206: On the Yunnan Road, an ambush was broken, the rolling stone formation was breached, and troops were borrowed from the post station to communicate secrets.

The morning dew still clung to the stone steps of the Zhuang family courtyard as Shuanger packed the last bag of anti-heat herbal medicine into the small universe's insulated box—inside, thin shirts and trauma medicine were neatly arranged, along with the stuffed toy Jianning had insisted she pack. Even the candied fruits Wei Xiaobao wanted were divided into three small jars, labeled "Sour Plum," "Honey Date," and "Peach Meat."

"Brother Hui, the horse team is ready. Twenty fast horses, each carrying military equipment and dry rations," she said, wiping her hands before handing over a water canteen. "This is boiled water cooled down, with Mu Jianping's anti-heat herbal medicine added. Drink it if you get thirsty on the road."

Xie Hui took the canteen, his fingertips brushing against Shuanger's hand, which felt warm. He looked back at the people in the courtyard: Long'er had her sword on her back, checking the firelocks with a cold expression; Mu Jianping was squatting on the ground, helping an injured Heaven and Earth Society brother wrap bandages; Fang Yi was checking the route to the Yunnan border with Mao the Eighteenth, the Green Wood Hall Medallion pinned to her green dress; Wei Xiaobao was hugging the Imperial Guard Medallion given by the Kangxi Emperor, counting silver next to the horses while muttering, "Once we reach Yunnan, I have to make another haul."

"Everyone mount up, let's go!" Xie Hui shouted, and the group immediately sprang into action. Clutching her stuffed toy, Jianning didn't forget to shout before ducking into the small universe: "Xie Hui! Remember to call me if you encounter anything fun! I want to watch the battle with Big Sister Mu!"

The horse team left the capital and headed toward Yunnan. Mao the Eighteenth rode at the very front, holding the reins and pointing out markers along the road from time to time: "Past Black Rock Slope ahead is Clear Water Town. I used to live there. The owner of the Post Station in town is one of our own; we can rest and change horses there."

After traveling for about two hours, they had just reached the foot of Black Rock Slope when they suddenly heard a "rumbling" sound from the mountaintop. "Not good! Rolling stones!" Mao the Eighteenth's expression changed, and he quickly reined in his horse. "This slope is full of loose stones; I've seen people get crushed here before!"

Xie Hui looked up and saw dozens of millstone-sized rocks rolling down from the top of the mountain, followed by pale green poisonous smoke—it was Wu Yingxiong's men! He immediately shouted: "Long'er, take five of your former subordinates and use your Lightness Skill to get to the top of the mountain and take care of the people dropping the stones! Big Brother Mao, take the brothers and hide in the woods on the left; there are trees there that can block the rocks!"

Long'er responded, her toes touching the ground as she dashed toward the mountaintop. She spun her black iron sword in her hand, hacking away the small stones flying toward her. Fang Yi wasn't idle either; she pulled the Heaven and Earth Society's signal flag from her bosom and waved it toward the woods—according to their prior agreement, the brothers from the Green Wood Hall's Clear Water Town Branch would meet them here, and the signal flag meant "Ambushed, requesting support."

Mu Jianping quickly took trauma medicine from the medicine box on her horse's back. Just as she was about to bandage a brother who had been grazed on the arm by the rubble, she heard Jianning shouting from the small universe: "Big Sister Mu! Watch out for the poisonous smoke! Sister Shuanger says to cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth!" She hurriedly had everyone find water to dampen linen cloths to cover their faces, while she sprinkled anti-toxin powder on the cloths, which was twice as effective as plain linen.

Shuanger pulled a pile of wooden boards from the great universe and threw them to the brothers nearby: "Use the boards to block the rocks! Don't try to take them head-on!" She also pulled out a small copper whistle and blew a short note—this was the signal agreed upon with Long'er, telling her to prioritize taking out the people releasing the poisonous smoke.

On the mountaintop, Long'er had already dealt with three of the men dropping stones. The remaining two tried to run, but were tripped when she threw a rope that ensnared their ankles, causing them to fall to the ground. "Don't run!" Long'er stepped over the rubble and rushed over, the blade of her sword pressing against one of their throats. "Speak! Who sent you here?"

"It's... it's Young Master Wu Yingxiong!" the man said, trembling with fear. "He said he wanted to intercept you here and stop you from going to Yunnan! He also said... also said that his men are at the Clear Water Town Post Station ahead!"

Xie Hui had just blocked the last rolling stone and frowned upon hearing this. "An ambush at Clear Water Town? Then we'll change our route. Fang Yi, have the brothers from the branch arrived?"

