Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 266: Sandstorm

The red figure quickly disappeared, leaving the group uncertain whether she had fled or was secretly observing them from somewhere.

The group pretended not to have noticed that anyone had been around and continued on their way, approaching Rocky Mountain.

As he got closer, Zhao Changhe realized that this so-called Rocky Mountain was different from what he had imagined.

The mountain was much larger than he expected. Its height seemed somewhat average, but it was very wide, and it looked like a large turtle crouching in the desert.

And this turtle actually had a tail.

A long, low ridge of desert rocks extended from the north of the mountain, leading all the way northward to another distant mountain range covered in snow.

This Rocky Mountain was not simply a standalone pile of rocks rising from the desert as he had presumed. It was actually a small extension of a massive mountain range.

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat. This feature was quite distinctive, and he had seen something resembling it before.

This looks just like the treasure map given to me by Master Yuan Xing. So it wasn’t just a map of a specific area, but rather a map pointing toward this mountain range. That means that here I might be able to find more of the marine clay that was at the Wang Clan. The map doesn’t have any other geographical details, so I never really knew that the mountain range on the map was actually located to the north of Huangsha Market. All I knew was that it was probably quite far.

Now that I think about it, whether it’s Lady Three or Yue Hongling, this area might have something to do with why they’ve been staying here. No wonder Yue Hongling’s reluctant to leave despite being short of supplies. She probably discovered something and the reason she invited me here is so that we can check it out together.

From a distance, it could be seen that the lower edges of the rocks of Rocky Mountain had a hint of green, indicating the presence of grass, albeit very little of it. The grass grew along the edges of the rocks, making the entire mountain look like a large turtle with seaweed growing along its belly.

While Zhao Changhe wasn’t sure whether there was an oasis somewhere here, it proved that there should at least be some water, though it might be extremely scarce or hidden deep underground. Whether there was a way to collect drinking water remained unknown. But judging from how Yue Hongling had been staying here, it was likely that she had a way of getting water. However, it was unlikely for the area to be suitable for large settlements or for the establishment of a market. That was perhaps why it remained just a desolate mountain.

Hu Lie led the group to the foot of the mountain and gestured, “It’s getting late. Let’s rest here and have something to eat.”

Everyone dismounted and took a break. They leaned against the rocks around them as they took out dry rations and water. Hu Lie untied the “maiden” bound to his horse and grinned as he started undressing her. “Damn, I’ve been holding it in this entire time, time for some fun!”

Everyone gathered around and laughed obscenely, while the woman whimpered and cried.

Zhao Changhe cringed a little from the horrible acting. He wondered if Yue Hongling would fall for it.

Yue Hongling hid behind a pile of rocks, coldly observing the scene through some crevices.

As a lone bandit who had been roaming the region for three months, a group of a dozen or so people such as this one would be a prime target for her. She would not run at the sight of them from afar, but she also would not act rashly just because there were fewer of them. She would observe first and assess whether she could take them.

Normally, she would have had to guess and analyze the situation, but it seemed that there was no need for that this time.

Because with a single glance, she spotted a familiar disheveled man. Zhao Changhe had a similar disguise to the one he used the night before, and Dragon Bird was also clearly on his back.

How did he end up with Batu? Did Batu not recognize him?

Since Zhao Changhe is here, and this group dares to molest a woman right in front of him, they clearly aren’t his friends. He knows that I’m here... That means this is obviously a trap to bait me into action. He probably somehow got mixed into their group and came to help me in case something happened.

It was a crude but absolutely correct judgment.

The lecherous laughter of the men and the cries of the woman began to echo among the rocks. Zhao Changhe pretended to be uninterested and quietly left the group, disappearing around the corner as if he were going to pee.

A small stone flew out from among the crevices of some nearby rocks and struck his shoulder.

Without a change in his expression, Zhao Changhe quietly unstrapped his bow and quiver, and then he took out a small pouch of hidden darts. Afterward, he stuffed them into the nearby crack. At the same time, using his feet, he drew two words in the sand. “Trap. Leave.”

And then he quickly wiped the words away.

Yue Hongling smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

It really does feel nicer when you’ve got companions, compared to wandering alone in the Grasslands. This way, I don’t need to gamble, don’t need to rack my brains about all the dangers as much, and everything is just more pleasant.

Joining hands with someone and facing the world together... Maybe he might...

It’s just very strange. Why is it that every time I’m with him, there are always others engaging in intimate activities nearby? I swear, those sounds.... Can’t they just cut it off now?!

