Chapter 354: Mirage City in the Desert!
“Thank you for your hard work, my lady.”
Li Mo extended his arm, gently pulling Fei Yan into his embrace.
Just as he was about to kiss her on the cheek, a slight cough suddenly came from behind.
“It seems I arrived at an inconvenient time.”
In the desert at night, the winds were strong, fluttering the Moon Goddess’s long skirt.
Bathed in the bright moonlight, she appeared like a fairy.
But at that moment, her expression bore a hint of displeasure.
It was as if she was upset with the two for leaving her behind.
Li Mo turned around and smiled, “No, you’re here at just the right time.”
With that, he extended his other hand, pulling the Moon Goddess into his embrace as well.
It wasn’t the first time the two sisters had shared a bed, so now just a simple hug wasn’t something to be shy about.
Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess were both proud heavenly beauties.
Getting either one of them was a tremendous fortune.
To have both serve one husband was something most would not even dare to imagine.
Yet now it was actually happening.
After embracing for a while, it was the Moon Goddess who broke the silence.
“Based on the timeline, if we don’t encounter a storm, we should reach Loulan in another four days. I worry that Donghuang might lead the Yin-Yang disciples to set a trap in Loulan.”
Li Mo wanted to uncover the secrets of the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon, and Donghuang Taiyi had set his sights on what lay behind this.
This appeared to be a cooperative effort between the two.
In reality, it was a subtle competition.
However, Donghuang Taiyi could never have imagined that his most trusted two subordinates had already turned traitorous.
Li Mo was delayed in his journey due to the Ba Yue expedition and Ying Zheng’s coronation.
His slow departure didn’t mean that the forces under his command were also delayed.
“It doesn’t matter. He can deploy an intricate web, and I can set a trap for him as well. Tian Ze and Wei Zhuang have already set out ahead of time, and they might arrive at Loulan even before your Yin-Yang School people.”
Li Mo shook his head nonchalantly.
Then he added, “By the way, which of you two will inform Donghuang Taiyi? Just tell him that I’ve already set up an ambush in Loulan.”
The Moon Goddess was taken aback, raising her head from his embrace and asking, “Inform Donghuang Taiyi?”
Having Tian Ze and Wei Zhuang set up the ambush ahead of time was originally intended to catch Donghuang Taiyi by surprise.
If they told him, wouldn’t that make the ambush pointless?
However, knowing Li Mo well, Fei Yan smiled and said, “My husband has more than one quicksand; there’s also an unknown net at his disposal.”
The Moon Goddess immediately caught on.
Why did Donghuang Taiyi keep the two sisters around Li Mo?
It was to gain his trust and then deliver messages or deal a fatal blow at critical moments.
If they couldn’t send back any information, it would inevitably raise Donghuang Taiyi’s suspicions.
The Moon Goddess looked at Li Mo with a complicated expression and slowly said, “What if I also informed Donghuang about the ambush in Loulan?”
Upon hearing this, Li Mo laughed heartily, “If I end up dead at Donghuang Taiyi’s hands, then you two sisters will surely be left as widows.”
The Yin-Yang School had a limited number of skilled experts.
Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess’s betrayal had directly halved the Yin-Yang School’s high-end combat power.
Shaosiming had already been captured by him, and Nu Ying was also in his hands.
Back in the Yin-Yang School, Ehuang and Bai Siming didn’t dare to act recklessly.
So aside from Donghuang Taiyi, there were only Zuo Hufa, Xinghun, and Lord Xiang remaining.
Considering this, the Yin-Yang School had already suffered a substantial loss.
Immediately after hearing this, Fei Yan lightly punched him, pouting, “Don’t say such things.”
Donghuang Taiyi was not ignorant of Li Mo’s strength and his apparent force.
To dare plan against a tiger shows he must have some confidence.
But even with confidence, he was still just a flesh-and-blood being.
Li Mo didn’t believe he could withstand gunpowder.
In the face of absolute strength, any schemes and tricks would become futile.
The Moon Goddess was tasked with conveying the message to Donghuang Taiyi using the secret methods of the Yin-Yang School.
Meanwhile, Li Mo entered Li Wu’s tent.
During this time, he had been sharing a bed with Li Wu.
This wasn’t due to favoring one over the other or neglecting Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess.
It was just that as they entered the desert, the danger from that mysterious shadow grew closer, and Li Wu’s safety became paramount.
He had to tread carefully.
The upcoming journey didn’t go as smoothly as expected; they encountered two sandstorms along the way.
Fortunately, they were not too severe, causing minimal losses to the team.
After the storm, the team stopped to recuperate. With her experience in leading troops, Li Wu efficiently directed the soldiers to organize the group.
Just as she was about to report the losses to Li Mo, she heard the soldiers’ cheers.
“Look over there!
………… We seek flowers….
“It’s a city, such a large city!”
“Have we arrived? Is this Loulan?”
“Look quickly, there are people moving in the city, we’ve finally found it!”
“Strange, it wasn’t there a moment ago, how did it suddenly appear?”
“That’s why they call Loulan the ghost of the desert!”
A massive city had inexplicably appeared not far away; one could faintly see the scenery within the city.
The soldiers guarding the city gate and the streets in the city were clearly visible.
Sensing this, Li Wu felt a surge of joy in her heart.
The harsh environment of the desert might not be much to them, but it was a significant trial for these soldiers.
If they couldn’t find Loulan soon, the soldiers would undoubtedly be affected.
Moreover, after encountering two storms, their supplies had also been diminished.
If they couldn’t find an oasis in the desert in time, the upcoming journey would be even more arduous.
“Is this Loulan?”
The Moon Goddess had already heard the soldiers’ cheers and urged the camels to the top of a dune to gaze at the enormous city.
The sights within the city were clearly visible, as if they were just within reach.
“No,”
as soon as she finished speaking, Li Mo’s voice sounded beside her.
Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess looked at him in confusion.
“Is there another oasis besides Loulan in this desert?”
Li Mo shook his head, saying, “According to legend, there is only Loulan.”
The Moon Goddess looked again at the city ahead: “Then what is this city…”
“It’s a mirage,”
Fei Yan had already understood and took over the conversation.
Li Mo nodded: “It is indeed a mirage. Look at the appearance and clothing of the people in the city, along with the architectural style of the city—it is indistinguishable from that of the Central Plains, so it can’t possibly be Loulan.”
The mirage is actually created by the refraction of light.
The scenes refracted are not fixed.
It’s like flowers in a mirror and the moon in water.
You can see them, but you can never reach them.
Encountering a mirage in the desert is not a good thing.
This seemingly nearby mirage is a place that you can never reach.
If travelers in the desert, with their water and supplies exhausted, mistake it for an oasis to pursue, they will ultimately collapse on the road.
It can be said that the appearance of the mirage is not a lifesaver but a death sentence!
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