"They're here!" Fang Yi pointed toward the depths of the woods, where several men dressed in short martial attire ran over. The leader was Zhao Wu, the branch master of the Green Wood Hall in Clear Water Town. "Big Brother Xie! We rushed over as soon as we received the signal! The Clear Water Town Post Station has been occupied by Wu Yingxiong's men. We know a small path that can bypass it to get to the Yunnan border, but it will take two hours."

Wei Xiaobao leaned in, shaking the Imperial Guard Medallion in his hand. "I have an idea! Let's go to the official Post Station ahead, use the Emperor's Medallion to borrow horses, and then have the Post Station staff go to Clear Water Town to 'inspect the post,' drawing Wu Yingxiong's men away while we take the opportunity to bypass them!"

Xie Hui's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea! Zhao Wu, take two brothers and go with Wei Xiaobao to the official Post Station to borrow horses. Big Brother Mao, take the main force with me and head down the small path. We'll meet at the Ruined Temple ahead."

Before long, Wei Xiaobao returned with Zhao Wu, followed by ten horses from the official Post Station, with dry rations provided by the station hanging from the saddles. "Done! The Post Station official saw the Medallion and was so scared he hurriedly gave us the horses, and even said he'd help us keep an eye on the people in Clear Water Town!"

The group switched to the fast horses and hurried down the small path. Although the path was narrow, there were no ambushes. Mao the Eighteenth led the way, chatting with Xie Hui from time to time about his past experiences in Yunnan: "I went to Prince Pingxis Mansion ten years ago. That mansion is huge. The Treasure Pavilion is in a mountain hollow behind it, surrounded by mechanisms. I snuck a look back then; there are quite a few poison arrows and traps."

Mu Jianping sat on the horse behind Xie Hui, holding the Secret Passage map her brother had given her. She pointed to a red dot on it: "Big Brother Xie, this is the entrance to the Secret Passage. It requires the Prince Mus Residence Medallion to open. My brother said there is an Old Locust Tree next to the entrance, so it's easy to recognize."

Fang Yi rode her horse alongside them and added, "The brothers from the Green Wood Hall's Yunnan Branch say that Wu Yingxiong has recently transferred quite a few people from the Divine Dragon Cult and has set up three checkpoints at the border. Each checkpoint has firelocks, so we must be careful."

Just as they were speaking, they saw the Ruined Temple ahead, where Zhao Wu was already waiting at the entrance with the branch brothers. "Big Brother Xie! We captured someone who ran out of Clear Water Town. He said Wu Yingxiong has stationed heavy troops at White Sheep Pass on the Yunnan border and has brought 'Bone-Melting Poison Water,' saying he wants to poison you all to death in front of the pass!"

Xie Hui had the prisoner brought over. It was a man wearing the clothes of a Post Station worker, his face pale. "I'll talk! I'll talk! There are two hundred soldiers at White Sheep Pass, along with five poison smoke cannons. The pass walls are coated with Bone-Melting Poison Water; if you touch it, you'll rot! Young Master Wu also said that if he couldn't stop you, he would pour the poison water into the nearby stream so you'd have no water to drink!"

Mu Jianping frowned. "That stream is the only way to the Yunnan border. If it's poisoned, our brothers will be in trouble." Shuanger spoke up then: "I brought plenty of water purification tablets in the great universe; they are what Brother Hui brought from the real world. They can purify poisoned water. As long as the poison isn't too potent, they can filter it out."

Xie Hui breathed a sigh of relief and said to the group: "Let's rest in the Ruined Temple for a while and eat some dry rations. We'll wait until it's dark to leave—the guards at White Sheep Pass are vigilant during the day but surely lax at night. We'll bypass it by going around the cliff behind the pass, where there are former subordinates of Prince Mus Residence waiting to meet us."

Shuanger quickly took dry rations and hot soup from the great universe and distributed them to everyone. Mu Jianping helped change the dressings for the injured brothers, while Fang Yi reviewed the terrain of White Sheep Pass with Zhao Wu. Long'er went to keep watch around the Ruined Temple, while Mao the Eighteenth and Xu Tianchuan chopped wood and started a fire inside the temple. Wei Xiaobao squatted nearby, bargaining with the prisoner: "If you tell me more secrets about Prince Pingxis Mansion, I'll let you go and even give you five taels of silver!"

The prisoner nodded hurriedly: "I know! A formidable person has arrived at Prince Pingxis Mansion called the 'Iron Head Monk.' It is said he is impervious to blades and spears and can use a meteor hammer. Young Master Wu said he was sent specifically to deal with you!"

