“North and east sides, if there are martial arts experts, can they climb up?”
“How well?”
“Second-rate and above!”
“Yes!”
Although the north and east sides of Changming Mountain were steep, they were not a problem for second-rate masters.
“What does young master mean? Are you planning to go through the north or east side?”
Seeing Nan Shiying nod, Shen Xing was dumbfounded. He couldn't worry about the Liao Jiang Eagle Tribe heavy cavalry anymore. He felt the other party was simply dreaming. Both he and the guard were second-rate masters and could climb Changming Mountain from both sides, but it was already their limit to bring a child. They could absolutely not bring her up the mountain.
“Young master, don't joke. Let's enter from the entrance!”
Although the entrance to Changming Mountain was heavily guarded, as long as they registered, they could enter. Shen Xing completely couldn't understand why they insisted on entering Changming Mountain from the north or east side instead of the proper entrance. Wasn't this like having too much time on their hands?
Nan Shiying looked at him faintly, a slight smile playing on her lips. “Head Shen, do you think I’m joking?”
The surrounding forest was dense, and Shen Xing shivered inexplicably. The bright sun overhead couldn't smooth the goosebumps on his arms.
“Young Master Wei, if we enter the mountain from the sides, the mountain path is too treacherous. Even you and your guard might not be able to climb safely, let alone consider your and the young lady's safety. This is simply an impossible task.”
The feeling of being stared at by a wild beast was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, but Shen Xing still couldn't let the other party act recklessly. If she courted death herself, it was one thing, but their Hengyuan Chamber of Commerce was innocent. Why should they be implicated by her?
The more Shen Xing thought about it, the more indignant he became. By the end, his voice carried a hint of mockery.
“Lead the way!”
Nan Shiying’s voice carried an undeniable assertiveness. There were no emotions in her eyes, but Shen Xing saw arrogance and disdain within them.
Shen Xing didn't move.
“Heh~”
A cold laugh escaped Nan Shiying’s lips. She smiled at Shen Xing. “Whether the Hengyuan Chamber of Commerce survives or perishes depends on your thoughts!”
Even her threats were spoken with a gentle and amiable tone.
Shen Xing clenched his fists, veins bulging on the back of his hands. He desperately suppressed the murderous intent that surged towards his brain. The moment the killing intent poured out of him, Situ Kong and Xiao Man immediately blocked Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying’s hand rested on Xiao Man’s head, gently stroking her soft hair. Xiao Man’s aggressive stance immediately deflated. The fierce look in Shen Xing's eyes, which were wide open like bronze bells, was smoothed away. Xiao Man puffed her cheeks in annoyance, while Situ Kong harbored a sliver of doubt about their relationship due to their interaction.
Some of Xiao Man’s actions didn't seem like those of a sister towards her brother, but more like a maid towards her master.
Nan Shiying pushed aside Situ Kong, who was blocking her, and as she walked towards Shen Xing, she casually pointed a finger at Xiao Man’s forehead, pushing Xiao Man, who still wanted to act as a guard in front of her, behind her.
She walked up to Shen Xing and looked up slightly.
Nan Shiying’s eyes were dark and deep, like a deep sea that concealed everything. When you peered down, you only felt a profound and terrifying abyss.
Her brain was screaming a warning, and her heart was pumping blood at an accelerated rate. Shen Xing felt everything around him slow down, as if time had stopped. He could even clearly hear the violent beating of his heart in his chest.
He instinctively took a step back, his breathing becoming erratic.
Nan Shiying looked at the frightened Shen Xing. She relaxed her eye muscles, no longer tensing her eyelids, revealing her entire black eyeballs. The darkness and depth instantly faded, and her beautiful eyes were left with only the gentle and warm soft glow of a spring breeze.
“Head Shen, please lead the way!”
The speed at which she changed her expression was simply astonishing.
Shen Xing’s expression shifted multiple times. Under her smiling gaze, he finally compromised.
“The north side has many bushes, the east side is rugged.”
Since they had decided to enter Changming Mountain from the north or east side, Shen Xing decided to adopt a proper attitude and began to weigh whether it was better to go up the mountain from the north or the east side.
However, after much deliberation, he finally realized that only the east side was passable!
“Heh, actually, when you think about it, only the east side is feasible!”
In fact, calling it southeast or northwest was not entirely accurate. The Liao Jiang Eagle Tribe’s large camp was on the west side of Changming Mountain, surrounding the entire west. The north side was adjacent to a waterway. If they went there, they would not only have to stealthily bypass the western military camp but also enter a waterway from land.
For one, they had no boat. Secondly, traveling by water during the day was like lighting a lamp in the dark. Even if the Eagle Tribe’s sentry posts were blind, they would be able to see clearly!
The east side, on the other hand, was adjacent to a cliff.
If they could find vines hanging down from the mountain, there might still be a chance to climb the mountain.
“Then the east side!”
Nan Shiying did not ask for the reason. After hearing Shen Xing say that only the east side was passable, she directly decided on the route.
The group tied their horses in the woods and walked towards Changming Mountain on foot.
After walking for about half an incense stick's time, Shen Xing stopped. He squatted down and looked at the clear footprints on the ground. The official road was two kilometers away. Shen Xing really couldn't imagine what kind of people, besides them, would abandon their horses and walk on foot.
Xiao Man squatted beside him, measuring the size of the footprints. Suddenly, she felt something beside her reflect a fleeting white light. She stood up and found the place where the white light seemed to flash. Hovering her hand in mid-air, she felt downwards and, about a foot from the ground, Xiao Man touched a sharp fishing line. She slowly squatted down, tilted her head, and aligned her line of sight with the fishing line her hand touched on the same horizontal plane, thus spotting the almost invisible line.
She gently followed the line and found the copper bells and sleeve arrows tied to the fishing line, hidden behind a tree.
“Ambush!”