Ultimate Path to Heaven

Chapter 20 Entering the Mountain Canyon

From Qingxi Village all the way to the foot of the mountain, not only was there not a single trace of the Iron Slaughter Guards, but no unusual events also occurred, making the journey unsettling.

Regardless of what others were thinking, Xiao Jin paid no attention to them, secretly pleased but occasionally appearing somewhat nervous.

Less than half an hour after leaving Qingxi Village, Xiao Jin was surprised and delighted to find that his strength points had reached 90, and there were signs that they would continue to rise.

"10 o'clock left... It should be possible within a day, right?"

System-mandated task: Eliminate Gou Erchui's resentment within one day...

Although this task would only deduct 10 points of agility at most, and would not reduce the value to zero, Xiao Jin would certainly not want to have it deducted if there was any possibility.

At first, Xiao Jin thought of many ways to do it, but every time he looked at Gou Erchui’s towering figure, he immediately gave up his original idea.

Until his strength points skyrocketed in a short period of time, this guy, in his frustration, simply stopped thinking about it. If he could reach 100 strength points within a day, he could cancel this damn forced mission himself, so why bother asking for anything?

That's what Xiao Jin thought to himself.

Realizing this, Xiao Jin, no longer dwelling on it, finally looked around with peace of mind...

Looking around, the vast wilderness stretches out before you, with not a single tree in sight, only endless jagged rocks.

"Um? 』

He perfectly avoided all the villages along the way. Although Xiao Jin didn't pay much attention to his surroundings, he was aware that the sparse trees around him were ones he had never seen before.

The foot of the mountain right now... gave him a strange feeling.

Endless jagged rocks, seemingly etched by wind and frost, take on bizarre and unusual shapes: some resemble the menacing fangs of a giant beast piercing the sky, while others are layered like decaying bones...

Xiao Jin was puzzled that the arrangement of the rocks in this desolate sea of ​​stones seemed to conceal some kind of mystery.

At this moment, Xiao Muyu slowed her pace in front of him, and Ye Bufan leaned closer and said, "If Lin Yan is suspicious, we may not be able to control the situation. I hope Miss will reconsider."

With the Dark Guard's deployment throughout the entire Divine Continent, there was absolutely no need to rely on Lin Yan to enter the mountains after Qingxi Village. Xiao Muyu's initial intention was simply to frame the Eagle Bandits in order to extricate herself from the situation.

But after Lin Yan appeared, Xiao Muyu took everything to heart and changed her mind in the darkness.

"He won't." Xiao Muyu paused thoughtfully. "At least not yet!"

will not?

Seeing the backs of Lin Yan, Gou Erchui, and Yin Yang Shuanghuang, Ye Bufan obediently fell silent, but he still looked somewhat uneasy.

After all, these four people are all of the ninth rank. Perhaps he and Wang Suiyue could have ensured that Xiao Muyu and the other two could leave safely if they risked their lives, but what about now?

Several massive rocks collided, forming a deep, dark crevice...

Approaching the gap, Lin Yan abruptly stopped, turned around, and looked at Xiao Muyu while lightly waving his paper fan: "Passing through here will take us into the mountains. Does the Princess have anything to say?"

Faced with Lin Yan's probing or well-intentioned reminder, Xiao Muyu appeared quite calm and replied, "I'd really like to know how you've managed all these years."

Lin Yan looked somewhat surprised: "I feel the same way."

After exchanging a knowing smile, the two said no more, with Gou Erchui taking the lead and entering the crevice in the rocks.

At this moment, Xiao Jin, who was not focused on his strength or that damn mission, frowned slightly—could it be that he was going to live in seclusion in the mountains?

For Xiao Jin, the fragments of the original owner's memories contained far too little information, leaving him completely unaware of the existence of the secret guards and Lin Yan.

The winding mountain crevice was hundreds of meters long. The journey was mostly silent as Xiao Jin 'recalled' fragments of the original owner's memories, trying to learn as much as possible.

Suddenly, a ray of light shone through a crack in the rocks, and finally reached its end.

Following the light out of the crevice in the mountain rocks, a bright light suddenly appeared before my eyes, and my view opened up... The sound of dripping water echoed eternally among the rugged rocks.

A few stubborn rays of sunlight squeezed through the narrow gap in the sky, barely illuminating the swirling mist, and miraculously projected a fleeting tiny rainbow onto the cliff face. Eagles occasionally flew by, creating a striking visual effect.

How beautiful—that was Xiao Jin's first impression upon entering the canyon.

Spiritual energy?

Unlike the beautiful scenery of Xiao Jin, the moment Wang Suiyue and Ye Bufan entered the canyon, they both sensed the presence of spiritual energy. Although it was far less than it had been a decade or so ago, it was still extremely rare in the current Sixteen Provinces of Yanyang, even more concentrated than on a night of full moon.

Xiao Jin, who currently has no idea what spiritual energy is, naturally cannot sense it.

Directly in front of him, about a hundred meters away, stood a tall and sturdy stockade wall made of rough logs and scattered rocks from the canyon.

The houses in the village are built against the rocks, mostly with rough log structures. A bonfire burns in the central open space, with an iron pot on a pile of charred charcoal, and smoke fills the air.

Inside the stronghold, dozens of people were busy with their own tasks, and among them were even familiar faces like Wang Suiyue and Ye Bufan...

The moment everyone entered the village, a young girl came straight up to them.

The girl looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a light green silk dress, and in the sunlight she resembled a newly sprouted willow.

Those almond-shaped eyes were dark and bright, clear as a mountain stream, with stars dancing in them, innocent and pure.

As Lin Yan approached, the girl, completely disregarding the unfamiliar faces of Xiao Jin and the others, complained in a disgruntled tone, "Why did it take so long? Where's what I asked for!"

The girl reached out to Lin Yan, her fingertips slightly tense, her lips pursed, and her almond-shaped eyes shining brightly. Although she didn't say a word, it clearly said, "Give it to me now."

Facing such a young girl, Lin Yan's lips curled into an undisguised doting smile as he took out an exquisite hairpin from his pocket and gently placed it in the girl's hand.

Looking at the hairpin in her hand, the girl's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction. She gave Lin Yan a soft hum and then turned to leave.

Upon seeing the girl for the first time, Xiao Jin's eyes lit up, but he inexplicably felt that the girl was somewhat out of place in this other world.

As the girl's skirt fluttered gently, she seemed to possess a unique, lively spirit, radiating a warm and pure aura, like the brightest ray of light in the morning sun, a stark contrast to the girl Xiao Jin had seen in Qingxi Village.

Even in his previous life, he had never seen anything like this.

Although the girl was not a celestial beauty, her eyes sparkled like autumn water, and every smile and frown exuded purity and elegance, as if she were a banished immortal who had accidentally descended to the mortal world, without a trace of worldly air.

Even those other than Xiao Jin were deeply attracted by the girl, their gazes following her until she disappeared from sight...

Seeing everyone standing there stunned because of his sister, Lin Yan looked at Xiao Muyu with slight embarrassment: "Princess, please come with me."

Wang Suiyue was about to follow, but Qin Shen stopped him: "You all go ahead and rest with me elsewhere."

Although it was a woman's voice, Qin Huang's powerful and resonant voice commanded an aura that left no room for argument.

At this moment, Xiao Muyu looked at Wang Suiyue and gently shook her head. Then she looked at Xiao Jin and nodded in relief.