The next day, before dawn, a faint herbal scent already filled the camp.
Qingchen took out a carefully prepared potion and the human skin mask that had taken several days to tan.
He gestured for his second brother, Qingjie, to sit down, then focused his mind and began to perform the ritual according to the methods described in the *Disguise and Bone-Shrinking Technique*.
Qingchen applied the potion evenly to Qingjie's face using a special technique, then carefully placed the human skin mask on.
The process lasted half an hour. When Qingchen finished, the 'Qingchen' before him bore a striking resemblance to himself.
The only flaw was that Qingjie had not practiced the bone-shrinking technique, and his physique and bone structure still differed from Qingchen's.
However, in dim light or from a distance, it was enough to deceive the eye.
“Remember, speak little, observe much. Handle everything as I instruct.”
Qingchen solemnly instructed, “If there are any urgent military matters, leave them to Niu Dali. You just need to stay put and maintain my posture.”
Qingjie, or rather, the disguised 'Qingchen,' nodded solemnly. Although somewhat uncomfortable, he dared not move rashly.
At the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM), his second brother Qingjie and his trusted confidant Niu Dali mustered the three sentries, raised the banner of Second Battalion Commander Li Muyun, and marched towards the vanguard camp.
Meanwhile, Qingchen led another carefully selected squad, waiting until nightfall. Under the cover of darkness, they embarked on their journey to Beiman Mountain.
As the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the darkness, the stars and moon were obscured, and the thick night provided perfect cover. Qingchen shouted, "Let's go!"
The group moved like ghosts, silently leaving the camp on the gentle slope, using the shadows of the forest to their advantage, and sped towards the seemingly insurmountable terrain at the northern foot of Mount Beimang.
The northern foot of Mount Beimang was indeed a place of sheer cliffs, ancient trees reaching for the sky, and tangled vines.
Ordinary soldiers simply couldn't cross it, and large armies couldn't deploy effectively.
However, Qingchen felt quite confident.
This confidence stemmed from a severely injured person whom the original Qingchen had saved in his youth many years ago.
Before dying, that person not only taught him the martial art of Jade Forging Technique but also revealed a secret concerning Mount Beimang:
A little-known, hidden tunnel leading directly to the back of Mount Beimang!
Now, the Jincheng army has amassed at the front mountain, banners waving, undoubtedly drawing the main force of the bandits to their front mountain defenses.
The treacherous back mountain is what they consider their most secure barrier.
And this, ironically, presents Qingchen with his greatest opportunity.
Movement through the dense forest is extremely difficult.
The air is thick with the stench of poison and miasma, swarms of mosquitoes and flies buzzing incessantly.
Fortunately, Qingchen was prepared, having everyone apply a special insect repellent; its pungent odor barely deterred the insects.
Otherwise, without the bandits' intervention, the insect bites alone would have been enough to reduce the squad's numbers, with unimaginable consequences.
The path is quite treacherous, sometimes requiring climbing moss-covered rock faces.
The group must rely on ropes they brought, pulling each other along as they struggle upwards.
At times, they must trek through swiftly flowing streams.
The underwater pebbles were slippery and difficult to stand on; one had to hold tightly to the vines hanging down from the shore or the protruding rocks to maintain balance, otherwise one could be swept away by the rapids.
Under such conditions, after less than two hours of walking, complaints began to arise in the group.
The intense march and the tense atmosphere were draining everyone's strength and patience.
"Damn it! Is this even a path for humans? It's killing me!" a burly man cursed under his breath, several bloody welts on his arm.
"Are we... are we lost? We've been walking for so long, and we haven't even seen a glimpse of a tunnel!" a slightly thinner young man grumbled, his ankle sprained while climbing, and he was wincing in pain.
"Have we gone the wrong way? We've been walking for so long, and we still haven't reached our destination! Is this a dead end, Centurion?" a middle-aged man questioned, his tone extremely dissatisfied, his voice slightly raised.
These complaints rose and fell, breaking the previously tense atmosphere.
Qing Chen also heard these voices, turned abruptly, and fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man who had spoken the loudest.
He knew perfectly well that morale was taut like a bowstring, ready to crumble at the slightest lapse.
“Anyone who undermines morale will be executed without mercy!”
Qing Chen’s voice rang clearly in everyone’s ears, sending a chill down their spines.
He strode to the middle-aged man, his eyes filled with a sinister glint.
“You, questioning the route, is questioning military orders! You have incited the enemy in battle, disrupting our morale; according to the law, you deserve to be executed!”
Before his words even finished, his long sword was already drawn! The blade flashed, tracing a chilling arc in the dim forest light.
“Thud!”
Blood splattered!
The middle-aged man’s expression froze in terror. His head rolled to the ground, the headless body swayed, and then collapsed heavily.
In an instant, the forest fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the men and the soft patter of blood dripping onto the leaves.
All complaints ceased abruptly, each face filled with terror.
Qingchen sheathed his sword, surveyed the trembling crowd, and shouted:
"I know you've all suffered! But this path is truly arduous! Success is within our grasp!
I, Qingchen, hereby swear that if we successfully infiltrate the back mountains and destroy the bandit's lair, everyone present will be credited! The minimum reward will be a promotion of one rank and a reward of twenty taels of silver!"
He paused, his voice suddenly rising like the beating of war drums: "Anyone who achieves outstanding merit will be guaranteed a promotion of two ranks and a reward of one hundred taels of silver!"
A promotion of two ranks!
This meant that even the most ordinary soldier could leap to become a squad leader commanding fifty men, joining the ranks of ninth-rank military officers in the Jing Kingdom!
And one hundred taels of silver was enough to purchase a sizable house in Jin City, enough to settle down and make a living!
With such a generous reward, there would surely be brave men.
The fear from before was instantly replaced by burning greed.
The soldiers' eyes turned red, and their breathing became heavy.
"Damn it! For promotions and titles! For the hundred taels of silver!" someone roared first.
"Yes! Follow the centurion, let's fight!"
"Find the tunnel, wipe out the bandit's den!"
The roars echoed, and morale surged again in a strange way.
The men gripped their weapons tightly and continued following Qingchen, trekking even harder through the dense forest.
About an hour later, the night deepened.
Suddenly, a quick-witted member of the Double Eagle Society quietly approached Qingchen, his voice excited:
"Chief! Found it! Come quick! There's an old pine tree over there, and it looks like there's a cross mark carved on its trunk!
Behind the tree, at the base of the stone wall, there's waist-high weeds, and scattered in front of them are some oddly arranged stones, not naturally formed!"
Qingchen's spirits lifted upon hearing this!
This was precisely the entrance marker the wandering swordsman had described before his death!
Suppressing his elation, he whispered, "Good! Well done! I'll reward you handsomely when we get back!"
He immediately followed the group, stealthily making his way there.
Sure enough, an ancient pine tree, requiring two people to encircle, stood before them. A cross mark was clearly visible in the shade of its trunk.
Parting the dense weeds, they could see a pile of rubble at the base of the stone wall, but upon closer inspection, the stones seemed to follow a certain pattern, not entirely random.
Qingchen took a deep breath, signaling the others to be on guard, while he stepped forward alone.
He stretched out his hands, carefully feeling along the rough, damp surface of the wall.
Suddenly, his fingertips touched a slightly raised rock, its texture slightly different from the others.
This is it!
With a firm resolve, Qingchen punched the raised rock three times without hesitation, "thump, thump, thump."