Chapter 006: The Art of Divination

This cannot be said at present

The old man, while stating that this operation should pose no risk, pulled several tough guys over to Mazhan, which was quite contradictory. However, I knew too little about the situation to draw any conclusions. Nevertheless, I felt relatively at ease; if the risk factor of the operation were very high, he would definitely not have assigned both Wei Mian and me to it.

The preparations before this operation were quite thorough, and the specific route was clearly marked on the map. However, the pace of walking was too slow, and many people lacked experience in crossing the desert, relying on water buffalo drinks. Cao Shi distributed two cloth covers to each person, made of thick canvas, which were to be put on the feet and pulled up to the knees, securing the openings to prevent sand from getting into the shoes. We had no camels and relied solely on our feet for the journey; developing blisters would be quite troublesome. Cao Shi distributed two cloth covers to each person, made of thick canvas, which were to be put on the feet and pulled up to the knees, securing the openings to prevent sand from getting into the shoes. We had no camels and relied solely on our feet for the journey; developing blisters would be quite troublesome.

Then you have taken the wrong path. Elder Fang pointed northeast and said, "The site of the Baima Qiang Town Military Command is in that direction. If you continue to head west, you will only go further away."

At a glance at his speech and demeanor, I felt that this person was most likely an intellectual who had endured the Cultural Revolution, with labels etched on his face that could never be erased

In such places, the wind and sand are quite strong, and shallow footprints will soon be covered. However, the footprints before us indicate that someone arrived before us. Nevertheless, an analysis of the footprints suggests that the number of individuals on the other side is not too many

As we continued our journey, a sense of unease began to settle in our hearts. No one had ever been to this place, Mazhan. From the map, it appeared to be located on the edge of the Gobi Desert, but upon actually venturing in, we discovered that the reality was completely different from our expectations. Approximately eighty to ninety kilometers away from Mazhan, desertification had already become quite severe, making it nearly impossible for the vehicle to proceed. The individuals from Ahe-Tushulashan who were supposed to meet us were grossly negligent; they should have prepared several camels to accompany the vehicle. Whenever the vehicle became inoperable, the camels could serve as a means of transport. Approximately eighty to ninety kilometers away from Mazhan, desertification had already become quite severe, making it nearly impossible for the vehicle to proceed. The individuals from Ahe-Tushulashan who were supposed to meet us were grossly negligent; they should have prepared several camels to accompany the vehicle. Whenever the vehicle became inoperable, the camels could serve as a means of transport

Oh? Mr. Fang adjusted his glasses and looked at me with a hint of surprise: "Do you know about the Baimaqiang Town Military Division?"

Cao has connected with some people in Alashan Left Banner, whom I do not know, and I am unsure if they are under the old man's command. The other party has prepared two vehicles for us, along with drinking water, fuel, and a lot of equipment. I believe I truly cannot adapt to life here; after eating mutton and milk tofu for two consecutive days, my stomach has begun to protest, leaving me without any energy.

Cao was truly frightened at the Fatai Temple. Upon seeing the footprints, his nerves immediately tensed up, and he dispersed the group, cautiously encircling the footprints from three directions. Wei Mian and I were assigned to the rear, following everyone as we advanced.

The glasses looked at us with the medicine he needed, overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude with more than ten thank yous. After the three of them went over to him, I kept observing with binoculars; everything seemed normal, and I did not sense any signs of danger.

You will know once you have the item in hand

This stretch of road is neither too far nor too close. Before everyone arrived, their physical strength was quite abundant, so the journey went relatively smoothly. From time to time, Cao would inform everyone of the remaining distance, which decreased from eighty kilometers to seventy, then sixty... I also felt that we were nearing the end. However, just a few kilometers away from our destination, we noticed several distinct footprints ahead.

After exchanging a few words, Elder Fang inquired about our purpose. Cao Shi certainly would not mention that we were heading to Mazhan, so he casually lied, saying that these people had come to visit the historical sites of the Western Xia out of admiration. I had just learned a technique for drawing maps from Cao Shi, and I interjected, saying that we wanted to visit the site of the Baima Qiang Town Military Command.

After accepting the task assigned by the old man, Cao Shi estimated that he had made a considerable effort to supplement his knowledge. He privately told me that our luck was actually quite good, as the area of Ma Zhan happens to be located at the junction of the Mongolian Plateau's desert and arid zones. If we were to go a little further west, we would enter the desert. I said it would be nice to see the desert, but Cao Shi shook his head and said that if we truly ventured deep into the desert, I would surely regret it deeply.

I have only heard of it

His statement further confirmed my thoughts; Ma Zhanming is relatively unknown, and it is impossible for someone who does not have a considerable understanding of the Western Xia to be aware of him

I turned my head to look at Cao Shi. He remained silent, clearly deep in thought. On the surface, there was no sign of abnormality from Fang Lao and the others. From his tone, it was evident that the four of them were definitely planning to stay overnight at Ma Zhan. Cao Shi felt a bit uneasy and, after a moment's consideration, agreed to Fang Lao's suggestion. When Fang Lao went back to call the three students, Cao Shi lowered his voice and said to us: "We cannot let them slip away! We must go to Ma Zhan with them and stay alert!"

The person waving his hand unexpectedly turned and ran towards us, leaving us bewildered. The situation is unclear now, and Cao Shi does not want to easily expose our identities, so he ordered the weapons to be put away and to act according to the circumstances. When that person ran up, panting heavily, I could finally see clearly that he was a young man wearing glasses, slightly younger than me, with a scholarly demeanor.

