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Wang Qian led the group of Brothers up the steps, and as they approached noon, they discovered a thatched cottage built against the mountain not far away. Initially, they thought this would be a hidden little village, but it seemed that there was only this one house nearby.
Extraordinary beings often prefer solitude; while cultivating their skills, they also cultivate their hearts. The world is filled with disturbances, and truly calming one's mind is not an easy task. To find that inspiration deep within, one must be at peace.
Wang Qian reached the entrance of the courtyard, adjusted his attire, and raised his hand to knock on the door. Just before his hand touched the wooden door, he couldn't help but frown. As a healer's residence, it should have been filled with the scent of herbs. Instead, there was a faint smell of blood lingering in the air, which clashed with the serene and quiet surroundings.
The group following him clearly sensed the blood odor as well; they exchanged glances and began to prepare their crossbows.
Hearing the sound of bowstrings being drawn behind him, Wang Qian raised his hand to signal them to stop. After all, they were here to request the healer's assistance; rushing in with weapons would be inappropriate. He glanced into the courtyard but saw no one coming out. He then turned back and quietly said, "Li Xin and Sun Thirteen, come in with me. The rest of you stay outside and be cautious." After saying this, he took off his sword and handed it to Chang Yu. Seeing Li Xin and Sun Thirteen wanting to follow suit by disarming themselves, he shook his head.
Since they were appearing in their military capacity, it was normal for guards around a general to carry weapons. As long as the General did not bring weapons when visiting, it was already a great courtesy to the host. After advising the two to pay attention to their surroundings once inside, he raised his hand and knocked on the wooden door.
As a response came from within, a Child bounced out eagerly. Instead of showing curiosity towards the Soldiers outside, he asked, "What is it?!"
Wang Qian bowed slightly and said, "Little brother! I am here to see your master regarding an important matter."
The Child had no intention of opening the door; instead, he replied, "My master does not see patients. If you wish to treat someone, please bring them here."
If he could have brought them along, he would have done so already; there was no need for such talk. Wang Qian was determined to invite the divine healer out of seclusion and thus said, "Every healer possesses compassion. If that is so, may I enter first?!"
The Child pondered this statement for a moment and finally decided to go open the door. After all, he wasn't being rude or dismissive; polite individuals are always welcomed. As he opened the wooden door and looked outside, he asked, "You all seem full of energy; which one of you looks sick?"
It was difficult to explain matters to a child like this, but Wang Qian still earnestly explained that the patient had not come along this time. He wanted to visit the owner of this house first as a matter of courtesy.
It is not a problem for an adult to deceive a child, so the child quickly stepped aside without further thought. However, he reminded, "The master cannot meet too many people; only one person can enter the house for a visit."
As long as they were allowed inside, it would mean completing the first step. Wang Jian repeatedly expressed that this was indeed his intention and led Li Xin and Sun Thirteen into the courtyard. He signaled for the two to stay at the door and then stepped into the house.
Under the eaves of the house, one must bow their head. The purpose of this visit was to seek help, so they had to listen to whatever was said. Li Xin glanced at Thirteen, and both stood on either side of the door waiting.
A stick of incense's worth of time passed, but there was no movement from inside, nor did Wang Jian come out. Sun Thirteen, feeling a bit anxious, turned to look at the door and began to scan around. Suddenly, he noticed something in an inconspicuous spot and walked over to check it out.
If there were no issues, Thirteen would never leave his post. Li Xin gently took down his hard bow, fingers gripping three arrows as he followed. When he saw the strip of cloth in Thirteen's hand, he broke out in a cold sweat. He whispered to his brothers outside the courtyard gate, "Prepare for battle!"
Chang Yu, who had been waiting impatiently, felt something was wrong upon hearing the alert from inside the courtyard. He waved his hand sharply, and more than ten brothers armed with crossbows leaped over the courtyard wall. When they saw the strip of cloth in Sun Thirteen's hand, they understood that there was an ambush by the Zhao Army. This unremarkable gray strip stained with blood was clearly torn from a Zhao soldier's uniform for bandaging.
In the search team, apart from Wang Jian, only Li Xin held a high rank. Even if things were urgent, the entire Special Operations Group had to listen to the second-in-command in the absence of their leader. This prevented unexpected losses and avoided an embarrassing situation where the operation team would be left leaderless.
Sun Thirteen tucked the cloth into his clothes and looked around; everything remained quiet. He hurriedly asked in a low voice, "Are we surrounded? What should we do now?"
If they were truly surrounded, there wouldn't still be silence at this moment. After Wang Jian entered earlier, the surrounding Zhao Army would have come out to clean up! Li Xin looked at his bow and arrows and quietly ordered, "Chang Yu, take five brothers to defend here; everyone else follow me inside to rescue!"
After preparing their attack formation, the previously closed door was gently pushed open. As Li Xin nocked an arrow and jumped inside, he squinted to adjust to the light within. At the same time, the assault team surged in to reinforce their defensive formation.
What no one expected was that there wasn't a single person inside. They had clearly seen General Wang Jian walk in; where did he go?
Li Xin noticed something was off inside and quickly commanded in a low voice, "Search!" As soon as he finished speaking, their defensive circle expanded outward to fill all directions.
The thatched cottage was initially thought to be small, but upon entering, it became clear that the interior space was quite ample. However, this spaciousness referred to the vertical dimension; the horizontal distance was merely twenty meters. As the search results emerged, everyone found themselves at a loss. With General Wang's martial arts skills, he ranked among the top in the realm of experts. Even if the enemy's speed was exceptionally fast, at least a warning sound could have been made.
Now, however! There had been no noise at all just moments ago, and this person had vanished! Could it be that this cottage was connected to the heavenly palace? Could ordinary people enter and directly traverse the mortal realm under Child's guidance?
Sun Thirteen surveyed the surroundings and suddenly had an inexplicable thought. This person would not simply disappear without reason; the only explanation was that there might be a hidden door nearby. With this in mind, he began searching for clues around him. The entrance through which they had entered was clearly not an issue, as stepping outside led directly to the courtyard. The walls on both sides were made of wooden boards, and he had checked earlier without finding any hidden compartments.
When Thirteen's gaze fell upon the back wall of the thatched cottage, he suddenly realized something was amiss. Ordinary folk architecture typically expands horizontally on either side, primarily for lighting considerations. Even when built against a mountainside, structures are usually oriented horizontally based on the angle of sunlight. However, this building was distinct in that it was constructed lengthwise from front to back.
The reason he hadn't noticed anything unusual earlier was mainly due to preconceived notions. After all, most people live in plains and would mistakenly assume that houses built in mountainous areas are normal.
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