Chapter 217

A white carrier pigeon took flight from Xinjiang City, descending along the river before soaring over mountain ranges. When it reached the Hexi region, a bird's-eye view revealed a vast, sprawling army moving from south to north. Many of the soldiers trudging through the slushy, snow-covered mud were clearly beginning to grumble. Nevertheless, their pace remained undiminished as they pushed toward a fortress city to the north. This fortress, built of green brick, was nestled halfway up a mountainside. Unlike the vast, snow-covered landscape to the south, the first snow had not yet arrived here—or, more accurately, the dusting had been so light that the ground remained exposed.