Chapter 114

Autumn rain lingered, the mountains hazy.

"Young Master, watch your step."

The book boy held an umbrella, trying to support the young man.

"Sigh~ no need!"

The scholar waved his hand casually, looking at the slippery mountain path, wiping the sweat from his brow, and smiled, "The teacher often says that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; he does not deceive me."

"The customs of Shaanxi are indeed very different from our Ezhou. Although the Divine Land has been unified for thousands of years, the customs and sentiments of the Qin and Chu regions remain vastly different."

"Copying books won't work; if one is to be an official, one must observe the customs of the people..."

The book boy said with admiration, "Young Master, you will definitely be a good official in the future."

"A good official?"

The scholar looked toward the north and sighed, "There are many powerful people in the capital. Our dynasty has been founded for a hundred years, and powerful families have already formed. Without someone to help, this trip to the capital will likely lead to failure."

Following beside them was also an old man dressed like a hunter.

The scholar and his boy used their hometown dialect, which the hunter couldn't quite understand, but he couldn't afford to think too much, instead looking around with full vigilance.

Seeing this, the scholar hurriedly changed to the official language and asked, "Old Uncle Wang, is there danger here?"

"Danger is an understatement!"

The hunter snorted, "You young man, leaving the main road to drill into this desolate path—this bit of silver is truly hard to earn."

The scholar laughed dumbly, shook his head, and said, "Passing through Shangluo, how can one not come to Tianzhu Mountain? In the past, during the Song Dynasty, Shao Anle once lived in seclusion here. I have long yearned for the magnificent scenery of the Heavenly Pillar piercing the clouds and the Golden Mountain in the sea of clouds..."

"I don't understand what you're saying!"

The hunter pointed ahead and whispered, "I only know that this back mountain is not very peaceful."

"There are herb gatherers who come up the mountain and get lost in a daze; those with good luck can find their way out, but those with bad luck just disappear!"

The book boy swallowed hard, clearly somewhat afraid, "There are ghost-wall-blocking on the mountain..."

"Shut up!"

The hunter gave an angry shout. Seeing the book boy's face turn pale with fright, he could only soften his tone and snorted, "Forgot what I said?"

"Remember, it's Master Qingfeng!"

"Oh, oh, it's Master Qingfeng blocking the wall."

The book boy remembered the taboos the hunter had mentioned before and hurriedly changed his words.

The scholar beside him almost laughed out loud, but seeing the hunter's expression, he held it back and looked toward the dense forest in the distance, thinking thoughtfully, "Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, the Great Master Luo lived in seclusion here, so naturally, there are some mysteries."

Saying this, he took a tortoise shell and copper coins from his bosom, shook them a few times, and poured them onto the ground.

The hunter immediately showed respect, "Young Master knows sorcery?"

A trace of pride flashed in the scholar's eyes, but he smiled humbly, "I have just learned some principles of change. I have cast hexagrams all the way into the mountain, turning bad luck into good, and have never missed."

"Mm... the second line changes, the Kun position is safe..."

The scholar counted his fingers and calculated silently, then put away the tortoise shell and coins, smiling, "Don't worry, this trip into the mountain will be smooth sailing!"

…………

Night fell, and dense fog filled the forest.

The group had completely lost their way in the mountain.

The book boy held the lantern, looking around in a panic, his voice trembling, "Yo-Young Master, your hexagram isn't working..."

The scholar's legs were also trembling, but he still stubbornly said, "Don't worry, it's just fog in the mountain; we'll rest for the night and tomorrow we'll..."

"Tomorrow you'll be gone!" The hunter Old Uncle Wang's anger couldn't be suppressed, "You city people, you don't know what's good for you. You really think staying here will let you escape?"

"In the middle of the night, you'll be hooked into jumping off the cliff!"

Saying this, he bent over and cupped his hands, shouting toward the dark forest, "The main road faces the sky, let's each walk our own way. No grudges in the past, no enmity in the present. If there was any offense, I hope for your understanding..."

