Chapter 213 The Old Village Chief Provided Important Information
Upon hearing this, the other villagers felt ashamed.
The old village chief went even further, yelling, "Niu San, you're pushing your luck! You're disgracing our entire village! How can a person be so greedy!"
Niu San said, "Isn't I just thinking about the survival of our whole village?"
"Shut up!" The old village chief clutched his chest, his face ashen. "With what we have now, plus the surplus grain in the village, if everyone eats sparingly, it'll be enough to last until next spring! The whole village is fortunate to be alive, and to have met such a benefactor is an immense blessing we all earned in our past lives! If people don't know how to be content, they will surely suffer retribution!"
The old village chief's words were not only a reprimand to Niu San, but also a warning to the other villagers.
The other villagers nodded seriously, but Niu San looked slightly dissatisfied.
“Old man, you injured your heart meridian because of your anger. Don’t be angry anymore.” Ning Jinli said, handing him several doses of herbal medicine. “These medicines were prescribed for you by the doctor here. Boil a bowl of herbal soup every day and drink all of these medicines, and you will recover.”
The old village chief couldn't help but shed tears again.
Despite the inappropriate remarks made by the villagers, this young girl, whom the soldiers here respectfully call a fairy, not only wasn't angry, but also showed such consideration for her own sake.
"Fairy...this old man kneels before you!" The old village chief was about to kneel down when he said, "You all kneel down too, and kowtow to the fairy to express your great gratitude!"
"No, no, no!" Ning Jinli reacted quickly, stopping the old village chief and also preventing the other villagers from kneeling.
The old village chief's expression suddenly turned serious. After hesitating for a moment, he took Ning Jinli's hand and said softly, "Fairy, may I speak to you in private?"
Ning Jinli guessed that the old village chief might need some help, so she led him aside.
The old village chief seemed to have made a great decision, and asked cautiously, "Fairy, you are all from the Xuan Kingdom, and you are going to attack the Wilderness Kingdom, right?"
Ning Jinli was not at all surprised that the old village chief could notice it.
This is not something that is difficult to guess.
She didn't answer the old village chief directly, but simply smiled and said, "Old man, there's no need to worry."
The old village chief waved his hand repeatedly and said:
"No, no, no, I'm not worried. Although I'm old, my mind is still sharp. You have strong troops and ample supplies, and you've even managed to build a camp in these deep mountains and forests. I believe that the world will surely be unified by the Xuan Kingdom."
"And you, Fairy, and your soldiers are all good people. In my more than sixty years of life, this is the first time I have seen soldiers treat the people so kindly. It seems that the fact that the Great Xuan has gained the world should be a blessing for all the people of the Central Plains."
“When I was young, I served in the army and had some basic knowledge of warfare. So I’d like to make a bold guess: you must first find a route in these mountains that is easy for your troops to move around. Otherwise, no matter how many troops you have, you won’t be able to cross the mountains quickly.”
"I dare not claim to know every terrain in the Xuanhuang Mountains by heart, but I am somewhat familiar with this area. If you trust me, I can tell you some of the paths that hunters often take, which will be of some help to you."
Ning Jinli was deeply moved by the old village chief's sincere words.
She then told him that she appreciated his kindness and assured him that it wouldn't be long before they would be able to live a life a thousand times better than they were now.
However, the old village chief insisted on helping out, otherwise he felt really bad about it.
He then picked up a wooden stick and began to trace lines on the ground, saying, "Fairy, please look. This is roughly the location of your camp. About ten miles southeast of here, there is a stream with gentle slopes on both sides, making it passable. Also, from here, go south for about twenty miles, and you will encounter a large patch of thorns. It may seem impassable, but there are hidden spots where you can pass..."
What he said was actually something that the Xuanjia Army had already surveyed and learned about using drones two months ago.
They also drew a corresponding map.
Seeing that the old village chief was speaking so earnestly, Ning Jinli knew it was out of kindness, so she patiently listened and watched without interrupting.
"This is the last place." The old village chief said solemnly, drawing a circle heavily with a wooden stick.
Ning Jinli thought to herself, "This old village chief is indeed a veteran hunter who has lived in the Xuanhuang Mountains his whole life. The map he drew from memory is just as accurate as the one drawn by the drone."
