Taihang Mountain
There wasn't a single guard outside the main tent in the Imperial Guard camp. Only upon close inspection could one discover that a dense array of guards was stationed three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away from the main tent. Why didn't any guards approach the main tent?
At this moment, Zhang Xingfeng, the Li Family Head, and Zhu Li were in the main tent. Only the three of them were present; Zhu Deng couldn't enter. They were now preparing to piece together the treasure map, a matter of utmost importance. Of course, only one person from each of the three factions could contribute.
"Everyone, please place your paintings on this table!" Zhu Li was the first to place his Ascending Dragon Map on the table.
Zhang Xingfeng readily placed the Hidden Latent Dragon Chart on the table, and the Li Family Head smiled slightly, placing the Soaring Dragon Map on the same table. To be honest, the three of them were genuinely curious at this point; how could three pictures depicting dragons be treasure maps?
Just as the Li Family Head placed the third picture on the table, a sudden change occurred!
The three images emitted a faint golden light, which grew stronger and stronger until it gradually began to merge.
Zhu Li and the Li Family Head were dumbfounded. They didn't understand why such a change had occurred. Zhang Xingfeng was also extremely shocked. "This is clearly the method of cultivators. Could it be that Temujin had cultivation masters under his command back then?" But when he thought of the old monk from Shaolin and Mr. Zuo from the Demon Hall, he felt relieved.
All three watched this scene intently, not missing a single detail. The golden light grew brighter and brighter... Suddenly, the golden light intensified dramatically, and all three experienced a momentary blankness in their vision. When they finally adjusted and looked back at the table:
The golden light had disappeared, and at this moment, all three pictures on the table had also disappeared, leaving only one picture on the table.
The three hurriedly stepped forward.
The words "Taihang Mountain!" appeared at the top of the map, which showed the route within the Taihang Mountain. It seemed the treasure was hidden in the Taihang Mountain.
At Taihang Mountain, Zhang Xingfeng and Zhu Li both frowned, but neither of them noticed that the Li Family Head revealed a hint of wild joy at this moment, which he quickly concealed. However, Zhang Xingfeng and Zhu Li were both troubled and did not notice.
"The Taihang Mountain are no ordinary place. The 100,000 Mountain Bandits of the Taihang Mountains have a history of nearly a thousand years. For nearly a thousand years, countless attempts to suppress them have ended in failure. This time, the treasure is actually in the Taihang Mountain. Alas!" Zhu Li sighed helplessly.
Zhang Xingfeng knew a bit about the Mountain Bandits in the Taihang Mountain. There weren't as many Mountain Bandits in the Taihang Mountain as in the Tianya Mountain Range, nor were there as many people. However, the skill level of the Taihang Mountain Bandits was significantly higher than that of the Tianya Mountain Range. Most importantly, the Taihang Mountain Bandits never accepted any faction.
While this reassured the various factions, it also troubled Zhang Xingfeng. Ten thousand Mountain Bandits were no joke; killing them would be too much for most to handle. Furthermore, the Taihang Mountain were located between Qingzhou Prefecture and the Liao Kingdom. Too many troops dared not cross, fearing it would provoke war. This was also a reason why the Taihang Mountain Bandits could roam freely.
"Alright, let's head to Qingzhou City in Qingzhou Prefecture first! We'll figure out a better plan there. Besides, we don't have many people. Let's see if we can evade the Mountain Bandits and retrieve the treasure. If all else fails, I'll send hundreds of thousands of troops from Qingzhou Prefecture to attack the Taihang Mountain, and we'll take advantage of the situation!" Zhu Li sounded a bit agitated. "Things were almost done, and now these Taihang Mountain Bandits have appeared. This is really troublesome!"
Zhang Xingfeng nodded slightly. No matter what, he was just one person. Where couldn't he go? And who could hurt him? Besides, he had the ultimate life-saving weapon— the Tianyu Bracelet.
The Li Family Head said, "We will follow His Majesty's arrangements!"
Zhu Li was taken aback, and Zhang Xingfeng was also taken aback. The two looked at the Li Family Head and thought to themselves, "When did this old guy become so obedient?" But since the Li Family Head agreed, wasn't that a good thing? So they didn't say anything.
"Who should keep this map?" Zhu Li asked. It was easy to handle when there were three maps, but now that there was only one map, it was quite troublesome.
Zhang Xingfeng laughed and said, "The Emperor can keep it himself!" As he spoke, Zhang Xingfeng added a bit of Chaos Power to the treasure map.
Surprisingly, the Li Family Head was extremely generous, saying, "Hmm... Your Majesty, please keep it safe. It is up to Your Majesty to keep it safe!"
