Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 231 Traces

The vast land stretches for thousands of miles, all gray and black!

Although it is said that "wildfire cannot burn it all, the spring breeze will bring it back to life", in this cold and windy season, the grassland fire is still silent.

The three of them walked on, but there was still no sign of life or greenery in the places they passed. All they could see was desolation. Occasionally, there would be a few water sources or streams, which offered a little comfort.

Only in the distance, the majestic mountains that appear and disappear, guide people in their direction.

The grassland stretches endlessly, and the tall grass that once blocked the wind's passage is gone. The entire grassland is left to the wind's unchecked power! The rushing wind grows ever fiercer, cutting into people more sharply than a blade!

Even though the two women were quite skilled, their faces were still painfully cut, so they had no choice but to put on veils to cover their faces.

This is a grassland oasis, with ripples of water appearing and disappearing around it. Looking closely through the shimmering surface, one can see the green of algae floating on the bottom. A fish or two dart away within.

A sharp whistle pierced the howling wind.

Li Xingzhi picked up the not-so-fat gray rabbit that had just leaped out of its burrow. He lightly sliced ​​it a few times with a small knife, and a whole gray pelt slid off the rabbit like a silken robe. With a shake, the rabbit's internal organs fell onto the pelt with a few rustling sounds. With another slice, he cut off two slightly plump rabbit legs; the rest, wrapped in the pelt, was tossed far away.

A large fire was lit, and Li Xingzhi held two oiled rabbit legs and put them directly into the embers; next to him, there was another fire with a small wok on it, in which a pot of white porridge was bubbling and gurgling, with a few green specks in it, emitting the aroma of vegetables.

The two women already knew that there was something strange about Li Xingzhi, but since he didn't say anything, they didn't ask. As for where the vegetables would come from in the dead of winter on the deserted grassland, the two women didn't care.

The rabbit scraps, tossed far away, emitted a bloody, pungent aroma, constantly tempting the already hungry predators. Several gray-yellow, flat-tailed foxes crawled out of their burrows, their usual cunning and cautiousness gone. Completely ignoring the nearby crowd, they leaped straight out to the bloody rabbit meat, ready for a feast. A little further away, several more foxes or other animals poked their heads out, greedily eyeing the scraps of meat; it seemed a struggle was inevitable.

The girl had already removed her mask, gazing at the devastation before her, and uttered a few complaints. Her face was covered with barely visible grime, but upon seeing the fragrant porridge and golden rabbit meat before her, she reluctantly swallowed her complaints.

"Brother Li, when are we going back?"

Looking at the bleak landscape, Li Xingzhi lost his patience, a hint of worry on his face. If the Tang army turned back, all would be well; but if they continued their pursuit, things would likely turn bad. This harsh, lifeless land was not one he would dare venture into without possessing countless cheat codes.

I originally wanted to see the beautiful scenery of the frontier, where "the wind blows the grass low and cattle and sheep can be seen", and maybe even see the battles of ancient armies. I also hoped to see some old friends. But who would have thought that I would see such a miserable scene as soon as I arrived at Pu!

"After today, we'll turn east!" Deep down, he still harbored some hope and expectation, as well as some worries.

The battlefield is treacherous, and there's no protection against the bitter cold of this boundless grassland. I wonder how Wang Erlang and Xue Dalang are doing.

Logically speaking, Xue Rengui was destined to be a famous general who would be remembered in history and be feared throughout Wuyuan. It was not his place to worry about him. But this time, because of his arrival, this future famous general had joined the army ten years ahead of schedule. Who knew if some accident would happen and kill him? If that happened, it would be the greatest sin of Li Xingzhi!

Thinking this to himself, a sudden sense of urgency and restlessness arose within him. After lunch, he spurred his horse and headed straight for the northwest! If he still couldn't find any clues today, he would have no choice but to return to the border of the Tang Dynasty to gather more information.

Across a vast, deserted plain, swift horses gallop freely; this vast grassland seems to have been laid out solely for these few horses!

