295: Chapter 295 Heading South, Crossing the River

Three hundred li south of the capital.

Amidst rolling hills, a winding mountain path vanished into the dense woods.

Liu Qing rode on horseback, slightly turning her head to glance at the team behind her.

A dozen or so Disciples either rode horses or sat in carriages, each wearing a weary expression, their spirits noticeably worse than the past two days.

They had been traveling continuously for four days.

After leaving the capital, Liu Qing did not take the nearest official road south, but instead made a huge detour, traveling nearly a hundred li east first before turning south and proceeding along the mountain paths.

Several carriages bumped continuously along the rugged mountain paths, their wheels grinding over gravel to produce a creaking sound, and the Disciples on board were jostled until their faces turned pale.

"Senior Sister Liu…"

A young Disciple beside her spurred her horse closer, hesitating as if wanting to speak.

"Speak."

"How much longer do we have to walk with this detour?"

That Disciple bit her lip and cautiously said, "Several Junior Sisters can't take it anymore, and some look very poor. If we keep bouncing along like this, I'm afraid they'll fall ill."

Liu Qing was silent for a moment, reined in her horse, and looked up ahead.

Within her line of sight, an open hill had a flat clearing surrounded by woods, which could shelter them from some wind and rain.

"That hill ahead; we'll rest there first."

The team slowly ascended the hill.

The Disciples got off the carriages; some collapsed onto the ground rubbing their aching waists, some supported each other to stretch their muscles and bones, and others took water skins from the carriages and gulped down large mouthfuls of water.

Liu Qing flipped down from her horse, tied the reins to a crooked tree, and walked to the edge of the hill to gaze into the distance.

In the southern sky, layers of peaks stood stacked, a hazy gray.

The Disciple who had spoken earlier followed up, standing by her side.

"Senior Sister Liu, you still haven't answered. Why aren't we taking the official road? Walking directly south from the capital along the main road back to the valley would take ten days at most."

"Making such detours now, I'm afraid half a month won't even be enough, right?"

Liu Qing gave her a faint glance.

"Do you know what is on the official road?"

That Disciple was stunned: "What is there?"

Liu Qing turned around, swept her gaze across all the resting Disciples, and raised her voice.

"Prick up your ears and listen well."

All the Disciples looked over one after another.

"Two hundred li further south is the territory of Lin'an Prefecture," Liu Qing's voice was steady and stern, "and further south of Lin'an Prefecture is Shenghai."

"You can't possibly not know whose hands Shenghai is currently in, right?"

There was a moment of silence in the scene, and then someone whispered: "Red Lotus Demonic Cult…"

"Correct." Liu Qing nodded, a trace of solemnity flashing in her eyes.

"After the Red Lotus Demonic Cult captured Shenghai, they began expanding their influence outward at a very fast speed. Last month, the imperial court transferred several thousand elites south to suppress them, and the result…"

She paused, as if reminding these Disciples:

"Heavy casualties."

The scene instantly quieted down.

The faces of these Ciyin Medical Valley Disciples instantly turned pale.

"The imperial court's grand army was defeated?" someone whispered in disbelief.

"It's not just defeat." Liu Qing shook her head, "According to the news that came back, that army was scattered before even touching the main force of the demonic cult. The Red Lotus Demonic Cult's expansion speed far exceeded everyone's expectations."

"Now their influence is no longer limited to the Shenghai area."

"Just at the end of last month, several demonic cult forces moved north and directly cut off the official road leading from the capital in the direction of our Ciyin Medical Valley."

Liu Qing reached out her hand, pointing toward the mountains to the south.

"Taking the official road south from the capital, past Lin'an Prefecture, we will bump right into their territory. Those demonic cult members act like madmen, so it's best not to provoke them."

"That's why we're taking a detour." That young Disciple realized, her face turning somewhat pale.

"A detour is not enough." Liu Qing withdrew her hand, her tone stern,

"When we reach the ferry ahead, we will switch to waterways and head south along the river. Although the waterway is a bit slower, the demonic cult people mainly haunt the land official roads, and there is no influence of theirs on the water for now."

"So no matter how hard these past few days have been, you must all endure it for me."

The Disciples nodded one after another. Those who still had some complaints just now also fell silent at this moment.

An older Disciple walked over and asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister Liu, will the people of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult really intercept passing Jianghu figures? Our Ciyin Medical Valley has no enmity or grudge with them."

"No enmity or grudge? You think the demonic cult people care about that?"

"They even dare to fight the imperial court's regular army; would they care which School's Disciple you are?"

"Furthermore…" Liu Qing lowered her voice, "Our Ciyin Medical Valley came to the capital this time to participate in the martial arts tournament, which counts as siding with the imperial court. In the eyes of the demonic cult, we are the imperial court's running dogs."

"If we bump into them, at best we'll be detained and extorted, and at worst…"

She didn't continue, but everyone understood her meaning.

Mountain winds swept past, blowing the branches and leaves in the woods to rustle.

The Disciples scattered in twos and threes, resting against tree roots or rocks, and their voices unconsciously lowered a lot.

The originally relaxed travel atmosphere now became heavy and tense.

Liu Qing stood alone at the edge of the hill, gazing into the distance.

At some unknown time, a patch of clouds and mist rose amidst the mountains, slowly spreading and obscuring most of the distant mountains and trees.

The line of sight became blurred and hazy.

This was actually a good thing for them.

The clouds and mist obscured their whereabouts, making it more convenient for them to take the waterway next.

The ferry was not far ahead; as long as they got on the boat, they could avoid the demonic cult's eyes and ears on the land route.

But for some reason, Liu Qing felt a trace of uneasiness deep in her heart.

This patch of clouds and mist had risen much too quickly, and judging from the direction, it was drifting from the south.

She knitted her brows and inclined her head to listen.

The sound of the wind, the friction of leaves, the sound of distant streams.

Besides that…

There was nothing.

It was a bit too quiet.

Liu Qing suddenly turned around, her gaze sweeping sharply across every Disciple behind her.

"Be vigilant, everyone, and don't make any noise."