They had already been trapped in this nameless mountain valley for more than a day.
That night, after Tuoba Feiyuan had driven Deputy Commander Li to his death, she had urged Prince Jin to press onward, insisting they capture the rebels in one fell swoop. In truth, they had no idea where the rebels’ stronghold even was. Before long, they indeed spotted rebels ahead and began to give chase. Yet, for reasons unknown, the further they pursued, the more treacherous the terrain became. Once they entered a forest of jagged rocks, everything seemed to shift.
The stones moved as if alive, and a thick fog began to swirl around them. Soon, the mist swallowed everything between heaven and earth. All that could be heard was the sound of fighting. Soldiers fell into pools of blood one by one, while the shadows of the rebels remained almost impossible to see. In the end, only about three thousand men could be accounted for; the rest had either been separated, wandering deep into the stone forest never to be seen again, or had been cut down by the rebels.
Chapter 154