The three of them couldn't open their eyes, so they could only lean forward on their horses, letting the gale make their clothes rip and rattle like tattered cloth, and letting the wind pass right through them.

Three magnificent horses, their long manes billowing, neighed and pierced the air, a testament to the exhilarating freedom they felt after being confined in their cages for just one day!

The clatter of hooves and the neighing of horses pierced the air like drums, and at that moment, the three men's hearts began to soar and break free! On the desolate grassland, only the joy of breaking free from shackles remained!

Time and space passed quietly as the horses soared freely. When the three looked up again, the moon shone brightly in the sky!

The two girls shivered as they stopped. Li Xingzhi leaped off his horse and grabbed their hands, only to find them icy cold. He cursed himself for being careless and quickly pulled the two girls into his arms. Sometime later, he produced a soft fur robe and wrapped the two girls in it.

"Are you still cold? Do you feel uncomfortable?" Li Xingzhi asked softly, holding the two soft, somewhat cold bodies.

Both women blushed unusually, nestled in Li Xingzhi's arms, feeling warm and comfortable.

"It's not cold." The two women shook their heads gently, but hugged each other even tighter!

Under the vast, boundless starry sky, on the desolate earth, only three people stood alone, keeping each other warm.

For some reason, a warm feeling welled up in Li Xingzhi's heart—he had never felt so close to the two women before!

After a long while, still silent, Li Xingzhi tightened his fur robe and looked down. The two women had rosy cheeks and peaceful smiles, still asleep. Their hands, still holding him tightly, remained clasped together.

He touched the two women's foreheads and, finding no fever, felt relieved.

Li Xingzhi found a relatively flat piece of ground, and with a wave of his hand, a pile of dry firewood suddenly appeared on the ground! At this moment, three tall horses had already sat around and sheltered the three of them from the strong wind.

With a hiss, a few sparks fell from the night sky and landed on the dry firewood and grass, and the fire immediately blazed up and quickly became fierce, with flames shooting in all directions!

As the fire rose, people felt much warmer and more comfortable.

Li Xingzhi habitually looked around.

"Huh--?"

Then, under the clear moonlight, not far away, long, winding tracks and traces of people and horses came into his view!

Li Xingzhi immediately showed a look of joy!

The next day, the sky gradually brightened.

Li Xingzhi still held the two women with one arm, and with the other, he took out a small pot, put it on the fire, poured in some milk and water, and added millet to cook. Milk porridge is warming and comforting, perfect for warming the body and stomach.

As the rice porridge softened and the sky turned a clear blue, the two women slowly opened their eyes. Their eyes were still misty, but their two delicate little noses twitched, making them incredibly adorable.

"You two little sleepyheads, wake up!" Li Xingzhi said with a smile as he looked at the two girls who were still half asleep.

The two women left Li Xingzhi's embrace, and the chill in the air made them both shiver.

"Put these on quickly! Breakfast is ready." Li Xingzhi handed over two fur robes.

"It smells so good!" Li Linzhi sniffed with a happy and satisfied expression as she smelled the delicate fragrance of the rice and the subtle aroma of milk.

Li Xingzhi was serving milk porridge when Li Linzhi suddenly said, "Brother Li, let's go back today."

"I'm afraid not."

The girl looked somewhat disappointed. She also liked beautiful scenery and playing with Li Xingzhi, but she was tired of seeing the same monotonous, bleak landscapes.

"Look over there, what's that?" Li Xingzhi said, pointing to a spot not far away.

The girl turned her head and saw tire tracks and horse tracks everywhere. She exclaimed happily, "Finally found it!"

She followed the trail, then suddenly hesitated, "These trails run from southwest to northwest. Should we head southwest or northwest?"

Judging from these traces, it must have been only a few days ago. The wind came from the northwest; if they were in the northwest, we would have heard shouts and the neighing of horses long ago, and naturally we would have searched in the southwest... (To be continued).