Their throats hurt from shouting, but there was still no response. The three of them felt their hearts sink.
They did not even go down the mountain. They sat there and rested until dawn again.
The three of them were dejected. No one wanted to think about that possibility, but all the signs pointed to that bad possibility.
Mu Cong shouted, "Young Marquis, Young Marquis—"
Li Wei and Cheng Yan also joined in. The entire mountain echoed with the shouts.
The three of them went down the mountain silently. Xia Hongyuan left three horses for them so that they could return to the troop.
The three of them got on their horses and raised their whips, letting the horses gallop.
When it was dark, the three of them caught up with the troop. Xia Hongyuan came personally. He looked at the three of them and said, "Don't feel guilty. It's destiny. I'll report it to the capital truthfully. You've been searching for so long. You've done enough."
