Emperor Weapon (233)

What tower is to the south?

"He didn't go into details. He just said something about 'point 04,' which is in the mountains south of the Blind Zone. He took three people with him, and told the two of us to watch the goods here. He said the Mute would bring the new crowbar in a couple of days, and then he would deliver it to us."

Snow Empress stood up and exchanged a glance with the Vein Guardian. "Node 04," she said in a deep voice, "Old Dao indeed has other node information."

It was already dusk when they came out of the brick kiln. The two prisoners were escorted back to town by the joint defense team, while Snow Empress and the Vein Guardian went straight back to the Spirit Vein Bureau. Old Zhou hadn't finished work yet and was in the yard making a phone call to the bureau to report on the Mute's situation. Seeing them come in, he hung up the phone and greeted them, "How's it going at the brick kiln?"

"We caught two guards watching the goods." Snow Empress slammed the note on the table. "Old Dao went to the southern mountains to find Node 04. He has node information, and more than three of them."

Old Zhou picked up the note and read it twice, his brows furrowing deeply. "The mountains to the south... that area has complex terrain, with high mountains and dense forests. If the key point is hidden there, it will be difficult to find."

"His mention of 'point 04' means Old Dao has a set of node numbers that match those in the system. He might have location information for all the nodes in the Blind Zone." A Yao arrived sometime earlier, leaning on her bamboo cane at the courtyard gate. "He buried the keys to 01 to 03 last year, and he might have already gotten his hands on the key to 04."

Snow Empress turned to look at her. "Why are you here?"

"Old Zhou had someone call me here. He said you've found a lead on Old Dao." A Yao walked into the courtyard and leaned her bamboo cane against the table. "If Old Dao activates Node 04 first, he'll gain control of the spiritual veins in the southern part of the Blind Zone. Then he can use it as leverage to negotiate with the Spirit Vein Bureau, or simply destroy the node so nobody can use it."

Old Zhou rubbed his face. "The inspection team transferred from the bureau arrives tomorrow. They were originally supposed to inspect sections 01 to 03, but it looks like we'll have to send someone south first."

"How many people are in the inspection team?" Snow Empress asked.

"Six. Add the three of you, and that makes nine."

"Not enough." Snow Empress shook her head. "The terrain in the mountains to the south is complicated. Old Dao brought three men, and they might have weapons. We need to call in more people."

Old Zhou sighed, "The bureau is short-staffed; we've already squeezed out six people. Or... should I borrow a few from the town's joint defense team?"

The Vein Guardian, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up, "I know the mountains to the south well. I used to hunt in those mountains when I was young. I know which gullies are passable and which ridges are easy to cross. You don't need too many people, the key is to follow the right path. I can roughly guess which path Old Dao took."

"How did you guess?" Snow Empress asked.

"There are only three accessible routes into the mountains to the south: the mountain pass to the east, the old forest trail in the middle, and the path along the stream to the west. Old Dao has three men with him, along with their equipment, so they'll definitely take the easiest route, the old forest trail in the middle. That trail used to be used by the logging camp for transporting timber; the roadbed is still there, and you can still use a handcart. If Old Dao wants to go fast, he'll definitely take that route."

Snow Empress thought for a moment and said, "Then we'll pursue them from the old forest road. After the patrol team arrives tomorrow, leave two people to guard nodes 01 to 03, and the remaining four will come into the mountains with us."

Old Zhou nodded. "Okay. I'll submit a report to the bureau tonight."

The patrol team arrived the next morning. The six men were all young people in their twenties and thirties, wearing uniforms and carrying uniform equipment bags. The team leader, surnamed Fang, was tall and spoke fluently. After Snow Empress introduced the situation, he divided the six men into two groups without saying a word: two stayed in the town to be responsible for the daily patrols of nodes 01 to 03, and four followed Snow Empress into the mountains.

"The terrain in the mountains to the south is complicated, everyone stay close." Snow Empress spread the map on the table and pointed to the route marked by the Vein Guardian. "Old Dao took the middle old forest path, we'll catch up from here. He left a day and a half earlier than us, but he's carrying three people and equipment, so he can't move fast. We'll go lightly equipped, we can catch up in a day."

The group left the town and headed south. After walking for about two hours, the flat land gradually turned into hills, and then into mountains. The old forest roadbed was still there, paved with gravel, with dense pine forests on both sides. The Vein Guardian walked at the front, occasionally squatting down to examine the traces on the ground: wheel tracks, footprints, and donkey hoof prints.

"Donkey hooves." He pointed to a string of fresh hoof prints on the ground. "The Mute's donkey cart went this far and then turned back. Further in are footprints, four people's, all wearing rubber shoes with the same pattern on the soles, the same kind Old Dao issued them."

After walking for another hour or so, the old forest path turned into a ravine. The wind was strong in the ravine, and the pines rustled loudly. The Vein Guardian suddenly stopped, squatted down, and looked around for a long time. "They rested here. The ashes from the fire are still soft; it must have been no more than a day ago."

"We've caught up." Snow Empress drew her sword from its sheath. "Everyone, be careful, we're almost at Old Dao's camp. Team Leader Fang, you take two men and go around to the left slope. Vein Guardian and I will go down the ditch. A Yao, follow Team Leader Fang. We'll flank them from both sides."

Team Leader Fang nodded and led two team members up the left slope. Snow Empress and the Vein Guardian continued walking along the bottom of the gully. After walking another half mile, the bottom of the gully suddenly opened up, revealing a riverbank. There were two tents pitched on the riverbank, with a fire burning outside the tents and two people sitting beside the fire.

"Old Dao isn't here." The Vein Guardian, with his sharp eyes, glanced at them and whispered, "These two are from the radar station group. The one on the left is tall and thin, and the one on the right is short and fat. I haven't seen a third one before."

Snow Empress also noticed. "Old Dao probably took someone else to find the node; leave these two to watch the tents."

To fight or not to fight?

"Attack. First, touch it, don't use the knife, just hold it down."

The two men crept along the bushes by the riverbank. The two men were warming themselves by a fire, their backs to the bushes. Snow Empress and the Vein Guardian pounced on them simultaneously, each pinning one of them to the ground, tying them up with a rope—all in less than half a minute.

The tall, thin man, forced to sit on the riverbank, swallowed a mouthful of sand. He spat it out twice, looked up, saw Snow Empress, and his face turned pale. "It's you again!"

"It's us again." Snow Empress lifted him up and leaned him against the tent pole. "Where's Old Dao?"

This time, the tall, thin man lost his temper and honestly said, "Brother Dao took Old Li to look for some 'Point 04,' and they went into the ditch. He said he'd come back and call us when he found it, and told us to stay here and watch the stuff."

How long have you been gone?

"They left yesterday afternoon. It's been almost a day."

Snow Empress stood up and waved towards the left hillside. Team Leader Fang led his men down the slope, saw the two prisoners, and asked, "Old Dao isn't here?"

"They've been going in for a day. We need to hurry and catch up." Snow Empress spread the map on the ground, Vein Guardian pointed to the bottom of the ravine and continued inward, "Go about three more miles along this ravine, and it ends up as a cliff. There's a group of caves at the bottom of the cliff, which used to be used by the mountain people to hide from bandits. The '04 point' that Old Dao mentioned is very likely in those caves."