With a muffled rumble, the stone door in the rock wall slowly opened, revealing a dark entrance.
Out of caution, Qingchen selected three of his most agile soldiers and summoned two soldiers from the Twin Eagles Society. He whispered his orders:
"You five will scout ahead. Remember, be extremely careful. If you find the exit and confirm it's safe, report back immediately. The rest of you, stay put and do not act rashly."
The five soldiers obeyed, gripping their weapons tightly, lighting torches, and cautiously stepping into the tunnel behind the stone door.
The tunnel was damp and dark; the torchlight illuminated only a few feet.
A strong musty smell filled the air, and slippery moss covered the rock walls. Occasionally, droplets of water dripped from the ceiling.
Everyone held their breath, moving with extreme caution, afraid of triggering any traps or mechanisms.
The tunnel wound its way through the tunnel, seemingly without end, growing increasingly eerie and unsettling the deeper one went.
After walking about half a mile, a soldier suddenly heard a hollow sound beneath his feet.
He immediately stopped, raising his hand to warn the others.
The group looked down and saw that the soil beneath their feet was soft, quite different from the hard stone path they had followed.
A soldier from the Double Eagle Society stepped forward, ran his hand over the ground, and sniffed it lightly, saying in a low voice:
"The soil here is soft, likely due to years of erosion from underground moisture. Everyone must be careful, stepping lightly."
Following the Double Eagle Society member's instructions, the group proceeded even more cautiously.
The air in the tunnel gradually became less polluted, and the dripping sound faded into the distance.
After walking another three hundred paces or so, a faint light suddenly appeared ahead.
The soldiers' spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace, indeed finding an exit hidden behind layers of branches.
Parting the obscuring barrier, they found themselves in a flat, open space, the night sky dotted with stars, a cool breeze caressing their faces.
"We're out! We really made it out!" a young soldier exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.
"Silence!" a soldier from the Twin Eagles Society sternly ordered. "Everyone, be careful. Although it looks safe, we can't let our guard down."
After a brief discussion, they decided to leave three men to guard the exit, while the other two would return the way they came to report.
When the two men found Qingchen, he was pacing back and forth in front of the stone gate.
Upon hearing that they had found the exit, a glint of light flashed in Qingchen's eyes. He patted the soldier who had brought the news on the shoulder:
"I'll give you all credit! There will be a great reward after this!"
Immediately, he led the group quietly to the tunnel's exit.
Qingchen gazed at the dense vines outside the tunnel, pondering how to safely lead everyone out of this place.
To ensure they weren't discovered by the bandits of Beiman Mountain, he ordered everyone to extinguish all torches, relying solely on the sparse starlight for navigation.
He personally took his waist knife and deftly trimmed the branches obscuring the cave entrance, his movements as slow and silent as a cat's.
Once everything was cleared, Qingchen stepped out of the tunnel first, his eyes flashing as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
They ultimately chose a recessed area behind a small rocky hill as their temporary meeting point.
He turned back and led the others out in single file, each holding their breath, their steps as swift as a cat's.
Just as everyone was hidden behind the rocky hill, Qingchen suddenly frowned.
"A sound!"
As a third-rate expert, his hearing was sharp; he heard a man's voice in the distance, and it sounded somewhat familiar.
Qingchen stealthily moved towards the sound, a thought flashing through his mind.
The voice did sound familiar; upon closer listening, he realized it was Young Master Zhao's voice.
He wondered to himself, what was Young Master Zhao doing here? Could this be a secret hideout of bandits in the back mountains?
Qingchen quietly crept towards the sound and found a thatched hut in front of him.
Inside, a man was shouting,
"My father, Zhao Erhe! My father, Zhao Erhe! My father, Zhao Erhe!"
"Are you out of your minds, daring to kidnap this young master!"
Qingchen cautiously approached the thatched hut, hiding behind a large rock and peering out.
Outside, he saw about a dozen shirtless, burly men guarding the hut.
These men were all armed, their faces fierce; they were clearly bandits.
Among them, the leader, a burly man, was drinking a little wine.
He wielded a massive axe, its blade gleaming coldly, exuding an imposing aura.
Although bound, Young Master Zhao continued to shout, attempting to intimidate the bandits with his status.
Qing Chen, observing the situation around the thatched hut, grew even more cautious.
Returning to their hideout, he immediately selected twelve of his most alert soldiers and, in a low voice, ordered:
"Follow me to scout the surrounding area again. Make sure there are no ambushes."
The men obeyed, immediately splitting into four groups and, under the cover of night, spreading out like a spiderweb.
Qing Chen personally led the group, moving with extreme caution.
He knew the world was treacherous; the bandits of Beiman Mountain, who had entrenched themselves in this area for so many years, were no pushovers.
The night was as dark as ink, with the occasional chirping of insects echoing through the forest.
The men moved swiftly through jagged rocks and knee-high weeds, leaving no suspicious detail unchecked.
Qing Chen strained his senses, pushing them to their limits.
As a third-rate expert, he could distinguish the sound of breathing several meters away amidst the noise, and now he was completely focused.
A human voice can only travel a mile at most. Even an expert with internal energy below the third-rate level can only travel two miles at most.
About an hour later, the four groups returned one after another.
After a thorough search, they confirmed that there were no other bandits within two or three miles of the thatched hut.
Qing Chen felt slightly relieved, but still dared not relax his guard in the slightest.
He lay hidden behind a clump of weeds, his eyes sharp as an eagle, carefully observing the bandits' every move.
He saw that these men all seemed quite relaxed; some were even dozing against tree trunks, except for the axe-wielding leader, who was still slowly drinking, occasionally glancing around.
"It seems these bandits are relying on the natural defenses of the back mountain, thinking no one can reach them," Qingchen thought to himself.
"If that's true, it's a golden opportunity."
A ruthless plan gradually took shape in his mind.
Qingchen slowly retreated, gathered all his soldiers, and lowered his voice to give instructions: "We outnumber them three to one; we must attack with lightning speed."
His gaze swept over the men, seeing their solemn expressions, and he continued: "Thirty men, divide into four teams, and attack simultaneously from all four sides. Remember, be quick and ruthless, aiming to kill them in one strike!"
He then pointed to another dozen or so soldiers from the Double Eagle Society: "You will ambush them on the outer perimeter. If any escape, kill them without mercy!"
Upon hearing this, a fierce glint appeared in everyone's eyes.
Qingchen concluded in a deep voice, "The advantage is on our side. We need to be quick and ruthless, absolutely not giving them any chance to retaliate!
If we can capture them alive, capture them alive; if not, fucking kill them! The opportunity for promotion and wealth is right in front of