Because Shangguan Lin and Zhi Qiu's commotion prevented everyone from sleeping, they followed Zhi Qiu to wash up, eat something, and continue their journey.
Zhi Qiu said that it would take at most another two hours, but they could enter the Qingyun Mountain Range by then.
The Qingyun Mountain Range was vast, stretching as far as the eye could see, with mountains connected to mountains, all covered in lush, verdant trees.
There were wild beasts in the woods, and birds would occasionally rustle past, emitting pleasant calls. Zhi Qiu led the way throughout, bringing them to the foot of the Qingyun Mountain Range.
Suddenly, many people appeared at the foot of the mountain. They wore hats woven from willow branches and had been lurking in the woods, making them difficult to detect. As soon as these people appeared, Shangguan Lin and Yun Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhi Qiu, however, seemed uneasy. She pulled Yun Xiao aside and whispered.
"Who are you people? Where did so many of you come from, and what exactly do you want?"
Yun Xiao smiled and pulled Zhi Qiu, noticing that this fearless young girl actually had something she was afraid of, which was being around too many people.
This was probably related to her growing up in the mountains, which was why she was scared when she saw so many people. Yun Xiao patted her hand to comfort her.
"Zhi Qiu, it's alright. We're just looking for something. Can you do this favor for your sister?"
Zhi Qiu looked up at Yun Xiao. Seeing that she was speaking honestly and didn't seem to be lying, she nodded vigorously. Yun Xiao called out to the front, "Shangguan Lin, come here."
Shangguan Lin walked over. Their group had agreed to call each other by name when outside.
"Take good care of Zhi Qiu."
Shangguan Lin was stunned when he heard this. Why him? He and this woman didn't get along.
Zhi Qiu, on the other hand, was pleased. Although they often bickered, they were more familiar with each other than others. She nodded enthusiastically in agreement, "Okay, I'll go with him. Let's go."
After speaking, she reached out and pulled Shangguan Lin, heading inside. Shangguan Lin stared helplessly at the back of her head and at her hand.
Did this woman have any sense? Men and women should not touch each other. But he forgot that Zhi Qiu grew up in the mountains and had no concept of the idea that men and women should not touch. She only did what she thought was right.
Yun Xiao counted the number of people and entered the mountain.
Zhi Qiu and Shangguan Lin led the way, with Yun Xiao and Xiao Yao following behind them, and then about two thousand elite soldiers. The group walked deep into the mountains.
The silent mountains stirred, with rustling sounds from time to time, and animals darted fearfully through the woods.
Zhi Qiu's voice echoed from ahead: "Actually, nothing much happens in this mountain range during the day. As long as you're careful, there's no problem. But at night, it's different. So, whatever you're looking for, leave before sunset, or it will be dangerous."
Along the way, everyone proceeded with caution. Indeed, there were poisonous snakes, flowers, and grasses. However, since Zhi Qiu had grown up in the mountains, she didn't let them suffer too much and even taught everyone some experience in walking through the mountains.
Seeing that they had walked past a mountain peak, Yun Xiao took out the treasure map and handed it to Zhi Qiu, asking her where this location was.
Zhi Qiu frowned and pondered. Soon, she pointed out the direction. Her home was not far from here, and she had hunted here during the day.
Only in such mountain ranges would there be large wild beasts, and their fur would be valuable. In other forests, there were only small ones that were not worth anything.
Yun Xiao and Shangguan Lin exchanged glances. Although they trusted Zhi Qiu, there was no guarantee that nothing would go wrong. Thus, they received a hint from their eyes that they must proceed with caution.
The treasure was not hidden deep in the mountains, but rather not far from the mountain pass. Yun Xiao and Shangguan Lin pondered that perhaps these people might not dare to venture deep into the mountains. This mountain range was too large, with trees covering the entire mountain. It would be easy to enter but difficult to leave.
So, who would be foolish enough to hide in the vast mountains? xxs壹贰
This mountain was not terrifying. What was truly terrifying was that the cave contained many secret passages and traps.
Shen Siyuan had said that many people in the Blood Bandits coveted these jewels, and some had ventured in at the risk of their lives, but none had ever returned.
He had secretly drawn the treasure map, and it was only because he wanted to enter the cave to steal the treasure, but he had not succeeded. There was lava at the bottom of the cave, making underground operations impossible.
The treasure was located in a cave, beneath a tree with lush foliage. The surrounding area was covered with dense branches and leaves, making it impossible to see the cave entrance clearly.
However, when the group pushed aside the branches, they indeed saw a cave, which was dark and invisible within.
Yun Xiao looked back at Xiao Yao and commanded in a deep voice, "Select twenty elites to follow. The rest will lie in ambush around the cave and pay attention to any movement in the surroundings."
"Yes, master."
Xiao Yao respected this lady and immediately went to assign tasks upon receiving the order. On the other side, Zhi Qiu asked Shangguan Lin, "Do I still have to go into this dark hole?"
"Why not go in? Let's all go together."
Shangguan Lin's expression was unyielding, giving Zhi Qiu no chance to break free. He pulled her towards the cave entrance. Yun Xiao had already ordered Liu Xing and others to light torches.
The group entered the cave one by one. The entrance was small, but it widened as they went further inside. The surroundings were silent, and the echoes of their footsteps on the ground were loud. Everyone walked forward cautiously.
Suddenly, there were three paths before them, three cave entrances.
Everyone looked at each other, glancing at one cave and then the next.
Yun Xiao was stunned. Shen Siyuan had not mentioned three paths. It seemed he had played a trick on them. Among these three paths, two of them must have secret passages and traps, while the other path was much better.
"Master, what do we do now?"
Liu Xing asked in a deep voice. Yun Xiao carefully examined the cave entrances, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. She discovered that the third cave entrance had many animal footprints, while the other two had significantly fewer. Finally, she decisively pointed to the third cave entrance, "Let's go through this one."
With that, she took the lead and walked in. Behind her, Shangguan Lin reached out to block her path and said calmly, "I'll go."
He had promised his elder brother that he would take good care of her, so he couldn't let her be in any danger.
Shangguan Lin stepped in, pulling Nalan Zhi Qiu along with him. The annoyed young girl let out a dissatisfied scream, "Hey, why did you drag me in too?"
"Didn't you say you weren't afraid of death? Let's go in together."
Zhi Qiu was thus silenced. Yun Xiao followed closely behind them, and Xiao Yao, fearing they might be in danger, also entered, followed by dozens of people who entered in single file.
The air was dark and damp, sticky, as if something was dripping down. Yun Xiao looked up and saw a giant snake coiled at the top, then cried out.
"Snake."
As soon as the word was uttered, the giant python swept its tail and coiled towards them. Xiao Yao and Liu Xing and the others behind them leaped up, their long swords slashing, striking directly at the giant python.
Yun Xiao retreated, pushing Shangguan Lin and Zhi Qiu forward by three steps before they could dodge the python's lunge. Xiao Yao and Liu Xing were already grappling with the giant python. This python seemed to have been starving for a long time, its blood-red tongue sticking out, and its tail whipping like a gale.