It was not yet dawn, and looking at the starry sky from the porthole, it should be less than four o'clock in the morning. Jonah rubbed his eyes and sat up, stretching widely: "Where are you?"

"Isfarhan, the capital of the northwestern province of the Tocharian Empire. Asai looked at him with a smile, "We've arrived at the mayor's manor." ”

The astrologer's apprentice said distressedly: "Can you tell Mayor Du to let the carriage go on, I must rush to the Golden City as soon as possible, there is no time to stop." What day is it?"

"May 9th. The Oriental nodded, "Good proposal, I also hope to arrive early." ”

He turned his head to discuss with the big man next to him, and Du Shakar's face was cloudy, and he looked a little undecided, "Stand up, and have a fierce expression." Asai suddenly instructed in the lingua franca of the Western Continent.

Jonah stood up inexplicably, staring at the mayor with a blank face. The Tocharian nobleman's attitude immediately softened, he muttered a bunch of things, smiled and grabbed the back of the astrologer's apprentice's hand, patted it affectionately, bent down, and turned to go out.

Not long after, there was a vibration in the carriage, the "Midnight Star" sounded a long whistle, and the steam carriage set sail again. Jonah saw through the porthole a splendid manor slowly receding in the moonlight, and in the distance the silhouette of a medium-sized city, despite the late night and the lights shining.

"Sometimes identity is useful, Brother Jonah. The Oriental sat back on the couch, "I'm really stained with you." ”

"I'm just an apprentice...... Jonah stroked the badge on the placket, four pale blue stars swimming in the dark blue disc, "If Mr. Koshawar was here, everything would be different." ”

Ah Sai stared at him with a grin: "Don't worry, with your strength, as long as you go to the Astrology Association of the Golden City to evaluate again, you will definitely be able to upgrade by two or three levels." ”

"Don't talk nonsense. Jonah hurriedly waved his hand, "The promotion of an apprentice to an astrologer requires a strict assessment, and I am still far from it......

Dongfang said: "I don't know if you are humble or really as stupid as Miss Magic Elf said...... Forget it, go to sleep. There's still a long way to go. ”

It was difficult to fall back asleep after being woken up in his sleep, and the astrologer apprentice tossed and turned without sleepiness, and tentatively said, "Assai, are you asleep?"

"I was asleep, but now I'm awake. The Oriental replied honestly.

"I'm sorry...... I want to ask you, is there a 'blue castle' in the southern continent?" Jonah remembered the seventh prophecy, "and there is a path of 'the thorn bird singing'?"

Asai turned to look at him, "Sounds like a scene from a fairy tale." I haven't heard of these places, do you have more accurate information?"

Jonah shook his head, "No, it's the 'Blue Castle'." ”

"If you want to talk about castles that are famous for their colors throughout the continent, the Red Stone Fort in the Western Continent, the 'Golden City' Bactria in the Southern Continent, the 'Black City' Pingyin in the Eastern Continent, and the 'Tree City' Erion in the Northern Continent are all equally famous. Dongfang introduced, "My hometown is just outside Pingyin City, not far from the tower 'Tianxuan', which is a good place with beautiful scenery." ”

"Tower?" Jonah snapped.

"Yes, there are six great countries in the Eastern Continent, and each country is symbolized by a tower. A look of nostalgia on Assai's face was full of nostalgia, "I haven't been back for a long time, I don't know how my family is now." ”

Then, according to the sixth prophecy, the homeland of the ghost Bahamas is indeed in the Eastern continent, the continent of the six towers and the six kings. But what is the point of the prophecy specifically pointing out this? Do you want to go to the East to find the father of the ghost Bahamas, the legendary black dragon? Didn't the dragon die in the wars of antiquity? Could it be that it still harbors any clues in its lair in the East? Jonah frowned and thought wildly.

Nothing was said all night. At ten o'clock in the morning, the chubby nobleman entered the carriage again, instructed the maid to set up a large table of sumptuous dishes, whether it was breakfast or lunch, and warmly greeted the two guests for dinner. Jonah didn't have much appetite, and Asai didn't seem to be too resistant to this kind of eating, sleeping, and eating, and chatted with the mayor while he sipped.

"Ah, by the way, this steam carriage is not pulled by horses at all, so why should it be called a carriage?" the astrologer apprentice suddenly remembered a question.

Mayor Du smiled, "It seems that you are not familiar with the Southern Continent, Lord Astrologer. At the time when Midnight Star was built, steam golem technology was not too advanced, and the steam wagon was not strong enough to travel uphill and had to be dragged up by forty healthy horses. Later, thanks to the Frost Steam Golemman, the Midnight Star no longer needed to tow horses, but until now, it still has 20 fine pack horses in the back of its carriage, which is a tradition. ”

The Oriental laughed and suddenly asked a serious question: "Lord, you are a popular man in the noble circles, can you tell us how prepared for war is, and when will there be war between Tocharian and the Vedas?"

