Chapter 167 - Entering Coiling Dragon Ridge (2/2)

“Brother!”

“Brother!”

However, her voice bounced against the rocks and echoed back. There was no other response.

Su Jiu held Nangong Bi back, preventing her from running forward any further. “Don’t move on your own! Follow the group! The general must have brought others with him into the mountain. As long as we follow their trail, we’re bound to find him!”

Nangong Bi nodded her head and held Su Jiu’s hand. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. Let’s hurry along!”

Having discovered the general’s trail, everyone heaved a sigh of relief and followed the track that had been beaten by the previous group of soldiers.

Perhaps, they could find the Daliang Army soon.

As to why Commander Hage and Nangong Shu had remained in the mountain for so long without emerging, too many possible explanations existed.

Perhaps Nangong Shu had found Commander Hage, and both sides were engaged in a deadlock. Or perhaps both sides had met with danger and were stuck elsewhere. Of course, the worst possibility existed too.

The sky gradually darkened, and they could no longer see the road ahead of them. Xiao Lie instructed the soldiers to set up tents and rest for the night. They would continue their journey at daybreak.

The arrangements for the night watch were made, and everyone else got to work picking up firewood from nearby. Retrieving the rations they had brought with them, they cooked them by the fire and ate.

A thousand people spread out on the mountain, and the fire roaring among them gave everyone a huge sense of security. Everyone was exhausted and fell asleep on the grass after eating.

Most of these elite soldiers were from the capital and didn’t possess the fear that the locals had towards the Coiling Dragon Ridge. Therefore, other than a sense of lethargy, they didn’t feel much else. They believed that the legends of Mount Doom were mere exaggerations, and they even joked about it for a while before going to sleep. Very soon, the whole place was filled with the sound of snoring.

Xiao Lie, Su Jiu, and the others were seated around the campfire when Su Jiu suggested going further into the mountain alone with Ah Shu and Chang Huan the next morning. The three of them were experienced in qinggong, and their pace was guaranteed to be faster than the army. Perhaps they would be able to find Nangong Shu sooner that way.

“No way!” Xiao Lie objected immediately. “Don’t think that just because we didn’t meet with any danger today, we can let our guard down. The stories of Coiling Dragon Ridge have been around for a long time, and it hasn’t been just one or two individuals who have gone missing here. There’s something suspicious about this mountain. No one is allowed to move on their own! Otherwise, if anything were to happen, we wouldn’t even be able to help one another!”

“His Highness is right!” Hu Dapao concurred. “It’ll be safer for all of us to stick together!”

Upon seeing that her suggestion was met with objection from two fronts, Su Jiu decided to go with the flow.

Nangong Bi hadn’t been able to get any good sleep for the past few nights. Now that they had finally found a trace of Nangong Shu, her heart was a little more reassured. Sleepiness finally overtook her, and she leaned against a tree and closed her eyes.

Hu Dapao walked over and untied his cloak to drape it over the girl. Just as he was about to get up, the girl suddenly held on to his robe.

“Why don’t you sit here?” Nangong Bi whispered.

“Oh!” Hu Dapao replied, in a daze. Keeping some distance away from the young lady, he sat and leaned against the tree as well.

Nangong Bi glanced at him before scooting over and leaning on the man. She covered the cloak over both of them and said, “It’s warmer this way!”

“Right!” Hu Dapao nodded his head at once. He adjusted his posture such that his body shielded her from the wind.

Nangong Bi felt her heart warm up as she watched the man’s actions. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes.

Su Jiu, Ah Shu, and Chang Huan snuggled together for a quick nap. When Su Jiu woke up, it was deep in the middle of the night, and everyone else was fast asleep. Only the night watchmen were awake, gathering by the fire and whispering among one another.

A cloak was draped over her, and when she looked over to the campfire burning in front of her, she found Xiao Lie sitting there. The flame danced in the dark, and under the glow of the fire, his handsome features made him look even more aloof. At the same time, his expression did not betray his thoughts, and his calm eyes gave nothing away, making it hard to know what he was thinking.

Su Jiu got up and walked over. As she sat down beside him, the man turned to face her immediately and asked with a smile, “Why are you awake?”

