The Fierce Farm Girl Has A Secret Space Chapter 2414: Off to the Outhouse (2)

Roughly fifteen minutes passed before Ming Guang reappeared, this time carrying a dark robe and a mask.

Ran Lei was inwardly astonished; the man with Ming Guang was clearly an expert of the highest caliber, explaining their audacious confidence.

Gu Qingheng swiftly donned the attire. "You all stay put and do not act rashly," he commanded, casting a pointed look at Ming Guang. Only after receiving an affirmative nod did he secure the mask over his face.

Even though the mask only covered half his face, in these unfamiliar surroundings, it would be challenging to identify him even if one stood directly before him.

Employing his Qinggong skills, Gu Qingheng departed the concealed hillside, relocating to an adjacent one. After a brief period of concealment, he emerged and walked away.

As he descended the slope, the golden entity bonded to his hand seemed to quiver with anticipation. Had it not been for Gu Qingheng's restraint, it would have surely darted out long ago, likely finding the pervasive poison here to be a delicious feast.

"You there." Suddenly, a member of the sect approached. "Just arrived? And aren't you supposed to be patrolling over there?"

"Just switched shifts, had to use the facilities," Gu Qingheng replied quickly, adopting a regional dialect from the Central Plains and deliberately lowering his voice.

The sect member eyed Gu Qingheng but said no more, turning and walking away. After all, not everyone was a scholar of herbs; the need for sustenance and relief was universal. A trip to the latrine was entirely plausible. Furthermore, after a month of guarding this desolate spot, not even a spy, let alone a mere rabbit, had dared to show its face, leading to a natural decline in vigilance.

It dawned on Gu Qingheng then that while all the sect members wore black cloaks, the differentiating feature was the color of their cloak straps. Most were black, but a select few were red. The man who had just questioned him bore a red strap, indicating he was likely a minor leader or held a similar position.

However, there was no time for further contemplation. Gu Qingheng hurried in the direction indicated by the red-strapped individual. There, he found three sect members alongside four Medicinal Soldiers.

Despite his brief absence, these were the newly assigned personnel and were unfamiliar with each other, thus they would be unable to detect any discrepancies from his prior presence.

After spending approximately an hour mingling and moving about with this new group, the shift change arrived. Even after the change, departure was not permitted; instead, individuals were allowed to return to their tents for rest and sustenance before resuming patrols after a two-hour interval.

"I heard that guarding duty here lasts a full month," one sect member lamented, gesturing with the pancake in his hand. "We'll probably be eating these every single day later on."

"Enough talk, since we're here, cease your grumbling." Another quickly lowered his voice. "Be careful not to be overheard by outsiders, or we'll all be in serious trouble."

"I'm only voicing my thoughts here amongst friends; rest assured, no one else will be implicated."

"Why is it that we aren't allowed to build a fire to cook?" Gu Qingheng inquired, feigning curiosity. "I'm capable of hunting, and there should be ample prey in these mountains. Why must we subsist solely on dry rations?"

"Starting a fire would create smoke, easily revealing our position," the man beside him responded with a dismissive glance.

Gu Qingheng fell silent.

"Our Master has stated that once this mission is successfully completed, we shall all receive the 'merit of the dragon.' At that time, we will surely feast and drink to our heart's content."

A chill coursed through Gu Qingheng's heart. 'Merit of the dragon'? It seemed the opposing faction harbored genuine intentions of rebellion. He let out a sigh. "But if we're stuck here, even if there is merit to be gained, it won't be distributed to us, will it?"