When Dongzi shouted, the few people trailing behind him quickly followed suit. They looked around and found that, just like the large residence below, there was no trace of any living person.

“Senior Brother, surely this place isn't the same as the one below, right? What if it turns into an even bigger tomb?” Tian Xiong asked Shi Bingyuan, the Zhou Huan on his back still gasping heavily; it seemed the two warring streams of qi inside him were stirring up trouble again.

Shi Bingyuan touched Zhou Huan’s forehead. “Master’s body is acting up again. Looks like we need to get him settled and stabilize his energy first. Let’s go inside and find a place. Dongzi, you take the lead and see if anyone is around.”

“No problem, leave this to me!” Dongzi finally got a moment to look dashing. With his hands behind his back, deliberately affecting an air of ease, he swaggered toward the large stockade. After passing through what resembled a wooden guardhouse or gate tower, a massive hall spread out before them. A thick, heady scent of wine drifted out. Dongzi saw the hall doors were propped open to the side, secured by ropes, and inside, several hundred people lay scattered haphazardly, their snores deafening.

Dongzi instantly sobered up and quickly ducked behind the side of the gate tower structure they had just passed. He then whispered back to the others, “Careful, the place is full of people. Don’t wake them. Let’s slip through quickly!”

As Dongzi spoke, the two girls behind him moved even more casually toward the entrance than he had. Though they walked with apparent ease, they remained keenly aware of their surroundings, for they were starting their own destiny, and taking care of themselves was paramount—especially since the one person who could have cared for them was long since asleep.

The two girls approached the front of the hall and spotted two or three figures leaning against the walls—all dressed like bandits. One large, bare-chested man held a massive wine jar, sitting next to a small, skinny monkey figure. The two were still half-dazed, pouring wine into their mouths while tearing strips from a chicken leg they held.

“Let’s… drink!”

“Cheers!” After taking another gulp, both men pitched sideways, immediately falling into deep, snoring sleep.

The two girls exchanged a look and laughed softly. “Hmph, looks like they’re all out cold. It’s nothing. Let’s find something to eat; there must be plenty in here. These drunkards probably won't wake up until noon, having drunk themselves into this state. Let’s find provisions.”

In a side courtyard near the mountain stronghold’s main entrance, they located a very secluded woodshed that contained a cot. Seeing the people in the main hall, Tian Xiong carried Zhou Huan into this woodshed. He then instructed Dongzi to stay there and guard Zhou Huan, telling him to bolt immediately if trouble arose, before heading towards the main hall himself. After all, there were two young women who needed looking after. Even with Tian Lang and Shi Bingyuan present, Tian Xiong still felt a slight unease.

When Tian Xiong reached the doorway of the hall, he saw the two girls each clutching a large, bulging sack, while Shi Bingyuan and Tian Lang held two swords apiece. They carefully stepped over the just-recently-intoxicated bodies sprawled on the floor, rushed out of the hall, and ran toward Tian Xiong.

“Quickly, let’s go! We succeeded. Back to find a place to eat, help Master Zhou drink some water, and then we can eat ourselves. We leave in two hours, so we need to rest now.” Tian Lang, carrying his loot, followed Tian Xiong to the woodshed where Dongzi was tending to Zhou Huan. Adjacent to the woodshed was a side gate of the main stockade. Exiting that gate led directly to the uphill main road, which, after winding around the mountain ridge, became the road down the mountain. This location was the best spot and the quickest escape route from the stronghold, as they desperately needed rest and a somewhat safer place to recover.

The group instantly drifted off to sleep, only Tian Lang managing to struggle against it, remaining half-awake, eyes fixed on the doorway. Yet, even in this state, he failed to notice Shi Bingyuan quietly slipping out of the shed. Shi Bingyuan’s intention in sneaking out was to go to the area near the gate tower to keep an eye on the activity in the main hall. However, by staying there, Shi Bingyuan had placed himself in a highly exposed position.

