Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

"It's them!"

A hint of excitement flashed in Zhao Yun's eyes as he lowered his voice.

"Judging from his clothing and manner of movement, he looks a lot like a hunter from that tribe!"

Hope has been rekindled.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they cautiously made their way towards the crack in the mountain wall. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that while the crack appeared inconspicuous from a distance, it revealed a hidden, winding, narrow passage leading deep into the mountainside!

The passage was initially very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, the terrain suddenly opened up.

A small valley, hidden among the mountains, appeared before everyone's eyes.

A stream flows through the valley, and scattered plots of land have been cultivated, where dozens of low but sturdy stone and wooden houses have been built, their roofs covered with thatch and animal hides.

Some Qiang people dressed in animal skins were busy at work. When they saw Zhao Yun and his group suddenly appear, they immediately stopped what they were doing and their faces showed extreme astonishment and vigilance.

"who?!"

Several burly Qiang men, armed with hunting forks and bows and arrows, immediately surrounded the uninvited guests, staring at them with hostility and speaking in a distinctive Qiang language. The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Zhao Yun immediately signaled Wang Ping and the others to stop. He himself stepped forward, placed his weapon on the ground, spread his hands, and spoke in a somewhat broken but still comprehensible Qiang language, trying to soften his tone.

"Warriors, please do not misunderstand. We mean no harm. We are travelers from afar, who have come to visit your chieftain on important matters."

The leading Qiang man sized Zhao Yun up and down, his wariness undiminished.

"Travelers from afar? We don't welcome outsiders here! How did you find this place? Tell us!"

Seeing this, Wang Ping quickly signaled the captain behind him to take out the gifts he had brought—several packets of snow-white salt, several brand-new iron pots, several bolts of thick linen, and a small jar of precious tea.

He presented these items and said respectfully.

“Warrior, we have indeed come with sincerity.”

This is a small token of our appreciation; we hope to have an audience with the chief.

Upon seeing these extremely scarce resources in the mountains, the eyes of the burly Qiang men visibly wavered, and they exchanged a few words in hushed tones.

Salt and iron were necessities for their survival; cloth and tea were rare luxuries.

Finally, the burly man in the lead nodded, his tone softening slightly.

"You all wait here and don't move! I'll go report to the chief."

After saying that, he gestured to the others to keep an eye on Zhao Yun and the others, while he quickly ran towards a slightly larger-looking stone house in the center of the valley.

The wait felt exceptionally long. The Qiang people in the valley, regardless of age or gender, watched them from a distance, their eyes filled with curiosity, wariness, and even a hint of barely perceptible unease.

After a while, the burly man returned and spoke to Zhao Yun and the others.

"The chief has agreed to see you. Follow me, and remember, do not do anything improper!"

Zhao Yun and Wang Ping exchanged a glance, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

We've finally taken the first step.

They were led to the largest stone house.

Standing at the doorway was an old man with white hair and beard, his face etched with wrinkles and the marks of time. He wore a slightly worn wolfskin coat and held a polished wooden scepter in his hand. His eyes were cloudy, yet they exuded a wisdom and dignity born of a lifetime of experience.

He was clearly the chief of this tribe.

The old chieftain's gaze swept calmly over Zhao Yun and Wang Ping, lingering for a moment on Zhao Yun's extraordinary demeanor, before he spoke in his aged and slow Qiang language.

"Han people from afar, tell us your purpose. We, the 'Baishan tribe,' have lived here for generations, living in peace with the world and not liking to deal with outsiders."

Zhao Yun stepped forward again, respectfully performed the Qiang people's greeting, and spoke sincerely.

"Respected Chief of the White Mountain Tribe, we apologize for disturbing you, but we have no other choice. We have come here not to plunder or invade, but to seek help, and also to... inform your tribe of a possible threat."

The old chieftain's brow twitched slightly.

"Threat? What threat?"

Zhao Yun carefully chose his words and spoke slowly.

"Recently, a brutal army calling itself the 'Divine Marching Army' has appeared outside the Qilian Mountains."

