Chapter 125: Visiting the White Bone Great Immortal? (Second update, ten thousand characters)

p：【Today chapter two, this chapter is ten thousand words, plus chapter one totals sixteen thousand words, does that count as a burst update?】

……

「Knock knock knock—」

Hurried footsteps came from nearby.

Sun Zhenbang looked up, never expecting it to be Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei; he was momentarily startled, "How did you guys come here?"

We heard about what happened here, so we rushed over to see if there's anything we can help with.

Actually, Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei's investigation had made no progress; hearing about this incident, they felt maybe these people had encountered something.

Perhaps useful information could be obtained from them.

Sun Zhenbang naturally understood their thoughts, feeling helpless, "Ah, I told you, you won't find anything from this case."

Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei, however, are the stubborn type who won't turn back until they hit a wall.

As long as there's even a hint of a clue, we can't give up; moreover, this might be a breakthrough—so many people suddenly losing contact and falling unconscious in the mountains looks highly suspicious, definitely someone tampered.

Bai Yanfei's analysis was sound and well-founded, yet she didn't notice Sun Zhenbang's complex gaze.

What if the one doing these things isn't a person but a 'god'?

Sun Zhenbang wanted to speak but held back, "Don't you find this a bit strange? If it's really human-made, what kind of person could do this?"

Inside the hospital, with many people and eyes around, Sun Zhenbang couldn't be too obvious; he could only hint indirectly, but Bai Yanfei and Captain Zhou hadn't even considered that angle.

Bai Yanfei and Captain Zhou nodded, "Of course it's strange, so we must investigate thoroughly."

Sun Zhenbang sighed, his gaze somewhat meaningful, "You still don't understand."

Just as they were talking, a nurse came with news that Li Minghai and the others had finally awakened.

Sun Zhenbang and the others hurried over, and before even entering the ward they heard rising and falling screams.

Faintly transmitted were the words 'temple,' 'snake statue,' 'mist,' 'terrifying woman,' and a few other keywords; no one knew what they were babbling about.

Through the glass door, Li Minghai could be seen struggling fiercely in the ward, his expression full of terror and dread, as if the doctors and nurses were some flood-beast.

Li Minghai was jittery, clutching the blanket in the corner and trembling, his eyes full of nervousness, warily looking at the people around him.

Mr. Li, please relax, we mean no harm.

The doctors and nurses tried to stabilize Li Minghai's emotions, but to no effect.

Because of extreme fright, Li Minghai's facial features became distorted, he kept grabbing things and smashing people, and the ward instantly turned into a mess.

You monsters, don't come over, get lost!

He seemed to have gone mad, his emotions extremely unstable, the nearby doctors and nurses couldn't even get close.

Not only Li Minghai, but the other wards were similar; everyone rescued from the mountains was like this, the wards thrown into chaos.

Li Minghai was hysterical; seeing his emotions swing too wildly, to prevent him from hurting himself, the doctors and nurses could only resort to forceful measures.

The patient's emotions are extremely unstable, need calming—you guys quickly figure out how to hold him down.

The doctors and nurses were flustered; Sun Zhenbang also rushed over to help, administering sedatives, after which these people gradually calmed down.

Sun Zhenbang furrowed his brows, "What's going on? Why are they like this?"

The doctor wiped sweat from his forehead, "Maybe they received too great a stimulus before losing consciousness."

Bai Yanfei and Captain Zhou's expressions were full of surprise and confusion—just how great a stimulus would cause this?

Li Minghai counts as a notable figure—what exactly did he go through?

And why did they say 'monsters,' and why did so many people faint at the same time?

Thinking back on their earlier behavior, the situation became ever more puzzling.

But we can only wait for them to fully wake up to know what exactly happened to them on the mountain.

Outside the hospital, gradually a crowd gathered—police, contractors, and of course township government staff.

When Li Minghai awoke again, the morning hysteria was gone; he seemed like a different person, now looking quite calm, normal communication should pose no problem.

Sun Zhenbang produced his credentials, "Hello, Mr. Li, I'm from the Wu Du Police Bureau; I'd like to ask, what exactly happened to you on the mountain?"

Li Minghai's gaze was somewhat dazed, as if lost in some memory: "After we went up the mountain we seemed to get lost, couldn't find our way at all, then suddenly fog rolled in."