He was sincere and shouted three times.

Afterward, he took three thin white thatch stalks from his body, kept one for himself, handed one each to the scholar and the book boy, and said in a deep voice, "One for each person. Walk the path on the left, and every three steps, use the thatch stalk to point at the ground. Don't speak on the way, and don't look back!"

"Inviting the Mao Lady?"

The book boy's eyes lit up, "Old Uncle Wang, are you also from Ezhou? We often offer sacrifices to the Mao Lady there."

The scholar smiled, "Spiritual thatch and holy reeds, warding off evil and praying for blessings. We Chu people worship thatch; the 'Discourses of the States' says, 'In the past, King Cheng allied with the feudal lords at Qiyang...'"

The hunter Old Wang was almost driven crazy by the two and roared, "Keep jabbering and none of you will get out; I'll kill you first!"

The scholar and the book boy hurriedly shut their mouths.

Seeing this, the old hunter snorted and reminded them again, "This method was passed down by my ancestors. Remember, no matter what is called from behind, don't look back, and don't answer. Everyone grab the clothes of the person in front."

"Remember, if you look back and speak, and someone gets lost, don't expect me to go looking for you! Life and death are fated; don't blame others!"

Having said that, he took the lead and walked in front.

In this atmosphere, the scholar and his boy were clearly frightened, not making a sound, following the old hunter from the left, using the thatch to point at the ground every three steps.

As they walked, the two felt something was wrong.

They always felt someone was following behind them, blowing cold air into their ears, vaguely, and it seemed someone was talking...

The two felt their legs go weak, trembling with fear, but fortunately, they remembered the hunter's words and didn't dare to commit any taboos, honestly following behind.

Perhaps the old hunter's method worked; in less than three sticks of incense, the dense fog in the forest dissipated quite a bit, and the scenery in the distance changed.

A corner appeared ahead, and on a huge rock were four large characters left by someone at some unknown time: "Zhong Yun Shen Xiu." Although the handwriting was mottled and the cinnabar red paint had fallen off, one could still see the boldness of the characters.

Between several giant rocks stood a half-person-high shrine; the mountain god statue was mottled, and the stone offering table was covered in dust, clearly having not been offered incense for a long time.

"Mountain God bless..."

The old hunter breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly stepped forward, took out the incense and candles he had prepared, and knelt to worship sincerely.

And the scholar and his boy turned their heads and couldn't help but be horrified.

Now that the dense fog had completely dissipated, they saw that in the moonlit forest, there were several stone tombs of extraordinary specifications, but they were broken and collapsed, covered in moss.

Seeing this, the old hunter was also somewhat nervous; he hurriedly lit three sticks of incense, piled up the earth to form an altar, stuck it in the ground, and put his hands together, muttering, "Disturbing you all, thank you, thank you."

The master and servant were also scared to death, followed them in worship, and then left in a panic.

After leaving this desolate mountain path, the old hunter was clearly much more relaxed, looked at the road, and said in a deep voice, "We missed the time; night travel is not advisable."

"Although it's desolate ahead, there are villagers who often walk it. If I remember correctly, there is a mountain god temple; it's just right to rest for the night."

"Mountain God temple?"

The book boy swallowed hard, "Nothing will happen there too, right..."

"What nonsense are you talking!"

The old hunter glared, "Under the Mountain God's seat, nothing dares to cause trouble; it's the safest place."

"Yes, yes, yes, listening to Old Uncle Wang..."

Having encountered the ghost-wall-blocking, the scholar was clearly much more sensible.

The three continued forward, bypassed several bends, climbed a shallow slope, and a mountain god temple appeared ahead, looking somewhat aged.

However, they stopped in their tracks.

Inside the mountain god temple, faint firelight was flickering.

"Old Uncle Wang..." The scholar looked at the hunter.

The old hunter took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "They should be travelers; let's go and rest for the night. Remember to be polite and don't talk nonsense."

Even so, he still took down the recurve bow on his back and drew an arrow.

