Chapter 37 The Misty Western Hills (Part 9)

Du Wen trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind, her clothes already soaked with cold sweat. She knew that every word Sun Man said was a bloody reality.

"Hesitation only leads to more trouble." Sun Man grabbed her shoulders with such force that he almost crushed her bones. "We have no choice."

“Remember,” Sun Man released his hand and instructed, word by word, “Afterwards, lead all the clues to that group of people who have been opposing us and appearing and disappearing mysteriously.”

"What about Commander Zhao...?"

“Zhao Ying, that slippery old fox, used to make a big show of suppressing bandits, but she always failed to deliver at crucial moments,” Sun Man sneered. “Once the news that the bandits on our side killed the princess is confirmed, we can ask her to send troops again under the pretext of suppressing bandits to avenge the dead and pacify the area. In order to clear herself of suspicion of failing in the rescue, she will work even harder than before.”

Perfect, let's use her knife to get rid of those flies in the mountains that have been getting under our skin all along.

Sun Man firmly believed that Zhao Ying would not only not shirk responsibility, but would also eagerly claim credit for the bandit suppression in order to cover up past mistakes.

This insidious plan—using someone else's strength to strike back and kill two birds with one stone—was already clear in her mind: "Go quickly!"

Du Wen dared not delay any longer, and hurriedly got out of the car to arrange the deadly night operation.

Sun Man sat alone in the speeding carriage, her back ramrod straight, but her fingers trembled slightly. She lifted a corner of the curtain, looked towards the post station, and then turned to the all-consuming darkness of the Western Hills.

Fifth Prince, please don't blame me for being ruthless. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for insisting on stirring up this mess. The food in Xishan is not something a nobleman like you, raised in luxury, can eat.

She lowered the carriage curtain, and the gentle expression that belonged to a smooth-talking prefect vanished completely from her face, leaving only the coldness of a politician making a desperate gamble.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, she knew exactly when to yield and when to bare her fangs.

Tonight, the fangs have been revealed.

......

After the guard delivered the ambiguous statement as instructed, the area outside quickly fell silent. Sun Man and his group did not insist and simply left.

This is very unusual.

Shen Zhilan stood in the shadows by the window, her fingertips unconsciously tightening.

A local official who claimed to have "extremely urgent" military intelligence was easily dismissed with such a frivolous excuse. Not only did he not fight for it, but he also left so decisively.

She wasn't just persuaded; she was convinced.

Having confirmed that His Highness was not at the post station and that her guess had been correct, there was no need to waste any more time here.

A chill ran down my spine; I could no longer hesitate.

Shen Zhilan turned around. All considerations and concerns had to give way to the imminent danger His Highness might face.

He walked to the desk, picked up the cold "Chen" token and held it in his palm. He had to go to the garrison camp to call for reinforcements.

Once Your Highness returns safely, he will tell her everything he knows, everything he has done, and even the deeper entanglements, and let her decide what to do with him.

......

On Ling Wei's side, relying on the simple topographical map that Shen Zhilan had drawn during the day based on old documents, they found the old site of Xitou Village.

There is almost no trace of a village left. Years of abandonment have allowed nature to reclaim the area, leaving only a few scattered sections of earthen walls, about half a person's height, protruding from the ground.

The night wind swept through the empty space without hindrance, making the desolation of the surrounding area even more pronounced.

Ling Wei and her team split up to explore, focusing on looking for unusual hard marks and tire tracks on the ground, especially in the direction leading to the mountainside.

"Listen carefully for the sound of underground water flowing. Use bird whistles as a signal. If you encounter any such sounds, hide first and don't confront them head-on."

The group silently accepted the order. The darkness became the biggest obstacle; the moonlight barely outlined the blurry contours of the objects, while the ground beneath their feet was full of potholes, tangled vines, and pebbles.

They trudged through waist-deep weeds and bushes, using almost both hands and feet, constantly wary of slipping or making too much noise.

After nearly half an hour of searching, they finally got close to the steep mountain wall.

Hidden by dense vines and shrubs, an inconspicuous depression almost blends into the mountainside.

Qing Shu used his dagger to cut off several thicker vines bit by bit, and parted the heavy curtain to reveal a dark hole.

A stench, a mixture of earthy, musty, and indescribable stuffiness, slowly wafted out of the cave.

Qing Shu lit a specially made thin candle, which barely illuminated a few feet inside the cave entrance. The passage was narrow and showed signs of rough artificial excavation. The rock walls were damp and sloping downwards.

"I'll go first," Qing Shu whispered.

"Together, stay close." Ling Wei gestured to a guard to keep watch at the cave entrance, while she followed closely behind Qing Shu, squeezing sideways into the narrow entrance.

The passageway was extremely narrow at the beginning, allowing only one person to squeeze through. The rock walls were slippery and cold, with condensed water droplets constantly falling.

After walking about ten feet, the faint sound of flowing water could be heard ahead, and the air movement became more noticeable.

After turning a corner, a cave, about half the size of a room, suddenly opened up before us.

The glow of the thin candle spread out, illuminating the scene inside the cave.

This place had clearly been used as a transit or storage point for a long time: several worn-out pickaxes, old winnowing baskets that had fallen apart, and two heavily rusted mine cart wheels lay askew in a corner.

The rock face has many fresh scratches and collision marks, quite different from the weathered chisel marks at the entrance.

Most striking is a smooth groove in the center of the ground, deeply embedded in the rock and soil, extending from one side of the cave into the dark depths from which the sound of water comes.

The inner wall of the groove was worn shiny, clearly formed by the dragging of heavy objects over the years.

Ling Wei squatted down, ran her fingertips along the edge of the groove, picked up a little dark red powder, and brought it close to the thin candle.

It wasn't ordinary rust; it carried a stronger metallic odor and a very faint smell of blood rust.

“It’s the track for hauling minecarts,” Qing Shu crouched down to examine it, his voice even lower, “but the degree of wear and the smell…”

“I’m afraid it’s more than just a tow truck.” Ling Wei stood up, her eyes cold. “Let’s go, follow the tracks and the sound of water.”

The path became increasingly complex, with natural caves and man-made tunnels intersecting. Topographical maps were completely ineffective here, and they could only rely on the direction of the water sounds and the guidance of the groove to grope their way forward underground.

After walking a short distance, a different sound faintly came from ahead: suppressed sobs, along with a couple of soft clanging sounds of metal clashing, and the heavy breathing of a large group of people gathered together.

Ling Wei immediately raised her hand, and everyone stopped instantly, extinguished their candles, and disappeared into the shadow of the rock pillar beside them.

Not far ahead, a larger cave entrance emitted a faint, dim light.

The entrance to the cave was blocked by a fence made of rough logs, and behind the fence, many figures were huddled together in shadow.