Fog again!

Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei caught the keyword in his speech, glanced at Sun Zhenbang, noticed he deliberately stayed silent—apparently giving them a chance—and immediately couldn't help but interject: "May I ask what kind of fog is this?"

They had gone up the mountain several times before and never encountered fog, yet the construction crew ran into it as soon as they went.

So is the fog the construction crew encountered the same as the one appearing in the park?

Li Minghai hesitated a moment, then said, "I can't describe it either; that fog was very strange, and then we also encountered—"

Saying this, countless fragments flashed through Li Minghai's mind, and his voice cut off abruptly.

Gray-black mist, massive tentacles, and chilling white bones intertwined, forming one bizarre scene after another; his complexion gradually turned pallid.

Even if he can't quite recall it now, that fear and dread still make his body tremble uncontrollably.

Sun Zhenbang hadn't yet noticed Li Minghai's oddness, couldn't help but press: "What else did you encounter?"

These fragmented memory images lay deep in Li Minghai's mind, seemingly veiled by layers of hazy fog, making them indistinct for him.

Under immense fear, the brain triggers a protective mechanism, choosing to automatically forget certain images; plus, Ye Qin tampered with their memories.

Thus Li Minghai only retains a rough impression, but when facing those things he feels an instinctive fear—a shadow etched into his bones, unchanging with time.

Strange temple, plus a woman who suddenly vanished without a trace, and the offerings enshrined in that temple are also eerie.

White Bone! And the White Bone Daoist!

Li Minghai's speech was incoherent, jumbled, hard to grasp what he meant; Sun Zhenbang and the others listened, furrowing their brows.

Couldn't help but ask: "What are these? White Bone Daoist? Is he the killer? Can you explain in more detail?"

Don't ask anymore, you fucking—don't ask again!

Li Minghai clutched his head, his whole body curled up, as if thinking of something terrible, his voice mixed with trembling.

Seeing Li Minghai's emotions become agitated again, the nurse beside him hurried forward.

Sorry, the patient's condition is not suitable for answering these questions now; let him rest a while longer, and we can talk after he's completely calm.

To prevent a repeat of what happened this morning, the nurse stopped Sun Zhenbang and the others from visiting.

Seeing this, Sun Zhenbang and the others also felt it inappropriate to disturb further; after leaving the ward, the doubt hanging over everyone's hearts did not dissipate but grew deeper.

The situation of the other police was much the same as Li Minghai's; they also came up empty-handed.

This made everyone even more curious: after getting lost in the deep mountains, what exactly did Li Minghai and the others encounter that caused them all to fall unconscious, and even after waking they still suffer such severe aftereffects?

Although there were no obvious physical injuries, their minds undoubtedly suffered great trauma and shadow.

It's a pity that, given Li Minghai and the others' current condition, we cannot get any information from them at all.

……

Since the matter has blown up this much, Professor Zhang of the Book of Changes, who is temporarily staying in the village, naturally also received a lot of news.

His assistant sighed, 'These strange things just keep coming one after another; fortunately nothing like this happened when we went up the mountain.'

Professor Zhang has been deeply engrossed in his studies lately, to the point of hearing nothing outside; the news hasn't reached him as quickly as his assistant has. He set down the book in his hands and immediately became interested, saying, 'How do you mean that?'

The assistant wore a mysterious look, revealing a gossipy expression.

I heard about it too; wasn't that place supposed to be developing a tourism project? The project crew went there and immediately disappeared, only to be found unconscious in the mountains by the police the next morning, and they're still receiving treatment in the hospital.

Professor Zhang also didn't expect such a big thing to have happened recently; his expression showed slight surprise, 'It's actually that serious?'

The assistant kept muttering to himself, 'I heard they got lost—how could dozens of big men lose their way for no reason? Even when the police went to look for them, strange things happened; that place really seems a bit sinister.'

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

'Lost?'

Professor Zhang startled, involuntarily recalling his earlier strange dream, as well as the conversation in that dream with the strange existence about Mysterious Gate Divination.

Regarding the functions of Mysterious Gate Divination, it is said that using formations can alter terrain to achieve the goal of trapping enemies.