He had one thing he didn't say: in the middle of the night, in such a desolate old temple, they could be travelers, or they could be villains.

Before they even got close, a cold voice came from the temple: "Hey, why is there the smell of living people?"

"Could it be a snack sent to the old man by some cave master?"

The scholar's hair stood on end.

This tone had appeared in strange tales and operas.

He was all too familiar with it!

Even the old hunter's legs went weak.

But just as they were about to flee, a gentle laugh came from the temple, "Brother Yan, we are all travelers in the desolate mountains; why are you scaring them?"

"Everyone, come in; it's very safe here."

The three looked at each other, somewhat unsure, but things had reached this point, so they had to harden their hearts and enter the temple.

They saw a bonfire lit inside, and two people sitting beside it.

One was dressed in Daoist robes, and the other was a young man with a black face and white face, eyes like cold stars, with a long blade at his waist—it was precisely Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan.

!.

The old hunter glanced at the feet of the two and, seeing their shadows flickering with the firelight, felt slightly relieved and cupped his hands slightly, "Disturbing you two."

"No matter."

Wang Daoxuan smiled gently, took down the teapot hanging over the fire, "The night in the mountain is cold; drink a cup of tea to warm your bodies."

Seeing the three's defensiveness, he laughed dumbly, "We are not villains, and there is no sleeping potion inside."

The old hunter nodded, "Master Dao is joking. Guan-style swordsmen taking our lives would be as easy as turning over a hand; what need would there be for sleeping potion."

Clearly, he had recognized the Guan Mountain blade.

Although there were no proper vessels, the three had prepared bamboo tubes for water when entering the mountain, which served perfectly as temporary tea cups.

After a cup of warm tea, the three finally regained their souls.

"Good tea!"

The scholar took a sip and immediately praised, "Is this the Yellow Group from the three teas of Huainan, or is it this year's new tea? Master Dao has good taste."

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly, "I don't understand this; it was all picked by Young Brother Yan on the road, and it cost quite a bit of silver."

Seeing Li Yan's extraordinary appearance and temperament, the scholar felt a sense of affinity and cupped his hands, "I am Yan Jiuling; may I ask, brother..."

"Li Yan," Li Yan replied indifferently.

Seeming to find the two agreeable, the old hunter also felt slightly relieved, looked at the fire on the ground, hesitated, and cupped his hands, "Forgive me for being blunt, Master Dao, but lighting a fire in a god temple is afraid to be disrespectful to the Mountain God."

Li Yan glanced at it, "Don't worry, the Mountain God here hasn't been offered incense for years and left long ago; otherwise, how would you have encountered ghost-wall-blocking?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the three were terrified.

Wang Daoxuan hurriedly comforted them, "Everyone, don't worry; it was Young Brother Yan who noticed something was wrong and helped you out of the siege."

So that's how it was...

The three looked at each other, and the old hunter gave an awkward smile, not daring to say anything more.

He knew he had encountered a high-ranking expert with cultivation.

It was no wonder Li Yan's tone was unfriendly.

Tianzhu Mountain was within the territory of Fengyang County. They had left Wu Family Ditch and traveled rapidly, arriving at Tianzhu Mountain.

They had searched for a full half-day since the afternoon but couldn't find the dharma sect cave Old Fourth Wu had mentioned.

Li Yan was helpless and took Wang Daoxuan to search everywhere, finally finding this mountain god temple, wanting to use the Soul-Hooking Order's ability to communicate with the divine to ask the Mountain God for the path.

Unexpectedly, there had been no incense here for years, and even the Mountain God's divine aura had long since dissipated; instead, the clay statue had been occupied by yin entities, which were scattered by Li Yan's divine drum.

The answer was close at hand, yet there was no door to enter, so naturally, he was annoyed.

Wang Daoxuan's heart stirred, and he asked the hunter, "Old lay practitioner, I am visiting some high experts; do you know of any?"

