Undying Life

Chapter 232: Silence is Terrifying

In the midst of a new valley, Zhongshan addressed Lu Jianping, "Is your supply of dry rations sufficient this time?"

"Yes, we've been saving a bit every day, and with what we prepared before, we have enough to last without needing to cook again for a long time," Lu Jianping replied.

"Good. The adults can eat the dry rations. As for the children, those of you with true qi and true essence should heat their food for them," Zhongshan instructed.

"Understood," Lu Jianping responded.

Lu Jianping went back to inform his clan, while Zhongshan leisurely returned to the flower palanquin.

"Sir, you are truly a miraculous person," Ah Da said with immense admiration.

Indeed, in this intricate, impenetrable net of pursuit, Zhongshan had miraculously led everyone through the cracks, without even touching the net.

"Prepare to move west," Zhongshan ordered with a smile.

"Yes," Ah Da and Ah Er replied excitedly.

Zhongshan walked back to the flower palanquin and entered to continue sipping tea with Princess Qianyou.

Princess Qianyou gazed at Zhongshan with wide eyes, a look of astonishment in her gaze. "Sir, how do you know so precisely? How can you predict even the deployment and movements of the King of Julu's troops?"

"Just luck," Zhongshan shrugged nonchalantly.

Luck? Princess Qianyou looked at Zhongshan speechlessly. In the past, she could somewhat understand Zhongshan's actions, but now, his methods of evading the pursuit were beyond her comprehension.

In the command tent of the King of Julu, the King listened to the report from a kneeling general.

"You're saying they're no longer cooking but eating dry rations? And your men were foolishly guarding an empty spot until five days later when someone noticed they had started a fire eighty thousand miles away?" the King of Julu questioned, his face contorted in frustration.

"Yes," the soldier replied.

"Zhongshan and his group are leading dozens of mortals. Mortals! I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't defeat them, but you didn't even catch a glimpse of them until they had broken through the encirclement and were nearly out of the net. You only discovered their fire then?" the King of Julu roared.

"Your Highness, we've done our best. If we had twice as many men, we would definitely have found Princess Qianyou's group," the general insisted.

"Fine, I'll pull another four hundred thousand troops from the surrounding areas. Don't come back to tell me you couldn't find them," the King of Julu fumed.

"Yes, I swear we will find Princess Qianyou this time," the general vowed.

"Get out," the King of Julu ordered.

The general quickly got up and backed out of the tent.

Watching the general leave, the King of Julu's frustration boiled over. Four hundred thousand troops were supposed to capture a few mortals, but they had let them slip away without even seeing them.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

In a fit of rage, the King of Julu swept the tea set off his desk. Wu An, standing to the side, opened his mouth but dared not say anything.

In a secluded mountain valley, Ah Da approached Zhongshan with excitement, "Sir, now there are eight hundred thousand troops hunting us. This King of Julu must be going mad."

Over the past few days, Ah Da had developed immense faith in Zhongshan, convinced that there was nothing his master couldn't solve. However, at this moment, Zhongshan's expression was grave. He surveyed the east, the south, the west, and the north, scrutinizing every direction. His frown did not relax, as the cinnabar mark on his forehead, the Red Luan Powder Lotus, remained an ominous blue. Earlier, he had provoked the King of Julu's killing intent, who had then offered a bounty of a million top-grade spirit stones for his capture, adopting a "live or die" strategy. Unlike previous times when the Red Luan Powder Lotus would return to normal after finding a safe route, this time it indicated a dire situation with no escape.

Taking a deep breath, Zhongshan closed his eyes and pondered for a while. Everyone waited patiently, knowing the gravity of the situation.

Suddenly, Zhongshan opened his eyes and stared intently at Ah Er. "This time, with eight hundred thousand troops, we are in serious danger. Ah Er, you must divert the pursuers."

"Me, sir?" Ah Er was puzzled.

"Yes. Head twenty thousand miles northeast to the mountain where we previously stayed. Make sure the army sees you, and then keep flying north. For the next three days, you must make sure they see you every day," Zhongshan instructed, his gaze unwavering.

"And after that, how will I find you?" Ah Er asked with a furrowed brow.

"Find us? That will be difficult. Do what you can, and if you can't find us, head to the 'Sealing Spirit City' in the Daguang Empire. We will definitely reach there within six months at the latest. Use the contact method I mentioned before to reach us," Zhongshan said with certainty.

"Understood," Ah Er replied, immediately setting off.

"Sir," Ah Da looked at Zhongshan with concern.

