62. I give you two choices

  Traveling alone through the thousand-mile desert, of course, requires sufficient preparation. In that environment, even elemental magic may not be able to condense enough water. Fortunately, Amun had a magical bone, and he condensed clean water at the lake's edge, filling his container and hiding it on him. Then, he sat down with Xue Dingyan in his arms to rest.

  The next morning, Armon set out, just like when he left Duketown, with a fine iron staff in hand and a cat sleeping soundly in his leather pouch, traveling alone across the vast wilderness. This time, he was not heading into the deep mountains, but rather south through the desert to the distant and unfamiliar Empire of Egu.

  Although it was winter, the sand grains in the endless dunes reflected the scorching sunlight, a vast expanse of whiteness all around, and there wasn't even a place to take shelter from the sun. It seemed as if people would be parched dry before long. Even the lizards had burrowed deep into the sand and wouldn't come out again. Ah Meng walked at a steady pace, his footsteps never stopping.

  He had originally wanted to find a place to rest, but discovered that there was nowhere to escape the sunlight and heat waves. Rather than sitting on the scorching sand, he might as well continue walking forward. If someone were beside him, they would notice that the air around Amun was quite cool; he had used magic. This wasn't mainly done for his own comfort, but rather because he was worried about the cat in his pocket. Schr?dinger was very weak, and Amun couldn't bear to let it suffer from the desert heat any longer.

  He walked while reminiscing about the experiences of this period, Mei Danzuo's encounter, Xiaojing Princess's conspiracy, Yin Nana's plan, and all that he had seen in the underworld. In his sorrow, he felt a hint of comfort, knowing that his father's soul was finally at peace, and the soul of Dasiti Town Lord was also freed. He recalled what the old madman had once said: Amun should thank and repay Dasiti by finding Moses and guiding him back to his hometown to rebuild his home, this was Amun's gratitude and repayment.

  The soul of the town elder told Armon that the underworld was not the true destination of the dead, but a world created by the king of the underworld using a divine technique that could control the spirits. As Armon followed Yin Nanna through the seven gates of the underworld, he had complex feelings. Was this what the king of the underworld called the divine realm? It seemed to fit the identity of the king of the underworld, but what about the divine realms of other gods?

  Now, thinking back to those seven gates, Ah Mon always felt that something was missing, and it did not fully reveal the soul's destination after death, which made Ah Mon extremely disgusted. The old madman let him find the path to becoming a divine spirit, if one day Ah Mon really became a divine spirit, one of the things he wanted to do was to destroy that underworld and build a true spiritual haven.

  This is just a small fantasy of a fifth-grade magician, but who can stop a young man from pursuing his dreams? The King of the Underworld, Erebus, probably didn't think that after Amun escaped from the underworld, he would have such a wish. Even if the King of the Underworld knew, it would only be a laugh, and she wouldn't take this little mortal seriously.

  In the scorching desert, he cast divine magic to walk, which was a continuous consumption of divine power. Only Amun had such a habit. After experiencing weakness after exhausting his powers in the suburbs of Uruk City, Amun also knew how to control and adjust, avoiding falling into that situation again.

  At noon when the sun was strongest, Amun patted his waist and suddenly a cluster of mist flew out from somewhere, condensing into a crystal-like cloud on top of his head. As he floated forward, it didn't evaporate or disperse, just like an umbrella reflecting sunlight. If only there were a carriage with a canopy... His own carriage was still left at the inn in Akkad Town. Just as Amun thought this, he looked up and saw a carriage approaching.

  In the desert, there is no such thing as a road, as long as you can walk, it's fine. But this car is running too fast, in the scorching sun of noon, the driver is whipping the horse continuously, is he trying to exhaust the horse to death? Before long, the carriage had already passed over the sand dunes ahead, the driver saw Amun from afar and initially showed a joyful expression, only to discover that Amun was just walking alone on foot. With a disappointed face, he loudly shouted from the carriage: "The desert bandits are coming! Why don't you hide quickly!"

