That's a Damn Bald Donkey!

The next day, upon receiving Yu Tunzhou's summons, Liu An rushed over immediately.

The first thing that catches the eye is a striking bald head.

Liu An was stunned on the spot.

Bald head----bald head----

Wow, this guy caused such a commotion yesterday, could it be that he's suddenly seen through the Mortal World and is preparing to become a monk?

The information I had secretly gathered about Young Hero Yu instantly flashed into my mind.

It is said that when this person was in Luofu Grotto-Heaven, he lived next to a Buddhist monk, and they had a very good relationship.

Liu An couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. If this person had chosen to become a monk, perhaps that Buddhist disciple would have come to guide him personally!

After informing Liu An that he was about to leave, Yu Tunzhou gave him a few instructions and then asked Liu An to find him a cotton hat.

It's almost the end of the year, and winter has arrived. The Western Desert is especially cold, so wearing a cotton hat doesn't seem out of place at all.

"Also, you'll have to take care of this little guy for me."

Liu An stared in astonishment at the baby bird he had just received.

Yu Tunzhou explained, "During my cultivation yesterday, I accidentally affected a wider area and damaged their nest. It's inconvenient for me to take it with me on this trip, so I'm entrusting you to take care of it for me."

Liu An looked at the charred, black crater in the courtyard, not daring to ask any further questions, but simply said in a deep voice, "Young Hero Yu, rest assured, as long as we are here, the birds will stay."

Yu Tunzhou:

Something sounds off.

Then, Liu An left quickly and returned shortly with a whole bag. The first thing he took out was a tiger-head cotton hat.

Yu Tunzhou stared at the tiger-head cotton hat, his lips twitching, his expression quite unfriendly.

Seeing that Young Hero Yu's expression was off, Liu An looked embarrassed and quickly took out other cotton hats for Yu Tunzhou to choose from.

Finally, Yu Tunzhou sighed, finding nothing he liked, and said, "Never mind, go buy me a straw hat."

Not long after, with Liu An watching him go, Yu Tunzhou, wearing a straw hat, quietly left Donghe County.

After seeing off Young Hero Yu, Liu An returned to his office. After hesitating for a moment, he added another entry to the recent records concerning Young Hero Yu.

He had previously contacted his superior in Twin Rivers Commandery, who instructed him to fully cooperate with Yu Tunzhou, record relevant information, and submit it promptly.

Therefore, not only the Dao Path Phenomenon that day, but also the act of summoning lightning yesterday were recorded by him.

Before parting, he saw Yu Tunzhou, its hair and beard completely gone, a sign that it might be about to enter a life of monastic seclusion.

Putting down his pen, Liu An glanced at the document one last time, and after confirming that everything was correct, he prepared to submit it to his superiors.

The Gold-Wielding Guard have the function of monitoring the entire world; even the ranking of the Three Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man relies on their information.

At this moment, Liu An seemed to already see the new rankings being released soon, with Young Hero Yu soaring straight to the top!

Deep in the Western Desert lies a hidden canyon.

The moonlight was blocked by the towering cliffs, and only a few oil lamps shone dimly on the stone walls, casting long and faint shadows.

Hua Nongying sat on a stone chair covered with animal hides, with a topographical map placed in front of her.

"The legacy of Xuandu— " she murmured to herself.

In recent days, she conducted a detailed investigation into Zhu Baichuan and the other two, discovered some significant problems, and then traced their origins back to the mountain village where Zhu Baichuan came from.

The mountain village was small, located east of Falling Star Gorge, but it had been abandoned for many years.

As for Falling Star Gorge, it is said to be a rift valley formed after a star fell in High Antiquity times. It is quite famous in the Western Desert. A hundred years ago, a group of bandits used it as their stronghold, which eventually led to a siege by various forces.

As she was deep in thought, she suddenly looked up and asked, "Who's there?"

"Me." A deep voice came from the valley entrance.

Hua Nongying frowned slightly and looked up. Under the moonlight, a burly figure was striding towards them, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with his hair tied in a bun and a face full of fleshy muscles—it was none other than the fifth of the Seven Bandits, [Ghost Blade] Sun Xiongman.

"Brother Man?" Hua Nongying's tone held a hint of surprise, but she didn't get up. "What brings you here?"

