When the sun set again, the scouts of the Tang Army returned one after another. Unfortunately, the Tang Army returned empty-handed this time. They did not find any news about the oasis at all.
"General Cheng! Today, another six hundred warhorses will run out of materials! " After the army set up camp, the military commander came in to report with a pained expression.
As the army went deeper and deeper into the desert, the consumption of the supplies they carried increased sharply. The number of warhorses that the Tang Army needed to slaughter was increasing day by day. According to the previous practice, once the supplies on the warhorses were exhausted, they would be slaughtered. However, this time, they had to kill 600 warhorses at once.
600 warhorses!
Even though Cheng Yaojin was mentally prepared, he could not help but feel his eyelids twitch. This was not a small number!
Cheng Yaojin gritted his teeth and said, "Kill!" It was not difficult for him to choose between the safety of the warhorses and the safety of the soldiers.
The military commander sighed helplessly and turned to leave. Meton's voice suddenly stopped him.
"Sir, please wait. Perhaps we can spare these 600 warhorses for now!" Merton said.
"Really?"
The military commander turned around and asked with a surprised expression. Even Cheng Yaojin looked at Meton in disbelief. After all, Meton was the one who was most determined to kill the warhorses.
Meton nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, according to our itinerary, Tulunchuan is not far away. Our army still has a surplus of drinking water. The consumption of these 600 warhorses will be halved. When we find Tulunchuan, it will not be a problem to replenish them."
What the army lacked was drinking water. As long as they found Tulunchuan, they would have plenty of water. In that case, these 600 warhorses could also be a help to the army.
The military commander could not help but look at Cheng Yaojin with hopeful eyes. Cheng Yaojin nodded without hesitation and said, "Do as Meton said."
The army had already been in the desert for five days. Along the way, they had a compass to guide them. There was no deviation at all. Tulunchuan was definitely not far away. Cheng Yaojin naturally took advantage of the situation to preserve this batch of warhorses.
"Pass down the order. Today, we will have double the amount of food. Rest well and prepare for the battle. After this battle, we can go home." Cheng Yaojin shouted.
Soon, a burst of cheers came from the army. Victory was right in front of them, so the Tang Army soldiers were naturally excited.
The excitement of the army lasted all the way until the next morning. At daybreak, the army was ready to set out.
"Little Mo!" Cheng Yaojin took a deep breath and looked at Meton with an inquiring gaze.
Meton lowered his head and looked at the points on the map that were almost adjacent to each other. He waved his arm and pointed towards the south. Cheng Yaojin did not have the slightest suspicion and directly ordered, "All troops, advance. Expand the range of the scouts to fifty miles."
The army set out again. This time, all the soldiers had a dignified look on their faces. The entire desert was silent. Only the rustling of the warhorses on the yellow sand could be heard.
Dead silence, dead silence! Even the dry and hot air seemed to have stagnated.
Suddenly, a scout came from the northwest. The scout on the horse had a frightened look on his face. He kept waving his hand to warn the army.
However, before he could get close, everyone could already see the terrifying scene behind him. They saw a neat row of sand waves rushing toward the army with overwhelming momentum.
"Sandstorm!"
Everyone gasped. No one had expected that they would encounter such a harsh test in the desert.
"Little Mo, what should we do?" Cheng Yaojin roared.
Meton said without hesitation, "Cover your mouths and noses, tie up the warhorses, and lie down immediately. We will set out after the sandstorm passes."
Immediately, Cheng Yaojin took the lead and lay down on the sand dune without hesitation. All the soldiers immediately followed suit and lay down there.
"Woo!"
The wind was howling. The grains of sand the size of rice grains were blown up by the wind and smashed on Meton's back, causing him to feel a dull pain. What was even more unbearable was that the sandstorm seemed to be all-pervasive, only attacking his ears and noses.
In front of the power of heaven, everyone had to be in awe. The visibility in the sandstorm could be said to be so low that one could not even see one's fingers. The warhorses on the side were restless. The Tang Army soldiers had to endure the sandstorm while comforting the warhorses. It was very difficult.
The sandstorm blew for a whole day and night. The next day, the whole sky was blue and looked brand new. Only the sand dunes ahead that had moved a few feet away could prove the existence of yesterday's sandstorm.
Meton raised his head from the sand dune, shook off the sand on his body, and looked at the dusty faces of the soldiers around him. He could not help laughing. Soon, his laughter spread throughout the army because almost everyone was like this. But even so, no one was willing to wash their faces with precious water.
"How's the army's loss?" Cheng Yaojin did not have the leisure to do this. Instead, he immediately checked the situation of the Tang Army.
"General, except for dozens of warhorses that fled in fright, the army did not suffer any casualties. However, a team of scouts that went to check the situation did not return in time," the military commander said with a heavy face. The Minister of War said with a heavy expression. Once one lost their way in the vast desert, the consequences would be very serious.
Meton comforted him, "Don't worry too much. All the food and water carried by all the scouts are enough for five days. There is no danger in the short term."
Cheng Yaojin nodded solemnly. The sandstorm delayed the Tang Army for another day. The whole situation instantly became serious.
Meton was about to comfort him when he suddenly saw a familiar figure on the sand dune in the southwest from the corner of his eyes. A team of travel-worn scouts appeared in everyone's sight.
"General! Fifty miles to the southwest, traces of the Tuyuhun cavalry have been found! " This team of scouts went straight to Cheng Yaojin and cried tears of joy. Tears mixed with sand flowed down their faces, making them look very funny.
However, no one laughed at this moment. Instead, they could not help but cry tears of joy. After a while, the same two ditches hung on the faces of many soldiers.
"Okay, stop crying horse urine. It's also water." Cheng Yaojin scolded, but he could not hide the smile on his face.
"Tulunchuan is here!"
All the soldiers were suddenly enlightened. At this moment, all their hard work turned into nothing, leaving only pride in their hearts.
Meton also breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Along the way, they had experienced extreme heat, quicksand traps, mirages, and sandstorms. It could be said that they had suffered a lot along the way, but all their efforts had finally paid off.
Since Tulunchuan had arrived and found the Tuyuhun cavalry, then Fu Yun must be there.
The Tang Army immediately felt the wind under their feet. After crossing several hills in a row, the terrain gradually lowered, and some sparse vegetation gradually appeared.
Further away, the vegetation gradually grew thicker. A small river meandered in the distance, and thousands of tents were scattered on both sides of the river.
This was Tulunchuan!
Fu Yun's last hiding place.
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