The old hunter hesitated and cupped his hands, "I dare not deceive Master Dao. I live at the foot of the mountain on the right, Tianzhu Village. There are indeed several temples on the mountain, and the incense is quite prosperous."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly, "The abbot in that temple is indeed learned, but he is not the high expert we are looking for."

He naturally knew who he was talking about.

He and Li Yan had gone to visit, wanting to gather some intelligence. Unfortunately, although he was also a Buddhist, he was not of the Mystic Sect.

"This..."

The old hunter shook his head, "To tell the truth, this is the back mountain. Many years ago, I heard my grandfather say that there were many high experts living in seclusion, but after some strange events, the commoners didn't dare to come to the back mountain."

The scholar Yan Jiuling's eyes lit up, "Two masters, are you looking for the lineage of Master Luo? I heard that he was a great Dharma master of the Tang Dynasty."

He had some status and knew about the Mystic Sect, and even had fantasies about seeking the Dao when he was young, but he hadn't awakened his divine ability, so naturally, he had no fate to step into it.

Guessing that the two were Mystic Sect sorcerers, he felt an itch in his heart.

Wang Daoxuan laughed dumbly, "Master Luo's lineage is not here."

Li Yan suddenly spoke, "Are there any famous underworld-travelers in the surrounding ten miles?"

The old hunter frowned, "I don't know, but I have heard of one thing. Some years ago, several herb gatherers from the village went to Beishan and lost their souls on the way. Suddenly, an old woman appeared and helped them call back their souls, then sternly scolded them and forbade them from going to Beishan again."

"Beishan?"

Li Yan frowned, "I've already turned Beishan upside down and didn't find any high experts."

The old hunter shook his head, "Two masters, you don't know. There is a dangerous place in Beishan that can only be reached from the Heavenly Pillar Peak; it's quite hidden, and ordinary people find it very hard to find."

Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up, "Thank you, lay practitioner."

A trace of surprise also appeared in Li Yan's eyes.

He remembered something: the sorcerer named Lu had said there was still a Junior Sister guarding the ancestral altar.

Helping people call back souls, an old woman—it was likely her!

With a target, the two felt invigorated, but because there were outsiders, some things were hard to say, so they lay down in the corner and went to sleep.

Poor scholar Yan Jiuling, thinking of the ruined temple, the hero, and the Daoist—all high experts of the Mystic Sect—it was simply a plot from a novel, and he was excited, wanting to get to know them, but didn't expect the two to fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the ground.

He was full of helplessness, and added to the hardship of climbing the mountain and the fright he had suffered, he unknowingly entered a dream...

……

"Young Master! Young Master!"

It seemed not long after he fell asleep, Yan Jiuling was awakened by the book boy. Dazed, he woke up and found it was already bright outside.

Inside the old temple, the embers of the bonfire had gone cold, and the hero and the Daoist were both gone.

"Where are those two?"

Yan Jiuling hurriedly asked.

"Left early!"

The old hunter said in a muffled voice, "They left before dawn. It's not that I'm lecturing you, but you are a proper scholar; it's best to keep your distance from these people in the martial world."

Seeming to have gained courage now that it was dawn, the book boy, having been mocked by the old hunter all the way, couldn't help but speak, "My Young Master is a Juren, and will be an official in the future..."

"Zhumo, what nonsense are you talking!"

The scholar scolded him. Seeing the old hunter become cautious, he hurriedly shook his head, "Old Uncle Wang, I am just a scholar; you don't need to mind."

The book boy shrank his head, "Young Master, when are we leaving? This desolate mountain is truly unsafe."

"The master told you to go to Chang'an to visit Master Li; if we miss the time..."

"We'll leave after touring the Heavenly Pillar Peak."

Yan Jiuling didn't care at all, his eyes full of regret, muttering, "Li Yan, Li Yan, Great Expansion seeks one... sure enough, traveling the world allows one to see the mysteries of heaven and earth..."

Just as the scholar was sighing, on the steep Heavenly Pillar Peak, a figure had already climbed down along a mountain crevice, gradually disappearing into the dense fog and sea of clouds...

(End of chapter)