novelaction Chapter 512 True Identity
Chapter 512 True Identity
"This humble general pays his respects to the Princess." Outside the city gate, a general in silver armor bowed respectfully before Guo Zhixi.
Guo Zhixi abandoned her gentle and charming demeanor, her expression turning cold, and even her eyes becoming sharper.
"How are you prepared?"
"Reporting to the princess, ten thousand archers are already lying in ambush at the foot of Huangshan Mountain, and one hundred experts from the Lotus Palace are also among them," the general continued.
"Hmm, not bad, you may leave." Guo Zhixi nodded and muttered to herself:
"My lord, this is a gift I prepared for you. I wonder if you will like it."
She was not an ordinary citizen of Yingtian Prefecture, but the daughter of the lord of Huizhou City. Not long ago, she learned that Lin Ping was looking for the Lotus Palace, so she risked her life to investigate the military situation.
This time, she not only figured out the structure and weaknesses of Lin Ping's army, but also deliberately caught a cold to delay the time.
Even though Lin Ping's 10,000-strong army was well-equipped, they were only good at close combat and were most afraid of archers and crossbowmen. If they were to take advantage of the terrain, they would likely be routed by the enemy.
After speaking, Guo Zhixi slowly entered the city, looking forward to meeting Lin Ping again.
On the other hand, Lin Ping's army had already arrived at the foot of the continuous mountain range before evening.
After roughly surveying the terrain, Lin Ping decided to rest for the time being.
The road ahead was a winding and rugged mountain path, unsuitable for cavalry to advance.
We could only dismount and proceed slowly, hoping to reach the summit of Huangshan within two days.
Before his journey, he had been to Huangshan and knew how treacherous it was. He thought that these 10,000 men might not be able to reach the summit, or they might have to leave their warhorses behind and turn them into infantry.
He hoped to find Jiang Mo as soon as possible and get more reliable information.
This place is several hundred years older than the time when Lin Ping lived, and the roads for tourism had not yet been built. If you are not careful, you may get lost in these vast mountains.
He did find the mark left by Jiang Mo, but it was still a chick pattern.
"Your Highness, this mountain is shrouded in mist and clouds; it seems rather eerie," Pang Xingji said in advance, gazing at the foggy mountains.
The sea of clouds and the fog are natural wonders of Huangshan, determined by natural conditions, and not as mystical as Pang Xingji described.
"It is indeed easy to lose your way, but the Huangshan pines will guide us," Lin Ping said with a faint smile.
He naturally thought of some characteristics of Huangshan pines; those Huangshan pines that grow on one side are like road signs, or like welcoming arms.
Once you grasp this pattern, it's hard to get lost.
Moreover, Lin Ping also wanted to use the Welcoming Pine as a marker to find the Lotus Peak next to it.
He only hoped that the welcoming pine, which could stand for thousands of years, was already growing well.
"My lord, do you think the Lotus Palace is really on this mountain?" Pang Xingji asked curiously.
Having grown up in Jiangcheng, he knew nothing about Huangshan and didn't even have much affection for these mountain ranges.
"As far as I know, the main peak of Huangshan is called Lotus Peak," Lin Ping replied, though he wasn't sure if Wu Guo used that name.
"You grew up in Jiangcheng, how do you know so much about Huangshan?" Pang Xingji looked at him with admiration.
If Lin Ping only knew how to make money, that would be one thing, but he also knew how to lead troops into battle, and his medical skills were unmatched. At this moment, he also knew Huangshan like the back of his hand.
Sometimes Pang Xingji even wondered if this was knowledge that a twenty-year-old could really master.
That's right, he suspected that Lin Ping was an old monster who had lived for thousands of years.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to understand everything in the world without leaving home.
Once the moment of showing off begins, Lin Ping will definitely talk non-stop.
Blah blah blah...
"These are the five wonders and three waterfalls of Huangshan. There's an old saying: 'After visiting the Five Sacred Mountains, you won't want to see any other mountains; after visiting Huangshan, you won't want to see any other sacred mountains.'" Lin Ping introduced Huangshan in a rapid-fire manner.
"Who are the Five Sacred Mountains? Why did you stop looking at them after returning from Huangshan?" Pang Xingji asked in confusion.
"Okay, I was wrong. I shouldn't have talked to a brick wall. Anyway, you should know that Huangshan is very mysterious, so be careful," Lin Ping said, covering his face.
Discussing poetry with someone who doesn't even know the Five Sacred Mountains is an insult to Lin Ping's intelligence.
On the night before heading up the mountain, everyone slept relatively well, as the campfire was bright and even wolves and tigers dared not approach.
Even if we get close, it's just to give them extra food.
The next morning, Lin Ping decided to go into the mountains.
Fortunately, the marks left by Jiang Mo matched what Lin Ping knew about Huangshan, meaning he could almost be certain that the Lotus Palace's lair was on Lotus Peak.
He needed to surround Lotus Peak silently, then probe the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and rescue Jiang Yunying as soon as the time was right.
The specific plan will have to wait until Jiang Mo shows up before it can be implemented, as he is unsure of how powerful the Lotus Palace is.
In fact, 10,000 people wouldn't even be enough to fill a tooth gap.
The path leading up the mountain was initially accessible by horseback, but by noon the path had become steep and narrow.
Left with no other choice, the soldiers had to lead their warhorses.
At this point, the cavalry, known for their speed, became useless, and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced.
"My lord, when will we find the Lotus Palace?" Pang Xingji asked impatiently as evening approached.
He was a rough and unrefined man, not afraid of a head-on confrontation with the enemy, but he dreaded situations where the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. Coupled with the swirling fog, the environment was already making Pang Xingji dizzy.
“The warhorses have become a burden. Tomorrow we will proceed on foot, leaving the warhorses here. Perhaps we can reach the summit in two days,” Lin Ping analyzed.
This is at the foot of Huangshan Mountain, not the tourist route opened up by later generations, and it's probably quite a distance from the Lotus Palace.
A two-day journey is ideal; they might not even reach the end in ten days.
Pang Xingji was not the only one who was frustrated; the morale of the tens of thousands of troops had been severely damaged.
Born on the plains, they are really not suited to walking these mountain roads.
The soldiers, except for Lin Ping, did not get a good rest in the damp environment.
To put it nicely, this guy is a sleeping god; to put it bluntly, he's just... clueless.
According to Lin Ping's plan, the army abandoned their warhorses on the second day, leaving only one thousand men to guard the area, while the other nine thousand continued to advance.
The mountain road was winding and undulating, sometimes leading to the top of a mountain, sometimes into a deep valley. Pang Xingji remembers being covered in sweat.
"There's no Lotus Palace here at all, not a soul in sight," Pang Xingji complained incessantly.
He would rather the Lotus Palace disciples charge out and fight them to the death than continue wandering aimlessly like this.
"Not a single person in sight?"
Pang Xingji's words prompted Lin Ping to think. The Lotus Palace was full of experts; could they really not have discovered the existence of these 10,000 people?
"There's not even a bird left, let alone a human figure," Pang Xingji continued.
Although we didn't see any people along the way, there used to be the clear chirping of birds, but now even the birdsong is gone.
"This is eerily quiet." Lin Ping immediately became alert, activating the functions of both his left and right eyes.
"Not good! An ambush! Retreat!" With the help of his eyesight, Lin Ping discovered a large number of enemies on the barren mountains on both sides, all holding crossbows and coldly pointing them at them.