Chapter 211: Countless Marks

Half an hour passed quickly. After taking the time to recover some of their strength, the escort guards extinguished the bonfires and set off once again.

Before leaving, Cao Cheng noticed that Gu Ning’an had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

Shaking his head at how utterly carefree this white-clad gentleman was, he turned away and led his men forward at a brisk pace.

It wasn’t until they had descended the third slope that the previously silent group finally began to talk.

“That guy is really something… Eating food from strangers in the middle of nowhere and even dozing off in front of unfamiliar faces! How does someone like that survive in the jianghu?”

“There’s always a reason behind abnormal behavior. But think about it—what if he was completely confident that nothing around him could pose a threat? What would that mean?”

“You have a point… But I didn’t see a single soul nearby. Where does his confidence come from?”

“How the hell should I know? All I know is that Chief Cao is right—we should pick up the pace and get out of these Nine Linked Slopes as soon as possible.”

The group continued their discussion while walking. After another two hours, they crossed two more slopes and arrived at the base between the fifth and sixth slopes.

When they had just descended the fifth slope, there had only been a light mist in the air. A few torches were enough to keep the path visible.

But the moment they reached the bottom, the fog thickened dramatically.

Now, they could barely see a person standing just two paces away!

With over twenty men and four carts, even though they had been keeping a tight formation, the sudden drop in visibility left unavoidable gaps between them.

As a result, the Tiger Head Escort Agency had no choice but to halt.

“Keep watch over the goods! Light all torches!”

“Stay alert! No dozing off!”

“We’ll wait until sunrise to see if the fog clears before moving on!”

Drawing from his experience, Cao Cheng made the call. Standing at the very front, he used a torch to probe into the thick mist while keeping his other hand firmly on his saber hilt. His sharp eyes scanned the fog back and forth like searchlights.

When the nerves are on edge with nothing to do, time always feels like it’s dragging on.

What might feel like half a day passing could turn out to be just half an hour.

Right now, the Tiger Head Escort Agency’s men were feeling that sensation keenly.

Every now and then, someone would grumble, “Why is this taking so damn long? The fog’s not clearing, and the sun’s not rising!”

Of course, no one had an answer. The complaints were just a way to vent frustration—deep down, they all knew it hadn’t actually been that long.

“A candle has burned out,” Cao Cheng’s steady voice came from the front. “When we reached the bottom of the slope, it was just about Rabbit hour (5–7 AM). By the time another candle burns down, it should be Dragon hour (7–9 AM).”

Hearing that they only needed to endure another half hour for daylight, the escorts suppressed their impatience and focused on waiting.

Half an hour later, the last drop of melted wax dripped down. The flame on the extinguished candle let out a faint sizzle before vanishing.

Leaning against a cart, Cao Cheng furrowed his brows.

“Dragon hour is here… but the sun hasn’t risen, and the fog hasn’t lifted…” He muttered. “This is getting eerie.”

“Chief Cao, should we tell the others what time it is?” Liu Da whispered.

“I’ll handle it.”

Sensing that something was wrong, Cao Cheng stood up, drew his blade, and carved a cross-shaped mark into the ground.

“Listen up, everyone!” he called out. “It’s already the hour of the Dragon, but the fog still hasn’t lifted, and the sun hasn’t risen! I suspect we’ve run into something supernatural!”

“Stay sharp, grip your weapons tight, and move forward boldly!”

At his command, every escort guard drew their blades in unison.

“Escorting the goods—!” Cao Cheng raised his head and shouted.

The next second, the entire escort team echoed in unison, their voices stretching long into the fog:

“Escorting the goods—!”

“The Tiger Head leads the way, strangers beware—!”

“The Tiger’s Tail sweeps wide, evil spirits beware—!”

…

At the front of the group, every time Cao Cheng shouted a phrase, the escort guards at the back would echo it.

As they walked, they deliberately put on fierce expressions, waving their blades and occasionally making slashing motions into the surrounding fog.

Anyone unaware of what was happening would surely think they had collectively lost their minds.

Those who understood, however, knew they were using an old folk method to ward off evil spirits, hoping it would help them escape the lingering fog.

Not long after, as Cao Cheng kept his eyes on the ground, he suddenly spotted the cross-shaped mark he had carved earlier.

His face turned cold, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks, shouting, “Smear your blood on your blades!”

“If these damn spirits won’t let us leave, we’ll cut them down with our yang blood!”

The moment his words fell, the escort guards did not hesitate. They immediately sliced open their index fingers, smearing the fresh blood onto their blades. Then, with even fiercer expressions, they swung their weapons wildly at the surrounding fog!

“The Tiger Head moves forward! Evil spirits in the way must die! Must die!” Cao Cheng raised his bloodstained blade and resumed the chant.

“Must die! Must die!”

“Yang blood on the blade, slashing ghosts and cutting demons!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

The rhythmic chants echoed through the fog as Cao Cheng carved a second mark and led the team onward.

They didn’t know how long they had been walking or how long they had been shouting. But when Cao Cheng saw the ground covered in countless cross-shaped marks, his heart sank to rock bottom.

His face darkened. He took a sip from his water pouch and then, in a hoarse voice, cursed, “Goddamn it! These wretched spirits won’t let us leave! If you’ve got the guts, show yourself! I swear I’ll hack you into pieces!”

“Ahhh!”

Suddenly, a scream rang out from the back of the group!

Judging by the distance, it had come from the fourth cart!

Cao Cheng roared, “What happened? What do you see?”

“Chief Cao! Something is moving in the fog!”

“Good!”

Cao Cheng shouted in fury, “Everyone, get to the fourth cart! If something appears, don’t hesitate—cut it down!”

The escort guards quickly formed a tight defensive circle around the fourth cart. To avoid accidentally injuring each other, each person hooked one arm around the elbow of the man beside them.

As soon as the group fell silent, the sound of footsteps approaching from behind became even clearer.

Faintly, some of them could make out a silhouette—something pushing through the mist, walking toward them.

Gulp.

The sight made those who saw it break into a cold sweat. Their throats tightened as they swallowed hard, trying to steady their nerves.

“Oh?”

“You gentlemen are still here in the Nine Linked Slopes?”

Before the figure emerged, a voice reached them first.

The moment they heard it, everyone realized—the person about to step out of the mist was none other than the white-clad gentleman they had already encountered twice before!