On the road before entering the mountains, the three of them first tied up their pant cuffs with thin hemp rope. After crossing a small hill, there were still some faint traces of a path at first.
As they ventured deeper, the path became overgrown with weeds and shrubs. The three of them began swatting at the wild grass around them with sticks as they walked, until they reached what the villagers considered the boundary of the treacherous parts.
This was the recognized outer edge of the deep mountains. The three first went to check on the traps they had dug nearby. Only after seeing no signs of large beasts having trampled the undergrowth did they venture further in.
"Venture further in" was perhaps an overstatement. In reality, none of them, Xu Changqing included, dared to push deep into the mountains just yet. At most, they passed through a patch of shrubs and skirted along the outer edges to the left and right.
