Chapter 001: Mirage

Zhang Mai's proficiency in classical Chinese is rather average; the rhetoric of those imperial edicts appears somewhat obscure, and some characters are even difficult to recognize. However, after reading it twice, I still grasped the general idea, understanding that this imperial edict is to commend a person named Guo Xin, stating that he has made contributions to the country by defending its territory in times of crisis. Consequently, Guo Xin is appointed as the Grand Protector of Anxi and the Military Governor of the Four Towns, while simultaneously issuing a decree for the promotion of the soldiers under his command in the Four Towns.

Damn it! This is bad! We need to leave quickly! Otherwise, we might really die here

Such a bloody scene is by no means a stunt; there is no sound, yet from the expressions of the elderly, weak, women, and children, Zhang Mai seems to hear their wails and moans! ... Meanwhile, the foreign invaders are laughing, trampling on those elderly and weak who have not yet died completely.

Press it again, squeeze it a little...

What great strength...

However, upon closer inspection, she truly is beautiful, exuding a graceful and spirited demeanor, without a hint of affectation. In the city, within the office building, Zhang Maike has never encountered a girl with such an aura.

These three items in hand, if they are genuine, would all be antiques. The current market for antiques is favorable; if taken back to the country, they could likely sell for around 100,000 to 80,000. With good fortune, perhaps even in the millions. However, Zhang Mai does not desire a fortune of millions; he only wants a pot of water

There is only one sun in the sky, yet Zhang Mai feels as if he is in the ancient legend of the Ten Suns era, where the intense sunlight and the *illustrations* seem to be evaporating all the moisture from his body. His boots crunch on the yellow sand, producing an unpleasant sound.

It is quite unfortunate that I did not visit the picturesque Suzhou and Hangzhou, the spring-like Yunnan, or the historical Xi'an, and I have grown weary of the large cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Instead, I have a strong desire to see the vast desert, the yellow sands, the snow-capped mountains, the oases, and the endless grasslands. I wish to ride the unparalleled汗血宝马 (Heavenly Blood Horse) and savor the renowned Silk Road. Thus, I saved enough money and vacation time, starting from Lanzhou, and traveled all the way to Central Asia beyond the borders of this country. Upon first encountering the desert, grasslands, snow-capped mountains, and Gobi, I felt a sense of exhilaration and expansiveness. However, now Zhang Mai deeply regrets his decision.

That was a distant and dreamlike era. As for the specific time of the second year of the Jianzhong era, he did not know.

In a flash of the blade, a young girl felled a slaughterer, rescuing a little boy. Behind her, a squad of ancient Chinese cavalry charged out.

Heavens, could it really be an imperial decree?

At this moment, the compass in the sand suddenly began to spin wildly, turning faster than a fan, as if the surrounding magnetic field had undergone a transformation

Well done! Zhang Mai praised, but due to thirst, he could no longer make a sound. Following that, he saw the girl's features becoming clearer. Although her face was smeared with sand and blood, her features were quite exquisite; she was indeed a beautiful girl of no more than twenty years old.

"If this is true, has this guy been lying here for over a thousand years?" Looking at the pile of bones, he suddenly shivered, "I won't end up like him, just dying here and waiting for another unfortunate soul to discover me a thousand years later..."

There is no sound, only images, like a silent film

The girl crouched down, while Zhang Mai reached out his hand, wanting to touch the girl's face before dying—despite knowing that his hand would surely pass through the image and touch nothing.

With a loud thud, it seemed as though my foot had kicked something. Upon closer inspection, I was astonished to find a pile of human bones

Ah! It is indeed that ancient beauty from the mirage just now

Upon further examination of the edict, it is noted that the year indicated is "The Second Year of the Jianzhong Era of the Great Tang Dynasty"

Tang Dynasty

He was truly out of strength, and before he could even touch the face of the "image," his hand went limp and unexpectedly rested on the other person's chest

entity

Damn it, if I can't find anyone again, I'm truly afraid I will die here

This is not a movie

Is it an illusion? Or a mirage?

