Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Life's Paths Are Often Treacherous (Part 5)

The waterfall murmured softly in his ears.

Si Cang Qing stood among the pebbles by the mountain stream, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at 

the joyfully dancing clear water. His eyes were serene: This was the third time—the third time he had come to 

this very place, this modest waterfall.

They say following the water would lead to an exit, yet downstream lies a sheer cliff, while upstream is a tangled 

jungle of overlapping peaks. Thus, he circles back to the starting point.

Just like in the poisonous forest of Heze—countless apparent exits, yet each attempt ends in vain. Could it truly 

be the Tianji Formation?

The clear stream splashed against the rocks, sending droplets flying. The hem of his robe grew slightly damp, but 

Si Cang Qing merely lifted his gaze to the deep, azure sky—as serene and timeless as it had ever been.

In truth, they should count themselves fortunate. This place could never become another Heze Poison Forest. 

Even if Cheng Tianyi abandoned this location, transforming it into a death trap to ensnare the Canghuan Army, it 

paled in comparison to the peril they faced in Heze. This place called the Perilous Forest contained nothing but 

ancient trees, tangled undergrowth, and thorny weeds. No other living creatures stirred, an eerie stillness hanging 

over it. They were merely trapped—unable to leave, unable to enter.

Perhaps it wasn't that Cheng Tianyi didn't want to create a Heze Poison Forest, but rather that such a labyrinth of 

poisonous miasma was nearly impossible to achieve.

They had been trapped in this perilous forest, watching the sun rise and set, for over ten days now. The greatest 

difficulty now lay not in the forest's inherent danger, but rather...

Turning to glance at the dwindling ranks of his army, the soldiers looked gaunt and despondent, their armor 

battered and incomplete. Si Cang Qing lowered his gaze to the flowing stream, clear as crystal. Within this maze, 

the greatest problem was the lack of water to quench their thirst and food to fill their stomachs.

Even this babbling brook had once become a deadly poison for nearly ten thousand soldiers.

By Si Cang Qing's order, none of the soldiers here were permitted to drink the stream water or hunt for food. Yet, 

after nearly ten days of being trapped, all provisions and clean water were finally exhausted. Many ordinary 

soldiers grew weaker day by day, enduring hunger and thirst as they wandered through this endless maze.

Upon reaching the waterfall for the second time, some could no longer endure. Under cover of night, they 

concealed their actions from one another and drank freely from the stream to quench their thirst.

This act proved akin to drinking poison to quench thirst. Thirty percent of the soldiers succumbed to the poison.

Witnessing their comrades dying one by one, panic seized the entire army. They could only bury the dead where 

they fell and press on once more. This time, however, no one dared touch the water—poisoned as it was—nor the 

wild food of the forest.

Marching onward without water or sustenance, their numbers dwindled steadily. Now... fewer than five thousand 

remained. Even these barely surviving soldiers could scarcely endure any longer.

Si Cang Qing stared at the plunging cascade, his mind already clear—was this Cheng Tianyi's plan? If the invasion 

succeeded, he would seize Canghuan; even if it failed, given his temperament, a southern campaign was inevitable. 

Thus, the enemy had set this deadly trap here. Its purpose was twofold: first, to defend, allowing Hongcheng to 

catch its breath; Second, to trap and annihilate the vast Canghuan army with minimal effort.

This was unmistakably Cheng Tianyi's style—sacrificing Fengsi City, abandoning Yaoshan Ridge, to preserve a 

nation, and even seize the opportunity for a counterattack.

“Your Majesty,” a familiar voice called from behind, “the waters here are poisonous. It would be safer for you to 

keep your distance.”

Si Cang Qing turned to look at Mo Qingjue, his gaze cold. The man before him had discarded all his armor, his 

robes filthy and disheveled, his face haggard. Though he appeared slightly better off than the common soldiers, 

he was still in an exceptionally wretched state.

Si Cang Qing had always suspected this man. At one point, he believed they both understood the truth, maintaining 

a facade while waging a silent war. Yet now, Si Cang Qing felt a flicker of doubt. If this man truly orchestrated 

everything, what was his purpose? To trap him to death? But why involve himself?

Si Cang Qing feared no poison. Even when the pain became unbearable, drinking the water and eating the wild 

vegetables here would not prove fatal—at worst, it might cause some discomfort. In contrast, Mo Qingjue's spirits 

had visibly waned over the past few days. He could only trudge forward with great difficulty, relying on the 

soldiers to support one another.

None of the suspicions could be rationally explained or proven; everything rested solely on intuition. For the first 

time, Si Cang Qing doubted the accuracy of his own instincts.

“Your Majesty?” Mo Qingjue tentatively spoke again, a hint of confusion in his eyes, seemingly unable to 

understand why Si Cang Qing was silently staring at him.

Si Cang Qing slowly shook his head. “I am well.”

“Your Majesty,” Mo Qingjue's voice carried palpable disappointment and defeat, “I have failed. I allowed 

the elite troops of Canghuan to become trapped in this deadly terrain, and worse, I have brought shame upon 

Your Majesty!”

Si Cang Qing turned his gaze toward the distance, his voice calm. “It is not your fault.”

Mo Qingjue offered no reply, merely bowing his head. His body swayed twice before he steadied himself with 

effort.

Catching his subordinate's state out of the corner of his eye, Si Cang Qing suddenly asked, “I hear you excel in 

the art of formations?”

Mo Qingjue paused, then answered with shame, “Your Majesty, I am incompetent. I assumed the formations here 

would be no more complex than the maze at Fengsi City. I never imagined...”

“Now,” Mo Qingjue's expression grew flushed with embarrassment as he struggled to continue, “I can only place 

my hopes on Your Majesty. My death matters little, but you are the true dragon incarnate. You must not suffer 

even the slightest harm.”

