Inherited 100 Million - Chapter 15

On the second day, Zhong Meng had already prepared all the supplies needed for the journey.

Xue Yizhuo didn’t look at the supply list in detail. She just gave him the money and agreed to whatever Zhong Meng wanted to buy. Two days later, they were at the city gates, and everything was indeed fully prepared.

Not to mention the ample food and water, the two custom-made carriages alone were impressive.

Zhong Meng said, “These two carriages were bought from a wealthy merchant. They are pulled by camels and can travel unimpeded in the desert. You and Mr. Li can each have one. The inside of the carriages is very spacious, and you can rest inside at night.”

Xue Yizhuo nodded, quite satisfied, completely missing the shocked expression on Old Li’s face as he struggled to speak.

Zhong Meng then went on to introduce the three tall men and one equally sturdy woman waiting nearby. “These four are the Cheng family’s three brothers and Cheng Da’s wife. They are all trustworthy. We’ll need extra hands in the desert, so I called them over. Cheng Sao will be with you to take care of your daily needs, and Cheng Da will serve Mr. Li.”

Xue Yizhuo continued to nod, having no objections. Whether in the game or in real life, this was her first time in the desert. She knew nothing about traveling in the desert, so having people to look after her was a good thing.

The four of them looked simple and honest, but their eyes were bright and they seemed reliable.

Not long after Xue Yizhuo nodded, Old Li pulled her aside.

With his eyes wide, Old Li was on the verge of pointing his finger at her. “Does your money grow on trees?!”

It’s randomly generated by a programmer—in a way, it’s not much different from growing on trees.

Xue Yizhuo nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Old Li: “…”

He had watched Xue Yizhuo spend more money in the last few days than he had ever seen in his entire life, and his heart was now aching. How much would it cost to stay a day at the Shuxue Courtyard with its small pond and peach trees? And how much would it cost to buy those two magnificent carriages that could travel in the desert?

Old Li, who had been instilled with the value of thriftiness by his master since childhood, felt his worldview was being challenged.

Xue Yizhuo patted Old Li on the shoulder and said earnestly, “You’ll get used to it.”

In Old Li’s eyes, the wicked capitalist walked toward the carriage with her hands behind her back, a circle of golden light seeming to radiate from her.

Unlike typical carriages, these two modified ones had no curtains. They had doors that could be pulled shut for better protection against the wind. Cheng Sao had already opened the door. When Xue Yizhuo stepped inside the carriage, she was even more pleased with Zhong Meng.

The carriage was, as Zhong Meng had said, very spacious. Although it was filled with many items, it didn’t feel cramped. The seats were covered with several layers of soft blankets, so it wouldn’t be uncomfortable to sit for a whole day. After a moment, Xue Yizhuo realized that the seats could be pulled out to form a bed that was quite roomy for a person of her height.

The space beneath the seats wasn’t wasted. It had been turned into a cabinet with several compartments. When Xue Yizhuo opened it, she saw that it contained not only essentials like blankets and cloaks but also some snacks.

Besides these basic amenities, there were some small items that Xue Yizhuo couldn’t find right away. The soundproofing, ventilation, insulation, and shock absorption of the carriage were also excellent. It was practically a well-equipped small room.

Outside the carriage, Zhong Meng signaled to start, and the camels slowly began to move. Xue Yizhuo could barely feel the vibrations of the carriage. She opened the window, leaned on it, and looked back. The tall, majestic city walls of Jingcheng slowly faded into the distance. Xue Yizhuo watched for a long time until the walls completely disappeared from her sight.

A sense of sadness came over her for no reason. After leaving Jingcheng, they would no longer be in the Wuqin Kingdom. Since she had been in the Wuqin Kingdom for a long time, Xue Yizhuo felt a little reluctant to leave. With every step the camel took, she was one step farther from Qingping Town. She couldn’t help but miss the babbling streams of the water town in her memory, but now all she saw was the endless yellow sand of the desert.

Xue Yizhuo didn’t know if she would ever be able to return to Qingping Town.

