Chapter 862 Xuanyuan Qi Awakens! (First Update)

Zhang hadn't expected to give birth prematurely, and hadn't packed any baby clothes when she packed her bags. Gu Jiao had no choice but to find a clean garment to wrap him up, and then use a piece of cloth to sling the baby over her chest.

Tang Yueshan wanted to help her, but he really didn't dare touch the newborn baby.

He was afraid that his clumsy hands and feet might accidentally break his thin arm.

He carried his large bow on his back, with dozens more arrows loaded into his quiver, and a long sword at his waist.

Gu Jiao's weapon was the silver spear that Xiao Hei Wuchang threw to her. Although it was not as good as her own red-tasseled spear, it still felt pretty good in her hand.

The chances of success or failure in this operation are fifty-fifty. This newborn baby is with them, and who knows, he might be killed by the Jin army along with them once he gets out.

But for the sake of the thousand lives underground, they had to do it.

"Are you sure you don't need to bring a few more people?" Shangguan Qing asked.

Gu Jiao said, "No need, Lao Tang and I are enough. More people will only make it harder to hide."

Tang Yueshan wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right. Besides, you don't have many men. You should stay and deal with the Jin army."

Shangguan Qing did not press the matter further.

Before leaving, Zhang woke up, and Gu Jiao gave her the child and let her feed the child.

After feeding the child, Zhang handed the baby to Gu Jiao with tears in her eyes.

Shangguan Qing led the way, with two ghost soldiers bringing up the rear, and the group walked through the winding passage.

The further Tang Yueshan went, the more amazed he became by the wonders of these underground passages. If such a project had existed in Yuegu City of Zhao Kingdom, the entire Chen Kingdom army would have been wiped out long ago!

“The ghost soldiers are few in number, but the passage is like an underground maze, narrow and difficult to pass through. It’s impossible for 20,000 troops to come in all at once. If they come in one by one, they can easily be defeated one by one.” He muttered to himself, feeling more confident about the chances of Shangguan Qing and the villagers’ survival.

Of course, the Jin army was not to be underestimated. With each group of men killed, they could figure out the pattern of a passage. The longer it took, the more disadvantageous it would be for the ghost soldiers.

"We still need to get the Yan Kingdom's army here as soon as possible."

Hold!

I've never been this worried when I was fighting in the Zhao Kingdom!

Never mind, it's all for my godson.

“We’ve arrived.” Shangguan Qing stopped at the end of the passage. He held up the oil lamp in his hand and shone it on the earthen wall. “Behind this door and wall is the passage leading to the entrance of Ghost Mountain. After you leave, this passage will be destroyed, and no one will be able to come in again. I’m asking you one last time, have you thought this through? Even if you are killed at the entrance of Ghost Mountain, I will not be able to come to save you.”

“I know,” Gu Jiao said.

Shangguan Qing carried an oil lamp, its dim light falling on Gu Jiao's youthful and composed face, making the red birthmark bloom like a bewitching flower in the darkness.

Shangguan Qing said, "Although we haven't known each other for long, there is a familiar aura about you."

Because we're family, little Daiqing.

Gu Jiao said seriously, "Open the passage."

I will rescue you and take you to see your father, your mother, and your brother.

You are everyone's salvation, so please hold on, Xiao Qing.

...

Gu Jiao and Tang Yueshan exited the passage, and a very faint sound of quicksand came from underground, indicating that the passage was being filled in by a mechanism.

Tang Yueshan and Gu Jiao arrived behind a large tree. A few dozen steps further would lead them out of Ghost Mountain. However, the problem was that over a hundred Jin soldiers were stationed there.

Forcing our way in is definitely not an option.

They didn't ride the Black Wind Cavalry, so they could easily be caught up by the Jin army's cavalry.

Tang Yueshan made a gesture, silently saying, "Let's go around them from behind."

It was still dark, and all around was pitch black. If they were careful, it wasn't impossible for them to avoid it.

The prerequisite is that the little one doesn't cry.

Gu Jiao glanced at the sleeping little one and nodded slightly.

"Who goes there!"

A Jin soldier turned his head and shouted.

“It’s a wild rabbit.” His companion laughed as he caught the stray rabbit. “We’ll roast it later.”

Gu Jiao and Tang Yueshan quietly walked past the two of them.

