On the mountaintop, in the dim darkness of night, Qin Anwu sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a bowl of wine in one hand and roasted chicken in the other. He took a sip of wine, then a bite of chicken, completely focused.
Beside him, Qin You also sat cross-legged, holding half a roasted chicken, slowly chewing. Her gaze remained fixed on Qin Anwu's face, filled with worry.
After finishing the last sip of wine, Qin Anwu stood up. "We need to go."
Having walked from the main road to this place, and having eaten until now, the previously silent Qin You finally spoke. "Young Master, this servant sees your steps are a bit unsteady. Don't you want to rest a bit longer?"
Qin Anwu stretched languidly, his body making a series of loud "crack, crack" sounds. He laughed, "I thought you were stunned."
He picked up the wine bowl and put it in his satchel, then placed the satchel on the horse's back. "If you haven't finished the roasted chicken, eat it as you walk. I'll lead the horse, you follow."
There was a rough and steep section of road ahead, unsuitable for riding.
Qin You picked up her roasted chicken and stood up, asking again, "Young Master, you should still rest for a while."
This girl is truly stubborn.
Qin Anwu chuckled, "No need. After dealing with one chicken and two bowls of wine, that's how it was just now; he still couldn't take even one move from me."
In his heart, however, there was a sense of helplessness.
As the dignified Immortal Emperor without self, to kill a slightly stronger Ninth Realm Qi Cultivator, yet have to expend seventy to eighty percent of his strength, truly felt like a dragon stranded in shallow waters.
In the hazy darkness, the two walked along the mountain ridge.
When they reached the highest ridge of Mang Mountain, they heard shouts and saw a dazzling light.
Qin You swallowed the chicken in her mouth. "Young Master, it must be the mountain bandits robbing someone."
Seeing that Qin Anwu didn't respond, she continued, "Young Master, I used to hear that Tan Zhou City was peaceful, so how could there be mountain bandits?"
"Girl, my father is the City Governor, and the Qin Residence doesn't lack food or drink. Why then did you lose an arm? Why did you become so thin? Why does the City Governor's Estate have gangs like the Eagle Gang?"
Where there is light, there is darkness. The two are symbiotic; there is no life without yin, and no growth without yang.
Qin You said nothing, nor did she eat her roasted chicken. She silently followed behind the horse.
After walking for a while, the battlefield in the distance came fully into view.
It was a small-scale battle. One side had over thirty people, the other only twenty-odd. Ten or so people lay on the ground.
Qin You cried out, "Young Master, the mountain bandits are winning!"
The Mountain Pass
"Do you know these mountain bandits? The two people I just killed were two of their generals. They were wearing black clothes and trousers, a bit like those two."
"I know a little bit, Young Master..."
"I don't need you to risk your life. Life is precious. If you don't want to live, then throwing your life away is useless. Only by living can you truly help me."
"Don't worry, Young Master. I'm afraid of dying. And besides, I want to live and enjoy life with you."
"Young Master, why aren't you helping them?"
"Why should I? They're a waste. I'm not wasting my precious time on these nobodies. This trip is long."
Qin Anwu led the horse up the mountain ridge. Qin You followed him. After passing the highest part of the mountain, the road ahead became rugged.
"Young Master, is this the way to the mountain?" Qin You asked after walking for a bit.
"Yes, it is."
"Girl, what are you thinking? That you can just go to sleep?"
"No, Young Master. It's just that I'm worried about you."
Qin You smiled. Whoosh!
A sound of wind whistled past. Qin Anwu didn't say anything else. He jumped off the horse, grabbed the satchel from its back, and threw it towards Qin You. "Take the horse, you can rest. I'll take care of myself."
He took the satchel and tied it to his back with a rope. He then tied another rope, about five or six feet long, to his waist. He then ran forward. Behind him, the horse neighed loudly, as if complaining.
"Young Master, what is this place?" Qin You asked in surprise. "Is it where water flows down into the abyss?"
Qin Anwu flicked his finger on her forehead. "You're thinking too much."
He put a rope around her waist and tied her to him. Then, he held her hand and said, "There's me here, so what are you afraid of? If you fall, I'll pull you up. If you're afraid, just scream. Don't worry, I won't laugh at you."
"Young Master, you're so annoying!"
"Don't talk nonsense," Qin Anwu said gruffly. He led her towards the edge of the cliff. In a flash, he jumped down, pulling Qin You with him. As they descended, the wind whistled around them.
"Young Master!" Qin You screamed.
"Girl, don't be silly," Qin Anwu said, "Bend your knees, straighten your legs, and straighten your waist. Hold onto me. Don't move! The more you move, the harder it will be for me to help you."
She did as he said. She felt her hips and waist being pulled by him, and she could feel his strong arms wrapped around her.
"Wow, it's so dark!"
"You're not afraid of falling?"
"No, Young Master. I'm not afraid. I've been here before. See those trees and bushes?"
"Wow, those trees and bushes are so small now!"
"That's because we're going down. We need to find a place to rest."
"Young Master, why can't we rest during the day?"
"Because during the day, I don't know where we are going. I don't know the secrets of this place. We can't make mistakes."
Qin Anwu continued to run down, holding Qin You close to him. After about five hours, they had passed through all the trees and bushes. They finally landed on a platform of some kind.
"Young Master, are we very far from where we started?" Qin You asked, still a bit dazed. She looked around.
"If we walked in a straight line, it would be about 80 miles. But if we went around the mountain, it would be about 300 miles."
"Wow, so far?"
"Hold on tight. We still have a long way to go, and it's dangerous."