Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1113 Observing the New World!

“We lurked near the exit and observed for a long time,” Tsing Yi added, explaining that he was in charge of taking notes.

"The alternation of day and night was normal. Although the arrangement of stars was not exactly the same, common constellations such as the Big Dipper could be identified. During this period, apart from ordinary birds and beasts, no abnormal biological activity was observed, nor were any man-made structures, paths, or signs of smoke found. At night, the roars of beasts occasionally came from the depths of the mountains and forests. The sounds were loud, but they were far away."

"In other words, based on preliminary judgment, the opposite world is a natural environment... highly similar to our world, and currently appears to be a relatively ordinary world? There are no obvious signs of supernatural forces or high-tech civilizations?" Gao Yao pondered.

"Our observations confirm this, Your Majesty," Qinglong nodded. "However, we dare not be careless. That forest is extremely vast, and we have only explored a very small area. Moreover... on the last day, when I climbed to a high peak and looked into the distance, I vaguely saw what appeared to be... traces of smoke on the distant horizon, but they were too far away to confirm."

Upon hearing the word "smoke from a chimney," Gao Yao's eyes narrowed. The possibility of someone being there had greatly increased.

"Well done." Gao Yao patted Qinglong on the shoulder. "You have made the greatest contribution. Go and get some rest. Write up a detailed report and submit it. The reward will come soon."

The success of the initial contact reassured Gao Yao somewhat. At least, the other side wasn't an immediately deadly trap; the environment was habitable. This laid the foundation for subsequent operations.

With the initial information gathered from the first exploration, Gao Yao became slightly bolder, but caution remained his top priority. He would never rashly launch a large-scale invasion.

Over the next month, he ordered the Qingyi Society to form a 100-person permanent exploration team, centered around the Xunfeng Squad. Their mission was to establish a stable, long-term "outpost" in the mountains and forests on the other side of the passage, while ensuring the absolute safety and secrecy of the passage entrance.

The location was carefully chosen. They didn't stray too far from the entrance to the passage, but instead began their secret construction in a secluded valley nearby, backed by steep cliffs and facing a stream—a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. All materials were transported from this world: prefabricated sturdy planks, tools, weapons, food, and medicine.

Construction was slow and covert. They tried their best not to damage the native vegetation, utilizing caves and natural rock crevices for expansion, with the barracks partially buried underground and camouflaged. They set up lookout posts, trap zones, and secret escape routes. Gao Yao even had several heavy crossbows and small catapults transported over and installed in concealed locations, just in case.

This outpost, named "The Valley," became the Great Xia Empire's first foothold in this alien world. It served not only as a springboard for exploration but also as the first line of defense for monitoring passages and warning of danger. Gao Yao stipulated that the outpost's permanent personnel could not exceed 150, and a rotation system would be implemented. Furthermore, without his personal approval, no outpost personnel were permitted to venture more than 50 li (approximately 25 kilometers) into the mountains.

While establishing outposts, small-scale, cautious reconnaissance began to radiate outwards.

Several elite reconnaissance teams dispatched by the Qingyi Society slowly explored in all directions, like tentacles, from the outpost. Their task was no longer simple environmental surveying, but rather a purposeful gathering of information:

Draw detailed topographic maps, marking mountains, rivers, forests, and potable water sources.

Observe and record plants and animals, especially large predators or strange creatures that may pose a threat.

Look for any trace of human activity: paths, discarded items, hunting traps, logging marks... and, most importantly, look for people.

This process lasted for more than a year.

For more than a year, Gao Yao spent most of his time in Xianyang, remotely monitoring the progress of the exploration of the other world through encrypted letters and regularly returned reports.

He had also secretly visited the sinkhole several times, even personally passing through the passage to briefly inspect the otherworld and sense its atmosphere. Indeed, the air there seemed more vibrant.

The information brought back by the reconnaissance team gradually became more detailed, starting with "everything is calm," and some alarming signs began to emerge.

They discovered more traces of human activity: abandoned, makeshift hunter's huts, long-extinguished campfires, and several clearly man-made but broken animal traps. On one occasion, a small team even found several fresh footprints—the marks of hemp shoes—by a stream, belonging to none of them.

This shows that this mountain forest is not a truly uninhabited area, but rather one that is rarely visited by humans.

They also encountered and secretly observed several small groups venturing deep into the mountains. These people were simply dressed, carrying bows, arrows, knives, and spears, and appeared to be hunters or herb gatherers. Judging from their fragmented conversations and manner of action, their level of civilization seemed quite low, roughly equivalent to the feudal era in the original world history of Gaoyao.

However, a change occurred in the eighth month of the exploration.

A reconnaissance team led by Xuanwu of the Qingyi Society, while tracking a herd of wild deer, unexpectedly approached the edge of the forest. They lay in ambush on higher ground and spotted a relatively wide dirt path worn into the ground. More importantly, they witnessed a brief conflict.

The conflict involved seven or eight men on horseback, dressed in uniform brown short-sleeved clothing and wielding standard-issue swords, and five or six others who appeared to be refugees fleeing famine. The refugees seemed to be trying to steal goods from the other side's horses. The battle was almost entirely one-sided; the mounted men were agile and their swordsmanship was swift and ruthless. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had all cut down the refugees, then quickly cleaned up the scene and rode away.

Kan Shui and the others watched from a distance, their hearts pounding with fear. Not because of the killing itself, but because of the skill of those mounted men! Their speed, strength, and even the faint yet solid glint of light that occasionally flashed on the blades, all exceeded the realm of ordinary martial artists.

"That's...true qi?" Kan Shui wrote in his post-event report, his tone filled with uncertainty and shock. "Although extremely weak, it is somewhat similar to the legendary internal force projection that Your Majesty once described. The individual combat strength of those people is probably no weaker than that of our Qingyi Society's sixth or seventh-rank experts. Moreover, they are disciplined and act decisively, unlike ordinary bandits or private soldiers."

The report was urgently sent to Gao Yao.

True Qi? Martial artist?

Gao Yao's brow furrowed deeply. If the other world possessed a systematic, cultivateable "true qi" or similar power, then its danger level needed to be reassessed. An individual's extraordinary power often meant that their social structure and mode of warfare were completely different from his world.

He ordered a shift in the focus of the investigation: to find and observe more "martial artists" and understand their power systems. At the same time, he began to try to contact the more peripheral, seemingly peaceful villages, posing as merchants or lost travelers, using pre-prepared clothing and currency in accordance with local customs to carefully gather information.