Chapter 133

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Chapter 133: Getting Lost

First Elder Hu laughed and said: “Yes, day after day, year after year, it feels as if today is just like yesterday. Last year’s events seem so vivid as if they happened just yesterday. We’re getting old.”

Li Jian, who had remained silent until now, chimed in: “It’s precisely because we are getting old that the younger generation is rising up.”

Ou Peng smiled and said: “Second Brother is right. Didn’t we also rise up when we were young? But as for Eldest Brother saying he’s old, I don’t believe it. With your deep internal energy, you’re a renowned expert in the Jianghu. As the ancient saying goes, ‘An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles’. There’s still much you can accomplish.”

Liu Qingyang, Fifth Elder Liu, shouted: “Why worry about getting old, Eldest Brother? When the time comes, just take one of those longevity pills, won’t it be fine then?”

First Elder Hu frowned at this and said sternly: “Fifth Brother, have you forgotten what I said here last year? How can you still talk like this?”

Fifth Brother Liu shrank his neck and murmured: “This… this, of course, I haven’t forgotten your teachings, Eldest Brother. I was just speaking casually.”

First Elder Hu looked around the hall and said: “Let me repeat it once more: our Piaomiao Sect has no such thing as longevity pills. You only heard about them. Remember that.”

Everyone responded in unison: “Understood, Eldest Brother.”

Then, Xu Peihua, Sixth Elder Xu, asked: “Third Brother, when will Fourth Brother return?”

Ou Peng smiled and said: “I just received the news. Fourth Brother and Shui Yupeng have already made their move. They should be back in a day or two.”

Sixth Elder Xu said: “In the past, the six of us brothers always spent the New Year together, but now with the addition of the Luo River Gang, Fourth Brother has been left out there alone and I miss him a little.”

Ou Peng replied: “The situation in the Luo River Gang has just stabilized, so someone needs to stay and oversee things. Shui Yupeng has decent martial skills, but he’s a bit lacking in strategy and planning. Fourth Brother is there to help out. Plus, during the New Year, the leader should naturally stay with the gang. Since I’m not going to Luo River, Shui Yupeng needs to be there. Anyway, they’ll be back soon, and we can celebrate together then.”

First Elder Hu laughed and said: “Third Brother is right. As the leader, you naturally have to bear the responsibilities that come with it, and that means less personal time. However, Third Brother, this year’s New Year is quite different from last year’s.”

Ou Peng and the others all looked at First Elder Hu with smiles, feeling a sense of pride.

First Elder Hu continued: “In just a year’s time, our Piaomiao Sect has grown much stronger. All of you brothers have also made great progress in your martial arts. Not to mention that we’ve allied with the Luo River Gang, expanding our influence both on land and water. We’ve had one piece of good news after another.”

Fifth Elder Liu suddenly interjected: “Like sesame blossoms, growing taller with each node!”

Everyone was momentarily taken aback, then laughed, saying: “Fifth Brother, you’re absolutely right.”

Sixth Elder Xu, puzzled, asked: “Fifth Brother, when did you start quoting proverbs?”

Fifth Elder Liu rolled his eyes and said: “Just because I don’t read books doesn’t mean I can’t listen to them.”

Realizing this, everyone burst into laughter.

After everyone had finished laughing, Ou Peng continued from where First Elder Hu had left off, saying: “This is all thanks to the blessings of the secret land. So, the reason I’ve gathered all of you here today is to discuss the matter of exploring the secret land in a few days.”

Upon hearing this, both Fifth Elder Liu and Sixth Elder Xu fell silent. They usually only listened during such discussions, leaving their mouths free for drinking. Meanwhile, Li Jian remained as stoic as ever, his eyes occasionally moving, though it was unclear what he was thinking.

Ou Peng, familiar with this dynamic, addressed everyone but kept his eyes on First Elder Hu.

First Elder Hu laughed and said: “Third Brother, what are your thoughts? Let’s hear them first. Since Fourth Brother isn’t here, you can discuss it in detail with him when he returns.”

Ou Peng said, “It’s actually quite simple, First Brother. My opinion remains the same as before, use the unchanging to deal with the ever-changing. We should continue with the approach of ‘Openly repairing the plank roads while secretly crossing the Chen Cang’, and just send a relatively inconspicuous disciple.”

