A hundred miles outside the imperial city of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
There stood a vast, desolate mountain named Yin Mountain.
Within Yin Mountain, there was a cliff nearly a thousand meters high, extremely steep, shrouded in mist. Midway up this cliff, a cave was carved inward.
Inside the cave was a spatial teleportation array.
Long disused and covered in dust.
But in the next second, the damp runes covering the ground lit up.
Six people appeared out of thin air, falling in disarray onto the cave floor. They were Xu Mu and his companions, who had just escaped the Sword Pavilion.
…
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Xu Mu suddenly jolted awake.
He heard the sound of rain outside the cave, his eyes snapped open, and he shot to his feet, looking around in surprise.
What was going on? Why was he still in the cave? Had the teleportation failed?
Xu Mu's chest heaved violently. His head was swimming, and his vision was blurry.
But soon, the calmed Xu Mu realized that the cave he was in was not the one in the Sword Pavilion.
The rocks were jagged, and water droplets condensed on the stalactites, dripping onto the muddy, damp ground.
Most importantly, it was bright here.
Xu Mu looked up at the cave entrance. Outside, a light rain was falling under a gloomy sky. In the distance, there were dark pines and green cypresses. If he concentrated, he could even hear the calls of apes.
"Is this the imperial city of the Great Zhou?"
Xu Mu scratched his head, a strange expression on his face.
Although the Great Zhou Dynasty was not as powerful as the Great Xia Dynasty, it was still the imperial city of a nation, under the emperor's feet. How could it possibly be built in the depths of a mountain forest!
So, where were they now?
"Brother Zuo, do you know where this place is?" Xu Mu smacked his lips and asked.
But there was no answer.
"Brother Zuo?"
Xu Mu turned back in confusion.
He then saw Zuo Mingqiu staring at him, pinned down by the unconscious Qi Long and Sun Tong, his face ashen, as if he were about to suffocate.
Or perhaps he was about to die of anger at Xu Mu.
Xu Mu was shocked, "Brother Zuo, hold on! I'll save you right away!"
…
…
Xu Mu apologetically helped Zuo Mingqiu sit up.
Afterward, he bandaged the wounds of the senior from the Demon Slaying Division, fed Qi Long medicine, and then started a campfire.
Soon, Li Zao and Sun Tong also woke up. Only Qi Long and the elder who had lost a lot of blood were still unconscious.
Li Zao's face was pale. After waking up, he didn't say a word. He found a relatively flat rock, sat on it, and placed his Black Tide Sword across his knees, beginning to meditate.
Zuo Mingqiu and Sun Tong did the same.
Xu Mu closed his eyes, stabilizing his turbulent sea of consciousness. Then, he began to treat Qi Long and the other. After half an hour, when both of their vital signs had stabilized and Qi Long had also woken up, he stopped, his face pale.
…
"Your internal injuries are quite severe. Mei Chuan cut many gashes in your meridians. But don't worry, I've already used my special ability to expel the toxins. You just need to rest." Xu Mu withdrew his hand and said with a smile.
Qi Long looked at Xu Mu and smiled weakly, "I truly didn't misjudge you."
"What about Elder Du? He's not dead, is he?"
Xu Mu shook his head, his expression grave.
"He's not dead, no."
"But his injuries are more severe than yours. Even his sea of consciousness has collapsed by more than half. I could only do some basic work to sort out his meridians, dissolve the blood stasis, and stabilize his internal organs. Whether he wakes up in the end will depend on his own fortune."
Qi Long's face turned pale upon hearing this, but he said with a smile, "Then I'm relieved. This old fellow is tough as nails, he won't die!"
"But I am curious, why are we here? Did you deliberately teleport us here?"
Qi Long asked, lowering his head with a sigh, looking at the array runes hidden beneath the ground. It was the array he had personally inscribed many years ago, unused for years, and now covered in dust.
Xu Mu scratched his head, saying with some embarrassment, "Actually, I don't know where this is."
"It seems there was a problem with the teleportation array in the Sword Pavilion. I couldn't select the intended destination node no matter what. But the arrow was already on the string, and it had to be shot. I randomly chose a location, and I didn't expect the spatial channel to be so turbulent."
"Immediately after, I fainted."
"When I woke up, I was here."
Qi Long smiled upon hearing this.
"Then we can consider this a blessing in disguise."
"Let me tell you, this is Yin Mountain."
"It's about a hundred miles from the Great Zhou's imperial city, a mountain forest inhabited only by ordinary beasts."
