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Liu Yuan had seen related records in the Scholarly City's library, confirming this was indeed the Bridge of Dreams. No amount of detailed description could compare to witnessing it firsthand. Similar to the land of the Sorrowful Lands, this bridge was shrouded in thick fog. The bridge consisted of numerous pale stone arches, heavily covered with thick gray moss. Coarse, black vines snaked from the water, entwining around the arches. Many sections of the bridge's surface had collapsed. Around the broken bridge's docks, white ripples appeared, revealing many eerie figures. Through the fog, their weak and high-pitched wails could be heard.

Liu Yuan put down his pen; taking notes was a good habit for a scholar. He vigorously blew on the ink to dry what he had just written. He then issued orders to his subordinates: "Filin, send two battalions of combat soldiers to clear the way. Drive away those Stone Men; if they dare to attack, kill them all! Remember to use spears and crossbows to deal with them, and be careful to avoid any physical contact. Bock, after the combat battalions have cleared the Bridge of Dreams and the docks, lead the labor camp to spread lime everywhere, leaving no corner untouched. Then, have people repair the damaged walls, making sure they are sturdy enough to ensure the safe passage of vehicles from the rear."

The fog was truly strange; even in broad daylight, visibility was no more than ten meters within the mist. Soon, a heavy infantry century marched onto the bridge, followed by a squad of crossbowmen. The chilling groans suddenly ceased, replaced by the sound of dense footsteps, punctuated by several 'splash' sounds as something fell into the water.

Liu Yuan pointed at the bridge and ordered, "Prepare fire arrows! Infantry, begin segmented firing, extending twenty paces ahead!"

"Swish, swish, swish..." A rain of fire arrows ignited a chorus of screams. Illuminated by the flames, many figures could be seen surging forward. Some charged desperately, while others stumbled and were knocked to the ground. The infantry raised their giant shields, forming an impenetrable wall of countless spears, pointing directly ahead from above the shields. They could now see the approaching figures, their faces twisted in terrifying grimaces, uttering blood-curdling wails.

"Bang, bang, bang..." A series of impacts echoed as countless figures crashed against the shield wall. Many were impaled by the spears. These individuals seemed to have forgotten fear. The heavy infantry's formation was solid, and the eight-meter-wide bridge could barely contain the frenzied attackers. Many fell from the bridge. Under Liu Yuan's direction, his archers spread out on both sides of the bridgehead, providing long-range support to the front.

The battle erupted suddenly and ended quickly. The attackers numbered just over two hundred, and their only weapons were wooden sticks; most were empty-handed. They didn't seem to be attacking, but rather coming to die. Following pre-arranged instructions, the soldiers used spears to push all the corpses into the river. Two infantry centuries and a fifty-man road crew had crossed the river. They cleared the entire wall and left a portion of the soldiers on guard. In fact, there were also some attackers on the vines that stretched across the bridge piers, but they were quickly eliminated. Bock directed the labor camp slaves to spread lime on the bridge surface and cover the previous bloodstains with soil. Behind them, a team of specialized artisans began to repair the bridge surface using wood and bamboo. Everyone was dressed in thick layers, with cloth wrapped around their mouths and noses.

Everything was arranged in an orderly manner by the officers, while Liu Yuan came to the riverbank. Several guards stood with drawn bows, nervously watching the river's surface. There, many corpses floated by. He used a long wooden pole to turn the corpses over. It was a male with a contorted face, his body covered in black and gray blotches, with little normal skin visible.

Liu Yuan sighed. He didn't want to slaughter indiscriminately. Greyscale was a deadly disease. Patients infected with it developed hardened skin covered in black and gray blotches, feeling as hard as stone to the touch.

The most terrifying aspect was the late stage of the disease, where the patient's tongue and lips would directly calcify. The intense pain throughout the body would drive people to madness. Those infected with greyscale wandered the ruins. It was said that many travelers, lost in the fog, eventually went mad with hunger, contracted greyscale, and became members of the Stone Men.

Stone Men was the name given to those infected with greyscale in the Sorrowful Lands, referring to patients in the late stages of the disease. They often gathered near the docks of the Bridge of Dreams. The vast majority of Stone Men were physically weak, clumsy, slow-moving, and mentally impaired. As they reached the end of their lives, they would often attack passersby in a frenzy, which was when they were most dangerous.

The greatest danger of greyscale was that physical contact greatly increased the chance of infection, so one had to be extremely careful when encountering them. Almost all greyscale patients were sent here. The Archons of Volantis sent ships to provide food to the Sorrowful Lands three times a year.

This couldn't help but worry Liu Yuan, as the origin of this disease remained unknown. Aside from direct skin contact, no other means of infection were known. Moreover, it was particularly easy to spread among children and adolescents, and nearly a third of his team were minors. Therefore, he ordered everyone to wear masks, avoid all skin contact, and not to drink the water here. Even if it meant killing all the Stone Men, he wouldn't hesitate.

The Sorrowful Lands was once known as Chayonne or the Festival City, and was the capital of the Rhoynar. After the Rhoynar migration, it was directly destroyed by Valyria, leaving only ruins. This strange fog was centered on the palace ruins on the river island, occupying a radius of five miles. Vaguely, many people seemed to wander among the ruins. At this time, many figures had gathered at the edge of the ruins, their bodies wrapped in strips of cloth, like mummies. Compared to the previous attackers, they seemed much more rational, simply watching the legion busy at work. These were the true residents of the area. Those who were terminally ill and driven mad were mostly expelled to slowly fend for themselves and die at the Bridge of Dreams!

The legion didn't pay much attention, only sending an infantry battalion to guard, while the others were busy transporting personnel and supplies. Those who had crossed the river were quickly escorted by soldiers out of the fog's influence. Especially the cavalry, they carried the children straight to the pre-arranged assembly point. The team was crossing the river in an orderly manner. Fifty medium-sized river boats were waiting on the south river channel. The river channels in the Sorrowful Lands were covered with fragments of buildings and sculptures, many of which were submerged below the surface, and there were also many wrecked ships. To cross this waterway, one had to be very careful.

Liu Yuan was now staring at the dilapidated palace, faintly visible in the mist. He could feel waves of energy spreading out. This was completely different from the strong radiation on the Valyrian Peninsula, and a peculiar rhythm resonated within his body. He directed the fleet forward, and as the distance decreased, that feeling grew stronger! Even his flesh felt a surge of desire!