Chapter 138
Shortly afterwards, Le Jiang’s footsteps came again . Back in the cave, Le Jiang threw Mr . Liang a little wooden box gloomily as he said: “I've told my men to take care of the four . You have what you want now . I’ll send someone to take you to the capital of Nan Zhao later . ”
Opening the box and looking inside, Mr . Liang nodded happily and said: “Good . Let’s not waste any time . Where’s my steward and guard?”
Le Jiang snorted with disdain: “Your steward is scared to death that he isn’t able to walk properly for now . As to your guard, he is even more useless . He fell down the cliff on his way here . Your people are good-for-nothing!”
“You!” Mr . Liang suppressed his anger and said: “I see . Send me to the capital as soon as possible . ”
“All right . ” Le Jiang nodded happily as he said: “Have a rest . You’ll leave later . ”
Outside the cave, Ye Li glanced at Han Ming Xi who shook his head without a word . There were indeed many bodies at the bottom of the cliff, skeletons to be specific . He didn’t see Zheng Kui's though . It was very likely that Zheng Kui didn't fall off the cliff, instead, he was killed by those of Nan Zhao .
The Sick Scholar wasn’t in a hurry to do anything to Mr . Liang since the two guards that were killed by him a while ago were found dead which turned the originally quiet cave into a noisy market . Mr . Liang left under the protection of heavy guards . Ye Li and her companions had no choice but to scatter in order not to draw any attention to themselves, ready to leave . Without a doubt, Secret Guard No . 3 remained by Ye Li's side . Han Ming Xi left with the Secret Guard No . 3 reluctantly .
“My Lord, we . . . ”
Ye Li shook her head as she said: “Let's stay for now and have a look inside . ” Without having to care about the Sick Scholar and Han Ming Xi, they were able to move quicker . Carefully, they went deep inside the underground palace . It wasn't large with seven to eight rooms . They searched each room only to find nothing of value until they turned to the room in the deepest corner which looked different than the rooms they were in before . Its door was closed with two Nan Zhao men keeping guard . Ye Li turned to Secret Guard No . 3 and gave him a gesture quickly: You take the left one, I, right .
Secret Guard No . 3 nodded . They approached quietly and controlled the two guards . Secret Guard No . 3 broke the guard's neck . Ye Li watched the man she had under her control pass out . Frowning, she put him in a secret corner . Watching the lock to the door, she took out a gold hairpin with a frown . With a twist of her hairpin, she got a sharp gold needle . She jabbed it inside the lock which snapped open . Nodding at Secret Guard No . 3 who was in the dark, she pushed the door open and went inside in a flash . Secret Guard No . 3 was still crouching down in the dark, paying attention to his surroundings . After a good while, Ye Li came out and locked the door again .
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Probably because Han Ming Xi and the Sick Scholar had attracted most guards, Ye Li and Secret Guard No . 3 didn't see as many guards around as a while ago . Following Han Ming Xi's secret marks, they saw the exit in less than 15 minutes . However, at a distance from the exit, they could smell that dangerous scent, same as that in the mountain .
Secret Guard No . 3 took out several pellets and passed them to Ye Li who smashed them and smelled hard as she laughed in a small voice: “Did you get these from the Sick Scholar?”
Without others around, Secret Guard No . 3 was more expressive . He laughed, a little smug: “Right . He had so many poisons with him . I was afraid I might have taken the wrong ones so I didn't take anything else except the kind he gave us . They may last three hours . ”
“Great . ” Both took a pellet . Secret Guard No . 3 took the lead . He walked to the exit and looked around before he waved to Ye Li . They went out carefully and rapidly, stunned by what they saw - endless red . The exit was not even two meters high up the bottom of the cliff which was covered by big red flowers with red and black snakes under each of them . Some snakes wound around the flower stems and slid on the flowers . Finally, Ye Li understood why Han Ming Xi couldn't help cursing after he was down here . This horrible place sent chills down her spine . However, it was fair that they didn’t have any guards here since the exit led to such a dangerous place .
“Can we get there?” Pointing at the cliff on their opposite, Ye Li asked .
Secret Guard No . 3 had a looked and nodded as he said: “We can . ”
“Be careful . Nobody can save you if you fall . ” Once one fell in the sea of flowers, one might be swallowed by those flowers and snakes alive .
Secret Guard No . 3 asked with a frown: “My Lord, how do you plan to get there?” He himself could fly over with his flying skills . However, it wouldn't be possible for him to take a person with him . Given his master’s flying skills, she probably couldn’t make it there herself . Besides, this place was way too near the bottom of the cliff for them to use the ropes since they might be bitten by those snakes by accident .
Ye Li sighed, frustrated: “This place gives me headache . But this trip will be worth it if we can get away successfully . You go first . I’ll find another route . ”
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Secret Guard No . 3 didn't move . Though he knew how good the princess was, he didn't see any other way around . It wasn't safe to stay here either . The fact they didn't have company for now didn't mean they wouldn't forever .