A shadow fell over her as Zhong Meng rode his camel to the side of the carriage.

Xue Yizhuo raised her hand and waved it slightly as a greeting.

Zhong Meng asked, “If you’re bored, Miss Xue, there are a few storybooks in the cabinet that are popular with young ladies these days.”

Xue Yizhuo shook her head. “No, thank you. I get dizzy reading in a carriage.”

Although a carriage and a car might not be the same, Xue Yizhuo didn’t want to read a book in any kind of vehicle.

Zhong Meng thought for a moment and said, “Then you can talk to me if you’re bored.”

Xue Yizhuo happened to have a question for him. “There’s something that’s been on my mind for a while. Why are there sandstorms in the Yangsuo Desert during this time?”

“The time of the sandstorm is fixed every year, but no one knows why,” Zhong Meng said. “I only know that there were no sandstorms before the country of Guque was destroyed.”

The setting of this country sounded very relevant to the game’s main storyline.

Xue Yizhuo became interested and asked him, “Did the sandstorms start because of the destruction of Guque?”

Zhong Meng shook his head. “In fact, the destruction of Guque is closely related to the sandstorms. It was the sudden sandstorms that caused the environment to deteriorate, which led to the demise of Guque.”

Xue Yizhuo asked, “Will we encounter a sandstorm?”

“Sandstorms are very frequent during the sandstorm season,” Zhong Meng didn’t give a definite answer, but what he said made it clear that they would. He said solemnly, “We will protect you and Mr. Li.”

“Oh.” Xue Yizhuo went back to leaning on the window.

She wasn’t worried about her own safety. Even if a sandstorm came, it couldn’t do anything to her. Xue Yizhuo was more afraid that the sandstorm would blow her guide away. If she got separated from Zhong Meng, she had no idea how long it would take her to get to the Great Yan Dynasty.

Xue Yizhuo pulled up her mini-map. After leaving Jingcheng, the mini-map was a blank slate with no markers. All around her was nothing but sand.

As time passed, the sun became more and more intense. After being in the sunlight for a long time, her skin began to feel a stinging sensation. Xue Yizhuo didn’t last long before closing the window and retreating into the carriage. She put some ice from her inventory into an empty porcelain bottle, and then she lay down on the small bed and fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up once, ate something, and then went back to bed. Perhaps because there was nothing to do in the carriage, Xue Yizhuo subconsciously didn’t want to wake up too quickly. When she finally woke up from her sleep, it was already evening.

Xue Yizhuo stretched and opened the window.

Golden-red sunlight poured into the carriage. Xue Yizhuo forgot to put her arm down and stared blankly at the scenery outside the window. The endless yellow sand formed a vast sea, and a red sun was setting where the sea met the sky, turning the entire sky into a brilliant red.

Xue Yizhuo opened the carriage door and stuck half of her body out.

Cheng Sao, who was guiding the camel, was startled by the movement behind her. “Why did you come out, Miss? The wind is strong outside. You should wear a cloak.”

Xue Yizhuo also felt the sand blowing toward her and quickly retreated. She found the white cloak in the cabinet and wrapped herself up tightly, only revealing her bright and clear eyes.

“Cheng Sao, I want to go for a walk,” Xue Yizhuo said, jumping off the carriage.

The camel was moving very slowly, and she could keep up with it by walking a little faster.

Cheng Sao let out a sound of surprise, not having time to stop her. Xue Yizhuo felt herself sink into the soft sand a little, but she quickly found her footing. The feeling of walking in the desert was completely different from walking on a beach. Xue Yizhuo curiously took a few more steps and then ran a little.

She tightened her cloak and looked back, just in time to see a skinny figure on a camel, silhouetted against the sun. She couldn’t see his face because of the backlight, but Xue Yizhuo recognized him by his posture.

“Old Li!” Xue Yizhuo shouted, not caring about getting sand in her mouth, and waved at Old Li.

Old Li had been riding the camel for who knows how long and was now very skilled at it. He pulled the reins, and the camel walked toward Xue Yizhuo.

“Why did you come out?” Old Li asked her.

