Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 784 Of course, we'll fight our way up.
The convoy wound its way up the mountain road, the hum of the engines echoing through the silent valley. The wheels rolled over the newly paved asphalt, so smoothly that the bumps were barely noticeable, a stark contrast to the bumpy, muddy old mountain roads that Miao Zongpan remembered, roads that required mules and horses to trek.

Miao Zongpan sat cross-legged on the roof of the bus, letting the mountain wind brush against her wrinkled face and wide robe.

The vibrations from the metal beneath her were regular and steady, and the "iron box" beneath her feet was carrying her and her people steadily toward their destination.

Soon, the convoy began to slow down gradually.

Ahead lies a vast expanse of mountains, and to the side, you can see a billboard that reads "Welcome to Jiuxian Mountain Scenic Area".

This used to be an obscure little scenic spot.

But everything changed after the city of illusion descended.

The vast area of ​​the Lost City was crudely crammed into this land, and as far as the eye could see, there were ancient trees that had stood for centuries, blocking out the sky.

The thick, gnarled trunk is covered with a thick layer of moss and vines, and the canopy is layered like an endless green sea of ​​clouds.

The cement road ahead abruptly ended, replaced by a winding dirt path that led deep into the dense forest, almost invisible due to the presence of massive tree roots.

"This is the best we can go. Any further up, we'll have to walk."

Tang Zhishang got off the bus, surveyed the surroundings, and, confirming that the route ahead was blocked, walked to the bus and said to Miao Zongpan on the bus, "Senior, your grain..."

"Just leave it here, our people will come and take care of it."

Miao Zongpan jumped off the roof of the car, her agility making her seem nothing like an old woman.

The rest of the people also got off the bus.

Zhou Shang stretched, Li Qing loosened his shoulders, and Amei stood aside holding two jars of pickled vegetables, looking bewildered. Clearly, this was the first time she had encountered a situation where someone came to her door to fight, especially one where they were traveling together.

Miao Zongpan gestured for his clansmen to move rice and flour, then said to Zhou Shang and Li Qing, "Gentlemen, please, I will take you to see the sacrificial king."

Upon hearing this, Amei was about to leave, but Li Qing stopped her.

Miao Zongpan took two steps and, seeing that the three of them were not moving, looked at Li Qing with a puzzled expression.

Li Qing took out a pipe from his backpack, squatted down on the curb, and slowly began to stuff tobacco into it.

Miao Zongpan walked up to the three men: "What, you don't dare to go?"

Zhou Shang turned his head away, abandoning his previous argumentative attitude from the night before, and appeared unwilling to pay any attention to Miao Zongpan.

Li Qing exhaled a puff of smoke from his nose: "Little sister, you're not new to the world of gangsters, and we're not clueless old folks. Have you ever heard of a complete idiot running into someone's house to die?"

? ?
Miao Zongpan's expression froze, and he quickly realized what was going on, his eyes turning cold. "What do you mean?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in their direction.

"mean?"

Li Qing, with a half-smile on his face, stood on the curb, looked up at Miao Zongpan, and said, "The meaning is very simple." He raised his pipe, pointed to Jiuxian Mountain in the distance, and said in the Bijie dialect, "Of course, it means to hit it!"

Once inside the mountains, the initiative is in their hands.

Once you launch an attack, the initiative is in your own hands.

How could Li Qing not even be able to distinguish this point? He foolishly followed the other party up the mountain, falling into their trap. Did he really think that the martial arts world was just a game, where he could just go up and say a few words and be done with it?

"you wanna die!!"

Upon hearing this, a Miao man flew into a rage. Jiuxian Mountain was their sacred mountain, and someone dared to threaten to attack it in front of their high priest. He immediately drew his sword and prepared to fight.

Li Qing lowered his eyelids, and a pellet flew out from his fingertip.

"Whoosh!"

The bullet ripped through the air with a sharp, short sound, and a tiny bloody hole appeared on the forehead of the impulsive Miao man. Before the anger on his face could even turn into astonishment, he collapsed limply to the ground, as if his bones had been removed, and never succumbed to life again.

"You are going too far!!"

Seeing his clansmen die in an instant, Miao Zongpan was instantly enraged and was about to take action.

However, at that moment, an indescribable, extreme chill suddenly surged up from the soles of her feet without warning, instantly seizing her heart!
It wasn't the coldness on her skin; a chilling aura surged from the soles of her feet, instantly locking onto her heart.

The moment you make any unusual movement, this chill will rush straight to your heart.

Although it wouldn't cause her any real harm, her body would be stiff for at least two or three breaths. During that time, the short, stocky guy next to her could use marbles to punch six or seven holes in her head.

Beside her, Zhou Shang stared coldly at Miao Zongpan with a blank expression and his fingers forming a hand seal: "Little sister, I advise you not to make a move. We're so close, we can't defend against your Gu worms, but you should keep your life."

