After driving for another half an hour or so, the group finally arrived at the foot of a desolate and secluded mountain.
Old Hu had everyone get out of the van, then pulled a pile of flashlights and climbing gear from the back and handed them to the group.
"I figured you wouldn’t bring anything. These are free to use, but you’ll have to pay if you lose them."
After speaking, Old Hu slung a travel backpack over his shoulders, switched on his flashlight, and started walking up the mountain.
Zhao Rui looked up at the summit. It towered into the clouds, and in the pitch-black night, he couldn’t see it clearly at all.
All he could see was the bright beam from Old Hu’s high-powered flashlight.
"Let’s keep up!"
With that, Zhao Rui and the others hurried after him.
"I heard this mountain was sealed off. Is that true?" Zhao Rui asked as they walked.
"The sealed-off area isn’t here. You wouldn’t be able to get to that place anyway. It’s guarded by the army," Old Hu said, hunched over as he climbed.
"Not here?"
Zhao Rui was taken aback. He clearly rembered Zhang Kui telling him it was Sunset Peak.
"Then do you know why the mountain was sealed?"
"Don’t know. What do us common folk know? But I heard people say a blue light suddenly appeared over on the summit, and a few days later, the Governnt Office sealed it off."
"But sealed or not, what could possibly be on the mountain? It’s not like there’s a gold mine, right? And even if there were, it’d have nothing to do with us ordinary people."
Old Hu had a point. No matter how valuable sothing was, it wasn’t for ordinary people to ddle with or covet.
"Are you still going up?"
Seeing that Zhao Rui’s goal was the sealed-off mountain, Old Hu turned back and asked, "If you want to go back down now, you’ll still have to give one hundred."
Zhao Rui frowned and glanced at Li Xinran and the others. When he saw Li Xinran shake her head, he said, "We’re continuing up. You’ll get your money. Just make sure you lead the way properly."
"Don’t you worry. I’ve lived at the foot of this mountain since I was a kid. Going up to hunt or gather herbs is like a walk in the park for ."
As he spoke, Old Hu walked to a tree glinting in the light, picked up a small reflector from the ground, and said, "See? I even left this here last ti I passed through."
With that, he lowered his head and continued trudging up the mountain.
The mountain path was rugged, and it was the middle of the night. If he weren’t so familiar with the route, he wouldn’t have co, not even for ten thousand.
But after climbing for a good while, he noticed that the young people behind him didn’t seem to be struggling in the slightest. It was as if they were walking on flat ground.
He instantly understood that these people must have so martial arts training.
"Sir, where is that sealed-off summit you ntioned? Is there anything special about this peak?" Zhao Rui asked, not ready to give up.
"Hmm, it’s on the east side of the mountain. From the top of this peak, you can see the entire western face of the other one. There’s also a connecting mountain path that leads over there."
"That path is probably sealed off too. As for this mountain? There’s nothing particularly special about it!"
After saying this, Old Hu suddenly seed to rember sothing. "Although," he added, "a while back, the Patrol and the fire departnt ca to search the mountain. There were a lot of them, with hounds and drones. They were at it for several days, then they left."
Hearing Old Hu’s words, Zhao Rui and the others exchanged glances, a mix of relief and regret in their eyes.
"Let’s go up and take a look."
Li Xinran said, her voice tinged with disappointnt.
The group nodded and continued on their way.
The mountain path led upwards through a dense forest, passed by a cliff, crossed a ravine halfway up, and traversed two small peaks before reaching the destination.
Even for Old Hu, who frequently took this path, walking it on such a pitch-black night required extre caution, as if he were facing a great enemy.
After several grueling hours, the group finally reached the ravine.
Under the faint moonlight, the stream shimred with a dim luster. Its gurgling sounded like a pleasant lody from a zither.
"What happened to the water here?"
As they were walking along the riverbank, Old Hu suddenly stopped. He aid the headlamp strapped to his forehead and shone it intently at the stream up ahead.
Hearing him, the group quickly looked over. They saw that what should have been a smooth, placid stream suddenly narrowed at a bend.
It was as if the water had vanished into thin air.
It might have been unnoticeable during the day, but at night, Old Hu paid more attention to what he could hear.
"Did the water sink underground?"
Old Hu crouched down, touched the soil, and muttered in confusion.
User Comments
0 comments from readers