[TL_Note: In 206 BC, Han Xin was tasked with attacking the stronghold of Xiang Yu, Liu Bang’s rival. Han Xin ordered the rebuilding of the old plank roads (栈道) in Sichuan to mislead the enemy into thinking his army would attack from the same route as before. Meanwhile, he secretly led his troops through a different route, crossing Chen Cang, and launched a surprise attack]

First Elder Hu frowned and said: “Our Piaomiao Sect’s strength has grown significantly in recent times, and our elite disciples have made considerable progress. This will definitely draw the attention of some keen observers, who might start paying more attention to our actions. We can’t ignore the safety concerns if we only send disciples.”

Ou Peng smiled and said: “It’s precisely because we might draw attention that we need to do this. If you, I, or others of our rank were to go, won’t it attract more attention? It’s better to send more disciples and create a smokescreen, so they can’t figure out what we’re really up to. In fact, I believe that the matter of the secret land will eventually be discovered by others. We can only hide it for so long, so we should take advantage of this time to gain as much benefit as possible.”

First Elder Hu asked: “So, are we still having Yanming Hermit lead this operation?”

Ou Peng smiled bitterly and said, “We don’t really have a choice. He’s been there twice and is familiar with the place. Moreover, among the four factions involved, he’s the one who draws the least attention in the martial world. If we don’t send him, who else can we send?”

First Elder Hu laughed and said: “Yanming Hermit is an honest and straightforward person with a decent reputation. However, in the face of treasure, who wouldn’t be tempted? Let’s hope he doesn’t do anything foolish.”

Ou Peng replied: “We chose him precisely because he’s from the weakest of the four factions. He’ll think things through carefully before making any moves.”

First Elder Hu said: “If that’s the case, then I have no objections. What about the rest of you?”

First Elder Hu turned to look at the others.

Fifth Elder Liu and Sixth Elder Xu were sipping their wine. Upon hearing First Brother’s question, they hurriedly nodded without even swallowing their drinks. Second Elder Li simply let out a low “Hmm” in agreement.

Seeing this, First Elder Hu smiled and said: “Since all the brothers are in agreement, you can go ahead and start making arrangements. We’ll discuss the specifics when Fourth Brother returns. Oh, and it’s best not to inform Shui Yupeng about this matter. After all, you never really know someone’s heart, and we should only fully trust those we absolutely can.”

Ou Peng laughed and said: “Don’t worry, First Brother. The fewer people who know a secret, the better it’s kept.”

First Elder Hu said: “Alright then, let’s proceed with this plan. I trust you with this task, so you’ll have to put in some extra effort.”

The rest of the people also looked at him with the same gaze, sharing a mutual feeling of sadness.

Ou Peng was speechless. He rubbed his nose with his fingers and smiled bitterly.

Setting aside what happened the next day, how Ou Peng arranged his troops and sent disciples out to release smoke signals, let’s talk about Zhang Xiaohua, who had already been labeled as honorably fallen. He had no idea he was being treated as someone who had died in the line of duty and was simply bored from the waiting!

Snow fell outside the thatched cottage throughout the night and only gradually stopped by dawn. The sky cleared up, and the brilliant sunlight shone down on the ice-covered land stretching for miles. Standing by the river, looking at the frozen jade ribbon, the snow-covered mountains, and the golden sunlight, the scene was extraordinarily beautiful.

In such an atmosphere, if one were calm and peaceful, one might gain some insight. Unfortunately, the restless Zhang Xiaohua was not looking to appreciate a “still” landscape, he wanted to see something “moving”, those people who were supposed to come looking for him.

Sadly, the desolate wilderness, whether covered in snow or not, was the same, there was no sign of anyone, and with the river frozen, there were no boats either. Zhang Xiaohua, frustrated, picked up a stone and threw it hard at the ice. With a soft crack, the stone broke through the ice and fell into the river with a “plop,” disappearing from sight. Zhang Xiaohua suddenly realized that the ice wasn’t very thick. Just a moment ago, he had thought about jumping on it for fun. Now, he broke out in a cold sweat at the thought.

Filled with a sudden fear, Zhang Xiaohua could no longer maintain his calm state of mind and hurried back to the cottage.

Counting on his fingers and toes, Zhang Xiaohua realized it had been more than a month since he left the caravan, and no one had come looking for him. Maybe he had been too optimistic. Zhang Xiaohua mocked himself. The mission of the entire caravan was to protect Ou Yan’s safety. After being attacked by those men in black, their first priority would be to protect Ou Yan, so how could they spare anyone to look for him?

