Niu You Dao's conclusion stemmed from his experiences across two worlds. Yuan Gang could barely grasp it. As he dried the torches, he fell into thought.
Meanwhile, the reclining Shu Qing, who hadn't yet fallen asleep, was constantly eavesdropping on their conversation. Her eyelids twitched. She merely dismissed Niu You Dao's words as nonsense. What legends of East and West? What werewolf? Eventually, weariness overcame her, and she drifted off to sleep.
Not just her, even Yuan Fang, who seemed to be meditating, was listening to all of Niu You Dao's words, yet he too failed to understand him.
Waiting for Yuan Gang to finish drying the torches, Niu You Dao whispered:
“Eat and rest. A little later, I’ll have the bear continue drying the torches.”
Among the three men, Yuan Gang was undoubtedly the most exhausted. He had been constantly running and leaping back and forth, not conserving his Qi like Yuan Fang and Niu You Dao. He had expended his physical strength. However, he was also the strongest among them physically. But his recovery would naturally take longer, unlike Yuan Fang, who could quickly recover through meditation.
Yuan Gang said nothing and immediately stopped drying the torches. He took out his provisions, ate his fill, then used his pack as a pillow and lay down to sleep. Since Niu You Dao was personally guarding them, he could sleep without worry, even in such a situation.
In the darkness, the sounds of the rushing black river could be heard, reflecting the sparks of fire.
Everyone remained calmly by the bonfire. Only Niu You Dao stood vigil, his gaze wary as he scanned their surroundings. He held his sword in hand, occasionally tossing more torches into the fire.
Two hours later, Yuan Fang stood up. He stretched his limbs, indicating he was rested. Yuan Fang hinted for Niu You Dao to go to sleep, but Niu You Dao instructed him to continue drying the torches, while he himself kept watching their surroundings.
Another two hours or so passed, and Shu Qing awoke. She slipped off the clothes draped over her, yet she didn't seem ready to get up. It was as if she was contemplating something, hesitating. Eventually, she made up her mind and rose. However, her legs had gone completely soft from the rest, and her blister had swelled further, causing her to limp.
“No need to wander aimlessly,” Niu You Dao subtly warned her to be careful.
Shu Qing turned, a hint of awkwardness on her face, and seemed about to speak.
Niu You Dao immediately understood what she wanted and promptly told Yuan Fang, “Bear, keep an eye on everything.” He then walked past Shu Qing, found a secluded spot, checked it thoroughly, and pointed it out to her. He then stood nearby, by a rock, with his back to the spot.
Shu Qing reached the spot, stood, and did nothing.
Niu You Dao, his back still turned to her, said calmly, “Relax, I won’t peek.”
Shu Qing awkwardly began to shift, then remembered that to Niu You Dao, she was an ugly and unattractive person. So she whispered to herself, “Alright!”—and quickly felt around with her foot for a spot...
When she returned to the bonfire, her face and ears were noticeably flushed crimson.
When Niu You Dao returned, he noticed Yuan Gang was already awake.
Yuan Gang said, “Bear, guard everything. Lord Dao, rest.”
Niu You Dao immediately sat down cross-legged, ate a little, and began to rest, closing his eyes.
After about another two hours, Niu You Dao stood up. The group then began to prepare.
Yuan Fang tied a bundle and placed 100 torches inside. Yuan Gang took 50. Shu Qing, knowing the condition of her feet, didn't refuse Niu You Dao a second time and obediently settled onto his back.
The company set off once more. Now prepared and rested, they moved swiftly.
Along the way, several dozen torch stations were empty once more. However, further on, the torch stations were not as damaged. It was unclear whether the enemy had realized their plan had failed, or if they simply didn't know the terrain beyond that point.
In this dark landscape, they encountered spots where light pierced through holes in the cave ceiling. This told them they had been traveling for over a day. As they passed a reclining stone tiger, Shu Qing excitedly said, “We’ll arrive soon. Ahead, about one li away, there’s a path leading upward.”
Indeed, they soon found a stairway, half-hewn by human hands, leading upward.
The upward path stretched for several hundred meters, winding in zigzags. Light was already visible. Even their torches no longer shone as brightly as that light, which at times seemed to cut their eyes.
When they ascended and pushed open the entrance, shrouded in vines, the few people realized they were on a mountainside. Not far away was a waterfall, and beneath it, an emerald pond. They could hear children splashing joyfully in the pond. A village nestled itself near the waterfall. It felt as if this Peach Blossom Spring was truly beyond the mortal world—a land of bliss. Amidst such a beautiful landscape, a dormant volcano also stood, which Niu You Dao and Yuan Gang immediately noticed.
