Qing Xuanzi stopped and whispered to Rong Lianhu, "Don't make a sound, there's a herd of deer ahead."
Rong Lianhu immediately held his breath and followed Qing Xuanzi's gaze, but only saw dense bushes and grass among the trees.
Qing Xuanzi handed Rong Jiaojiao over to Rong Lianhu and instructed him, "Wait here with her. I'm taking them in."
Rong Lianhu had no doubt about Qing Xuanzi's strength. He nodded, hugged Rong Jiaojiao, and whispered, "Brother, be careful."
Qing Xuanzi hummed in agreement, then his figure flashed, and he silently slipped away towards the deer herd.
Qing Xuanzi's movements were light and agile, making almost no sound.
He quickly passed through a dense thicket of bushes, and his view gradually opened up.
A dozen or so wild deer were scattered across an open grassland. They were extremely alert, as if they had sensed danger, and kept looking around.
Qing Xuanzi stopped in the bushes about twenty feet away from the deer herd, several talismans appearing in his hand. The next moment, these talismans emitted a faint light, clearly containing powerful energy.
He tossed the talisman gently, and it flew through the air in arcs like a bird, heading towards the deer herd.
Just as the talisman approached the deer herd, it shone brightly, instantly enveloping the entire herd.
The wild deer cried out in terror, their limbs bound by an invisible force, unable to move.
Qing Xuanzi took out another talisman from his robes, waved it lightly, and a beam of light flashed, instantly freezing the deer in place, stopping their struggle.
Qing Xuanzi then emerged from behind the bushes and approached the herd of deer. The herd consisted of more than thirty deer, including several large, glossy adult males, a dozen or so females, and a dozen or so half-grown fawns.
The old method worked: a wooden stick appeared in his hand, and after another round of beatings, only one adult male deer remained standing, while three female deer and eight of the smallest fawns were still standing.
He piled up the deer he had knocked unconscious, took out a spatial talisman, and with a gentle wave, the unconscious herd of deer vanished instantly.
Qing Xuanzi nodded in satisfaction, untied the remaining wild deer, and turned to walk towards Rong Lianhu.
He heard the sounds of deer scattering and fleeing behind him, and he smiled as he returned to Rong Lianhu's side.
When Rong Lianhu saw Qing Xuanzi return empty-handed, he asked, "Brother, so fast? Didn't you catch a deer?"
Qing Xuanzi glanced at him smugly: "Did you think I was like you, that hunting required so much effort?"
Rong Lianhu chuckled dryly, "I know you're amazing, but seeing you come back so quickly, I thought the deer herd had run away!"
Qing Xuanzi patted his pocket: "It's already been put away. I used a space talisman. I'll release it when we get back."
Upon hearing this, Rong Lianhu couldn't help but give a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Amazing!"
Qing Xuanzi smiled and didn't say much. He simply took the drowsy Rong Jiaojiao and gently patted her back.
Rong Jiaojiao sensed Qing Xuanzi's presence, closed her eyes peacefully, and fell into a deep sleep.
Qing Xuanzi re-secured Rong Jiaojiao and said to Rong Lianhu, "Let's go."
Rong Lianhu nodded and followed Qing Xuanzi down the hillside.
The two quickly arrived at the foot of the cliff. Qing Xuanzi pointed ahead and said, "The cave is just ahead. We're almost there."
The two crossed the basin and arrived at the foot of the cliff. Unexpectedly, after many years, the groundwater had seeped into the ground and formed a large pool at the bottom of the cliff. The pool was surrounded by the footprints of various animals.
Rong Lianhu looked around but found no water source. He guessed, "Is the water in this pool flowing up from below?"
Qing Xuanzi had already checked with his divine sense, and upon hearing Rong Lianhu's question, he nodded and said, "It is indeed as you said."
Rong Lianhu asked, "Where is the cave? Are we still going in?"
Qing Xuanzi nodded: "Go ahead. The drought outside is so severe. Let's go check the water level. If there's enough water, you can report it and it will help alleviate the water problem for the troops."
Rong Lianhu agreed, but he had just observed the cave and found no entrance. He asked, "Where's the entrance?"
Qing Xuanzi pointed confidently to the vines on the side of the cliff and said, "The cave entrance is covered by these vines, and it's hard to spot without looking closely."
Rong Lianhu stepped forward, parted the vines, and revealed a large pile of stones.
The two men looked at each other, and Rong Lianhu asked, "Brother, what's going on?"
Qing Xuanzi probed behind the pile of stones with his divine sense and found that it was indeed the entrance to a cave. He said, "This is indeed the original cave, but it is much larger than I remember. But who would be so bored as to come to the mountains and seal off a cave entrance?"
The two exchanged a glance, both sensing that something was amiss.
Rong Lianhu frowned and said, "Could it be that someone hid something inside and sealed the entrance?"
Qing Xuanzi nodded and said, "That's possible. Moreover, judging from the size of the pile of stones, this couldn't have been done by one person. It might have been done by an organization or group."
Rong Lianhu thought for a moment and said, "Shall we go in and take a look? Maybe we can find some clues."
Qing Xuanzi nodded and said, "Alright, move aside, I'll clear the entrance."
Rong Lianhu said, "Let's hurry together..." Before he could finish speaking, Qing Xuanzi took out five paper figures, muttered a few words, and then threw them out.
Another thing happened that made him change his firm belief in materialism.
After the tiny figures landed, they each picked up a stone that was millions of times larger than themselves and threw it aside.
Their movements are so similar to humans, but they are only palm-sized, with thin and delicate hands and feet. Ronglianhu is worried about them, wondering if they will break off at any moment.
The five little figures finished moving the items in just a few minutes, then skipped back to Qing Xuanzi's side, where he put them away.
Rong Lianhu straightened his jaw and said, "My daughter will be just as amazing in the future. I'm not envious at all."
Qing Xuanzi ignored his erratic behavior, threw out a Qingfeng talisman to disperse the foul air in the cave, and said to Rong Lianhu, "Let's go, be careful, there might be some danger inside."
Rong Lianhu then suppressed his envious expression, nodded seriously, and followed Qing Xuanzi into the cave entrance.
The cave was pitch black, and the damp air carried a faint musty smell.
Qing Xuanzi threw out two illumination talismans, which hovered beside him and Rong Lianhu, and the bright light instantly illuminated the road ahead.
Rong Lianhu was so envious he couldn't express it, and could only follow closely in Qing Xuanzi's footsteps with longing.
The two walked slowly along the cave wall. The ground inside the cave was uneven, and water droplets dripped from the cave ceiling from time to time.
Qing Xuanzi used his divine sense to explore the surroundings and discovered that the cave had been modified. There were some irregular marks on the walls, indicating that the passage had been artificially widened.
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