Shi Bingyuan was indeed tired. Leaning against the wall of the gate tower structure, he was suddenly overcome by waves of drowsiness and promptly fell asleep with deep snores. When he opened his eyes, he found a very aged man standing beside him, repeatedly patting his shoulder with a hand that seemed ancient.

“Young fellow, everyone else is drinking, what are you doing here?” The voice was aged, the face wrinkled, and the hands were a mass of creases.

Shi Bingyuan blinked and carefully sized up the person before him. Sensing no ill will, Shi Bingyuan managed a smile. “I am truly sorry, sir. I was passing through and suddenly felt overwhelmed by exhaustion and hunger, which is why I lay down here to sleep. May I ask who you are?”

“Heh heh, I’m the long-term hired help here, employed by the Mountain King to chop wood and cook. They’ll be waking up soon. The King is a good man; his brothers underneath him are all men of loyalty.” The old man spoke with a certain pride in his bearing, making his account seem sincere.

Shi Bingyuan stood up and bowed respectfully. “Esteemed elder, may I ask how many people are in this compound? Could you possibly help me find some trail rations?”

“Ah! If you want to take things, that’s fine, but there’s a condition: nothing is taken for free, and no meal is eaten for nothing—you have to work. When the King wakes up, I’ll report to him, and he’ll likely agree to let you take some supplies. Where are you heading, and how much do you need? Also, I must ask you, how did you manage to get up here?” The elder questioned with meticulous detail.

Shi Bingyuan smiled brightly. “There are several of us in our party, and we need to carry quite a bit. To reach the capital city, it will take us at least three days. Do you think that’s possible?”

“So many people? Where are the others?”

The elder’s question immediately made Shi Bingyuan realize he might have said too much. He regretted asking such a direct question, fearing that if this old man had ill intentions, it could lead to the others being completely ensnared. With this thought, Shi Bingyuan offered a hasty lie: “Elder, the others are still halfway up the mountain; they probably won’t reach here for a while yet. What do you advise?”

“Who is that! Uncle Xue, the brothers are all deep in their cups. Help me prepare some sobering soup and some food; they are heading down the mountain today to deal with those brutes in the lower fortress.” As the two were chatting, a figure staggered out of the main hall. He was wearing a piece of armor, with a cloak draped over his back, suggesting he was one of the leaders here.

Upon seeing him, Shi Bingyuan noted an aura of uprightness; the man didn’t seem villainous. This reminded Shi Bingyuan of the two female ghosts from the village below. If such an upright-looking person was here, perhaps his subordinates weren’t all wicked either. Why then did those two female ghosts harbor such deep resentment toward the mountain folk? This made Shi Bingyuan instantly consider a possibility: perhaps the female ghosts’ true target wasn't the people on the mountain at all. Judging by the construction of this stockade, it wasn’t the work of rough characters but rather someone skilled, someone of significant power, as true bandits could never construct such a magnificent stronghold.

“Oh, Second Leader, we have a guest here who claims he’s short on food. What should we do about him?” the old man named Xue said.

The man who emerged from the hall gently patted his aching head. “Let me see. Anyone who manages to reach our place is fated to be here, a rare guest.” As he spoke, the Second Leader, rubbing his temples, approached the two, sizing up Shi Bingyuan. Then, he suddenly roared, “Hmph! What nonsense is this about being short on food? This is clearly someone trying to scout the fortress!”

“Esteemed Second Leader, you are mistaken. What could someone like me possibly do that would make you suspect me?” Shi Bingyuan defended himself.

The Second Leader scoffed again. “Hmph! Our Grand Stockade of Lianyun Mountain isn't a place people just wander into! Anyone who gets up here is no ordinary person—they must have at least dealt with that bunch of bastards down the mountain. Otherwise, how did you get here, pretending to be a hungry guest?”

Shi Bingyuan tried to explain, but just then, several more figures emerged from the main hall. Although they reeked of alcohol, they appeared robust and quickly surrounded Shi Bingyuan, closing off any escape route completely.

“Men, tie this person up first, and then we can question him slowly.”