xymnovel Chapter 574 River Valley
Chapter 574 River Valley
The valley is longer than I imagined.
After walking for about an hour, the rock walls on both sides began to narrow, and the road changed from a wide riverbed to a narrow path that could only accommodate two horses side by side.
The ground beneath our feet was no longer smooth pebbles, but sharp, jagged stones worn smooth by the wind and sand.
When the horse's hooves stepped on the stones, the gravel rubbed against each other, making a soft, rustling sound that refracted back and forth between the rock walls on both sides.
The sound was like a footstep with a drawn-out ending.
Qin Mu walked at the front of the group, slowing down his pace.
He turned his head and glanced at the wind-eroded marks on the left rock face.
The marks varied in depth, some resembling old road signs, worn away by wind and sand to the point of being almost invisible.
He didn't stop to take a closer look; he simply looked away and continued walking.
Jiang Zhaoyue followed behind him, her eyes scanning the surrounding terrain.
Her gaze moved from the top of the rock face to the bend in the valley, and then from the bend to the increasingly narrow passage ahead.
She frowned slightly: "This section is narrower than the previous one. If someone sets up an ambush up there, there won't be much room to maneuver."
Qin Mu didn't turn around: "So walk faster."
The sound of horses' hooves pounding on the gravel was a little faster than before.
Yin Sutang followed in the middle of the group, occasionally glancing up at the blurry marks on the rock face, as if confirming the direction.
She didn't speak, but her gaze was more focused than before.
After walking for about half an hour, the valley ahead finally began to widen.
The rock walls on both sides gradually slope down, transforming from towering steep cliffs into gentle slopes.
Further on, the gentle slope turned into undulating hills, covered with a layer of low, gray-green shrubs.
Jiang Zhaoyue reined in her horse, took out a map from her sleeve, unfolded it, and looked at it for a while: "At this speed, we can reach the end of the valley before dark. Tomorrow, after crossing that slope, we'll be at the border of Northern Mang."
Qin Mu did not answer.
He simply reined in his horse and stopped at a spot where he could see the distant horizon, and watched for a while.
At the edge of the hills, where the sky meets the earth, there is a very thin line.
The line was a shade darker than the sky and a shade lighter than the earth.
It is extending slowly, with almost no change.
As darkness fell, the group stopped at a sheltered rock face.
The valley forms a natural depression here, with rocks blocking three sides and only the path leading in open.
There is a relatively flat area at the base of the rock face. Although it is not large, it is enough to set up a few tents.
After Yunluan dismounted, she first led the horse to the sheltered side of the rock face and tied it up.
Then they walked around the area, from the shadow of the rock wall to the corner of the path they came from in the valley, and only returned to the group after confirming that there were no unusual traces.
A campfire was lit, its flames dancing in the cool autumn night, illuminating the ground several meters around it.
A small iron kettle sat above the flames, the steam rising from its spout appearing as a thin white line in the firelight before being quickly dispersed by the night wind.
Night fell over the valley, as if it had been soaked in something, a thick and even black.
Only in the edges beyond the reach of the firelight were blurry outlines left.
Lin Xiaolu sat by the fire, with the dark blue bundle spread out on her lap.
She didn't open it, but simply pressed a corner of the bundle gently with her hand.
Han Xin'er sat next to her, holding no grass stalks, just quietly watching the fire.
The firelight danced on her cheeks, casting a warm glow.
She was silent for a moment, then turned to look in the direction from which she had come from the valley, before turning her gaze back to the fire.
Xu Fenghua sat a little distance from the fire, with a thin cloak covering her lap.
She glanced at where Qin Mu was sitting, then looked away.
Jiang Zhaoyue was tidying up the things around the campfire.
She didn't speak, her movements were neither fast nor slow, as if she was used to this rhythm of stopping to make a fire and spend the night during her journey.
Yin Sutang sat on the other side of the fire, a little distance from the others, in the shadow of the rock wall.
She didn't get too close to the fire, as if she wasn't used to the heat.
But she couldn't completely avoid the small patch of light that fell beside her.
In front of her was an empty coarse porcelain cup. She didn't refill it, but just sat quietly.
Qin Mu sat at the junction between the campfire and the rock wall, with his back against the rock wall and a cup of hot water in his hand.
He didn't drink it, but just held it, as if using the warmth to warm his hands.
His gaze fell on the fire, yet it seemed as if he wasn't looking at the fire at all.
He asked, "Elder Yin, what's beyond that slope you mentioned?"
Yin Sutang's voice came from the shadows of the rock wall, neither loud nor soft: "After you cross over, there's a wasteland. A very long wasteland, with no houses and no water. It will take about a day and a half to see any signs of human habitation."
Qin Mu nodded: "Then let's set off early tomorrow."
After saying this, he finished the water in his cup, which had cooled down, and placed the cup on the stone beside him: "Get a good rest tonight."
He stood up and walked towards the tent that had already been set up.
After taking a couple of steps, he turned his head again and said, "When the wind is strong at night, move the fire closer to the rock face."
Yunluan responded, "Yes."
After Qin Mu entered the tent, the sounds outside gradually quieted down.
Only the occasional crackling of the fire and the echoing of the wind blowing through the cracks in the rocks deep in the valley remained.