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Capítulo 42

Xue Beifan looked at Xiao Dao with admiration, "You have such a keen nose! Next time I want to eat fragrant meat, I'll take you for a stroll in the street."

"Go away!" Xiao Dao punched him. "You're not allowed to eat dog meat!"

Along the path leading up the mountain, a dozen or so people walked slowly in a row, each holding a large dog on a leash. The dogs were all black, with long ears hanging down, sniffing the ground as if searching for something.

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan exchanged a glance instinctively—were they searching the mountain?!

"grown ups."

At that moment, one of the soldiers walking in front turned around and told the leader, "Found it."

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan opened their eyes wide and peered out, wondering what they were looking for. Why all this fuss?

The leader strode over and squatted down in front of a deep pit. Two dogs beside him were digging in the dirt, as if they were digging for something.

A moment later, the group pulled the dog away, and the leader dug something out of the pit—a mirror.

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan almost fell off the tree. They were extremely disappointed. After digging for half a day, it would be reasonable if they hadn't dug up any gold or silver treasures, or even just a human head. What was the point of digging up a bronze mirror?

Xiao Dao thought for a moment and muttered to himself, "Oh no."

Xue Beifan also tensed up – what had the girl discovered?

The leader held the bronze mirror and looked at it for a long time before instructing his subordinates, "Go find Lord Wei quickly and tell him you're looking for... um."

Before he could finish speaking, the man's eyes suddenly bulged out, he clutched his neck and knelt on the ground, spitting out blood.

Xue Beifan frowned. Poisoned?!

"My lord!" Several attendants were also startled and wanted to step forward to help him, but then Xiao Dao shouted, "Don't touch him! He's poisoned."

Everyone instinctively took a step back and looked around. "Who goes there?"

Xue Beifan also looked at Xiao Dao.

The leader had already begun to convulse, seemingly on the verge of death from the poison. Xiao Dao simply jumped down and, upon reaching the edge of the pit, continued digging with the convulsing dagger.

The soldiers with their dogs looked at each other, bewildered by the unexpected situation.

Xue Beifan sighed helplessly and followed. Well, now everything was exposed.

Xiao Dao quickly dug a bottle out of the pit, uncorked it, and poured the medicine inside into the leader's mouth.

The guards then realized what was happening. Looking again, they saw that their leader's vomiting of blood had stopped, his body was no longer convulsing, and he coughed twice, seemingly showing signs of improvement.

Xiao Dao fiercely reprimanded the dumbfounded crowd, "This mountain is full of traps. Anything you dig out of the ground might be poisonous. But these traps might harm innocent people. Usually, you can find the antidote by digging half a foot down. Be careful next time, don't pick up everything! You dared to go into the mountains without even trying? You're tired of living!"

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, then nodded. Just as they were about to thank Xiao Dao and ask who she was, Xiao Dao suddenly pointed out of the woods, "Ah!"

Everyone quickly turned around in the direction she was pointing, and Xiao Dao seized the opportunity to pull Xue Beifan away...

When those people turned around again, they had vanished without a trace.

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan slipped away quietly, running quite a distance.

Xue Beifan looked at her, "Heroine, are you satisfied?"

Xiao Dao pouted, "But it's not right to just stand by and watch someone die, is it..."

Xue Beifan didn't blame her, but simply asked, "What is that mirror?"

“My mother told me that burying mirrors in the ground is a kind of mechanism called a mirror lock, used to suppress evil spirits.” Xiao Dao shook his head, looking uneasy. “This place is no longer just evil; there must be a treasure hidden in Xianyun Mountain, a powerful one with some evil properties!”

Xue Beifan truly hadn't expected things to develop so complicatedly, and Cai Lian and Wei Xinjie were probably also after this so-called great treasure. Was it just a coincidence, or was it inextricably linked to the Five Dragon Bone Diagrams?

"You!" Xiao Dao nudged Xue Beifan, who was lost in thought. "Stay close to me, and don't touch anything around here. There are traps everywhere. If you get caught, I might not be able to save you!"

Xue Beifan felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his roguish smile returned. He leaned closer to Xiao Dao and said, "That's right! Of course I'll stick close to you, until you can't shake me off, how about that?"

Xiao Dao's ears turned slightly red. She glared at him and turned to leave. Xue Beifan followed with a smile, taking her hand as he did so.

"Stop pulling and tugging." Xiao Dao shook off Xue Beifan's hand, but Xue Beifan wouldn't let go either. "You just said you'd stay close, what if I get lost?"

Xiao Dao had no choice but to puff out his cheeks and continue walking forward.

They carefully wrapped the bronze mirror in a thick cloth. The soldiers were still shaken. In the distance, in the woods, Wei Xinjie had appeared unnoticed and asked his attendant, "Who was that woman in white?"

The attendants shook their heads. "However, the man beside her seems to be the second-in-command of the Xue family."

"Xue Beifan?" Wei Xinjie asked in surprise. "Why would someone from the Beihai Sect be here? Isn't Xue Beifan known for disliking meddling in other people's business?"

The attendant shook his head. "General, should we follow them?"

Wei Xinjie smiled, "Xue Beifan's martial arts are unfathomable. Are you sure you can keep up?"

The attendants were somewhat embarrassed.

"Let them be, don't alert them yet." Wei Xinjie waved his hand gently. "Go and investigate that girl's identity and background. If she is familiar with mechanisms and can break the formation, then heaven will be on our side."

31

Second Master is Unparalleled

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan avoided the traps in the forest and finally managed to reach an area closer to the valley.

The Xianyun Mountain Waterfall was not far ahead. Pushing aside the bushes blocking the view, Xiao Dao peeked out from the side, then turned around and said, "So many people!"

Xue Beifan naturally noticed the soldiers surrounding the waterfall and couldn't help but frown, "So they really came for the waterfall cave."