After another two months of traveling through the Great Yue State, he would arrive at the Cong Mountains. This was the largest mountain range in the world, spanning for nearly ten thousand li and spanning for two thousand li, separating the State of Liang from most other countries.
After crossing the Cong Mountains, he would arrive at the State of Liang, which was also his destination.
In a small town at the foot of the Cong Mountains, Lou Xiaoyi looked at the mountains in the distance. The average height was several thousand zhang, which made him sigh.
He could not fly over it!
His soul had also drifted in the universe for many years, but as a soul, he could not feel the changes in his surroundings. In a world inhabited by humans, the changes in the environment were quite large with the changes in height. The temperature would drop sharply above a thousand zhang, not to mention the changes in the wind direction between the mountains.
If he flew in a straight line, he would have to fly at least three thousand zhang to get rid of the obstacles in the mountains, which he could not do. If he flew around the mountains at a height of a thousand zhang, he did not think he would be able to get out!
This was the reason he found this small town, because it was a very famous starting point in the Cong Mountains. Many caravans set out from here, heading towards the State of Liang.
After spending some money, Lou Xiaoyi successfully found a caravan that had set out recently. Most of them were merchants from the Great Yue State, but there were also a few from the State of Liang. The goods they brought were mainly silk, tea, and porcelain. These were very popular goods in the State of Liang, so there was no need to worry about sales.
Lou Xiaoyi was one of the few pure guests, and also the only person in the Night Illumination. This made everyone guess that he was a young master who had fallen on hard times. The political situation in the Night Illumination was constantly changing, and there were those who were proud and those who were disappointed. It was inevitable that people would be displaced.
A young master dressed like a scholar did not even have a servant to accompany him, and yet he wanted to cross the Cong Mountains alone. There was no other reason!
After several days of preparation, a large donkey caravan set out. Several hundred mountain donkeys were the only core of this caravan!
In the Gobi Desert, there were camels, while in the plains, there were horses. In the Cong Mountains, the animals that the people relied on the most were the mountain donkeys. These animals were hardworking, had great endurance, and could withstand extreme cold. They could travel very steadily in the mountains, and were adept at climbing and descending slopes. They were animals that were born for the mountains. Their only problem was that they were a little stubborn, but with the help of experienced mountain people, this was not a problem.
The entire trade route was bumpy. There were roads in some places, but there were no roads at all. Therefore, there were no luxurious things like donkey carts. Everyone, including the mountain people, guards, merchants, and travelers, were all donkeys. There was no distinction between high and low. Those who took this trade route earned money through hard work. Almost no old people could be seen. Most of them were young and strong. There was only a family of four among the travelers. There were two old people and a woman carrying an infant.
Lou Xiaoyi was given a grass donkey, a female donkey. In fact, most of the donkey caravan was made up of grass donkeys, except for the few that were called donkeys. This was the nature of mountain donkeys. If they were all called donkeys, there would be no need for them to do anything else on the road except to stop them from fighting.
Grass donkeys were much more docile and had good endurance, so the majority of the donkey caravan was made up of grass donkeys. This was also a characteristic of the Cong Mountains.
This was a young grass donkey. There was nothing special about it compared to the other donkeys. It had a white spot on its forehead, like a small white flower in full bloom. Lou Xiaoyi gave it a name, Little White …
Little White had a pair of gentle and quiet eyes. At a glance, one could tell that it was a mild-tempered donkey. Lou Xiaoyi liked it very much.
Everyone was preparing food and clothing. Unlike in the Gobi Desert, there was no need to prepare too much water. This was because there were many mountain springs and lakes along the way. Once they entered the deep mountains, where snow covered the land all year round, there was even less need for water.
Every merchant had a few dozen donkeys, and some even had seven or eight donkeys. While carrying goods, these daily necessities were naturally not an issue. Travelers were different. Their own grass donkey had someone sitting on it, so they couldn't carry too much. Thus, they had to follow a few more donkeys. For example, the family of four, three adults and one child, had three donkeys riding on them. They also had to hire three donkeys to carry their supplies.
The leader of the caravan also asked Lou Xiaoyi to hire one more donkey, but he refused. He had a storage ring, so he was more prepared than anyone else. He only wrapped a cloth bag and placed it on Little White. The leader didn't try to persuade him. He was already an adult, so he had clearly stated the pros and cons. If he was still so stubborn, then he was asking for it. If he ran out of supplies along the way, then he could only buy it at a high price. In this place, no one cared about a young master like him.
The distance in a straight line across the Cong Mountains was less than a thousand li. However, it was impossible to travel in a straight line like in the Gobi Desert. They had to avoid dangerous areas, so it wasn't surprising that they had to travel three hundred li out of a hundred li. It was a process that was repeated over and over again.
Under normal circumstances, this journey would take about a month and a half. More or less, it all depended on whether the heavens were watching over them. There were also dangers, such as landslides, avalanches, and attacks by wild beasts. Of course, there were also man-made disasters. This was why they had to follow the guidance of the indigenous mountain guides in order to establish the trade route. They were inextricably linked to the mountain bandits. In other words, the trade route had to be bought along the way, not fought!
The first ten days or so went very smoothly. The terrain wasn't too high, and it wasn't too dangerous either. There were still roads to be found, so the donkeys were very happy. They maintained a speed of about a hundred li a day.
Lou Xiaoyi found the straw donkey very pleasing to the eye. After ten days, the straw donkey found him very pleasing to the eye as well. This was because it felt that its master was very light this time. He was so light that it didn't feel much burden. Moreover, its master would give it extra meals every night after they went out to find food. A carrot or a piece of bean cake were all things that it liked to eat …
The mountain donkeys didn't need to be fed. Every day, after they set up camp, they would look for food on their own. They would eat grass, roots, fruits, and anything else. This was also why they had to rely on them to cross the Cong Mountains.
After ten days or so, the mountain path became rugged and steep. There were no longer any ready-made roads. Many places had to be explored by the guides before they could be traversed. This was because of the harsh climate of the mountains, the erosion of mountain torrents, and the collapse of mud and rocks.
There were four or five guides, all of whom were very experienced indigenous mountain people. There were also ten or so bodyguards, all of whom were brave warriors and hunters among the mountain people. Warriors weren't welcomed here because martial arts weren't important here. What was important was the ability to survive in the mountains.
The guides were at the front, and the bodyguards were in the middle of the group. The last two bodyguards were at the back of the group. A few travelers were arranged to be at the back of the group, including the family of four, Lou Xiaoyi, and a middle-aged man who looked like an official and his attendant.
He actually didn't know much about the security situation in this world. Even though he had been in Pu City for many years, he had never really integrated into the lives of the people at the bottom. Although the forces in Lou Province weren't there, they could still dispel most of the malice for him. Not to mention, this was Da Yue, not Tongye, but Da Yue, a country that was famous for its wars and frequent changes of dynasties.
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