Lin Xiao ultimately agreed to make a trip to Dushan Fortress, just as he had initially thought. Dushan Fortress merely had a domineering reputation and way of doing things in the martial world; it was not evil like the Demon Sect. Besides, the Great River Gang he came from was a subordinate gang of Dushan Fortress, so strictly speaking, they were on the same side.
Moreover, there was no enmity between them. There was no reason for them to set him up.
Of course, the main reason was that the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was simply too tempting. Merely seeing the brocade box taken out by the Golden Eagle Envoy, without even laying eyes on the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng itself, he had already felt a strange force driving him to agree.
Or rather, he vaguely sensed that this Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was not merely a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. It seemed to contain something else within it.
That something held a peculiar attraction for him, making him unable to resist the urge to obtain it.
After the group made their preparations, they continued on their way. Lin Xiao traveled alongside the Golden Eagle Envoy, who introduced him to the many Dushan Fortress experts accompanying them.
Just as he had expected, apart from the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen, there was also a Dharma King named Purple Elephant Dharma King, four Dushan Envoys, the Dushan Fortress experts who had come along, and the Thirteen Riders of Saibei. There were an astonishing number of experts. It seemed that even if the fighting continued, the martial artists from before might not necessarily be able to defeat them.
The many experts were extremely surprised by Lin Xiao's background. Even the tall, powerfully built, and rather imposing Purple Elephant Dharma King could not help glancing at him from time to time along the way, clearly astonished by his youth and martial arts.
Riding side by side with the Golden Eagle Envoy, Wang Zhen stroked his beard and said to him,
"Our Fortress Master has collected all manner of martial arts from across the world within the fortress. Once you enter the fortress, you may freely practice any martial art in the Martial Arts Pavilion. With your aptitude, I believe it will not take long for you to surpass this old man."
Lin Xiao smiled when he heard this and said,
"We'll talk about that when the time comes."
He did not dare make promises casually.
The Golden Eagle Envoy did not mind, nor did he press him for a reason. He simply continued introducing how wonderful Dushan Fortress was, how desperately the Fortress Master sought worthy talent, and what kind of treatment Lin Xiao would receive if he joined the fortress. It all sounded exceedingly tempting.
Lin Xiao also appropriately showed some anticipation. Although he did not hold out much hope of obtaining the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in the end, there was no harm in making the trip.
Before long, they followed the dry river valley of Longtan Gully beneath Zushan Mountain to the end of the riverbed, where they saw the towering Great Wall.
The Great Wall passed through Zushan Mountain, and this happened to be where it crossed through. It rose and fell along the mountain ridge, and there was a pass at the bottom of Longtan Gully. Although it could not compare with Shanhaiguan Pass, it still had over a thousand defenders and tight security.
Lin Xiao's gaze swept across the guards standing in ranks atop the wall and the densely packed military equipment. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked,
"With the defenses here so tight, how did Senior pass through?"
The Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen sat on his horse, stroked his beard, and laughed heartily.
"Of course, we just walk through."
Lin Xiao's face filled with question marks. At that moment, the convoy came to a halt, and one of the mounted subordinates spurred his horse toward the pass, shouting loudly up at it. The distance was somewhat great, so Lin Xiao could not hear clearly. The Golden Eagle Envoy happened to say beside him,
"Take a guess. How do you think we'll get through the pass?"
He furrowed his brows and thought for a moment before saying,
"Could it be that you bribed the defending commander of Zushan Pass before leaving the pass?"
Wang Zhen laughed heartily.
"That's partly right, but not the whole story."
Lin Xiao was even more puzzled. At that moment, the Purple Elephant Dharma King beside them turned his head and said,
"The defending commander of Zushan Pass is one of our people to begin with. Naturally, we can pass through safely."
Lin Xiao suddenly understood, but his face also filled with shock. He was shocked by the power of Dushan Fortress—even the commander guarding the border was theirs... Wait.
Lin Xiao's heart suddenly grew heavy. The defending commander of Zushan Pass being a member of Dushan Fortress should be a secret known only to the fortress's upper echelons, right? For the Purple Elephant Dharma King to tell him this—damn it, they were setting him up!
Now that he knew a secret known only to Dushan Fortress's higher-ups, once he entered Dushan Fortress, would they still let him leave? Surely not, right?
When he looked up and saw the Golden Eagle Envoy gazing over with a kindly smile, Lin Xiao saw the words "old fox" written in his eyes. As expected of a seasoned veteran of the martial world—he had dug a pit for Lin Xiao without him even noticing.
Once he realized this, Lin Xiao felt utterly miserable.
I need to find a chance to slip away!
Traveling with a bunch of old foxes was too dangerous. One day, they might sell him, and he would still be counting the money for them.
Unfortunately, there was no chance to run now. The pass was right before them, and he was in the middle of the crowd. He could not escape. He could only wait for an opportunity on the road. As long as he found a chance to get away, fleeing with his Lightness Skill would be laughably easy.
At that moment, the mounted subordinate who had been negotiating with the pass returned and cupped his hands toward the Golden Eagle Envoy.
"Reporting to the Golden Eagle Envoy, we have already contacted Brigadier General Li. We can enter the pass at any time."
Wang Zhen nodded from atop his horse, looked up at the pass, and waved his hand.
"Move out!"
The halted convoy continued forward. Ahead, the drawbridge of the pass was slowly lowering, and the gates were slowly opening. It looked like... the enormous maw of a giant beast slowly opening, giving off a very ominous feeling.
As the convoy drew closer and closer, they could already see the guards atop the city tower. In the center of the gatehouse, a military officer surrounded by his subordinates raised his clasped hands from afar toward the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen.
The front of the convoy had already entered the pass's barbican, but for some reason, Lin Xiao felt an inexplicable, heart-pounding dread, as if something terrible were about to happen.
Looking at the others, their expressions were normal, as though they sensed nothing. Even Wang Zhen beside him merely swayed with the movement of his horse's hooves while occasionally scanning their surroundings.
"Could it just be my imagination?"
Everyone's reactions were normal, and Lin Xiao began to deeply doubt his own senses. Could he have become overly sensitive to the murderous aura accumulated by these border troops through years of killing?
One carriage after another entered the city. Soon, it was their turn. They stepped onto the drawbridge over the moat and entered the long passage through the city gate. Suddenly, a small commotion broke out ahead. The Purple Elephant Dharma King shouted,
"What's happening up ahead?"
Someone immediately replied,
"The exit of the barbican has been closed. We can't get through."
As soon as those words fell, Lin Xiao's mind went blank, as though blood had suddenly rushed to his brain and made him lose consciousness for a moment. He instantly knew that his earlier premonition had been correct—the defending commander of Zushan Pass really was up to something.
Wang Zhen beside him also reacted at once and shouted,
"Everyone, retreat!"
At the same time, he pulled his horse backward. But with so many people packed together, he simply dismounted and darted out.
Right then, a thunderous boom erupted from the entrance of the city-gate passage behind them. A Dragon-Breaking Stone of unknown thickness crashed down from above, sealing off the exit in one stroke.
"Damn it, we really are turtles in a jar now!"
Lin Xiao complained helplessly. Beside him, the Golden Eagle Envoy and the Purple Elephant Dharma King leaped before the fallen stone at the same time. They exchanged a glance, then simultaneously circulated their power and slammed their palms viciously into the Dragon-Breaking Stone.
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