"The teleportation array in the cave was set up by me ten years ago. It was originally intended to ambush Mei Chuan, but she didn't take this route to the imperial city later."
"This array lost its purpose and has been abandoned here ever since."
Zuo Mingqiu asked upon hearing this, "So, no one else knows about this place?"
Qi Long nodded.
"Besides me and the elder who's still unconscious, no one else knows. So, this place is safe."
Qi Long looked at Xu Mu and coughed, saying, "The problem with the teleportation array must be due to an error in a part you repaired. It's very likely that the last stroke of the Yao symbol was too shallow, causing the spatial dao's positioning to fail."
Xu Mu scratched his head, feeling a lingering fear. "I was indeed a bit rushed when I was last repairing the Yao symbol, because An Jin had already charged over. I didn't expect it to almost kill us all."
"You were right when you said it in the cave. I really can't repair spatial teleportation arrays casually."
Xu Mu said somewhat awkwardly.
He remembered that at the time, Qi Long had completely lost the will to fight and had resigned himself to his fate. It was Xu Mu who roared and grabbed his collar, but now, thinking back, it felt quite like insubordination.
But if he were to do it again, Xu Mu would still do the same.
Qi Long smiled kindly, "It's alright. You did very well. It was my will that wavered at the time. Thanks to you."
Xu Mu smiled slightly.
Qi Long continued, "Moreover, teleporting here is better than teleporting to the imperial city."
"If nothing unexpected happens, An Jin will have reported our escape to the court. The imperial city will likely be conducting a city-wide manhunt. all cultivators emerging from that spatial teleportation array will be investigated and detained."
Xu Mu nodded. It was indeed a blessing in disguise.
Among them, except for him and Li Zao who were in better condition, everyone else was severely injured, and the elder was even in a life-or-death situation. If they had reached the imperial city, they would have been at the mercy of others!
Seeing that no one else spoke, Sun Tong, who had been waiting for a long time, asked timidly, "Can I ask where we are going next? Will I be wanted too? Can I still return to my sect?"
Xu Mu could not answer this question.
He could only sigh and comfort Sun Tong, "We will definitely be wanted. As for you… even for Bai Yu's sake, An Jin will definitely include you."
"You can't go back to your sect until the warrant is lifted."
Sun Tong's face turned pale upon hearing this.
"Then where can we go?"
Qi Long said calmly, "Don't panic."
"This cave is quite hidden. The court's people shouldn't be able to find it. I'll wait here to recover from my injuries, and then we can discuss where to go. It's not too late."
"And you all are talented young people. If the Great Zhou has no place for you, why not come back to the Great Xia with me!" Qi Long said with a smile, looking at Sun Tong and Li Zao.
"Go to Great Xia." Sun Tong's face was pale. If that were the case, wouldn't he truly become a traitor to the Great Zhou Dynasty?
Even though the people of the Great Zhou wanted to kill him, he didn't want to be a traitor! How would his relatives in the mortal world be able to hold their heads up?
Zuo Mingqiu said expressionlessly, "If you have nowhere to go, you can stay with me in the martial world for a while."
Qi Long was startled and looked at Zuo Mingqiu, asking, "Aren't you returning to the Great Xia?"
Zuo Mingqiu shook his head. He didn't explain that he was from the Hundred Clans Alliance, but merely looked at Xu Mu. The latter immediately understood and said, "I am the one who needs to go back."
"My time is very tight. When you all are mostly recovered, I need to get to Bei Long Dao as soon as possible."
Qi Long looked at Zuo Mingqiu with some surprise, then looked at Xu Mu and asked, "You plan to return to Great Xia from Bei Long Dao?"
Xu Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I need to go back quickly, so I can only take this route."
Qi Long frowned, "Bei Long Dao is the official trade route between the Great Zhou and Great Xia. It's the shortest direct path and the safest and most accessible. It is indeed the quickest way back to Great Xia."
"However, now that my and Elder Du's identities are exposed, and we are mistaken for spies, having disappeared near the imperial city, the inspections on Bei Long Dao will likely be stricter than before. You probably won't get through easily."
"In my opinion, you should go to Yong'an City first and take a boat back. Although it will be slower, there are many ships traveling back and forth, and most of the passengers are martial artists and common folk. Even if the Great Zhou wants to investigate, it will be difficult to ascertain your true identity."
Xu Mu asked upon hearing this, "How much slower would it be to take the waterway from Yong'an City compared to Bei Long Dao?"