They were well-equipped and formidable in combat; wherever they went, whether Qiang tribes or Han merchant caravans, they slaughtered them all, leaving no one alive, their methods extremely cruel.

Upon hearing the words "God Marching Army" and descriptions such as "slaughter" and "leaving no one alive," the old chieftain's previously calm face instantly changed!
His pupils contracted slightly, and his hand gripping the scepter tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning white.

The tribal elders following behind him also showed expressions of shock and anger.

"You...you also know about that devilish team?"

The old chief's voice trembled slightly, carrying a barely perceptible hint of suppressed anger.

Wang Ping keenly noticed this change and immediately followed up with a serious tone.

"It seems the chief has already heard about them, and may even have been attacked by them before? To be honest, several of our companions lost contact while investigating them. We suspect their lair is hidden somewhere in the Qilian Mountains."

The old chief took a deep breath, a flicker of pain and anger flashing in his cloudy eyes. He remained silent for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice.

“It’s not just hearsay… Our tribe’s three best hunters went out hunting ten days ago and haven’t returned yet… We only found signs of a fight and… bloodstains in their usual hunting grounds.”

He raised his head and looked sharply at Zhao Yun and Wang Ping.

"You say you're seeking help, but what do you want us to do? And what makes you think we'd help outsiders like you?"

Upon hearing the old chief mention the disappearance of the tribe's hunters, Zhao Yun and Wang Ping were both startled. They felt sympathy for the tribe's plight and realized that this was a crucial opportunity to build closer ties.

Wang Ping immediately stepped forward, his tone heavy and earnest.

"Chief, those missing warriors... I'm afraid they're in grave danger."

This "divine army" is ruthless, leaving almost no survivors in their wake. In the several destroyed camps we discovered earlier, women, children, and the elderly were all slaughtered.

The old chieftain's hand holding the scepter trembled slightly, and the suppressed anger in his eyes intensified. An elder behind him couldn't help but let out a low growl, cursing in the Qiang language. Zhao Yun seized the opportunity to speak, his voice steady and powerful.

"Chief, that's precisely why we need to unite."

This "Divine March" is not only our enemy, but also a threat to the entire Liangzhou and all living beings on this land!

Hidden deep in the mountains, committing this act of extermination, their ambition must be immense. If we allow them to continue, today they are hunters venturing out, tomorrow… perhaps this entire valley will be their prey!

These words struck like a hammer blow to the hearts of every member of the Baishan tribe. The Qiang people in the valley wore expressions of fear and anger.

They have lived here for generations; this place is their root, their everything.

The old chieftain's cloudy eyes were fixed on Zhao Yun, as if judging the truthfulness and determination in his words.

After a long silence, with only the howling wind echoing through the valley, he finally spoke slowly, his voice hoarse yet carrying a hint of determination.

"How...why do you want us to help?"

Zhao Yun's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the most crucial moment had arrived.

He said solemnly.

"We do not need your warriors to fight those demons directly. We only hope to use your knowledge of this mountain forest to find a secret path that can bypass their eyes and ears and approach their lair."

We need to know exactly where they are hiding, their size, and what they are doing! Only by figuring these things out can we find a way to completely eradicate them, avenge our fallen tribesmen, and bring lasting peace to the Baishan tribe!

The old chief fell silent again, his gaze sweeping over the expectant yet angry faces of his tribesmen, then over the precious salt, iron, and cloth on the ground. Finally, he slammed his scepter down heavily and made his decision.

"Alright! For the sake of our fallen comrades, and for the survival of our tribe!"
"We, the Baishan division, will handle this deal!"

He turned to a middle-aged hunter with a wiry build and sharp eyes behind him and gave him instructions.

“Zaxi, you and your brother Nuoru are the best hunters in our tribe, and you know the Death Mountains to the west best. You two will take them and find where those demons hide!”

The hunter named Zaxi bowed and accepted the order without hesitation.

"Yes, Chief!"

A shared threat ultimately led to this brief and fragile cooperation.

