The Cold-Hearted Princess Who Transmigrated Here

Xuan Tian followed the marks left by Xuan Yi and tracked the trail, but the trail went further and further astray. He began to suspect that Xuan Yi was deliberately playing a trick on him.

If he continued following them, he would be heading into the remote mountains. He decided to go back and report the situation first, so as not to worry the young lady and the master again.

Even using his full lightness skill on the return journey, it still took Xuan Tian nearly half an hour to return to the carriage's parking spot. "Miss, Lord Ying, I haven't found Xuan Yi and Ming Zhe."

“But there were Xuan Yi’s marks along the way. It didn’t seem like they were in danger. Instead, it seemed like they were going to some secret place. I was afraid that it would be dangerous to go any further, so I turned back in time.”

Dongfang Yu nodded. "You did very well."

He then analyzed the possible outcomes for Xiyue one by one.

“Miss Xiyue, if Xuanyi sees Mingzhe in danger, he will definitely try to rescue him. If he doesn’t bring him back, it’s possible that both of them have been captured, but the probability of this happening is extremely low.”

"My men may not be able to take on a hundred men, but they can easily handle dozens of ordinary people. Even among ordinary experts, one of them can hold off three or four."

"There is another possibility, just as Xuan Tian speculated, that Ming Zhe was taken to a very far place, and Xuan Yi was afraid of losing him, so he could only follow him in secret. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the two of them to disappear without a trace."

Wang Xiyue thought for a moment and realized that even if the four of them went after them together now, they couldn't guarantee a safe escape.

Without knowing how many people the other side has or their strength, one should not act rashly. To be on the safe side, one should make more preparations before following up.

She immediately made a decision: "Go back to the inn now and gather everyone together."

"it is good."

The four arrived at the inn, and Wang Xiyue sent Xuan Tian and An Yi out to find her brother and Xiao Yun respectively.

Just over fifteen minutes later, everyone gathered in Wang Xijie's room.

Seeing that her brother was about to ask a question, Wang Xiyue, before he could explain, cut him off.

"Brother, let Li Feng stay and take care of the two children. Everyone else has to go. It's more convenient for everyone to travel on horseback."

"Brother, you take the lead. If anyone asks, just say we're going on a picnic."

Every minute that is wasted increases the danger for Mingzhe and Xuanyi.

After she finished speaking, she went back to her room and stopped worrying about what happened next. With her brother and Shadow there, they would naturally explain the necessary preparations.

I can't ride a horse in my current attire; I must immediately change into the guards' uniform of the Prime Minister's residence.

Wang Xijie was initially full of curiosity, but seeing how anxious his sister was, he didn't press her for more information. He quickly made a judgment and gave the order.

"Li Feng, go to Mingzhe's room and bring the two children to my room to take care of them. Don't leave the inn unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Wang Yi went to the kitchen to pack some dry food, enough for at least a day for everyone."

"Everyone else, hurry up and prepare the horses, and also prepare things for the night's lodging."

"Depart from the back door of the inn in two quarters of an hour."

"Yes, Master."

Since leaving the mansion, Li Feng has been driving a carriage and rarely riding a horse. He also knows that he is the worst in martial arts and lightness skills among everyone, so he is content to stay behind and guard the rear.

"Yes."

Wang Yi guessed that he might not be able to return so quickly, so he had to try his best to prepare enough food and water for twelve people for two days.

"As ordered."

Chen Lin, Chen Gang, Wang Shi, and Li Yang all accepted the order and worked together. If they couldn't return tonight, they would have to prepare tents to keep warm while they were sleeping in the wild.

Seeing that Wang Xijie's instructions were quite thorough, Dongfang Yu did not raise any objections. He nodded to Mo Yun, Xiao Yun, Xuan Tian, ​​and An Yi, "You all go and prepare whatever you might need!"

"Yes."

The four of them quickly started packing, but of course, what they prepared was not clothing, food, or shelter.

