Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The warm glow of the torches flickered through the night forest. Xiao Luolan looked up to see countless trees and distant mountains rolling like a dark gaping maw ready to swallow everything.

Xiao Luolan shivered. She remembered clearly that there were no such mountains in Lotus Park. Jiang City, a small town in the south, had landscapes resembling poetic and picturesque paintings. Compared to these formidable mountains, Jiang City's Jin Gui Mountain was merely a small, flat hill.

Where was this place?

Why had everything changed in the blink of an eye?

Unable to understand, Xiao Luolan gritted her teeth and continued forward. The forest floor was damp, with layers of leaves that had accumulated over the years. The bottommost layer had decayed, covered again by new leaves. Each step she took was soft and squishy, making gurgling sounds. The deeper she went, the more mud clung to her shoes. She walked quickly, as if tirelessly, her voice hoarse from calling out.

"Qingxue! Qingxue!"

"Where are you?"

Seven or eight cavalrymen dispersed around Clan Leader Zhou, exploring the surrounding area.

Standing nearby, Zhou Xu scanned the surroundings with furrowed brows. It seemed that Madam Xiao had suddenly appeared in this forest. Apart from her disordered footsteps, there were no other traces. While traces of people usually remain, if what she said was true and her daughter was also in this forest, unresponsive for a long time, the situation was likely dire, probably unconsciousness.

The cold of a Youzhou night alone could endanger the life of a delicate lady of noble birth. This was not the warm Jiangnan, but a small county in Youzhou, Cang County. Even in summer, the temperature drops sharply after nightfall.

Madam Xiao's clothes, though colorful and exquisite, offered no warmth, and her daughter was likely dressed similarly.

This was the best-case scenario Zhou Xu could foresee. They were in Niu Lao Mountain of Cang County, a place infamous for its miasma and steep terrain, inhabited by wild men. These wild men, familiar with the terrain, occasionally raided the countryside, seizing anything they found - food, clothes, even people. The county magistrate found them a constant headache; they would attack and vanish before authorities could respond. Several unsuccessful attempts to capture them resulted in sickness from the miasma. Announcements warned villagers to travel in groups and arm themselves. Bringing in a wild man's head could fetch a handsome reward.

The wild men, who prey on the weak but fear the strong, stopped raiding when they encountered armed groups.

As for the victims... Zhou Xu glanced at the graceful and beautiful Madam Xiao, surmising her daughter's appearance wouldn't be far off. A young noblewoman alone and unconscious in the wilderness could face grim consequences if discovered by wild men.

Just then, he noticed Madam Xiao stagger suddenly.

"Be careful, Madam Xiao."

Xiao Luolan's vision darkened, and it took her a while to recover, realizing Clan Leader Zhou was supporting her by the arm. She hadn't noticed she had almost fainted.

Seeing her cracked lips and pale complexion, Zhou Xu knew she was exhausted. He found a wind-sheltered spot under a tree and had her sit on a large stone.

"I..." Xiao Luolan struggled to stand up. She couldn't stop; the night was too cold, the forest too dark. Without finding her daughter, she couldn't rest.

Zhou Xu held her shoulder with one hand and took the torch from her, planting it in the ground, saying, "Madam Xiao, you need to rest for a while."

Xiao Luolan opened her mouth, her throat aching in waves, her legs feeling alien, weak and unable to straighten. She didn't know how long she had been searching. Since realizing her daughter was missing, she had been running and searching continuously, as if time had lost all meaning. It might have been three hours, or five. Where was her precious daughter? How was she?

Zhou Xu signaled the cavalrymen to continue the search.

Zhao Qingshan approached the distraught Madam Xiao, advising, "Madam Xiao, the Clan Leader is right. This dense forest is vast and will take a lot of time to search. If you insist on continuing, you might faint before finding your daughter. It's better to rest for now, take care of yourself, then continue the search."

Xiao Luolan understood and responded, "I know, thank you all."

She knew Zhao Qingshan and Clan Leader Zhou meant well.

Lost in thought, Xiaoluolan gazed into the depths of the dense forest, planning to never let her daughter out of sight again once she finds her. She imagined how Qingxue would pout in annoyance, clinging to her arm and acting coy as usual.

Zhao Qingshan stood guard not far from Lady Xiao, torn between advancing and retreating. As a man, he felt it improper to stand too close to a lady, but too far might be risky if something unexpected emerged from the forest.

Stroking his beard, Zhao Qingshan stealthily moved closer, noticing Lady Xiao's slightly reddened eyes. Pretending not to see, he focused on his task from the sect leader: to protect her while venturing into the forest himself. He pondered if his master was perhaps too kind to Lady Xiao.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Zhao Qingshan accidentally pulled out a beard hair, grimacing in pain. He was relieved that Lei Hu wasn't there to see this and potentially damage his image as a strategist.

