“Hush—”
Hua raised a hand at , signaling for silence.
I held my breath at once. Following his gesture, I looked down the mountain path. The Prince’s armored troops were in utter disarray—so slipping, so losing their helts, others stepping on their comrades’ cloaks and tumbling straight into the ditch.
The scene looked less like a military unit and more like a festival wrestling farce.
While they were in chaos, Lian seized the mont and motioned sharply. “Move.”
Mu Cangli and I didn’t hesitate. We crouched low and cut through the side woods, retreating east along a narrow path. The brush tore at my trousers, leaving them in tatters; every gust of wind stung like needles against my legs.
At last, we reached a patch of forest.
“Lian?! Hua?! You found us already?!”
Lian folded his arms and shot a sidelong glance. “What, not pleased? Or are we interrupting sothing—blocking the sun for you two?”
“…”
—There was sothing off about that tone.
Still, being alive and reunited outweighed everything else.
Hua leaned against a tree, catching his breath. He looked slightly worn, as if he’d been rushing for quite so ti. A few strands of damp hair clung to his forehead, but that familiar half-mocking smile hadn’t left his face. “If Xiao Gonggong finds us unwelco, the Sect Leader and I can leave right now?”
“Don’t, don’t—of course I’m happy!” I waved quickly. “Running into our own people in this godforsaken mountain is more reassuring than eting a bodhisattva.”
Mu Cangli gave a quiet “Mm” beside .
It sounded calm, but he was probably even more relieved than I was. After being hunted like rats by the Prince’s n all night, anyone would want a breather.
We huddled together beside a cluster of trees, finally able to pause.
Mist hung lightly in the air. Pine needles carpeted the ground, and the scent of damp earth lingered all around.
Hua took out a waterskin, drank, then wiped his mouth. “So this is where you ended up.”
I frowned. “How did you even know where we were?”
“Know?” Lian scoffed. “You think you can hide from anyone? I went back to the inn and found you gone. There was a mark from Shenmu Stockade left behind.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
Mu Cangli said flatly, “I carved it.”
I went silent.
Only then did I learn that his so-called “casual mark” was a tiny carving—barely an inch long—scratched under the lintel of our room door.
The chances of noticing it? Practically zero.
Lian continued, “I was about to look for you when I ran into Hua. We compared notes and followed the signal up North Ridge to the rendezvous point. Didn’t expect to run straight into—” his gaze flicked aningfully between and Mu Cangli, “—you two chasing a donkey.”
“Cough—cough—cough!” I nearly choked. “That was an accident! Completely accidental! The donkey bolted on its own!”
Hua burst out laughing. Even Mu Cangli coughed lightly, tacitly agreeing.
I rolled my eyes. What a heartless bunch.
Once the laughter died down, Hua’s expression sharpened. “You ran into the Prince’s n?”
I nodded and summarized what had happened on and below the mountain.
He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Looks like he’s investigating North Ridge too. Don’t worry—he’ll have other matters to deal with soon.”
I caught the implication. “Other matters?”
“Not certain yet,” he lowered his voice, “but it likely has sothing to do with the Blood Lotus Sect’s ‘peaches.’”
Always speaking in riddles.
Lian let out a cold laugh. “A man like him never moves without profit. Once he makes his move, it’ll save us half the trouble.”
I stepped in quickly to smooth things over. “Either way, let’s avoid provoking him. Right now the priority is finding Fallen Star Ridge—and the herb we need.”
I looked around. Mist coiled through layered mountain shadows. There was no sense of direction—no east, west, south, or north.
“We’re in the mountains,” I sighed, “but where exactly is Fallen Star Ridge? Could it be nearby?”
Hua snorted. “You wish. Do you think North Ridge is a single peak? It’s a mountain range—spanning five cities.”
I froze. “Then… did we co the wrong way?”
He shot a look. “If you had, would I be standing here chatting with you?”
I gave an awkward laugh.
Mu Cangli added quietly, “Based on old maps, Fallen Star Ridge should lie in the central vein. At least five or six days from here.”
My entire body deflated.
“Five or six days?!”
“If the weather turns,” Lian said coolly, “it could take even longer.”
I nearly collapsed on the spot.
If I’d known, I would’ve let the system dock my points and scramble the plot. Anything but climbing this cursed mountain.
【System Prompt: Please be advised—the mountain is not cursed.】
: …Thank you for that clarification.
I rubbed my temples. “So where do we head next?”
Lian suddenly smiled, a hint of mystery in his eyes. “Hua and I passed by a place earlier—sothing unusual about it. Let’s check it out. There may be clues.”
That snapped awake. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
—
We set off again.
The forest grew heavier with moisture. Moss made the ground so slick it was hard to keep footing. We turned through several bends; the deeper we went, the thicker the mist beca. Tree shadows stretched like black strokes against the sky.
“Here.”
Lian stopped and brushed aside a cluster of shrubs.
I leaned forward—and sucked in a sharp breath.
Before us lay a natural high platform overlooking a basin below.
The entire hollow had been carved into a square stone ground. At its center stood twelve massive statues: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig—each occupying its own position. Their forms were fierce, ancient, their surfaces darkened as if scorched by fire.
Each statue stood over thirty feet tall.
At the base of the statues, faintly visible, was a tallic seam—a concealed door.
“What… is this place?” I whispered.
Lian shook his head.
Hua raised a finger to his lips. “Watch.”
We crouched behind the trees at the cliff’s edge, holding our breath.
After a while, the base of the Monkey statue creaked open.
Several won dressed as peasant wives stepped out, carrying empty bamboo baskets, moving hurriedly.
Two gold-armored soldiers imdiately stepped forward and barked at them.
The won seed to respond, but their words were lost to the wind.
One soldier inspected the baskets, confird they were empty, and nodded. “Take them.”
At his signal, the won lowered their heads and followed, disappearing into the distance.
The remaining guard stayed behind, pacing, eyes sharp, the blade at his waist flashing cold in the morning light.
The air seed to drop several degrees.
Even Mu Cangli fell silent.
I muttered under my breath, “Why are there so many people here?… Are they living here, or being held here?”
“From the looks of it,” Hua said quietly, “more like forced labor.”
“Labor?” I frowned. “In the middle of nowhere—what could they possibly be doing?”
Lian said softly, “Perhaps it’s related to why North Ridge is forbidden.”
I swallowed. “Should we… go down and take a look?”
Lian shot a cold glance. “Want to die?”
“I was just asking,” I said sheepishly.
【System Prompt: Host mortality risk increased to 42%.】
: …Shut up.
Mu Cangli spoke calmly, “We should split into two groups. One follows those won; the other stays and observes. No rash moves. Regroup afterward.”
His tone was asured, steady—naturally commanding trust.
Hua nodded. “Agreed. Acting blindly will only alert them.”
I had to concede—it was far better than my brilliant “let’s go down and see” idea.
Lian considered briefly. “Then this—Cangli, you stay with and observe. Hua, you take him and follow the won’s route. Don’t engage unless necessary.”
Hua and I spoke at the sa ti: “I go with him?”
“He carries Monthly Crimson,” Lian said, glancing at . “If there’s poison ahead, he might actually be useful.”
“…”
So that’s what I am now. A walking toxin detector.
【System Prompt: Exploitation detected. Recomndation: reflect on life choices.】
I took a deep breath and replied through gritted teeth: “Reflect on my ass.”
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