Dumped

Old Bear Ridge was not exactly Luo Laowai's territory, and for fear of sneak attacks from nearby warlords, the operation naturally had to be as swift as possible.

Chen Yulou first ordered everyone to tie red silk strips soaked in cinnabar around their left arms so that the two factions could identify each other. Then, a column of nearly a thousand men, led by a guide, began their trek into the mountains in a winding, serpentine line.

The mountain paths of Bottle Mountain were incredibly steep and tortuous. Once they reached the halfway point, the horses could go no further, so the porters had to carry the necessary supplies. The long procession snaked along the ancient bluestone path; looking back from the front, it resembled a yellow dragon crawling up the slopes of Bottle Mountain.

Just as they reached the mountainside, a thick fog suddenly rose over Bottle Mountain. The men stepped gingerly through the mist, their hearts pounding with every uncertain stride.

However, the soldiers brought by Luo Laowai and the Xieling bandits knew they were there to excavate tombs and strike it rich, so they didn't complain in the slightest. Instead, they were all in high spirits, eager to get to work.

In troubled times, human life is cheap. Although they served under Luo Laowai and Chen Yulou, their monthly pay was only a few silver dollars; without some side hustles, life was hard for everyone.

After a hurried march, the group arrived at a deep ravine at the mountain's peak. Seeing the colorful mist swirling within the gorge, Chen Yulou raised his hand to signal a halt.

"Poisonous miasma is rising. Everyone, take a rest."

Chen Yulou and his inner circle were all bolstered by Lu Yan's Lightness Technique and felt no fatigue, but the Engineering Battalion brought by Luo Laowai was already collapsing in exhaustion, infuriating Luo Laowai enough to start kicking and punching them.

Gradually, the color of the poisonous miasma in the ravine faded, leaving only a vast, empty expanse of white clouds and fog.

Chen Yulou gazed into the swirling depths of the ravine, pondered for a moment, and called out, "Sai Pohou, Dili Beng, the two of you go down and scout."

With that, he signaled for Hua Maguai to distribute two of the Antidote Pills refined by Lu Yan to each of them.

The two men bowed to accept the order, took the pills, and strapped pigeons for poison-testing to their backs. With box-cannon pistols and short blades at their waists and their noses and mouths covered by gauze soaked in medicinal liquid, they dragged two Centipede Mountain-Hanging Ladders and began to leapfrog them along the cliff face. In an instant, their figures vanished into the mist.

Lu Yan, Chen Yulou, and the others stood at the front, watching the swirling clouds and chatting while waiting for news from below.

"Brother Lu, I wonder what your plans are after the business at Bottle Mountain is concluded?"

Chen Yulou asked, his eyes still fixed on the mist, making it seem like casual conversation.

Lu Yan offered a clean smile, looking back at the rolling clouds as he replied, "That depends on what happens afterward. However, I still have some urgent matters to attend to overseas, so I'm afraid I won't be staying for long."

Chen Yulou nodded, his gaze never leaving the mist, and continued, "I benefited greatly from our last conversation, Brother Lu. Why not tell us more about the customs and political systems overseas?"

"Very well, it will help pass the time."

Lu Yan nodded and began to enlighten the few who had gathered around to listen.

About an hour later, a signal arrow shot out from the mist, emitting a loud "bang."

Lu Yan stopped speaking, and Chen Yulou and the others were jolted from their fascination, all exchanging excited glances.

Chen Yulou stepped forward, walked before the crowd, and declared in a ringing voice, "Brothers, the world is in chaos, and the starving are everywhere. Today, we have the ancient tomb of Bottle Mountain, filled with countless gold and jade—wealth condensed from the blood and sweat of the common people. We of the Xieling are meant to seize it, to take the treasures from the tomb to achieve great things and aid the masses!"

"Release!"

The Xieling brothers were fired up. They unslung the Centipede Mountain-Hanging Ladders from their backs and shouted, "Release!"

The segments of the Centipede Mountain-Hanging Ladders were joined together, quickly forming a long chain. One end was firmly anchored to the ground, and the other was flung directly into the ravine with practiced precision.

Before long, two Centipede Mountain-Hanging Ladders were secured against the cliff. From a distance, they truly looked like two thousand-legged giant centipedes clinging to the rock face.

Chen Yulou then displayed the spirit of a Xieling leader. Taking the lead, he selected twenty or thirty agile men, each equipped with one of Lu Yan's Antidote Pills, and began to climb slowly down the ladders.

Seeing that Chen Yulou had already descended, Lu Yan's lips curled into a mischievous smile. He nodded at Red Maiden and leaped directly into the ravine.

Luo Laowai, Red Maiden, and the others behind him rushed forward in a panic to look, but he was already gone. Luo Laowai, his hand trembling as he pointed his gun at the mist, stammered, "My goodness, if Brother Lu can survive that, isn't he practically an immortal?"

Hua Maguai shook his head from the side. "I don't think Mr. Lu is the type to seek death. He should be fine."

On the other side, Chen Yulou was carefully climbing down the Centipede Mountain-Hanging Ladder when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. With a violent yank, he was pulled off the ladder and sent plummeting straight down.

The wind whistled past his ears, and a massive sense of weightlessness gripped his body. Even though Chen Yulou was exceptionally bold and considered himself fearless, he couldn't help but scream out loud.

Just as Chen Yulou resigned himself to death and closed his eyes, a gust of wind appeared out of thin air, catching him in mid-air. Startled, he hurriedly opened his eyes.

"Brother Chen, is it a surprise? Is it fun?"

Lu Yan looked at him with a smile, his expression full of amusement.

Chen Yulou looked at Lu Yan's smiling face, his anger burning but unable to be vented. He was still in mid-air; if Lu Yan let go now, he would still end up as a pile of meat paste. He could only force a smile and say, "A surprise... very fun."

Seeing the bitter expression on Chen Yulou's face, complete with tears forced out by the wind, Lu Yan laughed a few times. Deciding not to tease him further, he used the Wind Travel Technique to quickly descend to the bottom with him.

"I didn't expect Brother Lu to have such methods. I am impressed, truly impressed."

Chen Yulou was initially furious, but upon reflection, he realized this was a slightly malicious prank by Lu Yan—likely retaliation for his evasiveness regarding the apprenticeship. He could only mutter about Lu Yan's pettiness in his heart while maintaining a smile on his face.

"Just a small trick. It's a pity that some people look down on it; no wonder they end up blind later on."

Lu Yan waved his hand, surveying the scenery of the ravine without looking back.

"I end up blind?"

Chen Yulou was completely bewildered, but since Dili Beng was walking toward them, he couldn't press for an answer.

"Chief, it's extremely dangerous down here. Sai Pohou is already gone. If it weren't for Mr. Lu's Antidote Pill, I fear I would have melted into yellow sludge as well."

Dili Beng was short, as his name suggested, and had to crane his neck to report to Chen Yulou.

Chen Yulou looked at the massive palace ceiling and the golden splendor visible through the holes, frowning as he said, "Tell me in detail."

"After we came down, we couldn't resist exploring the holes. There really are countless treasures inside. But just then, countless centipedes suddenly swarmed out. When Sai Pohou came down, he accidentally dropped his Antidote Pill and was bitten by the centipedes, turning into yellow sludge instantly."

"I had the Antidote Pill, so the centipedes didn't dare come near me, which is how I managed to escape."