Chapter 213

Upon hearing this, the other villagers felt ashamed.

The village chief flared up, shouting, "Niu San, you're pushing your luck—this brings shame on our whole village! How can anyone be so greedy?"

Niu San replied, "I'm doing this for the survival of our village, aren't I?"

"Shut up!" the village chief clutched his chest, face ashen, "With what we have now plus the village's remaining grain, if we eat sparingly we can last till next spring! Just surviving is a blessing; meeting such a great benefactor is a fortune we earned in past lives! If one doesn't know contentment, retribution will follow!"

The village chief's words not only scolded Niu San but also warned the other villagers.

The other villagers nodded seriously upon hearing it; only Niu San showed slight displeasure.

"Elder, you just injured your heart meridian from anger—don't get upset again." Ning Jinli said, handing him several packets of herbs, "These medicines were prepared by my doctor; drink a bowl of decoction daily, finish these packets, and you'll recover."

The village chief couldn't help but tear up again.

Even though the villagers said such indiscreet words, the little girl whom the soldiers here respectfully call Fairy not only didn't get angry, but also thought so thoroughly for herself.

"Fairy… old man, I'm kneeling to you!" Old Village Chief was about to kneel, "You all kneel too, to thank Fairy for the great grace!"

"No, no, no!" Ning Jinli's eyes were quick and her hands swift; she blocked Old Village Chief and also stopped the other villagers who were about to kneel.

Old Village Chief's expression suddenly grew solemn, hesitated for a moment, took Ning Jinli's hand, and said softly, "Fairy, may I have a word with you?"

Ning Jinli guessed that Old Village Chief might still need some help, so she led him aside.

Old Village Chief, seeming to have made a great decision, asked cautiously and carefully, "Fairy, you are all Xuan Guo people, you are going to attack the Wasteland Nation, right?"

Ning Jinli was not at all surprised that Old Village Chief could notice that.

It was not something hard to guess.

She did not answer Old Village Chief directly, but smiled and said, "Old man, you need not worry."

Old Village Chief waved his hands repeatedly and said:

"No, no, no, I'm not worried. Though I am old, my mind is still clear. Your troops are strong, supplies abundant, and you have built a camp in this deep forest; I believe the world will inevitably be unified under Xuan Guo."

"And Fairy, you and your soldiers are good people. I have lived over sixty years, and this is the first time I have seen soldiers treat civilians so kindly. From this, if Daxuan obtains the world, it should be a blessing for all the Zhong Yuan Huaxia people."

"When I was young I served in the army as a laborer, so I know a little about basic tactics; therefore I boldly guess that you must first find routes in this mountain range suitable for troops and horses, otherwise no matter how many troops you have, you cannot cross the mountains quickly."

"I dare not boast that I know every terrain of Xuanhuang Shanmai by heart, but I am somewhat familiar with this area. If Fairy trusts me, I can tell you some paths that hunters often take, to give you some convenience."

Listening to Old Village Chief's sincere words, Ning Jinli felt quite moved.

She then told him that she appreciated his goodwill, asked him to be assured, and said that before long they would be able to live a life thousands of times better than today.

However, Old Village Chief said he had to help a bit, otherwise he would feel truly uneasy.

He took a wooden stick, drew on the ground while saying, "Fairy, look, this is roughly where your camp is. From here, go southeast about ten li to a stream; the banks are gentle and passable. Also here, go south about twenty‑plus li, you'll meet a large thicket that seems impassable, but there is a hidden spot that can be passed…"

What he described had actually been surveyed two months earlier by Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army using a Drone.

They had also drawn the corresponding map.

Ning Jinli saw Old Village Chief speaking so earnestly, and since it was his goodwill, she patiently and seriously listened without interrupting.

"This is the last spot." Old Village Chief, with a serious face, drew a heavy circle with the wooden stick.

Ning Jinli thought, this Old Village Chief truly is a veteran hunter who has lived his whole life in Xuanhuang Shanmai; the map he drew from memory is comparable to the one surveyed by the Drone.

The final place he circled is exactly where the Zhen Xuan Army, together with nearby Xuan Guo civilians, is about to focus on excavating and building a road.