Xie Hui felt a shiver in his heart—the Iron Head Monk! In the original the deer and the cauldron, he was one of Wu Sangui's subordinates who was indeed impervious to blades and spears. He had clashed with the Heaven and Earth Society before and injured many brothers. He said to Long'er: "It seems we need to prepare in advance. The Iron Head Monk's meteor hammer is formidable. Practice the Moves to counter the meteor hammer with me so we don't suffer when the time comes."

Long'er nodded, pulled her sword from her back, and began practicing with Xie Hui outside the temple. Xie Hui used the palm techniques from the Nine Yin Manual, while Long'er used the sword techniques of the Divine Dragon Cult. Their Moves were perfectly coordinated, and before long, they had figured out several ways to counter the meteor hammer.

Mu Jianping and Fang Yi sat nearby watching. Mu Jianping whispered: "Big Brother Xie and Big Sister Long'er are so amazing. I want to learn martial arts in the future so I can help more." Fang Yi smiled and nodded: "I'll teach you in the future. I know the basic sword techniques of the Green Wood Hall; although they aren't powerful, they are fine for self-defense."

After dark, the group packed up their things and headed toward White Sheep Pass. Mao the Eighteenth led the way with a torch in his hand, reminding them from time to time: "There's a pit ahead, be careful!" Long'er and Xie Hui walked in the middle, protecting Mu Jianping and Fang Yi, while Wei Xiaobao followed behind, clutching a crossbow bolt and muttering: "If I run into the Iron Head Monk, I'll give him a crossbow bolt and see if his head is harder or the arrow is harder!"

As they approached White Sheep Pass, they could see the torches on the pass walls from afar, along with the voices of the guards. Xie Hui had everyone hide in the woods and said to Mu Jianping: "Have you made contact with your brother's former subordinates?" Mu Jianping pulled out a copper whistle and blew a long note—before long, three lanterns lit up on the cliff behind the pass; it was the signal from the former subordinates of Prince Mus Residence.

"Let's go!" Xie Hui led the group toward the cliff. The cliff wasn't high, and the former subordinates of Prince Mus Residence had already lowered ropes. The leader was a man named Mu Zhong, who knelt on one knee upon seeing Mu Jianping: "Young Miss! This subordinate has been ordered to meet you here!"

The group climbed up the ropes, and just as they reached the back of the pass, they heard the guards at White Sheep Pass shout: "Who's there?" Xie Hui hurriedly had everyone hide in a cave nearby. Mu Zhong whispered: "Don't worry, this cave leads to the Mu Family Manor on the Yunnan border. If we go this way, we won't be discovered."

Once inside the cave, although it was dark, it was very dry. Mu Jianping pulled a tinder box from her bosom, lit it, and illuminated the path ahead: "This cave was dug by my grandfather; it leads to the backyard of the Mu Family Manor and is very safe."

Shuanger took a Flashlight from the great universe and handed it to Xie Hui: "Use this; it's brighter than a tinder box and won't burn your hand." Xie Hui turned on the Flashlight, the beam illuminating the road ahead. The group followed Mu Zhong forward, their footsteps echoing in the cave.

Wei Xiaobao walked at the very back, still clutching a piece of silver he had taken from the prisoner, chuckling: "Brother Hui is still the best. We bypassed the checkpoint without being discovered. When we reach the Mu Family Manor, we should have Sister Shuanger cook a good meal to reward everyone!"

Xie Hui looked back at the group, feeling a sense of reassurance—although they had encountered an ambush on the road, they had successfully resolved it and had made contact with the former subordinates of Prince Mus Residence. They were getting closer and closer to the Prince Pingxis Mansion in Yunnan. He touched the seven volumes of the forty-two chapter sutra in his inner universe and thought silently: Wu Yingxiong, Iron Head Monk, we will meet soon. I will definitely get my hands on the last volume of the forty-two chapter sutra!

Light came from the end of the cave, and Mu Zhong said with a smile: "We're almost there! Up ahead is the backyard of the Mu Family Manor!" The group quickened their pace. Just as they stepped out of the cave, they saw the lanterns of the Mu Family Manor lit up. Mu Jianping's brother, Mu Jiansheng, was standing in the courtyard waiting, holding a Secret Letter in his hand: "Little Sister! Big Brother Xie! You've finally arrived! This is the latest intelligence on Prince Pingxis Mansion; Wu Yingxiong has doubled the guards at the Treasure Pavilion!"

Xie Hui took the Secret Letter and opened it. It contained the new guard arrangements for the Treasure Pavilion, as well as the location of the Iron Head Monk's residence. He looked up at the night sky of the Mu Family Manor, knowing clearly: the tough battle of the Yunnan trip was about to begin.