Chapter 202 Going Into Mount Kirin

Yun Shang selected ten servants who had performed well in several previous missions before turning to Prince Jing and asking, "Uncle, isn't there thick miasma in the forest on Mount Kirin? How can we get in?"

Prince Jing took out a map and pointed at a place on Mount Kirin, "There is a river here. We can climb the mountain along the river."

Yun Shang was surprised. She took the map and examined it for some time. "If its possible to go into Mount Kirin by climbing along the river, then why isn't there any information on the map? The map doesn't show the river's length, nor does it mention the terrain......"

"Because even with the help of the river, it is still difficult to get on Mount Kirin. There is a cliff halfway up the mountain. The river plunges into a waterfall at this point. The cliff is about three hundred and thirty three meters high and its slippery and smooth surface makes the cliff impossible to climb. Only a person with great Kung Fu can climb the mountain." Prince Jing said calmly.

"......" Yun Shang turned and looked at the ten servants who seemed stunned. She murmured to Prince Jing, "No wonder you didn't ask me to bring servants." Then Yun Shang couldn't help but get upset with Prince Jing. 'Why didn't you tell me earlier......' she thought.

Then Yun Shang turned to Prince Jing as she thought of something important, "Did you just say that a person needs to be good at Kung Fu to go up the mountain? So, if a person is not very good at Kung Fu, he or she can't go up?"

Prince Jing nodded. Then he heard Yun Shang's calm declaration, "That is unfortunate as I am not good at Kung Fu."

Yun Shang had learned some Kung Fu. But she was not great at it since she had been really ill as a child and her health conditions didn't allow her to practice much. She had been eating special herbs to strengthen her Kung Fu skills. However, despite the help, she found it hard to master techniques like Qinggong*.

(*TN: A Chinese martial arts technique that supposedly helps one lift and travel in the air.)

Yun Shang's statement astonished Prince Jing. On several occasions, she had surprised him with her abilities. He had, therefore, always wondered whether or not she had mastered certain Kung Fu techniques. He remembered being amazed with Yun Shang's Qinggong once and thought that the Kung Fu she practiced was a special kind.

Prince Jing kept silent for a while before he said, "If the cliff weren't so steep, I could have taken you with me. But......"

"Don't worry too much. We'll see what we can do after we get to the cliff." Eager to leave, Yun Shang stood and walked to her horse.

"Now is not the best time for us to go into the mountain. We didn't hide our traces, so even though Xia Houjing doesn't know our identity, he must have been informed that some strangers have come to Peach Stream Village. He will definitely place more guards. And I'm afraid that we have already been noticed by him. If we want to go into Mount Kirin, we need to take a detour and get rid of our stalkers." Prince Jing sat down and acted casual.

Yun Shang nodded. She blamed herself for the situation in which she found herself. When around Prince Jing, she followed his instincts and let him take the lead. It seemed that she didn't take the precautions she normally would have.

Fortunately for them, the secret guards were good at hiding themselves. After a while, Yun Shang and Prince Jing were alone as the guards had taken care of the stalkers. When it started getting dark, Prince Jing stood and said, "I'll go hunt for some food. Be careful while I'm gone."

Yun Shang nodded and watched Prince Jing leave. After a while, she stood and looked around for some branches to burn. When she was about to start a fire, Yun Shang found that she wasn't carrying any flint. Yun Shang forced an awkward smile and leaned against a tree as she waited for Prince Jing's return. It seemed that they would spend the night here.

It didn't take Prince Jing long to find them some food. After a short while, he returned with two pheasants in his hands. Prince Jing grinned when he saw t

it was highly likely that they would both fall and die.

Yun Shang stood beside the deep pond under the waterfall and looked around for a long time. Then she pointed to a tree at the top of the waterfall and said to Prince Jing, "If you can find a rope the height of the waterfall and tie it to that tree, I can climb the cliff. With the help of the rope, my guards will also be able to climb the cliff."

Prince Jing looked at the tree for some time, then he nodded. He turned and told his people to find a long rope. But the nearest town was a hundred kilometers away. It would take another day for the guards to purchase a rope at the town and return.

When Prince Jing's guards came back, it was already midnight. It was too dark for anyone to see anything clearly, and Yun Shang wasn't sure whether she could climb up the cliff at night. So they all found a place to rest. When the sun rose the next day, the Prince, Princess and the guards prepared to climb the mountain.

Prince Jing flew up to the top of the cliff using his Kung Fu. The leap that Prince Jing took was more than three hundred meters. Yun Shang was shocked. She knew that Prince Jing was really good at Kung Fu, but she didn't know that he was this good. She became troubled at a thought. 'This man is so scary. If we become enemies one day, I will have little chance to win.'

Prince Jing tied the rope to the tree that Yun Shang had mentioned. He carefully examined the knot before nodding. The tree was at least a hundred years old. It grew on the edge of the cliff, and some of its branches extended outward, beyond the cliff. The diameter of the branch on which Prince Jing tied the rope also assured him that it would be able to bear a person's weight.

Yun Shang jumped into the water and swam to where the rope dangled above the pool. She tied the rope around her waist and pulled the rope with both hands as she began her climb. The cliff was so slippery that Yun Shang couldn't put her feet on it. So she used the help of the rope to begin her slow climb up the cliff. Prince Jing saw Yun Shang struggle when climbing up. He frowned. 'This cliff is more than three hundred meters high. If she keeps climbing like that, not only will her hand ache for a long time, she will also have blisters.'

Thinking about that, Prince Jing used his Kung Fu to lift the rope and Yun Shang. Yun Shang was only a fifteen-year-old girl. It wasn't hard for Prince Jing to lift her. With the Prince's help, it only took Yun Shang two hours to reach the top of the cliff.

Just as the Prince and Princess were about to rest, they heard someone talking in the dense forest. Yun Shang and Prince Jing were surprised. They looked at each other before diving into the water to hide.