“It was so boring staying inside,” Xue Yizhuo said. “And the sun has set, so it’s not that hot anymore.”

Xue Yizhuo asked excitedly, “Are there any extra camels? I want to ride one too.”

“Here,” Old Li pointed behind him. “There’s one following us.”

Cheng Sao also poked her head out and said with a smile, “Miss, I’ll teach you.”

With Cheng Sao’s help, Xue Yizhuo got on the camel. She had learned to ride a horse when she was a teenager and was quite good at it. She quickly learned to ride the camel as well. The wind blew in her face, no longer as hot and humid as it had been during the day. As Xue Yizhuo slowly moved forward on the camel, she felt much more at ease and comfortable than she had in the carriage.

She took the map out of her cloak’s inner pocket. With the last bit of sunlight, she tried to find their location.

Using both the paper map and the system map, Xue Yizhuo—Xue Yizhuo had no idea where she was.

She waved the map and went to find Zhong Meng.

Zhong Meng pointed to a spot on the map. “We’re about here now.”

Looking at the spot that was incredibly close to Jingcheng, Xue Yizhuo fell into deep thought.

Cheng Er, who was nearby, laughed. “Miss Xue, the Yangsuo Desert is huge. When you look at it on a map, you don’t travel very far in a day!”

Xue Yizhuo had been prepared for this. After all, it had taken a lot of time for her and Old Li to get from Qingping Town to Jingcheng. But after experiencing the convenience of modern transportation for more than twenty years, it was hard to adapt to a historical world.

“This is the only way we can travel,” Zhong Meng said with a sigh. “I’ve heard that there are immortals who can travel a thousand miles in a day as if they were taking a single step. I wonder what kind of speed that is.”

In this world, cultivators and mortals coexisted, so there were many legends about immortals among the mortals, and they were often brought up.

Cheng Er replied loudly, “Those are just legends. How can there be immortals in this world!”

Xue Yizhuo’s eyes curved into a smile. “What if there really are?”

Cheng Er raised an eyebrow. “Then crossing the Yangsuo Desert would be as easy for an immortal as crossing a small river is for us. Immortals are high and mighty, and we mortals will probably never get to see one in our lifetime!”

Xue Yizhuo thought to herself that the “immortal” she had met was not high and mighty at all.

She was surprisingly… very gentle.

After the sun had completely set, they came to a sheltered slope and set up camp.

Xue Yizhuo was uncommonly generous with her money, giving away an amount that ten caravans might not have paid. So the food on the road was also very good. Dry rations made up only a small part of their supplies. Cheng Sao started a fire and began to cook meat stew.

“It smells so good.” Xue Yizhuo sat by the campfire with her knees hugged to her chest. The firelight made her face glow.

Cheng Sao stirred the stew and sprinkled seasoning into it, saying proudly, “There aren’t many people in all of Jingcheng who are better at cooking than me.”

Xue Yizhuo nodded in agreement. She couldn’t expect the ingredients to be of high quality in the desert. It was impressive that Cheng Sao could make the food taste this good.

Since it was their first day of travel, Cheng Sao even added some fresh vegetables to the stew. She wasn’t stingy with the vegetables; if they didn’t eat them now, they would go bad in a few days.

“It’s ready,” Cheng Sao said, scooping out the first bowl of stew and handing it to Xue Yizhuo.

Xue Yizhuo was already careful, but she still stuck out her tongue because the stew was too hot.

“Let it cool down before you drink it. The soup is hot right out of the pot,” Cheng Sao said with a laugh.

The temperature difference between day and night in the desert was extreme. Although they were on a sheltered slope, some wind still managed to blow their way. Xue Yizhuo felt a little cold, so she hugged the bowl to warm herself.

Soon, everyone had a bowl of stew. The men sat together in one group, and the women sat in another group not far away.

The stew was still a bit hot. Xue Yizhuo, who had nothing to do, looked up at the stars.

The sky was filled with twinkling stars. The galaxy was vast, and the bright moon couldn’t overshadow its brilliance.

