Chapter 71

The grass and trees had grown more abundant. The once barren and flat terrain had become uneven, with tall mountains in the distance and a majestic river flowing from another direction. Zhang Jian was familiar with this landscape. Beyond this forest and these mountains lay a vast, scorching wilderness where water was scarce. At the forefront of their group, Li Yan was unfolding a map, alternating her gaze between the map and the landscape ahead.

Yang Hong, who had been surveying the mountains and forests, spoke to her.

"Are we really on the right path? We've strayed too far from Shen Shui Chuan. At this rate, Tian Hou Cheng might be closer."

"If you're not satisfied, you can look at the map yourself."

Yang Hong laughed awkwardly.

"Hehe... Why are you speaking like that?"

Li Yan, who had dismissed Yang Hong's nonsense, continued to look at the map for a moment before rolling it up.

"We need to cross this forest and these mountains to the east. Do you know any shortcuts?"

Zhang Jian shrugged in response to her question.

"I don't travel here often, so I don't know."

"That's right..."

At that moment, Yang Hong interjected.

"Then I'll take the lead. We'll be able to sleep in a bed tonight."

Li Yan frowned.

"What? Another inn?"

"Yes, an inn. There's a decent inn in the valley beyond these mountains."

"You... You don't mean that place is also occupied by strange people, do you?"

Yang Hong jumped up.

"Hey! That was just an unusual place! This time it will be fine, I promise!"

He seemed very confident, as if he was asking them to trust him just one more time. When Li Yan was still hesitant, Zhang Jian spoke.

"The sun is setting. We need to find a place to rest. Let's go and see. If there's a problem, we can deal with it then."

Yang Hong shuddered at the word "deal with it" and rubbed his bruised eye. The pain came back to him. But he soon grinned and said,

"Trust me. There won't be any problems there."

* * *

"Hmm. I'm not sure if they're trying to cross the eastern mountains or if the mountains are their destination."

Ji Yun Cheng muttered, rubbing his temples. To the east of Shen Shui Chuan, there was a mountain range that stretched southward. It wasn't as high and rugged as the native mountains that blocked the northern frontier, but it was dense with forests, steep with ravines, and beyond it lay a barren land of dust and rocks. Few people crossed it unless they were heading north.

Some called it the Shen Shui Chuan Mountains, while others, who thought Tian Hou Cheng was closer, called it the Tian Hou Mountains. Ji Yun Cheng was preparing to camp at the entrance of the forest, lost in thought.

At that moment, someone spoke from beside him.

"What are you still thinking about? Whether there's treasure in the mountains or beyond, we need to catch them now."

It was Ji Shang Chuan. Normally, Ji Yun Cheng might have ignored him, but he was curious about the young man's confident stance and asked,

"Why do you think that, young master?"

"If there's treasure in the mountains, we need to catch them quickly to prevent them from escaping with it. If we lose their trail in the mountains, the gap between us and them will widen in a short time. It would be better to catch them and interpret the rest of the map. We only need to save that woman, right?"

Ji Shang Chuan, encouraged by Ji Yun Cheng's attentive listening, continued.

"If they're trying to cross the mountains, we need to catch them even more. Beyond these mountains lies a scorching land of dust and heated rocks, a place of death. It's a real desert. We have too many people, which puts us at a disadvantage there. It would be better to catch them here, even if it means pushing ourselves a bit, and secure the map. Then we can explore more leisurely afterward."

"So, according to you, we shouldn't rest now?"

Ji Shang Chuan nodded.

"Our warriors can advance slowly even at night. While a night attack might be too risky, we can target them by dawn or early morning."

"We can't track them in the dark. We can't see anything."

"We have the Xue Li Ying. We've been following it, not their trail. Even in the dark, we can lead the horses and move slowly."

Ji Yun Cheng looked at Ji Shang Chuan with a hint of approval. He had always thought of him as a spoiled brat, but perhaps the years of education weren't entirely useless. However, he felt a strange vibe from the young man's face, which was neither that of a child nor an adult. He glanced at Shen Zhi Ying, who was nearby, and understood where the young man's insight came from. Shen Zhi Ying was clenching her fists, looking at her fiancé with approval.

Ji Yun Cheng almost sighed. Since they were going to be married, perhaps she was just supporting him. Or maybe Shen Zhi Ying was manipulating Ji Shang Chuan. Either way, it was fortunate that the future lady of the house seemed wise.

"Let's do it your way, then."

Ji Yun Cheng stood up from his seat and said to the warriors who had paused their camp preparations.

"We're changing the plan. We'll reduce the distance today. By tomorrow morning, at the latest, we'll recover the map. Let's set off now."

As Ji Yun Cheng spoke, the warriors, who had been watching him, turned to look at Ji Shang Chuan. The final decision in this pursuit rested with the heir of the family. Even if Ji Yun Cheng explained and argued, his subordinates would not act without his approval. When Ji Shang Chuan nodded, the warriors began to move.

Ji Yun Cheng, sensing the strange hierarchy, nodded slightly and went to find his horse. One of his direct subordinates, who was part of the pursuit team, approached him.

"Sir, what should we do with the prisoner we caught?"

"Is there anything more to learn from him?"

"No, there isn't. He wasn't a particularly strong-willed person to begin with."

Ji Yun Cheng nodded.

"Leave him hanging. I'm curious to see how the Tai Ping team reacts."

"But... If we leave him like that, he'll die."

Ji Yun Cheng chuckled.

"Then it can't be helped. The Tai Ping team will have to figure out who among us or Zhang Jian's group killed their comrade."

