Chapter 182: Cloud Mountain (Part 4)

The damp scent slowly permeated the tips of everyone's noses inside the cave. Having not slept all night, their rest was far from sufficient; closing their eyes and resting could only maintain a baseline level of mental alertness.

Mo Lan gently opened her eyes, glanced at the cave entrance and the surrounding soil. No wild beasts had entered, and the firewood had already burned out. The temperature gradually dropped again. Shivering slightly, she felt that the bone-chilling cold was truly unpleasant.

The others also stood up one after another, packed their belongings, and then exchanged glances to ensure that everyone was safe, sound, and still present. Only then did they slowly begin to walk outward.

What met their eyes was an all-encompassing, dense fog. It was around nine o'clock in the morning, but the sun had yet to reach this side. The mist had not yet dissipated either, carrying tiny droplets of water that gently caressed everyone's faces. The piercing cold made them shudder all over, and deep down, they silently lamented that they should have worn more thick clothing when setting out.

The consequence of failing to investigate beforehand was like their current predicament: having to constantly shake their hands in fear that if they stopped for even a moment, their blood would freeze. This trick was something Elder Xian had taught everyone; otherwise, they would have simply stayed hidden inside the cave and refused to come out.

"We can't even tell directions right now. Maybe we should wait until noon before heading out," Mo Lan suggested cautiously. After all, everyone had come to Mount Yun for the sake of the Mo family, and the top priority was to ensure one's own safety.

Elder Xian naturally wanted to find the items as early as possible and return promptly, but such circumstances could not be forced. He nodded, and the group retreated back inside. After taking a walk outside and returning, they realized that the damp cave was actually quite warm after all.

They rekindled the firewood, re-laid their bedding, and gathered closely around the hearth, continuously rubbing their hands and feet. It was genuinely freezing. The three girls—Mo Lan and the others—hugged each other tightly, and only by embracing could they feel a tiny glimmer of warmth. The grown men dared not do such a thing and could only stand to the side, enduring the chilly, biting wind.

A few sparks drifted through the air from the firewood, making everyone feel much warmer. This comforting warmth was so pleasant that it made them reluctant to stand up and walk outside again.

Suddenly, a scream came from the outside—it sounded like a human voice. There were hurried footsteps running back and forth, seemingly accompanied by the sound of wild beasts charging wildly. The distance was rather far, so the sounds were not entirely clear.

Upon hearing these noises, Mo Lan opened her eyes, looked around, and asked uncertainly, "Did any of you hear strange sounds?"

In their view, with the abundance of medicinal herbs on Mount Yun, there should be quite a few people coming to gather them; perhaps someone had followed their route and arrived here. It was highly likely that they had failed to find a place to hide for the night and thus encountered ferocious beasts.

An Feng nodded, but feeling uneasy, he did not propose going out to take a look. Now, in an unfamiliar place, they held no tactical advantage. If they rashly went out and suffered another casualty or two, their only option would be to turn back in defeat.

"Should we go out and save them?" Mo Lan knew the current situation was special, but the kindness deep within her heart would not allow her to abandon anyone's life. As long as there was even a sliver of hope, she would strive to bring those people back.

Qian Yin and the others remained silent. Mo Lan simply had this kind of temperament; once she spoke of doing something, she would carry it through. Her kind and stubborn streak did not allow her to stand by and watch someone die without rendering aid. She would rather sacrifice herself than abandon these people.

Elder Xian let out a sigh, cast a glance at the cave, and then looked at Mo Lan with another sigh. This girl was truly kind-hearted, yet she always overlooked the lives of those around her. If not for this, why would she have angered Qian Yin time and time again?

Seeing that everyone showed no reaction and made no immediate move, Mo Lan simply kept her gaze fixed outside. The humidity in the air began to decrease, and the temperature slowly grew drier. Although there was still some lingering chill, the biting ice-like sensation was gone. This indicated that time was moving forward, noon was approaching, and the sun had finally broken through.

Releasing the hands of Qian Yin and Xiao Qi, Mo Lan stood up resolutely. Without casting another glance at them, she sprinted directly toward the outside. She had decided to rescue the people; since none of them would go, she would not force them.

Indeed, the outside was somewhat warmer than the cave. Mo Lan looked around everywhere, searching for the traces of those people. Catching sight of movement in a dense mountain forest over yonder, she charged straight toward it. At her waist hung a handgun, and in her hands were two curved hook blades—such was her simple equipment.

How could the others stay safely inside after watching Mo Lan rush out? They immediately pursued her footsteps and chased after her. After all, this was an unfamiliar mountain path filled with countless rocks and all sorts of vines, making pursuit rather difficult. They could only watch Mo Lan's figure constantly flickering ahead, following anxiously behind while silently lamenting their ill fate.

An Feng grew extremely anxious as he watched the figure ahead running further and further away. He wanted to sprint forward at top speed, but remembering that Elder Xian was still present, he could only stay by his side to protect him. The vines near their feet seemed to have eyes as they constantly tried to snare their ankles. Dealing with the vines using curved blades cost them a bit more time, and seeing Mo Lan's figure about to vanish, everyone grew even more frantic inside.

Elder Xian's foot got entangled in a vine, so Qian Yin stopped to cut it free for him. Supporting Elder Xian, both of them were panting heavily. The mountain path was far too difficult to traverse—rife with rocks, vines, and weeds, and without any cleared path, simply walking was a struggle.

Because they still needed to stick with the main group, the others gave up on pursuing Mo Lan and instead crowded around Elder Xian to protect him. Having eaten inadequately, drunk insufficiently, and rested poorly, they were already thoroughly exhausted.

After resting enough, Elder Xian looked ahead only to find that Mo Lan's figure was completely gone. His heart skipped a beat, and he shouted loudly, "Why aren't you chasing after her? You don't need to accompany me; Qian Yin is enough to stay with me. Go on, hurry and chase after her!"

Hearing Elder Xian's raised voice, they snapped out of their daze and bolted forward in pursuit. An Feng, in particular, even attempted to leap forward a few times. However, after flying forward several paces, he stopped—he was exhausted too.

Xiao Qi and Liu Fei lacked such martial prowess and could only run laboriously behind, occasionally hacking at vines. Their speed was simply incomparable to An Feng's, making it impossible to catch up.

Following the sounds, Mo Lan sprinted forward rapidly, never expecting that once she broke through that patch of woods, a sheer cliff lay just beyond. She lunged straight out over the edge, but suddenly a hand grabbed her. Thinking she had found her savior, Mo Lan did not even have time to say thank you before she was yanked back inside, bound tightly, and forced to sit with her back against the tree line. A gag was stuffed into her mouth as well, and Mo Lan glared angrily at the masked individual before her.

Dammit, it was Boss's people once again! It seemed this truly was a trap, but how was she supposed to warn Elder Xian and the others?

Han's heart skipped a beat when he looked at Mo Lan. Why was it them? Had Qian Yin come as well? What on earth was Boss planning? He held a knife against Mo Lan's neck, not daring to pull it away, especially since Boss was quietly watching from a neighboring peak.

Ten minutes later, An Feng finally caught up. Bursting through the woods, he did not rashly charge toward the cliff. Catching sight of the several figures in black and Han wearing a mask, he slammed on the brakes and halted instantly.