Si Cang Qing appeared indifferent as he remarked, “This maze formation—you have no thoughts on it at all?”

◇Cang◇Huan◇Qi◇Gong◇

“Not entirely impossible...”

Mo Qingjue hesitated briefly before replying softly.

Hearing this, Si Cang Qing turned his head to stare intently at him. “Tell me more.”

"All things in this world have their natural opposites. Where there is an array, there must be a way to break it. 

Take the famed Xuanji Seven-Star Formation of old—though it was said to offer no escape but death, 

the Emperor ultimately broke it. Therefore, this maze must have an exit."

An exit? Si Cang Qing pondered silently. There must be one—otherwise, they wouldn’t have circled this place 

three times. But the Tianji Formation’s true challenge lay not in finding an exit, but in its timing.

That man truly had colluded with Cheng Tianyi. At this thought, Si Cang Qing glanced at Mo Qingjue, who was 

deep in thought. He heard the other continue his speculation, “The first two times, we were deceived by those 

false exits, causing us to circle endlessly.”

“This time,” Mo Qingjue turned toward the waterfall, “I have a bold theory...”

Following his gaze, Si Cang Qing looked over. The waterfall? He'd thought the same earlier. With countless 

other gates of life before, he hadn't paid it any mind. Later, when countless soldiers were poisoned by the water, 

he dismissed it entirely. But now, returning here for the third time, this place must be either the endpoint or 

the starting point.

Therefore, the most suspicious element was that intimidating waterfall.

Beneath the rocks obscured by the rushing currents, perhaps lay the secret to solving the maze.

However, Si Cang Qing couldn't be certain. If this truly was the Tianji Formation, finding the correct Gate of Life 

wasn't enough—precise timing was essential! With only five thousand elite troops remaining out of thirty 

thousand, this gamble couldn't be attempted lightly.

Seeming to grasp Si Cang Qing's hesitation, Mo Qingjue murmured, “Your Majesty, rather than waiting passively 

for death, we should fight for a chance. There may still be a glimmer of hope.” He glanced at the ancient trees 

swaying in the breeze. “Though most plants here are poisonous, as long as we avoid their sap, the danger is 

manageable. Perhaps we could use them to shield our soldiers as they sneak beneath the waterfall.”

Si Cang Qing remained silent.

Mo Qingjue also fell quiet, turning to observe the dying soldiers. After a long pause, he spoke again, 

“Your Majesty, perhaps we should consult the soldiers themselves...”

After a moment's thought, Si Cang Qing finally gave a slight nod, his gaze still fixed intently on the area. 

“I shall go and investigate.” Unafraid of the poison, he would lead the way to assess the situation. After all, 

even if they used the branches and leaves to shield their bodies, they couldn't avoid contact with the water—the 

toxicity of which remained unknown.

“Your Majesty, you mustn't!” Mo Qingjue hurriedly protested.

But the moment Si Cang Qing finished speaking, he was already moving, his feet stepping onto the water as 

he sped upstream!

The soldiers who had been resting grew alarmed at Si Cang Qing's sudden action. Mo Qingjue quickly turned 

back, briefly explaining the situation to everyone before directing them to cut branches and leaves to weave a 

makeshift shelter.

Standing on the inner side of the waterfall, Si Cang Qing silently surveyed the area. This spot was slightly 

recessed, shielded from the splashing water. Cut off from the outside light, it was dimly lit. He carefully 

examined every inch, noticing a cluster of thorns among the jagged rocks at the corner that seemed slightly odd.

Yes. Here?

Not far from the waterfall, soldiers propped themselves up with weakened bodies and began moving.

“BOOM—”

The deafening explosion startled everyone. They looked toward the source as the water surged upward several 

meters. A faint white figure flew toward them—it was Si Cang Qing!

“Your Majesty!”

Mo Qingjue gathered his strength and flew over, but it was too late. He could only watch as Si Cang Qing 

crashed heavily to the ground.

“Pfft—”

He coughed up a mouthful of blood. Si Cang Qing propped himself up with one hand, his brow tightly furrowed. 

Beads of cold sweat rolled down his cheeks.

“Your Majesty,” Mo Qingjue hurried to Si Cang Qing's side, crouching down. After a moment's hesitation, 

he reached out to support him. “You...”

The sudden turn of events threw everyone into a panic, all of them flustered and at a loss.

Just then, they noticed something peculiar: the once-raging torrent was gradually slowing. To their astonishment, 

the waterfall upstream was diminishing in force.

Eyes closed, Si Cang Qing steadied the turmoil within his body. Slowly pushing himself upright, he evaded 

Mo Qingjue’s outstretched hand and said softly, “I’m fine.”

After speaking, he gazed thoughtfully at the waterfall, which was now ceasing to flow. Gunpowder had been 

buried there! A shadow of worry crossed his mind. If this was Cheng Tianyi's doing, then the battles ahead would 

likely be exceptionally difficult.

In this age of cold steel, gunpowder's destructive force rivaled heavenly thunder and earthly fire—no ordinary 

weapon could withstand it.

Frowning, Mo Qingjue watched Si Cang Qing with faint worry. He opened his lips but ultimately said nothing.

“Your Majesty! General!” Soldiers' excited shouts suddenly pierced the air. “There's a cave over there!”

Mo Qingjue looked up. Beneath the gradually subsiding cascade, a narrow cave entrance indeed appeared. 

From afar, it seemed to lead into a deep, pitch-black void.

His internal injuries temporarily suppressed, Si Cang Qing rose to his feet. Scanning the eager faces around him, 

he spoke calmly to Mo Qingjue, “Let's go.”

This cave was truly their only path to survival now. Success or failure hinged entirely on this venture.

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