"The greening rate in the underworld is surprisingly high," Bingbing, whose manual driving skills were the most proficient, said to me through the car's intercom. She and Wu Zhao were leading the convoy. There was no mobile signal in the underworld, but wireless communication devices like intercoms could be used. I didn't know the principle behind it.
"They haven't industrialized yet. Once they do, they'll start logging," I chuckled.
The forest wasn't large, and the road within it was quite smooth. We drove out easily, and before us lay a plain dotted with a city. Just as I was about to ask Wu Zhao if it was a rebel-controlled area, she spoke over the radio, "Don't worry, this is our territory."
As the convoy entered the city and drove through the main street, I noticed the common folk were quite curious about the three trucks. People lined both sides of the road. This didn't seem ideal. If the underworld's populace paid too much attention, and the rebels discovered us remotely, wouldn't we become a primary target?
I brought this up with Wu Zhao, and she agreed it made sense. She asked for my thoughts.
"Could we disguise the trucks as horse-drawn carriages?" I suggested. I had ridden in carriages in the underworld before, and they were quite elaborate. The carriage of an ordinary county magistrate was on par with the emperor's, which spoke volumes about the advanced carriage industry there.
"How would we disguise them?" Wu Zhao asked.
"Tie four horses in front of each vehicle, and then decorate the exterior of the trucks with wood, cloth, and other materials to resemble carriages. Our trucks aren't very fast anyway, and the horses wouldn't need to exert themselves. Normally, they could just trot along behind. If we need to pass through rebel territory, we'd tie them to the front and pretend they're pulling the vehicles," I explained.
Wu Zhao pondered for a moment and found it feasible. She and Bingbing then took the convoy to the city's horse market, where they purchased twelve horses. Afterward, they found a carriage workshop and used readily available materials for the modification. Since the carriage workshops in the underworld were state-owned, there were no concerns about security.
About an hour later, all three trucks were modified. I had to admit, the craftsmanship of the underworld's carriages far surpassed that of ancient times in the mortal world. They were incredibly lifelike, even concealing two-thirds of the wheels, leaving only the lower portion of the tires exposed.
Of course, the engine noise was unavoidable, and the exhaust still carried the pungent smell of diesel. However, since ghosts didn't breathe, they couldn't smell it.
With the modifications complete, we continued our journey. Leaving the city, we entered a forest again. This time, the forest was quite expansive, and we drove for a good five to six hours. Emerging from the forest, the temperature dropped sharply, and it began to snow. Wu Zhao warned us that the rebel territory lay ahead and cautioned us to be extremely careful.
In the distance, we could indeed see a military camp. However, due to the heavy snowfall, the rebels remained indoors and didn't notice our "carriage convoy," or at least didn't pay much attention to it, allowing us to pass through the occupied zone smoothly. Ahead, the terrain became mountainous.
Not long after we began climbing the mountains, all three vehicles indicated they were low on fuel. We stopped to refuel and let the horses rest. I asked Wu Zhao how long we would be on this mountain road, as it didn't look easy to navigate.
Wu Zhao replied that it would take at least three hours, with a brief stretch of low-lying forest in between. There were no rebels in that area, but there were mountain bandits, so we needed to be cautious.
"Are they ghost bandits or spirit bandits?" I inquired.
"Ghost bandits."
That was good. No matter how formidable the ghost bandits were, they were still afraid of bullets!
An hour later, we passed through the first mountain range and entered the forest. I activated my Qi-sensing technique to scout ahead. Indeed, I detected some ghostly presences in the forest, but they seemed to emanate from small villages. As we entered the core of the forest, Wu Zhao, who was in front, suddenly stopped. I used the intercom to ask what was wrong.
"There's an obstruction," Wu Zhao said.
"...I don't see anything," I replied, as my Qi-sensing vision showed nothing.
"You'll see when you get here."
I got out of the car and walked to the front of the convoy. A deep chasm blocked our path. The only way across the abyss was a large suspension bridge. The approximately fifty-meter-long bridge deck was piled high with logs, clearly a deliberate blockade.
"Did the bandits do this?" I asked.
"Possibly, but what's their purpose in blocking the road?" Wu Zhao frowned.
"Whatever their reason, let's move it. How long will it take?" I asked.
Wu Zhao walked to the side and observed for a moment before shaking her head. "There are too many, and they're all made of heavy wood. Moving them all would take at least seven or eight hours."
"Are there any other routes?" Lin Chi asked.
"Yes," Wu Zhao pointed towards the "upstream" direction of the chasm. "There's a smaller bridge about five li away. However, that bridge is quite narrow, and ordinary carriages can just barely pass. I'm not sure if our trucks can make it."
"Let's try," Lin Chi said. "Delaying could lead to trouble."