Chapter 558

After walking for a full seven days, they finally entered the Western Regions.

The group entered the first Western Regions town, Yiwu.

Tuan Tuan clung to the carriage window, looking out.

The town was small, with earth-yellow walls; a few flagpoles stood on the walls, bearing colorful strips of cloth that flapped loudly in the wind.

The people on the street resembled those seen in Shazhoubao, all wearing long robes and headscarves, with high noses and deep-set eyes.

By the roadside stood a seller of fried pastries, their golden-brown cakes piled high, filling the air with fragrance.

Tuan Tuan was watching intently when a thin, small figure darted up to the carriage, running alongside it while shouting nonstop:

"Sirs! Sirs! You're from Zhongyuan, aren't you?"

Xiao Er reined in the reins, and the carriage slowed.

He looked about thirty, gaunt, with eyes darting about, a pair of handlebar mustaches on his lips, and a smiling face.

Tuan Tuan stared at his mustache: "Uncle, why is your mustache like that? It looks fake."

The mustachioed man chuckled: "Little miss, you're joking; here our men all wear this kind of mustache, quite different from the Zhongyuan people."

He turned to Xiao Ningyuan: "Sir, you may not know, but the roads here are hard to recognize! Take a look at my map—you'll surely find it useful!"

"With this map, going anywhere will be convenient!"

He pulled a scroll of sheepskin from his bosom, unfurled it, and showed it to everyone.

On it were winding lines drawn, marking several place names, looking somewhat like the real thing.

Lu Qi leaned in for a glance: "How much are you selling it for?"

The mustachioed man raised a finger: "Ten taels."

Xiao Ningyuan nearly fell from his horse: "Ten taels? Why don't you just go rob someone?"

The mustachioed man wasn't annoyed, smiling as he drew nearer: "Sir, I can tell you're newcomers to the Western Regions."

"The roads here change often; a path usable today may be buried by wind and sand tomorrow, disappearing from sight."

He patted the sheepskin roll in his hand: "I drew this with my own two feet; in the whole Yiwu city, no one can map it more accurately than I!"

Xiao Ningxun reached out from the carriage window: "Give it to me, let me have a look."

The mustachioed man hastily handed over the sheepskin scroll.

Xiao Ningxun took it, examined it carefully, then passed it to Kang An: "Take a look—does this map look correct?"

Kang An took it, lowered his head to study it for a while, then shook his head: "No, I understand."

Xue Tong glanced at it: "We're unfamiliar with this place; having a map is better than none. Let's buy it—ten taels is ten taels; far from home, nothing is cheap."

Tuan Tuan shouted toward the older brother: "Big brother, Master said we need it!"

Xiao Ningyuan sighed, fished out some silver from his bosom, and threw it to the mustachioed man.

The mustachioed man took the silver, his brows relaxing into a smile, and a string of auspicious phrases poured out:

"Sirs, you look like noble folk at first glance! This journey will surely go smoothly! Strike it rich! Marry a beautiful wife! Have noble children!"

Xiao Ningyuan was annoyed by his chatter until his head ached, and he waved his hand.

The mustachioed man, sensing the cue, shut up and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Having the map proved convenient; following its indications, the group reached another small town the next day.

This place was even smaller than Yiwu, with the streets sparsely populated.

Just as they entered the city, a person darted over, running alongside the carriage and shouting: "Sirs! Sirs! Want to buy a map? I have the most complete map of the Western Regions!"

Xiao Ningyuan almost laughed out loud—another map seller!

This time he wore a loose robe, appearing even thinner than the mustachioed man from Yiwu, his headscarf covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of shifty eyes visible.

Lu Qi casually asked: "How much for this one?"

He held up two fingers: "Twenty taels!"

Xiao Ningyuan burst into amused anger: "Twenty taels? You're treating us like fat sheep!"

"Go on, go on—we've already bought one, we don't need another."

He wasn't in a hurry, smiling as he drew closer: "Bought? From whom? Was it that skinny fellow from Yiwu?"

Xiao Ningyuan blinked: "How do you know?"

