The Shu Road is more difficult than ascending to heaven.
The Shu region is mountainous, with winding and difficult roads, and most of the mountains are shrouded in mist year-round.
However, the most difficult part is the border area between Shu and Zhong Province.
For hundreds of miles around, towering mountains and rivers, each over a thousand meters wide, are completely intertwined, with no discernible pattern.
The winding mountain roads and rivers are like half-cooked intestines, carelessly tossed across this border region.
In the middle of the mountain range, two towering mountains, perpetually covered in snow and ice, even in June, heavy snowfalls occur.
They stand like two towering giants, facing each other silently.
Between them lies a deep ravine over two thousand meters wide, with only a three-meter-wide iron suspension bridge spanning it, except for the floating mist and the surging river at its bottom.
The iron chain bridge was shrouded in mist, its chains covered in frost, and its wooden planks riddled with spiderweb-like cracks.
Ghost Sorrow Gorge—even ghosts dreaded it.
The night was as black as ink, the mist churning.
The warriors of the Chen family caravan, carrying torches, formed a fiery dragon and began to stretch towards the iron chain bridge.
"Quickly, speed up! Once we cross Ghost Sorrow Bridge, we can rest!"
Neither the bridge nor the people could be seen in the mist; only their desperate shouts could be heard.
The Chen family caravan, stretching for miles, moved swiftly forward, its torchlight illuminating the entire iron chain bridge, yet a long section remained unreached.
A carriage, without incident, reached the other side of the bridge. Chen Baiwang alighted, anxiously watching the caravan on the opposite bank.
This large-scale relocation primarily involved the transfer of equipment and machinery from various merchants and workshops, making it the largest such operation ever undertaken.
With these devices and machines, and skilled workers and technicians, they could be quickly put into operation with just a little debugging and installation.
Even in the wilderness, what they produced was enough to satisfy people's immediate needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
Some of these devices, after being improved by two generations of the Chen family, had significantly increased efficiency, making them virtually unique. The Chen family's continuous growth and expansion over the years was precisely due to these devices.
In some ways, the importance of these devices even surpassed that of gold and silver.
Mountains of gold and silver are ultimately inanimate objects; in remote and impoverished areas, can they be eaten, worn, or even reproduce ?
For this reason, Chen Baiwang specifically recruited three major mercenary groups, plus Chen family warriors, totaling more than two thousand people, to protect the caravan along the way.
Even so, Chen Baiwang was still not at ease, which is why he personally took charge of this great transfer.
Under Chen Baiwang's anxious gaze, the massive caravan, though fraught with danger, crossed the Ghost Sorrow Bridge and traversed the razor-sharp mountain pass, winding its way down the mountain.
At the foot of the mountain, the advance troops had already arranged everything in the town; the continuous lights illuminating the cold night offered a sense of warmth.
More than two thousand warriors and three thousand laborers quickened their pace, urging the carts and horses down the rugged road.
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
On the slopes on both sides of the mountain road, cloaks were lifted, revealing crossbows, and figures in white emerged from the snow.
Swish, swish, swish!
Countless crossbow bolts, each over a meter long, shot out, the dense sound blending into a continuous barrage, like a vast swarm of locusts darkening the sky, descending upon the caravan on the mountain road.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The captains of the three mercenary groups were the first to spot the attack, roaring in fury as they stepped forward to protect Chen Baiwang's carriage.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Over two thousand warriors, almost simultaneously, drew their weapons, roaring as they slashed at the incoming crossbow bolts.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
Countless bolts were intercepted by swords and blades, sparks flying, or broken in two and falling to the ground.
However, the bolts were dense like rain, and the distance was short; a significant portion of them, unstoppable, struck the caravan.
Countless laborers were torn apart, pierced, and fell into pools of blood, screaming in agony.
Dozens didn't even have time to react before being pinned to the ground by the bolts, becoming specimens.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
Vehicles struck by the bolts either shattered into pieces or overturned, the animals pulling them neighing in terror and fleeing wildly down the mountain.
Another series of agonizing screams followed as the laborers and warriors who had fallen and been pinned to the ground were trampled to pieces, their bones crushed and their flesh ground to dust!
The neighing of horses and screams of agony echoed through the mountains, never ceasing.
A second wave of arrows rained down like locusts.
Fortunately, the two thousand-plus warriors had regained their composure, forming a tight protective net that intercepted most of the crossbow bolts on either side.
Under the cover of these two barriers, the caravan, stretching for miles, hurriedly moved down the mountain.
A third wave of crossbow bolts once again blanketed the area.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
On both sides of the mountain path, over eight hundred white-clad assassins drew their weapons, roaring furiously as they charged towards the caravan.
In the blink of an eye, the two groups were locked in a fierce and brutal battle on the narrow mountain path.
High above, Chen Ke, piloting the Pig-Trough Divine Ship, concealed himself in the clouds, calmly observing the carnage below.
On the crystal wall in front of the cockpit, the radar map activated, clearly displaying twelve red dots and six yellow dots.
The twelve red dots, needless to say, represented twelve highly skilled fighters.
Judging from the positions indicated by the red dots, only three experts were guarding the Chen family caravan, flanking his father's carriage.
The remaining nine experts were all moving around the outer edge of the mountain road, and could only be enemies.
What reassured Chen Ke was that the six yellow dots represented the Qin princess's subordinates.
Chen Ke could sense the aura of these six experts, or more precisely, the aura of the blackwood token.
Chen Ke also possessed a token with the same aura, which was currently hanging at his waist.
Chen Ke wasn't in a hurry to act, but he had already switched his divine vessel to "combat mode," focusing his attention on his father's carriage.
Casualties for the caravan were inevitable, and the enemy's attack couldn't be limited to this wave, so he was waiting for an opportunity.
Moreover, the caravan was protected by over two thousand warriors, who not only showed no signs of defeat but had also contained the assassins' advance.
The Qin princess's subordinates hadn't made a move yet, clearly having realized this as well.
Bang!
A patch of ice and snow suddenly exploded on the hillside beside the mountain road, and a figure soared into the sky.
While still in mid-air, the white-clad expert swiftly slashed at Chen Baiwang's carriage with his blade.
A chilling, azure blade of light rapidly expanded in the air, illuminating the entire hillside.
The surging blade of light, larger than the giant pig-trough spaceship, instantly tore through the night sky and flashed down.
It was inches from the carriage!