"Rest for the night. Tomorrow, let Lu Jianping's group cook and prepare more dry rations," Zhongshan ordered.

"Uh, yes," Ah Da responded, puzzled.

"Sir," Princess Qianyou looked at Zhongshan.

"Hmm?" Zhongshan replied, curious.

"I've been thinking over the past few days, how does sir know the layout and search patterns of the Dayu army? With eight hundred thousand troops, we have been moving right through them, yet they haven't been able to catch us. I thought perhaps you observe the stars at night, but many of your decisions are made during the day. I don't understand, and I would like you to enlighten me," Princess Qianyou said, her large, beautiful eyes filled with curiosity.

Looking at Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan smiled slightly. "Princess, if I say I guessed, would you believe me?"

Guessing? Princess Qianyou was speechless. "Alright, if you don't wish to explain, I won't press further."

"Thank you, Princess. Zhongshan only has this skill; if I reveal everything, I won't have anything to rely on in the future," Zhongshan said with a wry smile.

"Ha!" Princess Qianyou laughed, a rare loss of composure. "Sir, you won't starve. If anyone is likely to go hungry, it would be me, not you."

In the King of Julu's command tent, an excited general reported, "Your Highness, we found them! Our men have spotted Ah Er. I have ordered a full search."

"Good! I'm not afraid of their strength, just their absence. Pursue them, chase them down!" The King of Julu was elated.

For three consecutive days, the King of Julu remained in high spirits, receiving continuous good news. Ah Er had been sighted repeatedly.

In the past, such 'good news' wouldn't have even been worth the King's attention. But after an extended period of seeing nothing from their opponent, even catching a glimpse of one person became a cause for celebration among the eight hundred thousand troops. Anyone would feel frustrated after such a long, fruitless search, so seeing a single figure felt like a significant victory.

Three days later, frustration struck again as Ah Er disappeared once more. The eight hundred thousand troops continued their frantic search, but after nearly half a month with no results, the King of Julu realized he had been tricked again.

With Ah Er gone, it was now up to Ah Da to keep guiding their cloud vehicle. The journey remained remarkably uneventful, encountering no obstacles or individuals along the way. Outside, the search was a chaotic and fiery spectacle. Birds and beasts fled from the tumult in the forests, and soldiers were tirelessly active. Yet to Lu Jianping and his group, it seemed eerily quiet. Under Zhongshan's guidance, they encountered no one at all. It felt as though they were traversing a land devoid of life, as if everyone in the Dayu Empire had simply vanished.

The dead silence of the forests they passed through left Lu Jianping bewildered. Recalling the information forced from a captured soldier, he began to doubt the urgency of their situation. Was the Dayu army truly searching for them? Why hadn't they seen a single soldier? Their group had roamed east and west, sometimes doubling back, and even lingered in some places for a day and a night without encountering anyone.

"Sir, we will reach the Daguang Empire's territory soon. We've been traveling for nearly a month and a half now," Ah Da said excitedly.

Although Ah Er hadn't returned, this was not a major concern. Once they reached the Daguang Empire, they should be safe. At least, the Daguang Empire wouldn't pursue them relentlessly like the King of Julu had.

"Ah Da, we have a new problem. This time, you will need to divert the pursuers. They are closing in on us again," Zhongshan said, shaking his head.

"Oh? I'll go? What about you?" Ah Da asked, immediately worried.

"It's fine. We're not far from the Daguang Empire's territory. You mentioned a Wolf Valley ahead. I will use elixirs to enlist the help of the wolf clan. And for this short distance, the Lu Jianping family's innate martial artists can carry the sedan chair," Zhongshan explained.

Ah Da frowned, feeling uncertain. He looked towards Princess Qianyou for confirmation.

"Go ahead, Ah Da. Although I am still weak, being carried in the sedan chair should be fine. Besides, it's been a month and a half; I have regained some of my true energy. Follow the master's plan. With him, we will definitely reach Sealing Spirit City," Princess Qianyou reassured him.

"Yes," Ah Da nodded.

Zhongshan then detailed the plan to divert the pursuers, and Ah Da swiftly departed. With Ah Da gone, the threat of the pursuers was once again neutralized. Zhongshan called for Lu Jianping.

"Lu Jianping, select four of your family's innate martial artists to carry the sedan chair for the remainder of the journey," Zhongshan ordered.

"The two elders have left? Are we to travel west on foot from now on?" Lu Jianping asked, surprised.

"Do not worry. I have everything under control," Zhongshan said.

"Yes," Lu Jianping replied.