"Oh, that skinny fellow's maps are all nonsense! Mine is the genuine article! Don't believe me? Compare them—they're definitely different!"

Xiao Ningxun became interested: "Big brother, let him bring the map over."

Upon hearing that, he hurriedly handed over the map he held.

Xiao Ningxun pulled out the map he had bought the previous day from his bosom, placed the two side by side, and examined them carefully.

Tuan Tuan poked his little head over to look as well: "Third Brother, how does it look?"

After studying them for a while, Xiao Ningxun lifted his head, his brows knitting, his face full of helplessness: "Not a single part matches."

Everyone: "……"

Xue Tong reached out, took it, flipped it back and forth several times, and was also dumbfounded.

Xiao Ningyuan grew anxious: "Let me see it!"

Xue Tong passed the two maps from the carriage window to him.

Xiao Ningyuan looked again and again: "This this this," he scratched his head, "which one is the real one?"

The man gave a heh-heh chuckle twice: "That fellow is a notorious swindler; the silver you spent was wasted."

"But the road still must be traveled; why not buy mine instead?"

Everyone: "……"

"Buy another? Who knows if this one's fake!"

Tuan Tuan poked his head out of the carriage window and waved at the man: "Uncle, come over."

"Still, this little girl has good eyes!" "That person hurriedly climbed onto the vehicle and crawled to the window," "Little girl, hurry and persuade them; after buying my map, you'll also avoid many detours."

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head, stared at his face, her small hand shot out and in one motion snatched the cloth wrapped around that person's face.

It turned out to be the eight-character mustache from Yicheng City!

"It's you, Uncle!"

Everyone: "……"

The eight-character mustache quickly pulled the scarf back over his face, without a word, with a swoosh jumped off the carriage and sprinted quickly toward the nearby mountain.

Lu Qi wanted to dismount and give chase, but Xiao Ningyuan held him back: "Forget it, even if we catch him, what then? He's obviously just a con artist making a living off this."

"He's doing quite well with this business, catching one household after another to slaughter; if one cut isn't enough, he wants another."

Xiao Ningxun shook his head, laughing and crying at the same time: "What a mess, they can even sell randomly drawn maps, really different from where we're from."

"Selling fake maps privately? Aren't you afraid of losing your head?"

Tuan Tuan watched the man's retreating figure, shouting loudly: "Uncle, your eight-character mustache will fall off, and it won't grow back!"

The man actually heard it, turned his head and shouted back: "Little girl, the mustache is also fake! It doesn't matter if it falls off!"

Kang An's eyes widened instantly, and even Tuan Tuan was stunned.

Everyone couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Seeing his sister puff out her cheeks, Xiao Ningxun rubbed her little head: "Forget it, Tuan Tuan, don't bother with that con artist."

"We should hurry to help Kang An find his home in Baishi Valley."

He looked at the two completely different maps in his hand: "I think we should just ask around as we go."

"Don't rush forward; let's find a place to stay here first and ask the innkeeper."

The group stopped at the entrance of the largest inn in the city, handed their horses to the attendant, and went inside.

The innkeeper was obese, his face greasy enough to scrape off two taels of oil; seeing the customers arrive, he greeted them with a smile: "Would you like soup dumplings or baked buns? A communal bunk or a private room?"

Xiao Ningxun said: "Just give us the best food; we're twelve people total, how many upper rooms do you have?"

The innkeeper looked at them: "I only have three upper rooms; I can also give you one communal bunk. Is that enough?"

Xiao Ningyuan nodded: "That's enough. By the way, innkeeper, I'd like to ask you about a place."

"Please go ahead."

"Baishi Valley—do you know how to get there?"

The innkeeper blinked: "Baishi Valley? There are several; which one are you asking about?"

Everyone looked toward Kang An.

Kang An thought for a moment: "Mountain, below, there's a small town."

The innkeeper scratched his head: "A small town at the mountain's base? That must be the one in the Shule Kingdom."

"But how did you end up coming here? That's backwards—we're in Shuhan Kingdom!"