Chang'an, in the courtyard of the old city.

Qi Yun surveyed the neatly arranged equipment inside the house: specially made military shovels, gas masks, high-strength ropes, and professional-grade outdoor gear, among other things.

This time, the destination is the main peak of Taibai Mountain in the Qinling Range, with an elevation of 3,771 meters. Although it's not as high as the last trip to Kunlun, the difficulty level is by no means lower than Kunlun.

The name Taibai Mountain holds a significant reputation, whether in geography textbooks or in hiking and adventure circles.

It marks the end of the most elite hiking route—the Aotai Line, which is notoriously the route with the highest mortality rate domestically. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

However, it is currently strictly prohibited by the local authorities.

The weather there is highly unpredictable; one moment it's sunny, the next it's shrouded in fog, so dense that you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Moreover, as temperatures plummet, sudden snowstorms or thunderstorms can occur, making it an expedition through four seasons in a single step. It's absolutely not going to be easy.

Seeing Qin Sizhi well-prepared, Qi Yun nodded in satisfaction and curiously asked, "Master Qin, back then, without this equipment, how did you get to that place?"

With a look of nostalgia on his face, Qin Sizhi slowly replied, "Ah, back then, the overall situation was poor, and the competition was extremely fierce. If word got out that there was a tomb somewhere, all sorts of grave robbers would come running."

"It had been a long time since my master and I had any business. So when a herbalist mentioned discovering a strange cave in the mountain, my master felt that the place was extraordinary and might have some big findings, so he took me along."

"We entered the mountain wearing thick layers of cotton jackets, with old canvas raincoats on top for protection against rain and cold. Besides, there were many wild beasts back in those days in the mountains..."

Qi Yun chuckled after hearing him out, "You have terms like bad overall situation in your line of work, huh?"

Qin Sizhi awkwardly tapped his smoking pipe, "That's all in the past..."

The two of them went to sit outside in the courtyard, and Qin Sizhi spoke again, "Director Qi, although the tools are all ready, for safety's sake, shouldn't we prepare some defensive equipment, after all, inside there..."

It was clear he still felt uneasy about what happened in the passage.

"I've already arranged for it; it'll be delivered soon," Qi Yun said, raising his watch and checking the time, guessing it should about the time.

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a car engine came from outside the courtyard.

Shortly afterward, An Zai and two others came in carrying several large boxes.

The lids opened to reveal several items wrapped in oilcloth and shaped like long strips.

With lessons learned from the encounter at the ancient cedar, everyone was considerably well-prepared this time. The QBZ-191 assault rifle, though 5.8 caliber, has strong penetration and great power, enough to handle most emergencies.

There were also matching holographic sights and tactical flashlights, as well as ample magazines. Additionally, they prepared Type 92 pistols as sidearms.

And not just that, the last box contained the big gun, a QJY-201 machine gun.

This beast comes with a standard 100-round ammo belt, with an effective range up to 1,500 meters, capable of piercing through 8mm steel plate even at short distances.

If they encounter that giant snake again, a burst will send it packing.

To acquire this batch of equipment, Qi Yun had to call Xiao Hanguang, and through his contacts, it was approved.

After all, requisitioning this level of standard arms within the country requires extremely strict procedures and ample justification.

Clearly, their justification wasn't sufficient, nor was it suitable to explain to outsiders.

Qin Sizhi stared at the setup in shock, unable to speak, constantly swallowing.

...

The next morning, Qi Yun and his companions were in the courtyard having breakfast when another car stopped at the entrance.

Eagle quickly went out to check and soon led three men inside.

When they saw Qi Yun, one man on each side saluted, "Hello, Director! Ordered to escort prisoner Yao Yuzhong to report!"

These two were Guo An's men, and standing between them was Yao Yuzhong, handcuffed.

No mistake, Qi Yun had chosen to take Qin Sizhi's advice and brought this old fox Yao Yuzhong along with the plan to take him to Qinling.

Qi Yun stood up and gestured to the two men, "Good, you two have done well. Eagle, please arrange for the comrades to rest."

"Yes!" Eagle led the two escort personnel away.

Only Qi Yun and his companions remained in the courtyard, along with Yao Yuzhong, whose handcuffs had been removed.

"Old Yao, you're looking pretty good," Qi Yun remarked, assessing Yao Yuzhong with a neutral tone.

Yao Yuzhong flexed his wrists and forced a smile, "Hello, Director Qi."

Qi Yun watched him, then sat down and gestured to the empty chair beside him, "Sit down and have a bite."

Yao Yuzhong hesitantly perched on the edge of the chair, with his back straight and hands on his knees, not touching the food, as if he was earnestly listening to instructions.

Lowering his head, Qi Yun finished his bowl of tofu pudding slowly, then looked up at Qin Sizhi, smiling with a hint of irony, "Master Qin, I've brought the man as you wanted. If he runs away again this time, you'll have to give me an explanation."

Feigning deafness all along, Qin Sizhi was startled and then chuckled, replying, "Hehe, Director Qi, how could that be possible, Old Yao won't run away again."

He turned to Yao Yuzhong for confirmation, "Right, Old Yao?"

"Right, right," Yao Yuzhong nodded quickly, looking serious, "Rest assured, Director Qi, I promise not to cause trouble this time and definitely won't run. Thank you for giving me the chance to redeem myself."