Chapter 4: Overnight Crossing in the Mountains

The three of them huddled in the grass, listening to a man named Wang among the group recounting tales from ancient times to the present. Zhang Wuxun gleaned a crucial piece of information: an elite cavalry unit known as the Iron-Headed Brave Riders, tasked with collecting rare treasures exclusively for the emperor, and a half-rolled ancient scroll called the "He Mu Collection," which recorded the locations of old tombs.

Old Yang sighed softly, casting a furtive glance in their direction, lowering his voice. “I don’t know if what this Wang fellow is saying is true, but it sounds like they’re after a big haul. If we follow them, even the leftovers alone would be enough to feed us for years.”

Wu Xiaoxie nodded in agreement. “They seem so confident; it’s probably true.”

Old Yang’s excitement surged. “Then this time we really picked the right trail. Brother Zhang, your idea was spot on…”

His breath hitched, and his stammering voice suddenly burst out loudly in the still night, making it all the more conspicuous.

Trouble!

Zhang Wuxun immediately noticed two men by the campfire rising and instinctively reaching for their waists, eyes fixed on the grass where they hid.

He quickly pressed Wu Xiaoxie’s head down.

Old Yang flopped flat on the ground, too scared to breathe.

The two men advanced cautiously, and Zhang Wuxun even heard the distinct click of a gun being cocked.

At the last moment, a sudden commotion erupted in the distance, followed by a line of bright flashlight beams approaching.

“Eagle Claw Sun’s coming! Scatter!”

The group rapidly extinguished the fire, packed their gear, and disappeared deeper into the forest.

Only after all was quiet did the three of them dare to peek out.

The others had vanished without a trace.

In the pitch-black night, pursuit was hopeless.

Besides, the forest patrol was drawing closer; it was no place to linger.

The trio hoisted their packs and plunged into the depths of the mountain woods.

After evading the patrol, they found a suitable clearing to camp and pulled out their sleeping bags, ready to rest.

The deeper into the night, the colder it grew.

Zhang Wuxun lit a fire and boiled some water, filling a small hot water bag no bigger than a palm. Avoiding Old Yang, he slipped it into Wu Xiaoxie’s arms to keep him warm.

“Alright, get some sleep. I’ll keep watch,” Zhang Wuxun said, patting Wu Xiaoxie’s head as he settled by the fire.

Wu Xiaoxie nodded. “Okay, I’ll take over in three hours.”

—

A drop of dew trembled on a leaf, finally falling and landing squarely on the person’s forehead below.

Wu Xiaoxie jolted awake, rubbing his eyes and sitting up to look around.

Old Yang was still curled up asleep, but Zhang Wuxun was nowhere in sight. The fire flickered weakly, threatening to die out.

Wu Xiaoxie’s heart sank. “Mu Yu?”

“Damn it, where’s Mu Yu?”

Could some wild beast have snatched Mu Yu away in the night?

The thought made him increasingly uneasy.

Frantically crawling out of his sleeping bag, he was about to wake Old Yang and search for Zhang Wuxun when footsteps approached.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Zhang Wuxun appeared, holding two fat fish about the size of one and a half palms, waving them at Wu Xiaoxie. “Fish for breakfast—let’s improve the menu a bit.”

Seeing that Zhang Wuxun’s clothes were just a bit wrinkled but he bore no injuries, Wu Xiaoxie finally relaxed.

Old Yang, startled awake by Wu Xiaoxie’s shout and thinking danger was near, tried to leap up but was still tied down and fell face-first onto the ground, his fierce expression frozen.

Wu Xiaoxie caught sight of this and was momentarily shocked, but Old Yang quickly returned to his usual goofy demeanor. Thinking he’d imagined it, Wu Xiaoxie laughed at him.

Old Yang climbed out of his sleeping bag, rubbing his head. “I was half asleep.”

Wu Xiaoxie, toothbrush in mouth and foam on his lips, peered at the cleaned fish Zhang Wuxun had prepared. “Where’d you catch these? They’re pretty plump. Why didn’t you wake me up this morning?”

“Not far ahead is a small stream. I found the fish while fetching water,” Zhang Wuxun said, rekindling the fire. “You looked like such a little pig sleeping, and I wasn’t that tired, so I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

Wu Xiaoxie wrinkled his nose. “You’re the little pig.”

The three divided the grilled fish, eating simply with some warm flatbread.

Zhang Wuxun poured water from the stream into a cleaned tin can to boil. Wu Xiaoxie urged him to take a quick nap while the water heated.

Mountain stream water is raw and must be boiled to kill germs; otherwise, it’ll surely upset their stomachs.

After resting, the three double-checked their bearings and pressed onward.

About an hour later, a dilapidated temple appeared ahead.

Near the wooden stump by the temple gate, several women with headscarves were chatting.

Wu Xiaoxie’s eyes lit up. Approaching with an earnest smile, he asked, “Hey there, miss, I’m a traveler from outside. Can you tell me how much farther it is to the next village?”

The woman eyed him suspiciously. “What are you men from so far away doing in our village?”

Several other women nearby glanced over warily.

Wu Xiaoxie maintained a friendly expression, but faced with cold stares, he sheepishly smiled. “Don’t get me wrong—we’re just asking for directions, hoping to visit the next village.”

The woman spat disdainfully. “With your sneaky looks, you don’t seem like good folks. Who knows what you’re up to?”

Wu Xiaoxie was taken aback, utterly confused and helpless—clearly his first time facing such hostility.

Zhang Wuxun clicked his tongue, pushed Wu Xiaoxie behind him, and pulled two bills from his wallet, tossing them impatiently into the woman’s hands. “Stop with the nonsense. Lead us there. Here’s two hundred yuan for you.”

The woman’s expression softened immediately. Holding the money up to her eyes, she inspected the seal. Confirming it was genuine, she beamed. “Don’t be mad, just joking. No need to get so worked up. Follow this road straight ahead. At the fork, take the left path. Cross a small stream, and you’ll reach our village.”

Zhang Wuxun asked, “Has anyone else come this way before us?”

Old Yang peeked out and added, “An old man and four young people.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, curiosity piqued. “What, did those folks cause trouble? You aren’t police, are you?”

Zhang Wuxun shot her a sharp look. “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”

“Oh~” she said with a knowing smile. “So, does this count as giving a tip? Will you write me a commendation letter or something?”

Old Yang chuckled, “Don’t worry. When we get back, you’ll be rewarded with first-class merit.”

The woman laughed brightly, the tension broken.