She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

The next day, as soon as the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, the military camp was awakened by the sound of bugles rising and falling.

Shen Man got up early and, by the dim light of the candlelight in the tent, carefully reviewed all the plans for the trip to Mi Kingdom.

She knew all too well that every detail of this trip to Mir was crucial to its success or failure.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, the five squads assembled in front of the military camp.

The soldiers were all in high spirits, their eyes filled with excitement and tension.

As Shen Man rode on Wanfeng's back, she surveyed the group before her and declared loudly, "We bear a heavy responsibility on this trip to the Kingdom of Mi. But I believe that as long as we work together, we will surely complete our mission and return safely!"

"We will complete the mission to the death!" The soldiers' unified response resounded through the sky.

"Listen to my command, everyone, head towards Dragon Ridge Mountain!" With a single order from Shen Man, the vanguard team set off first.

They rode the best warhorses in the military camp, and in a short while, they disappeared into the mountains and forests.

The fire support team, decoy team, assault team, and logistics team followed closely behind, heading towards the border of the United States according to the predetermined route.

The mountains and forests were silent all the way, with only the occasional chirping of birds and the sound of horses' hooves.

To get to Longjishan, you must first cross Longhushan.

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to traverse, with thorns and bushes growing on both sides.

As the setting sun dyed the sky blood red, the team crossed Longhu Mountain and arrived at the foot of Longji Mountain.

Although the two mountains are close together, Shen Man could clearly feel that the forest on Dragon Ridge Mountain was much denser.

A mountain breeze swept through the treetops, creating an eerie rustling sound. The rising mist from the forest, carrying the scent of decaying leaves, rushed towards Shen Man, causing her heart to tighten—this mist had a bluish-gray hue, and was definitely not ordinary water vapor.

"Everyone, put the miasma-avoiding pills in your mouths!" Shen Man called out, taking out the pills herself first and putting them in her mouth.

Wanfeng pawed at its hooves restlessly, its nostrils flaring as it exhaled white mist, as if resisting the murky air.

She reached out and stroked the horse's neck, feeling its sticky, damp texture. Only then did she realize that fine water droplets were clinging to Wanfeng's fur, shimmering with a bluish light in the twilight.

Just then, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded from the vanguard.

Shen Man galloped away on horseback and saw a clearing in the forest ahead covered with dark purple moss. In the center lay several skeletons, their fingers still in the position of scratching their throats, and the insignia of Mi Kingdom soldiers could be faintly seen on the half-melted leather around their waists.

“These are symptoms of the miasma poisoning.” Shen Man crouched down, picking up a wisp of moss with her fingertips. “These bones are no more than three months old. It seems the Mi Kingdom is also trying to cross this mountain.”

Cui Jinrong frowned and looked into the depths of the mountains. Among the layers of tree canopy, the bluish-gray miasma surged and condensed like a living thing, reflecting an eerie purple light under the setting sun.

Suddenly, a sharp sound ripped through the silence, and Wanfeng's forelegs were airborne, its long mane moving without wind.

Shen Man followed its terrified gaze and saw nothing but the increasingly thick miasma.

"Wanfeng, what's wrong?"

"Master, I sense danger approaching us!" Wanfeng neighed, kicking its front hooves anxiously.

In a short while, the setting sun was obscured by the miasma, and the sky darkened.

Shen Man noticed that the miasma around her was getting thicker. Gradually, her throat tightened, and her vision began to blur, with double images appearing. She knew that the effects of the miasma-avoiding pill were gradually wearing off.

She hadn't expected the miasma here to be so potent, that even the miasma-avoiding pills couldn't completely ward it off. The miasma carried a pungent odor, corroding her body and soul.

She felt her breathing becoming increasingly difficult and her vision becoming increasingly blurry.

She turned to look at the ranks and saw that some soldiers were walking unsteadily, their hands holding guns trembling uncontrollably.

"Retreat! Retreat back to Longhu Mountain!" Shen Man decisively gave the order.

Just then, a high-pitched tiger roar came from Longhu Mountain behind them, as if it came from the depths of the earth, shaking the mountains and forests.

A moment later, more than twenty striped tigers came in a fan shape to surround them. Their eerie green eyes flickered like will-o'-the-wisps in the forest, and the saliva dripping from their fangs stained the ground, sending chills down one's spine.

"It's...it's tigers! So many tigers!" a soldier shouted in terror.

"What are we going to do? There's miasma in front and tigers behind. It looks like we're going to die here today!"

"Don't panic, quickly form a fire array!" Cui Jinrong shouted to the soldiers.

Shen Man suddenly reached out and pressed down on his gun barrel: "Don't shoot, let me deal with them."

She dismounted and walked slowly toward the pack of tigers. Wanfeng neighed anxiously, but she stopped him with a look.

The tiger at the front suddenly pounced, and a stench of rotting flesh wafted towards them.

Shen Man did not dodge or evade. She took out the bone flute from her neck and said to it, "Do you recognize this? It is a gift from the Tiger King to me!"

Upon hearing this, the tiger immediately stopped its attack and looked at Shen Man with a puzzled expression. "Who are you, and why do you have the Tiger King's things?"

Just then, a tiger with yellow and white stripes walked over, carefully examined Shen Man, and then whispered to her, "Man'er, how could it be you?"

“You are… Xiao Liu!” Shen Man recognized the tiger from the unique tuft of white fur on its forehead. It was her long-lost friend, Tiger Xiao Liu.

Tiger Xiao Liu nuzzled Shen Man affectionately and whispered, "Man'er, it's been so long since I've seen you, I almost didn't recognize you. The miasma in Dragon Ridge Mountain gets worse every summer, what are you doing here?"

Shen Man then told it about her mission to the Kingdom of Mi.

Hu Xiaoliu frowned after hearing this: "This miasma is indeed dangerous, and many of my clansmen have lost their lives because of it. However, I know a hidden path that might be able to avoid the area where the miasma is most concentrated."

Shen Man exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful! Xiao Liu, could you please lead us along this path?"

Tiger Six shook its huge head and said, "You're my best friend, I'll definitely help you."

After saying that, it turned its head and growled a few times at the other tigers, who then made way for it.

Shen Man returned to the group, and Cui Jinrong's hand holding the gun was still trembling slightly.

"Lord of the city, what's going on? Why are you talking to that tiger?"

"Oh, its name is Tiger Xiao Liu. It's a good friend I made in Xiaoyao Village. It knows a shortcut that can avoid the miasma. Let's just follow it."

Everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with doubts and confusion.

They simply couldn't understand how Shen Man, a seemingly delicate woman, could become friends with such a ferocious tiger. It was utterly unbelievable!

However, despite their many questions, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they saw that the tigers did not show any hostility towards them and even led the way in a friendly manner.

After all, in the Dragon Ridge Mountains, which are full of unknowns and dangers, the presence of these tigers can bring them some sense of security.

Led by Hu Xiaoliu, the team resumed their pace and slowly made their way into the depths of Longji Mountain.