I originally planned to spend two more days in Alashan, but Cao Shi would not allow it. He said that after completing the official business, I could play in Alashan for a year. My stomach has not yet returned to normal, and the team set off from Alashan Left Banner, heading west. The road conditions were acceptable at first, but as we continued, they deteriorated. Sometimes the vehicle would get stuck in sand pits, and everyone had to push with all their might. I was quite worried, fearing that the vehicle would break down halfway to the destination. In such an endless place, walking would be exhausting.

Those with intellect understand a principle: while good quality goods may be valuable, they are inanimate objects. If one is lost today, two or three can be recovered tomorrow. However, the benefits brought by a reliable and skilled subordinate who follows orders are incalculable. In the past, some old-timers had only two or three trusted aides throughout their lives, yet they thrived and gained significant reputations for this reason. Unless faced with a monumental deal, few would gather all their elite subordinates to work together; in the event of an accident, losing all personnel would result in tremendous losses. The benefits brought by a reliable and skilled subordinate who follows orders are incalculable. In the past, some old-timers had only two or three trusted aides throughout their lives, yet they thrived and gained significant reputations for this reason. Unless faced with a monumental deal, few would gather all their elite subordinates to work together; in the event of an accident, losing all personnel would result in tremendous losses.

Once the preparations were complete, everyone was divided into two groups and traveled from Jiangbei to Yinchuan, where they stayed for two days before proceeding together to Alashan Left Banner

"Excuse me, do you have any heatstroke tablets?" The glasses-wearing person gasped as they spoke, "Over there, someone has fainted. We only brought ten drops of water, but it is of no use."

Cao Shi informed me that the so-called Military Supervisory Office is a designation for an official agency, which should actually be called the Military Supervision Office. Its primary responsibilities include commanding the military forces within its jurisdiction, guarding the borders, and protecting the capital. The Western Xia territory is divided into two parts: the Left Wing and the Right Wing, comprising a total of twelve Military Supervision Offices. The Baima Qiang Town Military Office is one of them, stationed in Loubo Bei. The head of the Military Office is referred to as the Commander-in-Chief, with one Deputy Commander and one Military Supervisor under him.

Here we go again with this routine

Cao Shi observed the other person's expression without revealing his own thoughts, trying to discern the truthfulness of his words. However, I felt that this person resembled a student. This situation is somewhat troublesome; we cannot act without distinguishing right from wrong, nor can we disregard them without being cautious. Cao Shi spoke amiably with the man in glasses for a couple of sentences, then instructed the three individuals to take the medicine to the man in glasses.

The prominence of the Baima Qiang Town Military Command is not very high; those who are generally unfamiliar with the Western Xia may not even be aware of it. However, the Heishui Town Yan Army Command among the Twelve Military Supervisors is a well-known place, and the mysterious Heishui City of Western Xia is actually the site of this military command.

Old Cao, tell me honestly, is this matter related to the previous one

The patient took the medication and was properly settled. Another person came over, who was quite elderly, also wearing glasses, with sparse, gray hair. Cao Shi exchanged a few words with him; he said he was a teacher from the History Department of Ningda, with the surname Fang, and expressed his gratitude for the medication we provided

Although Cao Shi is unwilling to reveal his intentions to me, I can vaguely guess that what the old man is looking for this time is likely related to the item from the Fatai Temple.

What is this? Is it another counterfeit product of the Xixia Chiran horse brand?

Soon, several indistinct figures appeared in the distance. Someone raised a gun and attempted to shoot, but was stopped by Cao Shi. At that moment, the other party also noticed us, and one of them stood up and waved vigorously. I took out my binoculars to have a look; there were a total of four people, all crouched in place, and one of them seemed to have had an accident, lying motionless in someone else's arms

A few of us feigned sudden understanding. Old Fang looked at the sky and then said: "It seems we won't make it in time today. How about this: not far ahead is a place called Mazhan, which used to be a small town of the Western Xia. Everyone can rest there for the night; it is much better than sleeping outdoors."

I still have a bit of interest in what I heard, but Cao Shi only knows this much. When I asked him about other matters, he expressed his apologies

The journey was quite dull. While I was on the vehicle with nothing to do, I idly browsed through Cao Shi's map. I couldn't understand the map of the ancient Western Xia; the place names were very unfamiliar to me. I noticed a location marked as Baimaqiang Town Military Division not far north of Mazhan, so I asked Cao Shi what this place was.

You have indeed asked the right question. Cao Shi spat out the sand that had gotten into his mouth and said: "I am not familiar with the Western Xia either, but since Mazhanli is relatively close to this Baima Qiangzhen military command, I specifically took the time to look into it..."

Despite the doubts in my heart, I dared not neglect the tasks assigned by the old man. In the following two days, Cao Shi took me and Wei Mian to prepare, coordinating the personnel to go to Mazhan. I am not clear about the number of mobile personnel involved in this transaction, but the lineup of about ten individuals who will be specifically working is quite impressive. Among them, four or five are skilled hands, possessing remarkable abilities and insights, capable of handling matters independently when deployed, and it is rare for them to gather together to work on the same task.

However, trekking here for about eighty to ninety kilometers is not too difficult; one will not be trapped to death if they venture in. If one goes further, it becomes hard to guarantee safety. Cao Shi considered this for a moment and instructed to leave the vehicle and two guards behind, while the rest should carry as many supplies as possible and walk to Mazhan. He expressed his regret to me, saying that he originally thought the vehicle could go directly to Mazhan, but who would have expected such an unforeseen situation to arise. In fact, I was not too concerned; it was just that Wei Mian looked particularly distressing. This fellow was carrying a backpack that was hardly smaller than his backside, taking small, shuffling steps across the desert. I found it hard to understand why the old man, knowing Wei Mian's character, insisted on having him come along. Not only was he of no help, but he also slowed everyone down.

Young Master Tian, there are quite a few participants in this transaction, and even those few tough individuals that Master Ba values highly are still unaware of anything. Please do not put me in a difficult position