Chapter 14

“Xiaobai? Are you calling a dog?”

Bai Shuo cursed inwardly but maintained a natural smile.

“Sure, it’s endearing.”

“Xiaobai, this little thing is for you.”

Mu Fan casually handed the pig-shaped pendant to Bai Shuo. She reached out, her face stiffening, and her hand stopped mid-air.

Oh no, this thing lights up when I touch it! If he realizes this pendant is valuable, he’ll figure out I took advantage of the chaos last night…

“What? You don’t like it?”

“No, how could that be! Pigs are so cute~~” Bai Shuo awkwardly fidgeted with her fingertips. “It’s quite heavy; just leave it there, and I’ll take it later…”

Before she could finish, Mu Fan tossed the pendant to her.

“Oh my!” Instinctively, Bai Shuo caught it.

In her panic, she almost threw it away but suddenly realized the pendant wasn’t glowing anymore.

She was stunned, examining the pendant closely.

“It—it’s not…”

A flicker of surprise crossed Mu Fan’s eyes.

“It’s not what?”

“I mean, it’s really not that heavy!” Bai Shuo quickly changed her tone, swiftly tucked the pendant into her bosom, grabbed a wild fruit, took a bite, and handed one to Mu Fan.

“Thanks for your kindness, Brother Mu! By the way, Brother Mu, where are you from? Do you know where we are and why we were kidnapped here?”

Mu Fan glanced at the wild fruit, then accepted it, playing with it in his hand.

“I’m from the borderlands. I came to the capital to sell some medicinal herbs from my hometown. Yesterday, as I passed through Muxiao Mountain, bandits robbed me and brought me here.”

“Robbed multiple times a day; how diligent!” Bai Shuo couldn’t help but mutter. “Brother Mu, we really are in the same boat. I was also captured yesterday. I’ve heard of Muxiao Mountain before; it’s a barren mountain near Weicheng. But it’s strange. Last night, I saw that the bandit camp wasn’t big. There were at most a hundred bandits. Weicheng is a prosperous place with strong military forces. How could they not eliminate such a small bandit camp?”

Bai Shuo was puzzled. She walked to the cave entrance and saw towering trees blocking the sky, the entire mountain full of vitality, and she was stunned.

Last night, it was pitch dark and chaotic during their escape. She didn’t notice. Yesterday, Muxiao Mountain looked like a barren mountain with a few small hills and some yellowish trees. But here… it seemed like a different world.

“Yesterday, I…” Bai Shuo pointed outside, speechless.

“The Muxiao Mountain I saw on the road wasn’t like this!”

“Impossible!”

Mu Fan, looking surprised, immediately walked to the cave entrance.

“I’m from the borderlands and have never been to the capital. I didn’t pay much attention yesterday. Xiaobai, could you be mistaken? How could there be such strange things in the world?”

“I’m sure I’m not mistaken…” Bai Shuo looked up at the sky.

The bright sun only revealed a few spots of light through the dense branches.

“Last night, I realized we couldn’t get out of this place. There’s definitely something strange…” Bai Shuo looked terrified.

“Brother Mu, I’m scared…”

Trembling, Bai Shuo tugged at Mu Fan’s clothing tied around his waist. Seeing her fear, Mu Fan’s eyes narrowed, but he still comforted her.

“Don’t be afraid. There’s no such thing as a demon. The bandits who captured us are humans. If they live here just fine, it means they aren’t afraid of this place and know the way out.”

“Brother Mu, you’re absolutely right!” Bai Shuo, suddenly enlightened, clapped her hands.

“If we follow those bandits down the mountain, we can leave. Let’s go back to the camp. Those greedy bandits will probably go looting again today.”

“Alright.”

Mu Fan agreed promptly, putting on the clothes tied around his waist. “Do you remember the way back to the camp?”

“Although it was dark and chaotic, I marked the trees on the way out.”

Bai Shuo saw a tree not far away with a moon symbol she had carved last night. She ran over and pointed at it.

“There, that’s the one.”

“Let’s go.”

“Hmm.”

Eager to leave, Bai Shuo led the way, while Mu Fan followed leisurely. In his palm, a silver power emerged, heading into the deep forest.

The silver power darted through the forest, reaching a wolf pack.

The wolves’s eyes glowed silver, and they began moving towards Bai Shuo and Mu Fan, startling countless birds.

In the Mu family’s training ground, Zhang Chao was pacing back and forth, frowning. Suddenly, he saw a flock of birds flying from the forest, his expression tensing. Wu Yong ran from the gate, gasping.

“Big brother! Did you see that? There’s movement in the mountains!”

“Of course. It must be those two brats. Gather the brothers; we must bring them back this time.”

“Yes, big brother.”

At this moment, outside Muxiao Mountain, Chong Zhao led the way on horseback, with Fu Ling by his side. Behind them, a large and well-equipped escort team, numbering no less than five hundred, followed.

“Miss Fu Ling, is this the place you mentioned?” Chong Zhao pointed at Muxiao Mountain and asked, raising his whip.

“Yes, that night was very dark. Although I was unconscious and my memory is unclear, I vaguely saw a girl being taken into the mountain by a group of bandits. I believe she might be your sister.”

