Volume One, Chapter Twenty-One: The Wilds

After a brief rest, the group prepared to continue their ascent, following the rising contours of the mountain range. As the loose gravel beneath their feet gradually diminished, an irregular, shattered cliff face appeared before them. The wall was a reddish yellow, a color unique to the rock layers of the Qin Emperor Mountains. Below it, stones of all sizes lay scattered in a chaotic array. It seemed the military district and the school authorities had expended great effort to break up the foothills here, leaving the landscape in such a state. Across the expanse, a streak of red and yellow cut through the wilderness, creating a spectacle both grand and awe-inspiring.

Taking out ropes from their packs, they fastened them around their waists in the order of Mode, Su Ziwen, Ji Keqing, and Wu Fan. Mode extended an extra safety rope from his own belt, and took the lead. They chose a relatively gentle slope of the wall to begin their climb.

The cliff was about thirty meters high. Though not steep, its surface offered few protrusions for handholds. Seeing Mode's signal to start, Wu Fan activated his gravity powers to their fullest. This ensured that if anyone slipped behind, Mode would only have to bear the weight of his own baggage and the three others.

Mode pressed his dagger effortlessly into the wall, advancing upward with calm, measured movements. Earlier, Su Ziwen had handed Mode her issued dagger for opening the route, while the others climbed bare-handed, relying on the safety rope attached to Mode.

It wasn't that they didn't want to use daggers for the climb; simply, none of them possessed Mode's brute strength to pierce the rock, nor his skill to prevent the layers from collapsing.

On the red-yellow cliff face, four black dots slowly moved upward, the journey fraught with moments of tension but ultimately safe. Ji Keqing and Wu Fan slipped several times, reaching for the safety rope, only to find it as immovable as if wedged deep into the rock by a steel stake.

Whenever he felt a weight on his waist, Mode would pause, clinging to the wall, waiting for a signal from below before continuing.

Once all had reached the top, lush greenery pressed in, filling their vision entirely.

They loosened their ropes and stowed them away. Mode took Wu Fan behind a secluded tree to relieve themselves, while the two women went farther afield together.

After regrouping, they pressed onward into the dense forest ahead.

Layers of tightly woven leaves gradually obscured the rising sun, casting only scattered flecks of light onto the carpet of fallen leaves below, tranquil and mysterious.

After traversing a woodland not particularly wide, Mode and his companions finally beheld their destination—Mount Cangyan.

Mount Cangyan is the peak closest to Qin City in the Qin Emperor Mountains. Its height of over two thousand meters makes it a mere "hillock" among the towering giants of the range, yet even now, it struck Su Ziwen and the others with awe.

The mountain's body was a mix of red and green, and at the juncture of the exposed red-yellow rock plates, stubborn tufts of greenery thrived. Mode even spotted several pines rooted into the stone halfway up. The slope was gentle, so they took out their trekking poles and advanced toward the summit.

...

As noon approached, the four gathered behind a massive red-yellow boulder to discuss how to overcome their current predicament.

On the rocky slope beyond, a herd of giant-horned mountain sheep lounged and basked in the sunlight. The largest of them lay at the highest point, occasionally licking the rock beside it, snorting loudly, and looking quite content.

The giant-horned mountain sheep are a species of beast—large yet agile, favoring group habitation among layered rocks. Their main diet consists of shrubs and wild grasses growing in the mountains, though they may venture out for other vegetation and water. Earlier, traces of their activity had been seen in the woods. Their penchant for licking mineral-rich rock gives them strong territorial instincts. Within their domain, the sizable herd splits into patrol squads, constantly monitoring their territory. Any foreign intruder is relentlessly chased and attacked until driven out of sight.

Blocking Mode and his friends were only a dozen or so sheep, but with heights over two meters and massive, towering horns, they exuded a formidable presence.

Several options lay before them: take a detour, which would require retreating at least two hundred meters to avoid detection and might lead to other herds; wait for the sheep to finish their midday rest and begin their patrols, then sneak through—which, by Ji Keqing’s calculation, would mean waiting at least two more hours; or the third, simplest and most direct—force their way through.

"If we take the detour, we'd need to backtrack at least two hundred meters to avoid being spotted during the lateral move. And even then, we might run into another herd. If we wait for their siesta to end..." Ji Keqing glanced up at the sun, counted on her fingers. "At least two hours."

"I could charge straight through without issue, but for you all, the risk is high. This is the sheep's terrain—they're at home here, we aren't," Mode said, spreading his hands.

"Let's compromise: you draw their attention, lead the herd away, then we'll make a break for it," Su Ziwen suggested coolly, adjusting her glasses.

Mode had expected to play decoy, so he wasn't surprised. "When do we move?" He patted his backside, ready to rise, but Su Ziwen reached out her hand.

"Give me your pack