  Amon grew up in the town of Duk, often hearing stories from merchants who came to the town about desert bandits. The Syrian Desert is a border area between Egypt, Hatti and Balen, and it is also an important trade route for various countries, with merchant caravans carrying large amounts of goods passing through, and naturally there are bandits lurking around.

  It is said that the bandits in the desert come and go like the wind, extremely ferocious, and it's hard to leave anyone alive if encountered. Some people even call these bandits the "Desert Clan". This is a vast uninhabited area, and the surrounding terrain is very complex, making it unclear which country's evil-doers are lurking here, committing murder and robbery, making it difficult to eradicate and investigate.

  Large merchant caravans usually spend a lot of money to hire warriors as escorts, while smaller ones also need to hire bodyguards. However, when encountering a large group of bandits, they can only rely on their own luck. The driver's heart was still quite good, and he originally wanted to call for help from Ah Mon, but found that Ah Mon couldn't save them, so he reminded Ah Mon to hide himself.

  The robbers hadn't seen Amun yet, hiding behind the sand dunes or burrowing into the soft sand to temporarily cover their bodies, perhaps they could escape. Amun nodded towards the charioteer and said: "Thanks for reminding me, you don't have to be afraid, I'll block the robbers."

  He had heard the legend of desert bandits since he was a child, but this was his first encounter. He was somewhat curious, and besides, there was an opportunity to save someone, so why not do some good? Amun waved his staff, and the cloud on his head disappeared quietly. He carried a branch and walked past the speeding carriage, and soon heard the sound of horseshoes, two people and four horses chasing from behind a distant sand dune.

  Two robbers wearing black robes and hoods, riding horses with another horse tied behind them, chased after him. One hand held a lasso and the other a shiny curved knife, shouting as they pursued: "You fatso, stop running! If you stick your head out it's one slash, if you pull it back in it's another slash. Hand over the money on you quickly and Master will give you a quick death. Otherwise, we'll tie you up and throw you into the desert to dry into a human jerky... Eh, stinky little brat, who are you?

  Two robbers saw Amun suddenly appear as he brushed past the carriage, and were shocked at how such a person could emerge. The horse was running fast, and in the time it took to speak, they were already face to face. The robber on the left instinctively drew his knife, having grown accustomed to killing people, and didn't even bother to ask who the other person was - in this situation, whoever you encountered would be a dead man.

  The curved sword was forged from refined iron, its body arcing with a gentle curve, perfectly suited for slashing and chopping while charging forward on horseback. As the sword sliced towards Amun, its blade still carried a faint, thin layer of misty light, its sharpness extending far beyond the length of the sword itself - a martial skill that only a fifth-level warrior could possess, no wonder the legendary desert tribe was so ferocious

  Amon didn't die, and just as he heard a cracking sound, the "branch" in his hand met it head-on without touching the blade, passing through the sharp edge to hit the person's forearm holding the knife.

  A loud, mournful cry rang out as the robber's forearm was broken and his knife flew from his grasp. The "branch" didn't stop, however, and with a swift motion, it thrust forward, sending the horse charging ahead as the man was lifted into the air and slammed heavily to the ground on a sand dune. Another robber hadn't anticipated this turn of events, and his horse had already galloped past; in shock, he hastily reined in his mount and turned back, raising his knife to charge at Amun.

  As a result, his horse unfortunately stepped on the soft quicksand and fell to its knees as it ran, suddenly tumbling forward. The bandit was caught off guard and fell off the horse, and was also heavily trampled by the rolling horse body, and didn't know how many bones were broken, and let out a muffled hum before fainting on the spot.

  Ah Mon caught the two robbers with swift and precise movements, just as they were about to clash.

  He himself is also a fifth-level warrior, and the martial arts on horseback may not be as good as that strong thief. When dealing with the first person, he didn't use any divine techniques, and when dealing with the second person, he only used the flowing sand trap in the earth element divine technique. However, the opponent was too lightly guarded, the first knife was completely careless, and he didn't think that Amun's shot would be so calm and accurate.

