Chapter 531: 【Sandstorm Rising】(Part 1)

After hearing that, Wu Jianshan's head drooped instantly. Really, this kid truly has talent! Good thing he didn't suggest a couplet duel with him, otherwise he'd just embarrass himself. Stroking his goat beard, he sighed: "Lord Hu truly is a great talent; everything he casually produces is a masterpiece for the ages." That's not wrong—Hu Xiaotian indeed just pulls things out of thin air, relying on his past love for classical poetry, casually pulling out a poem that left Wu Jianshan, the leader of the Meishan School, stunned speechless. This isn't because Hu Xiaotian's own learning surpasses Wu Jianshan's; he's impressive because he stands on the shoulders of countless literary giants.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "I've also come up with a poem, but I only remember the first two lines; I can't think of suitable lines for the last two, no matter how I rack my brains. Why don't I recite it and have Sir Wu help me think?"

Wu Jianshan blushed and said: "Not worthy, not worthy."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Viewed sideways it becomes a ridge, viewed from the side it becomes a peak; near and far, high and low differ... I still can't find suitable lines for the latter two; please, Sir Wu, give me guidance."

Wu Jianshan's forehead had already begun to sweat. Hearing "Viewed sideways it becomes a ridge, viewed from the side it becomes a peak; near and far, high and low differ," it sounded simple and unadorned, yet the description was precise to the extreme. Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian—this person's learning is truly unfathomable. Wu Jianshan thought and thought, but still couldn't find a suitable line. He had no idea that this "West Forest Wall" topic was Su Shi's depiction of Mount Lu, which Hu Xiaotian had plagiarized and applied to the Peak Forest Gorge. Hu Xiaotian wasn't unable to come up with a suitable line; rather, the third line couldn't be spoken directly, otherwise people would surely ask, "What mountain is Mount Lu?" Isn't that the Peak Forest Gorge?

The two rode side by side, composing poetry, when suddenly a commotion came from behind, followed immediately by a thunderous roar. Hu Xiaotian turned to look. He saw a yellow earth pillar as tall as a three-story building suddenly tilt and collapse. The rearmost part of the convoy was carrying grain and supplies; two wagons couldn't evade in time, and together with seven wagon drivers they were completely buried under the earth pillar. In an instant, people and horses panicked, and dust rose everywhere.

Hu Xiaotian hastily turned his horse toward the Princess Anping's carriage and shouted: "Protect the princess!"

Princess Anping lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. Outside, dust filled the air, blocking the sky and sun. Zhou Mo and Zhan Peng each stood guard on either side of the carriage, and Hu Xiaotian had already returned to the carriage's side in the first moment.

Princess Anping extended her arm from the carriage window and handed Hu Xiaotian a mask; she remarked that this mask was specially made by Hu Xiaotian, never expecting it to be useful here.

Hu Xiaotian took the mask and put it on. He gestured for Princess Anping to lower the carriage curtain to keep dust out.

The kicked-up dust gradually settled, and everyone arrived at the accident site, only to see both wagons completely crushed under the yellow earth pillar; the seven wagon guards and four draft horses had been pulverized into minced meat. The scene was too horrific to behold.

Wen Boyuan checked the surroundings and found no enemy ambush; the yellow earth pillar appeared to have collapsed because its base had been eroded by wind and rain, a natural fall. It just so happened to strike their wagons and horses.

Hu Xiaotian looked ahead and saw that their surroundings were full of such yellow earth pillars; many had been eroded at the base by years of wind and rain into mushroom shapes. After realizing their environment, everyone's hearts tightened with tension. Just moments ago they had marveled at the strange landscape, but now they felt nature's cruelty.

A sudden gust of bitter north wind blew, lifting the yellow earth from the ground. Wen Boyuan gave a glance; a thin man in gray warrior attire nearby scrambled up a yellow earth pillar like a spirit ape, and in an instant reached the top, from where he could clearly see their surroundings.

Seeing the warrior signal that the area was clear, Wen Boyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the pillar's collapse was merely a fluke—man-made disasters can be prevented, natural ones cannot. He said in a low voice: "Pass through here quickly; do not linger."

The seven deceased wagon guards were all retainers of the Tang brothers; looking at the blood-stained yellow earth and the high mound, they could only sigh helplessly.

Hu Xiaotian whispered to Zhou Mo: "Something feels off; I clearly received word that someone would set an ambush here, yet I see no one."

Zhou Mo looked up; several scouts had climbed the surrounding yellow earth pillars, overlooking the area and catching even the slightest rustle. Zhou Mo frowned and lowered his voice: "The terrain here is intricate and tangled; these yellow earth pillars form a natural labyrinth, making this an ideal ambush site if someone were to set one."

Wen Boyuan obviously realized this as well and shouted: "Everyone, speed up and get through here as fast as possible."

