“Something strange?”
Ye Qiu quickly asked, “What kind of strange thing? Tell me more.”
Tang Fei said, “I can’t explain it in a few words, you’ll see when you get to Changbai Mountain. By the way, Ye Qiu, are you free these days to come to the Northeast?”
Ye Qiu replied, “I’m already in the Northeast.”
“Oh?” Tang Fei was surprised, “Did the War God contact you?”
“The War God didn’t reach out, I’m here for something else,” Ye Qiu said, “Old Tang, send me the exact location, I’ll come with the old man.”
“Master Longbrow is here too? That’s great, maybe he can help with this,” Tang Fei said, then asked, “Where are you now?”
“We just got off the plane, still at the airport,” Ye Qiu said.
“Wait there, I’ll send someone to pick you up,” Tang Fei said before hanging up.
Master Longbrow asked, “Tang Fei’s call? What’s he want?”
Ye Qiu didn’t hide anything, “Tang Fei ran into something weird at Changbai Mountain and wants us to help.”
Changbai Mountain?
Hearing Ye Qiu’s words, a flicker of unease passed through Master Longbrow’s eyes, gone in an instant.
“Old man, our destination this trip is Changbai Mountain, and now Tang Fei says something strange is happening there—could this be related to the big thing you’re planning?” Ye Qiu said, a bit worried.
“Doesn’t matter, let’s head to Changbai Mountain and see what’s going on,” Master Longbrow said. The unease in his eyes earlier stemmed from concern that Tang Fei’s strange issue might interfere with his plans.
They waited outside the airport for twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes later, a jeep with military plates pulled up in front of them. The driver was a young man in camouflage.
“Mr. Ye, Taoist Master, I’m here to pick you up on the commander’s orders. Please get in.”
The young man opened the back door.
“Thanks,” Ye Qiu said, and he and Master Longbrow got into the jeep, leaving the airport.
The vehicle moved forward.
Ye Qiu asked, “How long does it take to get to Changbai Mountain from here?”
“Not long,” the driver said, keeping his eyes on the road, “About two hours, I’d say.”
Two hours, and you call that not long?
Master Longbrow nudged Ye Qiu with his elbow. Ye Qiu glanced at him and saw Longbrow winking.
Catching on, Ye Qiu asked the driver, “Tang Fei told me you encountered something really strange at Changbai Mountain—is that true?”
“Yeah,” the driver’s face grew serious.
“Tell me about it.”
“Sorry, Mr. Ye, without the commander’s orders, I can’t disclose anything.”
Master Longbrow snapped at the driver, “Kid, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you know Ye Qiu is with the Underworld Palace? His rank is way above yours.”
The driver apologized, “Sorry, the commander ordered that this matter can’t be shared with anyone.”
“If you want to know, you can ask the commander directly when we reach the camp.”
“Please understand.”
“You—” Master Longbrow was about to scold him again, but Ye Qiu stopped him.
“Forget it, you know the Underworld Palace’s rules, don’t make it hard for him,” Ye Qiu said.
Hmph!
Master Longbrow let out a cold snort, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes to rest.
Ye Qiu, however, was deep in thought. Though the driver hadn’t revealed specifics, the fact that Tang Fei had ordered secrecy suggested the strange event at Changbai Mountain was no small matter.
What could be so bizarre that Tang Fei needed him to step in?
Couldn’t the Underworld Palace’s people handle it?
Ye Qiu’s curiosity grew.
The jeep pressed on.
Half an hour later, it left the city and entered a mountain path.
Both sides of the road were lined with vibrant wildflowers, a beautiful sight since few vehicles passed through.
Gradually, an endless range of mountains came into view.
Looking up, the mountains were covered in lush trees, their leaves green, yellow, or red, glowing under the sunlight, the forest stretching like an unfurled painting, boundless and breathtaking.
Ye Qiu felt his spirits lift.
At that moment, Master Longbrow, who had been resting, opened his eyes, glanced out the window, and pointed at the distant mountains, saying, “That’s Changbai Mountain.”
“Changbai Mountain is one of China’s ten famous mountains and a dragon vein.”
“The Qing dynasty’s royal family even revered it as a ‘sacred mountain,’ and emperors like Kangxi, Qianlong, and Jiaqing personally visited to offer sacrifices.”
“Not only is this mountain vast, but it’s also full of treasures and steeped in mystery.”
The driver chimed in, “The Taoist Master is right, there are indeed many treasures in the mountains, like century-old ginseng, lingzhi, and Northeast tigers. By the way, have you two heard about the Golden City?”
A glint flashed in Master Longbrow’s eyes, but it quickly faded.
Ye Qiu asked, “What’s the Golden City?”
The driver said, “When I was a kid, the village elders told stories about a city made of gold hidden in Changbai Mountain, priceless. In the early days of the People’s Republic, the government sent an archaeological team into the mountains to find it.”
“But in the end, not one person from the team came back—neither seen alive nor dead.”
“No one ever confirmed if the Golden City was real or not.”
“For a while, the village was buzzing with talk. Some said Changbai Mountain is a dragon vein guarded by divine spirits, others claimed there was a Yellow Immortal with immense power that devoured the team. People said all sorts of things.”
“Later, part of Changbai Mountain became a scenic area, but most of it was designated as a restricted zone, guarded by patrol teams, off-limits to outsiders.”
“First, to protect the pristine forest from destruction, second, to stop poachers from hunting rare animals, and third, for public safety.”
Master Longbrow asked, “No one’s looking for the Golden City now, right?”
“No, it’s just a legend, and with the archaeological team vanishing, who’d dare go?” the driver said, “Changbai Mountain is vast and sparsely populated, and with all the old tales, it’s cloaked in mystery.”
“Like a couple of years ago, someone claimed a monster appeared in Tianchi Lake. The story spread, and newspapers and media went wild, with people camping by the lake waiting for the monster, but no one’s actually seen it.”
Ye Qiu asked, “This strange event you’re dealing with, is it in the restricted area of Changbai Mountain?”
“Uh…” The driver hesitated, then said, “Mr. Ye, you’d better ask the commander when we get there, we’re almost at the camp.”
The jeep continued on.
Over an hour later, the driver said, “We’re here,” and the jeep came to a stop.