  Amon had experience of hunting in the mountains, knocking down and capturing all the beasts that came like a tide. When these two rushed over, although they were fierce, they didn't put too much pressure on him. Moreover, young Amon may not have fully realized that he had unknowingly added another temperament to himself, and he rarely felt fear and panic, which might be related to his experience.

  Having been to the underworld, how could the bandits in the desert, no matter how ferocious, make Ah Mon panic?

  The fifth-grade warrior who fell on the sand dune was extremely frightened, and he raised his left hand and shouted: "Please forgive me, I didn't know you were a lone hero...I wasn't coming for you, the offense was unintentional. If you let me go, I'll give you a generous reward, my warehouse is full of gold and silver."

  "Hero, my benefactor, you must not let them go. If you do, they will return with a large gang of robbers and kill you. These two men are the leaders of the desert robbers. They killed everyone else in our caravan, but fortunately, our servant was able to drive the carriage and bring me here to safety, thanks to meeting you."

  A panting, sweating fat man ran from afar and when he turned back to look, the horse carriage had already stopped, with the horse that was pulling it foaming at the mouth and collapsing onto the sand dune. Whipped by a leather whip under the scorching sun, running wildly along the way while pulling a carriage with two people on it, this horse finally died of exhaustion. If Amun had come any later, they would have probably fallen into their trap.

  That terrified bandit saw the fat man, and suddenly his eyes lit up. He pointed at him and shouted to Ah Mon: "Hero, it's him! He has a large sum of money on him. You'd be better off killing him than me. All the money on him will be yours. If you let me go, I, Night Wolf, will offer you double the reward. Whatever amount of money this fat man has, I'll pay you double."

  This man is called Night Wolf, and Amun had actually heard of his name. The merchants who came to Duke Town mentioned it several times, saying that he led a gang of forty thieves across the desert, an extremely formidable outlaw. Even when the City-State sent troops to pursue him several times, they were unsuccessful. Fatso was frightened by this and didn't dare take another step forward, trembling with fear as he shouted: "Benefactor, you saved my life! I will definitely repay you heavily once I return to Egu, even if it means giving you three times the amount of money I have on me!"

  Amon's hands were so fierce that he quickly took down two strong robbers, and he was alone in the desert. Who knows what his origins are? Maybe he is also a lone great thief. If he had evil intentions, the fat man would be unlucky in this uninhabited desert. Thinking of these things, how can one not be afraid? The fat man quickly made a promise to thank him heavily.

  Ah Mon didn't pay attention to the merchant and bandit's thoughts, turned around and asked the fat man: "You want to go to Egypt? And there is a carriage, hum, very good. May I ask who you are and what happened?"

  Amon's voice was not loud, but it had a certain majesty. The fat man hastily bowed and said: "I am Xio, a merchant from the city of Dreamflight in the Empire of Egu, transporting goods to the city-state of Uruk in the Kingdom of Balen for sale. On my way back, I encountered bandits, just the two of them, but they killed all the guards and companions of the caravan, only I and my slave escaped here."

  Amun asked another question: "Doing business in Uruk City, do you know Lescott-Lee?"

  Xiǎo was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "I know him, of course I do. I have a lot of goods that are sold to him, and I often buy things in his store. May I ask if you're his friend?"

  Amun: "I suppose we're still friends, I once protected him."

  Xiao immediately "understood" and Amun, a warrior who had once served as Leskoth-Lee's bodyguard, quickly stepped forward and said: "Great, then we are friends too. If you protect me safely back to Egu, I will thank you heavily."

  The bandit, seeing that the two were getting more and more familiar, anxiously shouted: "Hero, how can you trust a shameless merchant? They are even less trustworthy than bandits... If you kill him now, you can get a large sum of money. Let me go, and I guarantee you will receive another hefty sum. Night Wolf is known for being trustworthy in the desert."

  Amon seemed to have not heard Ye Lang's words, pointing at the four horses around him and saying to Xi Ao: "Take all of these horses with you, put one in a carriage and tie the other three behind it. Let's go together, I'm also heading to Ai Ju, so I can take you to Hai Zong City-State along the way."

