Urban Martial Saint

”I don’t know about that.” The man shook his head and said, ”They’ve been in the Great Snow Mountain for several days and haven’t come out since. I don’t know what’s happening there now. The Great Snow Mountain in winter is very dangerous, and few who enter make it out alive. The villagers advised them against it at the time, but they insisted on going. Now, I’m afraid they’re in danger!”

Ye Qing was startled and urgently asked, ”Where did they enter the Great Snow Mountain from?”

”From the back mountain here.” The man pointed to the mountain behind them and said, ”The terrain is very steep here, and there are many wild beasts on the mountain. Usually, the villagers are reluctant to go there, let alone during the snow-sealed season. Those three people, I don’t know what they were up to, were determined to go. And you know what, yesterday a few more people came to inquire about those three and went into the Great Snow Mountain as well. But they, too, haven’t come out yet, and we don’t know what’s going on. The villagers were discussing this morning whether to get some old hunters to look into the mountain since lives are at stake.”

As the man spoke, Ye Qing was observing him. The man’s face was honest and simple, and he didn’t seem like a liar. Moreover, he spoke so meticulously that it seemed like something that really happened. Could it be that the people on the mountain are really Huangfu Ziyu?

Ye Qing felt excited yet more anxious. Why would Huangfu Ziyu come here? And why choose this time to enter the mountain, what exactly are they up to?

Ye Qing didn’t dare ponder for long here, because Wanyan Hong’s group also went into the mountain. What’s happening inside is hard to say now. If Huangfu Ziyu encountered Wanyan Hong’s group, they might be in danger. Although Huangfu Ziyu is skilled, this is still the Wanyan Family’s territory, who knows if the Wanyan Family brought experts?

”How many people were in the second group?” Ye Qing asked, ”When did they enter the mountain?”

”They entered late, just went in this morning since they arrived after dark yesterday.” The man thought for a moment and said, ”A total of eight people came with a look and style similar to people from the Northern Desert. However, those original three didn’t look like people from the Northern Desert, so we don’t know where they came from.”

Ye Qing slowly nodded; based on what the man said, he had a rough idea of the others’ situation. Without lingering in the village, Ye Qing gathered a bit more information about the mountain and thanked the man before pursuing into the mountains from the rear.

According to the man, Wanyan Hong’s group only entered the mountain in the morning, meaning they hadn’t gone far. If Ye Qing entered now, he might catch up.

Walking into the Great Snow Mountain, Ye Qing finally understood the man’s words. The snow-sealed mountain paths were indeed difficult to traverse. The entire mountain was covered in snow, and it was easy to get lost if your sense of direction wasn’t keen. Thankfully Ye Qing, being ex-Special Forces, had a strong sense of direction from years of mountain combat, and his watch had a compass feature ensuring he wouldn’t get lost in the Great Snow Mountain.

But not getting lost is one thing; how would he find Huangfu Ziyu and her party on such a huge snow mountain?

There was only one path into the mountains, but less than three miles in, a three-way fork appeared ahead. Each path led to different places, so the choice was critical.

Although Wanyan Hong’s group entered first, the heavy snow already covered their tracks, so there was no sign to follow. On flat land, Ye Qing might have a way to track them, but in the snowy mountains, there were no means at all.

Ye Qing stopped at the crossroads, carefully examining each path. The three paths led to three different mountains, and a wrong choice here would lead to a significant detour.

As Ye Qing stood unsure of which way to go, he inadvertently caught sight of a ribbon tied to a tree trunk. Ye Qing’s expression changed as he examined it further; a red ribbon was tied around the trunk of a tree on the middle path. Clearly, someone had deliberately left it as a marker for guidance.

Looking at the red ribbon, Ye Qing frowned slightly; although Huangfu Ziyu liked wearing red, she rarely wore something made of red satin. He stood in place for a moment, then chose to follow, ascending the central path.

