Chapter 230: Big Fish

His unusual behavior alerted the three of them.

Lu Xinghe and Qin Caihe immediately dismounted their spirit beasts, concealed themselves, and discreetly scanned their surroundings.

Chu Xingmeng also quickly jumped down from the carriage behind them, hunched over, and ran to hide behind Jiang Fan.

"Brother Jiang, what's wrong?" Chu Xingmeng nervously looked around.

Jiang Fan shook his head, "I don't know, but the horses suddenly got spooked just now."

The group observed for a long time, but their surroundings remained quiet, with no apparent abnormalities.

Lu Xinghe lowered his guard and said, "Perhaps a small animal passing by startled the horses. Junior Brother Jiang, you're being overly nervous. You still need more experience in the future."

Qin Caihe sighed in relief upon hearing this and complained, "So it was just a false alarm. You made everyone so tense."

Jiang Fan, however, didn't believe it was a false alarm. The three horses were specially bred by the Grand Supreme Sect; although not spirit beasts, they were top-quality horses. Why would they be spooked without reason? They must have sensed something just now. Looking at the dark, imposing mountain range stretching before them, he felt a surge of caution.

"Senior Brother Lu, look at the mountain range ahead. The forest is dense, so there should be many snakes, insects, birds, and beasts. But it's unusually quiet right now. That's not normal. I suggest we go around this mountain range."

Qin Caihe's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't noticed anything until Jiang Fan pointed it out. After carefully sensing, she realized that the forest ahead was indeed too quiet. Not to mention the sounds of land animals, there weren't even any birds chirping.

Chu Xingmeng, having witnessed Jiang Fan's power, trusted him almost unconditionally and said: "Senior Brother Jiang is right. I also feel this mountain range is eerie. It's safer to take a detour."

Lu Xinghe frowned. After Jiang Fan's reminder, he also realized the unusual silence in the mountain range. However, as the team leader, he was embarrassed that he hadn't discovered the problem himself, but instead, the most inconspicuous Jiang Fan had. This made him lose some face. Chu Xingmeng's high trust in Jiang Fan also stimulated his self-esteem. He couldn't help but develop a rebellious attitude.

"Junior Brother Jiang, don't scare yourself. Maybe a fierce tiger passed by and scared away these birds and beasts? With me here, why would we fear a mere big bug? Besides, taking a detour sounds simple, but it will add five extra days to our journey. The sooner we deliver, the sooner we can accept new missions. We can't afford any delays."

Qin Caihe's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Looking at the forest ahead, she felt uneasy and said: "Senior Brother, I think it's better to follow Junior Brother Jiang's suggestion. It's better to be safe than sorry. An extra few days on the road won't hurt."

Hearing his own junior sister side with Jiang Fan, Lu Xinghe immediately felt he had lost face and said, "Then you can take the goods and go the long way around. I'll go straight through!"

With that, he jumped onto his spirit beast, leaving the others behind, and headed directly towards the mountain range.

Jiang Fan and the two other women exchanged glances. Qin Caihe stomped her foot and reluctantly followed. Lu Xinghe had the strongest cultivation among them, so following him was the safest option.

Jiang Fan glanced at Chu Xingmeng again and sighed slightly, "Alright, let's go through the mountain range. If something happens to them in the mountain range, I'll have to be investigated when we turn in the mission." The mission jade slip had a warning. Mission members must help each other. If there are any unprovoked casualties, an explanation must be provided to the Divine Secrets Pavilion, and an investigation by them must be accepted. This process could take anywhere from ten days to several months or more. How could Jiang Fan have so much time? So, he could only follow them to prevent any misfortunes.

Chu Xingmeng was a bit speechless, "Senior Brother Lu is truly... beyond words."

Jiang Fan had also discerned a bit of Lu Xinghe's mindset and was equally speechless about it. He whispered a reminder, "Junior Sister Chu, stick close to me later." If they encountered a manageable danger, that would be fine. If he couldn't handle it, he would have to flee. With his movement technique, taking Chu Xingmeng and escaping wouldn't be a problem. As for Lu Xinghe and Qin Caihe, they would have to fend for themselves.

And so, Jiang Fan and Chu Xingmeng, one in front and one behind, drove the three carriages to catch up.

Noticing them catching up, a hint of disdain appeared at the corner of Lu Xinghe's mouth. "You talk tough, telling me to leave you, but you don't have the courage to actually go without me, Lu Xinghe." He proudly led the way, confidently saying, "Don't worry! With me here, even if ghosts come, they'll have to consider whether they can withstand a single strike from my sword, Lu Xinghe!"

Jiang Fan completely ignored him. As they entered the mountain range, the visibility quickly dimmed, and he became extremely cautious. He focused all his attention on guarding their surroundings. Furthermore, the deeper they went, the more unusual the surrounding silence felt. There wasn't even the slightest sound of insects. The only sounds in the entire forest were the snorts of the horses and the rustling of human and animal footsteps on fallen leaves and dry branches. The silence was chilling.

Lu Xinghe also sensed that something was subtly wrong. This didn't seem like something caused by a passing tiger. It was more like something with extremely heavy malevolent energy was lurking around. He felt a little regret. It seemed there truly was some danger in this forest. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. However, he was caught in a dilemma; he wanted to turn back but couldn't bring himself to lose face.

Fortunately, Qin Caihe spoke up at that moment. "Senior Brother, we can't go any further. Let's retreat." She swallowed hard, feeling increasingly uneasy.

With someone having broken the silence, Lu Xinghe took the opportunity to back down, saying, "Since you're all scared, I won't force you. Alright, have it your way."

Upon hearing this, the mood of the group immediately lightened. They immediately urged the carriages to turn around.

However, just at that moment, a sharp whooshing sound, without any warning, echoed through the dead silent forest. It was fortunate that the forest was so quiet. Lu Xinghe immediately noticed it and swiftly drew the orange-yellow longsword from his waist. He struck out with a sword in the dim light, precisely slicing the incoming object. With a soft clink, the projectile fell to the ground. Everyone looked down. It was a metallic crossbow bolt, entirely purple! On its tail, a small lotus mark was carved.

Lu Xinghe's heart suddenly seized, his pupils trembled violently, and his throat felt constricted. After a prolonged, grating silence, he painstakingly uttered two words: "Black Lotus!"

No sooner had he spoken, than a dark, shadowy silhouette in the rustling trees diagonally ahead suddenly moved. It turned out to be a person hidden there! She spoke in a rough voice, "Oh? So you know who we are. That makes things easier."

"We?" Jiang Fan's heart sank even further. There truly was an ambush here. Even worse, there was more than one person!

Rustle, rustle— In several places, thick pine needles were flung aside, and several figures rose from the ground. From several trees, dark, shadowy figures also leaped down in succession. They quickly surrounded Jiang Fan and the others from all directions.

Jiang Fan quietly gripped his purple spirit sword. He watched as the female leader emerged from the shadows. She was around thirty years old, and her leather attire clearly outlined her slender figure. On her face, which showed slight traces of age, one could still discern the captivating grace of her youth. Her eyes sparkled with cunning intelligence, yet also concealed a cold ruthlessness.

"Oh! It's actually disciples from the Nine Sects—Myriad Sword Sect, Azure Cloud Sect, and Grand Supreme Sect! Brothers, we're lucky; we've caught a big fish." She narrowed her eyes and smiled.