"My apologies, everyone."
Wan Yunting and Li Zihang returned their phones to them. Lu Bao said, "I knew it. How could I be in caho!s with that traitor Tao Zifu!"
Wan Yunting then turned to Wu Weizi and said, "Uncle-Master, the situation is urgent. We don't know how many people are chasing us or their strength, but since Sima Boyong knows we're entering the mountains to gather herbs, he will definitely send experts to hunt us down. For safety, I have an idea. What do you think?"
"Oh, go on."
Wu Weizi nodded. Zhou Ruoxi and Jiang Tingxia also leaned in, eager to hear Wan Yunting's plan.
Holding Tao Zifu's phone, Wan Yunting said, "I propose we split the team into two. One group will be led by you, Uncle-Master, continuing towards the small valley to find the Phoenix Tail Grass. I will take this phone and head in another direction to lure away those behind us, preventing them from stopping you from gathering the herbs!"
"Hmm, Junior Brother Wan, that's a good idea."
Li Zihang listened and thought it was feasible.
However, Wu Weizi shook his head, his old brows furrowed. "No, that's too dangerous. If they catch up to you, you'll be in grave danger!"
"Yes, Junior Brother Wan, why don't we just turn off this tracker so they can't find us?" Jiang Tingxia asked, her big eyes looking at Wan Yunting.
Wan Yunting glanced at Lu Bao, Chen Bin, and the other five. "We can't be sure if there are still spies from Sima Boyong among those five."
"In that case, let's not have them follow us. Let them go back," Li Zihang suggested.
Wan Yunting still shook his head, frowning. "Those behind us are only two kilometers away. Among them are definitely experts with extensive wilderness tracking experience. Therefore, I still suggest splitting into two groups. I will lead them away while you, Uncle-Master, go find the medicine. This is the most secure method."
"Also, we can call back now and ask Senior Aunt-Master to immediately send reinforcements, or even call the police to have local law enforcement come into the mountains to assist us!"
"That's right. Calling Senior Aunt-Master now to have her call the police and ask for help from the mountains will surely deter that group behind us," Li Zihang nodded, finding Wan Yunting's idea practical.
Wu Weizi also nodded, but he was still worried. "Then, Little Wan, who will go with you to lure them away?"
"Not many, just one or two are enough. We need to speed up and lead them in another direction so they can't find your group anymore," Wan Yunting said.
"Junior Brother Wan, I'll go with you," Li Zihang immediately offered.
"You're too weak."
Wan Yunting glanced at him and waved his hand. He needed someone strong enough to keep up with his pace. If they were truly pursued by the trackers, they would need to be able to handle themselves and help each other. He couldn't afford a "pig teammate" who would only drag him down.
"You really look down on people," Li Zihang said, rolling his eyes speechlessly.
"I'll go with you!"
Suddenly, Xu Lingwei said indifferently.
Wan Yunting shook his head again. "You're not suitable either. You should all stay with Uncle-Master."
"Hmph."
This remark made Xu Lingwei snort and turn her head away proudly.
"Then only Senior Sister Zhou is left!"
Jiang Tingxia immediately looked at Zhou Ruoxi beside her. Wan Yunting also smiled and nodded, saying, "Senior Sister Zhou is indeed suitable. She and I are both at the Martial Dao Dan Jin level. If we are really caught, we will still have room to maneuver. I just don't know if Senior Sister Zhou is willing?"
Zhou Ruoxi hadn't expected Wan Yunting to ask her to lure away the pursuers with him, but she felt an inexplicable anticipation. She nodded and said in her soft, melodious voice, "Alright, I'll go with you to lure away the enemies."
"Okay, it's settled then. Junior Sister Jiang, you will continue with Uncle-Master to find the small valley and the Phoenix Tail Grass. The signal in the mountains is poor, so we might not be able to contact you. If you find the Phoenix Tail Grass, return directly; don't worry about us. We'll find our own way." Seeing Zhou Ruoxi agree, Wan Yunting immediately said to Wu Weizi and the others.
"Alright, Little Wan, you two must be very careful," Wu Weizi's old eyes showed worry as he earnestly instructed.
"Don't worry, Uncle-Master."
Wan Yunting nodded, then asked Li Zihang to take out his phone. Since they hadn't yet entered the deepest part of the Kunlun Mountains and were still in the outer areas, the phone still had enough signal to make calls. "Senior Aunt-Master, we've encountered a situation. Let Junior Brother Wan speak with you."
Yang Jingyi, who was in her residence at the Wuliang Daoist Temple, received the call. Upon hearing Wan Yunting say that people from Sima Boyong were hunting them, Yang Jingyi's brows immediately furrowed. She asked, "What do you need me to do?"
"Call the police and have them enter the mountains, searching towards the west. I will lure them in that direction!" Wan Yunting said seriously into the phone.
"Okay, I will contact the county police immediately and ask them to come into the mountains to assist you." Yang Jingyi nodded and replied.
"Alright, Senior Aunt-Master. That's all for now. I'll contact you if anything else happens."