The snowy mountain path was difficult to walk on, as the snow hid the ground, making the footing uncertain. Ye Qing proceeded cautiously, but fortunately, this mountain path was quite safe. After walking about ten miles, it was already afternoon, but he hadn’t encountered anyone.

Along the way, he passed several more forks. Luckily, each crossroads had a red ribbon marker, saving Ye Qing from having to make a choice.

Around three o’clock in the afternoon, when Ye Qing reached the deep mountains, he encountered a massive cliff. Here, he was surprised to find some shallow footprints — clearly recent, since the snowfall hadn’t yet covered them entirely, making them visible.

This finding perked Ye Qing up; he quietly followed the direction of the footprints. The further he went, the clearer the footprints became, indicating he was closing in on the group ahead. Ye Qing dared not be careless and strayed from the path, moving through the forest to avoid his presence being detected by those he pursued.

After tracking for over an hour, Ye Qing found himself behind the cliff. The area was desolate, with nothing in sight. However, there were several caves of varying sizes in the mountain wall.

As Ye Qing rounded to the backside, he saw from a distance seven or eight men standing outside a cave entrance, clearly guarding it. Yet, these men seemed hesitant to enter, standing watch as if in a standoff with someone inside.

From such a scene, Ye Qing deduced that these must be Wanyan Hong’s people. If so, could it be that Huangfu Ziyu and her group were inside the cave?

Thinking of the long-missing Huangfu Ziyu possibly being in the nearby cave filled Ye Qing with excitement, but he remained rational, hiding in the shadows to observe the group without rushing in, wanting to assess the situation clearly before acting.

After about an hour there, as darkness crept in, Wanyan Hong’s group set up tents at the cave entrance, evidently preparing to hold the position. All the while, there was no movement from inside the cave, leaving the actual situation unknown.

Taking advantage of the dimming light, Ye Qing stealthily moved closer to the cave to better observe what was inside. He stopped about thirty meters from the cave, hiding behind a boulder, and watched the entrance closely.

The standoff continued as the night fell. Around eight or nine o’clock, two flying daggers suddenly shot out from the cave, targeting one of the tents outside.

The guards outside the tents were vigilant, and as the daggers approached, one person leaped out to intercept them. At the same time, a young man jumped out of the tent, hurling abuse toward the cave entrance, ”Bitch, if you have the guts, come out and face me! Hiding inside and using secret weapons, what kind of skill is that?”

After a brief silence, a cold voice echoed from within the cave, ”Wanyan Hong, don’t push us too far. The Yelu Family may be dwindled, but we won’t allow the Wanyan Family to trample over us like this.”

Hearing this voice, Ye Qing was taken aback, realizing the woman inside wasn’t Huangfu Ziyu. Moreover, judging by her tone, she seemed to be a member of the Yelu Family.

Disappointment washed over Ye Qing, who had hoped to find Huangfu Ziyu, only to have his hopes dashed. Discouraged, he contemplated leaving.

”Yelu Ying, you should know that when Yelu people step into the Northern Desert, it’s considered crossing the border!” a tall young man approached, saying coldly, ”Our Wanyan Family doesn’t intend to bully anyone, but having crossed the border, you owe us an explanation. The feud between the Wanyan and Yelu families is well-known. If left unresolved, wouldn’t it bring shame to the Wanyan Family?”

Undoubtedly, this was Wanyan Hong, who bore a striking resemblance to Wanyan Ming.

Yelu Ying yelled, ”Wanyan Hong, you know our Yelu ancestors are buried in this Northern Desert, yet you won’t let us enter. Isn’t that bullying?”

”Hmph, that’s your issue, nothing to do with us.” Wanyan Hong retorted coldly, ”As long as you cross the border, the Wanyan Family will handle it. I advise you not to waste your effort, Yelu Ying. This is Wanyan territory, and our reinforcements will arrive soon. How long can you hide in that cave? If our forces converge, it will be hard to avoid damage. Better to come out now and explain to my uncle. He is magnanimous and won’t trouble you.”