Dilong Mountain

Chapter 4: Dilong Mountain

After bidding farewell to the officer, Lin Maoxian retraced his steps toward the spot where he had first rescued Old Man Sun. This time, unencumbered by the old man, Lin Maoxian moved at full speed and reached his destination in no time. However, the five corpses of the Yellow Turban Soldiers were no longer there; clearly, someone had cleared them away after they had left.

Though he did not know if anyone was lying in ambush nearby, Lin Maoxian remained cautious. He carefully scanned his surroundings, and only after confirming that no one else was present did he boldly walk toward the spot where the bodies had originally fallen.

Upon closer inspection, Lin Maoxian confirmed that the five corpses had indeed been removed by human hands. This meant that a group of Yellow Turban Soldiers was definitely gathered on Dilong Mountain. It was obvious that after the five men failed to return, others had been sent to investigate, and upon discovering they had been killed, they had retrieved the bodies.

Knowing that a group of Yellow Turban Soldiers was gathered on Dilong Mountain, Lin Maoxian grew wary. After a moment of thought, he headed in the direction Old Man Sun had indicated. This time, however, he did not rush blindly; he kept a constant watch on his surroundings to avoid being spotted by the enemy.

Before long, Lin Maoxian arrived at the foot of Dilong Mountain. Nothing had happened along the way; whether the Yellow Turban Soldiers were doing this on purpose or were simply careless, they hadn't even left anyone to keep watch. Upon reaching the mountain, Lin Maoxian realized it was not very large. If there were Yellow Turban Soldiers gathered here, their numbers could not be high, or they would have been impossible to conceal.

Seeing that he was only a short distance from the location Old Man Sun had described, Lin Maoxian had yet to see a single Yellow Turban Soldier—not even a shadow. This anomaly made him even more cautious. On the path toward the cliff, he would stop every few steps to sense for any abnormalities, terrified that a stray arrow might suddenly fly out from somewhere he hadn't noticed.

Because of his caution, a journey that should have taken only a few minutes took him over twenty. Yet, nothing happened; the path remained calm and quiet.

Lin Maoxian looked at the cliff visible in the distance, knowing it was the place Old Man Sun had mentioned. However, since Old Man Sun had encountered the Yellow Turban Soldiers there, it made no sense for his own trip to be so uneventful. Lin Maoxian decided not to follow the established mountain path to the cliff. He suspected there might be an ambush there, and walking straight into it would likely lead to a confrontation.

Lin Maoxian slipped into the woods, oriented himself, and began to move slowly toward the cliff. He hadn't gone far before he sensed something wrong. The forest had gone silent; not even the sound of an animal could be heard. It was far too abnormal. Someone must have been lying in ambush ahead, scaring away the local wildlife. It seemed this person didn't understand military strategy at all.

Relying on his agile movements and keen perception, Lin Maoxian soon spotted the ambushers. They were amateurs, just five of them. They were lying in wait along the path to the cliff, and one of them stood out from the other four—he was exceptionally burly and strong. He held an iron saber, unlike the others who carried only wooden weapons, clearly marking him as their superior.

Seeing the clear distinction between this man and the others, Lin Maoxian used his eye skill to inspect his information.

Elite Yellow Turban Soldier: Wang Hu

Strength: 12; Agility: 9; Stamina: 10; Intelligence: 5; Charisma: 4; Perception: 8; Willpower: 8

Skill: Fanatical Faith—When the target enters a state of Fanatical Faith, Strength, Agility, and Stamina each increase by 4 points, while Intelligence decreases by 2. This skill must be triggered by a special individual and cannot be used voluntarily.

Crude Iron Saber (Common Grade): Strength +3, a crude iron saber forged by an average blacksmith, Sharpness 10 (if the target's Stamina is not higher than 10, it will cause a bleeding effect).

This man named Wang Hu was indeed an elite among the Yellow Turban Soldiers; his stats were at least fifty percent higher than the average soldier, and his skills were more potent. Fortunately, he couldn't trigger the skill himself; it was likely a technique reserved for high-ranking officers.

Lin Maoxian calculated silently. If he used only Copper Skin, his Strength would increase by 12 points. Adding the 2 points from his title and the 3 points from the temporary bonus, his base Strength would reach 34, allowing him to trigger a double crushing effect. This meant he could deal (34-10)*3 = 72 points of damage. He could finish the target in at most two punches without wasting much time.