Having had this dream just before, and then a similar situation occurred afterward—could the two be related?

'This...'

Professor Zhang's expression grew somewhat dazed; his gaze fell to the window, where verdant mountains stretched far away, and his eyes also gained a touch of solemnity.

Probably because he was lost in thought, the assistant called out several times without being heard.

'Professor Zhang, what are you thinking about?'

Professor Zhang shook his head and smiled, his expression returning to normal: 'I wasn't thinking of anything, just recalled a strange dream.'

It's just a dream; how could it be taken seriously?

Besides, Mysterious Gate Divination probably isn't that powerful—being able to overturn one's soul and spirit seems unrealistic...

Professor Zhang quickly dismissed that unrealistic notion, thinking it might be due to his poor recent rest, and he began to let his mind wander.

The assistant also saw the book in his hand and couldn't help but wonder, 'Professor Zhang, when did you become interested in Mysterious Gate Divination?'

The book Professor Zhang was holding was exactly the Essence of Mysterious Gate Divination.

Although the Book of Changes and Mysterious Gate Divination are related, Professor Zhang's main research focuses on feng shui, physiognomy, fortune-telling, etc.; although he has dabbled in Mysterious Gate Divination, he is not interested in it.

After returning from Longyuan Mountain, however, he sought out many related books and even prepared to study them.

Professor Zhang himself wasn't sure; perhaps it was because of that dream?

Bang bang bang.

Just as the two were talking, someone knocked on the door.

The assistant opened the door and saw a man and a woman standing outside—the man looked middle‑aged, the woman youthful and lovely.

'Who are you?'

'We are the police; this is our identification. Sorry to intrude, but we actually have a matter we wish to ask Professor Zhang about.'

The visitors were none other than Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei; when they first arrived at Wu Du, they did not believe what Sun Zhenbang had said, but after experiencing this incident, they could not help but believe some things.

Li Minghai and the others' behavior is truly strange, and they have lost most of their memories from before they fell unconscious.

No one knows what they saw on the mountain, resulting in dozens of them falling into unconsciousness, and even after waking, what they say is almost the same.

Even Bai Yanfei, who had previously been full of confidence, now could not help but waver.

Upon learning that Professor Zhang and others had also gone up the mountain several times but never encountered anything similar, they came to inquire, hoping to obtain some useful information.

This was also Sun Zhenbang's intention.

'When we went up the mountain, everything was quite peaceful; we didn't encounter anything special...'

After learning their purpose, Professor Zhang received them without any concealment and told everything frankly.

Unfortunately, however, no useful clues were obtained from Professor Zhang's mouth.

Captain Zhou and the two felt helpless, but had no alternative; they increasingly sensed the mountain's strangeness.

But at that moment, Professor Zhang seemed to think of something: 'I heard these people got lost in the mountains, and then fog rolled in, right?'

Bai Yanfei nodded, indicating that according to the victims' accounts, there was indeed such a thing; she wondered why Professor Zhang suddenly said that.

'Speaking of which, this is also quite a coincidence—I once dreamed of a mass of mist, and within that mist there was a woman in ancient attire.'

'We have discussed quite a bit about the traditional learning of Mysterious Gate Divination, and what you say about the victims getting lost in the mountains is rather similar to it—of course, only similar; Mysterious Gate Divination is not that miraculous.'

Professor Zhang said the dream as if joking, but he failed to notice the subtle change in the expressions of Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei.

Mist again?!

And a woman in ancient clothing?

As they left Professor Zhang's presence, both of their expressions were thoughtful.

After so many days of investigation, there has been no new clue or progress; instead, they have sunk into a sea of mist.

It seems that everything is closely linked to that mass of mist, yet there is no trace to be found, like a ghost.

Bai Yanfei couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened: 'Captain Zhou, should we continue the investigation?'

Even though Captain Zhou is experienced in handling cases, he also feels somewhat hesitant now.

He felt as if he had walked into a dead end; if it were usual times, he would definitely not be knocked down by these setbacks.

But in the face of some facts, human strength indeed seems insignificant.

What exactly is that mass of fog?

It surely can't really be the yin energy that the public jokingly says, right?

