Chapter Nine: The Same Forest Path

  Before long, they approached, the black horse was exactly the same as the one ridden by Nangong Jin. Nangong Jin signaled her to get on the horse, she jumped down and saw that Nalan Yanran was in a panic, trying to get up from the sedan chair. The forty-eight people carrying the sedan chair suddenly quickened their pace, like forty-eight fine horses, rushing forward.

  Those who carried the sedan chair were probably the highly skilled masters around him. The scorching sun was intense, and even the horse's back was sweating. Nalan Xinnuo lifted up her hand that had been soaked with horse sweat, but couldn't help being startled...

  Blood?! How can this horse be bleeding?! Seeing her shocked expression, the three men beside her burst out laughing, and Nangong Jin also smiled slightly. One of them, a burly man, said: "This is a Blood-Sweating Horse, it's sweating blood."

  "Oh." Nalan Xixi nodded, she had heard of the Blood-Sweat Horse, but never seen one. In the 24th century, she usually rode a fierce horse, or a tank, or a helicopter, or an armored vehicle...

  "Belonging to the lower ranks of the imperial guard, I have seen the princess." This was that burly big fellow.

  "Which of you has seen the princess before?" said the middle-aged man with a short beard.

  "This person is under He's command and has met the princess." The man looked quite young and had a somewhat scholarly air.

  "During this time, they will also listen to your dispatch." Nan Gong Jin said calmly.

  "What does it mean, they're going with me?" Nalan Xianuo was somewhat surprised.

  However, upon hearing her words, the other three people and Nan Gong Jin were shocked instead. This woman, how could she think that he would let her go alone to fetch things for him? Was she stupid or...

  Maybe it's because she has always been alone?

  Nangong Jin fell silent for half a second before saying, "Let's go together."

  Nalan Xixi's body trembled slightly, and for a moment, she seemed to hear a hint of gentle pity in his tone. We... together. Such words were not unfamiliar, yet not familiar either.

  In the past, when performing tasks, everyone would include each other as "us", but not when sending someone to their death. Wait, Nalan Xinnuo, what are you thinking? How could he possibly truly want to be with me through thick and thin, he is Nan Gongyin after all.

  For some reason, this man could always quickly destroy her rationality, making her have some emotions that she had never had before, like a little woman. She was never a little woman.

  Now, he says to go together and let the three great masters listen to her dispatch at the same time. It can only be said that what he wants to get must be something that requires a desperate struggle. She has been struggling desperately for others all her life, but those who make her struggle also have to pay the price.

  "What do you want?" she asked back.

  He glanced at Nan Gong Jin, and then pulled out a map from his pocket. The map depicted a complex terrain of mountains and forests with three distinct locations marked with red dots.

  Nalan Xiong suddenly felt very familiar with these places, as if he had been there before. Nalan Xiong's memory was that of having been to this place! This is called the Di Tong Forest, a primeval forest left over from ancient times. The terrain is treacherous, and it is home to many ferocious beasts and poisonous insects. However, it is also rich in rare treasures and precious artifacts.

  Many martial artists have come in groups to explore, but those who can enter and exit are almost non-existent.

  Moreover, what is called "Jing Tong Lin" refers to the entrance part of this forest, where all the small paths are exactly the same, making it extremely easy to get lost.

  "Ho began to explain: 'In the western mountain valley, there is Jiao Liu Lian. Mi Rong Ye is in the northern thicket, and Yun Zhu is in the southernmost Yun Zhu cave. We will first enter from the west to take Jiao Liu Lian, then head north all the way, and finally go south to obtain Yun Zhu's gallbladder before returning.'"

  These things Nalan Xiner had never even heard of, but she knew about the Cloud Spider, a giant spider that lived in ancient forests, as tall as three-story building, with numerous limbs and twelve glowing eyeballs.

  Moreover, it is a highly toxic spider, its venom is corrosive, and just one drop can cause the entire body to rot in an instant.

  He's got a nerve, actually thinking of taking out the giant's guts?! If it were in the 24th century, this would be simple, but in this era of cold weapons, this is truly a pipe dream.

  Nangong Jin raised his head and glanced at the sky, saying lightly: "The sky is getting late, let's set off."

  As he spoke, he pulled the reins and moved forward without any hesitation. His indifference to death was something that people like him would have, but she didn't understand that he had already become an emperor, ruling over the world.

  Why must he come in person to take risks? Doesn't he know that his life and death are tied to something? If I had known earlier that he was such a reckless person, it would have been better to kill him with one sword back then.

  She doesn't understand love, she's indifferent, she's cruel, that's because no one has ever shown her affection. So, she has no attachment.

  But he is different, with all the people in the world looking up to him, and all the people in the world resting peacefully from dawn till dusk because of his existence. He has emotional debts on his shoulders, the emotional debts of all the people in the world, so why can he be so carefree?

  "What are you looking for these things?" She never asked unnecessary questions, but this time was different.

  Nangong Jin fell silent for half a second before speaking slowly: "My sister is seriously ill and needs these things to make medicine."

  She didn't expect Nan Gong Jin to answer her, and so calmly. The three people around them also looked a bit surprised.