If I'm not mistaken, they should be about to start construction now.

"If you pass through here, it looks both concealed and convenient, and can greatly shorten the mountain‑crossing route," Old Village Chief said, pausing, then turned his tone, "But you must never go this way."

"Huh?" Ning Jinli was startled and hurriedly asked, "Why?"

Old Village Chief explained, "At first glance this looks like an ideal marching route, but beneath the surface the ground has been eroded by a hidden river. In winter the soil freezes and becomes much harder than before; only a few people can tread slowly, but if hundreds or thousands step on it, it will crack and they will fall to their deaths."

"Because the situation here is special, we call it Hu Xian Po. Small animals like rabbits, foxes, jackals, wolves, even wild boars can pass, but large beasts such as bears and tigers avoid it, otherwise they would crush the ground and fall."

"Since this is on the eastern side of Xuanhuang Shanmai, hunters from Xuan Guo on the western side won't come, so no one on your side knows this; I have to explain it clearly."

After hearing this, Ning Jinli's scalp instantly went numb!

So, the soldiers and civilians now about to excavate that road must be…

"Men! Escort Old Village Chief and the others away!" Ning Jinli shouted.

She didn't have time to explain to Old Village Chief, turned and sprinted away.

At this moment, Hu Xian Po.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians had already prepared for the start of work.

In front of them lay a vast gently sloping hillside covered with trees and thorns.

Basically, they only needed to clear the vegetation and level the ground, and the main force could pass smoothly.

About two thousand people wielding hoes, shovels, axes and saws were responsible for cutting and digging, while another three thousand carried shovels and handcarts, tasked with following behind and clearing at any time.

This division of labor made the efficiency extremely high.

The supervising officer inspected the ranks, and after confirming everyone was in place, took the Horn attached to his waist, inhaled deeply, and prepared to sound the command to start work.

Doo—

Just as the Horn sounded, a soldier lunged forward and clamped both hands tightly over the mouth of the Horn.

The supervising officer inhaled a great breath, only to have it suddenly blocked, making him roll his eyes white.

"What are you doing!" he shouted furiously, kicking the soldier to the ground.

The soldier, clutching his stomach, gritted his teeth and said, "General… the camp just received word… Fairy has ordered, stop the work!"

"What?"

The supervising officer looked astonished.

The soldier, panting heavily, pulled a Walkie-Talkie from his chest and handed it over, "You can ask yourself."

The supervising officer hurriedly took the Walkie-Talkie, "Hello? Hello? Hello? Fairy said to stop the work? What's happening?"

"Reporting General! The reason is unknown, but this is Fairy's command! Stop immediately!" the voice from the Walkie‑Talkie sounded extremely urgent, "Have everyone withdraw in order, do not cause panic!"

From the tone it was clear there was a serious problem.

The supervising officer let out a sigh, "Yes, please inform the Fairy; we haven't started here yet, I'll arrange the evacuation now."

Although the reason was still unknown, Jinli Fairy issued an urgent order, surely there was her reasoning.

In no time, the orders were passed down step by step; over five thousand people, each led by their unit leaders, gradually retreated along the original route, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.

But at that moment, a deep rumbling suddenly echoed from underground.

Although the few thousand people had not yet entered Hu Xian Po, the sheer number meant their massive weight on the ground still transmitted through the rock and soil.

The crowd had not retreated far when the middle of Hu Xian Po began to shake as the rumbling sounded.

Such abnormal noise panicked the civilians in the crowd, who instinctively bolted.

The soldiers could only strive to stay calm and maintain order, but they could not stop the growing number of fleeing civilians; for a moment, the ground tremors grew increasingly evident.

Boom!

Finally, Hu Xian Po began to collapse from its middle.

Towering ancient trees toppled one after another, then the rock and soil sank underground.

The collapsed area repeatedly formed pits that rapidly expanded in a short time, like a gigantic abyssal mouth devouring everything on the surface.

The supervising officer, standing at a distance, witnessed the terrifying scene, his complexion turning instantly ashen.

Countless civilians scattered in a frantic flight.

In this critical moment, the many soldiers did not abandon the civilians despite their agility and strength; instead they helped the civilians escape as much as possible.

