Listening to his words, Liu Rumei appeared quite calm, "Don't worry, it's not that serious."
"I trust Chen Xiaobei. Although he's young, he's resourceful and will surely ensure His Highness the Crown Prince's safety."
"But, they don't know martial arts. Only Ma Biao and a few others. I'm truly worried."
Liu Rumei waved her hand, "Rest assured, Chen Xiaobei has his unique methods. No one can get close to them."
What Liu Rumei was thinking of, naturally, were landmines.
As he expected, Chen Xiaobei had made corresponding arrangements.
Upon reaching the steep slope, they first set up camp in the woods and buried several of the landmines they carried at the necessary passages for entering and exiting the forest.
This was to prevent surprise attacks at night.
He also had Chen Dayong and the others bury one on the steep slope, which would surely be triggered if anyone passed by.
Looking at these round iron objects, Xiao Jingyun became curious, "My loyal minister, what are these things?"
Chen Xiaobei knew it would be difficult to explain clearly in a short time, so he gave a brief introduction, "Your Highness, if you tie this string, when someone passes by and touches it, this iron object will explode and make a sound. It can both injure the enemy and serve as a warning to us."
Xiao Jingyun nodded, half-believing.
"Is it truly that miraculous?"
Chen Xiaobei spread his hands, "Your Highness, I cannot demonstrate it on the mountain. If you don't believe me, I will let you see it with your own eyes after we descend."
Only then did Xiao Jingyun suppress his curiosity.
Perhaps because they were tired from a day of travel, everyone soon fell asleep. However, Chen Xiaobei had trouble sleeping. He worried that despite the landmines and the sentries arranged by Ma Biao, his heart was still uneasy.
According to his agreement with Liu Rumei, Liu Rumei was supposed to leave men to guard the steep slope.
But honestly, Chen Xiaobei was a bit uneasy about Liu Rumei's subordinates, not doubting their martial arts skills, but rather not understanding the enemy's situation. If the enemy attacked with numerical superiority, it would only be a matter of time before they took the steep slope.
Therefore, he had to make his own contingency plan. With this thought, he quietly got up and went to Chen Xiaobo, a member of the village protection team.
"Brother Xiaobo, you will stay behind tomorrow and will not advance with us."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaobo looked displeased, "Village chief, I, I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
Chen Xiaobei smiled and shook his head, "You haven't done anything wrong. I want you and Xiao Wen to stay and protect our retreat. If there are any unforeseen circumstances, you can notify us in time."
Chen Xiaobei pointed to the backpack, "I'll leave four landmines and four firecrackers for you two."
"You hide there during the day."
Following the direction Chen Xiaobei was pointing, a few miles away, there was a cluster of strange-shaped rocks.
The strange rocks, the steep slope, and this forest formed a triangle.
"That area of rocks is lofty, but there are few places to hide. So neither Liu Rumei nor our enemies will set an ambush there."
"After we leave tomorrow, you two will hide there. When it gets dark, you can circle down to Hulu Valley. Hulu Valley is very hidden, and the temperature is higher than here. It will be safe for you two to build a fire there."
"Tomorrow at noon, Liu Rumei and her group will arrive at the steep slope. She will leave people to guard it. If her people are safe there, you two can enjoy yourselves in Hulu Valley."
"If the people Liu Rumei left behind encounter an accident and the steep slope changes hands, you two will set off firecrackers at night."
"You will set them off in that area of strange rocks at night."
"Remember to set up landmines in front of those rocks early tomorrow morning."
"These few landmines will ensure your safe retreat."
After Chen Xiaobei finished his instructions, he had Chen Xiaobo repeat them.
Then he called Chen Xiaowen over and told him the same thing. This meant Chen Xiaobo had heard it three times.
This was sufficient to ensure that Chen Xiaobo would not miss anything.
The next day, Xiao Jingyun woke up early and urged everyone to get up and prepare to lead the way. This earned Chen Xiaobei a bit of admiration.
As the group moved forward, Huang Ying soon discovered something amiss and approached Chen Xiaobei, saying, "Brother Xiaobi, it seems like two people are missing."
Chen Xiaobei smiled and nodded, "I know, they have other missions."
He intended this remark to pique Huang Ying's interest, causing her to chase after Chen Xiaobei and ask incessantly. She asked seven or eight times that morning, but Chen Xiaobei remained tight-lipped, saying nothing.
Huang Ying continued to be persistent, much to Xiao Jingyun's amusement behind them.
Shen Ziyan also shook her head, but with the Crown Prince in front, she couldn't speak up directly.
Finally, at lunchtime, Shen Ziyan quickly pulled Huang Ying aside, "Sister, since Brother Xiaobei doesn't want to say, you should stop asking."
Huang Ying sighed with clear dissatisfaction, "Alas, I've met Chen Xiaowen a few times before, and I think he's still a child. Isn't it out of concern for his safety!"
Shen Ziyan smiled calmly, "Don't worry, since Brother Xiaobei has made arrangements, you shouldn't pry."
Huang Ying pouted indignantly, "Hmph, you're also starting to side with Chen Xiaobei."
"No, where did you get that idea?" Shen Ziyan naturally felt wronged.
But soon, she changed the subject, ending the argument.
"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you. I'm going to eat."
At noon, Liu Rumei indeed arrived at the steep slope with her men.
Seeing the markers left by Ma Biao, Liu Rumei was very pleased.
It indicated that the vanguard's progress was normal.
Just then, Liu Ce approached and whispered, "Miss, it's confirmed there are pursuers behind us, about ten li away."
Liu Rumei nodded, "Since that's the case, holding this steep slope is of utmost importance. I will assign you half of my men shortly. You will lie in ambush in this forest."
"You must hold the steep slope, otherwise, we won't be able to retreat."
Liu Ce naturally understood the importance of the steep slope. The incident where Sima Wushuang was forced to take desperate measures was proof enough.
"Miss, please rest assured, Liu Ce guarantees the completion of the mission."
Liu Rumei nodded, had a simple meal with her men, and then departed.
Liu Ce, with more than a dozen subordinates, hid in the nearby woods.
After waiting for about an hour, the Lotus Cult leader arrived at the steep slope with dozens of his followers.
Standing on the steep slope, the Lotus Cult leader surveyed the surroundings and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"This is the only way down. Hold this place, and we can trap Xiao Jingyun to death."
After laughing, he turned to look at Zhang Yu.
"I'll leave you half my men. You must hold the steep slope."
At this moment, Liu Ce and his men, hiding in the dense treetops, inwardly lamented. The other side's half of the force was still over twenty people, while they only had a dozen, putting them at a numerical disadvantage.
Most importantly, they were unsure of the enemy's martial arts prowess. Liu Ce was uncertain if they could win, but at this point, they had to fight even if they were unsure.