At midnight, we finally got out of the mountains and arrived at a flat grassland. The guide said that this place is Youyouyuan. Outside of here is Xizhao Mountain. After crossing this mountain, in front of you is Qiufeng City, the largest city in the southwest. Transferring from Qiufeng City, to the east is Tangjing, to the north is Baishui Pass, and after passing Baishui Pass, you will reach the land of Daxia.
After trekking through the mountains and wilderness for several days, everyone felt suddenly enlightened when they saw the plain.
It has always been like this on the plains. Looking at a tree from a distance, it seems not far away, but if you really want to walk to it, you have to ride a horse for a whole day.
After walking on Youyouyuan for two full days, we finally arrived at the so-called Sunset Mountain.
This mountain has a beautiful name and superb scenery. I saw several continuous peaks standing opposite each other, with verdant pines and cypresses and flowers interspersed. A white waterfall poured down from the top of the mountain, forming a white silk ribbon, with mist rising, like a fairyland.
Because it is close to Qiufeng City, the mountain road here is extremely wide and two carriages can run side by side without feeling crowded.
As the sun sets, the setting sun is fiery red, casting a brilliant color. The pine and cypress rain forest is ablaze with red, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the flowers are fragrant. The scenery is so beautiful that it is worthy of the word "sunset".
That night, Chu Qiao ordered to set up camp in a valley. When the servants heard this, they all cheered collectively. They had been traveling without sleep for several days, and they were indeed exhausted both physically and mentally.
However, before I fell asleep, the howling of wild wolves came from far away and near, the sound was so shrill that it made people shudder.
Jingjing's face turned pale with fear. She huddled in the tent, leaning in Meixiang's arms with her eyes tightly closed, but she couldn't fall asleep.
Chu Qiao couldn't help but feel a little worried. She had long heard about the ferocity of the hungry wolves in the southwest. Now their numbers were few and most of them were ordinary hired guards and coachmen. There were also girls in the team. If they encountered a pack of wolves, the consequences would be disastrous. She called Ping'an and gave him a few instructions, telling everyone to get ready. Only then did she feel a little relieved.
However, in the second half of the night, the wolves' roars became louder, and occasionally there were men's shouts.
Chu Qiao went out, put on her windbreaker, told a few people to guard the camp, and took Ping An and more than a dozen guards to find the source of the sound.
Just after turning a slope, a fishy smell of blood hit me in the face. When everyone looked carefully, they saw about a hundred wild wolves attacking a group of people in a low valley. Although there were not many people in that group, they were agile, and their chopping and moving were powerful and fierce. It was obvious at first glance that they were not easy to deal with. However, the wolves were ferocious, with sharp white fangs, and they were not afraid at all because they were in a group.
Blood splattered, the stench was overwhelming, and the screams were endless, sending chills down one's spine.
"Sister?" Ping An frowned and said in a deep voice, "There are many wolves. If this group of people cannot defeat them, we will not be able to hold on alone."
Chu Qiao nodded and said, "Everyone, get ready."
The guards and chariot drivers were also people from the martial arts world who traveled outside all year round. Although they were no match for the regular army, they were very brave and immediately drew their bows and arrows and got ready. Ping An's face was grim, and he said in a deep voice: "Let go!"
Rows of rockets burning with pine oil were fired at the same time. In an instant, the wolves were attacked from behind and more than ten wild wolves screamed and fell to the ground.
The wolves were furious and turned around to rush towards them with lightning speed. They were in front of them in just a few jumps.
Ping'an was quick and picked up a bucket of tung oil, poured it in front of him with a splash, and then threw a torch. Suddenly, a wall of fire ignited in front of the mountain, with the flames three meters high. A few hungry wolves couldn't stop their charge and crashed into the fire, immediately letting out shrill screams.
The wolves were afraid of fire and immediately fell into chaos. The group of people saw that someone was helping them, and they became more motivated. The leaders shouted and rushed forward, slashing with knives and swords, and pursued them.
The group of hungry wolves were indeed ferocious. They fought for more than an hour before retreating in panic. Before leaving, he let out a few demonstrative roars, with a hint of revenge.