Based on Xuan Tian's last tracking location, they are most likely heading into the mountains. The most likely targets in the mountains are snakes, insects, and wild beasts, so they must prepare plenty of defensive weapons and various insect and poison repellents.

-

Looking into the distance, the lush green vegetation stretches out like an ocean, while the mountains rise majestically, shrouded in clouds and mist.

More than half an hour has passed since they left the inn and entered the mountains, but they still haven't found Mingzhe and Xuanyi.

However, the marks left by Xuan Yi continued to appear at every fork in the road. The higher they went, the narrower the path became, and Wang Xiyue's bad premonition grew stronger.

"Shadow, could this mark be fake?"

Dongfang Yu shook his head thoughtfully, "The marks must have been left by Xuan Yi himself, because they are marks that pose no danger. Although they look similar to each other, each mark actually has subtle differences."

"I'm wondering where this road leads, and why Mingzhe was brought to such a desolate mountain forest."

"This mountain path must have been created by hunters or farmers who occasionally trod through it, as the slope gets steeper and steeper."

"The mountain road is steep, and it will become increasingly difficult to go up on horseback. If we encounter wild beasts, it will be difficult for the horses to escape. Moreover, leading the horses will also affect our speed and safety."

Wang Xiyue looked around and saw that there wasn't a single flat and open spot on the mountainside. Both sides of the road were covered with messy bushes and thorns. There wasn't even a place to tether a horse, let alone set up a tent.

Such rugged mountain paths require a slow pace when leading a horse, making them unsuitable for traveling quickly.

"Chen Lin, Chen Gang, take all the horses back and set up camp at the foot of the mountain entrance, ready to provide support at any time."

"The rest of you should travel light!"

"Yes."

Everyone quickly took their bags from their vehicles, slung them over their shoulders, and continued their pursuit along the narrow path under Mo Yun's guidance.

The ten people hurried along for another incense stick's time.

Xuan Tian, ​​who led the way, kept confirming the direction of the markings, and there were no problems.

Just when everyone thought it was still a long way off, Mo Yun saw Xuan Tian suddenly stop a few steps away. "What is it?"

Xuan Tian checked several times to make sure he wasn't mistaken before anxiously turning to ask, "Lord Ying, there are no more marks, what should we do?"

Dongfang Yu calmly ordered, "Don't rush, everyone spread out and search carefully, don't miss any trace."

"Lord Shadow! It's not here."

"Neither do I have one here."

"I didn't see it either."

Seeing that Xiyue and the others were shaking their heads, Dongfang Yu had no choice but to decide to split the group into two.

"Xuan Tian, ​​An Yi, Wang Yi, Wang Shi, and Li Yang, go to the small path on the left. Miss, Young Master, and Xiao Yun, the four of us will follow Mo Yun down the path on the right."

"Proceed with caution, and withdraw immediately if anything seems amiss."

"Yes, Lord Shadow!"

Mo Yun led the way, followed by Wang Xijie, then Wang Xiyue, then "Shadow" in fourth place, and Xiao Yun at the very back.

The five people continued their pursuit for a while but still found nothing.

Just as Mo Yun was worrying that they had taken the wrong path, she saw Xuan Yi leap down from a big tree next to them. Mo Yun asked anxiously, "Xuan Yi, why are you alone?"

Xuan Yi did not answer, but went straight to Miss Xi Yue and knelt down to apologize: "I have failed Miss's trust and failed to bring back Ming Zhe."

Wang Xiyue quickly asked, "Get up and explain what happened."

Xuan recounted everything that had happened that morning in detail, as if afraid of missing any details.

“In the morning, Mingzhe found an opportunity to approach a beggar in the South District. Then the man led him into a very ordinary courtyard. At first, I thought it was a beggar's stronghold, but after careful observation, I did not find any elderly, weak, women and children. Instead, there were young men around thirty years old. Their clothes were not much different from those of ordinary farmers, and they did not look like beggars.”

"I think it's a gathering place for some organization. Not long after Mingzhe went in, a middle-aged man who looked like the leader led him out of the courtyard, and also took two other people with him."

