Chapter 231: The Beginning of the Frenzy

Chapter 231: Chapter 231: The Beginning of the Frenzy

"Of course, I'm not joking," Zhongshan shook his head.

"But the Princess is currently weak. It's already difficult enough to escape while bringing the Princess along, and now you want to take more than eighty others with us? How could we possibly manage that?" Ah Da said in disbelief.

"If the King of Julu merely wanted to capture me, it might still be difficult. But now that he wants to kill me, we can definitely escape with everyone. Whether we have more or fewer people, it makes no difference," Zhongshan said with certainty.

Although Zhongshan had previously been able to anticipate the enemy's moves and handle situations perfectly, this time was different. It involved the safety of the Princess, and no matter how trustworthy Zhongshan was, he couldn't gamble with the Princess's safety.

"Sir, this decision must be approved by the Princess," Ah Da said, shaking his head.

"Very well," Zhongshan nodded and then walked to the side of the sedan chair.

"Princess," Zhongshan called toward the sedan chair.

"What is it, sir?" Princess Qianyou's voice came from within the sedan chair.

"Ah Da, you explain," Zhongshan said.

"Yes," Ah Da responded immediately.

Ah Da then recounted all the information they had gathered, leaving nothing out, and waited for Princess Qianyou's decision from inside the sedan chair.

"Sir, did you bring those people from the Lu family?" Princess Qianyou asked.

"I was entrusted to do so. I hope you understand, Princess," Zhongshan replied.

"Entrusted? Haha, the more I observe you, the more secrets you seem to have, sir," Princess Qianyou said with a smile.

"I hope you can forgive me, Princess," Zhongshan said again.

"Hmm, let me ask you this: How confident are you about taking all these people with us?" Princess Qianyou asked.

"Absolutely confident," Zhongshan responded with utmost certainty.

"Alright! I approve. Ah Da, Ah Er, follow Mr. Zhongshan's orders," Princess Qianyou's voice affirmed from within the sedan chair.

"Yes," Ah Da and Ah Er immediately responded.

With Princess Qianyou's approval, Zhongshan smiled slightly and said, "Let's go to that valley."

"Okay," Ah Da and Ah Er nodded in agreement.

Before long, Ah Da and Ah Er were gliding close to the ground on clouds, carrying Zhongshan and the sedan chair, as they arrived at a valley.

In the valley, dozens of people had set up simple shelters. Women were cooking over open fires, while men were chopping wood and helping out. It was like a scene from a tranquil, idyllic paradise.

Seeing these people, Ah Da and Ah Er raised their eyebrows repeatedly. This group hadn't even reached the level of being able to live without food; they would still need to eat every day. How could they possibly take them along?

As Zhongshan approached the valley with the large sedan chair, someone with keen eyesight spotted him and immediately went to the makeshift shelters to report.

"Senior!" Those who recognized Zhongshan immediately addressed him.

Soon, Lu Jianping and the elder of the Lu family arrived in front of Zhongshan.

"Senior!" Lu Jianping and the elder both greeted Zhongshan in the same manner.

"Your Highness, Zhongshan deliberately led our troops away. Such audacity! Doesn't he fear being captured by us?" Wu An asked, frowning.

"He not only saw Zhongshan but also Ah Da and Ah Er, which means Princess Qianyou is definitely with them. Since she is very weak right now and can't travel alone, they must all be heading in that direction. Since Zhongshan wants to court death, we won't hesitate to grant his wish," the King of Julu said coldly.

"Understood," Wu An nodded.

"Pass my order: All troops are to search the west. Whoever kills Zhongshan will be rewarded with a million high-grade spirit stones. I want to see how many wings this Zhongshan has to escape such a thorough search," the King of Julu said in a cold voice.

In a secluded valley, the Lu family had once again started cooking. Near the grand palanquin, Ah Da and Ah Er stood anxiously outside, while Zhongshan had been summoned by Princess Qianyou for a discussion inside.

"Sir," Ah Da finally couldn't hold back and spoke up.

"What is it?" Zhongshan asked, looking puzzled.

"I caught another soldier just now. After some interrogation, it's clear that the Great Yu army is concentrating their forces here. We are in increasing danger. What should we do now?" Ah Da expressed his concern from outside the palanquin.

Inside the palanquin, Zhongshan and Princess Qianyou were seated on separate couches. A small table stood between them, holding a teapot and two cups of tea, over which they were conversing.

"How much is the bounty for killing me now?" Zhongshan turned his head to ask.

Princess Qianyou smiled slightly but did not interrupt.

"Uh? A million high-grade spirit stones," Ah Da replied with a peculiar expression. He was bewildered by how Zhongshan seemed more interested in the value of his bounty than in the impending danger.

"Tut, that King of Julu is so stingy," Zhongshan shook his head and sighed.

Hearing Zhongshan's words, both Ah Da and Ah Er were left speechless and somewhat bewildered.

"Sir, you don't seem worried at all," Princess Qianyou chuckled.

"Blessings and curses come as they may. We can't avoid them if they come. Let them search; our people still need to eat," Zhongshan said nonchalantly.

"Very well, I am eager to see how you will lead this group through a sea of soldiers," Princess Qianyou smiled.

"Just wait and see, Princess," Zhongshan replied with a smile.

After the Lu family finished their meal, Zhongshan gave the order: "Head north."

The cloud carried everyone northward for over a thousand miles, when suddenly Zhongshan said, "Head west."

"Head south." "Head east." Zhongshan continued to give unpredictable directions. Over the next five days, they traveled in various directions, and remarkably, they didn't encounter a single Great Yu soldier.

Ah Da and Ah Er found this quite odd. Could it be that the Great Yu army had retreated? However, when Ah Da scouted ahead and investigated the surrounding areas, he discovered that they were completely surrounded by the Great Yu army. Soldiers were frantically searching everywhere, seemingly on the verge of madness.

Indeed, the soldiers of the Great Yu army were going insane, and so was the King of Julu.

In the central command tent, the King of Julu glared at a commander standing before him. "Speak, keep speaking!"

"Your Highness, it's been five days now. We've been sending patrols to those areas daily, constantly checking. We see signs of campfires and even abandoned stoves, but we can't find the people. Twice we arrived just moments after they had left, with their fires still smoldering, yet we couldn't see them."

"Idiots! I've given you so many troops, millions of soldiers, to search that area, and you can find everything except the people? You fools! If you don't find them soon, I'll make sure you join the ghosts you're talking about. Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find those mortals, you fools!" the King of Julu roared.

"Yes, Your Highness!" the commander quickly responded and left the tent in haste.

"Your Highness, there's something very peculiar about this. It's as if Princess Qianyou and her party know our search patterns. They always seem to pass through an area just after our troops have searched it. The places they've been through are precisely where our troops are currently searching. It's as if they know our search procedures, where the gaps are, and where the blind spots are. It's eerie!" Wu An said, frowning.