Mountain Patrol Military Officer

Tong Pass, the strategic point where the Three Roads of Qin, Jin, and the Capital intersect, the eastern gate of the Guanzhong Region, a hundred miles of Heroic Pass stretching far, twelve beacon towers in a row, spiritedly grand.

The Great Sun rises in the east, gazing north from the Heroic Pass, a golden dragon roars eastward, where the river widens, the water ripples vast, sparkling with shards of gold in the sunlight; where it narrows, the water rushes fiercely, crashing waves against the shore, muddy waves filling the sky, thundering like a storm.

To the south, the Dragon Ridge undulates, like a sharp sword piercing the sky, while other peaks are either steep as a wall or wavy as a screen. The mountains are cloaked in green, shrouded in mist.

Aboard the Flying Boat, overlooking the Southern Ridge and North River, the splendid scenery of the hundred-mile Heroic Pass unfolds.

"Colonel Chen, I will bid you farewell here!"

On the deck, Mu Yuntian looked at Chen Yuan, the purple Qilin Suit enhancing his valiant stature, raised a hand, brushed his sleeve, then turned his gaze outward sharp-eyed,

"Beyond lies the Eight Commanderies of the Capital, a place where hundreds of thousands of miles of Dragon Energy converge, haha, in terms of the so-called Cave Heaven Blessed Land, the real first place should be there!"

"The worldly society congregates here, the court is turbulent, a single word or tongue can determine the life and death of millions, killing without form, the disputes of the worldly society, countless flashing blades and shadows, strange people and events."

"Alright, that's enough for now, in such rushed times, let's meet again someday, and drink and chat merrily together with Colonel Chen!"

With a laugh, he slowly withdrew his gaze.

On Chen Yuan's side, the trio had already packed up.

He also followed the gaze to behold the magnificent view outside Tong Pass, then withdrew it, raising a hand,

"Many thanks to General Mu for escorting us through the journey!"

"Apologies for the trouble along the way!"

Mu Yuntian also raised a hand, "It's part of my duty, I believe Colonel Chen also understands I had no choice but to act thus, so just don't blame me for meddling."

His escort was nominally an act of quickly sending Chen Yuan away from his jurisdiction, to prevent more trouble in the Qin territory.

Chen Yuan presumably also understood.

At this point, the General of the Three Qin Lands suppressed his emotions faintly, lowered his voice,

"Additionally, I advise Colonel Chen to be careful on the road!"

Chen Yuan squinted slightly at the words, then returned to normal, lowering his hand,

"I understand!"

"General Mu, farewell until we meet again!"

Saying so, he moved swiftly, his body leaping into the air, with a residual trace of his shadow transforming into a stream of light, slicing through the sea of clouds, sparking a straight trail of clouds, riding the wind between Heaven and Earth, rapidly heading east.

Gongsun Yang, Xu Liang, and Xu Shaoqing then cupped their hands towards Mu Yuntian, and proceeded to follow in their flight.

Soon, they disappeared into the horizon bathed in the light of the Great Sun!

On the deck, Mu Yuntian turned aside, watching their departure, the expression on his face gradually faded to indifference.

At this moment, a general accompanying him clasped his fists and lowered his head, speaking softly:

"Sir, should we notify the nearest commanderies and counties of the Capital?"

He meant registering the movements of the Colonel of Shu to the nearby Prefecture and County Government.

For this Colonel of Shu was a figure of interest to the court!

"No need!"

"I will handle my own affairs, no need to invite unnecessary trouble and offend people by overdoing it."

"Moreover, with their exposure in the jurisdiction of Baoqing, certain people in the court are already watching them, finding them is just a matter of time, maybe they are already waiting on the road!"

Mu Yuntian gazed into the distance, a blank expression on his face, as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with insight,

"However, it seems that this Colonel Chen knows everything, yet he remains composed, revealing nothing, showing much shrewdness, and it seemed his prowess in the battle at Baoqing Prefecture was not fully exerted, even I cannot see through it."

"If certain individuals from the court indeed persistently pursue on the road, it will certainly lead them to a heavy loss!"

"Alright, pass the order, time to return!"

"Yes!"

......

An hour later, two thousand miles outside Tong Pass, Chen Yuan and his three companions were driving their previous carriage straight to the Heavenly Gate Gorge, the nearest to the Capital, with that sky-reaching great river blocking the way.

The river was vast, over ten miles wide, muddy waves bursting to fill the sky, roaring furiously.

As Chen Yuan and his companions prepared for a void crossing, a bird's cry resonated in the sky, startling the birds in the forest below to take off in a flutter.

"Slow down!" From inside the carriage, Chen Yuan's voice rang out.

"yu"

The horses neighed, the carriage halted.

"What's the matter, General Chen?" On the side, Xu Liang Xu Shaoqing reined in their horses, frowning, and gazed downward.

In the distance, a black bird spiraled downward, diving to the west.

After two or three breaths, an ancient and desolate song resounded through the turbulent waters of the Yellow River,

"The great river flows on, ages long,

Elusive spirits wander, seeking the unconstrained,

Cycles of rise and fall ultimately arrive,

In right and wrong, success or failure turns futile.

Let us see the storms rise today,

Is the coming one the Nine Colonels?"

The song drifted above the river, startling a flock of birds from the reeds on the shore, cawing chaotically as they flapped into the sky.

On the western bank about ten miles along the river, a pitch-black boat swayed quietly, its hull mottled and weathered, with an old boatman standing on it, hunched and steering with the current.

From the sky, the diving bird swiftly alighted on the old boatman's shoulder, flapping its wings once, its amber eagle-like sharp eyes blinking brightly.

The old boatman clad in a straw cape, his emaciated hands gripping the oars, with a head of silver hair wildly flailing in the wind like wind-tossed withered grass, raised a gnarled veiny hand to pat the black peregrine on his shoulder, then lifted his murky eyes to the east, crossing the sky to gaze at the suspended black carriage.

"Xi-lü-lü"

Xu Shaoqing and his companion steadied their startled horses, their expressions wary, expressions not looking good.