Not far up the mountainside stood a pavilion with a thatched roof, and inside the pavilion was a young man. The moment he saw the figures emerging from the passage, he immediately rang a bell hanging within the pavilion.
“Ding, ding, ding.”
The bell rang out, and the children playing in the pond immediately scurried back to the village. Within the village itself, a commotion seemed to rise, and a troop of armed men began heading towards them.
“Lord Dao, it’s nothing. You can let me down,” Shu Qing, seated on Niu You Dao’s back, said.
Niu You Dao released her. It wasn’t long before a group of people, armed with bows and arrows, rushed towards them.
Shu Qing took out a tablet inscribed with characters and showed it to the mustachioed man. At the same time, she said, “Uncle Luo, it’s me. Shu Qing. Do you recognize me?”
She got up from the ground, her veil now absent from her face. The mustachioed man, seeing the inscribed tablet and the spot on her face, immediately grew agitated:
“Great Princess!” He raised a hand, gesturing left and right, “Stop, halt! The Great Princess has arrived. Everyone, stand down!”
He cast aside the sword in his hand and quickly approached Shu Qing. He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said, “I, Luo An, greet the Great Princess! The Prince... he... he...” The man shook his head, unable to hold back his tears.
Shu Qing understood that Luo An was referring to Ning Wang’s death, so she immediately stepped forward and helped the man to his feet. “Uncle Luo, it’s all in the past now.”
Luo An wiped away his tears with his sleeve and, still agitated, said, “These young men haven’t seen the Princess before. I hope the Great Princess will forgive them!” He then turned to the youths and shouted:
“Quickly, greet the Great Princess!”
The group of youths exchanged confused glances, realizing that this unsightly girl was, in fact, the Great Princess.
They immediately knelt on one knee. “We greet the Great Princess!”
Shu Qing quickly gestured for them to rise. Luo An noticed Shu Qing’s limp and asked, “Great Princess, what’s wrong with your leg?”
Shu Qing truthfully replied, “It seems I chafed my feet on the way. It’s nothing serious.”
Luo An nodded. He had traversed this hidden passage himself and knew it was difficult even for men, let alone a princess. Knowing that it was improper for a man to touch a woman, he immediately dispatched people to bring women from the village to help Shu Qing descend.
“It’s been seven or eight years since we last met. The Great Princess has grown so much. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Shu Qing, with a self-deprecating laugh, said, “If not for my birthmark, it would be hard for people to recognize me.”
Luo An had no reply to that and merely waved his hand.
From behind, Niu You Dao looked at the spring sun, then at the cave, and then asked Luo An:
“Has anything unusual happened with the cave recently?”
Only now did Luo An turn his attention to Niu You Dao and the others. He asked Shu Qing, “Great Princess, these three people?”
“Niu You Dao, Yuan Gang, and Yuan Fang. They are our people,” Shu Qing then added, “Niu You Dao is the Prince’s tutor.”
Then she introduced Luo An, “This is Uncle Luo. He was part of my father’s command staff. He was originally one of the generals of the Wuli and Yinyang Guards.”
“Tutor?” Luo An furrowed his brows. He looked Niu You Dao over, appraisingly. Niu You Dao seemed too young for such a role.
Shu Qing immediately reminded him, “Lord Dao is Mister Dong Guo’s last disciple!”
As soon as Luo An heard Dong Guo Hao Ran’s name, he immediately greeted Niu You Dao with reverence, “Greetings, Tutor!”
Niu You Dao clasped his hands and asked again, “General Luo, has anything strange happened in the village recently?”
“Strange?” Luo An was surprised. “What strange? Everything has always been peaceful. Unless you mean the children fighting among themselves, otherwise, nothing.”
Niu You Dao: “Is there no tutor in the village?”
Luo An shook his head. “No. This is a safe place. It’s difficult for outsiders to come here.”
Niu You Dao: “How long has it been since anyone from the village entered the hidden passage?”
Luo An said, a bit seriously, “After the old master passed away, we received news from Mister Lan. He told us to cut off contact with the outside world and forbade anyone from approaching the hidden entrance. The entrance has been constantly guarded, and no one has passed through it for five years. Does Tutor think something happened?”
“Nothing, all is well. Just asking,” Niu You Dao replied with a smile, waving his hand. He then turned and winked at Yuan Gang.
***
End of Chapter.