Chong Zhao’s eyes were filled with worry and anger.

“How dare they touch Ah Shuo! I’ll tear this mountain apart and slaughter those scoundrels! Miss Fu Ling, you are injured. I’ll have someone take you back to the city first to avoid getting hurt during the fight.”

Fu Ling’s eyes flashed.

“Very well, but young master, you must be cautious about one thing when entering the mountain…”

“What is it?” Chong Zhao, seeing Fu Ling coughing softly, leaned closer.

“Miss Fu Ling, are you alright…”

Suddenly, Fu Ling turned and blew a puff of light smoke at Chong Zhao. The smoke quickly entered his eyes, causing his clear gaze to become dazed.

“The mountain is treacherous. It’s better if I accompany you inside. The entrance to the bandit camp is hard to find. How about splitting into groups of fifteen to search the mountain? What do you think?” Fu Ling’s voice was enchanting as she stared straight at Chong Zhao.

“…Very well…” Chong Zhao said slowly, then turned and commanded, “Follow this order; enter the mountain!”

“Yes!” The guards, noticing nothing unusual about Chong Zhao, skillfully infiltrated the mountain. Soon, only the guards from the capital remained with him.

Several purple shadows swiftly followed the guards into the forest, disappearing in an instant.

“Let’s go, Young Master Chong,” Fu Ling said, smirking as she patted Chong Zhao’s horse and leisurely led the group into the mountain.

In the capital, in the main hall of the Prime Minister’s residence.

The teacup in Chong Tai’s hand fell heavily to the ground as he erupted in anger. “What did you say? That brat took away the Chong family’s guards stationed in Weicheng?”

The steward, trembling, didn’t dare look up.

“The people at the estate said the young master took the Prime Minister’s private seal. They didn’t dare disobey.”

“Ridiculous!” Chong Tai rose in a huff.

“You, go to Weicheng personally and bring that wretch back!”

“But the young master went to look for Miss Bai. If he returns without finding her, it might be difficult to explain to General Bai…”

Chong Tai’s expression stiffened, and he sighed deeply.

“Both of them are so reckless! I’ll write a letter. You go to Weicheng and ask Prefect Zhao to assist you in bringing them both back safely.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

The steward turned to leave when Chong Tai spoke again.

“Remember, handle this discreetly. If word gets out, both the Chong and Bai families will be laughingstocks in the capital!”

“Yes!”

“By the way, Xiaobai, where are you from?”

Under the ancient towering trees, the sunlight lazily filtered through as Mu Fan and Bai Shuo walked in the forest, enjoying a moment of tranquil isolation.

“I’m from a small village near Weicheng. Times have been tough, so my father sent me south to find work and earn some money to support the family,” Bai Shuo said, casually twirling a twig in her hand.

“Really?” Mu Fan asked, his lips curving into a slight smile as he strolled leisurely.

Bai Shuo didn’t hear him clearly and turned back to see him smiling at her. “By the way, since this is your first time away from home, you must not have been to Muxiao Mountain before, right?”

Bai Shuo rubbed her arms.

“Even if someone invited me, I wouldn’t come to such a creepy place.”

“When you were captured and brought into the mountain yesterday, did you encounter anything strange?”

“Something strange?” Bai Shuo stopped, staring at Mu Fan, who had his arms crossed, waiting for her response.

“There actually was!”

Mu Fan’s eyebrows twitched, and he stepped closer. “Oh? What was it?”

“You!” Bai Shuo grinned.

“Yesterday, I was knocked out and brought into the mountain. When I woke up in the woodshed, the first person I saw was you. Then, while being chased by bandits, I fainted again, and when I woke up, it was still you. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

Mu Fan was speechless, his mouth twitching.

Seeing his frustrated look, Bai Shuo laughed and patted his shoulder.

“Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you. I didn’t encounter anything strange in the mountain, but I did outside. Yesterday, I found a donkey in the countryside. I fed it well and hoped it would take me south. But when the bandits attacked, it ran off without a second thought, wasting the two pounds of hay I gave it! Brother Mu, tell me, isn’t that donkey’s behavior disgraceful?”

Bai Shuo, thinking about the donkey from yesterday, got emotional, but then noticed Mu Fan suddenly stopping.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Shuo asked, puzzled.

“You mean… it?” Mu Fan raised his chin forward.

Bai Shuo turned around and collided with a pair of pitch-black, innocent eyes. The creature still had two strands of uneaten hay in its mouth.

The “disgraceful” donkey never dreamed that paths would cross again so soon. It trembled, snorted, and quickly swallowed the hay, then turned and bolted away without a backward glance.

“Damn it! Shit donkey, stop right there!”

Bai Shuo, eyes blazing, forgot all about the bandit camp and mustered all her strength to chase after the donkey.

In the forest, wolves and bandits simultaneously rushed towards Bai Shuo.

Outside the mountain, Fu Ling and Chong Zhao stood at a spot where ordinary people couldn’t see the illusion before them, but Fu Ling knew they had reached the true entrance of Mu Xiao Mountain.