The scholar and his servant turned their heads, feeling startled.
Now the dense fog had completely dissipated, revealing several ancient stone tombs in the Moonlight Forest, with remarkable features, yet broken and covered with moss.
The old hunter, also sowhat nervous, hurriedly lit three sticks of incense, crumbled so soil into an altar, inserted them into the ground, and clasped his hands together, muttering, "Sorry to disturb you all, thank you, thank you."
The master and servant were also quite frightened, quickly perford a short ceremony, and then left in a hurry.
After leaving this remote mountain trail, the old hunter visibly relaxed a lot. Looking at the road, he said in a deep voice, "We’ve missed the hour, it’s not advisable to travel by night."
"Although the road ahead is also remote, there are villagers who often pass by. If I’m not mistaken, there’s a Mountain God Temple where we can rest for the night."
"Mountain God Temple?"
The attendant student swallowed, "Will sothing happen there too..."
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
The old hunter glared, "Nothing dares to cause trouble under the Mountain God’s seat; it’s the safest place possible."
"Yes, yes, I’ll listen to Uncle Wang..."
Having encountered a Ghost Wall, the scholar was noticeably much wiser.
The three continued onward, winding around several bends, ascending a gentle slope until a Mountain God Temple, showing its age, stood before them.
However, they stopped in their tracks.
Inside the Mountain God Temple, there was a faint flickering of firelight.
"Uncle Wang..." The scholar looked at the hunter.
The old hunter took a deep breath and said solemnly, "It should be travelers. Let’s join them for the night. Rember to be polite and don’t speak recklessly."
Though he said this, he still removed the curved bow from his back and drew an arrow.
There was sothing he didn’t say, in the depths of the night, lodging at an old deserted temple could an encountering travelers, or possibly bandits.
Before they reached the temple, a cold and eerie voice ca from within, "Hmm, why is there the scent of living people?"
"Could it be a snack sent by so cave master to this old man?"
The scholar was instantly terrified, his hairs standing on end.
Such a tone, he had co across in supernatural tales and dramas.
He was all too familiar with it!
Even the old hunter was so scared his legs weakened.
But as they prepared to run away, a gentle laughter ca from within the temple, "Brother Yan, we are all travelers in this barren mountain, why scare them?"
"You all, co in, it’s quite safe here."
The three exchanged glances, uncertain, but given the situation, they had no choice but to muster their courage and enter the temple.
Inside, a bonfire was burning, with two people sitting beside it.
One was dressed in a Daoist robe, the other a young man in black, with a face as white as snow, eyes like cold stars, and a long blade at his waist; it was Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan.
The old hunter glanced at their feet, seeing the shadows flicker with the firelight, he finally relaxed a little and slightly cupped his hands, saying, "Sorry to disturb you two."
"No problem."
Wang Daoxuan smiled warmly, taking down the teapot from above the fire, "It’s cold in the mountain at night, have a cup of tea to warm yourselves."
Noticing their cautiousness, he laughed softly, "Don’t worry, we are not bad people, there’s no knockout drug in here."
The old hunter nodded, "Daoist, you’re joking. A Guanzhong bladesman could take our lives effortlessly; why would you need knockout drugs?"
Clearly, he recognized the Guan Mountain Blade.
Though lacking proper cups, as they ventured into the mountains, they carried bamboo tubes for water, perfect for makeshift teacups.
With a warm cup of tea in their bellies, the three finally ca back to their senses.
"Good tea!"
The scholar took a sip and instantly praised, "This is Huangtuan from the three famous teas of Huainan, and it’s this year’s new tea. Daoist, you have a refined taste."
Wang Daoxuan chuckled softly, "I don’t know about these things; it’s Brother Yan who picked them along the way and spent quite a bit of silver."
Seeing Li Yan’s striking appearance and deanor, the scholar imdiately felt a sense of goodwill, cupping his hands, "I am Yan Jiuling. May I ask, brother..."
"Li Yan." Li Yan replied indifferently.
Seeing the two seem amiable, the old hunter also felt sowhat at ease, looking at the fire pit on the ground, hesitating a mont, "Forgive my straightforwardness, lighting a fire in a Divine Temple might be disrespectful to the Mountain God."
Li Yan glanced slightly, "Relax, the Mountain God here hasn’t been worshiped for years, left long ago. Otherwise, how would you have encountered the Ghost Wall?"
With this, the three were instantly filled with a chilling sense of fear.
Wang Daoxuan quickly comforted, "Rest assured, everyone, it was Brother Yan who sensed sothing amiss and resolved the situation for you."
So that was it...
The three exchanged embarrassed glances, and the old hunter gave an awkward smile, not daring to say more.
He knew he had encountered people with high spiritual attainnt.
No wonder Li Yan seed displeased.
The Tianzhu Mountain was within Fengyang’s domain, after leaving Wu Family Gully, they quickly hurried to Tianzhu Mountain.
