HMHSE - 24

Within ten days after the winter sacrifice, there were noticeable changes in the mountains.

A strong wind blew from the north, howling through the valleys. Though the forests were dense, here in Wangji Mountain, the wind seemed subdued.

Today, Dong Lai arrived first, holding the map of the mining site. He walked around Wangji Mountain, checking against the map. As he turned around, he saw Shen Rong approaching from outside.

He put away the map and approached her, reporting the results of the past few days: “Young Mistress, progress has been smooth.”

Shen Rong nodded and turned to look herself.

Around the mining site, one hole after another had been dug—deep, dark, and wide enough to fit a bowl.

This was just the beginning. Later, they would need to widen the openings, dig deeper, and carve out mine tunnels to extract gold.

The section beneath the mining site was the most difficult part.

After finishing her inspection, she turned her head to observe the group of prisoners. They were divided into small teams, scattered across various locations at the foot of the mountain.

It was nearing noon, and the soldiers were distributing meals.

Only during this time were the black masks covering their mouths removed by the guards, as the masks were secured with small locks that required keys to remove.

Seeing this, Shen Rong signaled to Dong Lai with a glance: “Their strength output is satisfactory.”

Dong Lai understood, bowed his head, and went to relay instructions to Zhang Wei, who was in charge of guarding today.

Zhang Wei then ordered the soldiers to add extra food rations for the prisoners.

Instead of the usual single lotus leaf package, today there were two.

The group devoured the food like starving wolves, squatting and gulping it down voraciously.

Watching them, Shen Rong couldn’t help but frown slightly. She turned and walked toward the mining site.

There were also several small groups of prisoners nearby. Most of them still stared at her when they saw her.

Even though she had come multiple times, the presence of a woman in such a place was still unusual.

Shen Rong adjusted her cloak and paid no mind to their stares. After all, she had grown accustomed to being watched over these days, and they could not intimidate her.

She stood by the mining site and looked down. The site had been excavated much deeper now.

After observing for a while, she crouched down and used her riding whip to brush aside the loose stones at the edges. She picked up a fragment to examine it more closely.

Suddenly, the sound of dragging chains echoed nearby. She turned her head and saw a man slowly approaching from behind.

He looked like a wild man. His prisoner’s uniform had been changed, but his disheveled hair was matted with dust and dirt. He held a half-eaten rice ball, and even the lotus leaf wrapping had been torn apart.

She didn’t move: “What do you want?”

His menacing eyes locked onto her, and suddenly he revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth: “You little wench, aren’t you afraid of me?”

This was the first time Shen Rong had heard them speak. Her initial reaction was surprise that they could even talk, though their voices were rough and gravelly, unpleasant to hear.

She glanced around: “With so many people here, why should I be afraid of you?”

A group of soldiers had already surrounded them, whips ready. If Shen Rong hadn’t given orders, they would have already struck him.

Even Zhang Wei stood nearby, gripping his sword tightly.

The man glanced around too, seemingly wary, and stopped advancing. He let out two strange sounds from his throat and turned his head, revealing the prominent white scar over his left eye.

Shen Rong looked at his neck—it was indeed the most fearsome one among them, Unsinned Five.

A thicker, hoarser voice growled: “You damn bastard, shut your mouth and get back.”

Shen Rong turned toward the source of the voice. It was an older prisoner, with streaks of gray in his temples, holding a rice ball and squatting behind Unsinned Five, glaring at him.

She vaguely remembered him—he was the first prisoner to take the lead in drilling. She glanced at his neck; the wooden tag read Jiachen Three.

Unsinned Five ignored the remark, dragging his heavy chains as he squatted. He took a bite of the rice ball, chewing even the lotus leaf wrapper without care. His eyes remained dark and fixed on Shen Rong. Suddenly, he laughed, his speech slurred: “I heard you were once Shan Zong’s woman. Those bastard soldiers said so—I overheard.”

Shen Rong frowned slightly: “What does that have to do with you?”

His laughter made the white scar wrinkle grotesquely. Though the lower half of his face appeared normal, his expression made him look even more horrifying.

Unexpectedly, she heard him say provocatively: “That bastard Shan might look human, maybe even skilled in bed, but you, such a delicate beauty, following him is a waste. Why not come with me? I’m definitely better than that Shan guy.”

Shen Rong’s face turned cold instantly. She abruptly stood up: “Dong Lai!”

Dong Lai rushed over, unsheathing his sword and pressing it against the man’s neck, forcing him down.

The rice ball in his hand fell to the ground, rolling into a stone pit. Despite the pressure, he continued to laugh, sneering at Dong Lai: “In the past, I could’ve killed you with one hand.”

Dong Lai wasted no words. He pressed the blade harder, drawing blood from the man’s neck and forcing his head lower.

Zhang Wei, sensing trouble, rushed over with his sword drawn. A few others who wanted to move were restrained by the soldiers’ whips and stayed in place.

Shen Rong had never endured such humiliation. Her expression shifted as she glared at the ferocious Unsinned Five: “Teach him to clean up his filthy mouth!”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Dong Lai kicked him in the face.

The man tried to resist. Just as he straightened his back, a gust of wind swept past his ear. Something flew past his cheek and embedded itself in the ground with a resounding clang.

It was a cold, sharp blade.

Zhang Wei stepped back: “Boss.”

Shan Zong rode directly up, still mounted on his horse, looking down at the scene: “Unsinned Five causing trouble?”

Zhang Wei replied: “I don’t know what filth he spewed at Young Mistress, but it angered her.”

The man spat: “I have a name, damn it! Screw your ‘Unsinned Five’!”