The furrow between Captain Zhou's brows could almost pinch a mosquito to death; he let out a heavy sigh, "Forget it, we can't find anything out, and after being out for so many days, it's time to go back."

Bai Yanfei bit her lip, wanting to say something, but in the end she didn't say it.

They didn't believe the facts, but the truth before them left the two of them no choice but to believe, as Sun Zhenbang said, no matter how they investigated.

The results would not change at all.

Matters concerning this great mountain are always a mystery, full of the miraculous.

Now, they have believed.

Li Minghai and his group were recuperating in the hospital; the project engineering team lacked a backbone, and some of them had also gone to the hospital.

The strange events on the mountain made even the remaining people dare not act rashly, and development could only be temporarily put on hold.

After all, the fate of the first group that went up is laid out here.

With such a precedent, plus the villagers' warnings, even those who don't believe in the mountain god theory must believe.

The progress of such a large project has been delayed; early on, considerable investment was attracted, and once work stops, the impact is not just on individuals.

As the saying goes, pull one hair and move the whole body; this matter even startled the relevant personnel in the city.

After all, dozens of people are unconscious in the great mountain, now recuperating in the hospital—this is no small matter; therefore the superiors specially summoned Sun Zhenbang to inquire about the situation.

From the beginning to now, Sun Zhenbang has been in charge of affairs concerning Longyuan Mountain; regarding the development of various matters, he is clearer than anyone.

In the meeting room, city and county leaders gathered together, the atmosphere somewhat solemn.

"Captain Sun, don't be nervous; this time we called you over mainly to ask about the development of the Longyuan Mountain project. I heard that you privately opposed this project before, even wanting to stop it."

As for this matter, the superiors also know some information.

They didn't suspect Sun Zhenbang of tampering here, after all, as a people's policeman he could not possibly violate organizational discipline.

But the required procedures still need to be followed.

Sun Zhenbang nodded, his gaze quite candid, "Indeed, there is such a matter."

The leaders exchanged glances, "Then could you please explain what motivated you to want to stop it? After all, developing this project would be wholly beneficial to the local economy."

"Moreover, I've heard that even the nearby villagers seem very resistant to this project, to the point of almost clashing with the construction crew."

Sun Zhenbang wanted to speak but held back, looking at the many leaders present, momentarily unsure whether to speak.

The leaders' expressions gradually turned stern; Sun Zhenbang's look clearly indicated there was some inside story—could it be that he really participated in something here?

The leaders' tones gradually grew stern: "Captain Sun, as a people's policeman you should have no concealment or deceit toward the organization; we hope you can give a truthful account."

Sun Zhenbang pondered for a moment, then decided to tell everything he knew; only thus could the city abandon development of this project.

"Actually, Longyuan Mountain is not simple; my earlier opposition to this project was also for this reason—I feared something would happen, and as it turns out, something indeed occurred."

"Speaking of Longyuan Mountain, we have to start from a case several years ago......"

Sun Zhenbang related all the strange matters concerning Longyuan Mountain, as well as several earlier related cases; one could say nothing was omitted, great or small.

He had no need to conceal, nor could he keep it hidden; these matters can be learned with a little inquiry, and by speaking out he also hopes to receive attention.

"The situation is exactly this: as I conducted deeper and continuous investigation, I found these cases are all inseparably linked to Longyuan Mountain, but later they all came to nothing......"

The leaders' expressions also showed prior surprise, finally turning to utter bewilderment; although Sun Zhenbang spoke vaguely, his words inside and out conveyed one meaning: there was no killer, simply that Longyuan Mountain possesses some mysterious power!

Of course, he's not stupid either; he didn't put it bluntly on the surface.

After all, wearing the uniform, some things can be understood but not spoken; otherwise, if caught with a handle, it would be bad.

The meeting room fell into extreme silence; after a long while someone broke the silence, asking with a solemn face:

"Officer Sun, do you know what you're saying?"

Sun Zhenbang nodded solemnly.

"I swear on my over twenty-year police career that what I say is completely true; regarding these cases, the files have detailed records, and they are all unsolved cases; you leaders can examine the materials."

Even if Sun Zhenbang had greater courage, he could not possibly tell such a huge lie, and besides, he has no reason to do so.

If one said Sun Zhenbang colluded with the villagers, that would be even stranger.

