Yellow sand struck their faces, and the wind whistled around their ears.
Chen Yi shielded his face with his sleeve. Everywhere he looked, hazy yellow sand filled his vision. Fortunately, they had not gone far through the wind and sand when the view ahead suddenly opened up—a streak of green amid the murky yellow.
Jade Waves and lush greenery, birdsong and fragrant flowers. It was a city nestled in an oasis. Even from far away, Chen Yi could see people coming and going through its bustling streets.
"This is Loulan's Royal Capital, and the Buddhist capital of the Western Regions. It has no walls, and anyone may enter—a symbol of its openness to all." Yellow Fang, the White Elephant Spirit leading the way, smiled with unmistakable pride.
"Tsk, tsk!" Zhu Ganglie scoffed. "Just now you tried to stop the young Chen lad from setting foot in the Western Regions. How can you talk about openness to all with a straight face?"
"Heh!" Mind Monkey bared his teeth in a grin. "You monsters are only good with words. No matter how pretty they sound, they're just meant to fool people. You don't believe a word yourself!"
And you're not a monster?
Yellow Fang bristled, but he did not dare argue. He could only snort inwardly.
Chen Yi did not join in the mockery. Instead, the so-called capital of Loulan had caught his interest.
"The records say Loulan perished long ago. So what happened in the Western Regions during these centuries of war in the Central Plains?" With that question in mind, he followed Yellow Fang into the oasis city.
The streets were orderly, and pedestrians moved in an orderly fashion. Everyone wore a smile, greeted one another, and observed every courtesy.
Yet the scene before him gave Chen Yi an eerie