“How many days to reach the border through Mount Qin Mian?”
“Five days.”
“Five days…” Gu Qingtong calculated, clenched her fist, decisively: “Taking the carriage would take over half a month. We’ll cross Mount Qin Mian.”
“What if you can’t make it?”
“I can make it.” Seeing their disbelief, she softened her tone, “If I can’t continue, Yu Rong and Yu Shi will go find General Qia Xi and the Cavalry General.”
The children, already impatient, nodded and drove the carriage towards Mount Qin Mian.
Arriving at Mount Qin Mian near dusk, though it was summer, cold winds blew, causing shivers. She looked at the dark valley, mixed with fierce beast sounds that made her skin crawl.
Everyone abandoned the carriage. Yu Rong carried several packages ahead, Gu Qingtong walked in the middle, with Yu Shi and Yu Guang bringing up the rear.
Gu Qingtong steeled herself to follow Yu Rong on the small path, overgrown with grass and thorns, with protruding stones that hurt her feet.
Because Yu Rong walked further up the mountain and it became increasingly steep, he specially explored a winding path, which meant climbing to the halfway point of Qin Mian Mountain and then circling to the other side of the mountain, then proceeding from a relatively flat terrain to another mountain peak, and finally descending through a long canyon.
The wilderness in these mountain forests remained untouched by human traces, preserving its most primitive appearance. Gu Qingtong could see numerous large white birds flapping their massive wings among the trees.
During summer, most wild beasts would emerge to roam and hunt, especially prey with unusual scents that easily attracted their attention. When camping at night, the four were afraid of large predators potentially hiding in caves, so they could only climb trees to rest.
But just as Gu Qingtong closed her eyes, she heard a “hissing” sound and turned slightly to see a pair of green, glowing eyes. Her lips trembled as she whispered: “Rong’er.”
In the next instant, the snake quickly approached. Gu Qingtong let out an “Ah” and dodged to the side, only to see the snake bite her arm slightly off-target.
