After night fell.
The outline of the Transverse Mountains resembled the belly of a giant beast beneath the night sky, radiating an invisible, terrifying pressure that made one's heart tremble.
On the outskirts of the Transverse Mountains, Fang Han and Xue Qinghe avoided the relay stations and villages along the official roads. They traveled only along the seldom-trodden mountain paths, riding swiftly.
The two of them were like a pair of ghosts, rising and falling along the rugged mountain paths. Even the sound of their sleeves cutting through the wind had been deliberately suppressed to the lowest possible volume, without making the slightest noise.
"By the way, how exactly did you discover this lead?"
Fang Han asked in a low voice as he hurried along, quite curious about the matter.
At the same time, he noticed something.
The mountain paths on both sides had been far too quiet all the way here. The eerie silence made him feel that something was wrong.
When Fang Han asked about it, Xue Qinghe halted, her gaze turning toward the pitch-black depths to the north. Her voice was calm as she said:
"I discovered it by chance while tracking down the remnants of the Blood God Cult.
"These people actually still have a stronghold hidden deep within the Transverse Mountains, but it is extremely difficult to find.
"Still, I unexpectedly followed the clues and discovered the Monster Insect Hive."
After saying this, she fell silent.
She then took a sheepskin scroll from her robes and unfolded it. By the light of the moon, they saw that it was a map.
Xue Qinghe's fingertip swept across the map as she explained to Fang Han each route and turning point she had already investigated:
"Look. This stretch of road appears flat, but there are underground tributaries