The last place he circled was precisely the location where the Zhenxuan Army and the nearby Xuan Kingdom people were about to focus on excavating and repairing the road.
If I remember correctly, construction should be starting soon.
“If you go through here, it seems both hidden and convenient, and it can greatly shorten the journey over the mountains,” the old village chief said, pausing for a moment before changing the subject, “but whatever you do, don’t go this way.”
"Huh?" Ning Jinli was taken aback, then hurriedly asked, "Why?"
The old village chief explained, “On the surface, this is an excellent marching route, but the ground beneath has long been eroded by underground rivers. In winter, the soil is frozen and much harder than usual. Only a few people can slowly walk through it. If hundreds or thousands of people were to step on it, it would inevitably crack, and they would fall and be smashed to pieces.”
"Because of the special circumstances here, we call it Tiger Trap Slope. Smaller animals such as rabbits, foxes, jackals, and even wild boars can pass through, but large animals like bears and tigers avoid it at all costs, otherwise they will collapse the ground and fall down."
“Since this place is located on the east side of the Xuanhuang Mountains, the hunters from the Xuan Kingdom on the west side will not come here, so no one on your side knows about this situation. I need to explain it to you.”
After hearing this, Ning Jinli felt a chill run down her spine!
So, wouldn't the soldiers and civilians who are now digging up that section of road be...
"Someone come here! Escort the old village chief and the others away!" Ning Jinli shouted.
She didn't have time to explain to the old village chief before turning around and running away.
At this moment, the tiger is trapped on the slope.
Thousands of soldiers and civilians have made preparations for the start of construction.
Ahead of them was a large, gently sloping area covered with trees and thorns.
Basically, all that's needed is to clear away the vegetation and level the ground so that the main force can pass through smoothly.
About two thousand people were armed with hoes, shovels, axes, and saws to cut down trees and dig, while another three thousand people were armed with shovels and wheelbarrows to follow behind and clean up as needed.
This division of labor and cooperation is extremely efficient.
After inspecting everyone and confirming that they were all in their positions, the supervising general picked up the horn clipped to his waist, took a deep breath, and prepared to blow the order to start work.
"beep--"
Just as the bugle sounded, a soldier rushed over and covered the horn opening with both hands.
The foreman, having taken a deep breath, suddenly felt his breath blocked, causing him to roll his eyes back in frustration.
"What are you doing!" he roared in anger, kicking the soldier to the ground.
The soldier clutched his stomach, grimacing as he said, "General... news just came from the camp... the fairy has ordered a halt to construction!"
"What?"
The supervising general looked surprised.
The soldier, panting heavily, pulled a walkie-talkie from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "You can ask him yourself."
The foreman hurriedly took the walkie-talkie, "Hello? The fairy said to stop construction? What happened?"
"Reporting to the General! The reason is unknown, but this is the Fairy's order! Stop immediately!" The voice from the walkie-talkie was extremely urgent. "Have everyone retreat in an orderly manner, do not panic!"
Judging from the tone of his voice, there must be some serious problem.
The overseer breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, please inform the fairy that we haven't even started here yet. I will arrange for the evacuation immediately."
Although the reason is still unknown, Fairy Jinli must have her reasons for issuing the urgent order.
Soon, the order was passed down level by level, and more than 5,000 people, led by their respective team leaders, slowly retreated along the original route, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
But just then, a muffled rumbling sound suddenly came from underground.
Although the thousands of people had not yet entered Tiger Trapped Slope, the sheer number of them meant that the immense weight they exerted on the ground was still transmitted through the rocks and soil.
Before the group had retreated far, the middle of Tiger Trapped Slope began to shake with a loud rumble.
Such an unusual commotion panicked the people in the crowd, and they instinctively ran away.
The soldiers could only try their best to remain calm and maintain order, but they couldn't stop the increasing number of people running, and the ground tremors became more and more obvious.
boom!
Finally, Tiger Trapped Slope began to collapse from the middle.
Towering ancient trees fell one after another, then sank into the ground along with the rocks and soil.
The collapsed area created a series of holes that expanded rapidly, like the gaping maw of an abyss swallowing everything on the ground.
The overseer, standing at a distance, witnessed this horrific scene and his face turned deathly pale.
Countless people scattered and fled.
In this critical moment, the soldiers did not abandon the people because of their agility and strength, but instead did their best to help the people escape.