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a bit grumpy at being ignored. We’re all people, all born from our mothers. Why can’t they treat us the same? If I were born from monsters, I wouldn’t hold it against them. Besides, I stepped forward to save the Villa Master. Why couldn’t they spare a little love and concern for me? Why can’t they come and find me, so I can feel the warmth of the Villa?

This fellow really misunderstood the people at the villa. Don’t you think about how far you’ve drifted? How would anyone be able to find you?

However, kind-hearted Zhang Xiaohua soon turned that bit of grievance into concern for Ou Yan and Qiu Tong. He wondered if the two elder sisters were safe and sound. Maybe they hadn’t managed to escape yet, so they couldn’t send someone to find him?

Look at that, already learning to make excuses for others, what a kind rural youth!

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaohua no longer wanted to wait around aimlessly. Considering the time, it should already be the New Year. His yearning to be with his family around the hearth immediately turned into motivation to move forward. Zhang Xiaohua quickly walked back to the cottage, tidied up a bit, and prepared to leave.

Speaking of tidying up, it was just finding a handy little walking stick. Zhang Xiaohua had come here with nothing but a small sword tightly clutched in his hand. Now, leaving meant he had an additional money pouch he picked up, along with the most important scattered silver inside. If it weren’t for the slippery snow-covered ground, Zhang Xiaohua might even be too lazy to take the walking stick.

Zhang Xiaohua carefully closed the thatched cottage’s gate and glanced around the place where he had lived for over a month. He felt quite reluctant. Naturally, he thought of the kind and gentle Mistress Jingxuan and the proud yet pitiable Little Meng.

He wondered how they were doing now. In the vast sea of people, he had no idea where they might be. Perhaps he would never see them again in this lifetime. Zhang Xiaohua shook his head, lightly touched the small toy sword that now belonged to someone else with his left hand, and gave a bitter smile. After a moment, he turned around and left the small yard.

On the left side of the cottage, there was a small path along the river. Before the snow, Zhang Xiaohua could see it clearly, but now it was completely covered. He couldn’t clear the snow from the path, so he had to trudge along the riverbank, sliding along precariously.

When Mistress Jingxuan left, she had explained the route very clearly. Zhang Xiaohua remembered it well, but unfortunately, she had only described the route without snow. Now, the world was covered in a blanket of white snow, making it impossible to distinguish any markings or directions. Zhang Xiaohua felt a bit regretful and wondered what to do. Should he go back to the cottage and wait for the snow to melt?

But now it was winter. Waiting for the snow to melt would mean having to wait until spring!

Thinking about sitting alone in the cottage boredly, Zhang Xiaohua immediately felt frustrated and discarded the idea of turning back, continuing to walk along the riverbank.

The path didn’t always follow the riverbank. After reaching a certain point, Zhang Xiaohua estimated the direction and turned away from the river. After walking for a while, he saw a stretch of forest ahead. Zhang Xiaohua was secretly pleased, as this matched Mistress Jingxuan’s description, so he believed he hadn’t gone wrong. He adjusted his direction slightly and plunged into the forest.

But as soon as he entered the forest, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but silently complain. The snow in the forest was just as thick as outside, and with all the dead grass and dry branches, it was very difficult to walk through. Even without the snow, it would be extremely hard to traverse. Was this really the path Mistress Jingxuan had taken?

Zhang Xiaohua harbored great doubts in his heart.

In fact, Mistress Jingxuan wasn’t wrong, and Zhang Xiaohua remembered correctly. It was just that Mistress Jingxuan seemed to have forgotten that she always used lightness skill to travel this path, leaping high and low. She probably didn’t consider that Zhang Xiaohua would be walking every step through it.

Mistress Jingxuan had forgotten, and Zhang Xiaohua was even more unaware. As he walked, he silently admired Mistress Jingxuan. Truly, the old ginger is spicier, the perseverance and hard work of older generations were unmatched by the younger ones. The Mistress walked this difficult path every day, coming and going at dawn and dusk. She was truly a model for their generation.

However, after walking for a while longer, Zhang Xiaohua’s admiration and longing faded. Indeed, anyone walking in the vast snowy forest for too long would become disheartened. Yesterday, Zhang Xiaohua had just experienced this feeling with delicious food at hand, so he hadn’t given it much thought. Today, facing such hardships again, it was hard not to grumble. How did Mistress Jingxuan find such a secluded place? Did she also drift down the river like him?