  After the two robbers fell off, the four horses stood still, including the horse that had fallen earlier, which also got up and was not injured. The horse pulling Shiola's carriage had collapsed, and with three people in the carriage for a long journey through the desert, one horse would clearly be insufficient. On the backs of the two unharnessed horses were slung water skins, presumably containing drinking water, which was essential for traveling through the desert.

  Before Xiāo could give any orders, the groom rushed over and took hold of the reins of all four horses, leading them to the side of the carriage. He removed the leather saddlebags from the backs of the horses and tossed them into the carriage, then changed one of the horses on the shafts. With great respect, he shouted: "Master! This hero's carriage is ready!"

  The night wolf sat on the sand dune and shouted: "Hero, you can't do this!"

  Amun picked up two curved knives from the ground and handed them to Xiao: "Take this too, don't leave it behind."

  Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, but still carefully accepted it and asked in a low voice: "You didn't kill these two robbers?"

  Amun shook his head and said, "I don't want to kill people."

  The wolf fell to the ground, injuring his leg, and struggled to get up, shouting: "Since you don't want to kill us, why take away our horses and water? We will die of thirst in the desert!"

  Amun walked towards the carriage, slowly saying: "I won't kill you, simply because I don't want to kill people, not that you don't deserve to die. The knife you swung at me just now was like cutting grass, did you ever ask who I am? Do you still need me to save you? If you don't want to be left to die of thirst in the desert, I have two suggestions: first, wait for the gods to come and rescue you; second, before being roasted by the sun, kill yourself first, give yourself a quick death."

  This remark made Xiao Yu shudder again, Ah Meng was indeed ruthless. But thinking about it carefully, it's only natural. If he hadn't dodged that knife earlier, Ah Meng would have been left dead in the wilderness. When getting on the carriage, Ah Meng asked the driver a question: "What is your name?"

  The traveler replied: "My name is Aesop, and I am a slave of Xanthus."

  Ammon nodded: "Yiso, you've done a great job, drive back and forth."

  The carriage turned around, with three horses tied behind it and three people sitting on top, heading south. Xiǎo lifted the curtain of the carriage and took a glance at the Night Wolf who was gradually disappearing from view: "He's done for."

  "Ah Mon said a sentence: 'How did you know, maybe someone will pass by and save them.'"

  Xiao: "This is impossible, since the great flood, the area north of the desert has become a vast swamp, and land transportation has been cut off. No one takes this trade route anymore, I was fleeing in a panic and didn't choose my path carefully, that's why I headed north."

  Amon nodded and said: "So that's how it is. They're definitely doomed. That person is called Night Wolf, I've heard of his name, with a history of blood debts in the desert, such an ending is also what he deserves."

  Xie Ou suddenly seemed to remember something, and slapped his forehead, saying: "Benefactor, I've also heard of the name Night Wolf. He's been raiding merchant roads for years, and Lord Dick of Haicheng City has put out a bounty on him. Whoever can capture him alive or bring back his head will receive a large reward from Haicheng City. You almost missed this opportunity!"

  Ah Mon didn't order the carriage to return, but instead pointed at the two curved knives on the ground: "I'm not interested in this money, if you want it, the knife is under your feet, go chop off his head and bring it back to the city-state, the reward is yours"

  Xiao Yu again trembled with fear: "I don't have the guts, if you don't want the reward then forget it, anyway as long as I arrive at Haicheng City-State, I will definitely thank you again." This plump merchant's expression was somewhat regretful, he didn't have the guts to cut off a fierce bandit's head with his knife, on the other hand he also didn't dare to go and collect the reward. Even if Ye Lang died, but his subordinates were still there, what if they found out it was Xiao Yu who killed Ye Lang? Would he be able to walk this trade route in the future?

  The horse carriage continued on its way, and Xiāo asked again: "Benefactor, I still don't know where you're from or what your name is?"

  "Ah, I'm Armon," he said. He only gave his name and didn't introduce himself further, and Shio didn't think it was a good idea to ask more questions. To this merchant, since Armon had been Leskot-Lee's bodyguard, he might be a wandering warrior on the continent.