He straightened his expression and said to Sima Wushuang, "Great Hero Sima, these birds have been in the mountains for a long time and have developed sentience. Isn't it inappropriate for you to do this?"
Sima Wushuang chuckled, "Daoist priest, we are all starving now. Do we care if it's appropriate or not? If we don't eat them, how can we survive?"
Let alone these three birds, each one was bigger than a goose. They would be enough for seven or eight people.
The Ultimate Daoist priest said no more, but found a shady spot and sat down, instructing some guards to look for firewood.
After the guards had all left, the Ultimate Daoist priest looked at Sima Wushuang and said in a low voice, "Great Hero Sima, none of us knows how to proceed. We must be mentally prepared. It might take ten days, or it might take half a year to get out."
Sima Wushuang's heart tightened, and he looked at the Ultimate Daoist priest in surprise.
"Daoist priest, what do we do? Going back is suicide. We can only take a risk."
"Prepare plenty of food and water here." The Ultimate Daoist priest's words made Sima Wushuang understand instantly. He stood up and took out a repeating crossbow from his pack.
"I understand. I'll go around and look again."
The Ultimate Daoist priest nodded, "You go. I'll take care of these birds and skin them."
Watching Sima Wushuang walk away, a trace of contemptuous smile appeared on the Ultimate Daoist priest's lips.
"A bunch of fools."
With that, the Ultimate Daoist priest quickly plucked all the feathers off a large bird and bit directly into it.
Tearing off a large piece of bloody meat, he began to chew.
In just the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, he had eaten the entire large bird. The Ultimate Daoist priest wiped his mouth and stood up. "Hmph, after eating this bird, I can go five days without food or drink. Can you?"
He then looked around and brushed off his clothes.
"This humble Daoist priest is leaving. You all fend for yourselves."
With that, he leaped into the air and soon disappeared.
When Sima Wushuang returned after catching a few more birds, he was startled to find the Ultimate Daoist priest gone.
However, upon careful inspection, apart from a pile of bird feathers, there were no other unusual signs.
The other guards also seemed to have noticed nothing out of the ordinary, and were silently plucking feathers, preparing to roast the birds.
Only Sima Wushuang understood that the Ultimate Daoist priest had left. He no longer wanted to share their hardships.
Then again, being with them was only about hardship, there was no comfort to share.
The barbecue was ready, but the Ultimate Daoist priest had not returned. One of the bolder guards finally spoke, and Sima Wushuang smiled.
"The Daoist priest went ahead to scout the path. We'll eat first and set off when he returns."
This was Sima Wushuang's helpless explanation. He couldn't very well say that the Ultimate Daoist priest had run off.
After eating their fill, they found a shady spot and slept soundly.
When Sima Wushuang woke up, the sun was already setting. He looked at the five or six guards present, all dejected and listless.
Sima Wushuang understood that everyone was starting to worry, seeing that the Ultimate Daoist priest had not yet returned.
Sima Wushuang feigned calmness and urged everyone to prepare dinner.
As the campfire was lit and they ate the fragrant roasted meat, Sima Wushuang suddenly spoke, "Brothers, I've considered it carefully. We will probably have to go back, back down the steep slope."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was dumbfounded. They looked at each other, unsure how to respond.
"Great Hero Sima, if we go back and encounter those people again, we still won't be able to get through."
Facing everyone's worries, Sima Wushuang sighed softly, "This is a necessary move. You see, the Ultimate Daoist priest left around noon and hasn't returned yet. This suggests he might have encountered some trouble. Tell me, whose martial arts are superior to his?"
"If even the Ultimate Daoist priest cannot handle the situation ahead, what is the point of us going?"
His words cast a deeper silence over the atmosphere.
After a long pause, someone finally spoke, "But if we go back, the risks will be even greater."
Sima Wushuang laughed heartily.
"You misunderstand me. We don't need to rush back immediately. We have food and drink here, so why the hurry? If they don't see us after guarding for a while, they will naturally withdraw."
Hearing Sima Wushuang's words, everyone couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.
"Great Hero Sima, your wisdom is unparalleled!"
Sima Wushuang took another bite of meat and continued, "Of course, we cannot hide here forever. Someone will need to stand guard and keep watch. From time to time, someone must also go to the iron chain bridge and the steep slope to check the situation."
"Yes, Great Hero Sima is right. We must go and check regularly. If we discover they have withdrawn, we must leave quickly."
After hearing Sima Wushuang's speech, the crowd actually relaxed and went to sleep contentedly, as if they were already having pleasant dreams.
They hoped to dream of Chen Xiaobei and the others withdrawing voluntarily.
Meanwhile, the Ultimate Daoist priest had already quietly returned to the vicinity of the steep slope under the cover of night.
He repeatedly recalled the strange bird calls they heard when they approached the steep slope.
Although it sounded like bird calls, the timing was highly suspicious.
Under the cover of darkness, it took the Ultimate Daoist priest nearly half an hour to inch his way into the forest.
Upon entering the forest, he found a large tree and carefully climbed it. His movements were so light that not even the birds in the forest were disturbed.
Perched on the treetop, the Ultimate Daoist priest remained motionless, patiently waiting for his opportunity.
He waited until dawn, when a slight commotion arose in the forest.
Several alert birds flapped their wings and flew out of the forest, circling overhead.
Seeing this, the Ultimate Daoist priest couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He knew his chance had come.
Soon, a figure appeared within his sight.
The figure walked forward for a short distance, stopped in front of a large tree, and then raised his hand to tap the trunk.
Immediately, a gray shadow slid down from the towering tree.
The Ultimate Daoist priest knew this was the changing of the guard at the hidden outpost.
Taking advantage of the moment when the two were whispering in low voices, the Ultimate Daoist priest suddenly made his move.
With a flick of his hand, several cold glints shot out, enveloping the two men.
The two guards, who were in the middle of their handover, were caught completely off guard. They fell without even a sound.
A contemptuous snort escaped the Ultimate Daoist priest's lips.
He leaped down from the treetop, approached the two men, and kicked their lifeless bodies. After confirming they were dead, he took off one of their clothes and put it on himself.
After some thought, he tore off a corner of the other man's robe and wrapped it around his head.
This way, from a distance, it would be impossible to tell that he had white hair and beard; only a patch of blue cloth would be visible.
Having done all this, the Ultimate Daoist priest picked up the bodies of the two men, one under each arm, leaped lightly onto the treetop, placed them on separate branches, and then jumped down, walking unhurriedly towards the steep slope.