Moreover, the most alarming thing was that Zhang Xiaohua didn’t realize that with each step he took, he had gradually strayed from his original direction. When he finally emerged from the dense forest and looked up, he was surprised to find that in front of him was not the small hill Mistress Jingxuan had mentioned but a wide, open plain.

Zhang Xiaohua was immediately stunned. Clearly, he had gotten lost. However, this outcome was not unexpected for Zhang Xiaohua, who was quite confident in his poor sense of direction. Walking such a long distance without clear markings and not getting lost was nearly impossible.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Xiaohua assessed his direction and resolutely continued forward. After all, as long as he kept walking patiently, he would eventually reach a village or town.

It’s hard to say whether Zhang Xiaohua was lucky or unfortunate. In the direction beyond the dense forest, which was the route Mistress Jingxuan had designated, the hill was not any shorter than the peaks behind the cottage. Now covered in heavy snow, climbing it was extremely difficult. Even if Zhang Xiaohua managed to reach the base of the hill, crossing it would be a tremendous challenge, far from the ease Mistress Jingxuan described: “Once you climb over the hill, you’ll see a large orchard ahead. Follow the path around the orchard, and you’ll find the ferry.”

Clearly, Mistress Jingxuan’s “climbing over” must have involved using lightness skills. One wonders if, when she floated across with Little Meng in tow, did she ever considered that Zhang Xiaohua, with his abilities, would find it so hard to climb over?

Seemingly unaware that he had taken an easy path thanks to being direction-challenged, Zhang Xiaohua took each step through the snow, trudging along. Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohua’s injuries had healed significantly, and his physical condition was excellent, so he didn’t feel too fatigued even after a long trek.

After walking for most of the day and seeing the sun beginning to set in the west, Zhang Xiaohua grew anxious. While walking wasn’t a problem, what to do when it got dark? He couldn’t just keep walking, he needed to rest. Remembering his habit of sleeping by midnight and looking at the deserted surroundings, Zhang Xiaohua felt a chill.

Zhang Xiaohua stopped in his tracks, facing the setting sun, and squinted into the distance. It seemed there was a mountain range ahead, perhaps he could find a cave to shelter in. Determined, Zhang Xiaohua put away his walking stick, took a deep breath, and ran towards the mountain range.

As dusk fell, Zhang Xiaohua ran faster, and seeing the mountain range getting closer made him feel more reassured. When he reached the base of the mountain, the sky was left with only a streak of twilight. Even with Zhang Xiaohua’s good physical condition, he was now panting and exhausted.

The slope of the mountain was gentle, making it relatively easy to climb. Taking advantage of the fading light, Zhang Xiaohua climbed while searching for a cave. However, as he climbed higher and higher, his heart sank. The sky was darkening, and he still hadn’t found a place to stay.

At this point, as Zhang Xiaohua neared the top, he looked ahead and was overjoyed to see a dark silhouette in the distance, clearly higher than the surroundings. He quickened his pace, and as he approached, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It wasn’t an abandoned house, but what was it?

Zhang Xiaohua reached the structure and took out a fire starter from his pocket to get a better look. He saw that it was a dilapidated mountain temple. The plaque at the entrance had fallen halfway and hung crookedly, revealing the large characters “Mountain God Temple” faintly. Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. In such a remote and desolate place, how could there be a temple?

However, it was a blessing in disguise for Zhang Xiaohua, as he now had a place to stay instead of sleeping outdoors.

So, Zhang Xiaohua lit a fire and first took a quick look inside the Mountain God Temple. He then gathered some dead branches from around the temple and started a roaring bonfire in the main hall.

After a tiring day, Zhang Xiaohua rested by the warm fire and ate some dry rations he carried with him. Feeling immediately rejuvenated, he then prepared himself and walked in the spacious temple. He performed the Big Dipper Divine Fist nine times, feeling the cool energy flow through his body. Zhang Xiaohua stretched his arms and legs, feeling quite comfortable with how things were going.

Of course, after recovering from his injuries, Zhang Xiaohua also diligently practiced the sword techniques he had learned from Elder Yu. He then found some straw behind the temple and spread it out next to the bonfire, where he comfortably settled down to sleep.

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