This sentence made Du Chakar a little fluttering, but the noble lord was very shrewd, and avoided the topic with a smile on his face: "Don't dare to be, don't dare to be, touch the light of your father, and just mess around." After arriving in the Golden City, someone will naturally introduce the situation, don't worry, don't worry!"

The boring feast lasted from morning to late at night, and this time Jonako had no energy to talk, and fell asleep on the couch. After three days of this depravity, the astrologer apprentice felt like a cask, and his burps were full of the smell of cactus wine. However, the scars and fatigue left by the previous arduous journey have almost disappeared, and this is a rare good rest during the journey.

After driving out of the Great Gobi, the road conditions began to gradually improve, and a smooth road paved with golden sand and tamped with heavy hammers led to Bactria, and this palm-planted road was the "Golden Road" that ran through the Tocharian Empire. There were more and more horse-drawn carriages, camel carts, steam carriages, and rickshaws of all kinds, but the steam carriage was the only one of its kind, such as the Midnight Star, that Jonah saw a deep sense of envy and jealousy in the eyes of passers-by, and even a lady poked her head out of the carriage window and waved her handkerchief at him, bringing with it a disorienting scent.

The carriage also ran smoothly, there were no more annoying bumps, and the climate became warmer and warmer as we went inland, the heat of the endless sea of sand during the day and the cold of the night were blown away by the monsoon, and the warm spring mood swayed on the green palm fronds, and the sky was as blue as if washed by water. Compared with the rainy climate of the Western Continent in spring and summer, and the dry climate in autumn and winter, the center of the Southern Continent is a more suitable area for human survival, no wonder the Tocharian Empire is so prosperous and dominates the territory of the Southern Continent for hundreds of years.

Finally, on the morning of May 12, a large group of patrolling camel cavalry appeared outside the porthole, and Asai told him that the soldiers riding heavily armed shuangfeng camels and carrying shiny swords and spears were the Guards of the Golden City, and that Bactria should be close at hand. The astrologer's apprentice took a good bath, and the Midnight Star had a very well-equipped bathroom, and changed into the new clothes that Mayor Du had prepared for him. To say that this noble lord is really a capable man, I don't know how to measure Jonah's figure, and order a full set of inner and outer clothes for him, and the dark blue robe of exquisite workmanship fits very well to wear, which is more suitable than the one that Mr. Koshawar ordered for him back then.

Looking down at the large bronze mirror and looking down at the tattered old robes, Jonah realized that it was not that the old clothes no longer fit, but that he had grown taller. A 17-year-old boy continues to grow in the midst of an arduous journey, both mentally and physically. The astrologer's apprentice tossed his flaxen curls, put his old clothes into a deerskin bag, and walked out of the bathroom with his staff.

Asai then went to take a shower and change clothes, and when he came back, he was also new inside and out, and the Oriental showed off his short coat in surprise: "I thought that the people of the Southern Continent would not make this kind of coat, but the mayor of the town really has a good tailor!"

The "Midnight Star" often whistled and slowly stopped, and the sneering sound of steam depressurization was heard, and there was a soft "cluck" sound, and the gangplank was lowered. Du Chakar smiled and stepped into the carriage: "We have arrived in the City of Gold, my friends, what a pleasant journey, isn't it?"

Jonah nodded wildly, eager to get out of the car to find his long-lost companion. Led by the mayor, he and Arsai passed through the inner passage of the steam carriage to the hatch, and Shakar went down first. As soon as the two guests showed their heads in front of the door, they were stunned.

A long red carpet was spread on the turquoise lawn in front of him, and the carpet was full of people standing on both sides, and the town elder turned to face the two people in the steam carriage, and spread his hands: "Welcome to the Golden City, Harimmayan Manor sincerely welcomes you, Lord Astrologer, Lord Swordsman." ”

With Du Shakar's gesture, everyone bent down and bowed deeply, and Jonah scanned the crowd in amazement, and whispered for help: "Asai Asai, what did he say? What are we going to do now?"

The Oriental seemed to have seen a big scene, and said calmly: "Welcome to us." What else can I do?

The astrologer's apprentice stiffened off the gangplank and walked down the red carpet, surveying the crowd on either side. It is a very beautiful manor house with lawns, flowers, palm trees in harmonious colors, elaborate camel eagle statues in the fountain spewing water columns, and exotic manor houses standing in the distance, bright yellow buildings of domes, arches, columns and minarets glittering in the sun.

"This is the Harimaya Manor, the residence of my father, Prince Harrymaya, and part of the Harrymayan palace where the Tocharian royalty lived, and we in the Shakar family have been in charge of this large estate for generations, and Isaibainker the Great has come to the manor every month to have a good time!" said the mayor proudly.

The Oriental sneered, and said to Jonah secretly, "It turns out that this family is the steward of the royal garden!"