This project could improve local economic conditions; for those nearby villagers it would be a good thing.

Yet they gave up this good opportunity, insisting on stopping the project's development, which shows there must be a deeper reason behind; explaining it simply as 'feudal superstition' simply doesn't hold up.

Moreover, everything Sun Zhenbang said is traceable, with clear logic.

And after hearing his account, the leaders' expressions became somewhat complex.

"Alright, go back and wait for notice; we will continue investigating this matter."

Before leaving, Sun Zhenbang hesitated a moment and then said: "Leader, I have a sentence I don't know whether I should say or not."

He just said a couple of polite words, giving the leaders no chance to say 'inappropriate': "I think the Longyuan Mountain project is not suitable; we should not break the original ecology here, nor disturb the mountain……the unknown existence within."

He had already spoken quite clearly; he hopes the leaders will consider it carefully.

This time the construction crew merely fainted, with no danger to life; if there were a next time, Sun Zhenbang dares not guarantee what would happen.

No one can withstand the wrath of the mountain god.

This time is merely a warning; if the city's people still don't take it seriously and continue developing the project, they might ultimately cause loss of life, by then it would likely be too late.

Although Sun Zhenbang's words are reasonable and well-founded, the city's leaders cannot possibly rely solely on his one-sided account; afterward they summoned several other police officers in charge of related cases.

What they said was no different from Sun Zhenbang's; one officer even recounted what happened when they went up the mountain that day to search for someone.

"That day when we went to look for the person, we actually got lost too, but Officer Sun prayed and paid respects to the mountain god, and after that we found the way."

Leaders hearing this felt as if they were listening to a story—how could they possibly find a way out just by worshiping the Mountain God?

But this incident was indeed the personal experience of these police; not just a few said so, but every police officer who participated in that day's search and rescue was the same.

The people in the city set up a special investigation team for this, conducting a detailed study of recent cases concerning Longyuan Mountain, showing how much importance they attached to the matter.

However, the information the investigation team found was almost identical to what Sun Zhenbang said.

"The people of Longyuan Village deeply believe in the Mountain God, even building a Mountain God Temple for this; according to the information we have, Longyuan Mountain has indeed seen many miraculous events."

Let's not mention those cases where the culprit has still not been found to this day.

Just the later mountain fire, the heavenly fire event captured by the weather station, and the strangeness encountered by the folk song collecting team remain unexplained by scientific means to this day.

And all of these happened on Longyuan Mountain!

Looking at the information the investigation team had gathered, all the leaders fell into silence, each with different expressions.

"In that case, perhaps that great mountain really does have something special about it?"

Looking at the evidence laid out before them, the leaders were half-believing, half-doubting.

Although nowadays everyone talks about valuing science and opposing feudal superstition, it is undeniable that there indeed exists a power beyond science in this world.

Moreover, these leaders are able to sit in their current positions—who would dare say they don't care at all about certain things, such as the idea of feng shui and fortune?

Even if they do not believe in ghosts and gods, they nevertheless place great faith in such intangible things as feng shui and official luck.

Originally they thought developing the Longyuan Mountain project would be a good thing benefiting the people, but they never expected it would lead to a series of events, completely contrary to their original intention.

After a long while someone finally spoke: "Why don't we just cancel this project? Besides Longyuan Mountain, there are other things nearby; we could simply redraw the boundaries and carry out new development."

Nowadays nothing has even started yet, and the investment in Longyuan Mountain is not large; even if we cancel it, there would be no loss—only that reselection and planning would take some time.

This proposal gained the agreement of the vast majority of the leaders.

If you believe, it exists; if you don't, it does not.

Nowadays, before breaking ground one must select an auspicious day and offer incense, the purpose being to let the project proceed smoothly; in some places the rituals are even more elaborate, involving many particulars and customs.

This cannot be called superstition; it is a rule handed down for thousands of years by our ancestors, and it does have some reason.

Even though this project has not yet begun, so many things have happened—dozens of people ended up in the hospital and are still recuperating now, making it hard not to think further.

"……"

In the meeting room, silence lingered for a long time; many senior leaders were unwilling to be the one to speak up, and it was naturally clear that everyone's heart was now filled with retreat.

