Mountain Patrol Military Officer

Three days later, a precipitous mountain path in a place where the mountains are steep.

On one side of the mountain path, the sheer peak thrusts into the clouds like a sharp sword, with almost vertical cliffs adorned with bizarre rocks; some resembling fierce beast heads, others like huge stones on the verge of falling. On the other side is a bottomless abyss, from which the sound of rushing water faintly echoes. This path is rugged and perilous; in its most dangerous parts, the stone road disappears, replaced by large wooden planks driven into the mountain wall, forming a precarious walkway.

At this moment, just as dawn was breaking, the mountains were shrouded in mist, occasionally pierced by the distant calls of unknown birds and beasts.

As the path opened up, the narrow, winding trail suddenly broadened, revealing a flat area within the misty cliffs, where the lights of an inn emitted a soft golden glow in the morning mist.

An inn was actually nestled here!

Outside, a large flag with the word "Wine" flapped in the wind.

And at this time, in the morning mist not far away, the clear sound of a bell rang out, moving nearer and nearer.

"Ding-ling"

"Ding-ling"

"..."

As the sound grew closer, through the mist, a carriage slowly emerged.

Pulling the carriage were three silver-maned horses, their coats glistening and muscles strong, shimmering with a captivating silvery sheen. The coachman wore a bamboo hat tilted downward, obscuring most of his face, only revealing a tuft of gray-white goatee on his chin, and held a whip in his hand.

The carriage itself was jet black, with several green bells hanging from each corner beneath the canopy, jingling as the carriage bounced along.

Behind the carriage rode two men on horseback, side by side. One was burly, with upturned whiskers and dressed in a blue patterned robe, his appearance commanding and eyes gleaming with sharp intelligence. The other wore scarlet clothing, his hair gray and meticulously combed.

The carriage came to a gentle stop in front of the inn.

By now, under the dusky blue sky, the area outside the inn had already become bustling, with drivers preparing horses and carriages, merchants heading out on their journeys, and guards overseeing their cargo...

This carriage, emerging through the mist on the mountain path, drew more than a few glances sideways!

With treacherous mountains and perilous waters, wastelands, and wild lands, the illusions of Dragon Ridge, and the insurmountable Shu Road — those daring to travel by night must surely possess exceptional skills, and these travelers indeed carried an aura of distinction.

After all, Dragon Ridge stretches not merely for thousands of miles, like a natural barrier, lying between Shu and Guanzhong, harboring countless Mountain Spirits and Wild Demons, bandits, and villains.

Otherwise, why did the ancients lament the difficulty of the Shu Road, likening it to ascending to the heavens?

Merchants traveling along this route frequently had guards and Escorts accompanying them, and still, many disappeared each year into the deep forests and mountains.

However, these onlooking eyes soon turned away, for in this vast world of powerful figures, one wouldn't want to look too long lest one incur the displeasure of the carriage's occupants, provoking unnecessary enmity.

This was worldly society's wisdom.

After all, nobody likes the feeling of being stared at.

As the carriage stopped outside the inn, the sound of the bells caught the attentive ears of the shopkeeper. Soon, a shop attendant, dressed in a blue cloth robe, a small cap on his head, and a white cloth draped over his shoulder, hurried out to greet.

"Oh my, you gentlemen! Traveling the misty night road is dangerous; it seems the esteemed guests are truly skilled. Please come in and have a cup of hot tea!"

When the shop attendant saw the demeanor of the horsemen and the extremely beautiful silver horses, his eyes lit up, and he warmly beckoned, his tone distinctly different from the Shu region.

He moved to take the horse's reins and complimented the two horsemen behind the carriage with a smile.

The two behind the carriage ignored the attendant and simply tugged at their reins, drawing alongside the carriage and peering inside, evidently indicating that those inside held the authority.

At this point, the driver dismounted, tossed the reins to the shop attendant, then bowed slightly and went to lift the curtain's hem, calling softly, "Young master!"

Soon, the curtain was lifted, and a young man dressed in a vibrant green robe with a sharp brow and starry eyes, and a golden seam between them, emerged.

This was none other than Chen Yuan, who had left Shu three days ago!

Chen Yuan, observing the inn, felt his expression lighten and looked over at the two horsemen with a gentle smile:

"Who would've thought there'd be an inn along such a perilous path? You two have had it tough these past few days, so let's take a break!"

He then turned to the approaching attendant,

"Attendant, bring out the wine!"

He then disembarked from the carriage.

"Right away!" The shop attendant, glancing at the young man before him, sensed an imposing aura, and, drawing on years of experience in observing guests, dared not delay. He turned and shouted into the inn, "Shopkeeper, we have distinguished guests, hurry and bring the wine!"

After he called, he quickly faced Chen Yuan and his companions with a smile, saying, "Gentlemen, please come in! I'll tether your horses and join you shortly!"

Chen Yuan nodded in acknowledgment and stepped forward, followed by the driver; the two horsemen exchanged a glance filled with a hint of resignation, then dismounted and followed as well.

As the four headed towards the inn, Chen Yuan noticed those coming out appeared to be merchants who had rested and were preparing to depart early with the morning light. Surprisingly, before they left, they stopped at a small stone-encased hut beside the inn to burn incense, solemnly bowing and kneeling before it, with a look of earnest reverence.

The little hut contained nothing but an eight-foot tall mud statue, carved from stone and painted red, standing on a fierce tiger and holding a black sword, its fierce eyes and brows exuding authority.

There was surprisingly a generous amount of incense in front of this shrine, evidently placed there by passing travelers.

This setup seemed to make sense on its own, but being situated right next to the inn, it looked somewhat peculiar.