I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

The firewood in the bonfire collapsed a bit more, sending up a few dark red sparks that briefly lit up the air before going dark again.

The wind blew from deep in the valley, skimming the ground, and slightly tilted the edge of the campfire before returning it to its original position.

Lin Xiaolu had already fallen asleep against the rock wall.

Her head was tilted slightly to one side, and she was still holding the dark blue bundle in her arms. The firelight flickered on her face, making her profile appear and disappear.

Han Xin'er didn't sleep. She sat by the fire, and at some point, she picked up a new blade of grass and was slowly winding it around something that hadn't yet taken shape.

Her movements were very quiet, without making any unnecessary noise.

Xu Fenghua has not yet returned to her tent.

She sat a little distance from the fire, wearing a thin, dark gray cloak, with a folded coat spread out on her lap.

She neither put it on nor put it away, as if she had forgotten what she was holding.

Qin Mu came out of the tent, carrying the washed cup in his hand. He walked to the fire, sat down, and placed the cup on a stone.

He glanced at the grass stalks that were taking shape in Han Xin'er's hand: "It's so late, aren't you going to sleep?"

Han Xin'er didn't look up, nor did she stop what she was doing: "I can't sleep. I want to finish editing this."

Qin Mu did not press further.

He sat quietly on the other side of the fire, the firelight elongating his shadow for a moment before returning to its original shape as the flames flickered.

After a while, Xu Fenghua also stood up, walked to the fire, and sat down on a rock next to it.

She didn't speak, but just stared at the fire, as if waiting for the fire to say something on its own.

After a while, she asked softly, "Young Master, what are your plans after arriving in Northern Mang?"

Qin Mu glanced at her sideways, then looked away again: "Let's check the situation over there first. Once we've determined which path is viable, we can decide on the next step."

Xu Fenghua nodded and did not ask any further questions.

The firewood in the bonfire crackled softly again, and Jiang Zhaoyue poked half her body out of the tent, holding the rolled-up map in her hand, as if she was about to talk to Qin Mu.

Seeing Qin Mu sitting by the fire, she paused for a moment, then walked over and sat down, spreading the map on her lap: "I just took a look. After that slope, there are no clear landmarks for the next two days' journey. The inhabited area that Elder Yin mentioned is not marked on the map."

Qin Mu glanced down at the unfolded map but didn't reach out to take it: "Then we'll find it when we get there."

Jiang Zhaoyue didn't ask any further questions; she simply rolled up the map again and put it back in her sleeve.

The night grew deeper.

Yunluan changed her patrol position; she had moved from the way she came from the valley to the shadows on the other side, standing there like a silhouette deeper than the night.

Qin Mu sat for a while, then stood up and took the cup back to the front of the tent.

He glanced back at the people around the fire: "Get some rest, everyone."

After he finished speaking, he bent down and crawled into the tent.

The people around the fire gradually dispersed.

Xu Fenghua stood up, pulled her cloak tighter around herself, and walked toward her tent.

Han Xin'er tucked the half-woven grass stem into her sleeve, stood up, glanced at Lin Xiaolu to make sure she was asleep, and then turned and went into the tent.

Yunluan remained standing in the shadows until the last sounds around the fire subsided. Only then did she slowly remove her hand from the hilt of her sword, lean against a rock wall, and sit down. She didn't close her eyes, but simply breathed softly.

Before dawn the next day, the fire had already been relit.

The smoke didn't rise high; it was pressed low by the morning breeze, spreading along the ground like a thin layer of grayish-white mist.

Everyone packed up their belongings, put away the tents, and the horses were ready.

Yunluan had been riding her horse for a while in the direction of the river valley where she had come from, and only after confirming that there was no problem with the way she came did she turn her horse around and return to the group.

Yin Sutang, riding on her horse, looked up and glanced at the direction of the slope at the end of the valley.

The slope wasn't too high, but it was very steep. The road surface was covered with sand and gravel, and there was no clear path underfoot. We could only walk along the edge of the rock face to find relatively flat areas.

She dismounted, led the horse, and walked a few steps along the foot of the slope, as if trying to determine which section was the gentlest.

After choosing her direction, she didn't say much, but simply waved to the group behind her, indicating that they could follow.

The group began to slowly ascend the slope.

The horse's hooves slipped occasionally as it stepped on the loose gravel, requiring the horse to adjust its center of gravity on its own.

Qin Mu walked in the middle of the group, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, as if he were observing the terrain or checking for any abnormalities ahead.

The top of the hill was farther than I had imagined.

After walking for nearly an hour, the slope began to ease and the view gradually opened up.

Upon reaching the top of the slope, the scenery suddenly changed—a flat wasteland with almost no undulations stretched from our feet to the horizon, its color grayish-brown, interspersed with some dark green withered grass, like an old cloth repeatedly crumpled by the wind.

Qin Mu stood at the top of the slope, reined in his horse, and looked for a while at the vast, somewhat empty wasteland.

The wind blew in from the north, carrying a coolness completely different from that of the North, with the scent of dry earth.

He paused for a moment, then gently spurred his horse and rode along the gentle slope toward the wasteland.

The people behind them also moved. As the horses' hooves trod over the top of the slope, they pushed a few loose stones down, which rolled into the valley they had come from, making a soft rustling sound, and disappeared below the slope.