Mountain Patrol Military Officer

"Do not neglect!"

"Yes!" Gao Yu's ear twitched slightly, immediately understanding, then quickly leading people into the hall to lift the eunuch up.

"You...you all..."

"What are you planning to do?"

The Lamp Master Eunuch, severely injured at this moment, felt weak all over, being lifted by the soldiers, cried out in sharp fear and anger.

But Chen Yuan ignored this eunuch, walking out of the hall on his own accord, the setting sun gilding him like flowing fire.

Xu Liang and Gou Yue saw this scene, their faces changed slightly, but they could only follow him out.

"General, Eunuch Ruan, after all, was sent by His Majesty, please be merciful!" Xu Liang, being in charge this time, was still afraid something would happen.

"This eunuch said my Mountain-cutting Army's tens of thousands of soldiers are mud legs that should rot in the muddy mire of Shu, for not annihilating him on the spot, I've already given His Majesty face!"

Chen Yuan's sinister voice came.

Xu Liang's face twitched, and he wisely chose to shut up, while a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes. These eunuchs truly came to mess things up, all their thoughts used to speculate on the emperor's mind, yet they don't restrain themselves outside, aren't they courting death, previous warnings didn't work.

Indeed, those words at the foot of the mountain were overheard by this Dragon Tiger General!

"Both of you should not concern yourselves with others, please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"

Chen Yuan stepped forward, stepping out into the air.

The two hurriedly followed behind.

Soon, as the sun sank into the western mountains, night fell, a banquet was held at the villa halfway up Yunding Mountain, with music of silk and bamboo, martial arts competitions with blades, cheers resonating.

Chen Yuan sat at the chief seat, during the banquet, he and Pei Yanhu subtly communicated with each other.

Several Colonels raised a toast one by one to the two from the court.

Amidst the banquet, hosts and guests seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves!

......

While Chen Yuan hosted a banquet for the envoys from the Divine Capital, seven hundred miles southwest of Jingguan City, there was a Baping County.

Behind Baping County, there was an Ancestor Mountain, where people from the county would mostly be buried after they passed, generation after generation, for centuries. People frequently visited for ancestral worship, slowly turning this mountain into the Ancestor Mountain.

Strangely, just over half a year ago, an astronomical phenomenon occurred, with heavy snowfall, and suddenly another mountain appeared behind the Ancestor Mountain.

This was a mountain that could emit light!

When it appeared behind the Ancestor Mountain, only the mountaintop revealed itself amid the flying snow and overcast sky, like a Golden Mountain under the sun.

This anomaly sparked quite a sensation at that time, attracting many to witness it, which later caught the attention of the Ninth Mountain, resulting in it being sealed off by troops. Later, heavy mist arose, enveloping this Golden Mountain just like the Ancestor Mountain, with people and animals unable to enter, those who did got lost as if in a maze, becoming increasingly dangerous, as anyone who went in would disappear without a trace, like a drop of water vanishing into the sea, never to be seen again.

Previously sealed off by the Ninth Mountain Army, subsequent events led to the troops being withdrawn, now turning Taiping County's vicinity into a mix of dragons and fish.

Now that the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in Shu has revived, rumors of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures have drawn numerous drifters from the worldly society here seeking fortune.

A mountain that glows, like a Golden Mountain illuminated by sunlight, with such mystery, surely is extraordinary, attracting people from all over to explore.

Only since the mountain became shrouded in mist, the rumors grew more terrifying, it transformed into a genuine Fierce Mountain, with many entering and never returning, it's said even Martial Vault experts got lost within.

Among those, a team entered, vanishing like mud oxen into the sea.

Yet, half a month ago, someone received a signal from this team.

It was a distress signal!

Now, beneath the snowfall, the cold winds howling, there was a dilapidated Land God temple under the Ancestor Mountain.

Outside the temple, figures clad in sturdy attire guarded the surroundings, sharp eyes scanning the vast snowy night, with the distant Ancestor Mountain appearing veiled in clouds and mist, like shrouded in shadow.

Inside the temple, crackling sounds echoed, a bonfire blazed brightly, illuminating several faces.

These individuals all wore brocaded robes, their features sharp, their statures robust, clearly displaying notable martial arts skills, yet some bore anxious, weary, terrified, or uneasy expressions.

Nobody spoke, the air was deathly silent, as wood crackled explosively, driving away the cold.

Not long after, in the midst of the swirling snowfall outside, a horse's neigh pierced through.

Neighing

The sound drew nearer, accompanied by the sound of hooves treading on snow.

The atmosphere inside the temple immediately grew restless, and next moment by the bonfire, some faces shifted, springing to their feet to hover outside.

Once they dashed outside, they saw amidst the whistling snowfall, shortly a pair of green lights resembling ghostly fire appeared from the snowstorm!

Soon after, shadows tore through the storm, revealing their true forms.

It was a string of large horses donning fish scale armor, with a long convoy escorted behind.

Atop the horses stood figures in black cloaks, tall and upright, sturdy as pine.

From the carriage behind, the drape parted, revealing an old man in a cape, wearing a jade hairpin, his face emaciated, eyes penetrating ominously.

People forthwith rushed up from within the temple, clasping their hands in a bow, lowering their heads:

"Lord Chief Historian!"

The old man glanced at them, his gaze ominous, "Still no news from the Princely Heir?"

Someone spoke anxiously, "Yes!"

"The Princely Heir sent a distress signal using Heavenly God Incense half a month ago, saying they were trapped in a cliff coffin within the mountain; before finishing, the signal was abruptly cut off. Upon sending messages back, the mansion dispatched several Martial Vault guest retainers but all went missing, leaving only us stationed outside the mountain."

The one speaking was a guest from Beiliang's princely party who had entered Shu with the Princely Heir, initially tasked with probing the Fire Phoenix information on General Mountain, then focused on the mountain that suddenly arose in Taiping County, leading the guests into the mountain by night, never to return.

Half a month ago, the Princely Heir suddenly used a secret treasure to send back ominous news, then vanished again.

Messages sent back to Beiliang caused the mansion to dispatch experts for rescue, none returned, sparking panic.

The mountain was dangerously fierce, swallowing Martial Vault experts without trace, eradicating movement, all perished, their fate unknown.

The old man's brows suddenly shot out divine light, eyeing the distant mist-shrouded abyss-like mountain,

"This place is too strange!"

"The Princely Heir's fate is unpredictable!"

"Now that we are in Shu, we cannot make a big move, our only hope lies with the Dragon Tiger of the Ninth Mountain!"

Speaking, this Left Chief Historian from the Royal Beiliang Mansion, his eyes grew deep, carrying a hint of reverence.

"That one!"

"But that one doesn't get along with the Princely Heir!" exclaimed a guest.

"Silence! That one, upon ascending Dragon and Tiger, would not haggle with a junior like the Princely Heir."