Chapter 370: Oasis

Chapter 370: Oasis

Tobai Xiao's voice was exceptionally cold.

However, his gaze shifted slightly, revealing a hint of unease. His hand, which had initially held the reins loosely, tightened as he bent his fingers and pulled the reins firmly.

Fortunately, camels were much steadier than horses, causing little jostling. Su Youyue quickly adapted and found sitting on a camel far more comfortable than being forced to lie across a horse's back for days.

Yet, the thought that she had no idea where Tobai Xiao was taking her dampened her spirits.

As they crossed the dunes, Su Youyue finally saw signs of people amidst the endless expanse of sand.

Under the vast sky, with eagles soaring high, the caravan appeared minuscule, like ants slowly migrating over the sandy terrain. The only sound was the crisp, distant ringing of the camel bells, tingling in the air.

Only when they approached the caravan did Su Youyue gain a sense of reality.

The group consisted of about twenty individuals, each tall and robust, dressed in white robes with golden edges. Each outfit varied slightly; some were fully covered, while others exposed dark chests or arms.

Their eyes were deep-set, with lighter-colored irises, some even sharing Tobai Xiao's heterochromia—blue or green-brown, but mostly light brown.

Su Youyue immediately recognized these as the features of people from some minority tribes in Dongrong Country.

The leader, with thick eyebrows and a heavy beard, had piercing eagle-like eyes and a hooked nose. Seeing Tobai Xiao approach, he greeted him respectfully, "General."

He towered above Tobai Xiao, both in height and build, yet he stood before him as docile as a lamb.

Tobai Xiao seemed indifferent to him, not even glancing at him, and asked directly, "Where are they now?"

Hu Sang glanced at Su Youyue on the camel, seemingly wary, but seeing Tobai Xiao unmoved, he replied, "They are at the oasis. Our men have already set up an ambush nearby. They won't be able to escape."

With that, Hu Sang's eagle eyes turned sharply towards Su Youyue, a warning in his gaze.

Su Youyue kept her head down, appearing harmless and quiet.

But she was secretly piecing together the key information from their conversation.

Tobai Xiao was here to capture someone.

The oasis must be within Beidan's territory.

She regretted not studying Beidan's maps thoroughly, thinking she would never venture into such dangerous, unclaimed lands.

After hearing this, Tobai Xiao raised an eyebrow and whistled. A tall camel adorned with red saddles ran up to him. It was a single-humped camel that snorted excitedly upon seeing him.

Mounting it, he spoke with a tone of barely contained excitement, "Why delay? Let's go now!"

He urged the camel forward.

"General, what about her..." Hu Sang hesitated, looking at Su Youyue.

Without even glancing at her, Tobai Xiao dismissed her with a curt order, "Keep an eye on her, just make sure she doesn't die."

With that, he sped off to the front of the caravan, his single-humped camel racing ahead until only a distant figure remained visible.

Su Youyue met Hu Sang's contemplative gaze, her slender fingers tightening on the camel's reins, though her face remained expressionless.

The caravan moved steadily through the sands. Though Su Youyue's camel was at the rear, it kept pace without falling behind.

Initially, she observed the surroundings, but eventually gave up. Escaping in the desert was a foolish idea; all directions were endless sand, a vast ocean of death. Only those who knew the paths intimately could survive.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a hint of green emerged from the sands—a deep green. At first, Su Youyue thought she was hallucinating, but as they drew closer, she confirmed the presence of unfamiliar vegetation. The air also felt less dry.

The men around her visibly changed, the caravan enveloped in an atmosphere of anticipation. This excitement was intense and restless, as if something significant was about to unfold.

The sky darkened, and Su Youyue estimated it had been nearly three hours since she woke up at noon. Nightfall was approaching.

The once scorching air cooled, and the wind brought a chill. As she touched her arm, the men dismounted their camels, their eyes sharp like hawks.

Su Youyue followed their gaze and saw a land transitioning from deep green to vibrant green, bordered by a crescent-shaped blue water bay. Adjacent to it were clusters of buildings and faint orange fires.

The moon rose high, illuminating the water bay, making it shimmer like a brilliant blue gem embedded in the earth, surrounded by dreamlike flickering lights.

Still in awe of the stunning scenery, Su Youyue watched as the men suddenly drew their swords, emitting a collective roar of excitement, and charged towards the oasis. Despite being only twenty, they created the grandeur of a hundred or thousand hunters.

She was momentarily stunned, unable to reconcile the beauty with the impending violence, but her eyes involuntarily followed the fastest figure leading the charge.

That person was swift and fierce, leaving the rest far behind. The two colorful ribbons at his waist fluttered freely, blending with the sky and earth.

Su Youyue's heart raced, gripping the camel's reins tightly. She instinctively considered escaping, yearning for freedom, but quickly realized it was futile. Tobai Xiao's superior scouting skills and the presence of these men made escape impossible. The capture tonight was a testament to this.

From atop the dune, the woman sat on her camel, watching the wild men below, her expression inscrutable.

From the oasis, cries of agony echoed, but the wind carried them away. Yet, the flickering fires revealed the scene clearly.

She could only watch, her beautiful eyes darker than the night.

Eventually, the group returned.