The packhorse carrying heavy goods walked through the cross street in front of Yu Qiqi, the copper bell on the horse's neck jingling. At the street corner, there was an unknown foreigner selling scallion and mutton pancakes, and the fragrance wafted to it in the wind.

Yu Shiqi, who was hungry after two days of trekking in the mountains, put it in his nose.

He looked across the street for a long time, repeatedly calculating in his mind the little money he had left, and finally held back his appetite.

Asking the warehouse clerk on the side for a bowl of water, Yu Shiqi squatted on the roadside and ate the dry food he bought when he stayed at Fengxueyi a few days ago. He suddenly thought of the man who wanted to use five moon-patterned gold lacquer coins to buy himself a painting.

The girl Xilingue in the painting regretted for a moment and wanted to slap herself.

"You don't have the fate of being noble, but you still always suffer from the disease of being noble." Senior Zhou of Yunzhongjian said similar words when he kicked him out of the team.

However, Yu Shiqi could still make himself optimistic. He thought that although he walked in the mountains for two days, he was lucky enough to find this palm-sized market.

Although there are many such goods town markets in Xihuang, they are basically east of Kunlun. After entering Kunlun, it is difficult to see people, especially after the snow season arrives.

Nowadays, most of the merchants stopping at the market where he is located have finished their business and are heading back east. Experienced guides will take the team back to Jingrong before it snows.

Yu Shiqi had just asked a few people about the way to Tianque Peak, but those people almost seemed to have colluded with each other to persuade him to give up this idea.

The reason is similar to what Xilingyue said before. It is winter and snow may fall at any time. By then, the road to the far western barbarians will be completely blocked by snow, and the road back to Xiliang Prefecture will be difficult to travel. Kunlun Land will become

A closed snow country.

Even the most experienced local guides dare not say that they can hike through the snow-covered Kunlun Mountains back to inhabited areas. Most of those people have good intentions to dissuade Yu Shiqi from continuing westward in search of Tianque Peak.

Finally, Yu Shiqi spent fourteen mountain-pattern coins to buy a map from a caravan guide, which was almost half of his belongings.

The map details various mountains, rivers and markets in the Western Wasteland, including the location of Tianque Peak.

Based on a rough estimate based on the map, if he was lucky, he would have to walk for another five or six days.

The aroma of scallion and mutton scones in his nose suddenly became stronger. Yu Shiqi raised his head subconsciously and found a cloaked figure standing in front of him, holding a scone wrapped in paper in his hand.

"What's the matter, Your Excellency?" With the skylight behind him and the other party pulling up his hood, Yu Shiqi couldn't see clearly the face of the visitor.

"The map in your hand is the map of the Western Wilderness? Can you lend it to me to take a look at?" The man spoke with a soft yet steady female voice.

Yu Shiqi hesitated for a moment and handed over the map.

The man politely said thank you, took the map and sat on the ground next to him. When she sat down, the hood of her cloak fell down. Yu Shiqi glanced sideways and saw a simple white wooden mask.

He was stunned for a moment, remembering the masked woman he met in the bamboo forest behind Tongfengmen when he was a child, and felt that the mask in front of him seemed a bit familiar.

However, he did not dare to speculate based on such a long and vague memory. After all, this is the Western Wilderness where the folk customs and customs are very different. It is not surprising that there are people who like to wear white wooden masks among the barbarians.

"This picture is the most detailed one I have seen since arriving in Xiliang Prefecture. It must have been painted by one of the best local guides in the world." The masked woman commented slowly.

Yu Shiqi glanced at her, and then heard her say: "I wonder if this friend can give up his love and transfer this picture to me?"

"this……"

"Don't worry, I will pay you accordingly."

Yu Shiqi thought for a while, then sat down on the floor like her, took off the easel behind him, and found paper and pen from inside: "The map is also very important to me, and I can't transfer it to you, but I can help

You copy one."