Seeing how stubborn Secret Guard No . 3 was, Ye Li waved her hand, resigned, as she said: “Forget it . I’ll go first . Stay here and follow me after I make it successfully . Sometimes I really don’t understand your stubbornness . ”
Secret Guard No . 3 said seriously: “My Lord, I’m your secret guard . Your safety is everything to me . ”
She rolled her eyes . “Thanks . I’ll appreciate it if you have a bit more faith in me . ”
She waited till dark and climbed up along the side of the cliff with the help of her daggers . She didn't go very far when she found Secret Guard No . 3 following her and asked: “What are you doing?”
Secret Guard No . 3 answered solemnly: “My Lord, I’m coming with you . ”
“Do you think I want to do this? If I have your flying skills, I would have flown there . ” Glaring at him angrily, she kept climbing .
Now Secret Guard No . 3 was at the same height as she was, he said: “This cliff is at least 100 Zhangs . It’s quite a challenge to climb all the way up . ”
Ye Li laughed in a low voice: “Did I say I was going to climb all the way up? I just need to move a little upwards . There's a stone sticking out . I’ll stop there . ”
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Looking up, he saw the stone and nodded: “I see . I’ll wait for you on the other side, My Lord . ”
“Watch out . ” Ye Li told him .
He nodded . Stepping on the side of the cliff, his body shot up . However, probably due to how he was climbing a short while ago, now it seemed he lacked strength in the middle of the air . Though he could use the flowers as help, it would be bad if he was to be bitten by the snakes since there wasn't any antidote . Ye Li cursed below her breath and aimed one dagger below his foot . He stepped on the dagger and went up again . After a few ups and downs, he landed safely . Having lost a dagger, it took Ye Li more time to reach that stone . There wasn't much space up there, barely enough for her to stand . It must have been part of a large stone . Steadying herself on the stone, Ye Li had a breath and took out a rope from her luggage . She fixed one end of it to her a sleeve arrow and shot it to her opposite .
Secret Guard No . 3 who was standing there caught it and fixed it to a safe spot . He shook it to tell her it was ready . She found somewhere to fasten her end of the rope . Pulling it hard, she slid along .
“My Lord!” Seeing her land safely, Secret Guard No . 3 let out a sigh of relief .
Dusting her clothes, she said: “Let's go . We are probably at the opposite side of the mountain in regard to the village . This might be our way out . ”
Secret Guard No . 3 nodded . He followed Ye Li as he said: “My Lord, I remember where we are now . We are in the Snake Valley . ”
“Snake Valley?”
He nodded and said: “My predecessors went to war against Nan Zhao with His Highness . It is said there was a Snake Valley in Nan Zhao where red flowers with venom were all over the place . However, it’s said His Highness burned it to ashes . I never thought it could return to its old self in less than ten years . But . . . this isn’t the right location . It should have been in the south-west of Nan Zhao . How is it so close to Scattered Snow Pass?”
Ye Li shook her head as she spoke: “Someone has built it like this in purpose . Have you noticed that those flowers are in rows . They can't have grown like that themselves . Besides, the snakes are strange too . Even though those flowers grew back, there can't be so many snakes . Be it the flowers or the snakes, both are put here by man . ”
Recalling the sea of flowers, Secret Guard No . 3 can't help cursing: “Are they nuts? It’s so dangerous . . . ”
“They aren't afraid of snakes . ” Ye Li smiled: “I think they put such a fearful Snake Valley here to cover up something in this mountain . ”
“You mean the weapon factory?” Secret Guard No . 3 was puzzled .
She smiled again: “No, something more interesting . Let’s get out of here first . Have you found any marks left by Han Ming Xi?”
Secret Guard No . 3 was crouching down, looking around as he said: “Something probably happened to them . This mark . . . is a mess . ” Night had fallen . It was impossible to see anything like footsteps . Secret Guard No . 3 spent a lot of time before he found the mark left by Han .
Ye Li frowned . She bent down as well and said below her breath: “It has been four hours since we separated . They could cover six miles in two hours on foot . Since they both know flying skills . . . they might not use it but they could at least cover nine miles . Normally, they should have been some 20 miles away from here now . So . . . was Han Ming Xi set up? Or were they both taken?”
“I don't think the Sick Scholar would set Han Ming Xi up . Tianyi Pavilion has informants everywhere . Some of them must have seen him hang around with the Sick Scholar in Yong Lin . If anything happens to him, the Sick Scholar can't account for it to the master of Tianyi Pavilion . ” Said Secret Guard No . 3 .
With a frown, Ye Li said: “Well . . . were they taken? Secret Guard No . 3, let’s split and look into it . See if he left any other marks . ” If something did happen to Han Ming Xi, not only the Sick Scholar but they couldn’t account for it to Han Ming Yue . After all, she was the one who sought Han Ming Xi's help which was why Han Ming Xi came to Nan Zhao . If they were indeed taken, she could only pray that he wasn't killed yet .