This matter is neither big nor small, and no one has actually seen it; whether one believes or not is not really important, but who could have no doubts in their heart?

"When we have time, we should also go inspect it; besides, let Xiao Sun also take us to the Mountain God Temple to pay our respects, attend the temple fair, and draw closer to the masses."

In the end, a 'big leader' still took the lead and hammered it out; though he spoke vaguely, the meaning could not be clearer.

……

In the following days, the city sent people to console Li Minghai and the others.

However, if one does not mention that mountain it's fine, but as soon as that mountain is brought up, Li Minghai and the others change color, let alone talk about developing it.

Looking at their expressions, it seems they never want to set foot in the great mountain again in this lifetime.

Finally, after unanimous consideration, the city still ordered the cancellation of the Longyuan Mountain project's development, intending to reselect the site and plan anew.

Upon hearing this news, whether it was Sun Zhenbang or the villagers, they all breathed a sigh of relief, and even Li Minghai and company felt as if a great weight had been lifted.

That day, Li Minghai and company rested for several days; seeing that their bodies had mostly recovered, they were finally able to leave the hospital.

First thing, they bought plenty of fruit and gifts and came to Longyuan Village.

Previously the two sides were tense, even on the verge of fighting over this, but now they could sit together and talk calmly—something no one had anticipated.

Li Minghai and company handed the gifts to the village chief and offered a solemn apology.

"Village chief, I'm truly sorry; it was all our fault at first, yet you still helped us a lot without holding past grudges—how ashamed we feel!"

Li Minghai and company learned from Sun Zhenbang that, when they had fainted, the villagers also came to lend a hand, carrying them down the mountain together.

"You're welcome, you're welcome."

Now looking back, Li Minghai and company were not really at fault; it was merely a difference of position and perspective, and after laying everything out, the two sides can say they have resolved their grudges with a smile.

After this incident, Li Minghai's expression was full of emotion: "No matter what, we still want to thank you."

Looking at the not‑distant green hills, his expression still held a barely perceptible fear and panic.

Although his memories before the coma are already somewhat fuzzy, even now he still cannot recall what exactly happened.

But whenever he thinks of related matters, Li Minghai feels his heart pound incessantly, feeling it was something terribly frightening; otherwise how could it have left such a deep shadow?

To put it without exaggeration, whenever he sees that great mountain, a chill involuntarily rises from his soles and gooseflesh breaks out all over his body.

Li Minghai hastily averts his gaze.

"By the way, village chief, we also came this time wanting to pay a visit to the Mountain God Temple to express our apology—may we?"

Li Minghai and company were all atheists before, but after this incident he completely changed his view.

Although they have forgotten most of the memories of their coma on the mountain, the impact it left on them is immense; looking back now, they are still filled with lingering fear.

They have even decided that, upon returning home, they will set up an offering table to burn incense and worship Buddha.

The village chief was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Li Minghai to make such a request, especially since previously Li Minghai had boldly said he wanted to tear down the Mountain God Temple.

"Of course."

"Having offerings is certainly a good thing; it shows that the incense of the Mountain God of Longyuan Mountain is flourishing, and the Mountain God will only grow better."

Under the village chief's leadership, the group came to the front of the Mountain God Temple.

Li Minghai and company, however, began to hesitate; for some unknown reason, as they drew nearer to the shrine, his heartbeat grew ever faster, as if it were about to burst from his chest.

The village chief, somewhat puzzled, said: "Mr. Li, why don't you come in?"

The Mountain God Temple is not large, its furnishings are very simple; right in the center stands a huge snake statue, carved so lifelike it seems about to come alive.

The snake's head happens to be facing directly toward Li Minghai and company's position.

After seeing the snake statue clearly, Li Minghai and company sucked in a breath of cold air, as if some scene in their memory had been triggered, and their faces instantly turned deathly pale.

It seemed as if they had seen this scene somewhere before; a sense of familiarity washed over them, stirring the shadows in their hearts.

Once they thought about it, that fear and darkness came like a tide washing over them, as if their throats were constricted, making it impossible to breathe.

Vaguely, beside the snake statue seemed to stand a White Bone Daoist, who would sometimes turn into a woman, sometimes into a skeleton.

