Chapter Eighty-Seven: Infiltration

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“What… what? The Six Great Desert Tribes? What’s that supposed to be?” Lu Zhe was utterly confused as he listened to the old doctor’s words.

The old doctor lay atop the sand dune, turned his head to glance at him, smiled, and explained, “The Six Great Desert Tribes, as the name suggests, are the collective term for six major tribes of foreign races living in this ‘Boundless Desert.’ I once heard a friend say that several foreign races dwell in the southern continent’s Boundless Desert, and among them, these six tribes are the most prominent.” He paused, then turned his gaze toward the brightly lit city in the distance, and continued, “One of these tribes is the Serpent People, whose settlement lies just beyond that sand dune.”

Lu Zhe nodded in sudden realization, turning to look at the city beyond the dunes, inwardly astonished. So this city has such a remarkable background.

“Let’s go,” said the old doctor, patting Lu Zhe’s shoulder before crouching and scurrying toward the city.

“What are you doing?” Lu Zhe quickly scrambled up, whispering his question.

The old doctor, crouching as he moved, turned and replied, “What else? We’re sneaking in, of course.”

He crouched behind a stone half a person’s height, his gaze fixed intently on the city ahead.

“Are you out of your mind?” Lu Zhe mimicked the old doctor’s posture, crouching behind him and scolding quietly.

“Ah, don’t worry, we won’t die. We’ll slip in unnoticed,” the old doctor replied with a carefree grin.

Lu Zhe shot him a glare, pointed at the towering city wall, and said, “How do you plan to get over that without the patrols noticing?”

The old doctor looked at the wall Lu Zhe indicated, scratched his head, and seemed stumped by its height, looking utterly at a loss.

Lu Zhe moved past him for a better view. The wall was indeed colossal, seeming to soar straight into the sky. A mighty city gate, five zhang tall and three zhang wide, stood imposingly.

“Ah, forget it. The road unfolds before the cart,” the old doctor muttered after a fruitless bout of pondering, settling for a wait-and-see attitude.

Lu Zhe glanced at him, furrowed his brow in silent contemplation, then looked up at the sky and said, “Since that’s the case, let’s wait until the second watch before we slip in.”

The old doctor looked up, nodded in agreement.

The two sat quietly behind the half-height stone, wide enough for four people to sit side by side, waiting for the hour to arrive.

The night was dense and black, like layers of ink smeared across the heavens. If not for the stars and the bright moon, it would seem as if one could be swallowed whole by the darkness.

The desert at night was much colder than by day; the wind, once hot, now turned biting. The cold wind swept through, chilling to the bone, piercing the soul.

Night deepened, the wind howled.

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“Achoo!” The old doctor sneezed, steadied his shivering body against the cold, then looked up at the sky and spoke to Lu Zhe, “Say, isn’t it the second watch already?”

Lu Zhe leaned against the stone, slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the sky, and replied, “A little longer yet.”

The old doctor blew warm air into his hands, peered at the city through the stone. The city, once ablaze with lights, was now much dimmer—many must have retired for the night, though it was not yet pitch dark.

“Ah, these Serpent People really do have stamina,” he muttered angrily as he looked at the city wall, still seeing no sign of the guards.

Lu Zhe chuckled dryly at his words, then glanced up and said, “It’s about time. Now is the second watch, the sleepiest hour. Let’s move.”

The old doctor’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly halted, then seemed to recall something and returned.

Lu Zhe watched him in puzzlement, about to ask, when he saw the old doctor quickly touch his ring and produce a set of black clothing.

He watched as the old doctor swiftly exchanged his white robe for the black outfit. Lu Zhe was startled, blurting out, “Nightwear?”

The old doctor glanced at him, “That’s right, nightwear.”

He waved his hand. “Let’s go.”

Without hesitation, he crouched and left the cover of the stone, running toward the base of the city wall.

Lu Zhe was half amused, half exasperated by the old doctor’s antics, tilting his head as he followed suit, crouching toward the wall.

The towering city wall wasn’t far from where they had hidden. Despite their crouched posture, Lu Zhe and the old doctor moved quickly—if not with giant strides, then like startled rabbits. Soon, they were beneath the wall.

Lu Zhe looked up at the wall; from below, it seemed to rise straight into the clouds.

He scratched his head, frowning. “Master, how are we supposed to get up…” Before he could finish, he was startled to see the old doctor pulling out a rope. The old doctor smiled at his bewildered expression and said, “This is a Sky Claw. We can use it to climb up.”

Lu Zhe nodded in sudden understanding, then eyed the old doctor suspiciously. “You’re not planning to climb into women’s windows with this, are you?”

The old doctor paused, his hand stilling, and stammered, “Nonsense, nonsense. How could I be that sort of person?”

“Oh? Is that so?” Lu Zhe looked at him with a face that screamed disbelief, his tone tinged with contempt.

“Of course,” the old doctor replied hurriedly.

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“Then why are you so unsure?” Lu Zhe regarded him with narrowed eyes.

“Cough, cough, the night wind is really chilly, ha ha ha…” The old doctor coughed twice, awkwardly changed the subject, and laughed.

Lu Zhe looked at him with disdain. After a moment, he sighed softly, helplessly remarking, “I really don’t know how Senior Sister managed to endure you.”

“All right, enough nonsense, let’s get to work,” the old doctor declared excitedly.

He spun the Sky Claw in his hand, then hurled it upward. The claw shot toward the heavens like an arrow from a bow.

After a short while, it must have caught the wall. The old doctor tugged at the rope, then threw another Sky Claw upward.

He tested both ropes to ensure their security, then handed one to Lu Zhe. “Up you go.”

Lu Zhe took the rope, shook his head, and climbed up.

The two scaled the wall like spiders, quickly reaching halfway up. Just as they prepared to go higher, a voice barked from above, “Who goes there?”

Lu Zhe was startled. Not good, they’ve been discovered!

But before he could react, a faint sound of wind came from above. Lu Zhe looked up and saw the old doctor, to his upper right, hurling something upward. A moment later, a soft ‘thud’ sounded. Something fell, landing beside Lu Zhe. He looked—it was a male Serpent Person, a shining silver steel needle embedded in his forehead.

The old doctor’s secret weapon—Needle at a Hundred Paces!

Lu Zhe had seen him use this before, on a journey. They were eating, and Lu Zhe had gone fishing but caught nothing for ages. The old doctor used this skill, shooting a leaping fish onto a tree a hundred paces away. Truly, his prowess was extraordinary.

“Go!” the old doctor whispered. He stopped climbing, pulled himself up with sudden force, and soared upward.

Lu Zhe watched as the old doctor’s figure vanished overhead, no doubt atop the wall. He climbed quickly after him and soon reached the top.

On the city wall, Lu Zhe looked around but saw no sign of the old doctor. However, he spotted a rope on the far side of the wall—he must have already entered the city. So Lu Zhe crouched, slipped over the wall, and slid down the rope into the city.

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