“I could ask you the same thing! Why aren’t you asleep?” The smile on Su Jiu’s face reached her eyes as she added a few more logs into the fire. Her eyes were sparkling, and she looked beautiful.

The look in Xiao Lie’s eyes deepened and he replied with a light chuckle, “I couldn’t fall asleep, so I decided to just watch the fire instead.”

“Are you worried about General Nangong?” Su Jiu asked.

Xiao Lie raised his head and looked towards the dark expanse of the mountain. “I know what Nangong Shu is like as a person,” he said softly. “It’s been so many days. If he were fine, he would have sent word to the military camp already.”

He was, after all, the military commander, and he knew how big of an impact the commander’s disappearance would have on the entire Daliang Army.

Therefore, the only possibility was that he couldn’t leave the mountain, and neither could any of his soldiers.

But just what kind of situation could keep him from getting away?

It couldn’t be the Qiang soldiers. Nangong Shu had always been level-headed. If he went in pursuit of them with his soldiers, it meant that he had possessed absolute certainty in his victory.

So, what could it be? Just what could trap a highly-skilled martial artist like Nangong Shu and several thousand of his soldiers in the mountain?

“Moreover, did you notice something?” Xiao Lie continued, “Throughout the entire way here, we haven’t found any of the soldiers from the Qiang Army.”

Of course, the Coiling Dragon Ridge was a vast area, and even if the enemy soldiers had escaped, they might have taken another route. However, considering that there were supposed to be a few thousand people on the mountain, it was indeed peculiar that not a single trace of any of them had been found.

Su Jiu frowned. “Do you think something truly terrifying is lurking in this mountain?”

Xiao Lie’s gaze turned to her, and he said with a chuckle, “Regardless of what it is, we’ll find out when we see it!”

The man’s eyes were calm and composed, and a light glimmered within them. There was no uncertainty or indecision in his demeanor, and he exuded an innate, aristocratic aura.

Su Jiu’s brows lifted as she laughed and agreed, “Yes! Nothing will be able to scare us!”

Xiao Lie covered the back of her hand with his palm, and his eyes darkened as he said, “Other than seeing you getting hurt, there is nothing that I fear.”

Astonished, Su Jiu stared at him, before lowering her eyes and slowly pulling her hand out of his grasp.

There were no traces of disappointment on Xiao Lie’s face. He put his hand down, and said with a grin, “What’s destined to come might just turn up tomorrow. It’s useless thinking about it now. Get some rest. What’s most important for us now is to conserve our energy.”

“Alright!”

As the night stretched on, even the guards on the night watch stopped talking. The mountain fog thickened, slowly extinguishing the blazing fires.

There was no moonlight, and no stars could be seen either. The surroundings were shrouded in complete darkness. It was so dark that nothing in the immediate distance could even be seen, and shadows could barely be made out.

Under the cover of the night, a figure hiding among the watchmen began to retrace their steps to head down the mountain.

The figure crouched behind a tree, looking furtively around. Someone who didn’t know better would have thought he was sneaking off for a clandestine affair.

He hid behind a huge bush of dry grass and managed to evade a group of patrolling soldiers. His heart rejoiced at this small victory. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew over his head, and he found the slender figure of a young lady standing in front of him. With a chuckle, she asked, “General Luo, where are you off to in the middle of the night?”

Luo Sheng was taken aback and fell to the ground with a loud thump. In the darkness of the night, a small pale face looked up at Su Jiu in terror.

“I… I’m going… to pee!” Luo Sheng stammered.

“Oh! You’re going to pee? Judging from your actions, I mistakenly thought that you were about to desert us and run down the mountain!” Su Jiu retorted with a sardonic laugh.

“Not… not at all!” Luo Sheng shook his head in denial, before adding sheepishly, “It’s so dark! How would I find my way down?”

“Exactly! It’s so dark. If you were to miss your step and fall off the cliff, no one would be able to find your body!” Su Jiu curled her lip in a malicious smile. “General Luo, since you’re off to pee on your own, why don’t I go with you?”

“What?” Luo Sheng’s eyes widened in alarm.

After he had witnessed this woman killing 20,000 Naye soldiers, he had been having trouble believing she was a woman!

And for a good reason!

How could a woman be shameless enough to offer to accompany a man to pee?

