Yu Qing and Mu Aotie, who were galloping along with the Scorpion Gang members, kept looking around, and the mysterious veil of Tianji Mountain gradually lifted before their eyes.
Others who had just joined the Scorpion Gang had similar reactions, which were basically typical of newcomers.
Along the way, various terrains presented strange shapes and colours. There were stone mountains like those in Kuilei City, pitch black fields of scattered rocks, mountains of rusted and disordered scrap metal, and deep forests filled with towering trees.
There were mysterious statues as large as mountains, too big to be moved, their features blurred by endless years of erosion.
There were stone carved objects as large as mountains, shattered and broken, as well as half buried metal objects of mountainous proportions.
There were giant spears slanted into the earth, and huge stone pillars crisscrossing in disorder.
There were high cliffs formed by the collapse of giant rocks, and abysses carved into the ground by unknown forces. Later generations had strung iron chains across these natural moats to serve as bridges, with eerie winds blowing from below.
People travelling through this complex terrain were as tiny as ants, looking up in all directions, carefully exploring downwards, and sometimes passing through the eerie and treacherous environment with bated breath.
Some places had trees growing, some places were completely barren, and in some places, moss only grew in the crevices of corners.
There were also streams and lakes, and even snow capped mountains, which was simply incredible for a desert.
However, looking at it as a whole, Tianji Mountain was indeed an oasis in a vast desert. The accumulation of too many things had caused the terrain to be too high, forming a plateau like zone, and the weather in the desert also changed here.
In some places, the weather even became bizarre, with rain, snow, hail, and scorching sun alternating, allowing one to experience four seasons in a single day.
These bizarre places also bred bizarre creatures.
When passing by a barren lake shrouded in a faint mist, the team leader Cao Dingkun suddenly shouted, “Everyone, hurry and go around it. Do not touch the smoke from the lake. Remember this when passing here in the future. Once there is wind, walk upwind and do not let the smoke from this lake blow onto you.”
As soon as he said this, someone immediately asked, “Third Master, is there a problem with this smoke?”
“Look for yourselves,” Cao Dingkun pointed to some scattered white bones by the lakeside, which also had pockmarks on them. “This lake is fine at night and on cloudy or rainy days. As long as it is exposed to the scorching sun, toxic smoke will rise. Once it touches your body, it will immediately corrode flesh and blood. No one knows what is deposited in the lake, and the cultivation world has still not found a corresponding antidote. If you are unfortunately blown by the toxic smoke in the future, do not hesitate. Immediately cut away the bone and dig out the flesh. Saving your life is the most important thing.”
Hearing this, the crowd was horrified. They did not expect this seemingly peaceful and serene lake to be so terrifying, so they quickly followed and hurried around it, fearing the wind might rise.
Cao Dingkun added, “Here, toxic smoke appears on sunny days, while in some places it appears when it rains. Who knows how much junk the immortals of the past threw in here. Anyway, remember that in the future, whenever you see strange coloured smoke rising anywhere, you must be careful and cautious. It is very likely to be highly toxic smoke.”
The two martial brothers riding along could not help but glance at each other, feeling that this might be considered a benefit of joining the gang, receiving warnings from experienced people.
The two also subconsciously looked back at the way they came, a bit worried that Nan Zhu and the others, who were unaware, might accidentally encounter danger.
Thinking of the potential dangers, Yu Qing called out and asked, “Third Master, there should be a map of Tianji Mountain, right? Since it is so dangerous, get us a map.”
For things that did not cost his own money, he thought he should try to get them if possible, saving where he could.
Cao Dingkun chuckled, “Tianji Mountain is so vast that no single person or small group can figure it out in a short time. How many people are willing to stay in Tianji Mountain forever? Most people do not stay long. For a gang like ours, even if we figure out the situation in our own territory, we will not easily communicate the situation of our territory to other gangs.
Therefore, the only ones who truly possess a map of the various areas of Tianji Mountain are the City Lord of Kuilei City and those few top tier existences. This is their advantage in Tianji Mountain. They can gain the upper hand once there is a change, and they will not easily leak it to others, so do not even think about getting a map.
Besides, it is useless for you to get the complete map. The complete map will not tell you where treasures are buried. Running around with a map is meaningless.”
While he was speaking, a few figures emerged from the crumbling giant ruins on the mountain nearby. They wore the same clothes, embroidered with flowers, obviously belonging to some gang. They looked down from above, staring at the group passing below.
The leader, Cao Dingkun, immediately clasped his hands behind his back and reminded the running crowd, “Everyone, do as I do.”
So the group also clasped their hands behind their backs.
The man at the front of the ruins smiled, “It is the Scorpion Gang. I heard they suffered a huge loss at the hands of the Eagle Gang. The first master was killed, and that second master is probably unwilling to accept it and wants revenge.”
The man on his left said slowly, “It is understandable to seek revenge when her husband is killed, but these people in front of us look like newcomers who were just tricked into joining.”
The leading man said, “They were never a match for the Eagle Gang. Once the boss died, the tree fell and the monkeys scattered, and many more people ran away. If they do not get some newcomers to make up the numbers, they will have no way to fight, unless they are willing to swallow their pride and hand over their territory.”
