The journey went smoothly, and nothing unusual happened. Five days later, the group arrived in Yunzhou.
Yunzhou is the second largest of Zhaoguo's seven prefectures, after Xinzhou. As a result, Yunzhou's weather is complex and varied. For example, the Wulin area experiences hot and rainy summers year-round. Meanwhile, Yunzhou City enjoys a pleasant, spring-like climate year-round.
Shi Mingyue and Fu Yueli went to the Zhenxi General's Mansion. The Gao siblings were very happy to see Shi Mingyue dressed in men's clothes, and they pulled her around the mansion.
Shi Mingyue hadn't been to the General's Mansion in years. She and Fu Yueli went to the ancestral hall with her cousins to burn incense and pay their respects to her uncle and aunt. Her uncle and aunt had died about four years ago in the border war with South Vietnam. Both had spent their entire lives in the military, defending their country and their families; they were truly great men.
The Kingdom of Nanyue bordered the Kingdom of Zhao to the west. As early as a few years ago, it had always provoked the Kingdom of Zhao and had several major wars with the Kingdom of Zhao. After the defeat in the war four years ago, the old emperor of Nanyue suddenly died. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he wrote a letter to the Kingdom of Zhao, hoping to rebuild harmonious relations between the two countries.
Peace is the most important thing in all things. Since then, there has been no friction on the border between the two countries, and the relationship is relatively harmonious. The people on the border no longer have to suffer from war and can live and work in peace.
Fu Yueli came to Yunzhou originally to inspect the people's conditions, so on the second day after his arrival, he was accompanied by Yunzhou prefect Chen Xiu, the Gao brothers and sisters, and some officials from Yunzhou Prefecture to visit and inspect various institutions in Yunzhou.
In the evening, Yunzhou Prefecture hosted a banquet to entertain the group.
Shi Mingyue did not participate. Although she was dressed as a man, others could still tell that she was a woman if they looked closely.
At the banquet, officials from Yunzhou toasted Fu Yueli one after another: "This humble official toasts His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Fu Yueli is no longer Prince Ling, but the current crown prince and the future ruler of a country. Therefore, how dare these officials not curry favor with him and make themselves familiar to him for the sake of their future plans.
When someone is adored, someone else is often left out. Fu Baiheng was the so-called Prince Xiang who was left out. He remained calm, taking everything in stride, and found a certain charm in drinking alone. After all, his purpose in coming to Yunzhou this time wasn't to build good relationships with these people.
It was late at night. When Fu Yueli returned to the room, Shi Mingyue had already fallen asleep on the bed. He went up to her and silently hugged her before closing his eyes.
The next day, they continued to the next place, the military camp of Yunzhou Prefecture, to watch the Gao brothers and sisters training. Fu Yueli found that the soldiers here were all energetic and very disciplined, which showed that the Gao brothers and sisters had good command of the army.
Another day later, Fu Baiheng suggested that he would go to the misty forest to look for Lu Gu Chi Youxia.
Everyone was quite surprised. After all, there was no real evidence for the rumors about Midoriya Akagi, and the emperor hadn't told him to look for her. Could it be that Fu Baiheng really wanted to find her and please the emperor?
Yunzhou Prefecture Governor Chen Xiu advised, "It's hard to find Chi Youxia in Green Valley, and there are wild beasts in the mist forest. It's very dangerous. Your Highness, your precious body, should not take any risks."
Fu Baiheng was very determined and insisted on going.
Fu Yueli and the others tried to persuade him, but seeing that he was so determined, they had no choice but to let him go. However, Fu Yueli still had doubts in his heart. Someone like Fu Baiheng couldn't possibly be unaware that the claim that Lugu Chiyouxia could grant immortality was simply nonsense. Could he have some other motive by insisting on going to the mist forest?
After waiting outside the misty forest for four or five days, Fu Baiheng still hadn't returned. Fu Yueli and the others couldn't sit still any longer and decided to go into the forest to look for him.
The Gao siblings naturally wanted to accompany Fu Yueli, and despite Fu Yueli's repeated refusals, Shi Mingyue still wanted to go. She knew Fu Baiheng and Xu Ziling's purpose in coming to Yunzhou was far from simple. She recalled a bizarre dream in which she had followed Xu Ziling to the Ulan Bu Desert in search of a supposed miracle, which was actually the core of a fallen meteorite.
She didn't know if meteorites actually fell in the Ulan Bu Desert in real life. If a meteorite landed there two years from now, it would mean that meteorite cores existed in this world as well. So she never understood what Xu Ziling was trying to do, whether in a dream or in reality.
After packing their luggage, the group entered the misty forest and, led by a local guide, followed the trail of Fu Baiheng and his group.
The fog forest is so called because of the mist that rises in the morning and evening, obscuring vision. Walking in the rain forest is also difficult. It's not only hot but also full of poisonous insects, snakes, and ants. You must be fully armored, leaving nothing but your face and hands uncovered to prevent mosquito bites, so be extra careful.
After a day's journey, the surrounding scenery remained unchanged, still covered in tall trees and a blanket of green. However, they could still see traces of Fu Baiheng's team's progress, so they should be able to find them soon.
The weather suddenly changed in the afternoon and it started to rain heavily. The group had to take shelter quickly. Fu Yueli opened the umbrella and let Shi Mingyue lean on him.
Others had already seen that Shi Mingyue was a woman disguised as a man. She had a beautiful appearance and was loved by two General Gaos and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so her identity was obvious.
The rain came and went quickly. The already damp soil had become muddy after the downpour. Earthworms and leeches swarmed the ground. In her previous life, Shi Mingyue had been terrified of these mollusks. But after she'd been out in the fields doing various things, her fear of them had lessened considerably.
But the insects in the rainforest are nothing like those found elsewhere. Each one is larger and thicker than the last. Shi Mingyue couldn't help but feel terrified. Fu Yueli also found the insects disgusting. Worried about a leech slipping through the seams of his pants and sucking his blood, he simply let Shi Mingyue sit on his back.
Shi Mingyue was reluctant at first, as she didn't want to burden Fu Yueli. But Fu Yueli insisted, so she had to let him carry her. After passing this section, the scene before her changed.
They saw a very deep canyon. On the opposite side of the canyon, a snow-like waterfall was cascading down. Below was gathered fog, making it impossible to see what was happening below.
The footprints of Fu Baiheng and his group stopped here.
Fu Yueli and others have reason to suspect that Fu Baiheng and others might be under this canyon, because the legendary Green Valley Chi Youxia grows in the canyon.
A few people first went to the edge of the canyon to explore whether there was a way down. Suddenly, someone found a long thick hemp rope tied to a big tree not far away. It seemed that Fu Baiheng and others used the hemp rope to go down.
After discussing with others, Fu Yueli decided that he, Gao Siyuan, and a few others would go down to check it out, while the rest, including Gao Siqi, would wait with Shi Mingyue in the canyon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
