“The weapon-forging camp is indeed at the bottom of the cliff.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced back at Prince Sang with a slight curve of her lips, then turned to Tuoba Ermeng. “If it were not so well-hidden, I doubt the First Prince would have remained so composed when he came with us to find it. Don’t you agree?”

Tuoba Ermeng naturally wanted to believe her, but this sheer, unfathomable cliff — descending it was a path straight to death. How could anyone possibly have a chance of reaching the bottom alive?

“Jiu’er, forging weapons requires enormous manpower and resources. Our Yuehe soldiers, though they are fierce and battle-hardened, are… not all of them skilled fighters.”

There was a considerable difference between a brave soldier and a skilled fighter. Bravery and strength alone were enough to make a warrior, but a skilled fighter was something else entirely.

Their warriors were not all practitioners of lightness arts or anything of the sort.

Moreover, this cliff was so deep that even the bottom could not be made out. Looking down from the top, there was nothing but thick white mist beyond a zhang or more.

They had little experience with this sort of natural barrier, but one look at that white mist made it abundantly clear that the depth below was utterly immeasurable.

What was immeasurable was the depth itself, and visibility was nearly zero — so it was no wonder the Imperial Uncle had grown angry at the sight of it. If Feng Jiu’er was saying that there was a camp at the bottom, it was genuinely difficult to believe.

“Your warriors may not all be skilled fighters, but at least they have all trained in martial arts. A drop of two or three zhang — I believe none of them would be killed by the fall.”

Feng Jiu’er smiled at him, then suddenly launched herself off the edge: “Second Highness — trust me and follow!”

She leapt directly into the white mist without so much as a blink — as though she had no fear of death whatsoever.

Xue Gu and Qiao Mu were startled out of their wits, and by the time they moved to go after her, it was already too late. “Jiu’er!”

Then, unexpectedly, Feng Yinan jumped down with ease after her: “Elder Xue, Qiao Mu — come down!”

Even Feng Yinan had gone down — and his lightness arts were the weakest of the four. If even Feng Yinan had…

Xue Gu and Qiao Mu exchanged a glance, then finally drew a deep breath and leapt lightly after them.

They had all gone down! Jumping from such a cliff, and not even blinking — what on earth was the meaning of this?

Prince Sang was both alarmed and furious. Did this count as them making their escape? Was he supposed to go back and report to the Great King that Feng Jiu’er and her people had jumped off a cliff to flee?

But jumping off a cliff — did they truly not value their lives?

Tuoba Ermeng stepped forward two paces. Yang Qin was so frightened his expression changed instantly: “Second Highness — you must not!”

This was a cliff! Yang Qin could not say with precision how far they had walked or how high they had climbed on the way up, but he could estimate well enough.

To jump off a cliff from this height — it would most certainly be death.

“Having already come this far, I choose to trust her — just this once!” Tuoba Ermeng pushed Yang Qin aside and walked to the edge of the cliff.

“Second Highness — you absolutely cannot!” Yang Qin and the guards behind him cried out in unison.

Prince Sang too said urgently: “Second Highness — people from a foreign land cannot be trusted. You must not…”

“Why should they not be trusted?” These people were willing to risk their very lives for a single comrade who had been gravely wounded.

People like that — Tuoba Ermeng believed they were trustworthy.

Tuoba Ermeng made to jump, but was seized by Yang Qin.

Yang Qin drew a deep breath, looked at him steadily, and said in a low, firm voice: “Since the Second Highness believes they are trustworthy, then your subordinate also believes they are trustworthy. Allow your subordinate to go ahead and scout the way first.”

The Second Prince was determined to jump — Yang Qin knew he had no power to change that decision. As his subordinate, there was no other choice but to take the risk for him.

He gave Tuoba Ermeng a gentle push, cast all other thoughts aside, and leapt forward.

“Chief Yang…” Behind him, the guards were sweating with anxiety — yet, strangely, there was no sound of Chief Yang crying out?

After what felt like a long while, a familiar voice rose from below: “Second Highness — it is level ground here. Everyone may come down!”

It was… level ground?

This time, Tuoba Ermeng did not hesitate. He stepped forward and jumped. Behind him, the guards still felt apprehensive, but since Chief Yang and the Second Highness had both gone down — they had no choice but to throw their lot in with him as well.

They were Yuehe’s guards — they too had the spirit of wolves in them.

One by one they jumped, and still there was not a single cry of pain. Instead, there seemed to be quite a lot of the sound of feet landing on solid ground — and the low, surprised gasps of wonder rising from those who had descended.

Truly, nothing had happened to them!

The attendants looked toward Prince Sang and said carefully: “Your Highness… should we… also go down?”

Prince Sang was helpless. Everyone was watching — though he still felt a measure of dread, all of the Second Prince’s men had gone down. To not go down at this point would be far too cowardly.

Death it was then — no, going down it was. It should… probably be fine?

Prince Sang, accompanied by two of his trusted attendants, finally leapt down.

In an instant he had passed through the white mist, and before he could brace himself — he landed?

How was this possible? It was truly… truly only a drop of two or three zhang!

Ahead, Feng Jiu’er and her people were making their way deeper into the mountain ravine. The Second Prince called to Prince Sang: “Imperial Uncle, there appears to truly be something here. Let us hurry and follow.”

“Very well.” Now that he was down and could look around, ahead lay an open, empty ravine — nothing in sight, and of course no white mist. The whole space had opened up into brilliant clarity.

This place was truly something remarkable.

Once everyone had come down, they all followed behind Feng Jiu’er and Feng Yinan and moved swiftly into the ravine.

After some time, Feng Jiu’er suddenly raised a hand, and everyone fell silent.

Feng Yinan looked back at the group and said carefully: “The camp is just up ahead, not far now. From this point, everyone must lighten their steps and not make any noise that might alert them.”

Tuoba Ermeng and Prince Sang exchanged a look. This time, there was not a trace of doubt remaining in either of them. “Understood.”

…

Within the inner quarters of the imperial palace, in the Great King’s bedchamber.

The First Prince sat under the direct watch of the Great King of Yuehe. The two of them were playing chess — but in truth, the Great King was keeping him under surveillance.

Tuoba Keyan’s expression was blank. He appeared focused on the game, yet he — normally a player of sharp and refined skill — had lost several rounds in a row today.

“My son, you are… distracted today. You are not focused at all.” The Great King of Yuehe fixed his gaze on the First Prince’s face, and it was unclear whether he was testing him.

“Hmph. Father is treating your own son as a suspect together with an outsider — how could your son possibly be focused?” Tuoba Keyan let out a flat, cold sound.

The Great King of Yuehe was briefly taken aback. As a father, he truly was in the wrong over this matter — but he was not only a father; he was also the ruler of a nation.

This topic seemed to have no point in continuing. If they kept at it, it would only lead to a quarrel.

The Great King of Yuehe set down his chess piece and let out a soft sigh. “My son — do you still resent your father for not sending troops in time to save your mother’s consort all those years ago?”

Tuoba Keyan’s fingers clenched with sudden force. The game piece in his hand snapped with a sharp crack into several fragments, and a fine dust of broken stone slipped between his fingers and scattered across the chess board.