Qi Long smacked his lips. "If everything goes smoothly, it will only be three to five months slower than Bei Long Dao. If it's not smooth, it might take half a year, or even more than a year."
Xu Mu exclaimed, "That long!"
Qi Long nodded and sighed.
"There's no help for it. That waterway is winding and doesn't lead directly to Great Xia, so there are very few long-distance ships. Most ships will dock after ten to eight days of sailing. If you want to travel all the way to Great Xia by boat from there, you'll likely have to change ships many times. All this back and forth will waste time."
Xu Mu pondered for a moment and then asked, "Can I buy a boat myself and sail back to Great Xia?"
Qi Long chuckled helplessly. "If it were that easy to go to Great Xia, wouldn't our country be full of spies from other nations?"
"And you must know that the Great Zhou's scrutiny of ships is very strict. Whether it's a merchant ship or a fishing boat, every vessel must be registered. They are also subject to inspections by the navy from time to time. They are experienced, and they will be able to tell at a glance whether you are the owner of the ship, which will only increase the risk of exposure."
Xu Mu sighed helplessly.
Never mind delaying for a year or half a year, even a delay of three to five months was unacceptable. Because after returning to Great Xia, he still had a long way to go to reach the Domain of Gloomy Night. Who knew what would happen along the way.
When the three-year period arrived, if the divine soul of that demon god in the Dark Palace stirred up trouble again, or even broke through the seal, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Qi Long could see the helplessness in Xu Mu's eyes and asked, "Do you really intend to go back via Bei Long Dao?"
Xu Mu nodded. "Yes."
Qi Long frowned, his expression grave. He took out a map of the Great Zhou from his懷 and pointed to a long red line on it. "This long stretch is Bei Long Dao. Every node is marked. You can depart from any node, not necessarily from the imperial city."
Xu Mu took the map and looked at it carefully. He finally found the location of Yin Mountain where they were.
He then discovered that Yin Mountain was more than two hundred miles from the imperial city, but it was a full seven hundred miles from the second node of Bei Long Dao!
And this was the straight-line distance. Who knew how long it would take to travel there!
Qi Long said, "Every batch of carriages that travels on Bei Long Dao has a special transit permit. So, rather than thinking about which node to enter Bei Long Dao from, you should first think about how to blend into those strictly inspected merchant caravans."
"I really hadn't thought of that." Xu Mu scratched his head, somewhat helplessly. He really hadn't expected returning from the Great Zhou to Great Xia to be so troublesome. If he had known, he wouldn't have taken this detour!
"I have a way."
Li Zao, dressed in a white skirt, sat cross-legged on the rock. Her voice was clear and cold as she said, "The First Prince served in the army for seven years, guarding the border between the Great Zhou and Great Xia. This year, he officially returned to the capital and was appointed Crown Prince by His Majesty the Emperor."
"However, because His Majesty the Emperor was ill when he was appointed Crown Prince, all procedures were simplified and not officially held. Now that His Majesty the Emperor's condition has improved, to celebrate, His Highness the Crown Prince will hold a birthday banquet in the imperial city in seven days."
"This banquet will be prepared to the scale of a state banquet, with celebrations throughout the country. Firstly, it is to celebrate the Crown Prince's triumphant return. Secondly, it is to make up for the omitted Crown Prince's banquet."
"The First Prince has prepared a lot for this. Because he can use this opportunity to see where many court officials stand and the current situation."
Xu Mu was stunned and asked, "What do you want to say?"
Li Zao's features were exquisite, her voice was cold, and her expression was serious as she looked at Xu Mu and said, "The Seventh Prince specifically traveled to the Sword Pavilion to retrieve the sword Xin Ri, with the intention of presenting it as a satisfactory gift to the First Prince at his birthday banquet."
"Other officials who have taken sides, as well as generals in the border armies of the Great Zhou, will surely rack their brains to find rare treasures to send as gifts. However, they may not be able to attend in person and can only appoint trusted confidants to escort them."
"So, guess where those items will be transported from?"
Xu Mu narrowed his eyes. The Great Zhou was rife with various martial arts factions. Transporting rare treasures from all over the country to the imperial city was fraught with the risk of them being lost along the way.
But there was one road that was the safest.
It was the road built for official trade between the Great Zhou and Great Xia, with heavy guards at every node and strict patrols. It was almost impossible to be robbed.
"Bei Long Dao!" Xu Mu's eyes lit up.
"That's right, Bei Long Dao." Li Zao looked at Xu Mu and said seriously, "Those are gifts from important court officials, so the level of the gifts will not be low. The identity of the person responsible for escorting the gifts will certainly not be simple."