Zhu Li and Zhang Xingfeng were taken aback again. It seemed that the Li Family Head had changed a lot! At this moment, both of them became wary of the Li Family Head.
"Alright, in that case, let's set off!" Zhu Li announced.
Zhang Xingfeng and the other man nodded. The matter was thus decided.
Immediately, 500 elite warriors from the Li Family and 500 heroes from the Vanguard Camp set off. Destination— Qingzhou City!
Four days later, the main force finally arrived Qingzhou City. Zhang Xingfeng and his companions were extremely comfortable; the warm, soft cushions in the luxurious carriage made the ride almost imperceptible. Zhang Xingfeng was meditating inside, while Li Tianxiang, who was concealing his identity, was left outside exposed to the dust!
Qingzhou City, wealthy officials and gentry of the Qingzhou City were gathered, all with rosy cheeks, humbly awaiting the emperor's arrival.
Three luxurious carriages were the first to stop.
Two people stepped out of the middle carriage: Emperor Zhu Li and the Second Prince Zhu Deng. The Li Family Head stepped out of the carriage on the right, and Zhang Xingfeng stepped out of the carriage on the left.
The prominent figures in Qingzhou City were all stunned. Looking at the style of the carriages, they were almost identical. Who were the people in the carriages on either side, that they could ride in the same style of carriage as the Emperor?
"Oh, isn't that Li Family Head?" Some important figures in Qingzhou City recognized the head of the number one Aristocratic Clan in the world. "And who is that white-haired man over there?"
But there was no time for them to think. Zhu Li walked up to them, and the wealthy officials immediately knelt down, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Zhu Li smiled broadly and said, "Rise!" Zhu Li continued, "Let me introduce you. This is the Li Family Head, whom I believe you all recognize. And this is Earl Zhang of our dynasty. Earl Zhang Xingfeng!"
The wealthy officials and gentry greeted him politely, but in their hearts they wondered, "How could an earl receive such treatment!" But they knew that this was beyond their knowledge, nor was it something they should ask.
Zhang Xingfeng had no intention of wasting time with these guys, so he simply walked over to Zhu Li's side. Zhu Li was the Emperor, and those people dared not approach him. They might be accused of plotting against the Emperor! That would be a terrible fate.
Zhu Li seemed disdainful of communicating with these people and turned to walk into Qingzhou City.
At this moment, Zhu Li, Zhang Xingfeng, and the Li Family Head gathered in the room again.
Zhu Li took out a treasure map and another map, saying, "This one is a detailed map of the Taihang Mountain. By comparing these two maps, you can clearly see the location of the treasure map."
Zhang Xingfeng and the Li Family Head both stepped forward to examine it carefully, and indeed, it was very clear! The location of the treasure map was in a canyon within the Taihang Mountain. This canyon was located in a very secluded place, and it would be difficult for ordinary people to find it.
"What are your thoughts on this?" Zhu Li asked.
The Li Family Head said, "This canyon is located in a rather secluded area, so there probably aren't any Mountain Bandits there. Of course, the most important thing is that the path leading to the canyon is also quite hidden. As long as we are careful, we should still have a chance to avoid attracting their attention!"
Zhang Xingfeng frowned upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "The Mountain Bandits of Taihang Mountain have been in this area for nearly a thousand years. What place wouldn't they know? How could they possibly not be discovered if they took this route?" Of course, Zhang Xingfeng wouldn't say that, since he was alone anyway.
Zhu Li seemed to know that although this route was hidden, the chances of it going undetected were slim. However, Zhu Li clearly didn't want to attack with hundreds of thousands of troops, as that would result in heavy casualties. Zhu Li thought to himself, "If we're really lucky, we might actually go undetected, and this time the team consists of experts. It seems there really is hope."
Zhu Li said, "Hmm... I think what Li Family Head said makes sense. We'll sneak in tonight. This time, I won't go myself; I'll have the Second Prince Zhu Deng go in my place!"
Zhang Xingfeng and the Li Family Head both nodded, showing no surprise whatsoever. How could the emperor, the supreme ruler, be in such a dangerous situation?
The three of them then dispersed!
That evening!
1,000 experts made their way silently toward the Taihang Mountain.
The masters displayed their lightness skills, and nearly a thousand people advanced without making a sound, which was quite terrifying.
That night, the group arrived at the foot of the Taihang Mountain.
Zhang Xingfeng, the leader, along with the Li Family Head and Zhu Deng, exchanged a glance before leading their troops inside. The pitch-black Taihang Mountain, like a Primordial Era beast, swallowed the troops whole and eventually disappeared from sight.
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