The red shadow quickly disappeared, not knowing whether it had fled or hidden somewhere to covertly observe.
A line of people acted as though they were unaware of anyone’s presence and continued on, approaching Rocky Mountain.
It was only when they were closer that Zhao Changhe realized this so-called Rocky Mountain was not at all what he had imagined.
In his imagination, it was just a pile of rocks, no bigger than a building. The closer they got, the more they realized that the mountain was not small at all, not like a building, but rather the size of a sizable residential complex, though its height was average, giving it a rather low and sprawling appearance, like a giant turtle lying in the desert.
And this "turtle" actually had a "tail."
A narrow, low ridge of desert rocks extended from the north of the mountain, stretching northward to another distant and snowy mountain range far in the north.
Rocky Mountain was not just an isolated cluster of rocks arising out of the desert as he had imagined; it was actually a small part of the tail of a massive mountain range that extended here.
A thought struck Zhao Changhe; this feature seemed quite distinctive, and he had seen this mountain range on a map before.
The treasure map marked by Master Yuan Xing... that was not a map of a region, but rather of a mountain range with a spot indicated where one could find an aura similar to the Wang Family’s secret treasure, without involving other geography. So Zhao Changhe had not considered the mountain range on the map to be located just north of Yellow Sand Market, having thought it was some remote location, but he did not expect that this clue would actually be right here.
In that case, could both Yuan San Niang and Yue Hongling’s stay here be related to this secret place?
No wonder Yue Hongling, even short on supplies, was reluctant to leave, probably because she had discovered something and had invited him to search together.
From afar, Rocky Mountain appeared to have a greener tinge at the lowest part of the rocks, an indication of sparse grass... but the grass was scarce, growing along the edge of the stones in a line, like the belly hair on a giant turtle.
It couldn’t be called an oasis, but it indicated there might be water, although probably very scarce or possibly hidden deep underground; it was unclear if there was a way to collect and use it for drinking. Judging from Yue Hongling’s recent encampment here, they must have been able to extract drinking water, but it would not be suitable for tribes to settle down, nor could it become a trading spot. In the end, it remained a barren hill.
Hu Lie led the group to the foot of the mountain and motioned with his hands, "It’s getting dark, let’s rest here and have something to eat."
The group dismounted for a break, leaning against the rocks and taking out dry food and water to eat. Hu Lie untied the "virtuous lady" bound on the horse, chuckled with a sneer as he began undressing her, "Damn it, holding it in all the way, time for some satisfaction!"
The men gathered around with lewd laughter, and the woman sobbed softly.
Zhao Changhe felt that the acting was worse than a slightly warm day in Tokyo; the scene looked genuine, but he wondered if Yue Hongling would be fooled?
Yue Hongling hid behind a cluster of rocks, watching coldly through a crevice.
As a "lone horse bandit" on the run for three months, her usual targets were groups of ten to twenty people. Indeed, she wouldn’t run away immediately upon seeing them from a distance, but she wasn’t so foolish as to be tempted by a small number without first observing and judging whether it was safe to make a move.
She would usually need to guess, analyze, and watch the performance, but not this time.
Because she recognized a disheveled, yellow-faced man at a glance – it was none other than Zhao Changhe in disguise from last night, with the Dragon Sparrow still on his back, and she had no idea how he ended up mingling with Ba Tu; doesn’t Ba Tu recognize his own weapons?
Since Zhao Changhe was here, and these people were overtly violating a virtuous woman, it was clear they were not his friends.
Zhao Changhe knew she was here... so it was quite clear then, this was a trap set to lure her into action, and Zhao Changhe, somehow mixed up in this, planned to help.
The reasoning was simple, crude, yet absolutely correct.
The men’s lascivious laughter and the woman’s crying began echoing around the rocks. Zhao Changhe, acting as though he wanted no part in the affair, quietly left the group and turned the corner, pretending to go urinate.
From between the rocks, a small stone was thrown, hitting his shoulder.
Without drawing attention, Zhao Changhe unbuckled his bow, arrow bag, and a small pack of Dark Weapon darts, slipping them through the rocks; at the same time, with his foot, he scrawled three words in the sand: "Trap. Leave."
Then quickly erased them.
Yue Hongling’s eyes curved in a smile.
This feeling was so much more comfortable than wandering the grasslands alone, not needing to gamble or judge danger, her entire spirit was content and assured.
By sword side by side, venturing through the world... it was him, as if by destiny.
It was just strange, why was it that every time she acted with him, there were others nearby engaging in matters of men and women? The gasping sounds were enough to make one blush.