His eyes scanned the busy warriors. Somewhere in the camp, a bloodied lump was likely hanging from a tree. That lump was named Jia Xiong. Ji Yun Cheng turned away, indifferent. Now, Jia Xiong's fate was in his own hands.

* * *

The inn was built on one side of the valley, blending into the landscape like another tree or rock. When they arrived at sunset, the inn was empty. As Yang Hong entered and loudly pounded the floor, someone pulled back the curtain from the kitchen and appeared.

Zhang Jian understood why Yang Hong had confidently claimed this inn would be fine. The man who emerged from the kitchen was taller than three ordinary men, with a build that could fit two people side by side. His clean-shaven head and fierce face would make any bandit wet their pants and run away.

But Yang Hong greeted him as if he had met an old friend.

"Wu Sulong, you fat pig! How are you?"

The innkeeper, who had been fierce like a tiger, smiled and replied.

"You thief, you're still alive and back again! I thought you'd be dead on the street this time!"

They laughed and embraced, much to the surprise of Zhang Jian and Li Yan. Thanks to this, they enjoyed a hearty meal. Wu Sulong, the innkeeper, did not introduce himself, and Yang Hong did not introduce him. As a result, Zhang Jian and Li Yan could not engage in any deeper conversation with him.

Zhang Jian sensed that the large man had his own story but did not ask. He was more curious about other things.

Since there were no other guests, they each had their own room. After dinner and a quick wash, the group gathered in Zhang Jian's room. Li Yan, who had washed her hair, was wearing a thin, damp shirt, which slightly confused Zhang Jian and Yang Hong.

Yang Hong, knowing why she was trying to look good, smiled and said,

"Alright, Doctor Li? Can you explain where we're going? It's exhausting to keep following without knowing the way."

Li Yan thought for a moment, ran her hand through her hair, and replied.

"First, let's talk about our destination. We need to cross these mountains tomorrow and head to the desert. After traveling for a while, we'll reach a place where it's hard to find even a drop of water. There are deep and large ravines, some so narrow that only one person can pass. It's a complex and maze-like area. That's our destination."

Yang Hong tilted his head.

"Is the treasure hidden there? Why in such a rugged place?"

"Would it make sense for them to abandon everything and head east otherwise? It seems the head of the family, Li Zhi, had gone mad."

"Is that so? Well, if it's a treasure worth ten carriages of gold and silver, even ghosts would be tempted. So, where exactly is it?"

Li Yan did not answer. She looked at Yang Hong with a stern gaze, as if to say, "Would you tell if you were in my position?"

Yang Hong, receiving this look, smiled and changed the subject.

"Then we need to prepare a lot of water and food before we leave tomorrow. Ah, the innkeeper will probably charge us a lot..."

"Before that."

Zhang Jian's words stopped Yang Hong. Zhang Jian leaned back in his chair, placed his right hand on the table, and tapped his fingers. Yang Hong and Li Yan, sensing the tension, were slightly uneasy. Then Zhang Jian spoke again.

"Can you explain your relationship with the Li family?"

"Excuse me? That..."

Li Yan opened her eyes wide, then slowly nodded.

"Of course, as a woman of the Li family who is familiar with the old Li family's cipher, it's natural to assume there's a connection. It wasn't a secret either."

"But... Didn't you explain it?"

Yang Hong, who had been listening, asked, startled by Zhang Jian's gaze.

"Oh, I didn't..."

"It's fine. I'll explain."

Li Yan straightened her posture and looked at Zhang Jian.

"As you might have guessed, I am a descendant of the old Li family. However, I'm far from the main line. I was from a distant branch. That's why, when Li Zhi, the head of the family, left Shen Shui Chuan, he could abandon my great-grandfather and some of the family's servants without any objections."

Yang Hong, hearing the details for the first time, showed interest, and Zhang Jian's eyes focused on her.

"Li Zhi, the head of the family at the time, unilaterally abandoned the family members in Shen Shui Chuan. For them, it was a shocking turn of events. They had trusted the head of the family and endured months of sailing and multiple stops to reach the new continent, only to be left with nothing but their bodies."

Li Yan sighed.

"After that, my great-grandfather... worked hard to feed his family. Moreover, after abandoning so many people, the Li family suddenly disappeared from the world. As a result, my great-grandfather suffered a lot, wondering if he had any of the family's legacy."

Li Yan scratched her head and continued.

"...I'm digressing. Anyway, I can decipher the old Li family's documents thanks to the records left by my great-grandfather. My grandfather, who was afraid of the world, buried them, but my father excavated and studied them. He probably wanted to recover the Li family's legacy, which was said to be somewhere in the new continent. I learned about artifacts from my father."

She paused for a moment. Her eyes, which she had lowered without realizing, were fixed on the table, but she was actually looking at the past. The dimly lit room easily mixed reality with her thoughts. She seemed to be recalling her father. The time between her and her father seemed to pass quickly in that brief silence.

"...When I first brought the map from the underground chamber, I thought it was a joke. The thing my father had sought all his life suddenly appeared before me. At first, I thought it was another Li family artifact. It had happened a few times before."

She looked up from the table and met Zhang Jian's eyes.

"I didn't start this just for the treasure at the end of the map. I wanted to know if it really exists, and if there are any records of Li Zhi. If there are, I want to know why he abandoned my ancestors and left."

When she stopped speaking, a silence fell among the three. Zhang Jian and Li Yan just looked at each other. Then, Yang Hong, who had been watching them, spoke softly.

"Then..."

"Of course, getting the treasure would be better. If I had to choose between the records and the treasure, I'd choose the treasure. It's only natural."

She cut off Yang Hong without looking at him. Yang Hong, whose words were cut off, crossed his arms and chuckled, then spoke again.

"The spoiled heir of the Ji