Everything was ready. On the morning of his departure, the prince and Wang Yue both came to see Lin Taichu off. The prince patted him on the shoulder. "Taichu, be careful on the road and come back early."
Wang Yue's eyes were red as she handed Lin Taichu a cloth bundle. "There are pastries I made for you inside. Eat them if you get hungry on the road. You must be careful. Father and I will be waiting for you to return."
"Prince, Miss Wang, don't worry. I'll return safely and find the Sunward Grass."
With that, Lin Taichu and Old Zhou mounted their horses and set off toward the edge of the desert.
Along the way, the two rode hard through the day and rested at nearby inns or ruined temples at night.
Old Zhou was quite talkative. Along the way, he told Lin Taichu many things about the desert's edge, such as where water sources and dangerous beasts could be found, giving Lin Taichu a better understanding of the area.
After several days of travel, they finally drew closer and closer to the desert's edge.
The scenery around them gradually changed as well. The forests and grasslands became fewer and fewer, replaced by bare earthen slopes and sparse shrubs, while the air grew dry.
Old Zhou reined in his horse and pointed ahead. "That's the edge of the desert. Once we cross this stretch of dirt slopes, we'll be in the desert. Let's rest here first, drink some water, eat some dry rations, then head in."
Lin Taichu nodded, dismounted with Old Zhou, found a shady spot to sit down, took a drink from his water flask, and ate some of the pastries Wang Yue had made.
After resting for about half an hour, the two mounted up