Yue Hongling contemplated for a moment, quietly took the bow and arrows and Dark Weapon, then slipped back into the mountains.
Zhao Changhe was buckling his belt, returning to the group with the relaxed air of a man who had just relieved himself.
Over there, Hu Lie was questioning his life choices.
How come Yue Hongling hadn’t reacted despite the prolonged foreplay? Were the woman’s cries and wails not desperate enough? Or was Yue Hongling intentionally waiting to strike when her pants were half-off?
Headache-inducing, really—how was he supposed to fight with his pants down?
While he hesitated, the sound of galloping hooves came from a distance. A figure in red, riding a green-maned horse, sped off in another direction and soon vanished into a speck.
Not going to play with you guys.
His brain had short-circuited for a moment. In frustration, he leapt to his horse. "To hell with playing, chase her! We just need to tie her down; all’s not lost!"
Just then, a gust of wind rose abruptly, howling as it passed.
To the naked eye, it was visible—whirls of dust sweeping upwards, pummeling faces and bodies with sand and pebbles in an instant. Everyone instinctively raised their hands to protect their eyes, but this did nothing for the horses, which, blinded by the grit, shrieked and bolted, throwing their riders.
A common sight in the desert, a minor dust storm was nothing severe. Its sudden onset and withdrawal were quite normal, but it posed a significant short-term challenge for both the horses and their riders.
Yue Hongling had quickly dismounted to shield her green-maned horse, while the others were too disorganized to give chase, thrown into complete disarray.
Zhao Changhe was also scratching his head—it was a mess...
If Yue Hongling hadn’t run and had hidden in the Rocky Mountain instead, she would have been fine. Running into the storm only complicated things.
Of course, it was troubling for both parties, and it was hard to predict how this dust storm would change the situation... It all depended on how everyone adapted to this sudden turn of events...
In the midst of the swirling sand, where visibility was extremely low, suddenly flashed a sword light.
Yue Hongling had decisively circled back, taking advantage of low visibility and the other party’s impaired coordination to launch a preemptive assault!
A flash of blood, a scream follows—Hu Lie’s underling had been instantly taken down.
Not only did Zhao Changhe’s heart skip a beat, even Hu Lie, Ba Tu, and the others couldn’t help feeling a surge of admiration. No wonder this woman had commanded respect as a lone warrior in the Northern Border. This decisive action was enough to crush the pride of so-called heroes. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel✦fire.net
"Clang!" The longsword clashed with Hu Lie’s curved saber. Yue Hongling did not linger; her red silhouette flickered ghost-like through the yellow sand, her sword light aimed at another of Hu Lie’s underlings.
Hu Lie’s curved saber slashed close behind her in pursuit.
From their brief encounter, he could tell that he was indeed slightly stronger than Yue Hongling.
As a warrior who had unlocked the First Layer Secret Treasure, his absolute strength might not be stronger than that of the Mystical Gate Ninth Layer, but he possessed other mystical powers that those not of the Mystical Gate could not comprehend. Just like the current environment, which placed heavy limits on everyone—sand blinding their eyes, wind howling—it was hard enough to see, let alone use sound to judge position. The constraints on Yue Hongling were immense, while the Secret Treasure warrior was much less affected.
Engaged in this battle, Hu Lie actually felt a higher certainty of victory; it seemed as if the heavens were on his side...
Just as these thoughts flickered through his mind, a sudden prickle raced across Hu Lie’s scalp and a great sense of alarm rose within him.
His curved saber could not reach Yue Hongling in time, and he swung it urgently backward. A broadsword struck from behind, the clash of their blades echoing thunderously.
Hu Lie turned around in shock and anger, only to see through the sand a Great Han forced back several steps by his blow, who then leapt into the air, the broadsword sweeping fiercely towards him. His long hair fluttered wildly, his posture as fierce and relentless as a war lion preying, his presence hugely intimidating.
Hu Lie swung his saber to respond, as anger boomed from within: "Ba Tu, is your Battle Lion Tribe staging a rebellion?"
Ba Tu was stunned for a moment, then rage filled his guts.
At this point, making excuses was pointless, for they had intended to swallow us whole from the start.
They wanted to devour me, so why can’t I kill them first?
Amidst the dust storm, even if distant troops were approaching now, they couldn’t see what was happening...
A man born between heaven and earth should never be resigned to live below others!
"Swoosh!" With the broadsword drawn, Ba Tu aimed a heavy blow at Hu Lie’s head: "You really think I can’t guess what you’re up to? Die!"