As evening approached, the entire Red Leaf Mountain foothills were already submerged in a sea of mist.
"Nephew, why have you returned?"
County Captain Shan curiously watched the returning cavalry of the Li family, the glow of torches illuminating Li Xuan as he stepped down from the carriage.
Li Xuan bowed and said, "Lord Shan, my eldest sister hasn't been found. Leaving just like this makes me uneasy."
Shan Jian lamented, "Nephew, you truly value loyalty and emotions."
Then, he beckoned, "Nephew, come over here. After you left today, County Captain Ma from Chiyue County also arrived. I can introduce him to you. Perhaps you can ask him if there are any leads about your cousin along his route."
Li Xuan laughed and said, "Thank you, uncle."
"We are family, no need for formalities. Come, come." Shan Jian walked ahead.
Just as Li Xuan was about to follow, he noticed Yaohua's steps were slightly hesitant beside him.
His expression changed slightly, and he slowed his pace, saying, "Uncle, I'll catch up shortly."
Shan Jian didn't inquire and said, "I'll wait for you ahead."
Li Xuan smiled.
After Shan Jian went on, he turned to Yaohua and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Yaohua shook her head slowly.
Li Xuan stared at her and said, "After you came to my house, you became my woman, yet you seldom talked about your past. Do you know County Captain Ma from Chiyue County?"
Yaohua replied coldly, "I don't know him."
Li Xuan said, "In name, you are my maid, but I've always considered you family. Why do you keep things from me?"
Yaohua looked at his serious demeanor, sighed, and said, "It's just past grudges; I don't want to cause you trouble."
"Speak." Li Xuan said.
Yaohua hesitated.
"Speak!" Li Xuan demanded again.
Yaohua, feeling helpless, finally began her story.
That County Captain Ma from Chiyue County used to be a ruffian; she had encountered him causing trouble during her early days on the road.
This County Captain Ma had forcibly taken an unmarried young woman and, together with his cohorts, humiliated her for days and nights; when the young woman's father came to seek justice, they killed him in collusion.
Such a matter should have resulted in execution by the authorities, but Ma Ruffian seemed to have connections and faced no consequences, only randomly having someone else executed to settle the case.
As Yaohua roamed, she arrived in Chiyue County and happened upon the young woman hanging herself. Upon learning of the situation, she angrily sought out Ma Ruffian, intending to eliminate this menace under the cover of darkness.
However, Ma Ruffian had unexpected protection, a skilled fighter by his side.
Yaohua made her move but was intercepted by the fighter and had to retreat.
Later, Yaohua faced trouble in her own family; she sought help to eliminate bandits and even petitioned in Chiyue County.
"Thirty years east, thirty years west," as they say; the former ruffian Ma had donned a golden robe and transformed into County Captain Ma.
Upon seeing his nemesis, who was remarkably attractive, County Captain Ma harbored vile intentions, accusing her falsely and attempting to arrest her. Thankfully, Yaohua's body technique was good enough to escape.
Now, Yaohua was by Li Xuan's side, and the Li family had strong influence in Xiongshan County. Even if County Captain Ma insisted that "Yaohua was a remnant of Red Flower Mountain bandits," it wouldn't matter.
Matters like this aren't resolved by reasoning; it's determined by who holds more power.
Finishing her tale, Yaohua's eyes grew dark as she looked at the ground, her cheeks flushed with anger, "I don't want to cause trouble for you, so I won't go."
The name Yaohua was actually an alias. My real name is Wei Yao."
Li Xuan's expression shifted slightly, scanning the mist, sensing the magic blood within him. Suddenly, he leaned into Yaohua's ear and, catching her off guard, kissed her fiercely.
This kiss was utterly abrupt.
Yaohua, realizing what happened, raised her hand to hit his arm, then angrily stamped her foot and turned to leave.
Li Xuan called after her, "I understand."
"Hmph!"
Wei Yao was very angry.
Li Xuan chuckled but didn't insist on Wei Yao following him and instead went with Uncle Wang, the leader of the cavalry.
...
...
County Captain Ma, a man with sharp eyes and a small stature, had also heard of the Li family's reputation.
When Li Xuan arrived, the group quickly bonded.
County Captain Ma described the journey over, simply stating they hadn't seen the Li family's eldest daughter.
Li Xuan's eldest sister... was truly missing.
...
...
With many people present, everyone's courage grew.
Moreover, there had been many deaths along the way; as the county captains of Xiongshan County and Chiyue County, both Shan Jian and County Captain Ma had a duty to search thoroughly and provide a resolution.
After consulting with senior figures, a plan was established.
Early the next morning, teams would merge and jointly explore the surrounding area.
If there were no findings, they would tour Red Leaf Mountain.
...
...
The next day, a thousand county soldiers and the Li family's cavalry combined forces to patrol the area, traversing the foothills running north and south along Red Leaf Mountain.
During the search, they found many newly deceased bodies again.
In fact, the two counties had long been aware of the danger along this route, but there were always those who didn't believe or had urgent matters that urged them onward—thus truly rushing to their deaths.
