[*]
Gao Zheqi merely gave a faint smile, and the servant fell silent.
*
*
「Upper Monarch Hall.」
A servant added some incense and was just about to retreat. From behind the beaded curtain, the master lounging there chuckled. "So, has that old codger Gao Zheqi arrived?"
The servant, slightly startled, quickly lowered his gaze. "A moment ago, a messenger reported that Mr. Gao is already on his way to the Imperial Palace."
"I am tired," he said, his voice laced with a careless laugh. "If he arrives, have him wait."
The servant quickly complied and retreated.
*
*
The wind grew fiercer.
The Dayong Dynasty's territory was vast, and the further west one traveled, the more arid and desolate the landscape became.
Massive ravines crisscrossed the land, as if the heavens had lashed the earth with a whip. The ground was uneven and pitted, and as the carts and horses passed, sudden gusts of yellow sand would swirl up, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
