Novel Full Chapter 1770 - 1769: Journey to the West
Chapter 1770: Chapter 1769: Journey to the West
Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang took out another drop of Divine Liquid, but Yang Wenxiao refused to consume it.
He felt he had lived long enough. Everything he needed to experience, everything he desired to enjoy, had already been fulfilled. Now, with Daqi stable and the world at peace, and with his descendants proving more outstanding than the last, he had no regrets in this life. Even if he were to die now, it wouldn’t matter.
Death comes to all; forcibly extending life was unnecessary.
Furthermore, using something as precious as Divine Liquid—something so extraordinary—on an old man like him would be wasteful.
He instructed Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang to store it carefully; who knew when it might be truly needed in the future.
Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang never expected Yang Wenxiao would reject it. Left with no other options, they revealed their plans: they wanted to journey west and wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. Since Yang Wenxiao couldn’t accompany them, the Divine Liquid would have to sustain him temporarily.
“West?”
Yang Wenxiao was taken aback by their sudden declaration and pressed for more details about their purpose in heading west.
Their true intentions, naturally, couldn’t be divulged, so Qiao Xiaomai used the excuse that the world was vast and she simply wanted to explore it.
This explanation was easily accepted by Yang Wenxiao.
Over the years, Qiao Xiaomai had become his personal kitchen maid, restricted without freedom—it was his doing that had kept her confined.
The more unattainable something becomes, the stronger one’s desire to attain it. Qiao Xiaomai’s mindset must have been shaped this way; having been locked away for so long, she wanted nothing more than to break free and run.
Yang Wenxiao accepted her reasoning and consumed the drop of Divine Liquid. As the liquid entered his body, he could distinctly feel the vitality infusing his aging form, as though his youth were being restored.
The years that time had stolen seemed, for the moment, to return to him.
The Divine Liquid truly lived up to its divine name.
With Yang Wenxiao’s issue resolved, Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang threw themselves into preparing for their westward journey. The western lands were desert regions with arid climates, so they needed to store ample amounts of water. Gu Zhen and Gu Xin were also going along, which meant they needed to pack supplies for young children.
Given their statuses, the two couldn’t simply travel with only Gu Zhen, Gu Xin, and their family of four. They had to bring along a large contingent of guards and maids.
Soon, Yang Ye, Bei Lingsu, and Bei Yun caught wind of the plans, and the three expressed their desire to join the journey.
This, of course, was impossible.
According to Yang Wenxiao, the Aristocratic Families hadn’t completely given up yet, and precautions had to be taken to guard against potential retaliation. As a result, Tong Sanlang, Bei Lingsu, and Bei Yun—three individuals capable of shifting the tides in an instant—had to ensure at least one remained to guard the Capital City.
When this reasoning was given, Bei Lingsu immediately decided Bei Yun would stay behind. During the previous patrol along the bluestone road, she and Yang Ye had remained in the city. This time, it was their turn to go.
Bei Yun, of course, was unwilling. He had never gone west before and wanted to see it for himself.
He persuaded Bei Lingsu by claiming his trip west would be to find and uncover hidden families of great power, thus enabling him to settle his lifelong affairs. With this reasoning, he managed to secure a spot accompanying Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang, leaving Bei Lingsu and Yang Ye to remain in the Capital City once more.
The traveling party soon set out. Since this journey was merely a tour, coupled with the presence of two experts in Bei Yun and Tong Sanlang, the group was relatively small. They had only dozens of carriages in their caravan. The procession traveled westward, passing through Yangguan and entering the desert. Along the way, they were greeted by endless stretches of sandstorms, sparse human presence, and a world where only the whistling wind and the sound of their own breaths seemed to remain.
It was a landscape entirely different from the southern and eastern regions—a desolate beauty of “Lone smoke rising straight over the vast desert, and the setting sun descending round the long river.” Unable to resist, Bei Yun pulled out a sheet of drawing paper and began sketching.
For the scenery alone, this entire westward expedition was worthwhile.
Such rare beauty, if brought back to the Capital City, could certainly fetch an excellent price. Perhaps it might even be passed down through the annals of history. Bei Yun, lost in thought, smiled with satisfaction.