If even they panic and only care about saving their own lives, it will only make the situation worse.
I don't know how much time passed.
The earth-shattering commotion gradually subsided.
Ning Jinli arrived at the vicinity half an hour later. The original Tiger Trap Slope had vanished, and what appeared in her view was a cave the size of a football field.
Rocks and soil were constantly falling down around the cave.
"How is the situation? Has anyone fallen in? Has anyone been injured?" Ning Jinli asked the supervising general, trying her best to remain calm.
The foreman, still sweating profusely as he recalled the scene that had just unfolded, swallowed hard and clasped his hands in a fist, saying, "Your Excellency, I ordered a headcount half an hour ago, and it should be almost finished."
Ning Jinli was anxious, but she could only patiently wait for the result.
After a while, soldiers leading their teams began to come and report on the situation.
The final count revealed that as many as 372 people were injured, but fortunately, most of them suffered only minor injuries.
In addition, 15 people are missing.
Of these fifteen people, three were ordinary citizens and twelve were soldiers guarding the Xuanguan Pass.
Upon learning of this result, the supervising general breathed a sigh of relief. "Fairy Jinli, thankfully your order came in time. In addition, you have repeatedly instructed the soldiers to remain calm and protect the people first when encountering danger. The soldiers performed very well this time. Otherwise... the consequences would have been unimaginable."
With over five thousand people, it's already a miracle that only a few hundred were injured and a dozen or so went missing.
“There are fifteen left.” Ning Jinli said solemnly, gazing at the huge, dark cave in the distance.
The supervising general said, "It must be... fallen into a hole in the ground. I will immediately arrange for men to search for it."
"Give me a walkie-talkie," Ning Jinli said, extending her hand to the supervising general.
The supervising officer immediately gave her one.
Ning Jinli tested it to make sure the walkie-talkie was working properly, then said, "I'm going to find them in the cave now. You're at my beck and call."
"My lady, you mustn't!" the supervising general hurriedly dissuaded. "We don't even know what's inside the cave. Before you came, I went to take a look, and it's practically bottomless! If anything happens to you, we won't be able to explain to His Majesty! Let's use drones to fly in and investigate first, and then I'll have my soldiers go down to search!"
Ning Jinli shook her head. "No, we have to race against time. Even if the person who fell isn't dead, they might be seriously injured and in critical condition. There won't be enough time to investigate them slowly."
The overseer blocked her way, still refusing to budge. "Fairy, in my opinion, even if the twelve soldiers and three civilians cannot be saved, they will not have any complaints. You really don't need to take the risk."
Ning Jinli frowned and said sternly, "It's their business if they have no complaints, but our principle is that we cannot give up on them! Do you mean to abandon them?!"
The supervising general looked embarrassed. "What if...they all died on the spot after falling down..."
"We need to see them alive or dead!" Ning Jinli's aura was imposing, her eyes sharp. "Even if they really sacrificed themselves, we must give their families an explanation! If you obstruct us again, I will deal with you according to military law! Get out of the way!"
“Yes, fairy…” The overseer bowed his head and stepped aside.
Ning Jinli clipped the walkie-talkie to her belt, took a few deep breaths, circulated her internal energy, rushed towards the huge cave, and then disappeared from everyone's sight with a leap.
The foreman gripped another walkie-talkie, his face sweating with nervousness.
Half an hour gradually passed.
Ning Jinli's voice had not yet come through the walkie-talkie.
The overseer tried calling out a few times, but received no response.
"Oh no... Could it be... that the fairy is also trapped?"
He was so anxious he was pacing back and forth.
The dozen or so subordinates around him grew increasingly uneasy.
"Here you go!" The foreman shoved the walkie-talkie into the hands of one of his men, then said to the rest, "Send someone to get the ropes right away. You're all coming down into the tunnel with me!"
"Yes, General!" The subordinates replied without the slightest hesitation.
Soon, more than a dozen bundles of rope were brought over.
The supervising officer took the lead, and just as he was about to be the first to go down, Ning Jinli's voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie, "I've found them! Prepare to provide backup!"
The supervising generals and others were overjoyed. "Fairy! We'll go down and help right away!"
"No!" Ning Jinli warned urgently, "Don't come down! None of you are allowed to approach the edge of the cave!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
