Martial arts long journey

Chapter 44 Crossing the Mountains
Although Zhou's Mansion and Zhou's Mine are also located within the territory of Yanzhou Prefecture, there is an Ailao Mountain Range between them.

The Ailao Mountains are majestic and towering, straddling the Northern Qi Dynasty and the Eastern Jin Dynasty like a giant dragon lying on the ground, lying between the two countries.

The Ailao Mountains in Yanzhou Prefecture of Langya County are only a part of it, and the Zhou family's mine only occupies a small hill in one of its branches.

The Zhou family's mansion is located at the northern foot of the Ailao Mountains, and the Zhou family's mine is located on a branch of the southern periphery of the Ailao Mountains.

Even though there is only a branch of Ailao Mountain between Zhou's mansion and Zhou's mine, this branch is extremely vast.

If you want to walk back and forth between Zhou's mansion and Zhou's mine, then there are two roads to choose from.

One is the Yanzhou government road that Zhou Yan took when he left the Zhou family mansion and went to the Zhou family mine.

Because taking the official road of Yanzhou Mansion would bypass the branch of Ailao Mountain, it would take about ten days, and Zhou Yan couldn't get back to Zhou's mansion within the time stipulated in the letter.

So now there is only one road before Zhou Yan, and that is to cross the deep mountains and old forests, cross the Ailao Mountains, and directly lead to the Zhou family mansion at the northern foot of Ailao Mountain.

Because the distance is shortened, the time required will also be greatly reduced.

Even though the mountain roads over the mountains are very difficult to walk, it only takes five days at most for Zhou Yan to rush from Zhou's mine to Zhou's mansion.

But the Ailao Mountains are not so easy to walk. Not only are there many poisonous insects and beasts, but there are also many bandits licking blood on the edge of their knives.

And the five days specified in the Flying Pigeon letter was nothing more than trying to force Zhou Yan to take the route across the Ailao Mountains.

"Is this because you didn't plan to kill me in this mine, so you plan to let me die in the hands of the bandits? I want to see what kind of means you have prepared!"

Shaking the note in his hand, Zhou Yan, who flashed a stern look in the depths of his eyes, said slowly in his heart.

At this moment, Zhou Yan had already guessed the conspiracy behind the five-day time limit. It was nothing more than the person in the Zhou family who regarded him as a thorn in his side and planned to make him unable to return to the Zhou family and bury his bones in the deep forests of the Ailao Mountains. Just inside.

However, Zhou Yan didn't have the slightest fear in his heart. With his current martial arts strength, he was enough to cross the Ailao Mountains and return to Zhou's mansion.

After all, the bandits running around in the Ailao Mountains are nothing but ruthless desperadoes, and it is impossible for them to have a real inheritance of martial arts.

Of course, it cannot be said that there is no such thing as Han An's blood quenching realm, but it is definitely rare.

What's more, even if a bandit with blood quenching level made a move, with Zhou Yan's current martial arts strength, he would not have any fear.

As for the bandits who were said to be in the realm of fetal breath, Zhou Yan said that the few people in the Zhou family with ulterior motives could afford to ask the warriors of the realm of fetal breath to take action.

After all, looking at the three major martial arts families in Yanzhou Prefecture, there are only two warriors in the realm of fetal breath.

"The family called me back to report on my duties, yes, I'm going to take my second child back with me. You continue to sit in the mine and always prepare the concentrate you traded with Han An. Go down and prepare dry food and water for the road!"

Tearing up the note casually, Zhou Yan spoke to Xu Huang who was waiting beside him.

"Young master, don't worry, the villain will definitely arrange it properly!"

After Xu Wang bowed his hands in response, he turned around to prepare horses, dry food and drinking water for Zhou Yan and Xu Xiong.

"Second, go pack up, and return to Zhou's house with me later!
Remember, bring your own weapons! "

After seeing Xu Wang leave, Zhou Yan turned around and shouted to Xu Xiong who was resting on the martial arts arena.

After that, Zhou Yan thought about going back to his room.

Since he was riding a horse across the Ailao Mountains, Zhou Yan couldn't continue to wear his plain white scholar's fur robe. He must change into something suitable for riding a horse.

It didn't take long for Zhou Yan, who was dressed in a bunt outfit and a dark black cloak, to walk out from the door in a leisurely manner.

Walking to the gate of the courtyard, Zhou Yan happened to see Xu Xiong carrying a broad-bladed machete, leading two tall horses together with Xu Wang, striding towards him.

"My lord, the villain has already prepared drinking water and dry food, which is enough for you to go back and forth!"

Xu Wang handed the rein in his hand to Zhou Yan, and opened his mouth to report.

If he wanted to rush back to Zhou's house within five days, Zhou Yan had to cross the Ailao Mountains.

It was obviously impractical to ride a horse-drawn carriage on that kind of rugged mountain road, so Zhou Yan could only ride a horse alone.

Fortunately, although Zhou Yan didn't know martial arts before, but he has always liked to go outing and have fun, so riding a horse alone can't trouble him at all.

"Okay, second child, let's go!"

But Zhou Yan took the reins from Xu Wang, turned over and rode on the horse, greeted Xu Xiong, and then drove the horse directly towards the forest behind the mine.

And Xu Xiong quickly got on his horse and followed Zhou Yan's pace closely.

As Zhou Yan and Xu Xiong rode their horses on the road without haste, the sun that was originally hanging in the eastern sky was gradually fading away.

The golden crow fell to the west, and against the background of the dusk, the mountains and forests near Zhou Yan and Xu Xiong were all dyed with a layer of pale golden afterglow.

The chirping of monkeys and the howling of tigers, as well as the chirping of insects and birds, made Zhou Yan and Xu Xiong not feel restless along the way.

Although the mountain roads in the Ailao Mountains are extremely rugged, Zhou Yan and Xu Xiong have been away from the Zhou Family Mine for nearly two hundred miles in just one day.

Calculated according to the straight-line distance between Zhou's mansion and Zhou's mine, five days is enough time for Zhou Yan and Xu Xiong to return to Zhou's mansion.

After riding the horse forward again for a few miles, Zhou Yan suddenly reined in the reins, and the horse stopped in place.

In front of him and Xu Xiong, there is a dense forest, and there is only one path that can pass through this forest.

And that path is too narrow, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for two horses to walk side by side.

"Master, there seems to be something wrong with this forest!"

At the same time that Zhou Yan stopped his horse, Xu Xiong rode to his side and said in a low voice.

"Indeed, I also feel a little uneasy!"

Hearing Xu Xiong's voice, Zhou Yan nodded in agreement.

Although the woods seemed to have nothing unusual and was very quiet, it was this quietness that caught Zhou Yan's attention.

(End of this chapter)