Luo Sheng didn’t dare to remain in her company. However, her close relationship with Xiao Lie was a crucial reason for him not to offend her either.

“I… I’m done peeing!” Luo Sheng said with a forced laugh. “I’m done peeing!”

“Really?” Su Jiu challenged him with a quirk of her brow.

“Yes! Really!” Luo Sheng stood up quickly and hurried to join the others. “Don’t trouble yourself, my lady! Have a good rest!”

Su Jiu sneered at the sight of the man staggering back, and followed behind him.

The moment she sat down, Xiao Lie held her hand.

Su Jiu knew that he was awake and that he naturally knew about Luo Sheng’s intention to desert.

“I’ll get someone to keep an eye on him tomorrow!” the man murmured with his eyes half-closed.

Su Jiu nodded her head lightly and closed her eyes.

When she reopened her eyes, the sky was already bright. Several soldiers were already up and moving, and were starting a fire to prepare breakfast.

The night had passed uneventfully!

The air was enveloped in a dense mist, and visibility was extremely low. Xiao Lie ordered the troops to wait for the fog to disperse before setting off.

After breakfast, the wind on the mountain picked up, and the dense fog gradually subsided. The soldiers packed up their belongings and continued their way up the mountain.

After a good night’s rest, the soldiers felt reinvigorated and recharged. They had discovered General Nangong’s trail the day before, and the night had passed without any dangers. As a result, the troops were a lot less guarded than they had been originally. Occasional waves of laughter could even be heard ringing out among them.

Su Jiu knew that there was more to the mountain than met the eye, and repeatedly reminded those at the back to follow them closely.

On the contrary, Nangong Bu was still as anxious as before. She couldn’t let her guard down as long as she hadn’t found her brother.

After the army had been trudging for four hours, the darkened clouds overhead rolled away, and a few rays of sunlight faintly streamed through the staggered branches, brightening the atmosphere and everyone’s hearts along with it.

“What is that?” Ah Shu suddenly called out as he ran over to the bushes and retrieved a single military boot.

Everyone was shocked upon seeing it. They could all recognize the military boot as part of the Daliang army uniform.

Why would a soldier have thrown his boot in the middle of nowhere for no good reason?

The mountain terrains were harsh, and it would have been impossible to walk without a boot. Even if Nangong Shu had wanted to leave a trail, he would never have used a boot.

The only explanation was that the owner of the boot had met with misfortune!

Su Jiu and Xiao Lie hurried over to the spot where the boot was found. There were no bloodstains or footprints that suggested any struggle. In fact, there were no signs of any fighting around them at all.

There was just that boot.

Su Jiu and Xiao Lie looked at each other in bewilderment.

The only thing they could rejoice over was the confirmation that Nangong Shu had indeed passed through the same area with his men.

Throwing the strange military boot aside, the troops continued forward.

After walking for nearly another half an hour, a soldier from behind suddenly came running forward.

Xiao Lie and Su Jiu knew something had happened, and instantly stopped in their tracks.

As expected, the soldier stepped forward anxiously and reported, “Your Highness, someone has gone missing!”

“How did he go missing?” Xiao Lie asked at once.

The soldier who had come forward was a captain, and he replied, “This missing person is called Xu Yuan. He was stationed at the back of the troops and complained that a thorn had pierced his foot, so he stopped to clear out the debris from his boots. By the time those around him realized that he hadn’t caught up, there was already no sign of him, and he was nowhere to be found!”

Su Jiu clenched her fists tightly.

“Everyone, rest here for a moment!” Xiao Lie ordered, “Send ten groups of ten men each to look for him. Report back to me in half an hour!”

“Yes, sir!” the captain replied.

Upon hearing that someone had gone missing, the expressions of Hu Dapao and the others turned somber. How could someone go missing in broad daylight?

No one had heard any cries for help either. How could a grown man just disappear into thin air?

“Your Highness, allow me to lead a search team as well!” Hu Dapao stepped forward to request.

Su Jiu turned to Xiao Lie and saw him nod his head. He said, “Dapao, take Ah Shu and Chang Huan with you to search for the man. Don’t go too far, and don’t split up. If you can’t find him, return immediately!”

