The Shuofeng Mountain Range lay a hundred li south of Shuofeng City. At Lu Ming's current speed, such a distance would take at least several hours to cover.
With the journey there and back, nearly an entire day would be gone. Therefore, he had to consider spending the night in the mountains.
Without a doubt, the forest would be even more dangerous at night, so he had no choice but to make thorough preparations.
Fortunately, he had long entertained this idea. Thus, whenever he read in Old Man Zhao's house, he had mainly studied matters related to various demonic beasts, medicinal herbs, ores, and the like.
That way, he would not miss any treasures when the time came.
Besides that, he had specifically read quite a few books introducing the terrain, scenery, and other features of the Shuofeng Mountain Range.
So now, all he needed to prepare were things such as insect-repelling powder.
It took him most of the day to get everything ready.
"Remember this: in the wilderness, the most terrifying thing is not demonic beasts, but the human heart. Do not trust others lightly."
Old Man Zhao naturally knew of Lu Ming's plans. He was not surprised by his choice, merely offering this reminder before Lu Ming set off.
Lu Ming was not truly a child. Having weathered countless ups and downs in his previous life, he naturally understood that the human heart was unfathomable.
Moreover, he had grown up steeped in all kinds of wuxia novels, so he was hardly inexperienced.
Still, warmth rose in his heart. He could feel that Old Man Zhao was genuinely concerned for him. "Don't worry, old man. When I come back, I'll bring you some fresh venison."
Without dwelling on tender feelings between people, he said his piece, clasped his long saber, and strode away with carefree ease.
"When a fledgling eagle spreads its wings, whether it soars into the skies or dies before its time, every step must be walked by itself."
Watching Lu Ming's figure cross the single-plank bridge, Old Man Zhao suddenly muttered to himself, then lay back down.
From his time with Lu Ming, he knew that Lu Ming's mind far surpassed that of ordinary people.
So he was not overly worried.
Of course, danger still existed, and it was immense. But just as he had said, whether Lu Ming soared or died young would depend on how he faced it himself.
By then, Lu Ming had reached the streets. He did not walk quickly, because he was considering whether to retrieve the two books he had hidden outside the northern part of the city first.
But after pondering it for a while, he gave up on the idea.
For one thing, he should not carry too many things with him on this trip into the mountains.
For another, he feared someone might be lying in wait nearby.
After so much time had passed, Old Man Heavenly Saber's tomb had likely been discovered long ago. Whoever found it, upon seeing the remaining treasures, stood a good chance of staking out the area and waiting for him to return.
And the place where he had hidden the books was not far from the tomb.
He had no desire to walk into the net himself.
Thus, he hesitated no longer, quickened his pace, and headed straight for the southern city gate.
The northern side of Shuofeng City was not all plains. There were mountains and forests as well, though they were small, more like little hills.
Deep within the woods where Lu Ming had awakened last time, the fully opened Stone Coffin lay alone, surrounded by deathly silence.
Not even the chirping of insects could be heard.
Yet after only a short while, a rustling sound drifted over. It was the sound of feet treading across sandy ground.
A dozen or so people approached, led by a bearded burly man.
They walked straight to the Stone Coffin.
"Guild Master, we've been staking this place out for more than half a month. It seems the person who left those footprints won't be coming back."
A young man spoke.
The bearded man stared at the Stone Coffin before him, frowning in silence. After a moment, he turned to an old man in a hat and asked:
"What does Master Liu think?"
"Reporting to the Guild Master, it is still what I said before. Apart from that person's footprints, there is also the paw print of a fierce tiger here. Together with the small chest of gold and silver left in the tomb, we can conclude that the man only had time to loot the contents of the Stone Coffin before that tiger frightened him away."
"So, if he is not dead, he will definitely return to retrieve the treasure."
The bearded man neither agreed nor disagreed. He turned to another person and asked, "Have you found that tiger?"
That person hastily replied, "Reporting to the Guild Master, not yet. That tiger probably does not live in these woods. We have found no beast's den."
"However, we have already sent people to expand the search area." Perhaps because he had nothing to show for it, he hurriedly added that last sentence.
"Have the people lying in wait near the official road outside seen anyone suspicious recently?"
"Reporting to the Guild Master, no." The man hesitated for a moment.
"So that means neither the man nor the tiger has been found, and we cannot even determine whether that man was eaten?"
The bearded man's voice turned somewhat cold.
Everyone around him hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to respond. Even Master Liu, who had earlier been fanning himself with such confidence, stopped moving his fan.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that no one could give him a definite answer, the bearded man snorted coldly and grabbed the edge of the Stone Coffin. The coffin was like tofu beneath his hand, a chunk easily torn away and then crushed into powder.
The resentment on his face was plain to see. Anyone could tell that the truly valuable treasures had been inside the Stone Coffin.
But now, only scattered bones remained within it.
"Keep staking the place out for a few more days. Continue searching for their traces as well. We must determine whether that man is dead or alive!"
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, Lu Ming naturally had no idea that he had inadvertently avoided an encounter. Right now, he was racing along the official road with the [Cloud Soaring Skill].
Excitement surged through him.
He discovered that using qinggong in open terrain felt entirely different from using it in cramped spaces. It gave him the feeling of breaking free from shackles, of heaven and earth letting him roam as he pleased.
It was utterly exhilarating.
"Now I really do feel a little like one of those wandering heroes from wuxia novels."
Holding his long saber, Lu Ming glanced back at the city he had left far behind, sighed with feeling, then gathered his focus and continued on his way.
The southern city gate had always been bustling, but the farther he went from it, the fewer people there were. After turning onto the small path leading into the Shuofeng Mountain Range, people became even scarcer.
He could hardly encounter anyone at all.
Yet Lu Ming became even more cautious instead, because the surroundings were no longer open. Strictly speaking, he had already more or less entered the outer region of the Shuofeng Mountain Range.
It was only because so many Martial Artists entered and left year-round that the range's outer boundary had continually shrunk inward.
After walking for another half an hour or so, Lu Ming could no longer see any road. The forest also grew denser, which meant he had finally arrived.
Taking a deep breath, he prepared to step inside.
But just then, a heavy set of footsteps suddenly sounded, as though someone was coming out.
He immediately placed a hand on his saber hilt in vigilance. Almost the next second, the owner of the footsteps emerged: a man carrying a wild boar on his back.
Seeing Lu Ming, the man was clearly somewhat surprised as well. But he merely gave Lu Ming a few cold glances, then continued walking outward on his own.
"As expected of someone who dares enter the mountains. Just any random person is already at the seventh layer of inner qi."
Only after the figure disappeared did Lu Ming take his hand from the saber hilt. He was not surprised that the man had not said a single word.
In the wilderness, slaughter filled every corner—between humans and beasts, and between humans themselves. Being ignored already counted as the greatest kindness.
As for Lu Ming, so long as others did not provoke him, he would not take the initiative to start a conflict.
Without further thought, Lu Ming continued deeper into the mountains. With no road to follow, every step was difficult, and the tall trees and dense woods also made it hard to see.
So he advanced very slowly.
It was not until more than a quarter of an hour later that he encountered his first opponent.
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