Before Ye Qiu and the others stood five towering peaks.
These five peaks were connected, each rising about two thousand meters high, like five colossal pillars piercing the sky.
It was an awe-inspiring sight!
Master Changmei studied the map for a while, then said, “According to the map, this is Five Fingers Mountain.”
“Five Fingers Mountain is the gateway to the heart of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, once we cross it, we’ll officially enter the territory of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.”
With that, Master Changmei tore up the map.
“Uncle-Master, why did you tear the map?” Shuisheng asked, puzzled.
Master Changmei replied, “I bought this map for a buck on the roadside, it only marks the edges of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, it doesn’t show how to navigate inside, so keeping it is useless.”
“Then how will we find our way after entering the mountains?” Shuisheng looked at the endless peaks in the distance and sighed, “With so many mountains, which one is Dalong Mountain?”
“Don’t worry, just follow me.”
With that, the three entered the mountains.
As they walked, Master Changmei cautioned Ye Qiu and Shuisheng, “Be careful, we don’t know what we’ll encounter once we’re inside, don’t let your guard down.”
“Uncle-Master, you need to be careful too,” Shuisheng reminded him.
“No matter, I’m already a dying man anyway,” Master Changmei said nonchalantly.
The trio crossed Five Fingers Mountain, and the scent of a primal forest hit them.
Everywhere they looked, there were towering ancient trees, each dozens of meters tall and thicker than a bathtub.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of leaves and dry branches, crunching underfoot with each step.
From time to time, the sound of birds chirping echoed through the air.
“Old man, how do we go from here?” Ye Qiu asked.
“No rush, let me divine a reading first.” Master Changmei picked up a stick from the ground, tossed it, and it landed.
Snap!
The stick pointed west.
“Got it, we head west,” Master Changmei chuckled.
Ye Qiu snapped irritably, “Old man, can you take this seriously? You used to at least pretend with your fortune-telling, now you’re not even bothering.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t get it wrong,” Master Changmei said with a grin.
Shuisheng chimed in earnestly from the side, “Dr. Ye, my Uncle-Master is the world’s greatest diviner, his fortune-telling is spot on.”
Ye Qiu scoffed, “You say he’s accurate, got any proof?”
“Of course,” Shuisheng said, “Last time, my pet rabbit went missing, I asked Uncle-Master to divine it, he said it was in the pot, I lifted the lid, and sure enough, there it was.”
Ye Qiu was dumbfounded, “That’s it?”
“Isn’t that proof enough?” Shuisheng stressed, “Uncle-Master’s fortune-telling is really accurate.”
Ye Qiu was utterly speechless.
He could see it now, Shuisheng wasn’t just a blockhead, he was completely devoted to Master Changmei.
“Little brat, trust me, we head west, and we’ll definitely find Dalong Mountain.”
Master Changmei took the lead, walking ahead.
Ye Qiu felt a pang of concern, the old man’s health was poor, if they ran into any ferocious beasts or birds, the person in front would be in the most danger.
“I’ll take the lead instead!” Ye Qiu said.
The three continued along the forest path for another half hour until they entered a canyon.
The canyon was flanked by steep, undulating peaks.
Wildflowers dotted the landscape.
Bees and butterflies buzzed around, the air filled with a fresh fragrance.
After a while, they came across a stream, its waters crystal clear and tranquil.
“That driver from earlier was just trying to scare us, this place is clearly a paradise, where’s the danger?” Shuisheng remarked as they walked.
Ye Qiu didn’t sense any danger either, he just felt the environment was pleasant, standing there brought a deep sense of peace to his heart.
“This place would be perfect for seclusion,” Ye Qiu said.
“Nonsense, you’ve never been to Dragon Tiger Mountain, if you went there, you’d never want to leave, that’s the real spot for seclusion,” Master Changmei retorted.
Ye Qiu mocked, “You’re just tooting your own horn, the world’s a big place, there are plenty of spots better than Dragon Tiger Mountain.”
Master Changmei insisted, “Dragon Tiger Mountain is absolutely the best place for seclusion, beautiful scenery, a land of outstanding people.”
“Uncle-Master’s right,” Shuisheng nodded, adding, “Not only is the scenery great, you can even watch widows bathe, Uncle-Master does it all the time.”
Master Changmei hadn’t expected his nephew to spill that, caught off guard, he shot Shuisheng a fierce glare, “Shut up!”
“Uncle-Master, I was just telling the truth, why are you mad?”
Shuisheng, clueless, looked at Master Changmei with clear, puzzled eyes.
Master Changmei’s face flushed, at a loss for words.
Ye Qiu burst into laughter beside them.
“Laugh at what, keep laughing and I’ll cut your tongue out,” Master Changmei barked at Ye Qiu, then glared at Shuisheng, “No one thinks you’re mute if you don’t talk.”
Shuisheng said, “If I never talk, wouldn’t that actually make me mute?”
Master Changmei, “…”
“Old man, you’re right, Shuisheng’s a natural-born saint, with him around, Dragon Tiger Mountain’s bound to reclaim its glory from a thousand years ago,” Ye Qiu snickered.
Master Changmei instantly caught the sarcasm in Ye Qiu’s tone and shot him a glare, “You shut up too.”
The three chatted as they pressed forward.
Three hours later.
They still hadn’t exited the canyon, and the forest grew denser, the temperature dropping, becoming cold and damp.
Though it was daytime, the thick canopy blocked out every sliver of sunlight.
“Shuisheng, get the flashlights out,” Master Changmei instructed.
Shuisheng pulled out two flashlights, handed one to Ye Qiu, and kept one for himself as he supported Master Changmei onward.
As they walked.
Whoosh—
A sudden gust of cold wind blew through.
Ye Qiu felt a chill on his neck, shivered, and cursed, “Damn, why’s it so cold?”
“Cough, cough…” Master Changmei coughed softly.
Shuisheng said, “Why does this place feel eerie, Uncle-Master, do you think there could be ghosts in this forest?”
“Ghosts, my foot!” Master Changmei snapped irritably, “We’re in the wild mountains, stop saying unlucky things.”
Shuisheng replied, “If there really are ghosts, saying lucky things won’t mean they don’t exist, right?”
“You—”
Master Changmei was at a loss for words, he cursed, “If I die before we find Dalong Mountain, there’s only one possibility, you drove me to it.”
“Uncle-Master, don’t joke, I remember you saying your heart’s as vast as the sky, how could I drive you to death? Besides, I haven’t upset you, have I?”
“Hmph!” Master Changmei let out a cold grunt, stewing in silent frustration.
Shuisheng turned to Ye Qiu, “Dr. Ye, do you think there are ghosts in this world?”
“I…” Ye Qiu turned around, his expression suddenly turning grave, “There are ghosts.”
“Where?”
“Right behind you.”
Shuisheng spun around quickly, and in the darkness less than two meters away, a pair of blood-red eyes stared right at him.