As they spoke, their gaze fixed on a cloaked figure emerging from the corner below. Judging by the body shape, it was a woman. Shortly after watching her leave, just as they were about to return to the space within the ruins, they suddenly saw a Tianya Pavilion mobile shop rushing over in a hurry.
The leading man asked those beside him, “Are we running out of salt? Check what else we are missing and restock it all.”
The person beside him immediately shouted, “Runner, stop for a moment.”
The mobile shop did not stop and continued to rush forward.
The man immediately shouted again, “Runner, we want to buy something.”
The person below the mobile shop turned a deaf ear and just ran away, leaving the group looking at each other in dismay. Due to the angle, they could not see the person below the mobile shop clearly.
The leader said in astonishment, “Refusing to do business when it is offered, what is the rush? Is there a massive fight breaking out somewhere else?”
In Tianji Mountain, as soon as they heard there was a group fight somewhere, it meant big business was coming, and the mountain porters would immediately run over to cheer them on.
The people nearby had not heard any similar rumours, so they all shook their heads slightly, indicating they did not know.
Someone guessed, “Could it be that they anticipated the Scorpion Gang is going to fight the Eagle Gang again?”
A few people pondered this, then their eyes suddenly shifted as they saw two more people running past with their hands clasped behind their backs.
Seeing Cao Dingkun lower his clasped hands, someone in the running group immediately asked, “Third Master, is there any special meaning to clasping hands behind the back just now?”
Cao Dingkun replied, “It indicates harmless passage. When borrowing a path through someone else’s territory, you must show that you have no hostile intentions, otherwise it is easy to cause misunderstandings.”
Hearing this, the two of them, Yu Qing and Mu Aotie, looked back again, feeling a bit worried about Nan Zhu and the others.
Fortunately, Cao Dingkun added, “Under normal circumstances, as long as you do not act recklessly, a gang occupying a territory will not attack rashly when they are unsure of a passerby’s capabilities, unless they have determined that you are easy prey and are determined to get you. Otherwise, no one will ask for trouble.”
While the two martial brothers breathed a sigh of relief, they also felt they were overthinking it. Old Seven had the identity of a mountain porter as cover, so in broad daylight, no one should dare to act rashly.
Along the rest of the journey, similar situations of harmless passage occurred a few more times.
It was not until evening that the group finally came to a real stop in front of a giant deity statue half buried underground. The statue was weathered and headless. Its mountain sized head had fallen to the ground, long unrecognisable and shattered into several pieces.
There were pockmarked holes on the body of the statue, and some people emerged from these holes. A few of them flew down. The one at the front was a woman who still retained her charm, but her face was tense, as if someone owed her money.
She was wearing a female style dress of the Scorpion Gang uniform.
“Second Master,” Cao Dingkun went over to greet her.
The woman nodded slightly in acknowledgement, her gaze scrutinising the group of newcomers.
Cao Dingkun immediately said loudly to the newcomers, “Everyone, this is our Second Master, Xu Fengji. Why do you not hurry and greet her?”
Yu Qing and the other newcomers silently memorised the Second Master’s name in their hearts, cupped their hands, and bowed, “Greetings, Second Master Xu.”
“You have all worked hard,” Xu Fengji said politely. There was a forced smile on her face, and she seemed unwilling to say much more. She turned her head and said to someone, “Take them down and settle them in first.”
So someone stepped forward to lead the group of newcomers to follow him. They did not go anywhere else, but simply went to settle in the caves on the body of the deity statue.
As he left, Yu Qing looked around somewhat strangely. Where was the First Master? Now that these newcomers had arrived, did the First Master not need to show up and meet them?
Only after Cao Dingkun turned around and watched the newcomers leave did his expression become grave. He said to Xu Fengji beside him, “Sister in law, have we found out clearly about the Eagle Gang? We have no past grudges or recent conflicts with them. Why would they suddenly attack us for no reason?”
The original First Master was his own biological older brother, and the First Master and Second Master were husband and wife.
Xu Fengji shook her head, “I do not know. Their story to other gangs is still that we killed their people first.”
Cao Dingkun frowned, “We have repeatedly asked our people, and no one has done such a thing. Could it be that someone among those who left did not tell the truth?”
Xu Fengji replied, “It is probably just an excuse. According to our scouts, after they occupied our territory, they began searching, seemingly looking for something. I suspect there is some treasure in our territory, which is what attracted that sudden attack.”
Cao Dingkun was doubtful and suspicious, “A treasure? What kind of treasure could it be?”
Xu Fengji suddenly gritted her teeth and said, “No matter why they attacked, this vengeance must be taken.”
Cao Dingkun pondered, “We only have about twenty people left. Although they are all old comrades who stayed out of loyalty, their morale is already unstable, and I fear they may not be willing to exert much effort. As for the forty or so newly recruited people, their wait and see attitude is obvious, and I am afraid they will not fight hard either.”
“Hmph,” Xu Fengji suddenly sneered. “Whether it works or not, we must fight back and strike a blow. If by chance one or two of these newcomers can fight, that is the Eagle Gang’s misfortune. In short, you and I must not take risks when we go. Let these people fight. If the situation goes wrong, we will retreat. Later, we will spread rumours that the Eagle Gang has found clues to a major treasure. Even if we cannot win, we will not let them have an easy time.”