Chapter 1782 - 2084: Qiu Nanshan (2)
"Additionally, I must remind everyone that when we go up the mountain later, you must follow right behind me. Do not fall behind, as the conditions on the mountain are quite complex, and I do not wish to incur any losses. Understand?"
After listening to He Honggang’s words, everyone walked over to the pile of boxes to select their climbing gear. Because the summit was snow-capped and the temperatures were low, aside from essential gear, He Honggang also prepared thick climbing jackets for everyone.
Once they were all geared up, Ling Chen, carrying a backpack, followed He Honggang to the foot of the western side of Qiu Nanshan. It was clear that this wasn’t He Honggang’s first time here; his actions were very practiced, and he was very familiar with the route up the mountain. Following his footsteps, everyone quickly climbed to a point three hundred meters up Qiu Nanshan. From there, the entire small town could be seen.
Moreover, Ling Chen also saw the tourist village being constructed at the foot of the mountain. The tourist village was quite large, and the buildings within were still under construction. When they reached the five-hundred-meter mark on the mountain, He Honggang, who was at the front, turned to everyone and said, "The road ahead is quite perilous, let’s take a break first."
Without a word, Ling Chen drew a sharp dagger from his waist, inserted it into a crevice in the mountain wall, and hung a rope on it, suspending himself entirely by the rope to fully relax. Looking at the peak still thousands of meters high, Ling Chen touched his nose and took out a piece of chocolate to eat. The temperature was very low here, and the chocolate could replenish body heat.
Although he had previous climbing experience, this was his first time attempting to ascend a mountain over four thousand meters high with bare hands. Besides the novelty, there was more worry, as he wasn’t sure what challenges lay ahead.
After resting for about ten minutes, He Honggang set out with the group again. This time, with no breaks in between, they spent more than an hour reaching the halfway point of Qiu Nanshan, at an altitude of about two thousand meters.
To be honest, although they were all Heavenly List experts, climbing such a high mountain was still quite strenuous. Even with their skill, they dared not use their abilities recklessly, or it could endanger their lives.
Upon reaching the two-thousand-meter-high midpoint, not only was the temperature low, but the mountain wind was also very strong, capable of blowing a person away easily. They had to press their bodies against the mountain wall, moving upward slowly. At that moment, He Honggang, leading at the front, said, "Hang in there a bit longer, we’re almost at our destination."
Almost there? Hearing this, the already weary group perked up and quickly continued their ascent. Before long, they all arrived at a cave midway up the mountain. The cave wasn’t very large, enough to accommodate about ten people. Inside the cave, Ling Chen looked around and found that the marks on the cave’s sidewalls were quite fresh, with remnants of explosions still visible. Judging by these signs, He Honggang had prepared thoroughly for this mission, even going so far as to create this cave for everyone to rest in.
In the cave, everyone replenished some food and water and rested for half an hour. Just as they were about to set off again, the sky suddenly darkened, and not long after, gusts of wind swept through outside, bringing heavy rain. He Honggang frowned and said, "It seems we can’t leave now, let’s rest here and wait for the rain to stop."
With such heavy wind and rain, forcing their way up the mountain could very likely pose a threat to their lives.
They originally thought the storm would quickly pass, but several hours went by, and the storm showed no signs of abating. Moreover, with water accumulating at the summit and continuously flowing down the mountain wall, even if the rain stopped it would take a while before they could leave.
With no other choice, they decided to spend the night in the cave. Luckily, He Honggang had prepared sleeping bags for everyone. Although they were all physically robust, the wind on the mountain was bitterly cold, and the sleeping bags provided more warmth.
Glancing at his wristwatch, it was already past nine in the evening. The storm had long since subsided, and everyone was leaning against the mountain wall, resting with their eyes closed. Ling Chen crawled into his sleeping bag, ready to sleep, when suddenly, a strange sound came from outside, as if something was rubbing against the mountain wall. He sat up and looked towards the entrance, seeing He Honggang already up and heading towards the entrance.
Standing at the cave entrance for a moment, He Honggang suddenly turned back and said to everyone, "Be careful, something isn’t right."
Hearing his words, everyone quickly became alert, focusing their attention on the entrance. At this point, the sounds outside grew clearer, very close to the entrance, causing even He Honggang, standing at the edge, to step back.
Suddenly, something was thrown into the dark cave, landing on the ground and slowly rolling. Because the cave was too dimly lit, no one could see what it was clearly. Before anyone could react, there were several "bangs," and the cave was flooded with a sudden burst of intense light, accompanied by a choking smoke.
All at once, Ling Chen felt the strong light flash in his eyes, then lost his vision completely, unable to see anything, his eyes faintly aching.
Damn! A flashbang. Ling Chen cursed under his breath. At this moment, cries filled the cave, clearly indicating he wasn’t the only one affected. Although his eyes couldn’t see, Ling Chen’s ears were still functional. He carefully discerned everyone’s positions, slowly feeling his way towards the mountain wall.
During this time, cries and screams occasionally echoed in the cave, but because the sounds were too chaotic and the space was too small, Ling Chen couldn’t differentiate them accurately. After a while, the noisy cave finally quieted down.
"Is everyone okay?" He Honggang’s voice came, and everyone responded. After resting at their original positions for a short while, Ling Chen’s vision gradually recovered, enough to barely see inside the cave. Apart from their group of nine, four more individuals lay on the ground, all dressed in black outfits.
"Who are these people?" Chen Younian asked, pointing at the assailants, addressing He Honggang.
He Honggang seemed to ignore Chen Younian’s question, walking over to the assailants and removing their masks. Instantly, everyone noticed these individuals were in their thirties or forties, with strange markings burned onto their cheeks, not like tattoos but more like marks branded with hot iron.
Ling Chen leaned in closer, carefully scrutinized the marks, and said, "These markings look like Qiu Nanshan?"
He Honggang replied, "You’re right; they are Qiu Nanshan. They are the Guardians of Qiu Nanshan."
Guardians? Hearing this title, everyone had a trace of surprise on their faces.