Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 107 Medicine King Valley

The two tacitly refrained from discussing these sordid matters of the royal family. Rong Junye sighed and said in a deep voice, "I plan to go to Medicine King Valley to find the Sixth Prince. As you know, Medicine King Valley is fraught with danger. Very few people can even enter the valley. And those who come out, no one can say for sure what's inside; they all say they don't remember. I don't know what I'll encounter this time. If I haven't returned in three days, something must have happened. When that happens, you go find the Sixth Prince; don't worry about me. Keep this map safe."

Yan Mingzhang wanted to dissuade him, but seeing Rong Junye's determined eyes, he swallowed back the words he was about to say and could only nod helplessly.
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However, the three-day period has passed, and only one letter has been brought back by General Rong's subordinates—General Rong entered Medicine King Valley three days ago and has not returned yet.
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"After passing this cave, we should reach Medicine King Valley," Yan Mingzhang said, pointing to a spot on the map and looking at the cave in front of him.

"Lord Yan!" Suddenly, several burly men jumped out of the bushes at the cave entrance, one of whom had a particularly round head.

"It's Erhu!" Rong Wanyin couldn't help but exclaim, her voice filled with anxiety. "Erhu, what are you doing here? Where's my older brother?"

“Miss, Lord Yan, this cave is very eerie, you must not go in! Three days ago, our general led us into this cave, but the terrain inside is complicated, and we all lost track of him. Only our general went in by himself, and now we don’t know if he is alive or dead… We went in a few more times afterward, but we always came out again after wandering around!” The burly man Erhu wept, which made everyone’s heart ache.

"Then we have to go in even more!" Rong Wanyin exclaimed anxiously, wanting to rush inside.

"Wait a minute!" Yan Mingzhang suddenly stopped Rong Wanyin, glancing at Changfeng. "Changfeng!"

With perfect understanding, Changfeng took out a thin rope from his pocket and tied it securely to the stone at the entrance of the cave.

"You've all worked hard these past few days. Stay here and provide support. If your general comes out, tell him he doesn't need to come to rescue us; just wait here. We've brought enough rations, so don't worry." After settling General Rong's men in, Yan Mingzhang led everyone inside.

Su Zhan involuntarily took a step back, and smiled obsequiously at Yan Mingzhang: "How about... you go in, and I stay here to cover you?"

Yan Mingzhang glanced at Su Zhan indifferently: "Fine, after all, you're timid, so it's normal for you to be afraid."

Su Zhan suddenly puffed out his chest: "Who said I'm scared? I...I just...want to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Mingzhang said to the others, "Let's go!"

"Eh...Eh...I'm really not scared..." Su Zhan's explanation went unheard.

"Why are you being so stubborn? Sigh..." Su Zhan gripped Changfeng's sleeves tightly with both hands, constantly blaming himself, wishing he could slap himself twice.

Su Zhan eventually came in.

The cave narrowed as they went deeper until they reached a fork in the road.

"Which way should we go?" Rong Wanyin asked Yan Mingzhang, finding it difficult to decide.

Yan Mingzhang bent down to pick up the stones from the ground, his eyes calm. He took a deep breath and threw the stones toward the three forks in the road. The stones traced arcs in the darkness, making rustling sounds. One of the stones didn't echo for a long time after it was thrown. "This way..." Yan Mingzhang said firmly.

"Chengxuan, are you sure?" Su Zhan asked tremulously. Yan Mingzhang smiled slightly but did not answer. Su Zhan became a little impatient, "Hey, say something!"

After rounding a bend, Mo Yun stopped, intending to wait for the people behind him. But when he looked back, all he saw was a dark cave, with the eerie "whooshing" sound of the wind echoing in his ears.

"My lord! The people behind us have disappeared!" Mo Yun's voice trembled slightly. He had served Yan Mingzhang for many years and seen all sorts of storms, but today he felt a sense of unease. There were no forks in the road, yet those people had vanished without a trace.

"I'll go take a look!" Mo Yun said, his palms already sweaty. He was about to turn back to check when Chang Feng grabbed him: "We absolutely cannot separate now. Let's go check together."

Yan Mingzhang's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "Yes, this cave is a bit strange. Let's go together."

Su Zhan slapped himself, then felt the pain and quickly rubbed it. He was filled with regret. Why did he have to be so stubborn just now?
Holding torches, the group turned a corner, only to find a cold stone wall blocking their path.

"How could this be? Just now..." Mo Yun was interrupted urgently by Rong Wanyin before he could finish speaking. Rong Wanyin reached out and tugged at the thin rope that was originally used to mark the route, only to find that it was tightly wedged between the stone wall directly in front and the stone wall on the right! In other words, the wall had just been moved from the left! The stone walls in this cave can move!
"This is probably why General Rong and his subordinates were separated!" Mo Yun exclaimed. "This mechanism is amazing! In just a short while, the entire wall moved over, and I didn't hear a thing!"

“It seems we can’t retreat. Let’s move forward…” Rong Wanyin suggested.

Everyone nodded.

There's no turning back; they just don't know what awaits them ahead.

One fork in the road after another left everyone dizzy. Suddenly, they heard the sound of water and stopped in their tracks. They were all a little excited, thinking that perhaps they could get out by following the current!
Su Zhan was the first to step out of the cave entrance, and immediately felt a wave of heat. He exclaimed with delight, "Come quick, this is a hot spring!"

Before Su Zhan could finish speaking, he felt his foot step on something, tripped, and fell to the ground. The torch fell to the ground and went out in a flash, but everyone could still see clearly—it was a skeleton about the size of a kitten, with some fur still attached, gnawed to pieces, with congealed blood on it, and a putrid smell!
"Ah! Ah!" Su Zhan almost jumped up, grabbing Changfeng's sleeve and trembling.

Mo Yun brought the torch closer, looking puzzled: "What is this?"

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the darkness. Changfeng quickly brought the torch closer and saw a large group of mice, each the size of a kitten! Their fur was glossy, and their eyes were scarlet in the firelight. Upon seeing the firelight, the mice scattered nimbly.

The rats scattered, revealing a multitude of white bones strewn across the ground. There were fish bones, rat bones, and even quite a few human bones, all white and accompanied by a stench.

A few mice were reluctant to leave the skeleton, taking a few more bites before finally escaping unwillingly.

Su Zhan's voice trembled slightly as he exclaimed, "These rats eat people?"