Ghost Mountain is high in elevation and very cold at night. More than half of the Jin army rested on the spot, while only a dozen or so Jin soldiers gathered around the campfire, warming themselves while guarding the entrance.

No one noticed that two figures were quietly passing by not far away.

Just as the two were about to leave the woods, Gu Jiao stopped in her tracks.

What's wrong?

Tang Yueshan asked her with his eyes.

Gu Jiao: I think I stepped on something.

Tang Yueshan was about to speak when he froze.

He swallowed hard and continued exchanging glances: I think I stepped on it too.

The two looked up simultaneously and saw several rows of sharp knives hanging from the lush tree trunk above them, their gleaming tips pointed at them.

The moment they let their feet slip, a rain of knives will fall from the sky.

This wasn't an ordinary rain of knives; it was made of silk thread and moved faster than arrows, so fast that even a Dark Soul couldn't dodge it.

It's over, it's all over. This is what it means to die before you even get started.

Tang Yueshan: Is the Jin army really that powerful?

Gu Jiao: ...I think it's Shangguan Qing.

This was originally intended to deal with the Jin army, but unfortunately the Jin army missed it, while she and Tang Yueshan hit them squarely.

Tang Yueshan: What do we do now? Just wait?

Gu Jiao: We'll expose ourselves if we wait for the child to cry; or we'll expose ourselves if the Jin army patrols over.

Tang Yueshan: "..."

"Alright, I'm going to relieve myself." A Jin soldier stretched and stood up, rubbing his hands together and sighing, "It's really cold up here on the mountain."

His companion joked, "Lazy people poop and pee a lot!"

Who else is going?

"What? Are you afraid of ghosts?"

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Okay, okay, let's do it together!"

This is it, they're completely finished. With over a dozen people coming together, they can't hide anymore.

Gu Jiao gripped the silver spear tightly in her hand.

Let's fight our way out!

Tang Yueshan: Let's grab someone to take the hit first.

Gu Jiao: Understood.

A dozen or so Jin soldiers approached the woods. The two men were prepared to be exposed and hoped that the Jin soldiers would not use shooting tactics, but rather get closer and closer.

A Jin soldier, who had had a few drinks, loosened his belt, glanced casually, and asked uncertainly, "Huh? Is there someone over there?"

No one cared about their pants anymore; they hurriedly drew their bows and arrows from their backs.

"Release the arrows!"

grass!

They're really coming to shoot!

Tang Yueshan felt a chill run down his spine. How was he supposed to dodge this?

If you let go, you'll be stabbed to death; if you don't let go, you'll be riddled with arrows by the Jin army.

At the critical moment, a ghostly shadow flashed over, grabbed Gu Jiao with one hand and Tang Yueshan with the other, and swiftly carried them away from their original spot!

A rain of knives fell from the sky, cleaving the incoming arrows in two!

“Let’s go take a look!” said one of the Jin soldiers.

The group fastened their belts, arrived at the scene, and were all dumbfounded when they took a closer look.

There was no human figure on the ground, only a wounded prey.

"What? Just a silly roe deer," a Jin soldier muttered. "Looks like it triggered some kind of mechanism here..."

Another Jin soldier said, "I told you the woods weren't safe. Be careful in the future, lest you step on some traps."

...

Gu Jiao and Tang Yueshan were led into an underground passage by the suddenly appearing shadow.

Gu Jiao actually guessed who it was, but she still took out a tinderbox to look at it. When she saw the old face, a long-lost feeling welled up in her heart.

It felt as if I had finally met this person.

"It really was you," she said.

"Who is he?" Tang Yueshan asked.

Gu Jiao stared intently at the man in armor: "General Xuanyuan Qi of the Yan Kingdom."

"Xuanyuan Qi..." As a military general, Tang Yueshan had naturally heard of the various generals of the Xuanyuan family, but he had heard the most about the head of the Xuanyuan family, the Great Yan War God Xuanyuan Li, and Xuanyuan Li's eldest son, Xuanyuan Sheng, who was known as the Little War God.

I haven't heard much about Xuanyuan Qi.

“Ah, I remember now, he was Xuanyuan Li’s younger brother. Didn’t he die more than 30 years ago?” Tang Yueshan asked.

“It was a fake death,” Gu Jiao said.

Xuan Yuanqi's gaze, no longer blank, fell on Gu Jiao's face, and he said slowly, "You...know...about...my affairs?"