The north wind howled, carrying yellow earth and ice pellets, striking people's faces and bodies; the ice melted on skin into water, mixing with mud and clinging to their faces, the murky yellow earth making it hard to keep their eyes open.

Even inside Princess Anping's carriage, dust permeated every crevice; the princess and Tang Qingxuan had already donned the masks designed by Hu Xiaotian. Though unassuming, they effectively kept out dust, far superior in design and practicality to a simple veil.

Wen Boyuan led the charge at the front, but suddenly he reined in his horse and made a stop signal; just as the convoy halted, they saw a huge mushroom-shaped yellow earth pillar slowly tilt toward the road's center. After the massive earth pillar fell, the entire ground trembled.

Though these well-trained warriors had faced countless dangerous scenes, the sight before them still shocked them; humans are so powerless before nature—if all these yellow earth pillars toppled, the casualties and losses would be unimaginable.

At this moment, the Minister of Rites, Wu Jianshan, was so frightened his soul had left his body; he no longer had any interest in composing poetry, curled up inside the carriage, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, regretting deeply—had he known, he should have heeded Hu Xiaotian's advice and taken the route through Wuxing Commandery; even if they encountered rebels, it would be far safer than this dreadful environment.

Because Wen Boyuan promptly sensed the danger ahead, this collapse of the yellow earth pillar caused no casualties. He slowly drew his long sword from his waist: the blade was four chi three cun long, bright as autumn water, the spine about half a finger thick, the body three fingers wide, tapering gradually toward the tip, the edge thin as a cicada's wing. This sword is named Tiger Soul, a gift from his master, the Blade Demon FengXingyun.

After the ground's tremors subsided, the flying dust still lingered in the air; all the warriors stood on high alert, silently listening to their surroundings. The warriors observing from atop the yellow earth pillars, after scouting, signaled that the area was clear. However, the road ahead had been completely blocked by the collapsed earth pillars; to move forward they had to find another way.

Zhan Peng dismounted, placed his left hand flat on the ground, his brows knotted tightly; convinced after the tremors, he lay prone, ear to the ground, listening with his right ear for any movement.

Everything around was eerily silent; the tense warriors' breathing grew heavy. How could two consecutive yellow earth pillars collapse so coincidentally?

Zhan Peng rose, drew a feathered arrow from his quiver with a backhand, aimed at the ground ahead, and shot it with a swish! The arrowhead was unusually shaped—a spiral like a drill—and its fletching differed from normal arrows. Upon release, the arrow spun at high speed; hitting soft earth, it could burrow two zhang deep. With a swoosh, the fletching vanished into the soil, leaving only a thumb-sized hole.

After firing the arrow with no reaction, Zhan Peng's tense nerves eased a little—then suddenly a boom! came from ahead; an explosion erupted before the convoy, launching a wagon into the air, the draft horses screaming as they tumbled mid‑air, mud and debris scattering everywhere; more than a dozen warriors who hadn't dodged in time stood at the blast's center, torn apart, flesh and blood flying.

After the blast, it was as if heaven and earth collapsed; yellow earth pillars toppled one after another into the midst of the troop, splitting them into several sections; in an instant, people and horses were overturned, chaos reigned.

Suddenly the ground beneath Princess Anping's carriage cracked, and the carriage began to fall. At the critical moment, Zhou Mo seized the reins, planted his feet, exerted his arms, and let out a thunderous roar that shook the heavens, hauling the wagon back up and stopping its descent. The coachman seated up front wasn't so lucky; caught off guard, he slipped from the tilting wagon, tumbled, and fell into a fissure in the earth.

Inside the carriage, Long Xi Yue and Tang Qingxuan screamed in unison. Tang Qingxuan, trained in martial arts since youth and far more adept at reacting, kicked the carriage door open and shouted: "Sister, jump up quickly!"

Hu Xiaotian dismounted, rushed to the princess's carriage in an instant, lay at the edge of the crack, reached out, and shouted: "Princess, grab my hand!"

Long Xi Yue's face turned ashen; with Tang Qingxuan's help she barely managed to reach the carriage door, extended her arm, and Hu Xiaotian seized her wrist, hauling her up from the tilting carriage with sheer strength.

Tang Qingxuan then tried to leap out, but a bright spear thrust up from the ground, forcing her to fall back into the carriage.

Swish! A feathered arrow shot into the opened fissure, followed by an anguished cry; Zhan Peng, arriving just in time, loosed an arrow that killed the enemy hidden underground.

Behind Zhou Mo, a massive yellow earth pillar slowly toppled; he turned and shouted: "Jump!"

Tang Qingxuan lunged again at the carriage door, braced with both arms, leapt outward with all her might, gripping the edge of the cracked earth layer; but the layer couldn't bear her weight and gave way, she cried out in alarm—just as she was about to fall, Hu Xiaotian swiftly reached out, seized her arm, and pulled her to safety.

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