The psychological shadow was too great, so they began to experience hallucinations.

"Um, Village Chief, may I ask why the Mountain God Temple enshrines a snake statue?"

Upon careful listening, Li Minghai's voice was trembling.

The village chief laughed and said, "Because this is our Mountain God."

Li Minghai and the others' hands holding the incense kept trembling; their faces showed fear, but more so awe and respect.

They struggled to suppress their inner fear and panic, kowtowing and offering incense with utmost reverence—one could say their devotion had reached its peak.

Although the temple interior was not hot, indeed it was cool, after performing these actions they were drenched in sweat, their heads soaked and even their backs wet.

"Great Mountain God, please forgive us magnanimously; earlier we were blind and offended you, Old Sir, and we hope you will not blame us."

Li Minghai and the others muttered apologies continuously, even trying to stuff money into the village chief's hands, calling it incense money.

The village chief hastily refused, "We appreciate your kindness, but we cannot take this money; our Mountain God Temple never accepts such offerings—sincerity brings efficacy."

Li Minghai nodded repeatedly, also feeling that after paying respects to the Mountain God Temple his heart felt much lighter, the pressure eased.

Originally they had wanted to invite them to stay for a meal, but Li Minghai and the others were evasive, declining the village chief's kindness.

Watching their hurried backs, as if some flood and ferocious beast were chasing them, the village chief and others were somewhat baffled.

The village chief and others didn't think much more about it; no matter what, the matter was finally settled.

Li Minghai and the others left Longyuan Village, and after finishing the project's wrap‑up, they prepared to leave Wu Du.

They were not originally from here; they came only because of the project's investment‑promotion work.

Now that the Longyuan Mountain project had been abandoned, they had no reason to waste time here, so naturally it was time to leave.

Originally everyone had planned to stroll around the vicinity to relax, but after so many incidents, nobody felt like it.

Although they had already worshipped at the Mountain God Temple and sincerely apologized, everyone still felt uneasy.

Someone in the group suggested, "Why don't we go to a famous nearby Daoist temple to pray again, as a way of offering incense and accumulating blessings for ourselves?"

This proposal gained much support, with hopes of burning more incense and praying for the heavens' deities to protect them.

"I've heard there's a fairly well‑known Daoist temple nearby, a bit remote but still quite efficacious; many people had already checked in there before I came to Wu Du."

Everyone immediately drove there, following the navigation, and soon arrived at No. 76 Mingan Avenue.

"The Daoist temple should be nearby."

According to the navigation's indicated position, the group stepped onto the bluestone steps.

Amid the screening of verdant pines and cypresses, the ancient architecture loomed faintly; although it bore a sense of vicissitude, this very quality added a profound historical weight to it.

Looking at the Daoist temple on the small path, everyone felt an inexplicable familiarity, as if they had seen it somewhere before.

"Do you guys feel this Daoist temple looks a bit familiar?"

As soon as this was said, many people agreed, their faces bewildered.

"I thought only I felt familiar, but we've never been here before."

"Could it be that we saw it in a dream?"

Everyone could be certain that this was their first time coming to this vicinity; they had never been here before.

Then where does this feeling of familiarity come from?

Besides that, they harbored an indescribable fear, as if it were an instinct rising from the depths of their hearts.

Since waking up, whenever they approached Longyuan Mountain they would have this feeling.

Now they are a hundred‑thousand‑eight‑thousand meters away from Longyuan Mountain; logically such emotions should not arise.

With a subtle mood, the crowd approached the Daoist temple, gazing at the plaque where dragons flew and phoenixes danced, the few bold, powerful characters; everyone seemed to have triggered a switch, standing stiff‑faced, plunged into terrified silence.

【Shangqing Temple!】

Li Minghai and the others' faces turned deathly pale bit by bit.

If they hadn't misremembered, it seemed the Daoist temple they had encountered deep in the great mountains before was also called this name!

How could such a coincidence possibly happen in the world?

The feeling of déjà vu, the identical Daoist temple name…

Everyone stared at each other, unable to help swallowing, after exchanging a glance they lifted their heads to look at the big sun and the bustling crowd coming and going, then they tremblingly stepped into the Daoist temple.

