Chapter 136: Opening the Mountain

Sanbiangua told me this was the path leading toward Dragon Head Mountain. He had traveled it before and estimated we had about five kilometers—or ten li—left to go. After another two kilometers, we would have to ford a river, which marked the true entrance into the mountains.

There were five of us in the vehicle. After discussing it with Zhang Feng and Guo Fan, we decided to park near the river Sanbiangua mentioned and cover the remaining three kilometers on foot to avoid alerting the enemy. Truth be told, I had another motive: I wanted to see what these people were up to. If they were merely conducting a survey, they would have no reason to kidnap Li Ling. Li Ling’s expertise was in ancient tomb research, particularly the Guli culture. A suspicion began to form in my mind: could this matter be linked to the ancient Guli Kingdom?

If it truly were related to the Guli Kingdom, that would be perfect. I had previously planned to head into the Ten Thousand Mountains of the Miao frontier to seek the secrets of the Guli. If this led there, it would save me a great deal of trouble.

As I pondered this, we neared the river. Sanbiangua, being familiar with the area, found a secluded spot to park, and we all climbed out. We retrieved our gear, each shouldering a mountaineering pack. After double-checking our weapons, ammunition, supplies, water, and equipment, we were ready. Our group of eight set off into the mountains. To be honest, I trusted Liu Dong and Guo Fan; as for Anna, she was a given, but I held reservations about the others.

Often, people in this line of work don't concern themselves with professional ethics—not that this trade has much to do with morality anyway. They were in it for the money, which I could understand. Liu Dong and Guo Fan were different; they had been personally recommended by Monk Wei and had worked under him before, so I was at ease with them. The other three, however, had been hired locally, and I didn't fully trust them.

After fording the river, I had Anna follow closely behind me. Zhang Feng and Guo Fan took the lead, with Sanbiangua by my side. I instructed Liu Dong to keep a close eye on Sanbiangua; the man was slippery, and I didn't want him playing any tricks.

The mountain path here didn't look like it had been carved out; it seemed natural. Sanbiangua told me that Dragon Head Mountain had a long history and was crisscrossed with ancient trails. Legend had it that a small kingdom once existed here, though it had long since vanished. It was hard to say how many years ago that was, but the Miao frontier had once been home to so many tiny nations that even a village-sized settlement could be called a kingdom. I didn't pay much attention to his stories.

These so-called kingdoms were really just small tribes, and their conflicts were never on a grand scale—usually skirmishes involving dozens or perhaps a hundred people. I dismissed his talk of battlefields.

The sky was growing dim as we reached the edge of the deep, old-growth forest. Sanbiangua noted that we were less than five li from Dragon Head Mountain. The path was barely passable for a vehicle up to this point, but beyond it, the terrain became impossible. It was riddled with hidden pits and marshy meadows; a car would surely get stuck. This meant the trucks would have stopped further back, and the camp was likely in that vicinity.

With this in mind, I urged everyone to pick up the pace. Suddenly, Zhang Feng spoke up: "Old brother, do you know if anyone else has hired a guide to enter Dragon Head Mountain recently?"

Hearing this, I silently noted that he was indeed a seasoned pro to have spotted that detail. I hadn't even thought of it. Sanbiangua shook his head, saying he wasn't sure, but he didn't know of any local mountain runners who had been hired. A few had been hired months ago during the tourist season, but at this time of year, most locals wouldn't even venture into the mountains, let alone guide anyone else.

If they were truly here for geological research, they would need a guide or at least a local on the team; otherwise, even locals could get lost in these deep mountains, let alone outsiders. This confirmed that the group had a specific objective, knew the general direction, and was undoubtedly involved in something clandestine.

More importantly, if they were unfamiliar with the terrain, it increased our advantage, allowing us to remain hidden. Our primary goal was to find Li Ling; everything else was secondary. Of course, if the primary goal proved impossible, the rest mattered little.

I felt anxious. I needed to obtain that elixir and return to the Tomb Guardian Clan—it was my one glimmer of hope. Even if it meant death, I would cherish this opportunity, for it was a hope I had risked my life to secure.

As I walked, lost in thought, someone tapped me. I turned to see Anna handing me a bottle of mineral water. I smiled at her and took a long drink. Just then, I heard a rhythmic "thud, thud" sound, as if something was being struck in the distance. If it were closer, the sound would have been deafening.

"That sounds like something striking... they must be breaking through rock," Guo Fan said calmly.

We quickened our pace. The sound grew louder, and a faint glimmer of light became visible. Guo Fan and Zhang Feng, ever cautious, suggested we ascend the slope to move along the mountain's flank, preventing us from being spotted on the path. The mountain air was already cold this time of year, especially at night. Even through our thick expedition gear, a chill seeped into our skin.

Sanbiangua warned us that although it was late autumn and nearing winter, insects were still active in the forest. He told us to cover any exposed skin to avoid bites. After all, this was the south; in the north, it would have been bone-chillingly cold by now.

Just then, Zhang Feng crouched down, and we all followed suit. Ahead, on the path, someone was indeed standing guard. It seemed this group was truly up to no good. I squinted and saw a man holding a black object—it looked like a rifle—pacing back and forth on the trail. He looked cold and was smoking a cigarette, his posture lazy and indifferent.