Without much delay, Zhao Yun, Wang Ping, and two other carefully selected crossbow captains, led by the Qiang guides Zaxi and Nuolu, left the valley of Baishan again and headed towards the more treacherous and remote hinterland of the Qilian Mountains.

With a guide familiar with the terrain, the situation immediately changed.

Zaxi and Nuolu are like mountain spirits; they know every seemingly dead-end crevice, every vine that can provide support, and every area that might hide a swamp or poisonous insects.

They led Zhao Yun and the others, completely avoiding the main passages and mountain passes that might have sentries, instead climbing steep rock walls, traversing dark, damp, moss-covered narrow canyons, and sometimes even crawling through wild animal dens that were only wide enough for one person to pass.

Along the way, Zhao Yun and his companions witnessed firsthand the Qiang hunters' almost instinctive mountain survival and navigation skills, and secretly admired them.

At the same time, they are more vigilant. Even the Qiang people, who are so familiar with the mountains and forests, are very secretive about the "Divine Marching Army," which shows the other party's operation and intimidation in this area.

As they went deeper, everyone clearly sensed that the surrounding environment was beginning to change.

The oppressive atmosphere grew heavier, as if an invisible force was enveloping the area.

The birdsong and animal roars that should have been there became sparse and scattered, until finally, it almost fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of the wind echoing through the craggy valley like a sob, adding to the eeriness.

“This is the area,” Zaxi said to Zhao Yun in a low voice, his face showing deep apprehension.

“A few months ago, the number of birds and beasts here began to decrease inexplicably, and our tribe’s hunters rarely came here anymore. Something feels... wrong.”

Zhao Yun nodded, signaling everyone to be extra careful.

Led by Tashi, they quietly made their way to the edge of a mountain valley almost completely obscured by huge, thick ancient vines and a large number of collapsed rocks.

From the outside, it looks no different from the surrounding barren mountains.

"Look there."

Noru, with his sharp eyes, pointed to some barely noticeable traces beneath the vines and rocks.

Wang Ping leaned closer for a closer look, and his heart skipped a beat.

Beneath the seemingly naturally formed gravel and soil, one can vaguely see ruts left by frequent vehicle traffic, which were not naturally formed!

These tracks were cleverly disguised with scattered pebbles and transplanted low grass, making them difficult to spot unless one observes closely at close range.

The tracks meandered and eventually disappeared behind the vines.

Zhao Yun carefully parted a thick layer of vines, and a deep, dark cave entrance suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes!

The entrance to the cave was clearly carved and enlarged by human hands, and traces of chisels and axes remain on the edges. Although it is also covered and concealed by moss and climbing plants, the traces of human intervention are unmistakable at close range.

A much stronger, sweet, and rotten smell than the previous samples wafted from the cave, entering everyone's nostrils and making them want to vomit and feel a chill.

"Back off! Take cover!"

Zhao Yun gave a low shout, and the group immediately retreated, quickly finding suitable rocks and bushes nearby to lie in ambush, holding their breath and not daring to make the slightest sound.

They chose an excellent location, which allowed them to observe the cave entrance while being sheltered by shadows and vegetation.

After waiting for about half an hour, the dull sound of wheels rolling came from inside the cave.

Soon, two large carts covered with thick felt and pulled by strong horses slowly drove out of the cave entrance, escorted by a group of about ten men dressed in dark, expressionless clothes.

The guards had vacant eyes and stiff movements, like puppets on strings.

Guarding both sides of the cave entrance were the familiar "Divine March" soldiers!
They stood like cold stone sculptures, shrouded in standard dark armor. Only when they occasionally turned their heads to scan their surroundings did the chilling killing intent in their eyes prove that they were alive.

After the carriage left, it did not stop, but continued along the disguised road towards the outside of the mountains.

After some time, several other empty carriages, led by escorts dressed in the same attire, drove back to the cave and disappeared into the deep darkness.

Zhao Yun lay prone behind the rock, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

This is hardly a temporary camp or a simple hiding place.
This is clearly a well-equipped, well-functioning secret base with a stable supply of materials!
Judging from the scale and frequency of the carriages, the size and importance of this place far exceeded their initial estimates! (End of Chapter)