Although he knew he could take down Wang Hu in two punches and that the remaining four were of no concern, Lin Maoxian did not rush in blindly. He didn't know if there were other soldiers lying in ambush nearby, hidden from his view. He decided to get closer to see if he could overhear anything useful.

Lin Maoxian took a few steps forward and stopped when he judged he was close enough to hear their conversation with his current stats.

Not long after he stopped, one of the younger Yellow Turban Soldiers said, "Brother Wang, do you think anyone will actually come up here? We've been waiting for so long and haven't seen a thing. Should we just give up?"

Although Wang Hu was also growing impatient, he whispered a rebuke: "Xiao Zhang, keep your voice down! How would I know if anyone is coming? But since that man dropped his medicine basket on the mountain and was out gathering herbs at such a critical time, it means these herbs are very important to him. As long as we keep watch here, we might just catch him."

The young man called Xiao Zhang said fearfully, "Brother Wang, what if the person who comes is the one who killed Li San and the others? That guy is so strong; he killed them with a single punch. We definitely won't be a match for him."

Though he didn't want to admit it, Wang Hu replied, "That man is strong. I reckon even a centurion wouldn't be his match; perhaps only the monster in the valley could handle him, killing Li San and the others with one blow. But don't be afraid. We certainly aren't his match in a head-on fight, but we have the advantage of being in the shadows, and we've set traps along the mountain path. Once he falls into the pit, we can do whatever we want with him."

Hearing Wang Hu mention the "monster," another man asked, "Brother Wang, where did that monster come from? And why did the higher-ups send us here? Isn't there supposed to be a battle starting soon in Pingyang County?"

Wang Hu snapped, "I'd like to know the answer to those questions too, but unfortunately, we're just lowly soldiers. Do you think such important matters are for us to know? Curiosity killed the cat; knowing things you shouldn't leads to a bad end."

"Yes... yes, you're right, Brother Wang. I was just asking casually, I didn't mean to pry," the man who asked the question quickly explained in a low voice.

"Heh heh!" At this moment, the young man called Xiao Zhang laughed smugly. "Brother Wang, although I don't know about those big matters, I do know a secret about that monster. Do you want to hear it?" He wore an expression that practically begged them to ask.

Looking at Xiao Zhang's smug face, Wang Hu knew his character and deliberately put on a stern face. "What could you possibly know? You're just a grunt, you don't even have my rank. What could you know? Stop blowing hot air."

"Brother Wang is right." "What could Xiao Zhang know? He's just bragging." "He's definitely making it up." The other three men, also familiar with Xiao Zhang's personality, immediately joined Wang Hu in mocking him.

Faced with their ridicule, Xiao Zhang hurriedly said, "Who says I don't know? You guys don't know this, but I'm from the same hometown as one of the ten-thousand-man commander's personal guards. We're on good terms, and I heard him say that the monster was placed there at the request of General Earth."

Wang Hu asked skeptically, "If you have such connections, why are you still doing so poorly? You must be lying."

This time, Xiao Zhang didn't defend himself immediately. Instead, he smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Wang, don't go spreading this, but I didn't join the army voluntarily. I just didn't have any grain left and couldn't afford to eat, so I joined. I don't care about becoming a high-ranking official; I just want a bite to eat."

Hearing Xiao Zhang's words, Wang Hu sighed and said, "Who isn't in the same boat? In these times, if there were food to be had, how many would be willing to engage in this line of work that costs you your head? We all joined because we had no other choice." The men fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Lin Maoxian, listening from nearby, heard their conversation clearly. The "valley" they mentioned was likely on this very mountain, and a thorough search would surely reveal it. The information Xiao Zhang provided was even more intriguing; the fact that something requested by "General Earth" Zhang Bao was hidden here meant it was no ordinary item. In the early stages, the Three Kingdoms were dominated by the three brothers; regardless of what the item was, anything associated with them was a massive opportunity for Lin Maoxian.

Lin Maoxian waited a while longer, but seeing that the men had fallen silent and remained in their ambush positions, he concealed his presence and began to creep toward them. Although he felt some sympathy for them, he had no choice—they were enemies. Facing an enemy, Lin Maoxian would not be soft-hearted. If his own mercy led to his death, who would be there to pity him?