Since climbing the mountain in the afternoon, they searched for half a day, without finding the Magic Veins Cave that Wu Laosi ntioned.
Li Yan was helpless, so he took Wang Daoxuan to search around and finally found a Mountain God Temple, hoping to use the ability of Hook Paper communication with God to ask sothing from the Mountain God.
Unexpectedly, the place had long been without incense offerings, even the Mountain God’s Divine Astral had dissipated; rather, the clay idol was occupied by yin objects, which Li Yan dispersed with his Divine Drum.
The answer was close yet inaccessible, naturally causing frustration.
Wang Daoxuan, upon a thought, asked the hunter, "Respected elder, we ca up the mountain hoping to visit so high masters; do you happen to know any?"
The old hunter hesitated a bit, cupped his hands, "I wouldn’t dare deceive the Daoist, I live in Tianzhu Village at the foot of the right side of the mountain, indeed there are several temples on the mountain, and the incense offerings are considered thriving."
Wang Daoxuan gently shook his head, "The abbot in those temples indeed possesses profound knowledge, but they are not the high masters we seek."
Of course, he knew exactly who he ant.
Both he and Li Yan had visited to gather so information. Unfortunately, although they were also of the Buddhist sect, they were not of the Mystical Sect.
"This..."
The old hunter shook his head, "To be honest, this has been the back mountain for many years. I once heard my grandfather say that many high masters used to live secluded here, but after so strange events occurred, villagers no longer dared to co to the back mountain."
Scholar Yan Jiuling’s eyes lit up, "Are you both looking for a lineage of Master Luo? I’ve heard he was a great mage during the Tang Dynasty."
Possessing so status, he knew of the Mystical Sect’s matters and even sought the Dao in childhood fantasies, but without awakening any Divine Skills, naturally, he never embarked on the path.
Guessing they were Mystical Sect magicians, he was thrilled.
Wang Daoxuan chuckled, "The lineage of Master Luo is not found here."
Li Yan suddenly spoke, "In the surrounding ten miles, is there a notable spirit dium?"
The old hunter slightly frowned, "I’m not sure, but I’ve heard of sothing. Several years ago, so herb gatherers from the village went to North Mountain, lost their souls on the way, then an old woman appeared, helped them recover their souls, and sternly forbade them to go to North Mountain again."
"North Mountain?"
Li Yan frowned, "I’ve combed through North Mountain without discovering any high masters."
The old hunter shook his head, "You two may not know, but North Mountain has a perilous area that requires descending from the Heavenly Pillar Peak. It’s rather hidden, hard for ordinary people to find."
Wang Daoxuan’s eyes brightened, "Thank you, elder."
Li Yan’s eyes also showed a touch of delight.
He recalled sothing: that Daoist surnad Lu ntioned a younger sister guarding the Ancestor Master Altar.
Helping people recover their souls, an old woman, mostly likely her!
With a target in mind, the two felt elated but, due to the presence of outsiders, inconvenient to speak more, they simply leaned against a corner and slept.
Poor scholar Yan Jiuling, envisioning an old temple, heroic figures, Daoists, all Mystical Sect masters, just like scenes in novels; excitedly wishing to make acquaintances until he found them asleep.
His face showed helplessness, and with the exertions of climbing the mountain and earlier fright, he gradually drifted into slumber...
...
"Master! Master!"
It seed like he hadn’t slept long when Yan Jiuling was awakened by his attendant student, groggily awakening, finding the outside brightened.
In the old temple, the bonfire’s embers had turned cold, and the heroic figures and Daoist were gone.
"Where are the two of them?"
Yan Jiuling quickly inquired.
"Left early!"
The old hunter replied gruffly, "They left before dawn; I’m not blaming you, but you’re an honest scholar; it’s best to keep a respectful distance from these people of the pugilistic world."
Perhaps emboldened by daylight, the attendant student who had absorbed the old hunter’s ridicule all the way could not help but say, "My master is a scholar after all, destined to beco an official in the future..."
"Zhu Mo, what nonsense are you spouting!"
The scholar scolded him once, seeing the old hunter becoming cautious, quickly shook his head, "Uncle Wang, I’m just a scholar, you needn’t mind."
The student shrank his head, "Master, when are we leaving? This desolate, wilderness area is really unsafe."
"The master asked you to visit Lord Li in Chang’an; missing the hour would be..."
"After visiting Heavenly Pillar Peak, we’ll leave."
The scholar Yan Jiuling paid no heed, his eyes full of regret, mumbling, "Li Yan, Li Yan, the search for truth... truly, only by traveling the world can one witness the mysteries of heaven and earth..."
Just as the scholar was lanting, on the steep Heavenly Pillar Peak, a figure was already climbing down the mountain crevice, gradually vanishing into the thick fog and sea of clouds...
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