Xu Di couldn't see his horse, and besides, a horse couldn't go up this place, so he asked Gong Yong, "Brother Gong, is this your village on this mountain?"
Gong Yong laughed and said, "Of course not. Our house is in a valley. I led you guys on a shortcut. We went up the mountain from here, then down, and walked a few more miles along the valley below, and we arrived."
Xu Di couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Such a secluded place, who could find it without knowing the terrain?"
Xu Di then nervously grabbed Gong Yong's arm and said, "Brother Gong, why don't you blindfold us? What if your elder brother won't let us leave because we know the location of your stronghold? My family has been passed down through generations of single heirs, and the family business is gradually being handed over to me. My elders are preparing me to take over the family business. If I'm locked up and can't go back, what will happen to my parents and grandparents?"
Gong Yong quickly said, "No, no, how could that be? Our elder brother sincerely invited you here to solve our problems. I heard from him that the people in our village need to go out and find a good business to support themselves. Staying cooped up in these mountains all the time isn't a good thing. Our elder brother is relying on your skills right now, so how could we possibly keep you here?"
Xu Di hugged a tree by the roadside, still not believing it, and said, "Brother Gong, don't lie to me. I've heard people say that kidnappers always blindfold their hostages before taking them away. If they don't blindfold them, they might not want the hostage to live. Brother Gong, I risked my life to help you find a solution. If you keep me in the village, what will I do?"
Xu Di cried and shouted, refusing to go any further. The elder brother came down from the mountain, walked to Xu Di's side, and sneered twice, saying, "Don't try to fool my silly second brother here. You come with me to the village. If things are done to my satisfaction, I will naturally send you home. I'm hoping you can help us do some business and earn money to support our families."
Xu Di clung to the tree, still crying and shouting, "Do you mean what you say? You have to swear an oath to take me home."
Jade-faced Sanlang said impatiently, "The matter is a bit urgent right now, which is why I have taken a liking to this talent. I, Jade-faced Sanlang Leng Pingzhi, swear that if the matter is handled well, I will naturally send this shopkeeper home. Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning."
Xu Di looked at Gong Yong again, and Gong Yong had no choice but to make a vow along with his elder brother. Only then did Xu Di let go of his hand and follow him up the mountain path.
Xi Jing'an really didn't expect that his seemingly aloof and refined master, who was both literate and skilled in martial arts, would be such a good actor. His emotions came on so suddenly that he was caught off guard and his eyes widened, almost unable to hide his emotions.
Xi Jing'an followed behind his master with his head down. The higher they went up the mountain, the more at ease he felt. Judging from his master's demeanor today, he really intended to fool everyone on the mountain. Xi Jing'an even felt a bit of anticipation, and his steps became much lighter.
Xu Di reached the top of the mountain and saw a path coming from one end of the canyon. It must have turned around from the other side of the mountain, but the journey was a bit long. Climbing up from this side of the mountain would be shorter, but it would be difficult to walk. Most importantly, these mountain paths had been built for quite some time, but he didn't know if they were built by An Muyuan and his group.
As they entered the canyon, the further they went, the more obvious the traces of human excavation became. Xu Di felt a little strange. It wouldn't be difficult to find such a place, but it had been entrenched there for so long. It was impossible that no one was acting as a protector. Xu Di couldn't help but have some doubts about the Wuzhou government. Thinking of this, Xu Di felt a little anxious. The Great Yan and the Great Liang garrison in Wuzhou were currently locked in a stalemate. If these people were to be regarded as reinforcements for Great Yan, then Wuzhou of Great Liang would only have one fate: to change hands. However, he didn't know why the people in this place hadn't participated in the battle for Wuzhou at all. This was also something that puzzled Xu Di.
Reaching one end of the canyon, Gong Yong groped around somewhere and a blue stone door creaked open. The blue stone door was seamlessly integrated with the mountain wall, and some parts were even covered with moss. If Gong Yong hadn't bumped into something earlier, Xu Di felt that he wouldn't have thought that there was a stone door in the mountain wall when he got there.
After the stone gate opened, Jade-Faced Third Brother led a few people in front. Gong Yong gestured to Xu Di to invite him. Xu Di looked at Gong Yong, then followed with Xi Jing'an and a few guards. Finally, Gong Yong led the rear guard. Only now did Xu Di understand why he couldn't find this place when searching the mountain. They had made the gate so hidden. If you hadn't seen it before, you would have come for nothing.
The road was carved into the mountainside. Xu Di looked around by the oil lamps lit on the stone walls on both sides. Some parts were natural, while others showed signs of being carved by humans. Xu Di guessed that this should be a natural stone cave, which was then processed later to serve as a hidden passage for entry and exit.
After walking for about fifteen minutes inside the mountain, they could vaguely see a light ahead. After walking for a while and turning a corner, they saw a bright light. Xu Di was so shocked by the sudden light that tears welled up in his eyes.
Emerging from the mountainside, we continued forward. The path here was paved with bluestone slabs, with moss growing between them. From a distance, it looked as if the rough-edged slabs of stone were pieced together side by side.
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