Sun Xiongman strode over and smiled, "I heard that you recently encountered Yu Tunzhou?"

Hua Nongying raised an eyebrow. "What, Brother Man, are you interested in him?"

Sun Xiongman grinned, revealing his teeth. "I'm quite interested in his head. I'll take it to offer as a sacrifice to my nephew Yin, who died under mysterious circumstances."

During this period, apart from Zhao Cang, almost all of his men had gone to work as spies.

The Western Desert is too vast; finding a single person within it is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Hua Nongying's heart suddenly stirred.

Even setting aside Yu Tunzhou, the mere presence of Feng Yanleng and Yuyang alone was not something she could control on her own.

Especially the hidden trump card of Feng Yanleng.

According to the surviving bandits, the battle between Feng Yanleng and Lao Qi was initially evenly matched. However, when Feng Yanleng unleashed a sword move that no one could understand, Lao Qi, Half-Step External Scenery, was completely powerless to defend himself.

When they arrived to surround and kill the woman, Feng Yanleng was clearly seriously injured. However, according to the description of that battle, Lao Qi did not seem to have this ability. She guessed that it should be the backlash of the sword move.

With Form Refinement Perfection, mastering a sword technique that leaves even Half-Step External Scenery helpless, it's normal to experience a backlash.

The reason Feng Yanleng was severely injured afterwards was not only due to the backlash from her sword technique, but also because they chased her together, yet she still managed to escape in the end.

Hua Nongying harbored the utmost fear of this prodigy from the Anguo Ji Clan.

"I actually know where that Young Hero Yu is," Hua Nongying said with a light laugh. "Besides, I have another fortuitous opportunity, but I don't know if Fifth Brother will accept it."

Sun Xiongman didn't seem to mind, and said with a faint smile, "I am already extremely grateful that Lady Hua was able to tell me about Yu Tunzhou's whereabouts."

They weren't really friends; they'd all just temporarily left their respective sects this year. Besides, this woman never did anything without a reason, so even if she were completely open with him, he wouldn't dare to take advantage of her.

"Fifth Brother, have you heard of the Xuandu inheritance?" Hua Nongying's smile was alluring yet dangerous, like a flower with thorns.

Sun Xiongman's smile faltered slightly.

"Xuandu?" He frowned. "Which Xuandu?"

"Xuandu is a Daoist School paradise, Fifth Brother, haven't you heard of it? It must be the highest lineage of Daoist School!" Hua Nongying's voice was leisurely, "The earliest discoverer of this lineage should be Jiang Ying."

"[Western Phoenix] Jiang Ying ----" Sun Xiongman's eyes narrowed suddenly as he recalled the woman Feng Yanleng had rescued not long ago.

He had just joined the group and only recently learned that the woman who had been imprisoned and was barely recognizable as human was actually Jiang Ying famous [Western Phoenix] who was once renowned throughout the Western Desert!

Jiang Ying came from a humble background, yet she eventually rose to the position of Grandmaster. Could it be that she turned her life around through this inherited talent?

In an instant, Sun Xiongman understood the preciousness of this inheritance.

Sun Xiongman did not answer immediately, quickly weighing the gains and losses in his mind. His burly figure cast a huge shadow in the moonlight.

It's very tempting, but Helian Tu imprisoned Jiang Ying for ten years, undoubtedly for that inheritance. If he joins in, will he offend Helian Tu?

Count me in.

The voice of a third person suddenly appeared, startling the two of them. The only thing that could have appeared here silently without them noticing was the real External Scenery!

Under the moonlight, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the cliff.

The newcomer was tall and thin, dressed in a long black robe, with a slender knife hanging at his waist. The scabbard was black and lay quietly beside him, yet it gave the impression of a living creature, like a lurking venomous snake.

His face was pale, his cheekbones were high, and his narrow eyes were pale gray, devoid of warmth or emotion. What was most striking about him were his hands; his ten fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles, making him a skilled hand at wielding a knife.

"So it's Fourth Brother."

Hua Nongying suppressed her shock and smiled again, "When did Fourth Brother arrive?"

Not only did Hua Nongying become wary, but Sun Xiongman also narrowed his eyes.

Of the four new recruits, only this one is a true External Scenery, and his temporary public name is [Black Saber] Yan Wen.