A man in the valley shouted, "Which friend up there is helping us? My master thanks you all for your generosity!"
Ping An was slightly startled when he heard this, and leaned over to look, but he couldn't see clearly due to the trees and the pitch-black night, so he could only shout, "Is it Brother Cao? We met by the Qingheng River."
The other party was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "It's Brother Du. I'm a little inconvenient right now. I will come to thank you for your kindness later."
Ping An said hurriedly, "Brother Cao, you don't have to be so polite. Are you injured? Do you have any gold medicine for wounds?"
"It's just a minor injury, not worth mentioning. Thank you for your concern, brother."
Chu Qiao heard a hint of vigilance in the other party's tone, so she gently pulled Ping'an's sleeve and gestured towards her own camp.
Ping An understood and said quickly, "Then I'll leave first. Take care, Brother Cao."
When they returned to the camp, Jingjing was jumping up and down anxiously. When she saw Chu Qiao, she ran up to her and asked, "Sister, are you hurt?"
"It's okay." Chu Qiao shook her head and said to Ping An and the others, "Everyone should be more careful when you go to bed tonight. Keep the torches burning all night long and prepare rockets, sulfur, and tung oil. The wolves will take revenge, so be careful if they come looking for revenge."
Everyone nodded and Chu Qiao returned to the tent. Meixiang took off her cloak and said softly, "Just let Ping'an go. Why do you have to go in person?"
Chu Qiao shook her head, frowning, and said softly: "I have been feeling uneasy these past few days, and I don't know if anything will happen."
"Young lady, you are worried about His Majesty the Tang Emperor, don't worry, the Tang Emperor is such a smart man, he won't let those villains succeed easily."
Chu Qiao sighed and held the cup of ginseng tea handed to her by Meixiang in both hands. The hot steam was rising, but it could not warm her cold hands.
"I hope so." She suddenly thought of the group of people in the valley just now. For some reason, she felt a little worried and asked involuntarily, "Meixiang, do you still have the golden medicine you bought from Xinglin Hall last time?"
Meixiang was stunned for a moment and asked anxiously, "Who is injured? Miss, are you injured?"
"No," Chu Qiao quickly shook her head and said, "No one was hurt."
She lay on the felt in annoyance. Meixiang looked at her up and down with lingering fear, as if she suspected that she was lying to her.
What's going on?
Chu Qiao frowned slightly.
The next morning, Chu Qiao and the others had not walked far when they saw a group of people standing quietly in front of them. They were obviously the group from last night.
A middle-aged man in his thirties came over and said a few words to Ping An. After some politeness, he walked to Chu Qiao's carriage and bowed, saying, "My master thanks the young lady for her help. I shouldn't be rude, but I should remember the kindness of others. So I dare to ask the young lady's name. Please forgive me."
Chu Qiao frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "When we see injustice, we should lend a hand. No need to be polite."
The man was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then said, "I don't know your name yet."
"You are such a strange person. Your master only sent you here, and obviously doesn't want to reveal his identity. Why do you insist on asking about my background? It's normal for us to be wary of each other when we meet by chance. Since we don't trust each other and each of us has something important to do, why don't we hurry on and get going? Don't you think it's boring to talk too much here?"
The man was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Chu Qiao to retort like this, and he retreated in a daze.
After a while, the team in front sped away.
Jingjing exclaimed: "Sister is so amazing!"
Chu Qiao sighed and leaned back against the cushions. What's so great about it? She just didn't want to waste time with them. The longer she delayed, the more anxious she felt. The group of people opposite also gave her a depressing sense of crisis. She clearly felt that the other party was definitely not an ordinary person. At this moment, it is better to be cautious than to do more.
However, less than half a day after they started walking, another unexpected incident stopped them in their tracks. At this time, even someone as slow-witted as Jingjing noticed something was wrong.
On a slightly narrow mountain road, several large trees and a pile of mud and rocks were lying across the road, more than half a person's height, blocking the way forward. Everything was obvious. It was most likely the heavy rain a few days ago that caused the landslide and mudslide. However, after so many coincidences, no one was willing to believe this simple reason.
