North of Lal Mountain, roughly two thousand li from Mengshui Pass, stood a place called North-Looking Peak, a name bestowed by an Asa of the Barbarian Tribe years ago.
It meant sitting in the south and gazing north, in the hope that one day the Barbarian Tribe could attack the Central Plains' Nine Provinces to the north and occupy that fertile territory.
But the people of the Central Plains called this peak "Goose Peak," invoking wild geese flying south for winter.
At this moment, dawn was breaking. A faint fish-belly white had just brightened the eastern horizon, and three somewhat bedraggled figures were making their way toward the light.
Who else could they be but Chu Xiudao, Xiao Fengchun, and Fu Wanqing?
"Those damned barbarians actually stationed a Great Grandmaster on the Tea Horse Road! If I hadn't noticed in advance, I'd really have fallen into his trap!"
Chu Xiudao cursed as he protected Xiao Fengchun and Fu Wanqing, hurrying all the way toward Mengshui Pass.
Earlier, following Chen Yi's suggestion, he had planned to cross Lal Mountain and take a detour along the Tea Horse Road to Hanxu Pass before returning to Shuzhou.
Now, with that Barbarian Tribe Great Grandmaster blocking their way, he could only take the Xiao Family couple toward Mengshui Pass instead.
Fu Wanqing glanced behind them and asked worriedly, "Senior, are you confident you can deal with that barbarian Great Grandmaster?"
Chu Xiudao shook his head, then nodded. "Thanks to Chen Kid, the bottleneck in my Blade Dao has loosened somewhat. I can't say I could kill that old fellow Tuluo, but I do have some confidence in protecting you two."
He looked at Xiao Fengchun ahead of him and continued, "If he catches up later, just take your wife to Mengshui Pass."
"Once you