Yue Hongling thought for a moment, quietly took the bow and quiver, along with the darts, then retreated back into the mountain.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe adjusted his trousers and returned to the group with a relaxed demeanor as if he had just relieved himself.

Hu Lie, on the other hand, was questioning his life choices.

The foreplay has gone on for so long, why hasn’t Yue Hongling reacted yet? Are the cries of this woman not convincing enough? Or is Yue Hongling intentionally waiting for the moment when my pants are halfway down before launching an attack? If that’s the case, that’s going to be a fucking headache. How am I supposed to fight someone if my pants are down?

As he hesitated, the sound of galloping hooves came from the distance. A figure in red rode a horse off in another direction. In the blink of an eye, she was only a small dot in the distance.

I’m not going to play your game.

Hu Lie gaped.

His mind froze for a moment, then he angrily mounted his horse. “What are you doing? Chase after her! As long as we can drag her into a fight, there’s still hope!”

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept in, howling as it passed.

Sand and dust swept out from the ground, and within moments, everything in sight was engulfed in a swirling sandstorm, with bits of gravel pelting their faces and bodies. They all instinctively raised their hands to protect their eyes, but the horses, unable to prevent the gravel from hitting their eyes, panicked and bucked, throwing their riders off.

This was a common scene in the desert. Small sandstorms like this were not that serious, but they still greatly restricted the movements of people and horses for as long as they raged.

Yue Hongling urgently dismounted to protect her horse while chaos ensued back at the group. It was impossible for anyone to pursue her in such conditions.

Zhao Changhe scratched his head, perplexed by the situation.

If Yue Hongling had not fled and instead hid on Rocky Mountain, it would not have been much of a problem. But now that she was caught in the middle of a sandstorm, things had become a little more complicated.

Both parties were caught in the sandstorm. It was difficult to predict how the sandstorm would change the situation. It all depended on how they responded to this sudden turn of events.

In the extremely low visibility caused by the yellow sand flying everywhere, flashes of sword light suddenly appeared.

Yue Hongling had decisively turned back and took advantage of the low visibility to attack her enemies who were in disarray and unable to launch a coordinated attack!

Amidst the bloodshed and screams, one of Hu Lie’s subordinates had already been swiftly dealt with.

Not only did Zhao Changhe’s heart race at this sight, but even Hu Lie, Batu, and the others could not help but feel a sense of admiration for her. It was no wonder how this woman, alone with her horse, could threaten the entire northern frontier. With such decisive actions, she could easily make a group of self-proclaimed heroes feel ashamed of themselves.

Clang!

Her long sword clashed with Hu Lie’s scimitar. Yue Hongling did not linger, her red figure flashing away as she thrust her sword at another one of Hu Lie’s subordinates.

Hu Lie’s scimitar followed closely behind her.

From their previous clash, Hu Lie could sense that he was indeed slightly stronger than Yue Hongling.

As a warrior who had already unlocked the first of the Profound Mysteries, while his actual combat strength might not surpass Yue Hongling’s, he certainly surpassed anyone at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate in terms of perception and mastery of martial arts. Moreover, in an environment such as this one where there was low visibility and audibility due to the blowing sand and howling wind, Yue Hongling’s movements were greatly restricted. However, the influence of such an environment on someone who had unlocked a Profound Mystery was much smaller.

In this situation, Hu Lie actually had a little more confidence in succeeding. He could only say that it seemed like the heavens were helping him.

Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, Hu Lie suddenly felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, and a sense of impending danger surged in his heart.

Before he could swing his scimitar at Yue Hongling, he urgently swept it backward. A broad saber clashed with his scimitar, causing a sharp clang to resound as blades collided.

With a mix of surprise and anger, Hu Lie turned his head in anger to see a burly man in the midst of the sandstorm pushed back a few steps by his strike. Then, in a swift motion, the man leaped into the air, his broad saber sweeping down fiercely while his long hair billowed in the air like the mane of a lion as it pounced on its prey.

As Hu Lie met the attack with his own blade, he shouted furiously, “Batu, is the Warring Lion Tribe planning to rebel?”

Batu was momentarily dumbfounded, and then his expression turned resolute.

Now that things had come to this, there was no point in trying to explain, because they had intended to swallow his tribe up from the beginning anyway.

If you want to devour my tribe, why can’t I try stopping you by striking first?

Amidst the sandstorm, even if the distant army approached, they would not be able to clearly see what was happening inside.

A true man only bowed to heaven and earth, so how could he suffer beneath others’ feet throughout his life?

Clang!

A broad saber was drawn and swung at Hu Lie’s head. “Do you really think I could not guess what your intentions were? Die!”