“Yes, sir!” Hu Dapao replied with a nod of his head, before heading off with Ah Shu and Chang Huan.

Nangong Bi watched with creased brows as Hu Dapao left. She grabbed Su Jiu’s hand and asked, “Su Jiu, what do you think is going on?”

Su Jiu shook her head. She had no idea either. Had the soldier been terrified like Luo Sheng, and deserted when no one was watching?

The rest of the army stopped to wait. After half an hour, Hu Dapao was the first to return together with Ah Shu and Chang Huan. With his brows creased together, he shook his head at Su Jiu.

They hadn’t found anything!

They had searched even further than any of the other search parties. They had even climbed atop the trees to look into the distance. All they had seen were rocks and shrubs. There was no one else in sight.

Very soon, the captain who had been sent to search for the man returned. “Your Highness, we couldn’t find him!”

A hundred soldiers had been sent out in ten different directions, and none of them had found him.

The entire army grew quiet, and everyone’s face turned solemn.

How had a living and breathing person just disappeared?

That was too bizarre!

Even if he had sneakily deserted the army and had run off, his trail wouldn’t disappear so quickly.

Xiao Lie was silent for a moment, before saying, “Let’s wait for another half an hour. If he still doesn’t return, we’ll continue ahead!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers were no longer as relaxed as before, and all of them wore a heavy expression on their faces. They looked around uneasily, unable to shake off the feeling that imminent danger was slowly approaching.

What was it that could make a person disappear without even putting up a struggle?

No one knew the answer, and no one had ever encountered such a thing before.

Everyone shuddered at the recollection of the legends and rumors surrounding Coiling Dragon Ridge. As they observed the surrounding woods and strangely-shaped rocks, a chill ran down their spines, and a layer of goosebumps appeared on their skin.

Even the thought of facing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers did not strike such trepidation in their hearts.

Nangong Bi clutched the corner of Su Jiu’s clothing in terror, her eyes red. “Su Jiu…” she muttered, “Do you think my brother and his men disappeared the same way?”

Su Jiu held her by her shoulders reassuringly. “No! Your brother has faced more dangers than any normal person. Have faith in him!”

Su Jiu swallowed nervously and nodded her head lightly.

Half an hour had passed in a flash, and still, that soldier had yet to return!

Panicking, Luo Sheng said, “Your Highness, Coiling Dragon Ridge is forbidden ground. We’ve already offended the deities. This is a warning to us not to go any further!”

The moment his voice rang out, everyone shuddered.

Xiao Lie looked at Luo Sheng coldly. “What nonsense are you spouting about deities? Someone tried to escape down the mountain by himself last night, but was captured and brought back! General Luo, are you telling me you had no idea about that?”

All color drained from Luo Sheng’s face, and he didn’t dare to meet Xiao Lie’s discerning eye. With his head lowered, he shrank back.

The soldiers at the back looked at Luo Sheng with disdain when they realized that he had tried to desert before this!

“There’s nothing strange about this! That soldier was unwilling to go further into the mountain and ran away on his own. There’s no need to wait any longer, so we’ll continue. General Nangong is still waiting for us! All of you are soldiers under General Nangong. Are you telling me you’re going to run away in the face of danger?”

Xiao Lie’s demeanor was steady, and his tone was composed. With just a few words, he had managed to calm the uneasy troops.

He was, after all, a prince, and royal blood flowed in his veins. No deity would dare to offend him.

Everyone knelt on one knee immediately and declared in unison, “We will follow Your Highness to the death! We won’t turn back till we’ve found the general!”

“If I were to hear any more foolish talk that disturbs the army’s morale, the culprit will be dealt with as a traitor according to martial law!” Xiao Lie’s voice rang out coldly.

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers’ voices echoed together.

Xiao Lie glanced at Luo Sheng before turning around and striding off.

“Continue ahead into the mountain!”

Upon hearing Xiao Lie’s words, everyone assumed that the missing soldier had deserted the army and had run off on his own. Additionally, Xiao Lie’s calm disposition had effectively reassured everyone as well.

However, this time around, no more laughter could be heard among the troops.

Luo Sheng followed behind Ah Shu and the gang with his head lowered. A glint flashed across his beady eyes, and his expression turned dark.