This novel is quite similar in format to the short stories in Lou-Lan, except, obviously, it’s longer. Tun-huang, located in what is today China, but was in olden times on the Chinese frontier, on the Silk Road. During the 20th century, priceless Buddhist scrolls and historical records were found in the Buddhist caves near the city. Inoue imagines the events which might have led up to this. The main character arrives from China, and through a complex series of events, joins the Hsi-Hsian army, fighting against various other groups. As in Lou-lan, the political events are quite confusing. Seen from today’s perspective, the lands and peoples depicted are obscure, and their finery and victories vanished under the sand. Perhaps because I read the author’s short story collection on similar themes, and also because there was far less discussion of Buddhism than I thought there would be, I didn’t read this book with as much gusto as I did his short story collection, but it is still worth reading for the unusual setting.