Jin Si was not actually keen on going out in late autumn.
In summer, the lush vegetation let him remain unnoticed even from a zhang away. In autumn, the mountains lay bare, the trees stripped of their leaves, with almost nothing to screen him from view.
A Black Flood Dragon over five zhang long was like thick ink spilled on yellow spirit paper. People could spot him at a glance from five li away. There was simply no hiding.
Fortunately, these mountains were rugged and steep, with neither villages nor isolated dwellings nearby. Even birds and beasts were scarcer here than elsewhere.
Using all four claws, he scrambled onto a ridge, crawled along its undulating spine, and climbed a small peak.
He raised his head and looked around.
At once, he noticed a chain of lofty mountains rising more than ten li away.
Vast expanses of pale rock lay exposed beneath the autumn sun. The green specks on the cliffs were probably pine trees.
According to the letter, the person he sought was on that mountain.
Studying the lay of the mountains, he discovered that his ridge was an outlying spur extending from the taller mountains. There was no need to descend and take a detour; he could simply follow the ridge ahead. Xiao Yu went ahead to scout, while Jin Si crawled along the ridge at his usual pace.
The mountain was terribly steep, and the ridge was very narrow in places.
Without leaves, floating above the treetops became harder. In the perilous heights, he had to keep as low as possible. In the past, climbing steep rocky outcrops with a snake's body would have taken considerable effort. Fortunately, he now had claws.
His sharp claws gripped the rough rock, making every step firm and steady. It was far