With a dull rumble, the stone door in the rock wall slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black entrance.
Out of caution, Qing Chen selected the three most agile soldiers, then summoned two soldiers from the Twin Eagles Association and instructed them in a low voice:
"Go ahead and scout the way. Remember, caution comes first. If you find an exit and confirm it is safe, return swiftly to report. Everyone else, remain here and await orders. Do not act rashly."
The five soldiers accepted their orders, gripped their weapons tightly, lit their torches, and cautiously stepped into the tunnel beyond the stone door.
The tunnel was damp and dark, and the torchlight illuminated only about ten feet ahead.
A heavy musty smell filled the air. Slippery moss covered the rock walls, and water occasionally dripped from the ceiling.
They held their breath and focused, walking with extreme care for fear of triggering some mechanism or trap.
The tunnel twisted and turned, seemingly without end. The deeper they went, the more oppressive and sinister it grew.
After they had walked roughly half a li, a hollow sound suddenly came from the ground beneath one soldier's feet.
He immediately stopped and raised a hand in warning, signaling the others to stop as well.
They lowered their heads to inspect it closely and found the soil beneath their feet soft, quite unlike the hard stone path before.
A soldier from the Twin Eagles Association stepped forward, tested the ground with his hand, then brought it close to his nose and sniffed before saying gravely:
"The soil here is soft. It was probably eroded by underground moisture over many years. Everyone must be careful. Tread lightly."
Following the association member's instructions, they proceeded with even greater care.
The air in the tunnel gradually grew less foul, and the sound of dripping water grew more and more distant.
After another three hundred-odd paces, a faint glimmer suddenly appeared ahead.
The soldiers' spirits lifted, and they quickened their steps. Sure enough, they found an exit hidden behind layers of branches and vines.
Pushing the cover aside, they found a flat clearing outside, with stars scattered across the night sky and a cool breeze brushing their faces.
"We're out! We really made it out!" a young soldier said, unable to hide his excitement.
"Quiet!" a soldier from the Twin Eagles Association sternly stopped him. "Be careful, everyone. It looks safe, but we cannot let our guard down."
After a brief discussion, they decided to leave three men to guard the exit while the other two returned along the same route to report.
When the two found Qing Chen, he was pacing back and forth before the stone door.
Hearing that they had found an exit, Qing Chen's eyes flashed. He patted the reporting soldier on the shoulder:
"I'll record a merit for each of you! Once this is over, you will be richly rewarded!"
He immediately led everyone silently toward the tunnel's exit.
Qing Chen gazed at the dense branches and vines outside the cave, considering how to lead everyone safely away from this place.
To ensure the bandits of Northern Mang Mountain would not discover them, he ordered everyone to extinguish their torches and discern their surroundings only by the sparse starlight.
Wielding his saber himself, he deftly trimmed the branches blocking the entrance, his movements soft and slow as a cat's, without making the slightest sound.
Once everything had been cleared, Qing Chen stepped out of the tunnel first, his gaze flashing like lightning as he swiftly surveyed his surroundings.
He finally selected a hollow behind a small rocky hill as their temporary assembly point.
Turning back, he led everyone out in single file. Each held their breath and focused, their steps light and nimble as wildcats'.
Just as everyone had hidden behind the rocky hill, Qing Chen suddenly frowned.
"There's a sound!"
As a third-rate expert, his hearing and eyesight were keen. He heard what seemed to be a man's voice in the distance, and it sounded somewhat familiar.
Qing Chen crept toward the voice, a thought stirring in his mind.
He did indeed find that voice familiar. Listening closely now, he realized it was Young Master Zhao's voice.
He wondered to himself why Young Master Zhao was here. Could this be a secret bandit hideout on the back mountain?
Qing Chen quietly followed the voice and discovered a thatched hut ahead.
Someone inside was shouting and yelling,
"My father is Zhao Erhe! My father is Zhao Erhe! My father is Zhao Erhe!"
"Do you have a death wish? You dare tie up this young master!"
Qing Chen cautiously approached the thatched hut, hid behind a large rock, and peered out.
Outside, he saw a dozen or so bare-chested burly men guarding the thatched hut.
They all held weapons and wore fierce expressions. Clearly, they were bandits.
Among them, a powerfully built man who led the group was drinking.
He held a large mountain-cleaving axe, its blade gleaming coldly, and looked imposing.
Although Young Master Zhao had been tied up, he continued shouting, trying to frighten the bandits off with his status.
After seeing the situation around the thatched hut, Qing Chen grew even more cautious.
Returning to their hiding place, he immediately selected the twelve most alert soldiers and instructed them in a low voice:
"Scout the surroundings again with me. We must determine whether there are any troops lying in ambush."
They accepted the order and immediately divided into four groups, spreading outward like a spiderweb under cover of darkness.
Qing Chen personally led a group, taking every step with extreme caution.
He knew well how treacherous the martial world was. The bandits of Northern Mang Mountain had entrenched themselves in this area for years; they were certainly no easy opponents.
The night was black as ink, and insects occasionally chirped in the woods.
They moved among jagged rocks and knee-high wild grass, overlooking no suspicious spot.
Qing Chen listened in every direction, sharpening his senses to their utmost.
As a third-rate expert, he could distinguish breathing several dozen feet away amid a clamor. Now, he was concentrating fully.
A person's voice could carry at most one li. Even an expert with internal strength could reach only two li at most if he had not attained the third-rate realm.
Roughly two hours later, the four groups returned one after another.
After a careful search, they confirmed there were no traces of any other bandits within two or three li of the hut.
Qing Chen felt somewhat reassured, but still did not dare relax in the slightest.
He crouched behind a clump of wild grass, his gaze sharp as an eagle's as he carefully observed the bandits' every move.
They all seemed quite lax. Some were even dozing against tree trunks. Only the axe-wielding leader continued sipping his drink, occasionally looking up to scan his surroundings.
It seems these bandits are relying on the back mountain's natural defenses, thinking no one can reach them, Qing Chen mused inwardly,
If that is truly the case, this is a heaven-sent opportunity.
A ruthless plan gradually took shape in his mind.
Qing Chen slowly withdrew, gathered all the soldiers, and laid out his orders in a low voice: "We outnumber the enemy three to one. We should strike with the force of a thunderbolt."
His gaze swept over them. Seeing their solemn expressions, he continued, "Thirty men will divide into four squads and attack from all four sides at once. Remember, move fast and strike ruthlessly. Make sure you kill the enemy with a single blow!"
He then pointed to the other dozen-odd soldiers from the Twin Eagles Association. "Set an ambush around the perimeter. If any fish slip through the net, kill them without exception!"
At his words, a ruthless look appeared in everyone's eyes.
Finally, Qing Chen said gravely, "We have the advantage. Move fast and strike ruthlessly. We absolutely cannot give them any chance to fight back!
"If you can take them alive, take them alive. If you can't, fucking hack them to death! Your chance for promotion and riches is right before your eyes!"