"Eh?" The woman made a very unexpected sound.

She doubtfully helped Yu Shiqi spread out the map, and watched him start to draw the map in the same way, her eyes gradually showing wonder under the mask.

Although it is a copy, the more detailed the map, the harder it is to ensure that the copy is exactly the same as the original map. Every minute mark on the map was made by the map guide who personally visited the map and checked the actual situation. It is impossible for ordinary people to confirm it.

However, Yu Shiqi's drawings are like rubbings. The original drawings on the left and the copies look the same, and the copy on the right is even cleaner and crisper because it is made of fine drawing paper.

"It's unbelievable. I didn't expect that Mr. looks so young and his drawing skills are so outstanding." The woman obviously had respect for him and began to call him Mr.

"I'm familiar with you, so don't call me sir...I'm just an unknown wandering painter." Yu Shiqi was a little embarrassed, so he handed her the copied picture and warned: "There is no mounting paper.

It's very fragile, and there are strong winds in the Western Wilderness from time to time, so you should be careful when using it."

"I know this." She chuckled, nodded, and asked: "I wonder how much I should pay you first... how much should I pay you as a reward?"

"The person who sold me this map probably saw that I don't have much money. I only need fourteen mountain coins, which is nothing..."

"Then I'll give you fourteen..." the woman said while rummaging through her small bag, her voice suddenly dropped. Her tone became a little embarrassed: "Well... can I use Chen Lin's silver?

?I left Jingrong in a hurry and didn’t exchange enough currency.”

Yu Shiqi smiled nonchalantly: "If you don't mind, just give me a piece of scone. The reward is really unnecessary."

The woman paused while searching, smiled, and said "Okay."

"Madam, you came from Jingrong?"

"Coming from Yuezhou."

"Yuezhou? That's really far away." Yu Shiqi was quite surprised. Yuezhou is located in the southeast of Chenlin and faces the sea, thousands of miles away from Xiliangzhou. I really don't know how she got here.

"What about you? You don't seem to be from the Western Wilderness. Where did you come from?"

"I am a wandering prodigal." He laughed at himself, "I will go anywhere for the sake of painting, and I will never stay anywhere for too long."

The woman nodded and suddenly asked him as if on a whim: "What do you call him?"

"Yu Shiqi, what's your surname, madam?"

"My last name is Teng."

"It's a rare surname."

"Your name is also rare," the Teng woman said after hesitating, "It's rare for parents to give their children such a name, right?"

Yu Shiqi didn't explain, just smiled, and asked casually out of curiosity: "Then what did Mrs. Teng name your son?"

The Teng woman pondered for a long time and said slowly: "If I have a child, I think... forget it, let's not talk about this, it's nothing."

Yu Shiqi heard the sadness in her tone, and suddenly felt a little guilty, thinking that his unintentional words might have touched someone else's hidden pain.

"Sorry, Mrs. Teng, I don't know..."

"It doesn't matter. People like me can't be a good mother to their children." She sighed.

Yu Shiqi didn't know how to understand her words. He always felt that there seemed to be some incredible story hidden in Mrs. Teng's heart.

"I have to continue on my way. Thank you for the map you sent me." The woman said, stood up, patted herself and said to Yu Shiqi: "You seem to be traveling and painting, right? Don't go further west in the near future.

, not very safe.”

Yu Shiqi was stunned for a moment and then said: "Yes, it's going to snow. I will try my best to go back before the heavy snow blocks Kunlun."

The Teng woman's eyes under the mask looked at him meaningfully for a while and whispered: "The danger I'm talking about is not the heavy snow. Haven't you heard about Jingrong's murder a while ago?"

Seeing the confused look on Yu Shiqi's face, she shook her head and said concisely: "In short, be careful when you are alone. There will always be someone in your family who will miss you."

Family members... Yu Shiqi stood there blankly. In his unfocused eyes, Mrs. Teng had already walked away.
Chapter completed!