The southern road is the Silk Road, which connects the continents of Europe and asia. The northern road is known as the Silk Route, and it is through this route that the ancient trade routes of China and India are connected. The western region of the country, known as talas, is the beacon of war. In this chapter, we are introduced to the story of the 757 battle between the armies of Gao Xianzhi, a military governor of Anxi, and the army of the Absids, a tribe of abbasid kings. Gao's army is led by a general named Ziyad, who is known to have ordered the killing of prisoners.