"Hey, Old Liu! Time to get up and hit the road!" A brute, towering and sporting a thick beard, delivered a hard kick to Old Liu. "Hurry up and move!"

At that moment, a skinny fellow swung a torch high in the air, shouting, "Brothers, the legendary Changbai Mountain is almost in sight! There are countless treasures waiting for us there!"

"Ohaha, they'll all be ours." Behind the camp, a dozen robust, dirt-caked men slapped each other's bodies as if celebrating a victory. Their roars were deafening, jolting Old Liu awake from his sleep.

"Where... where am I?" Old Liu scrambled up, rubbing his eyes. He surveyed the hulking men around him and the dimly lit sky. What was going on? Had he been captured by mountain bandits?

"Get your lazy ass up and lead the way!" The bearded man kicked Old Liu again, snarling aggressively. "You're the only one who can read this map of Changbai Mountain! We dragged your skinny hide out here to see the sights. All you ever do is sleep, sleep!"

Old Liu was infuriated by the brute's actions. He instinctively reached for his Thin-Face Saber to retaliate, but his sleeve felt empty. What horrified him even more was the discovery that his Sacred Sword on his back and his waist pouch were gone. He couldn't even sense his magical cultivation. To top it off, he was now inexplicably clad in something resembling a Taoist robe. Panic seized him. "Where are my things? Where is my Thin-Face Saber?"

"Old Liu, did you sleep through your own funeral? You think you can bring a blade into Changbai Mountain!" A seemingly refined, delicate-faced man patted Old Liu's shoulder with a smile. "We happen to have a proper Taoist with us, passing by Changbai Mountain to visit some of the native peoples residing here. Carrying weapons is improper, you see."

"Hahahaha..." The delicate-faced man's remark sent the surrounding men into fits of laughter. At that moment, they had all changed into clean, elegant Taoist robes—garments that utterly clashed with their rough physiques.

Old Liu instantly knew these people were trouble, yet he was baffled as to how he ended up among them. Was this an illusion conjured by the Light Orb? "How do you know my name is Old Liu? I had a saber, and a sword too! Damn it, did you hide them?"

"Liu Yunzong, are you still going to play dumb with me, you son of a bitch!" The bearded man, clearly the leader of this group, stepped forward and slapped Old Liu across the face. "We are about to enter the domain of the Changbai Mountain natives, and you dare mention blades? Let me tell you, we've stashed your gear in a secret spot. We only make our move when they've all been poisoned and knocked unconscious."

Liu Yunzong? The name struck Old Liu dumb. The familiar sound churned endlessly in his mind. He vaguely recalled hearing this name in ancient texts on profound arts, but he couldn't place it.

"Here's the map, take the lead!" The delicate-faced man was surprisingly amiable, nudging Old Liu toward the front. "I hear those natives have stashed a lot of treasures deep in these mountains. Once this score is settled, I won't have to worry about food or drink for the rest of my life."

Old Liu sucked in a cold breath. He glanced at the map the delicate-faced man handed him; it was deceptively simple. He reminded himself that no matter what, this was a realm arranged for him by the Seven Stars Stone Plaque; he could only take it one step at a time.

The barely visible light over Changbai Mountain cast an eerie chill. Amidst the towering ridges and deep valleys, small stone dwellings belonging to tribal units emerged before them. Old Liu never expected that in this era of lost civilization, such a community of people living by the rising and setting of the sun still existed.

"Quiet, everyone. Let's assess the situation first," the bearded man commanded, signaling the ten or so men behind him to hide in a thicket. He pulled the short man aside. "Do you think those people can understand our language?"

The short man thumped his chest. "It's my first time deep in the mountains seeking ancient sites. I was bitten by a snake and they treated me; their tribe members healed me. I gave them a lot of modern tools, so we can communicate normally."

"Then why are you back now? Will these barbarians turn on us?" The bearded man was cautious, eyeing the tall women and children outside the stone huts. "Why are there no men? Only women?"

"How should I know? That ugly woman last time told me they are descendants of the Queen Mother of the West, and they are all female," the short man admitted, equally puzzled and helpless. "She said behind the mountain there’s a Queen Mother’s grotto with some kind of spring water, and when adult women drink it, they can conceive and give birth without men!"

"Hey, Boss!" Old Liu had a clearer view of the situation now. He called out quietly to the bearded man, "What exactly did we come here for?"

Hearing this, the bearded man nearly kicked Old Liu again. He spun around, spat, and snarled, "I’ll deal with this bunch of women first, and then I’ll deal with you!"

At that moment, the delicate-faced man slowly crept over to Old Liu’s side and chuckled, "Hey, we brothers have been in this trade for years. Don't tell me you still don't realize you're a tomb robber."

"Tomb robber!" Old Liu roared upon hearing the label. He, a successor of the profound ancient arts with all his skills, now associated with a group of rough country bumpkins acting as tomb robbers? Moreover, these men, dressed in furtive Taoist robes, looked nothing like grave robbers—they were clearly just bandits.

"Who! Who's over there?" Old Liu's shout alerted the women in the courtyard. They dropped their tasks and raised long piercing spears, looking around cautiously. Though women, their skin was taut, and their muscles were remarkably defined.

"My apologies, it's me, your friend!" The short man was remarkably quick-witted. Recognizing the women who had treated his wounds, he raised his hands and slowly stepped forward.

"It's you?" The leading woman's stern expression softened considerably upon seeing the short man. However, when her gaze fell upon the group of strange men behind him, her vigilance sharpened. "Who are these people? What are all of you doing here?"

The short man glanced back. Seeing the delicate-faced man pressing a hand over Old Liu's mouth, he relaxed slightly. "These are my friends. We were cultivating in the mountains, and since we ran out of dry rations, I brought them here. Could you allow us to stay until morning? Just for a little while."

The woman conferred with the others after listening to the short man's words, then led him inside.

The bearded man gestured for the others to follow stealthily. He was surprised at how easily these women had been tricked.

Old Liu trailed in the middle of the group as they moved through the village interspersed with jungle growth and stones. Looking at the sight of vines and snakes coiling around each other nearby, a sense of dread washed over him. This imposing column of men threaded its way between the large and small stone houses. The women, clad in simple hemp cloth, stared with wide eyes, some even smiling.

"That dame is decent!" The delicate-faced man eyed a woman, occasionally waving at her, only to be met with a flash of sharp teeth in response.

"Today is the day we commemorate the return of the Empress Wu. You can only rest here!" The leading woman instructed them to sit down in a corner. A stout woman following behind immediately dumped a large basket filled with fruit and meat in front of them. "Take this and go. The Empress dislikes seeing men."

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