The group of people stood in the front, staring at Chu Qiao and the others who had arrived late, without hiding the hostility in their eyes.
Ping An and the others also frowned in confusion, their hands hanging naturally at one side, their fingertips slowly stroking the hilts of the swords and knife handles.
The sky is blue, the clouds are white, the birds are singing, and the sun is shining warmly below. In such clear weather, the atmosphere was weird and tense. No one went to clear the rocks and mud on the road. Instead, they stared at each other eagerly.
"What a coincidence." The man surnamed Cao sneered and said slowly.
Ping An raised his eyebrows and laughed coldly, "It's really a coincidence. I have been through thick and thin with Brother Cao for the past few days. Even I, who don't believe in fate, have to say that it's hard to predict the will of heaven."
"In my opinion, it's not God's will. I'm afraid someone is deliberately playing tricks on me."
Ping An immediately asked angrily, "Who are you talking about?"
The man surnamed Cao shouted coldly: "Who are you? Draw it and tell me!"
"I don't think you are a good person!" Ping An shouted angrily, and drew out his knife with a flash of cold light. He took a step forward and was about to attack.
When the other party saw it, he immediately drew his knife. At this moment, a silver light suddenly appeared and hit Ping'an's hilt with a ding sound. The sword roared like a dragon and fell to the ground with a clang. A clear and sharp female voice said calmly, "Be safe, don't be reckless."
The atmosphere calmed down instantly, just like a pool of cold water suddenly poured into boiling hot water.
The whole place was so quiet that even breathing could be heard.
The breeze rustled, sweeping across everyone's eyes and brows. In the distance, green pines swayed, blue waves stretched endlessly, and birds circled and danced in the air, chirping.
puff! Suddenly, a subtle sound was heard, which seemed to be the rustling sound of boots stepping on stones. The wind blew up the blue cloth curtains. The man surnamed Cao and others shouted in surprise, "Master?"
The man walked straight towards Chu Qiao's carriage without saying a word.
Ping An raised his eyebrows and shouted, "Stop!"
The man ignored him, Ping'an grasped the hilt of the sword, raised his eyebrows, and was about to draw the sword.
However, just when the sword was halfway drawn, a dull sound was heard suddenly. The man moved with incredible speed and in the blink of an eye he had taken away Ping'an's sword and threw it to the ground.
Ping'an's face turned red, and he snorted angrily and was about to rush forward. The man was not afraid at all. He walked quickly to Chu Qiao's carriage and reached out to lift her curtain.
With a whoosh, a fresh breeze blew in. The midday sun was shining brightly, so bright that it was blinding. Chu Qiao held a small crossbow in her hand with the tip of the arrow pointed at the car door, but she was stunned the moment the sun pierced her pupils.
Ping An rushed forward from behind, formed his five fingers into claws, and grabbed the man's neck. With the skills he has learned from Chu Qiao for more than three years, he can definitely kill the enemy at this moment.
However, that man did not dodge or evade. He was wearing a moon-white cloud-patterned gown, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and was so handsome. He stood there calmly, looking at her with calm eyes. For a moment, it was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. It was as if he was in a deep pool or a cold lake, silent and serene.
whoosh! The crossbow arrow flew off the string, passed through the man's ear, and shot out, brushing against Ping'an's arm. It was as fast as lightning, carrying a fierce murderous aura, instantly freezing everyone's movements.
"Ping An, step back." Chu Qiao said quietly, without any anger, but with an undoubted deterrent power.
Ping An raised his eyebrows and called out, "Sister?"
Chu Qiao raised her eyelids slightly, said nothing, just turned her head and looked at him indifferently.
Ping An slowly stepped back, but still looked at the man in front of the carriage with an unconvinced look.
The fragrant breeze was intoxicating and the weather was so good that it made people feel nervous. A row of brightly colored orioles landed on the branches not far away, chirping in melodious voices. The trees are stretched out like newly drawn black eyebrows, and the dense forest on the side is lush and green, with all kinds of lovely flowers blooming in it, which are strange, beautiful and gorgeous, as if in a painting.