novelraw Chapter 101: The Grand Corridor of Nine Curves
Chapter 101: The Grand Corridor of Nine Curves
"...So why did we choose this path?"
The Yellow River winds through Tiema Mountain, with three mountains, six ridges, and twelve villages. This is the nursery rhyme that is sung near the winding Yellow River. Tieling is only one of the six ridges, yet it has already produced a great master like Tieshou Tong.
This is a paradise where those who do not live in the light of day gather, the hottest spot in the crucible of the martial arts world. No matter how vast the map or how complex the terrain, it is difficult to guarantee their complete safety.
You never know what's hidden behind those rocks—maybe bandits, maybe skeletons, or even leftover dried meat... It's certainly not some animal.
Upon seeing another bonfire made of piled-up Jingguan (a mound of ashes), with ashes and charcoal dust scattered all over the ground, Cui Cui's expression turned somewhat off. The legend of the winding corridor was being recalled in such a provocative way.
"This was not my decision. The Zhou family originally planned to take this route. They have a complete map of the route and intelligence along the way. I don't need to risk changing it at the last minute."
Fang Jin spoke calmly, but in reality, he sensed it more deeply than Cui Cui. Many eyes had already swept over them from the shadows along the way, only shifting their gaze after they saw the blue sedan chair.
"Moreover, the Zhou family is not without influence here. They made their fortune in the martial arts world, and they control at least 20% of the business in the Nine-Bend Corridor. The Wolf Fang Mountain in the Three Mountains is controlled by a member of the Zhou clan."
"Moreover, in addition to the three mountains and six ridges, there is a special mountain villa located at the pass that is the only way to the snowfield. The owner of the villa has a very good personal relationship with the Emperor of the Li Dynasty."
Dressed in pink, Tao Shan rode her horse closer to the carriage, holding the reins tightly, before interjecting with a smile.
"This renowned master, one of the four great masters of the martial arts world, is unparalleled in medicine, pharmacology, and poisons. Moreover, he is gentle and mild-mannered, so he shouldn't cause trouble for us officials of the imperial court..."
As she spoke, her expression inexplicably turned bitter, mirroring Cui Cui's. She subconsciously glanced at Fang Jin and the blue sedan chair at the back of the procession. Although this procession bore the name of the imperial court...
But the prince surnamed Zhou who accompanied them had been reduced to a human stump. If the Zhou family bandits and the master of healing were to see them, their allies would instantly become enemies... Could they really still get out of this corridor?
Fang Jin wasn't worried about that. After all, even without him, the team of martial artists from the Golden Cauldron Society was one of the best in the martial arts world, and the combination of the three elders was simply too impressive.
Unless that master healer personally intervenes, or the three mountains and six ridges unite as one, it won't be a big problem for them to cross mountains and ridges to enter the Northern Plains. They can still handle a few bandits and outlaws.
The problem lies with the pursuers behind them... Fang Jin frowned, and casually arranged several strands of extremely thin metal wire in the path of their advance. They were so light and soft that a martial artist would hardly feel anything if they were torn.
However, this was a creation that Fang Jin had paid a price to materialize, and it was also a soft silk that had been purified by metal. Once it was torn, Fang Jin would feel it, and 70% of the silk threads laid out along the way had already been broken by people stepping on them.
If it were only three or four, they might have been broken by passing birds or animals. But the fact that they stepped on 70% of the eyes and ears along the way clearly indicates that they were deliberately tracking and following, and the speed and frequency were getting faster and faster.
"They could only be people coming from the capital, scouts providing covert protection... or secret guards used to silence them?"
Fang Jin glanced silently at Zhou Bensi, who had fainted inside the sedan chair, and a guess formed in her mind. It seemed that His Highness should have left markings along the way to guide the secret guards and warn them of safety.
However, since leaving the capital, it's likely that due to the long period of no contact, those behind have already noticed something amiss and are rushing to investigate or take action.
"However, it seems that the great deity in the capital has not been alarmed yet. After all, there are many reasons why no mark was left, and it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the worst-case scenario."
After all, if everything were exposed, this winding corridor wouldn't be so quiet. The 20% of the bandit strongholds controlled by the Zhou family would probably come out in full force to eliminate these unstable factors that affect the return of the Buddha to his hometown.
"Fine, if all else fails, we'll just have to step in... But we've already paid them, so we still hope they'll put in some effort."
After finishing her thoughts, Fang Jin stretched lazily, then kicked the rabbit bones she had eaten off the corner of the cart and fell into a deep sleep, enveloped by the worried gazes of the crowd.
The leader was slacking off, and the others felt a pang of unease. As they walked through the eerie Black Stone Mountain, the occasional gust of fishy wind or a whisper made them quicken their pace with serious expressions.
……
……
There were indeed pursuers behind them, and they were a formation of thirty men. The leader was fair-skinned and beardless, wearing a dark blue robe with golden lotus flowers adorning the hem. He was none other than Li Changshi, who was kneeling in the lava.
He was not only a Grand Eunuch in charge of the seal, but also the strongest among the senior officials of the court. His true energy was perfectly round and natural, and he was only half a step away from reaching the level of a Grandmaster of the Sixty Years.
Zhou Bensi's current status is more significant than Fang Jin imagined. As the emperor of the Li Dynasty, he can only produce three True Qi Seeds in a hundred years. The one who obtains the seed will be truly regarded as the successor of the Li Dynasty.
The first one was given to Zhou Chufeng of the Jinxiu Army. She was the only disciple of the Zhou family in this generation to step into the realm of an elder, and she had the best chance of pushing her 60-year cultivation level a little higher... but now it has all been in vain.
Historically, there was indeed a case where all three princes who obtained the seed of true qi perished. To ensure the continuation of the Jiazi cultivation lineage, the emperor at the time brought all those with royal blood to the inner palace.
They experimented with each one, and each one burst! It wasn't until less than 10% of the Zhou family disciples were left that the tradition was barely passed down... That could even be said to be the closest the Li Dynasty ever came to its destruction.
Therefore, Zhou Bensi cannot die. Even if he dies, the true qi seed must be recovered. Neither Zhou Yuan nor Li Changshi can prevent the Li Dynasty from experiencing the near extinction situation again.
Therefore, even if there were no marks left along the way, it would be enough for Li Changshi to leave the capital and lead a team to find out what had happened in that canyon corridor.
However, they were not in a hurry to speed up, after all, this was the Nine-Bend Grand Corridor, which was equivalent to half of the Li Dynasty's back garden, and there were more and more diverse objects to rely on than ordinary people could imagine.
Two skilled martial artists, already on foot, have broken away from the main group and circled to the side, climbing mountains and crossing ridges to reach a mountain stronghold. They are preparing to borrow troops to scout the situation of the Buddhist transport team.
If Prince Zhou is unharmed and the Buddhist nun is well protected, then Attendant Li doesn't need to rush to the front... As for how many people will die in this test, that's not within their consideration.