The two vehicles bumped along the road for over three hours, gradually making their way deeper into the mountains.
After another two hours, the Land Rover in front finally came to a stop.
The driver’s door opened, and a man got out. He had a gentle look, wore a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist, a Gucci tracksuit, and kept his hair in a neat crew cut. His build was well-proportioned, and his features leaned more towards a southern look.
The passenger door opened, and a woman hopped down from the Land Rover.
She wore a black baseball cap, her hair tied in a ponytail with a light red string, head slightly lowered. Her profile gave off a fresh, clean vibe, though her face wasn’t visible from the front. Her figure wasn’t the classic hourglass, but it was definitely the kind that would make any man’s gaze linger.
She was dressed in full outdoor gear, a Nepali kukri strapped to her right thigh, black hiking boots on her feet, and in her fair hand, she held an old Nikon SLR camera. The body looked dated, but the lens was new—she was the picture of a photography enthusiast.
As soon as she got out, she raised the camera and snapped a couple of shots of the surroundings. Then she checked her camera, her expression fresh and serene.
"Bella Xiao, this is Thornridge Mountain. Up ahead is Oxhorn Village. We’ll rest here for a bit and head into the village after six."
The man who got out on the other side was named Zane Wang. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, there was still a wolfish glint in his eyes.
It was the look of a hunter. When he glanced at Bella Xiao, his gaze was more appreciative than anything else.
"Why after six?" Bella Xiao frowned slightly, a bit puzzled. Her gaze stayed on the SLR in her hands, clearly dissatisfied with the two photos she’d just taken.
"That’s a bit complicated. Oxhorn Village is a weird place—there’s only a one-hour window from six to seven in the evening when you can actually enter. If you’re too early or too late, you won’t even see the village at all."
Zane Wang explained patiently.
The Hummer behind them also came to a stop.
Leo Liu and the others got out and walked over. "Zane! There’s still an hour before six. Why don’t we grab a bite here first?"
"I want to stretch my legs. Been sitting all day—I'm dead tired." The woman from the passenger seat got out, glanced at Xiao Beiyu, then shook her head to clear her mind.
"Claire, that won’t do. You need more exercise. Look at Zane’s friend—also a girl, also sat all day, and she’s totally fine." Harvey Chen, sporting a chunky gold chain, chuckled as he pulled a recurve bow from the back seat, nocked an arrow, and stood to the side.
There was a cliff here, and beyond it stretched a bare forest. The trees had been burned down, leaving the ground exposed and barren.
He drew the bow, scanned the area, and looked around—but found no prey.
"There was a huge fire in Thornridge Mountain recently. They even sent planes to put it out. Most of the mountain got burned, and who knows how many years it’ll take to grow back." Zane Wang tried to make conversation with Bella Xiao. She put away her camera and nodded slightly: "It’s a shame. I heard you could see ancient five-hundred-year-old pines here, but I wonder if those survived the fire."
"Who knows. We’re mainly here to play with bows, anyway. Plus, I heard Thornridge Mountain is where Duke Zhuang of Lu’s tomb is supposed to be. A friend told me some antiques that turned up in River City recently came from here."
Zane Wang glanced around and spoke slowly: "There are all kinds of wild beasts here—pretty dangerous, too. If we head into the mountains, don’t stray too far from me."
"There’s someone down there!"
At this moment, Harvey Chen, who’d been searching for prey with his recurve bow, frowned and spoke softly.
He drew the bow, the whole thing forming a crescent in his hands.
This custom recurve bow took a hundred kilos of force to pull to a half-moon, and three hundred to fully draw.
Harvey could only manage a half-moon draw—not a full one yet.
Right now, he looked down from the cliff and spotted a teenager with a backpack, slowly walking across the scorched earth below.
The sight made Harvey frown in surprise.
"Someone down there?" Zane Wang walked over and followed Harvey’s gaze downward.
Just as Zane Wang reached Harvey’s side, Harvey suddenly released the bowstring.
The crimson arrow shot through the air, slicing a cold arc straight down toward the bottom of the cliff.
Leo Liu couldn’t help but sigh: "Harvey, you always shoot first and ask questions later. Hitting someone isn’t a big deal out here—no one’s going to care in a place like this. But wasting arrows, now that’s a tragedy."
"Thornridge Mountain isn’t safe. Once we get to Oxhorn Village, everyone needs to keep a low profile."
"Missed?"
Bella Xiao walked to the edge of the cliff, raised her camera, and took a shot of the ground below. She studied the photo, lost in thought.
Zane Wang also looked down, slightly puzzled: "Where’s the arrow you just shot?"
"No idea. I saw that kid walking below—should’ve been a sure shot. But both the arrow and the kid just vanished?" Harvey frowned, clearly confused.
"Watch out!"
Suddenly, Zane sensed something. His face changed, and he lashed out with a kick at Harvey standing beside him.
Zane’s kick sent Harvey flying, but it was still too late.
The arrow that should’ve shot downward suddenly reversed course, shooting up from below the cliff with a shrill whistle, and pierced straight through Harvey’s right arm.
The force of the arrow slammed Harvey against the rock wall behind him, pinning him there, the shaft buried deep in the stone.
Harvey’s face went pale. The others stared in shock and rushed over to help.
Zane Wang stood there, reaching out to try and pull the arrow from Harvey’s right shoulder.
His first attempt failed—the arrow was embedded deep in the rock.
Zane took a deep breath, steadied himself, and finally managed to yank the arrow free with a burst of strength.
He tossed the arrow aside, hurried back to the car for gauze and alcohol, and bandaged Harvey’s wound.
"What the hell just happened with that arrow?"
Everyone stared at the blood-soaked arrow, stunned.
It was the same arrow, but for it to fly back up like that and still hit with such force—
Whoever shot that arrow must be insanely strong!
And if Zane hadn’t kicked Harvey out of the way just in time, that arrow would’ve gone straight through his heart.
"Thornridge Mountain isn’t safe. Once we get to Oxhorn Village, everyone needs to keep a low profile."
Zane Wang’s face was deadly serious.
Bella Xiao walked to the edge of the cliff, raised her camera, and took a shot of the ground below. She studied the photo, lost in thought.