After Wan Yunting finished speaking, Yang Jingyi responded and hung up the phone, then immediately dialed the public security bureau in Buxida County, at the foot of the mountain.
Director Qu Guangrong, in his youth, had lived at the Wuliang Daoist Temple. He was the first disciple of the abbot Duan Wuyu and had learned martial arts for over ten years. However, because Qu Guangrong left the mountain relatively early, after completing his military service, he returned to Buxida County and started from an ordinary police officer. He worked diligently and eventually rose to the position of director.
Upon receiving Yang Jingyi's call and learning about Duan Wuyu's critical condition and Wan Yunting's situation in the mountains to find medicine, Qu Guangrong immediately dispatched a police team and personally led them towards Wuliang Mountain...
Wan Yunting entered Yang Jingyi's phone number into his own phone before returning the phone to Li Zihang. He then said to Wu Weizi, "Uncle-Master, you must be careful of them too!"
Wu Weizi glanced at Lu Bao, Chen Bin, and the other disciples on the side, then nodded. "Yes, we'll be more vigilant."
"Junior Brother Wan, what about Tao Zifu?" Li Zihang pointed to Tao Zifu, who was sitting there with his hands tied.
Wan Yunting replied, "I'll take him with me. You all should speed up and head into the mountains."
"I'm not going."
Lin Jie and Peng Lei called out, "Since there's danger, we won't enter the mountains."
"Let's go, we're going back..."
The two of them picked up their belongings and turned to leave.
"You two, stop!"
Duan Yingying's big eyes widened, and she shouted at them, "If you leave, don't ever come back to the sect."
"If we can't come back, then we won't. We're not staying in this sect anymore."
Peng Lei turned his head and snorted. Then, he and Lin Jie walked in the direction of their departure...
"Let them go."
Wu Weizi waved his hand, not trying to retain these disciples. He then said to Lu Bao, Chen Bin, and Zhang Zixiu, "If you also wish to leave, then go together. I won't blame you."
Lu Bao, Zhang Zixiu, and Chen Bin exchanged glances. Lu Bao shook his head and said, "Uncle-Master, we are not leaving. The Abbot has shown me great kindness. I will definitely find the herb to save his life."
"Yes, we're not leaving either."
Chen Bin and Zhang Zixiu also nodded, speaking with determination.
Subsequently, Wan Yunting also shouted to Peng Lei and Lin Jie, who hadn't gone far, "You two who don't want to die, go back!"
This caused Peng Lei and Lin Jie to stop. They turned their heads to look at Wan Yunting and shouted, "What do you mean?"
Wu Weizi, Li Zihang, and Duan Yingying also looked at Wan Yunting with confusion. He said, "If you head back now, you will definitely encounter the people chasing us. Do you think they will let you go?"
At this, Peng Lei and Lin Jie's bodies trembled. They looked at each other. Peng Lei still held onto a sliver of hope, saying, "We weren't with you. They shouldn't kill us."
"Heh heh."
Wan Yunting sneered. "Don't hold onto any侥幸 (jǐngxìng - good fortune/chance). You must know that their purpose in entering the mountains to chase us is to ensure all of us perish in these mountains!"
"Of course, even if you two reveal that we split up, I can't guarantee they won't kill you to silence you!"
"For those desperate villains, they definitely wouldn't want you to see them and then report them after leaving the mountains. So, if I were them, the best option would be to kill you!"
"This..."
These words made Lin Jie and Peng Lei nervous and worried. Wan Yunting's words seemed very reasonable.
"Junior Brother Peng, Junior Brother Lin..."
Lu Bao immediately went over and pulled them, saying, "Senior Brother Wan is right. We must stick together now. Moreover, in this vast mountain, what if you two get lost if you go back like this."
"Yes, hurry up and come back," Chen Bin and Zhang Zixiu also shouted.
This made Peng Lei and Lin Jie look extremely embarrassed. They had just been determined to leave, but now they faced the possibility of encountering the pursuers if they did leave...
"Alright, you two, stop messing around and stay," Wu Weizi said.
Peng Lei and Lin Jie lowered their heads, too ashamed to speak.
Wan Yunting said nothing further. He said to Wu Weizi, "Uncle-Master, you all continue into the mountains. Don't waste any more time."
"Good. Then you and Senior Sister Zhou must be extra careful," Wu Weizi nodded, his eyes filled with worry as he instructed them.
"Junior Brother Wan, Senior Sister Zhou, take care," Li Zihang also said.
"Junior Brother Wan, please take good care of my Senior Sister. Come back safely," Jiang Tingxia also said to Wan Yunting with a smile.
"Mm."
Wan Yunting smiled and nodded, waving his hand. "You all should go quickly."
Thus, Wu Weizi led Xu Lingwei and Duan Yingying, Li Zihang and Jiang Tingxia, and Lu Bao, Chen Bin, and Zhang Zixiu, carrying their bags again, continued towards the depths of the Kunlun Mountains, heading north...
Watching the group leave, Zhou Ruoxi turned back. Her beautiful eyes looked at Wan Yunting with a hint of bashfulness and asked, "Junior Brother Wan, which direction should we go next?"