"I arrived a while ago, intending to catch up with you, Lady Hua, but I overheard some interesting things," Yan Wen calmly. "Eldest brother, you don't need to worry. He's being watched by [Marquis Who Guards the West] Qin Zang, and the second and third brothers went to meet him, so they can't look after us for the time being."

"Oh?" Sun Xiongman moved.

That's good news!

At least for now!

That [Marquis Who Guards the West] Qin Zang is the strongest person of the Great Yan Dynasty in the Western Desert, a top expert in the top twenty of the Earth Ranking. Even if Helian Tu were to encounter him, there would only be one possibility: defeat.

Hua Nongying whispered, "This must be the backlash from the siege of Feng Yanleng."

Ever since Feng Yanleng killed Lao Qi and rescued Jiang Ying, the Seven Bandits of the Western Desert, under Helian Tu's orders, launched a massive search for Feng Yanleng's whereabouts.

Unsurprisingly, this was because the imperial court had its eye on them.

After all, this Heroine Feng was the apple of that Old Wang's eye.

"I really envy those who have powerful backers," Hua Nongying said softly, her heart filled with Feng Yanleng, which only intensified rather than diminished.

Sun Xiongman: "Mountains may crumble, people may run away, only self-reliance matters! Count me in for this inheritance!"

"I've already sent people to keep watch near the village where Jiang Ying and the other two came from. They'll send me a message as soon as they get any news," Hua Nongying suggested. "To be on the safe side, the three of us should go directly there. Maybe we can catch those people in the act."

Western Yang Pass.

Yu Tunzhou pressed down his straw hat.

Once you leave Western Yang Pass, you enter the depths of the Western Desert, where an endless expanse of Gobi and sand stretches before you. Caravans must rest and replenish their water here, and this road is also the shortest route to Falling Star Gorge.

After leaving Donghe County, Yu Tunzhou traveled day and night, heading straight for Falling Star Gorge.

He looked northwest; another day's walk should be enough to get there.

Zhao Cang squatted under a withered tree outside the Western Yang Pass city gate, a blade of dry grass dangling from his mouth, squinting at every young man leaving the pass.

Since his last visit to Master Man and the news of the Yu Tunzhou, Zhao Cang's emotions have shifted from initial excitement to later anxiety, and then...

--

I'm numb now, my State of Mind is just sinking and never getting up.

He thought his luck was about to change. But more than half a month passed, and his bandits had been scattered all over the place, yet they hadn't found a single clue.

Logically speaking, in their Western Desert region, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy who dares to travel alone, and who is also a young master on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, should stand out from the crowd.

Especially his aura; all highly skilled Martial Dao artists possess a certain sharpness, not to mention this man who dared to kill a candidate for the Jin Household head on Jin Household territory—that sharpness could probably pierce the heavens.

But now, with not a single clue left, Zhao Cang's dream of attaching himself to the barbarian master is gradually shattering.

Finally, Zhao Cang refused to believe in bad luck and personally took charge, guarding the only route to Western Yang Pass.

To reach the heart of the Western Desert, one must either detour and traverse a vast expanse of Gobi; otherwise, Western Yang Pass is the closest official road!

Another day has passed, the sun has moved from the east to its zenith, and then from its zenith to the west.

Zhao Cang's legs were numb from squatting. Just as he was about to get up and stretch, a skinny, monkey-like subordinate tugged at his sleeve, lowering his voice with barely suppressed excitement. "Boss, boss, there's a young man over there, his age looks just right!"

Zhao Cang looked up and his gaze suddenly sharpened.

In the crowd, a young man wearing a straw hat, his face obscured, his figure ethereal like wisps of smoke, his presence almost imperceptible, even with his keen eyesight, he couldn't discern whether the other man possessed a powerful Qi and Blood.

That alone is enough to raise suspicions. Zhao Cang had barely reached the Divine Ability Realm, yet he couldn't discern the other party's true strength at all!

Could it be that...

Zhao Cang's heart suddenly raced, and he felt a surge of excitement, as a bright future lay before him.

Unexpectedly, the young man raised his straw hat and looked towards the northwest. Zhao Cang immediately noticed his shiny bald head.

He opened his mouth, but his initial enthusiasm instantly cooled, and he turned back to his men, muttering, "Idiots!"

"That's a bald monk!"

(Please take half a day off)