"After the banquet, they will definitely return via Bei Long Dao, and if you can sneak into the border troop convoy, you will be able to pass all the way to Great Xia without hindrance!"
"What you say makes sense!" Xu Mu grinned. Li Zao's suggestion had enlightened him. But the problem was, how could he possibly blend into the border army?
"To blend into their convoy, you first need to approach them at the First Prince's birthday banquet."
Li Zao looked at Xu Mu and said calmly, "Previously, my master had cultivated many confidants for me in the imperial city, whom I later secretly turned to my side."
"Now, these people obey my command. They can help me obtain the qualification to attend the royal banquet."
Hearing the words "my master," Xu Mu's words were blocked in his throat. He remembered not long ago, Li Zao's tear-filled eyes as she plunged her sword into Mei Chuan's dantian.
The latter had committed countless evils and schemes throughout her life, harming countless people, and in the end, she even tried to steal the Great Zhou royal family's luck through Li Zao. She deserved to die, but then again, Li Zao was her disciple…
Being with Li Zao, wouldn't that be like "seeking skin from a tiger"?
Xu Mu remained silent. Instead, he turned and added some firewood to the campfire. The crackling sound of the burning wood sent sparks splashing onto the damp ground nearby.
Qi Long, who should have been the first to offer an opinion, stared silently at Li Zao, as if trying to discern something from her face.
Li Zao felt Qi Long's gaze and turned her head.
The latter's eyes narrowed, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you helping us?"
Li Zao's eyes were calm.
"Don't misunderstand. I've wanted to kill Mei Chuan for a long time, because I never want to live a life of being controlled by others again."
"Besides, she was too cold-blooded and forced me to kill many people I didn't want to kill."
Li Zao said in a calm tone, gently stroking the Black Tide Sword on her knee. She still remembered five years ago when the Plum Blossom Valley launched a massive attack on the Moon God Cult, and she opened the mountain protection array in front of all the Moon God Cult members.
She vaguely remembered that at that time, there was a young man in the Moon God Cult who had liked her for a long time. From the day they met, he would wake up early every day to pick a large bouquet of wildflowers for her.
She had asked the young man why later. The young man had replied, "Because your name is Li Zao."
But on the day the Plum Blossom Valley invaded, she had personally pushed the young man off the cliff, because Mei Chuan seemed to have noticed something and ordered her to kill this young man with her own hands.
Qi Long did not know Li Zao's past. Judging solely by instinct, he felt that Li Zao was somewhat different from Mei Chuan. So he continued to ask, "You killed your master with your own hands."
"So why are you helping him?"
Li Zao's eyelids lowered, her voice hoarse. "I'm not helping him. I'm helping myself."
"I also want to go to the imperial city and attend the First Prince's banquet, but it's dangerous to go alone on the road."
Xu Mu said, "It's even more dangerous with me. There are more enemies who want to kill me than just the Great Zhou court."
"But I believe in the two of you." Li Zao looked at Xu Mu, then at Zuo Mingqiu, her expression somewhat complex. "In the Great Zhou, there are no more than five peers stronger than me. They are all prodigies with great fortune, and some have even entered the Earth Ranking. But for some reason, I feel that none of them are as good as you."
"Although I don't know your identities, I believe that geniuses like you will not die. And if you are captured, the Great Zhou court will not kill you. They will only use you as bargaining chips to negotiate with Great Xia. So, I am safer following you."
"Bargaining chips?" Xu Mu smiled bitterly upon hearing this.
It was normal for Li Zao to come to such a conclusion. But he was different; he possessed a holy relic.
If he were captured, the Great Zhou would not let him go.
"What do you say? I don't need you to do anything. I just need you to travel with me and attend the banquet at the royal mansion." Li Zao asked.
"Why do you want to go to the royal mansion?" Xu Mu retorted.
Li Zao fell silent for a moment, then revealed a shocking piece of news: "Before Mei Chuan died, she sent a signed marriage contract with my soul imprint to the royal family."
"A soul imprint? That means you can't go back on your word, or you'll suffer the backlash of heaven?" Xu Mu exclaimed in surprise. This was the first time he had seen a marriage contract made in this way. Usually, it was master-servant contracts that used soul imprints, like the one between him and Shu Ju.
"Yes, but I don't want to marry Zhou Yuan."
Li Zao nodded, her expression cold. "So I'm going to the imperial city to tear that thing up!"
…