Gu Jiao thought for a moment: "Well... how should I tell you? Do you know about Shangguan Qing's background?"

Xuanyuan Qi looked completely bewildered.

Judging from their appearance, they must not know about Xiao Heng's existence either.

Let's stick with the identity of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

Gu Jiao said, "The Duke of Anguo is my godfather, and my name is Xiao Liulang."

Xuanyuan Qi corrected, "You are... a girl."

This is not a woman's name.

I almost forgot about that; when I fought him, I revealed that I was a little girl.

Gu Jiao helplessly spread her hands: "Alright, my original name is Gu Jiao. Xiao Liulang is my identity in the Great Yan. This is a token of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, and this is the Crown Princess's token." Gu Jiao took out two tokens and handed them to him.

Xuanyuan Qi didn't take the token, but just murmured the name in a daze: "Gu, Jiao".

Tang Yueshan could understand a little, but not all of it. He looked at the two of them in a daze, completely not understanding why Xuan Yuanqi had faked his death and why he was now in Ghost Mountain.

Also, this girl knows him.

Could it be that Xuanyuan Qi is the Ghost King of the back mountain?!

Tang Yueshan: My goodness, this is so exciting!

"I want to leave the city," Gu Jiao said to Xuan Yuanqi.

"Wait, half an hour," Xuanyuan Qi said.

He then turned and walked away.

Gu Jiao followed.

Tang Yueshan touched the large bow on his back and quickly followed.

Gu Jiao did not expect that Xuan Yuanqi would lead them back to the cave in the back mountain, which is commonly known as the Ghost King's Nest.

Tang Yueshan met the Black Wind King in the nest, as well as the Black Wind Riders whom the Black Wind King had brought back from the forest.

Black Wind King was very happy to see Gu Jiao and nuzzled her with his head.

Gu Jiao also patted it: "Boss."

Then Black Wind King noticed an unfamiliar scent and sniffed around in Gu Jiao's arms.

“It’s a newborn baby, and I’m taking him out of the city,” Gu Jiao said to Black Wind King.

Black Wind King sniffed and accepted the little guy's scent.

After returning to his cave, Xuanyuan Qi went straight to the stone steps at the cave entrance, looked up at the endless night sky, and saw his rusty armor reflecting a cold light under the moonlight.

Gu Jiao sat down next to him, glanced at him, and said, "Do you remember now?"

Since her identity had been exposed, Gu Jiao decided to use her own voice again.

"Hmm," Xuan Yuanqi responded, "Almost."

Gu Jiao nodded and asked, "Do you remember why you came to Ghost Mountain?"

“Wait, one person,” Xuan Yuanqi said.

"Was it the person who built the Ghost Mountain Tunnel?" Gu Jiao asked.

“Yes,” Xuanyuan Qi said.

Who is so capable? How could they have built such a sophisticated and massive project?

Gu Jiao couldn't help but think of the first Shadow Lord, but she quickly shook her head.

If that person is the Lord of Shadows, why hasn't he come to see Xuan Yuanqi all these years?

Gu Jiao felt that the first Lord of Shadows was likely no longer in this world.

The little guy in her arms twitched, and Gu Jiao gently patted him. She then said to Xuan Yuanqi, "By the way, I saw your son, Xuan Yuanzheng. He's a monk now, and his Dharma name is Liaochen."

A flicker of emotion crossed Xuan Yuanqi's empty eyes: "He's still alive."

He did not doubt Gu Jiao's words.

So you two thought the other was dead? Gu Jiao nodded, giving him a definite answer: "I met him in Zhao Kingdom. At that time, he was already Master Liaochen in our temple on the back mountain."

Xuanyuan Qi was practically a living dead man, so it was difficult for him to have any complex or exciting emotions anymore, but Gu Jiao still sensed something different about him.

He said, slowly and deliberately, "It's good that you've become a monk."

He's not actually a monk; it's just an alias.

You'll have to wait until you and your son meet, and then he can tell you himself.

Gu Jiao said, "He should be arriving at the border soon."

Liao Chen secretly escorted Xiao Jingkong, and once Xiao Jingkong safely entered the territory of Zhao Kingdom, he would set off westward.

"He always thought you died at the hands of Shitian. He would be very happy if he knew you were still alive."

Gu Jiao paused, then turned to look at him and asked, "Do you remember what happened between you and Shi Tian back then?"

(End of this chapter)