  Sister? Nangong Yan? I've also heard that she's not in good health, and that Nangong Jin is extremely doting on her. Who would have thought, it's to the point where he doesn't care about the world or his own life, just wants her to be a little happier?

  A strange feeling struck her in the chest, a terrible thought emerged, Nalan Xianuo immediately woke up with a start.

  She bit her lip hard, forcing herself to calm down. After a long while, she said coldly, "You will die."

  Nangong Jin suddenly pulled the reins, stopping in his tracks and turning to look at her. In his eyes was that unerasable coldness. Nalan Xianuo met those cold eyes with a gaze that was as indifferent as ever.

  He slowly said: "Mm, I know."

  In an instant, time seemed to stand still, and they gazed at each other coldly.

  A group of five rode swiftly on horseback and soon arrived at the entrance to the Jian Tong Forest, a hundred miles outside the imperial city of Lingyun Kingdom. The trees were dense and lush, with branches blocking the path like a dam. Quan Long and He Xian dismounted their horses and drew their knives to chop down the tree trunks.

  Huò pulled out the map and discussed the terrain with Nán Gōng Jǐn. Nàlán Xī Nuò jumped off her horse, at this moment, her mind was rapidly flashing through the terrain of the forest, the complex terrain was very clear in her memory, as if she had been there more than once.

  Before long, the messy tree trunks at the intersection were cleaned up, but the two trees blocking the front had already grown to be as thick as three people, leaving only enough space for one person to pass through the entrance, and it seemed that horses would not be able to get through.

  He Xian cursed and walked over, briefly collecting the things on the horse and putting them on his body, then he was about to go in. At this time, Nalan Xinnuo pulled out a short sword from her waist, grabbed He Xian's horse with one hand, and stabbed it down.

  A loud neigh of a horse pierced the sky, He Xian was startled and suddenly turned his head, then he had the same shocked expression as Huo Zhe and others, only Nan Gong Jin looked at her calmly, with no expression on his face.

  "The first half of the path is exactly the same, it's hard to tell them apart, and you'll definitely get lost. It's better to bring some food." Nalan Xianyu explained faintly, but they seemed unwilling to accept this explanation, especially He Xian.

  "We all have dry rations with us! Besides, there are many birds and beasts in this forest, why did they just kill my horse!" This horse had been with him for some years, and was suddenly killed, he couldn't accept it for a while.

  Nalan Xixi ignored him, squatted down and started cutting the horse meat. He Qian clenched his fists, glaring at her but couldn't say anything. Quan Long and Huo Zhe looked at each other, then turned to look at Nan Gong Jin.

  Nangong Jin didn't say anything, he just blinked lightly and they understood, then went on to cut the horse meat.

  The five of them packed their bags and entered the forest one after another. The trees in the forest were all identical, even the grass on the ground seemed to have been trimmed neatly. All around was a deathly silence.

  There were no birds, no flying insects, and no walking animals; not even a gust of wind. It was as if it was a closed space where the jungle illusion was created with props, quiet and oppressive.

  Quan Long walked in the front, Nan Gong Jin and Na Lan Xian Nuo walked side by side in the middle, behind them were He Xian who was still angry and Huo Zhi who was looking at the map. But when they got here, they found that the map was useless.

  All the way, the three of them made various marks along the road as they walked. For an entire afternoon, not a word was spoken among them, fearing that they would disturb each other's thoughts and accidentally get lost.

  Before long, the sky gradually darkened, and they were still walking on the same road. They felt as if they were treading in place, with the trees beside them, the road beneath their feet, and the scenery ahead all looking exactly the same!

  "We..." He started to panic a bit and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Nalan Xixi.

  "We won't get lost." Nalan Xixi said coldly.

  "But why are they all exactly the same!" Quan Long also became impatient.

  "Have you seen the mark I just made?"

  The three of them looked at each other in dismay, then shook their heads simultaneously. Nalan Xianyu nodded and said, "Then we haven't lost our way, let's keep going."

  "Ah——" Suddenly, Huo Zhe let out a terrified and mournful cry, as if he had been cut by a knife.

  Everyone turned back with his cry, and saw him pointing at a tree in front of him in horror. Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw that there was a circle carved on the tree, which was the mark made by Huo Zhe!

  They... spent an entire afternoon walking around in a circle and ended up back where they started!

  Nangong Jin's expression turned serious, from the moment he entered the same forest and walked on this identical road, he knew that this trip would be far more difficult and treacherous than he had imagined.

  Nalan Xixiao glanced at the sky and said, "Let's rest for a night, replenish our strength, and continue on during the day."

  Just a few hours ago, they would still look at Nan Gong Jin's expression before making a decision, but now they have started listening to Nalan Xianyu directly, especially He Xian, who has been impressed by Nalan Xianyu since he didn't even see an ant on the road.

  They also understood why this trip suddenly had an extra woman, who was a princess of Lingyun country.

  "Has the princess been here before?" Everyone sat down on the ground, and Huo Zhe put away the map, asking respectfully.

  "There isn't, I've just heard a little about it." Nalan Xixi had this scene in her memory, but she had already forgotten the specifics, and she was not the kind of person who would make judgments based on memories alone.

  For a moment, all was silent. The atmosphere was slightly awkward.