Cheng Sao took a sip of the stew and asked casually, “Miss Xue, why are you crossing the desert alone? Where are your father and brothers?”

“Father and brothers?” Xue Yizhuo was stunned. “I don’t have any brothers. My father… he’s in a very distant place.”

Xue Yizhuo felt a little sad.

She was a person who could adapt easily. Since she couldn’t go back, she would actively adjust to her new environment. But when she thought about her previous life, she still felt a sense of melancholy.

She wasn’t without attachments… her parents were still in that world.

Xue Yizhuo didn’t know what had happened to her in her previous life. Did time freeze when she disappeared, or did she simply die? If it was the latter, her parents would be heartbroken. Although they had given her a lot of freedom and a hands-off upbringing, it didn’t mean they didn’t love her.

Xue Yizhuo knew that it was because they loved her so much that they hoped she would live a carefree and unrestrained life.

Cheng Sao misunderstood. “Are you going on this journey to find your father?”

“…Huh? No, no.” Xue Yizhuo quickly shook her head and pointed to Old Li in the distance. “I’m actually just accompanying him to Great Yan.”

Cheng Sao had been wondering who Old Li was this whole time.

By his appearance, he seemed to be Xue Yizhuo’s servant, but when they interacted, they were completely equal.

Cheng Sao asked tentatively, “Is he your master, your grandfather?”

Xue Yizhuo smiled. “Something like a grandfather.”

Old Li was so old now, so it was no loss for her to call him that.

Xue Yizhuo was very grateful for Old Li’s presence. If it weren’t for him, she would probably be very lonely in this world.

Xue Yizhuo saw Old Li stand up and walk over.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Getting some stew.” Old Li showed her his empty bowl, then looked at the bowl she was holding. “Your stew is going to get cold!”

Xue Yizhuo said “oh” and realized that she had completely forgotten to drink it.

After Old Li finished his stew, he sat down next to Xue Yizhuo.

He said while drinking the stew, “I’ve been feeling uneasy…”

Xue Yizhuo complained, “Don’t jinx it!”

“This isn’t a jinx, it’s a premonition!” Old Li huffed. “There are many things that can happen in the desert, like sandstorms, wolves, snakes, desert bandits…”

Before Old Li could finish, a scream echoed in the distance.

Old Li: “…”

A blazing fire appeared at the edge of their vision, and at the same time, a woman’s cries for help could be heard.

The three Cheng brothers gripped their knife handles, looking warily at where the fire was.

[Main Quest Three: A Righteous Act – Distant cries of distress and blazing flames. The bandits are approaching! Player, quickly defeat the enemy!]

[Enemies defeated: 0/10]

[Reward: EXP x 10000, Silver x 100]

The system, which had been silent for a long time since Xue Yizhuo had been avoiding quests, suddenly popped up with three notifications.

She had probably just arrived at the quest location.

Xue Yizhuo looked at the quest the system had just given her, then at the bowl of stew she had only drunk half of.

“…Old Li, you really are a jinx.”

“Help! Help me!”

The woman’s cries were hoarse, as if every scream would tear her throat and make her bleed.

She was in a sorry state, covered in sand. One of her sleeves was torn, and the wound on her arm was still bleeding. Her legs moved mechanically. The woman had no strength left, and she felt like she would collapse with every step.

The woman saw the fire in the distance.

Her eyes lit up, and she desperately ran toward the light, shouting louder for help.

But the next moment, her ankle twisted, and her body fell heavily to the ground, her eyes filled with despair.

It’s over, it’s all over…

“Damn it! Let’s see where you can run now!”

The sound of horse hooves approached her from behind. The faint firelight caught up to her. Under the full moon and the starry sky, a large knife was raised high. The sharp blade fell in an instant—

“Hah!”

Someone shouted loudly. The woman’s widened eyes were filled with disbelief.

A tall figure lunged forward, raising his knife to block the blade that was about to fall on her!

From atop a sand dune in the distance, Xue Yizhuo saw Cheng Er save the woman who was being chased. She silently pulled her hood over her head, letting the shadow it cast cover most of her face.