Even the interior furnishings were roughly the same scene, awakening the deep‑seated fear in Li Minghai and the others, but since that day's memory had grown hazy, only fragmented recollections surfaced again in their minds.

Their faces grew ever paler.

Although most of the events were not clearly remembered, that shadow never faded, leaving them glancing around suspiciously.

They feared that something eerie might suddenly dart out from around them.

Fortunately, the enshrined deities here were quite normal, and with the steady flow of people and the ample aroma of incense, they felt a little more at ease.

"Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, several benefactors have pallid faces—is there anything you need help with?"

A sudden voice from nearby startled them; turning, they saw a white‑haired Daoist holding a whisk, his face showing concern as he inquired.

"You scared me; I thought it was the White Bone Daoist!"

Though they were greatly frightened, seeing that it was an ethereal‑looking old Daoist put them at ease—as long as his Daoist robe wasn't hiding a skeleton.

"How does White Bone attain the Dao? Perhaps by shedding the flesh through feathered ascension?"

The old Daoist laughed, teasing.

Li Minghai shook his head, "No, no, we were just joking."

After a slight pause, Li Minghai asked again, "Daoist priest, I wonder if there are any other Shangqing Temples elsewhere in Wu Du?"

The Daoist priest shook his head in astonishment, "Benefactor, you're joking—aside from Wu Du, the whole country has only this one Shangqing Temple."

Looking at the old Daoist's kind and benevolent face, there seemed to be a power that calmed people's hearts, slightly soothing the frantic emotions of Li Minghai and the others.

"Let's find an adept to chat with; maybe it'll be useful."

"Yeah, at first glance this Daoist is an adept who has attained the Dao."

Hearing the companions' whispered muttering, Li Minghai finally couldn't help but say: "Daoist, to be frank, we recently encountered a strange matter."

The old Daoist had a sense of it; seeing these few people with guilty looks, he knew they had something on their minds, and smilingly asked: "What strangeness is there?"

Li Minghai swallowed his saliva: "We, in another place, encountered a Shangqing Temple exactly like yours!"

The old Daoist's spirit lifted: "Please tell us in detail."

Afterwards, Li Minghai recounted his experience, but as he spoke later, due to his fuzzy memory, his account also became somewhat confused.

After listening, the old Daoist was quite puzzled, but from observing their words and expressions, he could see that Li Minghai and the others were not lying.

"You mean you also encountered a Shangqing Temple in Wu Du Longyuan Mountain, with a layout roughly similar to this one? Just rather strange?"

Li Minghai and the others nodded, then showed a self-mocking smile.

"Daoist, I know this is hard to believe, but it's indeed our personal experience; you can treat it as an anecdote."

"When we first saw this Daoist temple, we were also surprised; in the world, there actually exists such a similar Daoist temple."

The old Daoist pondered for a moment, then asked: "Then, regarding the Shangqing Temple you mentioned, does it have any strange aspects?"

Li Minghai's demeanor was quite reverent; he earnestly said: "That temple has a statue of the White Bone Great Immortal, which guided us inside; however, it does not enshrine Daoist deities, but rather enshrines — "

Upon saying this, a companion beside him tugged at him.

Li Minghai realized he had said a bit too much; as the saying goes, heavenly secrets must not be leaked, and speaking too much invites consequences.

He did not continue his words afterward, his face grew grim, and he finally stopped speaking to avoid causing trouble.

Afterwards, everyone bade farewell to the old Daoist, and the group hurriedly left, daring not to linger any longer in this identical Shangqing Temple.

Watching Li Minghai and the others' departing backs, the old Daoist's gaze also turned toward the distance, carrying a hint of inquiry and doubt.

"Longyuan Mountain?"

"Could it really be that among the mountains tens of kilometers away, there truly exists a Daoist temple exactly identical to the Shangqing Temple?"

"And there is also a White Bone Daoist?"

"Disciple, in a few days follow your master out for a trip."

Turning back to the rear hall, seeing the disciple who was looking at characters with an incense visitor, the old Daoist greeted him.

"Where are we going, Master?"

The little Daoist asked without raising his head.

The old Daoist stood before the offering table, his expression distant; he unconsciously lit incense, then came to and replied with a smile: "Go to his temple, to visit a White Bone Daoist."

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(End of chapter)