Chapter 63 Beheading Cliff

Chapter 63: The Cliff of No Return

Guleng Mountain was located just outside Yanjing, the capital, part of the Yan Mountain range, known for its jagged, steep cliffs.

The mountain's red maples were famous; starting from late August each year, the maple leaves blazed like fire, turning the whole mountain blood-red.

Thus, every year, lots of cultured guys and rich young masters would visit to climb and admire the maples.

Cheng Ge, wearing a straw raincoat, used the last bit of daylight to ride fast out of the city.

Guleng Mountain wasn't far from the inner city, with a few scattered houses at the bottom. Rain and mist swirled together, and smoke rose from chimneys.

The village road, soaked by rain all day, was a muddy mess. Cheng Ge frowned hard at the road.

The road was obviously torn up by horse hooves, but this little village wasn't rich.

Normally, even the cheapest horse cost over twenty silver taels, way more than a regular farm family could afford.

Sure, lots of rich folks came to see the maples, but no idiot would come in a damn storm to look at some stupid maple leaves.

So, where these hoofprints came from was worth looking into…

Lin Nanshu, the Lin family's eldest young master, was famous all over the Great Zhou, and it was pretty much a done deal he'd be the next family head.

Even though he kept a low profile, he still had the proper escort, with bodyguards always around when he went out.

Sure, Guleng Mountain was dangerous, but it shouldn't have put Lin Nanshu in real trouble.

So, it was pretty clear this wasn't an accident—someone was after him.

Tall trees catch the wind—Cheng Ge knew that. Now, with people still coming into the village, there were only two options.

Either they were looking for Lin Nanshu, or they were the killers coming back.

According to Lin Hengyu, Lin Nanshu had been in trouble for over three days.

But the Lin family was keeping quiet, probably because they hadn't found a body.

That might be a lucky break; now he had to find Lin Nanshu before anyone else and save him.

Cheng Ge rode up to a house, shook off the rain, and pounded on the door.

Soon, a big guy opened the door, eyeing Cheng Ge suspiciously: "Who the hell are you? What do you want?"

Cheng Ge clasped his hands and said, "Hey, brother, my master's a traveling doctor. He went up the mountain yesterday to pick herbs and hasn't come back. I wanna go find him, but I don't know the way up."

The guy looked Cheng Ge over, still suspicious: "In this heavy rain, the mountain's dangerous. You trying to get yourself killed?"

Cheng Ge said, worried, "My master's old. What if something happens to him up there? I can't just sit around. A teacher for a day is a father for life—I can't forget his kindness."

The guy hesitated, looked a bit moved, and pointed the way.

"Go this way, there's a path up the side. You can even take your horse."

After that, he paused, then added, "Kid, I know you're in a hurry, but stay away from the Cliff of No Return to the north."

Cheng Ge's face went stiff. "Why? Are there wild animals?"

The guy looked around, leaned in, and whispered.

"Something big went down near the Cliff of No Return. A bunch of sketchy guys have been heading there the last few days, carrying weapons—real dangerous!"

Cheng Ge's heart jumped—Lin Nanshu was probably near the cliff.

He thanked the guy, bought a fire starter and oilcloth from him, then got on his horse and rode hard toward the cliff.

The rain let up a little, but the further he went, the tougher the road got. But Cheng Ge, frantic, didn't care.

Sure enough, on the path to the cliff, footprints and hoofprints were all over the place.

The cliff was on the north side of Guleng Mountain, steep and sheer, almost impossible to climb, and usually empty.

Cheng Ge reined in his horse, dismounted, and carefully examined the traces.

From the marks, a significant conflict had occurred here not long ago.

Following the trail further, he faintly heard voices. With the forest light dim, Cheng Ge slipped off his horse and hid in the nearby woods.

Crouching low, he crept cautiously toward the source of the sound.

Through the thick foliage, he saw several men in black standing at the cliff's edge, looking down.

"Are you sure he fell from here?" the leader suddenly asked.

One of the men replied, "Absolutely certain. He was cornered at the edge and fell. But the master sent several groups down, and none have returned."

Cheng Ge's heart tightened; so Lin Nanshu had indeed fallen from here.

But with the danger below and no one returning, Lin Nanshu might still be alive.

Just as he thought this, the leader said, "We need him alive or dead. Now, everyone goes down to search."

With that, the men in black began pulling out pre-prepared ropes and descending the cliff.

Seizing the moment, Cheng Ge quietly slipped out of the woods, crept to the cliff's edge, and peered down.

A thick fog shrouded the bottom, obscuring everything.

Cheng Ge knew he couldn't hesitate; if the men found Lin Nanshu first, it would be disastrous.

He quickly pulled a small knife from his sleeve, grabbed the rope, and began cutting.

With a snap, the rope broke, followed by a series of screams from below. Cheng Ge stood up, satisfied.

He scanned the cliff edge and, sure enough, spotted another rope hidden in a concealed spot, descending slowly.

It looked like it had been left recently, tied to a sturdy tree and dangling down the cliff face.

Cheng Ge tugged it to check its stability, then grabbed it and began climbing down.

The rain continued, making the cliff slippery, and every step was arduous.

Small saplings grew in the crevices; Cheng Ge carefully planted his feet while gripping the rock with one hand.

He could cut others' ropes, so they could cut his too—this way, at least he ensured his own safety.

After making it most of the way down, the rain suddenly intensified. Cheng Ge glanced below and could already see the bottom.

He swallowed hard, tilted his head back, and opened his mouth to drink a bit of rainwater, then sped up his descent.

Finally reaching the bottom of the cliff, Cheng Ge kept his body as low as possible, feeling his way through the mist.

The base of the cliff was littered with fallen rocks and marked by plenty of signs of fighting and struggle.

He felt his way forward along the cliff's edge, when his foot suddenly stepped on something wet and slippery. Cheng Ge instinctively looked down.

A pair of wide-open eyes abruptly appeared before him. Cheng Ge's scalp tingled and his blood ran cold.

He stumbled back several steps, his legs going weak, his gaze fixed on the figure.

The man, dressed in black tight-fitting gear, lay motionless in the muddy water.

A gaping hole in his chest had been rinsed clean by the rain, and his face was pale and waterlogged—clearly dead.

Cheng Ge pressed his back against the cliff wall, turned his head away, and took a few deep breaths.

After a moment to recover, he continued forward, and as expected, encountered several more corpses.

Judging by their attire, they belonged to two different groups, all having died in brutal ways. Luckily, there was no sign of Lin Nanshu.