Bai Zhannian shrugged indifferently, "I'll do whatever you arrange."
"Alright, then I'm leaving," Chen Fan said without hesitation.
However, Shalu, standing to the side, felt awkward.
Before, he followed Chen Fan, acting as his guide, even leading them through the desert to find the Emperor's Eye.
But now, that role was entirely unnecessary. His knowledge of the terrain was no match for the people of the Undead Knights.
They had guarded this area for hundreds of years, intimately familiar with it, able to find the path to the Emperor's Eye even with their eyes closed.
Sensing Shalu's thoughts, Chen Fan patted his shoulder and smiled, "You'll continue with us on our journey."
"Okay," Shalu nodded.
Although Chen Fan decided to cooperate with the Undead Knights, it didn't mean he trusted them.
Once in the desert, without Shalu, if any friction arose with the Undead Knights, or if they revealed their true intentions and ambitions, or if unforeseen circumstances occurred, their situation would become precarious.
Chen Fan was determined to prevent this. Shalu's presence was to guard against any rash actions by the Undead Knights.
With all arrangements made, Yao Hui joined the group, and they soon departed from the Undead Knights' territory.
However, as they passed by the Undead Knights, their gazes towards Chen Fan were exceedingly strange.
Chen Fan couldn't quite articulate the feeling, but it was clear they harbored deep hostility in their eyes.
Yet, none of this was within Chen Fan's immediate concerns. If the Undead Knights dared to make a move, he would retaliate without hesitation.
At that point, the remaining members of the Undead Knights would cease to exist.
Leaving their territory, Yao Hui continued to lead the Undead Knights, clearing the path ahead.
Seeing that everyone was preoccupied, Bai Zhannian quickly moved to Chen Fan's side, pulling him by the shoulder and drawing him behind him. He then whispered, "Are we just going to follow them like this?"
Earlier, Bai Zhannian had convinced himself, as it was Chen Fan's decision. Even if he was reluctant, he had to obey.
But...
The moment he noticed everyone's expressions, he faltered.
These people didn't seem straightforward at all.
Chen Fan smiled, "Do we have any other path laid out before us?"
Bai Zhannian fell into a moment of hesitation.
The Undead Knights were the local power in this desert. Although the Thirteenth District resisted them,
Chen Fan and he, even as powerful outsiders, couldn't act rashly. The desert held endless possibilities.
Chen Fan continued, "For now, we just need to follow Yao Hui. If she leads us astray, or if we discover their hidden motives after entering the Emperor's Eye, then we won't need to hold back anymore. I will make the Undead Knights pay a heavy price."
A murderous intent filled Chen Fan's eyes, clearly indicating he was not joking.
He also took out the gold coin that Sluhr had given him. He didn't know its purpose, but he could tell it was of great significance.
Yao Hui turned around, seeing them lingering. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"No," Chen Fan shook his head, pulling Bai Zhannian along as they hurried to catch up.
Yao Hui walked up to them, pointing at the vast expanse of yellow sand ahead, and furrowed her brow. "The desert weather is like this. It's extremely difficult to see what lies ahead. So, please try to bear with it and follow our planned route. Based on our progress and the time, we should reach the vicinity of the Emperor's Eye in less than half a day."
"Half a day?" Bai Zhannian glanced at the sky and asked with a frown, "Where will we spend the night then?"
Yao Hui shrugged helplessly, looking around at the swirling sand. Wasn't the answer obvious?
Bai Zhannian shook his head. "It seems we'll be eating sand for dinner tonight."
Chen Fan offered a noncommittal smile. After all, there was no other path to take.
They continued forward. Not long after, a member of the Undead Knights hurried over to Yao Hui.
He whispered something to her.
A moment later, Yao Hui stopped everyone, her expression turning grim.
She gazed at Chen Fan, her brows knitted. "My subordinate just informed me that he sensed the presence of the Thirteenth District. It's likely not beneficial for us to proceed further. What should we do next?"
In the harsh desert, a confrontation would be made more ferocious by the unforgiving weather.
Furthermore, they didn't even know the enemy's numbers.
Therefore, even Yao Hui was beginning to feel a sense of panic.
Chen Fan, however, calmly inquired, "How did your people sense the approach of the Thirteenth District?"
He himself felt nothing, and Bai Zhannian was equally curious, clearly sharing Chen Fan's sentiment.
Mentioning this, Yao Hui's pressure seemed to lessen. She pulled the subordinate beside her and introduced him to Chen Fan. "His hearing is different from ordinary people. He can detect sounds from very far away, so he can easily tell if anyone is approaching from ahead."
In the desert, besides their own party, who else could possibly enter this area?
Ultimately, it could only be the people from the Thirteenth District.
Therefore, any slight anomaly could indicate that something was amiss.
Only then did Chen Fan stop asking further questions and said, "Since that's the case, we can only prepare to fight."
They had already fallen out with the Thirteenth District. Trying to escape now would only invite relentless pursuit, and they would be put in a passive position. It was better to take the initiative.
Before Yao Hui could reply, the yellow sand ahead suddenly churned, and a group of figures slowly approached them.
However, upon closer inspection, their numbers were not large, about the same as their own group.
The Undead Knights at the front were already prepared for combat.
Yao Hui's eyes widened. "That's..."