If even they panicked and only cared about saving themselves, the situation would only worsen.

It was unclear how long had passed.

The cataclysmic rumblings finally subsided slowly.

Half an hour later, Ning Jinli arrived nearby; the former Hu Xian Po had vanished, and in her sight a massive pit the size of a football field gaped.

Rocks and soil around the pit continued to tumble down intermittently.

"What's the situation? Anyone fall in? Anyone injured?" Ning Jinli kept as calm as possible, asking the supervising officer.

The supervising officer recalled the recent scene, cold sweat still beading on his back, he swallowed, clasped his fists and said, "Fairy, half an hour ago I ordered a headcount; it should be nearly finished."

Ning Jinli felt anxious inside, but could only wait patiently for the result.

After a while, soldiers leading groups began to arrive one after another to report the situation.

The final tally showed 372 injured, fortunately mostly superficial wounds.

Additionally, fifteen people were missing.

Among the fifteen, three were civilians and twelve were Zhen Xuan Guan soldiers.

Upon learning this, the supervising officer let out a long sigh, "Jinli Fairy, fortunately your order came in time, and you have repeatedly taught the troops to stay calm in danger and protect the civilians first; this time the soldiers performed well, otherwise… the consequences would be unimaginable."

Over five thousand people, only a few hundred injured and a dozen missing—it's already a miracle.

"There are fifteen more," Ning Jinli said gravely, gazing at the huge, dark pit in the distance.

The supervising officer said, "Surely… they fell into the pit. I'll immediately dispatch troops to search."

"Give me a Walkie-Talkie," Ning Jinli reached out to the supervising officer.

The supervising officer promptly handed her one.

Ning Jinli tested it to ensure the Walkie-Talkie worked, then said, "I'm heading into the pit to find them; you may issue orders at any time."

"Fairy, absolutely not!" the supervising officer hurriedly warned, "We still don't know what's inside the pit. Before you arrived I looked from the side—it's bottomless! If you suffer any mishap, we can't report to His Majesty. Let's first send a Drone in to scout, then have the soldiers I've assigned go down to search."

Ning Jinli shook her head, "No, we must act immediately; even if those who fell aren't dead, they may be gravely wounded and in critical condition, we don't have time for slow scouting."

The supervising officer blocked her, still unwilling to yield, "Fairy, in my view, even if the twelve soldiers and three civilians cannot be rescued, they would have no complaints; you truly need not risk yourself."

Ning Jinli furrowed her brows, sternly saying, "Their having no complaints is their matter; our principle is that we must not abandon them! Are you saying we should give up on them?!"

The supervising officer's expression turned awkward, "What if… they fell and died on the spot…?"

"The living must be seen, the dead must be seen!" Ning Jinli's aura was imposing, her eyes icy, "Even if they truly perished, we must give their families an answer! If you block me again, I'll punish you with Military Law! Step aside!"

"Yes, Fairy…," the supervising officer lowered his head and stepped aside.

Ning Jinli clipped the Walkie-Talkie to her belt, took several deep breaths, activated her Internal Skill, charged toward the massive pit, then leapt and vanished from everyone's sight.

The supervising officer clutched another Walkie-Talkie, his face breaking into sweat with nervousness.

A little less than half an hour gradually passed.

No voice from Ning Jinli came through the Walkie-Talkie yet.

The supervising officer shouted a few times, but received no reply.

"Oh no, oh no… could it be… the Fairy is also trapped?"

He spun around anxiously.

Around him, a dozen subordinates grew increasingly uneasy.

"You hold this!" the supervising officer thrust the Walkie-Talkie into a subordinate, then told the others, "Send people to fetch ropes quickly; you all come with me into the pit!"

"Yes, General!" the subordinates replied without hesitation.

Soon, a dozen bundles of rope were brought.

The supervising officer led the way, and just as he was about to be the first to descend, a voice crackled through the Walkie-Talkie, "I've found them! Prepare to receive!"

The supervising officer and the others rejoiced, "Fairy! We'll go down right now to help!"

"Don't!" Ning Jinli warned urgently, "Under no circumstances descend! None of you may approach the edge of the pit!"