Chapter 611 - 383: Stone Forest Disappearance

Chapter 611: Chapter 383: Stone Forest Disappearance

The inside of the General’s mansion looked similar to the outside, without any elaborate decorations. Upon entering, there was a martial arts training ground and then the main hall.

A middle-aged man was pacing left and right, appearing anything but calm. Several soldiers stood on either side, perhaps to guard against sudden situations.

When he saw Xiaomiao enter, the middle-aged man was taken aback: "You are Jiang Xiaomiao?"

Xiaomiao was also surprised: "You know me?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I don’t know you, but I heard Wei mention his sister, saying you’re even more formidable than he is."

However, in Wei’s words, this sister was a delicate and cute little girl who loved to act coy. Even as they listened to Wei’s praises, they merely chuckled, not really believing that such a charming young girl could be all that formidable.

But the girl standing before him, though travel-worn, couldn’t hide the heroic spirit between her brows. As she walked with large strides, her posture was upright, her head held high.

At her waist hung a short sword, even though wrapped in a leather sheath, the handle revealed it was identical to the peculiar short sword Wei always carried in his hand.

Thus, it could almost be confirmed that this girl was indeed Wei Ziang’s sister, as Wei Ziang had personally mentioned that his sharp and dangerous short sword was sent by his sister for his protection.

She looked more like a seasoned veteran than the daughter of a wealthy family!

That was the reason for the astonishment of the middle-aged man.

A hothouse flower he expected, yet she gave him such a feeling, was truly unexpected.

Particularly considering the letter he sent out, even at the fastest speed, should take about three days, and today on the fifth day, this girl had come to the General’s mansion looking for him.

Could it be understood that this girl traveled even faster than the special courier he sent?

But seeing the fatigue on Jiang Xiaomiao’s face, especially the bloodshot eyes, it was a testament that this was real.

These thoughts merely flashed across the middle-aged man’s mind as Xiaomiao approached him.

Xiaomiao cupped her fists and bowed: "I suppose you are General Song Wu. Citizen Jiang Xiaomiao, I have come for my brother Wei Ziang."

"Please, General, tell me the direction my brother has left in, so I may search for him."

General Song Wu quickly raised his hand in a gesture to lift her up: "Miss Jiang, please rise. You are the Earl’s legitimate daughter. I, a mere general, cannot bear this."

Oh, her father now held the title of Earl, Xiaomiao remembered belatedly.

But that wasn’t important.

"General, time is urgent. Could you tell me the direction they left in? A moment of delay here means added danger for my brother."

Xiaomiao was anxiously impatient, wanting nothing to do with idle chatter with the general.

"You, a little girl, wish to search for someone? Do you know that a full thousand people haven’t returned from finding them, and we’ve sent several thousand more with no trace? How will you search?"

Jiang Wu frowned; courage was good, but only courage was recklessness.

Xiaomiao wasted no words and snapped her fingers sharply. Instantly, the little eight from her shoulder spread its wings and flew, quickly circling in the sky and speaking.

"Brother, brother~"

Jiang Wu was shocked, his eyes wide: "That bird can speak?"

The other soldiers were similarly astounded, yet good duty kept them in check.

"This is a myna, taught to speak from a young age, and Little Eight is very fast, capable of flying over 100 kilometers in half an hour. With it here, finding my brother from above is far simpler."

Jiang Wu returned to his senses and quickly shouted: "What are you waiting for! Hurry, prepare the horses. I’ll personally lead and accompany Miss Jiang in the search!"

In less than a tea’s time, Xiaomiao and Jiang Wei rode out of the city, only this time they headed in another direction.

Once outside the gates, it was a boundless grassland.

On the road, Song Wu briefly explained to Xiaomiao.

It turned out the main task was to hunt bandits, a group of prairie robbers specializing in plundering merchants en route.

Though the border had frequent skirmishes lately, there was an unwritten rule that no harm should come to merchants with legitimate identities, and provisions for their protection were occasionally made.

Of course, the merchants were not only from the Xuyu Dynasty but also from foreign tribes.

And recently, caravans kept disappearing; the fortunate ones escaping reported a gang of robbers specializing in attacking caravans a hundred miles from Lishi City.

Moreover, from the robbers came no survivors; women and children weren’t spared, and the lucky survivor lived only because their parents covered them, feigning death.

That band of robbers numbered over a hundred, so in theory, Wei Ziang commanding a force of a thousand should be able to annihilate them, given Wei Ziang’s skills were acknowledged by all.

The anomaly was the thousand men vanished without a trace; searches sent found no sign of a fight.

Song Wu personally led the way, traveling a hundred miles, arriving at the destination by noon.

Looking at the rocky mountain ahead, Xiaomiao’s heart sank: "General, are you sure those bandits hide in this stone forest?"

Legends told of the stone forest where entrants never emerged, devouring all, regardless of who they were.

Song Wu nodded, his expression grave: "Indeed, I had them deploy surrounding ambushes, attacking those inside when they targeted caravans, strictly prohibiting entering."

But all ultimately went missing.

"I’ve searched the periphery with my men, but with no results, losing over a hundred more; I’ve stopped sending them in."

Though he guarded Lishi City for years, he remained helpless against the stone forest.

"But Miss Jiang has this myna; traveling from above surely will locate them."

Song Wu’s mood improved slightly.

Less than half a month; they’re still mounted, and finding them promptly means some will surely survive!

Xiaomiao nodded, patting the myna on her shoulder: "Ling’er, it’s up to you."

"Fear not, Master." Ling’er spread its wings, soaring to heights, reaching the stone forest’s mid-mountainside with one flap.

Song Wu: "Miss Jiang, didn’t you call it Little Eight earlier?"

Xiaomiao smiled slightly: "Oh, it has two names, which I alternate."

She glanced at Song Wu, and the others following him, hopped off her horse.

"General, I’m exhausted from traveling all night. I wish to find a spot nearby to rest; once Ling’er returns, we’ll have results."

Saying this, she led the horse beside a large boulder, sat directly on the ground, leaned against the rock, and closed her eyes to relax.

Meanwhile, a bit of Spiritual Spring water appeared in her palm.

The horse, her recent purchase, having tasted the Spiritual Spring water, lowered its head to lick, kneeling, unable to reach with Xiaomiao sitting, lowered and licked the water from her palm.

This appeared to others as if the horse were soothing Xiaomiao.

Song Wu waved: "Let us wait a while, gather around here, don’t disturb Miss Jiang’s rest."

They, a group of men indeed, shouldn’t crowd near a young girl.