As Shan Jian continued to survey, his expression grew colder. Seeing some meat scraps on the ground, he suddenly asked, "Could it be wild beasts like a tiger?"
County Captain Ma scoffed, "Have you ever seen a tiger capable of this?"
The air was thick with the smell of blood.
Li Xuan sat in the carriage, and inside, Wei Yao wore a white veiled hat, both to avoid being recognized unintentionally by County Captain Ma and to protect herself from fire, theft, and the young master.
...
...
The third day.
A thousand county soldiers and the Li family experts headed into Red Leaf Mountain to explore the area.
The mountain paths were much narrower than official roads; it was impossible to maintain formation or stay closely together.
The two County Captains could only barely manage their own troops, while the Li family experts were positioned among them.
The winding mountain paths twisted like sheep's intestines through the range.
At some point, a fog began to rise in the mountains again.
Everyone became instantly alert.
Thus, after searching for a day... they found nothing.
...
...
A few days later...
"Damn it!" County Captain Ma slammed the table in anger and said, "How long are we going to keep searching at this slow pace?"
He had just taken a new concubine and hadn't had enough sleep before being called out to work, and after so long with no progress, he was naturally getting anxious.
Shan Jian asked, "Lord Ma, what do you plan to do then?"
County Captain Ma said, "Expand the search area! Let's search this entire region sooner rather than later. Whether we succeed or not, we need to give an account when we return!"
Shan Jian frowned.
County Captain Ma continued, "If anyone gets separated and encounters trouble, that's even better. The others can rush to help, and we'll catch the culprit in one fell swoop."
Shan Jian hesitated for a moment but then nodded. Continuing on like this was indeed not a solution.
...
...
The mountain ridges, shrouded in cold mist, exuded mystery.
Everyone set foot on the land again but this time they were dispersed.
The Li family experts were not among them.
Dozens of people surrounded the Eldest Young Master Li.
In these days, Li Xuan had already completed his test of the "magic blood's durability."
The test results showed that there was no time limit. As long as he did not release the magic blood, its effects would remain on him indefinitely.
This time, with the team dispersed, Li Xuan felt different.
In previous attempts, the mountain posed no sense of threat.
But this time, the magic blood in his body began to heat up on its own, indicating the presence of "the demon."
Li Xuan became more cautious as he stayed close to Wei Yao and ordered the Li family experts to stick together as much as possible.
As time passed, his perception became clearer; he could even feel the "demon" circling nearby, seeking an opportunity.
His blood grew increasingly hotter, like burning steel rods being forged inside him.
Suddenly, Li Xuan fixed his gaze on a distant spot.
There was a mountain depression, looking like the mouth of a giant beast shrouded in mist.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly he shouted, "It seems like there's movement over there!"
His shout immediately caught the attention of County Captain Ma, who was nearby.
County Captain Ma stopped in his tracks and glanced at Li Xuan, smiling, "Young Master Li, what's the matter?"
Li Xuan pointed seriously at the mountain depression, "Lord Ma, over there, I heard a sound. Could the culprit be hiding there?"
County Captain Ma's eyes rolled thoughtfully and then sternly commanded, "You there, go and check it out."
The people around him reluctantly stepped forward but had no choice due to his authority.
Li Xuan shouted angrily, "My elder sister could be there too; I must kill those scoundrels," and with that, he and the Li family experts dashed towards the mountain depression in a huff.
County Captain Ma watched their retreating figures, secretly sneering: "The young man is foolish to rush into danger himself. But that little beauty beside him, even though I couldn't see her face, has quite a lovely figure, what a pity."
He thought he was safe but hadn't noticed that, as he sent out half his men and the Li family rushed towards the depression, the number of people around him dwindled significantly.
From a bird's-eye view, it was as if a large, interconnected net suddenly had a gap in it.
And where County Captain Ma stood, it was completely isolated.
Perhaps, in a moment, County Captain Ma would realize the precariousness of his situation, but that... would take time. Because in his mind, the dangerous place was the mountain depression.
Li Xuan constantly sensed the threat.
He only knew one thing.
Without "bait," the "demon" wouldn't take the bait.
After all, bait was necessary, so why not use County Captain Ma as bait?
Whether it would work, he did not know.
In these days, the people of the two counties had come to know the dangers of this road clearly, so the path had no travelers, and the "demon" had not acted for two days.
This opportunity today, would the "demon" miss it?
Human plans are made on earth, but the outcome is determined by heaven; there are no guarantees.
Li Xuan hurriedly ran towards the mountain depression. With the signs from the magic blood, the more he ran, the further he felt the danger receding.
In the eyes of everyone, the young master leading from the front showed both emotion and justice.
Wei Yao followed closely behind, dragging her spear.
Her gaze grew softer. Although the young master had his faults, his dedication for his sister was clear. If her brother were still alive, would he do the same?
Just then, a piercing, non-human scream of terror suddenly sounded behind them.
The scream cut off after just one cry.
Then came the sounds of fighting.
Amidst the fighting, screams echoed continuously!
The direction was where County Captain Ma was.
The sound not only stopped Li Xuan and the soldiers from Chiyue County in their tracks, but also drew all the surrounding soldiers from Soushan County to gather around.