Miao Zongpan glanced sideways at Zhou Shang: "When did you make your move?"

"It's been a long time. Last time when we wiped out your village, we planted mines at the gate before we left, just waiting for you to come knocking." (Chapter 780)
It turned out that when they left Pengjia Village last time, Zhou Shang had already thought about the possibility of a master seeking revenge, so he left two paper figures with curses at the door.

The next day, when Miao Zongpan arrived, Zhou Shang had already noticed that the paper figure was stuck to the soles of Miao Zongpan's feet, but he didn't do anything about it at the time. "Hiss!"

Seeing this, Tang Zhishang gasped inwardly, thinking, "Wait, how come these two old men can turn on each other so easily? They can change their minds faster than turning the pages of a book?"

He stood there for a moment, his heart pounding with anxiety. If a fight broke out, should they help or not?
"What exactly do you want? If you're trying to use me to coerce the High Priest, then we're ready to fight to the death."

Miao Zongpan stared intently at Zhou Shang and Li Qing, already preparing for the worst.

"Don't worry, we two brothers aren't that despicable. Sister, take your men back. We'll wait for you here until tonight. If you don't deliver the goods tonight, we'll take over and we'll settle things based on our abilities."

After Li Qing finished speaking, he nodded to Zhou Shang, who then lowered his hand.

Miao Zongpan immediately felt a sense of relief and took a few steps back.

He glared fiercely at the two old men.

A moment of hesitation flashed in her eyes, but in the end she didn't dare to make a move. She gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go!"

He then hurriedly led the group of people around him into the mountains.

Seeing this, Tang Zhishang was once again caught in a dilemma, but after a moment of internal struggle, he decisively chose to lead his men to follow Miao Zong up the mountain.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Only by infiltrating the enemy's ranks can one seize the initiative at crucial moments.

In a short while, the foot of the mountain became quiet.

Only then did Ah Mei dare to speak: "Grandpa, how should we..."

Amei didn't know how to explain, but she always felt that this was wrong. After all, she was also a Miao person and naturally did not want to see her people killed, nor did she want to see Zhou Shang and the others get involved in danger because of her.

"Actually... I could go to the High Priestess. If I'm willing to bow down and acknowledge her, she'll return the Gu Mother to me."

Li Qing remained silent, head bowed. Zhou Shang, standing beside him, looked sternly at Amei: "Foolish!"

Zhou Shang said with a serious expression: "In this world, it's all about big fish eating small fish. Morality, rules, and laws are never meant to protect the weak. There's only so much food. If you don't fight and grab, you'll end up being eaten by others. Don't think that bowing down and backing down will earn you mercy from your enemies. They will only intensify their attacks on you."

"This……"

Amei knew this perfectly well; she wasn't some inexperienced maid. But... looking at the corpse of Miao Han, who had been beaten to death by Li Qing, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"Amei!"

Li Qing tapped the sole of his shoe with his pipe, flicking out a pinch of burnt ash: "A great man once said, 'What you can't get on the battlefield, don't even think about getting back at the negotiating table.' If you don't raise your fist, you'll only pay a greater price. When you're forced into a corner and finally raise your fist, you'll wonder why you didn't raise your fist sooner."

Upon hearing this, Amei lowered her head, thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth, raised her head, and with no more hesitation on her face, resolutely nodded and said, "I understand, Grandpa."

"Ruzi can be taught."

Seeing that Amei had figured it out, the two brothers looked relieved.

What they taught Ah Mei was definitely not the right way, but in this era, it was the most basic way to survive.

"Grandpa, what's next?"

Amei looked at the sky. It was still early before midnight, and they couldn't just wait here idly. "How about we find a cool place to rest?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shang and Li Qing shook their heads again. Li Qing then took Amei's hand and said, "My silly girl, come on, Grandpa will take you up the mountain to find a cool place to rest."

Amei could tell that Li Qing was teasing her, but she didn't know what she had said wrong.

Just as they were hesitating, Li Qing casually picked up the two sauerkraut jars from Amei's arms: "These things can't be carried around easily; they're our winning treasures."

As Li Qing spoke, he glanced around and immediately found a good spot. He quickly walked to a large tree with a large hole under it and casually stuffed the jar inside.

"Come on, let's find a place to rest. By the way, did you bring any food?"

"I brought some, including biscuits, instant noodles, and snacks."

"Then let's have instant noodles."

"I brought a pot, so I can cook noodles for you."

The three walked further and further away along the path. Only when they were far away did two sneaky Miao men peek out from the woods. They exchanged a glance, and then one of them quietly followed them, while the other walked to the tree.

He glanced down into the tree hollow, then casually took out two jars. He opened one and saw that it was gray and he didn't know what it was. He opened the other jar and saw that it was shimmering with a faint light, but he couldn't see it clearly.

Seeing this, Miao Han grinned and said, "Baby."

He then hugged the two jars to his chest and ran quickly into the mountains.

(End of this chapter)