Chapter 1011 Zending Mountain
A bead of cold sweat slid down Green Silk's forehead.
While still at the Shen residence, Shang Ruyi told her that she was coming to relieve the siege of Xia Prefecture, which she found strange. Especially after setting off, she was even more puzzled when she saw that Shang Ruyi was only accompanied by such a small force. The crisis in Xia Prefecture was a military crisis, and the only way for her to relieve it was to strike at the Western Turks who were attacking Xia Prefecture. However, as they approached Sui Prefecture, Shang Ruyi suddenly mentioned Zuo Heng's rebellion, Xiao Shan Gong Zuo Chen'an, and Zuo Gong's suspected tomb, which made Lü Xiao understand her plan.
She intended to use the treasure buried in Zuo Gong's tomb—the wealth of an enemy state that was enough to tempt people—to lure the Western Turks.
And now, she has indeed gotten what she wanted; Ashina Zhuxie has really come with his people.
However, Ashina Zhuxie's arrival did not mean that the crisis in Xia Prefecture was truly over, because the Western Turkic Khan only brought a part of his own troops, and Xia Prefecture was still being attacked by the Western Turkic forces, which did not change the fact that Ashina Zhuxie had set his sights on Zuo Gong's suspected tomb.
If they cannot produce the treasure that the other party wants, then Ashina Zhuxie will definitely not let them off easily.
That is exactly the case right now.
By doing this, Shang Ruyi is practically digging her own grave.
Thinking of this, Green Silk's heart was filled with even more doubts. She was unwilling to underestimate this Princess Qin, after all, she had witnessed her methods more than once before. But this time, her attempt to save the day was almost tantamount to inviting trouble, which seemed quite foolish to anyone.
Was this really the solution that the clever and resourceful Shang Ruyi of the past came up with?
Just as Lüxiao was filled with doubt and felt suffocated by the powerful pressure emanating from Ashina Zhuxie, Shang Ruyi was not intimidated by the threat in his words. She simply smiled and said, "The Khan is quite unceremonious."
Ashina Zhuxie said, "You're too kind. I won't come."
Shang Ruyi said, "Since the Khan's goal is clear, I hope your people won't hold back when they're putting in the effort, after all—"
Before she could finish speaking, a group of people suddenly appeared in the distance.
The Turkic soldiers instinctively became alert, but upon closer inspection, they realized that the men were dressed as the guards who had accompanied Shang Ruyi. After they returned, the leader of the group walked up to Shang Ruyi, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, we searched around Tian Ding Mountain all night and found nothing unusual at the foot of the mountain."
Shang Ruyi nodded and said, "You've worked hard. Go down and have something to eat and rest for a while."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Those men glanced at the Turks in the nearby camp, then at Ashina Zhuxie and Lei Yu, whose faces showed some confusion. Although they were somewhat surprised by their appearance, seeing that both sides were at peace, they didn't say anything more to avoid causing trouble and withdrew to ask their brothers what had happened the night before.
At this moment, Lei Yu seemed to have thought of something and whispered, "You send someone to look for—?"
Shang Ruyi nodded.
Then he laughed and said, "Unfortunately, it was all in vain tonight."
Ashina Zhuxie also came to his senses—Han people in the Central Plains, especially those of high status, often built their tombs on mountains after death, choosing high mountains with good feng shui as their auspicious sites. If Zuo Chen'an, the Duke of Xiaoshan who once held immense power, was indeed buried on Tianding Mountain, and if he wanted to set up a false tomb to avoid attracting trouble and the covetousness of the world, then the entrance to the tomb must be very hidden. That's why Shang Ruyi sent this group of people out to search all night in order to find the entrance to the false tomb of Duke Zuo.
But clearly, they returned empty-handed.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi smiled, dusted off her clothes, and said, "It seems the Khan really needs your men to do more work."
As she spoke, she slowly turned her head and looked behind the camp. In the distance, there were two mountain peaks, one tall and one short, almost piercing the clouds. The taller peak, in particular, seemed to stand like a giant before everyone's eyes. The sky was still dark, and the clouds and mist swirled around it. The feeling of immense size, mystery, and danger weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.
"After all, if it's not at the foot of the mountain, it can only be on the mountain."
"..."
"But none of us here know what's on this Tian Ding Mountain."
|
Tian Ding Mountain was originally a massive mountain range that had stretched for dozens of miles south of Suizhou City since ancient times. It was a natural barrier against dangers coming from the south. However, there was no such thing as Tian Ding Mountain before. As for its specific name, it has disappeared as the mountain's terrain has changed.
The change in the mountain's terrain occurred more than a decade ago.
It was a devastating earthquake that shook the very heavens and earth, and even the people living in Luoyang felt it. The earthquake tore the massive, majestic mountain range apart like soft silk, and ripped the earth open, creating huge, deep valleys. On the earth, two peaks remained. One towered into the clouds, its exposed black rocks covering a large area of the mountain like reversed scales, each scale's tip pointing towards the summit as if in worship. Clouds and mist swirled within the rocky hollows, and the higher areas were shrouded in mist, making it difficult to see the summit even on a clear day. The other peak was slightly lower, only half the height of the first, and its entirety could be seen most of the time. Its peak also tilted slightly, pointing towards the summit of the first peak.
The majestic shapes of these two peaks, one tall and one short, have sparked endless imagination. A legend has it that an immortal attained enlightenment in these mountains, and upon ascending, the boundless power he unleashed tore the mountain apart, leaving the two peaks to aid his ascent. The shorter peak served as his first stepping stone, while the taller peak was the second step to his ascension. Having completed both steps, he reached the summit and became an immortal.
The two peaks of this mountain thus acquired a name – Tianding Mountain.
After having breakfast and resting for a while, everyone was refreshed and began their ascent.
Since it's a mountain that can be climbed to the heavens, it's naturally not easy to ascend. In fact, this Heavenly Peak Mountain is not untouched by people; because of the legend of immortals ascending to heaven, many people come here seeking immortality and enlightenment. The group set off at dawn and walked for half a day to reach the foot of the mountain. Looking up, they saw a winding path stretching up the mountain. After walking for half a day, the mountain became increasingly steep, and the path became increasingly rugged. Many times, it was right next to the cliff edge, and if you looked down, you could see the bottomless abyss below.
Shang Ruyi glanced down at it once, then immediately looked away.
Just then, a terrified gasp came from behind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com