The girl traveled through another world and forced the prince to take the imperial examination

The highest peak of Dongling Mountain has a nice name - Kanyun Peak.

Kanyun Peak is shrouded in mist all day long. It's a rarely visited spot, as the climb up is incredibly difficult. Few people manage to reach the summit and enjoy the dreamlike, almost fairyland-like scenery. Gazing out from the summit, the distant peaks appear and disappear in the sea of ​​clouds, while white clouds billow beneath your feet, creating the illusion of an immortal stepping onto the clouds.

Going down the mountain, a silvery-white mountain stream gurgles, forming a winding river channel, as if pointing to a mysterious place ahead.

There is a low and flat area under the steep mountain. From a distance, you can see neat thatched houses surrounded by green. When you get closer, you will find that it is a small mountain village.

At the entrance to the village, there is a simple yet sturdy gatehouse built of thick and tall timber. On the gatehouse are three characters "Laochen Village" written.

On both sides of the gate stood a dozen men in black shorts, each with a two-foot-long sword hanging on their waist. These men were all young and strong men in their teens and twenties, and looked like guards of a large family.

It was very quiet when I walked into the village. The doors and windows of the houses were closed. There was no trace of life. I couldn't see children laughing and playing, and I couldn't hear chickens, ducks or dogs barking. It seemed like an empty village with no one in it.

In the center of the village, there is a tall two-story wooden building, facing north and south. The first floor is a large meeting hall, and a plaque with the words "Heaven and Earth" hangs at the main entrance.

In the middle of the hall stood a row of landscape screens, in front of which stood an ancient carved Arhat bed, with two rows of chairs neatly placed on either side.

Two guards in black stood at the door of the conference room.

At this time, a man wearing gray linen clothes, a conical hat on his head, and a long sword on his back was walking on the quiet village road. He was heading towards the wooden building.

The black-clad guard at the door saw the visitor and went upstairs. There were three rooms on the second floor. The doors on both sides were closed, but the door to the study in the middle was wide open. In the study sat a man about fifty years old, wearing a purple brocade gown and a scholar's hat, sitting at a desk, writing.

The guard came in and saluted, saying, "Master Yan, Wei Ting is back."

The middle-aged man known as Master Yan said without even raising his head: "Let him in!"

"Yes!" The guard turned and went out.

Soon, Wei Ting entered the second-floor study alone. He took off his bamboo hat and held it in his hand, standing upright in the center of the study. His age was unclear, as his face was covered with a thick black beard, making his features indistinct. His expression was cold, but when he looked up, his eyes were as sharp as a knife.

After Wei Ting saluted Master Yan, he remained silent and respectful.

Mr. Yan continued writing furiously with his head down, and asked, "Did your trip to Fuzhou go smoothly?"

Wei Ting said in a deep voice: "Everything is fine."

Master Yan asked, "How is the young master? Did you send any message?"

Wei Ting was silent for a moment: "I didn't see the young master in Fuzhou."

Master Yan stopped writing, suddenly looked up and asked, "What do you mean?"

Wei Ting remained indifferent: "The young master is not in Fuzhou!"

Master Yan stood up and walked over to Wei Ting, asking in disbelief, "Young Master is not in Fuzhou? Where did he go? When did he leave Fuzhou?"

Wei Ting shook his head. "No one knows where the young master went. The day before I arrived in Fuzhou, he left a letter and left. The letter only said he was traveling, but didn't say where he was going."

Master Yan put his hands behind his back and began pacing back and forth in the study.

"What are these people doing? I've only been away for a few days, and they've already lost the young master. Why are they telling me now? Are they going to tell me nothing unless I send someone to Fuzhou to deliver the goods?"

Master Yan's chest heaved with anger as he asked, "What did Lu Chengze say? It seems this old man's wolfish ambitions can no longer be hidden."

Wei Ting continued indifferently, "Master Lu said he had already sent people to look for him, but he also sent another 200 people to the mine. It seems they are going into the mountains to look for that person."

Mr. Yan was so angry that his brows and lips were shaking. With a slap, he slammed his palm heavily on the table.

"Lu Chengze! You really want to acknowledge the thief as your father. You are a traitor seeking glory for your master. You ignore your master and actually obey the thief's orders..."

Master Yan pinched his waist and yelled out loudly outside the door, then walked to Wei Ting's side.

"Wei Ting, gather all our men and evacuate the mine. Let's go find the young master. Since Lu Chengze wants to be his lackey, let him do it!"

"Yes!" Wei Ting turned around and left decisively.

Master Yan walked around the study a few more times, sighed deeply, and looked into the void in anger.

"My Lord! My Lord, you have lived a life of brilliance and kindness, earning admiration... But it's a pity you don't know how to judge people! You were deceived by a villain...

If Lu Chengze dares to have second thoughts, don't blame me for calling on the King of Hell to take his life.

If your spirit is still in heaven, you will certainly protect the young master. I, Yan, will definitely find the young master safely."

He straightened his clothes, bowed three times to the air, and left the study.

Wei Ting gathered more than 20 people, all of whom were his own people brought from Fuzhou. Soon, they all followed Master Yan out of Laochen Village.

Two men in black emerged from the shadows and followed Master Yan out of Laochen Village before turning back. They passed through the wooden building and followed the path into the village, which became steeper and steeper.

The houses here are different from those in the village center. They are built halfway up the hillside, and when you look up, you can see layers of houses stacked up in an orderly manner. All the houses are made of local materials, and most of the houses are built with stones from the mountain.

Above the largest stone house, curls of smoke finally appeared. Inside the stone courtyard wall, more than half a man's height, several women were busy, some washing clothes, some cooking, and still others chopping wood. Their clothes were ragged, their bodies were messy, and their expressions were numb. Their feet were locked with the iron chains worn by prisoners, and every step they took made the chains rattle.

The doors of the surrounding stone houses were all locked with a big lock. Looking inside through the dark windows, it felt eerie and terrifying, as if there were terrible monsters locked up inside, and people didn't dare to get close even if they saw them from afar.

The two men in black did not stop and climbed up the mountain road to Kanyun Peak. This is the road hunters often take into the mountains and it is not difficult to walk.

Halfway up the mountain, there's a hidden cave. Walk a dozen meters further into the cave until you reach its end, which is also a cave entrance. Standing at the entrance, you can see sunlight streaming down from the mountaintop. Here lies a massive, trapezoidal, funnel-like well, surrounded by smooth stone walls. A dozen feet below the cave entrance lies the mine entrance. A two-meter-wide zigzag stone staircase leads down from the cave entrance.

This mine is not an ordinary mine, but a real gold mine.