Rustle, rustle~~
At dusk, an autumn rain quietly fell over the Gobi Desert.
Though the rain was so light that there was no need for umbrellas or bamboo hats, like mist brushing against the face, it still brought travelers crossing the Gobi Desert something of the feeling of sweet rain after a long drought.
In a small town more than three hundred li from Langxuan City, two horses stood at the town entrance. Mounted on them were Cao Aning and Xu Tianying, who had just been sent back.
Although two blows had left Cao Aning with internal injuries from which he still had not fully recovered, returning alive from the Hall of the King of Hell was already an immense stroke of luck to him. He even felt that surviving a great calamity surely meant blessings lay ahead, and was saying:
"I always told you Night Great Yama was formidable, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, impossible to guard against, but you wouldn't believe me. Believe me now? If you hadn't benefited from my good fortune, where would you have gotten the chance to become an irregular agent for the Imperial Court and earn an opportunity to redeem your crimes through service..."
Ever since meeting Cao Aning, Xu Tianying had not encountered a single good thing. Hearing Cao Aning still praising his own wares, he replied:
"If you hadn't come to Yan Mountain to report that the Empress had a hidden ailment, the Heir of Prince Yan and Master would have continued biding their time. If Master hadn't taken that desperate gamble, I would still be the Young Master of Cloud-Cutting Palace. Once Master passed away, I would have become the rightful leader of Yanzhou, clean and free of any stain. But now, thanks to you, I've become a traitor