The journey from the capital to Suining passed through three provinces and fourteen prefectures, and the road was far from peaceful.
However, Song Jinzhao's group was large, and everyone was armed. Whenever mountain bandits spotted them, they rarely dared to show their faces, opting instead to hide in the shadows and watch them pass.
They traveled like this all the way to the southwestern border, and the journey was relatively smooth.
The further southwest they went, the higher the temperature rose. The landscape transitioned from ice and snow to the first hints of spring. By the time they neared the southwestern border, the surrounding vegetation had grown lush and green.
Looking up at the towering peaks in the distance, Song Qiming opened the map and said, "Sister, once we pass through these mountains ahead, we will reach the Southwestern Province."
"But the map indicates that a section of the road in the middle is extremely dangerous. We have to walk along a cliff edge right against the mountain."
Song Jinzhao took the map and examined it carefully. There was only one path leading southwest; the surrounding areas were completely blank.
"Let's rest here and eat lunch early. There might be falling rocks in the mountains, so we'll push straight through without stopping. We should be able to reach Longshan Town before dark."
Song Qiming gave a slight nod. He turned and ordered his subordinates, "Rest here for an hour and eat lunch early."
Everyone dismounted, took out the dry rations they had bought that morning from their bundles, and began to eat.
They set off an hour later. At first, they traveled along a mountain trail, but after passing the first mountain, the path began to slope upward and grew increasingly narrow.
After passing through a pitch-black cave, a stone path built into the steep cliffside came into view.
The six-foot-wide path could only accommodate a single carriage. Right beside it was a bottomless abyss; with no guardrails, it felt as though one could fall over the edge at any moment.
Looking down, the mountain face stood almost perpendicular to the ground.
At the bottom of the cliff, a turbulent river constantly churned with white foam, occasionally revealing dark brown rocks. If someone were to fall, even if they didn't drown, they would likely be smashed to pieces against the rocks.
"Have everyone form a single file line, stay close to the wall, and walk slowly."
As she walked, Song Jinzhao used her telescope to search the ground below for any possible mountain trails.
But after walking for nearly two miles, right up until they entered another cave, she didn't see any path suitable for horseback riding.
At the narrowest part of the river, huge boulders lined both sides, forming a small waterfall in the middle.
It wasn't impossible to cross there, but one could only pass through alone, and it would require someone exceptionally agile.
In other words, if they wanted to march through, their only option was this narrow mountain path built along the cliff.
The pace was slow, and with caves at both ends, it would be extremely dangerous if someone were lying in wait to ambush them at the entrances.
Song Jinzhao furrowed her brows, her mind racing as she tried to think of alternative solutions.
The temperature on the mountain was low. Inside the carriage, Song Anhao still felt cold despite being wrapped in a blanket.
This was mainly because the carriage's curtains and windows were open, allowing the cold, biting wind to blow right through.
He pouted, feeling his heart beating a little fast.
"Second Sister, I'm a bit cold. Can we pull the curtains down? Plus, it's so high up, I'm a little scared."
Beside him, Song Shixue was leaning over the table, her pen constantly sketching the surrounding routes and environment on paper. She added small notes beside her drawings with place names and areas to watch out for—this was the task Song Jinzhao had assigned her.
Although local government offices had maps of various regions, and they were also sold among the common folk, the only way to have a map that was one hundred percent accurate and reliable was to travel the route personally and record it.
Song Jinzhao had asked Song Shixue to draw it because sitting inside the carriage, she wouldn't attract any unwanted attention.
Hearing the fear in Song Anhao's voice, Song Shixue lifted her head.
Along the journey, the originally blank booklet had been mostly filled. Even the distances had been carefully calculated into miles based on time and speed, marked alongside the routes. It looked incredibly detailed.
"Afraid of heights?"
"Yeah."
Song Anhao nodded, tightly hugging Xuetuan's neck and burying his face into it.
He didn't dare to look outside, but his curiosity got the better of him, making him steal glances every now and then.
And then he would feel even more scared.
Song Shixue first pulled down the door curtain, then unfolded the bedding stacked behind her and covered her younger brother with it.
"Lie down and go to sleep. Cover your head, and you won't be able to see it."
