Ghost Yin Mountain lay southwest of Baihe Village. Its branches and leaves shrouded the mountain, their indistinct shapes resembling ghostly shadows. It was so gloomy and terrifying that it had earned its name.
Naturally, a place like this was ideal for bandits and brigands. It was said that the imperial court had sent troops to suppress them many times. Unfortunately, wildfires could never burn away every trace, and spring breezes brought new growth. Every so often, another band of outlaws would take up residence here. Passersby and nearby villagers had grown used to it. They could always take a detour. If they couldn't afford to provoke them, they could at least avoid them, couldn't they?
Though the Ghost Shadow Flower took its name from the entire mountain, it didn't grow all over it. On the contrary, its growing conditions were quite demanding, and it could only be found in a small area halfway up the mountain. That hard-to-defend yet easy-to-attack spot had always been a favorite haunt of the bandits, so avoiding them while picking a few flowers and leaving was out of the question.
Of course, battle-hungry Lin Yueru thought the bandits were too weak and looked disappointed. But Gao Xu's grave expression seemed to suggest that their enemies weren't so simple, which stirred a little anticipation in her.
The facts didn't disappoint Lin Yueru. Whether it was a deliberate arrangement by the space or Gao Xu's luck, the two of them happened upon a clash just as they reached the foot of Ghost Yin Mountain.
At the foot of Ghost Yin Mountain was a natural cave that had been widened by earlier visitors and extended all the way to the middle of the mountain—the bandits' gathering place.
A strategic location like that was naturally heavily guarded. Several bandits with brutish faces and menacing expressions held broadswords and clubs, each seeming capable of holding a pass against an entire army.
On the other side stood more than a dozen Miao Warriors. They were burly, their faces flushed, the veins on their hands bulging, and their temples slightly raised. They were all clearly skilled fighters.
A clash between these two sides promised to be quite a show. Lin Yueru didn't understand what was going on, but Gao Xu did. This had to be the battle mentioned in the original story, when members of the Moon Worship Cult seized Ghost Yin Mountain.
Gao Xu gestured to Lin Yueru, signaling that neither side was any good. The two hid nearby and quietly watched.
"Have you made up your minds? This is your final warning!" The Miao leader wore a headwrap studded with glittering jewels. A fierce, valiant air radiated from him as he stood firm as a mountain.
Unfortunately, the bandits weren't impressed by his imposing presence. When these Miao people had first arrived, they'd arrogantly tried to drive the bandits out. After a fight, they'd been forced to retreat. Did they think bringing someone a little stronger would make them invincible? And now they were issuing a final warning? Did they think the bandits had been raised to be scared?
"Get lost, you Miao savages! Keep pushing us, and you won't be walking away!"
The bandits' reply clearly enraged the Miao people, especially the deeply insulting "Miao savages." Their leader flew into a rage.
The man was named Tai Zhuonan, one of the Moon Worship Cult's key members. People might recognize him better by another role: the Miao leader who killed Granny Jiang and kidnapped Zhao Ling'er on Immortal Spirit Island, only to be knocked out by Auntie Li's Cloud Piercing Palm later on. He was also the first boss to appear in the game.
Enemies in the space were divided into four ranks: ordinary, elite, leader, and boss. Tai Zhuonan was currently designated as a leader, while the Miao Warriors under him were elites. On the orders of the Moon Worship Cult Leader, they had come to the Central Plains to scout the region and establish a base for their coming operation. They were naturally no pushovers.
In Tai Zhuonan's eyes, a bandit hideout like Ghost Yin Mountain was a good choice. If the authorities came to suppress them, they could simply withdraw. After all, once they had brought back the princess, the base would no longer be needed.
But things didn't seem to be going as smoothly as he'd expected. After his subordinates returned empty-handed twice in a row, he finally lost patience.
Even though Tai Zhuonan had come in person, he still spoke with an air of arrogant command. The Moon Worship Cult had grown used to doing whatever it pleased and throwing its weight around in Miao Frontier. Its followers had mistaken the Central Plains for their own territory, so how could they expect not to be insulted?
The talks had collapsed, and both sides had fallen out. What was there to wait for? Time to fight!
The furious Miao people clearly struck first. One of them flung a handful of powder, and a bandit standing near the front stiffened. The exposed skin on his body suddenly turned a mottled assortment of colors. He collapsed rigidly to the ground and quickly melted into a pool of blood.
"Han Zi!" A bandit standing beside him cried out in shock and was about to rush over, but someone pulled him back and pointed at the ground where Han Zi had fallen. "Do you want to die?"
"What a terrible poison!" The bandit took a closer look and couldn't help drawing a sharp breath. Wisps of smoke were rising from the patch of ground, and even the thick layer of grass had been corroded away!
The Black Miao Tribe excelled at poison, while the White Miao Tribe specialized in gu. Each had its own strengths. Such a vicious poison didn't just intimidate the bandits; even Lin Yueru's expression changed. She no longer dared to underestimate their enemies.
"They're tough! Let's get out of here!" Seeing how powerful their enemies' poison was, the bandits shouted their customary underworld slang and swiftly retreated into the cave. The Miao people were delighted and followed them inside with loud laughter.
"What do we do now? Let them fight it out, or...?" Only after the two groups had disappeared into the cave did Gao Xu slowly step out. Lin Yueru asked from behind him.
"Those Miao people are probably in trouble. Look: the bandits' footsteps are scattered but orderly, which shows they know how to advance and retreat. The Miao people, on the other hand, charged into enemy territory in a mob. There's no way they'll avoid casualties." Gao Xu pointed to the footprints on the ground.
Lin Yueru pursed her lips. "Those Miao people use such terrifying poison and still dare to come cause trouble in the Central Plains. Good riddance if they die!"
Gao Xu nodded and sighed. "If our mission this time were to wipe out the bandits, we wouldn't need to worry about whether those people lived or died. But if they spread poison everywhere and contaminate the Ghost Shadow Flowers, then even killing them a hundred times wouldn't make up for it."
"Exactly. So we have to get rid of the Miao people first, then wipe out the bandits. Now that sounds like fun!" Lin Yueru nodded in agreement. Then her eyes lit up, and she smiled. "How about another contest? Let's see who's better in a real fight. What do you say?"
Player 1897 has triggered a B-rank side quest: The Second Showdown. Accepting the quest will place you in a duel with the story character Lin Yueru. The winner will be determined by the number of Miao Warriors personally killed, with the Miao leader Tai Zhuonan counting as five kills. You cannot return to the space before the duel ends. Victory will increase Lin Yueru's favorability and award 1,500 points; defeat will lower Lin Yueru's favorability, with no point penalty. If you decline the quest, Lin Yueru's favorability will drop to 0. Please choose carefully.
Gao Xu froze. He hadn't expected Lin Yueru to still be fixated on winning back that last match. To be honest, his victory in Hidden Dragon Cave had been a lucky fluke. If Lin Yueru hadn't used Ten Thousand Miles of Yellow Sand as her third move, and had chosen Seven Absolute Sword Qi or Dragon Slaying Art instead, he wouldn't have been able to counter it. After all, Insight could only work on B-rank skills and below.
Now the young lady had picked another fight, and the space was even taking her side. If he refused, her favorability would drop straight to zero. What a rip-off!
Gao Xu reluctantly selected "Accept" and began pondering how he could win. A streak of red swept past him. Lin Yueru had already darted nimbly past, gliding toward the cave with her lightness skill, leaving only her bell-like laughter behind.
"Do your best! Try not to lose too badly~"
Before you continue