under the scorching sun was impossible to miss.

"Relax! They might be one of us!"

The party, flying the banner of the Divine Martial Army, arrived at Richan Valley.

A hundred or so people rode on camelback, weary from their journey and covered in dust, their heat-resistant cloaks pulled tight around them.

The man in the lead had a fine steel helmet hanging from his camel’s saddlebag.

"Xie Yunliu!"

"My good brother-in-law!"

The two men recognized each other from a distance and began to wave. With a long cry, Xie Yunliu leaped from his camel. His feet barely touched the yellow sand before he was in front of Zheng Xiu, pulling him into a powerful embrace.

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

Xie Yunliu laughed heartily, slapping Zheng Xiu on the back with gusto. "My good brother-in-law! I knew you were still alive!"

"Alive! Of course I’m alive!" Zheng Xiu was overjoyed to see Xie Yunliu after so long. But his next question was abrupt. "Monk?"

"Monk, my ass! I’m a General! I just got promoted! The Emperor himself appointed me ’General of Pingxi.’ In the Court, everyone who sees me has to respectfully call me ’General Xie’! But you, my dear brother-in-law, you just have to keep calling me ’Monk.’ It’s damn bad luck!"

Though his words were a complaint, the smile never left Xie Yunliu’s face; he clearly wasn’t truly angry. He didn’t realize the real reason for Zheng Xiu’s question, however. Hearing the outburst, Zheng Xiu shook his head in resignation. ’The Monk’s affliction hasn’t healed,’ he thought.

’General Xie? Yunliu Temple?’

Memories from a decade ago flooded his mind, and Zheng Xiu subconsciously murmured the two names. Just then, a soft, chilling voice from behind the soldiers cut through his reverie.

"Heh... so you’ve been hiding here for ten years. Ten whole years! And I have had such a difficult time looking for you."

Surrounded by the hundred soldiers, a man in luxurious attire, looking poised and unruffled despite having crossed the Great Desert, slowly removed an exquisite, veiled conical hat. He revealed a handsome face—one that was the spitting image of Xie Yunliu.

"Fan Yao!"

Zheng Xiu’s face hardened in shock as he reached for his waist.

"I am Lou Mengkong," Fan Yao said coolly, not admitting his true name in front of the others.

With the reappearance of Fan Yao, the atmosphere at the valley entrance instantly grew taut with tension.

Xie Yunliu scratched his head. "It’s a strange thing, you know? This fellow looks exactly like me, but everyone else insists we’re clearly two different people. Isn’t that odd, brother-in-law?"

Zheng Xiu ignored Xie Yunliu. His gaze was locked on Fan Yao, and he couldn’t fathom why he would appear here, in the middle of the Great Desert. Motionless, he waited for Xie Yunliu to explain.

"Let’s talk inside! Let’s talk inside!"

Behaving as if he were returning to his own home, Xie Yunliu excitedly waved at the people on the cliffs. Many members of the Sun Tribe recognized him. After their initial shock, the tribesmen exchanged glances and began to lower their longbows, easing the tension.

Zheng Xiu stroked his beard and was silent for a moment. Then he nodded, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Very well," he said. "You have all traveled a long way. Please, follow me to Mohe Pavilion."

With a magnanimous air, Zheng Xiu gestured for the Divine Martial Army to proceed.

The exhaustion and grief on the faces of the Divine Martial Army soldiers were plain to see. Even upon reaching Richan Valley, there was no trace of joy at having survived their ordeal.

"How many were lost?" Zheng Xiu asked, walking at the head of the group.

Xie Yunliu’s expression darkened. He lowered his voice, his tone somber. "Nine-tenths of them." All his earlier cheerfulness vanished. He ran a hand roughly through his hair. "It’s all my fault!"

Zheng Xiu sighed lightly and patted Xie Yunliu’s shoulder.

The group followed Zheng Xiu into the valley. On the plank roads above, the people of the desert silently and orderly made way.

Fan Yao looked up, taking in the scene. As Xie Yunliu and Zheng Xiu whispered to each other, he suddenly spoke. "It seems you two have done well for yourselves these past ten years." His words were a clear indication that he knew Xie Luohe was also there.

"All thanks to you."

"You don’t want to go back?" Fan Yao asked.

The others assumed Fan Yao meant the Central Plains, but Zheng Xiu knew what he was truly referring to.

Zheng Xiu didn’t reply. A moment later, Fan Yao added wistfully, "We can’t go back now."

「A cup of tea’s time later.」

The small group gathered in Mohe Pavilion.

Outside Mohe Pavilion, a dozen long tables had been set up. The soldiers, still clutching their weapons, drank their fill of water before finding a spot in the shade and falling into a deep sleep. Only in slumber did the grim weight finally lift from their faces, a testament to the hardships they had endured on their journey. For ordinary soldiers who had never before set foot on the yellow sands, crossing the Great Desert, with its scorching heat and punishing drought, was no simple feat.

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