Shan Zong dismounted in one swift motion, strode over, pulled the blade from the ground, and stepped on the man’s face, pointing the tip of the blade at his mouth: “If you think that mask is unnecessary, I can make things simpler—cut out your tongue.”

Jiachen Three tried to rise, and other prisoners nearby stirred as well, but they were quickly restrained by the soldiers’ swords and whips.

Under Shan Zong’s boot, half of Unsinned Five’s face was pressed against the ground. He grunted heavily but still glared at him fiercely: “Shan, I’ll kill you sooner or later!”

“Plenty of people want to kill me. What makes you special?” Shan Zong kicked him away.

Holding his sword, Shan Zong swept his cold gaze over the remaining prisoners: “Remove their black masks. Let them speak. But if anyone utters another disrespectful word, I’ll cut out the tongues of those four hostages.”

The prisoners seemed intimidated, falling silent.

Blood trickled from Unsinned Five’s mouth and neck as he was dragged away, still glaring at him fiercely.

Surprisingly, the soldiers did not reapply the black masks that bound their tongues.

Shan Zong sheathed his sword, surveyed the surroundings, and then walked away.

The oppressive atmosphere finally eased.

Even Zhang Wei unconsciously exhaled, turning to shout angrily: “Consider yourselves lucky! If you don’t want to eat, get up and go back to work!”

…

Shan Zong circled halfway around the mountain before spotting the woman’s figure.

Shen Rong was standing on a flat patch of mountain terrain.

As he approached, his boots crunched over fallen branches and leaves, making a rustling sound.

Hearing the noise, she turned her head and looked toward him.

Shan Zong stopped in front of her, noting her cold expression. He asked: “What did he say to you?”

Shen Rong’s eyes flickered slightly: “He insulted me.”

As she spoke, she recalled the remarks about him and instinctively glanced at Shan Zong.

Standing close, her gaze swept over his broad shoulders and down to his waist, cinched with a leather belt. She pursed her lips subtly and averted her eyes, unwilling to relive that dream again.

Shan Zong noticed her shifting gaze, unsure what she was thinking. He assumed Unsinned Five hadn’t said anything good and tapped the scabbard in his hand: “He won’t dare do that again.”

Shen Rong still felt indignant and let out a soft humph, turning her head to look elsewhere. Then she noticed the winding stone walls revealed through the layered shadows of trees ahead.

“Can we climb up to the fortress from here?”

Shan Zong glanced in that direction: “Mm.”

That day, he had charged down from here, heading straight for the stream, unsheathing his sword to block her path to Wangji Mountain.

Recalling this, he glanced at Shen Rong.

Perhaps if he hadn’t thrown that knife, none of the subsequent events would have happened, and she wouldn’t be confronting him so defiantly now.

Shen Rong had already headed that way. Passing through the tree shadows, she saw a set of ascending stone steps.

She turned back and asked: “Can we go up?”

Shan Zong came closer, holding his sword: “What do you want to do up there?”

“Just take a look,” she lifted her skirts and began climbing.

Shan Zong had no choice but to follow.

The fortress stood high above, making the mountain ridges below appear diminutive, like distant ink-washed landscapes. Clouds rolled across the horizon, and a fierce wind blew relentlessly.

The wind dispersed some of Shen Rong’s earlier displeasure. She glanced toward Wangji Mountain, where figures could be seen moving faintly.

She had wanted to ask for a long time: “Why is that mountain called Wangji Mountain?”

Shan Zong stood behind her, also glancing toward the mountain: “It’s just a name. What’s there to ask?”

She turned to look at him: “Don’t tell me you don’t know?”

He chuckled, tucking his sword under his arm: “Because it faces Jizhou City in the distance, it’s called Wangji Mountain.”

“Jizhou?” Shen Rong thought for a moment, then remembered: “Didn’t that place fall more than ten years ago?”

Jizhou had once been part of the homeland, but over a decade ago, the governor of Youzhou rebelled, causing turmoil. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Xi and Khitan tribes from beyond the passes invaded and seized control.

When Shen Rong was young, her father had mentioned it to her. Over the years, she had forgotten, as Jizhou no longer appeared on current maps. Only now, upon mention, did she recall.

Shan Zong affirmed: “But the mountain is still called Wangji Mountain.”

Shen Rong nodded, indicating she understood, and turned to look beyond the pass: “Which direction?”

He replied: “Northeast.”

Shen Rong faced northeast.

The weather was poor, and the wind carried swirling dust in the distance. The vast plains extended endlessly, indistinguishable in every direction.

Unable to resist, she muttered softly: “And they call this visible?”

Clearly, it was a meaningless name.

Shan Zong found her comment amusing. If one could casually see hundreds of miles, why would they need to train troops?

He reached out and lightly pulled her, reminding her: “Take two steps east and shield your eyes to look.”

The wind made Shen Rong squint slightly. She raised a hand to shade her forehead and suddenly noticed his hand brushing against her arm. She turned to look at him.

Shan Zong immediately released her, meeting her radiant gaze. He lowered his eyes to see her figure, which he had inadvertently pulled closer.

Her cloak brushed lightly against his Hu-style clothing, creating a soft rustle. This time, they were even closer than during the river lantern release.

He thought his earlier action was unnecessary and inappropriate.

Shen Rong was momentarily surprised but realized he had quickly let go. She raised an eyebrow: “And then?”

Shan Zong’s eyes flickered deeply, and he tilted his chin with a faint smile: “Then we can’t stay on the fortress for long. Once you’ve seen enough, come down.”

Before his words faded, he had already started walking.

Shen Rong watched him descend the fortress steps until his dark head disappeared from sight. She turned to look once more at the world beyond the pass.

Still, she saw nothing clearly.