Speaking of whom, an hour later, Zhao Qingshan turned to find Lei Hu emerging from the western part of the forest with a group of torch-bearing riders.

Lei Hu's voice boomed, "Zhao Qingshan, we've checked the southwest with no trace found. Beyond lies the mountain range. Should we continue?"

His gaze shifted, "Where's the sect leader?"

Zhao Qingshan replied, "If not in the southwest, then let's search north. The sect leader and Lei Bao headed there. If you hurry, you can meet up with them."

Xiaoluolan, startled by the noise, admitted her confusion about the local dialect. Once they stopped talking, she eagerly asked Zhao Qingshan if there was news about Qingxue.

Seeing a glimmer of hope on Lady Xiao's weary face, Zhao Qingshan, with a heavy heart, relayed the information gathered by Lei Hu.

Xiaoluolan swayed, steadying herself against a tree trunk. She forced a smile, "I see, then let's continue our search. I've rested enough."

Lei Hu sneaked a glance at the beautiful woman, scratching his head, and quietly asked Zhao Qingshan, "What is she saying?"

Zhao Qingshan succinctly responded, "Searching for her daughter."

Lei Hu, a straightforward warrior, quickly realized the danger of the Niu Lao Mountain. He explained the perils of the inner mountains, such as wolves, tigers, and wild boars, especially without a map and proper weapons, making it risky to venture deeper at night.

Zhao Qingshan coughed, interrupting Lei Hu, "I know. We'll wait for the sect leader's decision."

Xiaoluolan looked on blankly, unable to understand Lei Hu's words but sensing from their expressions that the situation wasn't good. A dreadful thought crossed her mind: was it too difficult? Did they no longer want to help?

Xiaoluolan fidgeted with her sleeve cuffs, her fingertips turning white from the force. What should she do?

"Mr. Qingshan," Xiaoluolan approached Zhao Qingshan, the one she could communicate with, trying hard to steady her trembling voice, "What has happened?"

Zhao Qingshan, noticing Lady Xiao's even paler complexion, as if the rest had not helped, hurriedly had her sit back on a stone. He then informed her about the dangers of Niu Lao Mountain: to show that Lei Hu and his team had tried their best, to prepare her mentally, and to explain that searching in the mountains would take much longer, possibly increasingly so.

After listening, Xiaoluolan repeated, "There are wild people in the mountains?"

Zhao Qingshan comforted her, "Only occasionally, wild people come down from the mountains to plunder."

Xiaoluolan felt terrified by everything around her. In this lawless place without police, aside from these kind-hearted people, there was nowhere else to seek help.

A rustling sound was heard.

Xiaoluolan noticed that Sect Leader Zhou had returned.

Even the seven or eight cavalrymen who had dispersed earlier had returned.

They had all come back.

Despair spread in Xiaoluolan's heart. With everyone back and no longer searching, what would happen to her daughter? Could she rely on herself alone? Would her daughter still be there when found?

Xiaoluolan felt like she had fallen into an icy cave, shivering uncontrollably under the warm firelight.

Zhou Xu approached and realized something was amiss. Lady Xiao's forehead was sweaty, her eyes unfocused, her lips pale, and her beautiful face seemed to have lost its vitality, showing a sickly pallor.

Zhou Xu knelt down to observe carefully and noticed that the woman's shoes were now covered in soft mud, staining the fine red brocade embroidery and timidly peeking out from under her cyan robe.

Zhou Xu discreetly shifted his gaze, his Adam's apple moving slightly.

Then, turning to the lady with concern, "Lady Xiao, what's wrong?"

Hearing the question, Xiaoluolan slowly looked towards Sect Leader Zhou.

Suddenly, she pulled off her jade bracelet and then the numerous hair ornaments from her head, stuffing them all into Sect Leader Zhou's hands.

Zhou Xu was taken aback.

Xiaoluolan didn't stop there; even the pearl earrings on her ears were added to the pile of jewelry.

The round, smooth pearls glistened under the firelight, clearly expensive, but marred by traces of blood. Zhou Xu noticed blood seeping from Lady Xiao's earlobes, a striking red against her pale neck, trailing into her deep garments.

"Sect Leader Zhou, I give these to you. Please, help find my daughter. Don't give up on her, I beg you," Xiaoluolan pleaded, kneeling before him, tears in her eyes and her hair in disarray, yet the dark fragrance of her peony hairpins lingered.

Zhou Xu, with a handful of luxurious jewels, paid them no heed, focusing only on Xiaoluolan. After a long pause, he hoarsely said, "Madam, don't cry. I will help you."