The mountains here are indeed peculiar, of an unknown topographical type, perhaps karst? Each mountain has small caves, and the one we are on, facing away from Furong Town, has several. One is quite large, about twenty square meters, showing signs of temporary human habitation and some food packaging. Upon inspection, the packaging was from 2004, indicating the cave's excellent preservation qualities, as the wrappers had not weathered over such a long period.
The cave also has its own water source. Water drips from the ceiling, collecting on the ground in a small, pot-like basin before flowing out from a depression. The basin is quite deep, and the water is clear and pure enough for all of us. We came in a hurry and brought no food, so I asked Shao Chen to hunt, as there must be prey in this wilderness.
Within five minutes, Shao Chen returned with three pheasants, saying the others were protected animals (though pheasants are also technically), so he hadn't dared hunt them.
The women gathered some dry branches from outside, and we built a fire in the cave to roast the chickens. After eating our fill, Aying brought in a large pile of dry grass, which we spread on a flat stone. We rested directly on it.
Surprisingly, the temperature inside the cave was significantly higher than outside, thanks to the windbreak effect and the added warmth of the fire. We slept very comfortably.
The women took turns on watch, monitoring Furong Town from the mountaintop. Since I was the least skilled, I was exempt from guard duty and could sleep.
I awoke to the daylight outside the cave entrance. Several beautiful women were sleeping beside me. I carefully moved Diana's legs and tiptoed out of the cave to relieve myself.
Last night, visibility was less than two meters due to the darkness, preventing us from appreciating the mountain scenery. Now, seeing it clearly, I was truly amazed by the magnificence of Xiangxi. Though we were in the wilderness, the mountains were verdant, the trees dense, and the greenery vast. On the slopes, there were even some exotic flowers and plants. Despite it being winter, a few were in bloom.
No wonder those Song Dynasty refugees chose this place; it is truly a paradise.
After enjoying the view for the time it took to smoke a cigarette, I went to the mountaintop again. Shao Chen was on duty, sitting cross-legged behind a large tree, staring intently in the direction of Furong Town.
I activated my Qi sensing technique to confirm the orientation, then looked with my naked eye. Without the guidance of Qi sensing, it would be impossible to find the location.
It looked no different from elsewhere, but it was evident that the slope where Furong Town was located had indeed experienced a landslide. The green vegetation grew on top of the accumulated debris, forming a relatively flat area.
"Anything unusual?" I asked.
"No. Before dawn, I could still see some firelight, but now there's nothing," Shao Chen replied.
"Perhaps they've all gone into their caves to sleep," I guessed. Guarding was necessary at night due to poor visibility, but in daylight, only minimal observation was needed from a high vantage point. I did spot a sentry on the mountaintop where the landslide originated, but they were too far away to discern their gender, only that it was a human shape.
My satellite phone in my pocket rang. I instinctively muted it and hid behind a rock to answer. This wasn't my phone; Lin Xi had lent it to me, and it had no contacts saved. However, judging by the voice, it was Yao Yao.
"What's up?" I asked.
"How are you guys doing?"
"We've found the Miao King's stronghold and are observing secretly, waiting for Bai Qingcheng's reinforcement," I said. "How is Long Yue's injury?"
"She's okay. It shouldn't leave any lasting effects. She asked me to tell you that if you encounter the Miao King, you absolutely must not engage him. Even if his true qi is damaged, you won't be able to defeat him, let alone with his eight Vajras and four Dharma protectors around him, none of whom are to be trifled with. You should let the others handle them."
"Please thank Long Yue for her reminder," I said with a smile. She really cared about me, which seemed to indicate her sincere allegiance.
However, in the three days I hadn't seen them, I was no longer the same. While I definitely couldn't defeat the Miao King, I was confident I could handle some of his subordinates.