Chen Xiaobei woke up as if from a dream and quickly called Chen Dayong and Chen Daqiang. They attached a thicker rope to the thin one, allowing Huang Ying and Shen Ziyan to pull it over.
One thick rope after another was pulled across.
Chen Xiaobei, following the method used to build the suspension bridge, secured four ropes, two on top and two below.
He connected the two lower ropes with a thin rope and then laid down some branches. A simple rope bridge was thus constructed.
Liu Rumei was the first to step onto it, cautiously making her way to the other side, step by step.
It took Liu Rumei as long as a puff of smoke to cross the several zhang long rope bridge.
She had to meticulously check every point to ensure absolute safety, prioritizing Xiao Jingyun's complete security.
After reaching the other side and confirming everything was secure, Liu Rumei unexpectedly returned.
Under everyone's gaze, Liu Rumei quickly came back and approached Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun, cupping her fists. "Your Highness, please cross the river. I will lead some men to scout back."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaobei silently gave Liu Rumei a thumbs up.
Indeed, they had been delayed for too long. If there were pursuers behind them, an attack during Xiao Jingyun's crossing would be catastrophic.
Before the thought had fully formed, Liu Rumei, with over a dozen subordinates, fanned out and began to search behind them.
Witnessing this, Chen Xiaobei was deeply moved. This was loyalty, loyalty emanating from the depths of her being.
Chen Xiaobei had a sudden idea; he still had two landmines.
He could bury one on this side and one on the opposite bank. Since Liu Rumei's men knew he had landmines, they would be extra vigilant for the markers, thus avoiding friendly fire.
Liu Rumei and her men searched for two li, ensuring there was no danger within arrow range. After setting up sentries, Liu Rumei withdrew.
Chen Xiaobei explained his idea to Liu Rumei.
However, Liu Rumei shook her head.
"If I'm not mistaken, you only have two landmines left. It's best to save them for emergencies."
Alright, since his good intentions were not appreciated, Chen Xiaobei had nothing more to say.
By the time everyone had crossed the river, it was already noon.
Through crossing this river, Chen Xiaobei began to understand why there were no traces of people on the other side.
A river, under the current technological conditions, was a formidable barrier, much like the ravine he had crossed earlier. Without that large tree, even ten Huang Yings wouldn't have been able to cross.
The journey downstream was much smoother.
They walked non-stop until the sun began to set. By then, signs of human activity along the road had increased, and they even encountered a few mountain villagers.
The villagers were quite surprised to see so many people descending the mountain.
Liu Rumei, leveraging her feminine charm, stepped forward and explained that they had gotten lost due to a sudden storm, wandered into the mountains, and had finally found their way out.
Her explanation made the villagers laugh.
One bold villager chuckled, "You must have reached Dragon King River and had to turn back because you couldn't cross, right?"
The name "Dragon King River" made the river sound mysterious.
Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but ask, "Yes, we encountered a river and there was no bridge. Otherwise, we would have gone further in."
Hearing his words, the villager waved his hands repeatedly.
"That wide river, it's impossible to build a bridge across it for people to cross."
Indeed, a river several zhang wide was a difficult obstacle for ordinary people.
The villager then pointed, "Keep going straight and you'll descend the mountain. Continue straight after descending, and you'll reach the imperial road."
Upon hearing that they were only about ten li from leaving the mountains, everyone became excited. However, when they actually emerged from the mountains, the scene made them want to laugh and cry. They had indeed left the mountains, but the area below the mountain was similar to Hetou Village, just a small village with a dozen households.
Liu Rumei intended to approach and ask for some water, but Xiao Jingyun stopped her.
"Alright, let's not disturb the villagers' lives. We'll keep moving forward."
They walked a bit further to a slightly more open road. Zhou Quan took out a map from his embrace, studied it carefully for a long time, and finally shook his head.
"Your Highness, this road is not marked on the map. We might still be some distance from the imperial road."
At this point, there was no choice but to continue forward. Even resting would require finding a patch of woods, but here, the surroundings were bare, the crops harvested, and the view stretched far with no trees along the road.
Meanwhile, in Hetou Village, things had become lively.
After descending the mountain, Liu Ce hesitated before deciding to go to the county town and gather Yang Zhi and others, preparing for a decisive battle in the mountains.
Just then, he received good news: Liu Tie had returned.
The foremost expert of the Protectorate Duke's mansion, Liu Tie, had recovered and returned, greatly boosting everyone's confidence.
After Liu Tie listened to Liu Ce's account, he sighed softly.
"You were too careless."
"You should have attacked when they first entered the forest. Attacking from a higher vantage point, catching them off guard, what a perfect opportunity."
Liu Ce blushed at his words.
"Yes, a moment's lapse in judgment led to the loss of so many brothers, and the situation has become increasingly passive."
Liu Tie pondered for a long time, then slowly said, "We will enter the mountains tonight and reach the steep slope before dawn."
"Dawn is the time when a person is most fatigued."
"We will launch our attack then and retake the steep slope."
Hearing this, Liu Ce became excited. "Then I'll go gather the men."
Just as Liu Ce and his men were preparing to enter the mountains, everything unfolded as Chen Xiaobei had predicted. The Lotus Cult Leader, following the route Chen Xiaobei had chosen last time, descended into the canyon.
After all, the half-burnt rope left on the canyon wall was a clear trace.
At this moment, she was unaware that it would take at least three days to find a way out.
Ma Biao and his men, guarding the bridge, quietly retreated after holding their position for the agreed-upon two days.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu, who was guarding the steep slope, became increasingly uneasy. They had lost contact with the Lotus Cult Leader for two days.
Two groups had been sent out, but neither had found any trace of the Lotus Cult Leader, nor of Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun.
Everyone seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving him to hold his post alone.
This unusual situation had stretched Zhang Yu's nerves to their limit.
At the foot of Qingniu Mountain, just as Liu Ce was leading his men to prepare to enter the mountains, Chen Dachun arrived with Cui Hongyu.
Upon seeing Cui Hongyu, Liu Ce showed great respect and cupped his fists, "Sister Hongyu, what business do you have with me?"
Cui Hongyu bowed to him, "I heard from Xiaowen and Xiaobo that my husband and the others are trapped on the mountain. Is that true?"
Liu Ce was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer. Finally, he nodded slightly.
"Don't worry, we're heading up the mountain now. We will definitely retake the steep slope and ensure Brother Xiaobei can descend safely."
Suddenly, Liu Tie, standing nearby, exclaimed with surprise, "Sister, is that you?" Su Dan Novel Network
Cui Hongyu looked at Liu Tie for a long moment before coming back to her senses.