Chapter 160
Chapter 160
Xiao Che and Xie Chengyan tensed at once.
They had not even begun constructing their defenses. If Prince Cheng’s men found them now, they would be at a tremendous disadvantage.
“Did you see them clearly? Are they Prince Cheng’s men?”
Xiao Che questioned Ye Yi immediately.
Ye Yi shook his head. “This subordinate couldn’t get a clear look. They’re extremely vigilant, so I didn’t dare approach too closely. They’re searching with great care, almost as if they followed the Young Miss’s scent and already know her movements. But something is strange. Once they reached the surrounding area, they became like blind men and started searching at random.”
Ye Yi could not describe the contradictory feeling any better.
Just then, Jin Bao ran inside.
“Daddy, look! Baby caught lots of grasshoppers. Let’s roast them later!”
Jin Bao had nearly run wild playing in the valley. Over the past few days, she had explored every corner of Jintang Valley.
Nothing fun in the valley escaped her grasp, including the fish in the river.
They practically lined up to leap onto the bank, and everyone had enjoyed several all-fish feasts over the past few days.
“Jin Bao, can you find out who the people outside Jintang Valley are?”
With no other options, Xiao Che could only ask his daughter to use her powers and investigate.
Jin Bao blinked. People had come from outside?
She quickly closed her eyes. At a thought, an image suddenly appeared in her mind.
This was another ability she had recently acquired.
As long as she had visited a place before, she could silently think of it and focus, and everything there would appear clearly in her mind.
Now Jin Bao saw a Black-Robed Man ten li beyond the valley, holding a Crystal Ball while directing an army in a blanket search.
She was extremely curious about him, especially the Crystal Ball in his hands. She could not shake the feeling that it was the eye that had been spying on her.
Jin Bao studied the Crystal Ball for a long while. When she found nothing inside it, she looked away.
She turned her attention to the Black-Robed Man. He remained motionless, and she still could not see his face.
But she heard the soldiers talking. They were searching for her.
Jin Bao quickly opened her eyes.
“Daddy, lots of bad people came from outside. They want to catch Baby, but they haven’t found the entrance yet. If they keep searching, they’ll definitely reach the valley. They have more people than us.”
Xiao Che glanced at Xie Chengyan.
“It seems we need to prepare. I’ll gather everyone now.”
He was about to leave when Jin Bao’s little hand caught him.
“Daddy, don’t go. Baby can hide the entrance so they can’t find us.”
Her expression was earnest.
Xie Chengyan quickly crouched. “Jin Bao, how can you hide the valley entrance?”
If they could conceal the entrance, this place would become completely safe. At the very least, it would give them time to grow stronger.
“Just watch Baby!”
Jin Bao patted her little chest and ran outside.
Xiao Che and Xie Chengyan hurried after her toward the valley entrance.
The distance was so great that even on horseback, the two men could only see the back of Jin Bao’s head ahead of them.
Upon reaching the entrance, Jin Bao looked at the steep cliffs on either side.
She raised one small hand, slowly closed her eyes, and focused all her attention on the surrounding plants.
An astonishing sight unfolded.
The patrolling soldiers had never seen Jin Bao use her powers before. Every one of them stared in shock.
Vines hanging from the mountaintops began extending wildly, weaving across one another.
Small trees on the cliffs and weeds on the ground all surged upward fast enough to be seen with the naked eye.
In less than fifteen minutes, weeds, trees, vines, and thorny brambles completely concealed the once-open valley entrance.
No normal person would ever imagine trying to pass through there.
The area looked as though it had been abandoned for years.
Jin Bao dusted off her hands, then turned to Daddy and Uncle with a cheerful grin.
“All done!”
Xie Chengyan and Xiao Che exchanged a look and breathed sighs of relief.
As long as they avoided Prince Cheng’s men, they could keep a low profile in the valley and develop in peace.
But a new problem had appeared. If they sealed the entrance, how were they supposed to leave and buy grain?
So many mouths were waiting to be fed.
The two men were both pleased and worried. This valley was not like Black Pine Forest, where a lake and mountain produce could still feed people when grain ran out. Living from the mountains, no one would truly starve there.
Apart from its water source, this valley offered very little food.
Since the women and children arrived, people could be seen digging for wild vegetables everywhere.
Most were ordinary commoners and understood the land far better than warriors who had never worked a field.
They knew which wild plants were edible and which were not.
But wild vegetables alone could not feed so many people. They still needed grain.
By their calculations, Old Han had not even reached Black Pine Forest yet. Waiting for him to bring grain back would take ages. The valley would have run out long before then.
Back in the main tent, Xie Chengyan immediately pulled Xiao Che into another discussion about how to transport grain into the valley.
Xiao Che suddenly remembered their surprise attack on the gold mine.
“I have it. The entrance may be blocked, but we have another route. When we raided the gold mine, we entered through the rear mountain. We can leave that way too. It will take us around behind those men, and they will never expect it.
“But by my calculations, Prince Cheng’s people will soon arrive to collect the gold. When they find the road blocked, they will certainly become suspicious. This method can only deceive them temporarily. Once the men collecting the gold notice something wrong, they will cut down the vines and expose the valley. Still, there should only be a few hundred of them, so they aren’t a serious threat. We can only hope they don’t happen to meet the army outside.”
Worry weighed heavily on Xiao Che.
“Put everything else aside,” Xie Chengyan said. “Take men to the Baishui Xiao Family immediately. Do your best to persuade them to sell us grain. They are merchants in any case. Selling to the Capital exposes them to danger. Selling to us is closer and carries no risk.”
Xiao Che had little confidence. He had never negotiated with anyone. His last visit to Qi Family Fort had ended in failure, and even now, he did not understand why Qi Sihai’s attitude had suddenly changed.
On the way back, he had privately asked Jin Bao, but she refused to say anything.
Helpless, Xiao Che had let the matter drop. There was no possibility of cooperating with the Lushan Qi Family now, so investigating the cause would accomplish nothing.
That very day, Xiao Che selected a group of Shadow Guards to accompany him to Baishui Town.
When Jin Bao heard, she insisted on going too.
She had grown bored after spending so long in the valley and wanted to get outside for some fresh air.
Her pitiful wheedling eventually wore Xiao Che down, and he agreed.
Leaving the valley was dangerous at the moment, and he wanted her to stay behind. But the little girl simply refused.
At midnight, Xiao Che and his men finally circled out of the valley through the rear mountain behind the gold mine.
They did not stop. Horses and riders raced through the night, putting distance between themselves and Prince Cheng’s army.
When Jin Bao curiously checked on the searchers again, she saw something astonishing.
Her own face had appeared in the Black-Robed Man’s Crystal Ball.
To make sure the girl was truly her, Jin Bao mischievously pulled a face at the Crystal Ball.
The little girl inside mimicked her.
Now Jin Bao was certain. That really was her.
At the same moment, the Black-Robed Man sprang into action. He mounted his horse, swept one hand forward, and raced after her.