"Because they were far away, I couldn't hear what they were saying. But seeing that Mingzhe wasn't tied up and didn't seem to be acting strangely, I decided to follow him secretly."

“They came all on foot, and the two young men were each carrying what looked like sacks full of grain. In addition, the mountain path was difficult to walk, and the four of them were not moving fast. Therefore, I have been following them for more than two hours.”

"We finally arrived here, but I was caught off guard and a step too late. I discovered that Mingzhe had been led into a dangerous place, and I was unable to enter to rescue him."

Wang Xijie pressed further, "Why didn't you leave a mark at the last intersection?"

Xuan Yi hurriedly explained, "Young Master, there were four of them when they came, including Mingzhe. But at the last intersection, for some reason, the two carrying the loads went to the left fork in the road. I don't know what that means either, so I could only follow Mingzhe to the right for now."

Dongfang Yu was more concerned with another question: "What treacherous terrain lies ahead?"

Xuan Yi replied respectfully, "Lord Ying, what we see ahead looks like a bandit stronghold. There are cliffs all around, and the only way in and out is a suspended wooden bridge. If you fall, you will be reduced to ashes."

Wang Xiyue continued, "Have you explored the other route? Have those two people reappeared?"

Xuan Yi nodded and then shook his head. "Miss, I went to check. It's a lake over there. It looks very dangerous. There are no boats, and I can't cross it. They haven't come back."

Dongfang Yu decided to investigate personally. "Does the stronghold have any hidden sentries?"

Xuan Yi shook his head. "There are no traps or guards on this suspension bridge."

Dongfang Yu looked at Xiyue and said, "Then you guys go back and meet up with the others first. Moyun and I will go see if we can get in."

Wang Xiyue hurriedly grabbed An Ying's sleeve, "I want to go too."

“Mingzhe is my man. If anyone should be rescued, it should be me.”

Dongfang Yu almost lost his composure upon hearing this.

Give me back my people?!

Is a half-grown boy you just picked up two days ago, who is basically a stranger, worth all this heartfelt concern?

Dongfang Yu wanted to tell Xiyue that she didn't need to work so hard, but when he met her determined gaze, he could only compromise, "Okay, let's go together, but you have to promise to stay close to me."

Wang Xiyue nodded: "Mm!"

Hearing the tone of Shadow's voice when she spoke to her sister, Wang Xijie could detect a hint of doting. For a moment, he felt as if he could see Dongfang Yu shamelessly pestering his sister.

Mo Yun stepped forward again to clear the way, disappearing at the end of the road in a few leaps.

This time, Dongfang Yu didn't hold back and directly grabbed Xiyue's hand to fly and catch up. Mo Yun had profound internal strength and moved very fast, which was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Moreover, they had already expended a lot of energy tracking them down, and no matter how much Xiyue persisted, they definitely wouldn't be able to catch up. He had a legitimate reason to take care of her, both morally and logically.

Watching An Ying and her sister's departing figures, their hand-holding so naturally, Wang Xijie shook his head violently. He must be seeing things, it must be an illusion. Dongfang Yu had already left, how could she possibly be here?!

Yes, it definitely wasn't him!!

After walking briskly for about half a mile, Mo Yun vaguely saw a mountain stronghold in the distance. He immediately raised his hand to signal the two people behind him to be on their guard.

We absolutely cannot let the other side discover that a stranger has broken in. If their whereabouts are exposed, then Mingzhe, as an outsider, will truly have no way out.

Dongfang Yu put his arm around Xiyue's waist, and with a light leap, he jumped into the dense canopy of trees. Once they were concealed, the three of them began to observe the situation of the mountain stronghold opposite them.

This mountain stronghold appears to have been constructed by cutting across the mountain peak. It stands atop an independent mountain that soars into the clouds. Although surrounded by mountains, they do not appear to be adjacent. The stronghold is shrouded in mist, obscuring its appearance and giving it a somewhat ethereal, fairy-tale-like feel at first glance.