As the sun set and the twin moons wheeled overhead, their mingled glow spilling across the tranquil lake, the allied army Tang Qi led had just finished setting up camp.
Thanks to Dawn, Tang Qi had been invited to dinner with the Dawnlight Tribe. They had promised him their finest hospitality, but he did not expect much.
When they arrived at the tribe's largest tent, Great Sword Dance welcomed the two of them to the seats of honor in the center and placed prepared jackal roast before them. Tang Qi was grateful he had brought plenty of spices from Wind Sand Islet. Those things could make even a shoe sole taste good.
Jackal meat tasted stranger than ordinary wolf meat. It lacked the latter's dry toughness and was closer to dog meat, but its rank odor was stronger. Once the spices covered that smell, it was surprisingly palatable. "If I'd known, I would have had you marinate it beforehand—"
Hearing Tang Qi's regret, Great Sword Dance sighed as well. "Wind Sand Islet's spices truly are treasures of the desert. Unfortunately, we have nothing worth trading for them. They're too expensive."
"I thought you lived in the mountains and didn't know much about Wind Sand Islet," Tang Qi said in surprise.
"We robbed some people there before." Three Reindeer Antlers licked the fur on his wrist. "Later, Wind Sand Islet
even sent soldiers to wipe us out."
"Did you escape?" Tang Qi asked.
"We got caught." The ocelot man snorted. "But they didn't do anything to us. They even treated us to good food and drink."
"Wasn't that a good thing? Why didn't you stay in Wind Sand Islet?"
"We've been bandits since birth. Once a bandit, always a bandit. We've always fed and clothed ourselves with our own hands. If