Is it another illusion

With a buzzing sound in his head, Zhang Mai finally fainted

It has been two days since he lost contact with his companions, and he has also gotten lost in the desert. Zhang Mai begins to regret this trip

Shake the kettle and the book, and draw the last drop of water into your mouth

Anxi Duhu (Protector General of Anxi)

Zhang Mai suddenly felt a bit dry in his mouth and throat

His eyes were somewhat blurred, and he saw a scene of battle in the distance. Oh, no, it should be a massacre: a group of fierce-looking foreigners were riding horses and wielding swords, slaughtering a group of people dressed in ancient Chinese clothing

Since the day I got lost, my phone has been unreachable

The hilt of the dagger is surprisingly made of silver, adorned with a qilin head. When drawn, it glimmers coldly, suggesting it is not an ordinary item. Upon unrolling the scroll, it reveals vertical rows of traditional Chinese characters. Although traditional characters are somewhat challenging to read, they are still recognizable. However, upon reading through the entire text, it is evident that the tone is entirely that of the ancient central court.

Traveling independently in countries where the tourism industry is not sufficiently developed is indeed a dangerous endeavor

Is this not an illusion

Zhang Mai was increasingly lacking in strength, feeling very tired, so tired that it seemed even opening his eyelids was difficult. In a daze, he seemed to see a camel approaching in the distance, with a young woman on its back.

The camel approached closer, and the young woman who had been riding it jumped down and walked towards herself, her features becoming clearer...

The girl was originally investigating Zhang Mai's situation, but unexpectedly, this guy actually reached out with his lewd hands just before dying! Her slender eyebrows shot up like willow leaves, and she immediately slapped him!

In the images, the Chinese people are constantly fleeing to escape, while some valiant men are bravely resisting. However, many elderly, weak, women, and children still could not escape the swift blades of the foreign invaders

Although he found himself in a desperate situation, and despite knowing that everything before him was merely an illusion, Zhang Mai still felt a surge of anger, almost wanting to rush forward; however, he no longer had the strength to do so

It is still soft and seems to have warmth, the tactile sensation is extremely pleasant

Oh no, is the compass broken

What exactly is this? Could it be something from hundreds of years ago that has persisted to the present? Can a mirage preserve an image for such a long time?

soft and fluffy

Evil door ... ... evil door

This should also be a mirage.

She walked out of the mirage

Hurry up and quicken your pace, watching the compass continuously point east—since the moment he realized he was lost, he had been walking in this direction. Getting lost in the desert, he believed that sticking to one direction was always better than flailing about like a headless fly. However, after an unknown amount of time, he saw that skull again

Upon seeing the pile of white bones for the third time, Zhang Mai irritably threw down the compass, exclaiming, "What unscrupulous merchants! They can't even make this life-saving item of better quality."

Bang

Blood gushed from the throat, and a child had their belly slashed open by a curved blade, with intestines being dragged out

At this moment, Zhang Mai had already lost much of his strength and sat beside the white bones, trying to think of a way to escape the predicament before him. However, his mind was completely blank. A glance at the pile of withered bones revealed that this poor soul had decayed to the point of having no flesh left; it seemed he had been dead for an unknown length of time. Next to the skeleton was a specially made bag, which felt somewhat unusual to the touch. The opening of the bag was not secured with a zipper but rather with buttons. Zhang Mai's curiosity was piqued, and he cautiously opened the bag. A few items fell out: one was a scroll, resembling a decree seen on television, with a shaft that appeared to be made of jade, flawless in every respect. Another item was a fish-shaped token, and in addition, there was a dagger.

Zhang Mai's historical knowledge is quite ordinary. During middle school, he memorized the history textbook to pass exams, and over the years, he has forgotten most of it, returning much to the teacher. He struggles with some of the official titles and terminology, but he does know about the Jiedushi, which seems to be a high-ranking official equivalent to a provincial governor or military district commander in ancient times. As for Anxi, from the literal meaning, it should refer to the administrative region established by the state in the west. Coupled with the location where this imperial edict was discovered, it can be inferred that it might be the ancient office responsible for managing the Western Regions.

Even the wind is dry, with not a trace of moisture in the air. This is the deepest part of the Eurasian continent, thousands of miles away from the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean in all directions. The moisture from the sea and clouds cannot reach here; the only source of humidity for this land comes from the rivers flowing down from ancient glaciers. Yet, this place is a desert