Prince Rui, don't spoil your adopted daughter too much: she will eventually get married

General Shi only recruited his trusted confidants, who each selected several teams of soldiers to search for water sources in different directions.

Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi found local books and maps to search for possible locations with water, then marked them on the map and searched for them one by one.

The search location expanded from a radius of ten kilometers in the east, west, and south to fifty kilometers in the west, and ten miles in the north to the entrance to the desert.

Zhai Yun, Feng Chenyi and Qi Nuo rode their horses to the top of the slope. Looking at the endless desert, Feng Chenyi took out the map and looked at it carefully.

According to the map, there should be a village here, but now there are only dirt hills left.

The former villages and towns have disappeared without a trace.

"It's recorded in the local history that wherever there's greenery, there's groundwater. The more greenery there is, the more abundant the groundwater is. All we have to do is find the greenery."

Zhai Yun looked at Feng Chenyi with a frown on his face and reminded him in a low voice.

The village has completely disappeared, but the map still has its mark, which shows how negligent the local officials are.

Feng Chenyi put away the map and instructed Qi Nuo: "Give the order. After this mission is completed, I will get a new map."

Qi Nuo saluted respectfully: "I obey your command."

Qi Nuo left first, and Feng Chenyi took Zhai Yun to another place called He Village marked on the map.

It was gradually getting dark when Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi arrived at this place.

There was no light in the desolate village, and the dilapidated loess walls looked as if no one had lived there.

The village is very small, with only about a dozen households. Feng Chenyi and Zhai Yun plan to find a house to live in.

When he was tying the horse, Zhai Yun took the lead and pushed the door, but she pushed it hard several times but it didn't open.

"What's wrong?" Feng Chenyi, who had tied up his horse, walked over.

Zhai Yun pushed the door twice more. "It won't open. It seems to be locked from the inside."

Feng Chenyi and Zhai Yun exchanged glances, and Zhai Yun understood and took a few steps back.

"Bang——" Feng Chenyi kicked the door open.

Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi rushed in. The room inside was very small, with bare walls and no shelter at all. Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi soon saw two people squatting in the corner.

Seeing Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi suddenly breaking in, the two people who were trembling with fear refused to say a word.

Zhai Yun took out a tinderbox and just blew out a spark when a man in the corner suddenly rushed over in panic, threw Zhai Yun's tinderbox on the ground and stomped on it to put it out.

He was breathing heavily, as if he had encountered something terrible, and his chest was rising and falling violently. "We can't light a fire, it will attract wild animals."

Another person in the corner also came over crying, hugged the person who had just rushed out, and suppressed a trembling voice: "Grandma."

In the dark room, Zhai Yun and Feng Chenyi did not see the two people's appearance clearly, but guessed from their voices that they were grandmother and granddaughter.

The old woman held her sobbing granddaughter in her arms and squatted in the corner. The childish voice cried, "Grandma, the door is broken. Will we be eaten? Woo woo~"

As soon as the girl started crying, her grandmother covered her mouth and the girl's crying stopped abruptly.

"Be good, don't cry, don't make any noise, and don't attract them." Grandma comforted softly.

Seeing the two men trembling with fear, Zhai Yun carefully walked over, squatted down, and lowered her voice: "Beast? Are you saying there are beasts in this village?"

The two of them shrank back, not daring to speak.

Although Zhai Yun had heard that there were wild beasts in the desert, she never expected to actually encounter one.

"Don't be afraid, we are the garrison stationed in Fengling City. Just tell us and we can protect you." Zhai Yun mentioned her military identity, hoping to make them feel safe.

The larger man was visibly surprised in the dark: "Really?"

Zhai Yun answered affirmatively: "Indeed. The man behind me is Prince Rui from the imperial capital. He will help you."

The old woman climbed a few steps forward with the child and looked at Feng Chenyi carefully. The imperial capital was a place that was out of their reach.

All the dignitaries live there.

"Speak!" Feng Chenyi's tone was a little cold at this moment, so cold that it made people tremble.

"It's the wild beasts in the nearby valley. They can't find food, so they run to the village. Many people in the village have been eaten." The old lady said in panic.

"That person died tragically. His body was completely eaten, leaving only his clothes scattered across his courtyard, and blood everywhere."

As soon as the old lady finished speaking, the girl in her arms burst into tears: "Grandma, I'm scared, I'm scared."

The old lady quickly coaxed her granddaughter, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. If they are really from the Fengling City defenders, we will be saved."

Zhai Yun also reached out and touched the little girl's face, comforting her softly, "Don't be afraid, I promise that those beasts will be destroyed tomorrow."

With hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the military camp, Zhai Yun didn't believe that they couldn't eliminate a few mere beasts.

The old lady looked at Zhai Yun. Although she was tens of thousands of miles away from the imperial capital, she knew that Prince Rui from the imperial capital was the son of the current emperor, and everyone here had to listen to him.

Including Zhai Yun who was in front of her.

So it was just Zhai Yun's promise that the old lady was a little bit unconvinced.

Feng Chenyi walked out and released a flare, then walked back in and said to the old lady, "Rest! Some people have already arrived. Let's gather together and kill the beast."

Feng Chenyi walked to a corner after he finished speaking, took off his cloak, folded it neatly and placed it in the corner, then said to Zhai Yun, "Come and sleep!"

Zhai Yun walked over happily, and when she passed the door, a sudden gust of wind blew towards her head with murderous intent.

Zhai Yun bent backward and barely avoided the object that was attacking her vital point.

The thing flew over Zhai Yun's head and landed on the ground with a loud sound, like the sound of claws scraping across the ground.

Zhai Yun quickly drew the dagger from her waist and pointed it at the shadow in the corner. "Oh no! The flare has attracted the beast."

"Awoo~" A wolf howl was heard outside the door, and there was the sound of prey climbing over obstacles and running towards them.

Feng Chenyi drew his sword and went out to block the door, stopping the wild beasts outside and warned: "Yun'er, be careful."

Zhai Yun looked at the beast's eyes staring at her in the darkness, and said confidently: "Brother Yi, don't worry."

As he finished speaking, the sound of fighting was heard outside the house, and the sound of a girl sobbing could be heard in the corner. Zhai Yun thought to herself that something was wrong, and she gripped the dagger tightly and rolled over.

The jackal's sharp teeth bit hard on the dagger, but Zhai Yun held the dagger with both hands and did not retreat. The sharp dagger scratched the palm of Zhai Yun's hand that was against the blade.

The jackal became even more ferocious when it smelled the blood. It snatched Zhai Yun's dagger and threw it away, then opened its big mouth and bit Zhai Yun.

Zhai Yun tightened her five fingers, and five thin and short needles shot out from the ring on her middle finger and flew straight towards the jackal.