CHAPTER 396: CHAPTER 396: TRAVELING AND SIGHTSEEING

Ling Mountain Range, stretching several thousand miles long and several hundred miles wide, divides into two parts, with towering mountains and deep forests, presenting treacherous grounds and perilous terrain.

Wild beasts roam about, strange creatures appear and disappear, and there are swamps, poisonous miasma, as well as cliffs and sheer walls.

Even some mountain folks who live in the mountains year-round reside only on the outskirts of the range, not daring to venture deep inside.

Only those who rely on the mountain for survival, such as medicine gatherers and hunters, choose to delve into its depths, and over time, they have carved out paths that connect the north and south and established temporary shelters.

As time passed, the trading demand between Lingnan and Lingbei grew, these mountain paths began to be utilized, and gradually became simplified, leaving some easy paths and finally forming an official road running north to south and some convenient small paths.

The path Lu Zheng travels with Luo Jin’s caravan is one such small path.

"On the first day, we travel rather close, resting at a hunter’s shelter," Luo Jin introduced, "On the second day, it’s an inn."

"An inn?" Lu Zheng was quite surprised, "There is an inn along such a road?"

"Hahaha!"

Already anticipating Lu Zheng’s surprise, before Luo Jin could respond, the man surnamed Zhang said, "The place where the inn is located is just two mountain peaks away from the official road, and nearby is a mountain villager’s settlement where a family opened an inn, monopolizing the business, making quite a profit!"

Luo Jin nodded, "This path and the official road intersect at a mountain stream, the official road has a suspension bridge above, and we have one below."

"Alright." Lu Zheng indicated he understood.

"The third day’s path is the hardest, and at night, there’s only a cave for resting, but if the pace is quick, we can be out of the mountains by the fourth night," the man surnamed Zhang said, "But the night path is difficult, so most people end up staying another night in the mountains and come out at noon on the fifth day."

"This is already the nearest mountain path, hardly any detours," Luo Jin said.

"Indeed." Lu Zheng nodded, having crossed Ling Mountain himself, well aware of the mountain range’s density, getting out in five days is no easy feat.

...

The mountain entrance they used was a mile off the official road, entering from the mountainside along a small overgrown path.

A guard led the way in front, another guarded the rear, and two guards remained in the middle on alert, ready to assist.

Luo Jin followed the convoy, and the other seven drivers briskly pushed their wheelbarrows, moving swiftly on the mountain path, unimpeded.

Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan walked at the back of the convoy, not far from the rear-guard man surnamed Zhang, with the path cleared ahead, making their walk smooth.

"Not bad!" The man surnamed Zhang gave a thumbs up in praise, "Not lying, really used to mountain paths!"

Then he looked at Lu Zheng, "You too, you look like a regular scholar, yet surprisingly competent."

"Thank you, thank you." Lu Zheng replied with a smile, then glanced at Luo Jin ahead, "Following you, you make extra money?"

"Extra my foot, we earn by headcount, at least ten heads per trip," the man surnamed Zhang said, "Old Luo only has eight people, so he waited at the mountain entrance, hoping to bump into two eager folks, which happened with you!"

"No wonder he’s called Luo the Miser." Liu Qingyan chuckled lightly.

...

At noon, they entered the mountains and spent the afternoon traversing within.

On the first day, near the mountain’s outskirts, the path was easy, and their pace was swift, covering nearly thirty miles in the afternoon.

By evening, they crossed a narrow stream and walked another mile before finding a wooden hut on a clearing near the cliff.

"Arrived, let’s rest, make a fire, cook, and rest early!"

The drivers piled the wheelbarrows near the wooden hut’s entrance and began collecting dry wood nearby to start a fire.

Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan walked into the wooden hut hand in hand, taking a look around.

Sure enough, it was a hunter’s temporary shelter.

The hut was not small, but there were few things inside.

A bed of dry straw, a jar of clear water, a few strands of dried sausages hung on the wall, a pile of dry wood, and a extinguished campfire in the room.

"With today’s sunny weather, let’s not use the dry wood here, we can collect some ourselves," Luo Jin said as he came in, "When it gets dark, we’ll start a fire inside, and you two can spend the night on the straw bed, how’s that?"

"What about you?"

"We have tents, we’ll stay outside," Luo Jin replied with a smile.

"Then we won’t hold back." Lu Zheng nodded, noting that the cost was worth it.

"It’s settled then!" Luo Jin said, "I’ll have the workers brew some soup, would you care to join us?"

"Thanks, but no need, we brought our own food," Lu Zheng replied.

Both he and Liu Qingyan were here on a mountain leisure trip, having cultivation skills, making it a camping experience not minding the accommodation. But regarding food, they would not compromise.

Plum brew, roast chicken, baked cakes, followed by apples and oranges after the meal.

All set!

...

"Awoo—"

"Tweet—"

At midnight, the distant sounds of wolves howling and eagles calling echoed in their ears.

Inside and outside the hut, two campsites burned, the four guards taking turns keeping watch, while Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan chatted with the man surnamed Zhang outside, before retiring for the night.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, as Lu Zheng stretched lazily outside, he found Luo Jin’s group already packed and ready to depart.

"Young Master Lu, had a good rest last night? We still have a three-day journey ahead,"

"Yeah, not bad, slept well." Lu Zheng nodded, "Are we leaving now?"

Lu Zheng looked at the sky, seeing it was just barely light.

"Start early to reach the inn by nightfall, more time to rest," Luo Jin said, "Today’s journey is not short."

Lu Zheng nodded, watching as Luo Jin’s caravan prepared to depart and joined with Liu Qingyan.

This journey, Luo Jin’s caravan moved swiftly, only having dry rations for lunch.

The man surnamed Zhang and his team carefully guarded the whole way, killing three large snakes, driving off a mountain cat, avoiding a herd of wild boars, and capturing two pheasants and a wild rabbit.

And Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan...

Picked twelve kinds of wildflowers, admired seven scenic spots, observed five peculiar stones, visited two waterfalls and mountain springs, even soaked their feet in a clear mountain stream.

By now, even the dullest person noticed something odd about Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan.

After a day’s travel, while everyone was breathless and exhausted, they remained calm, without a drop of sweat.

Could it be... Abnormal People?

Of course, neither Lu Zheng nor Liu Qingyan mentioned it, and Luo Jin and the man surnamed Zhang would certainly not expose them, instead they treated the pair with more respect.

Heading south, they met four small caravans traveling north, all pushing wheelbarrows, ranging from twenty people to as few as seven or eight.

From this, it was evident that Luo Jin was indeed running a small caravan business.

Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan chatted with interest about these small caravans, discussing the trades that connected the north and south profitably, along with discussions about the scenery they enjoyed on the journey.

The mountains darkened early, with late afternoon already dimming, they hurried along and finally reached the inn’s location.

"We’re at the inn!" Luo Jin pointed to a small three-story building ahead.

Lu Zheng saw the inn ahead, enveloped in a sinister atmosphere, he was stunned, "Are you staying here?"