Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Under everyone’s gazes seeking approval, Shi Changxuan shook his head very slowly.
Everyone’s heart skipped a beat. Taoist Master Shi and Teacher Xie were so close, could he possibly know something secret?
Hai Guanchao murmured, “This guy plays like a ‘half-immortal’ when he’s not in class. Even with the girls at school, he can’t just date during class… Could it be an online romance?”
Xie Lingya often played with his phone, but everyone assumed he was managing his WeChat public account or reading the electronic version of his Baoyang Notes. This might be his only chance.
Everyone stared at Shi Changxuan nervously. It might not be true…
Shi Changxuan couldn’t reveal the truth, nor could he lie. Finally, he said, “Since Junior Brother says it’s there, then it must be there.”
Everyone: “…”
What kind of logic is this? Don’t you know your Junior Brother’s mouth? Why blindly defend him?
No one could have imagined that they were just one step away from the truth, in every sense of the word.
….
After Xie Lingya arranged everything for Baoyang Temple, he bought some travel gear and booked tickets to Kunlun Mountain.
Indeed, he’d booked a ticket to Kunlun Mountain, the ancestor of dragon veins.
Youdu Mountain connected the Yin and Yang realms, but not everyone could reach it. There were numerous folk legends about Youdu Mountain. Some believed it didn’t exist, while others believed it actually existed, though no one knew which one it corresponded to.
As for its location, ancient texts indicated it was located within Beihai Province, within an 800-li radius of Kunlun Mountain. 800 li encompassed so many mountains that there were many different opinions on which one it was.
Only those within the religious community who had inherited the tradition knew that Youdu Mountain lay within Kunlun, with the two mountains overlapping.
Kunlun Mountain was the emperor’s capital and the gateway to the immortal realm, while Youdu Mountain, connecting to the underworld, was actually half-hidden within Kunlun. Only at midnight, following the eight trigrams, could one dispel the mist and step from Kunlun into Youdu Mountain.
Wang Yuji’s “passing by” of such a mysterious place as Youdu Mountain was naturally due to his visit to Kunlun to observe the dragon vein and visit the Taoist temple there; otherwise, who would venture to such a place?
As Xie Lingya was preparing, Hai Guanchao approached him, hoping to join them.
“I’ll close the shop for a few days and go with you,” Hai Guanchao repeated, then seeing Xie Lingya’s puzzled expression, he said, “Going up Kunlun is too dangerous. I can wait nearby.”
Kunlun Mountain only had two open peaks, but neither of them was the path they would take to reach Youdu Mountain. The area they were heading to was sparsely populated.
Furthermore, the high altitude made altitude sickness more likely, and Fang Zhe had difficulty walking, which Hai Guanchao was the most concerned about. He also knew he didn’t have any magical skills, but waiting nearby would be helpful, considering the medical facilities there.
As for Fang Zhe, he was definitely going; they needed the assistance of Fang Zhe, the heir of the Lu Bashu, in their search for the Yin artifact.
Xie Lingya thought about it and concluded that going up Kunlun wouldn’t be a big deal; it would only be physically tiring, not particularly dangerous. However, entering Youdu Mountain to search for the Yin artifact later on was a bit of an unknown.
Bringing Hai Guanchao with him and having him wait in Kunlun wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Okay then,” Xie Lingya thought for a moment before agreeing.
….
To reach Kunlun Mountain, one must first fly to a nearby city, then transfer to a bus.
Four people were carrying three large backpacks, with Fang Zhe not carrying even one. They woke up early to catch a bus to the airport. After a several-hour flight, they disembarked and faced another bumpy bus ride.
But that wasn’t so bad. Xie Lingya knew his uncle had previously visited Kunlun Mountain when conditions were poor, often taking a day-and-night train ride.
The downside of flying, however, was that there was no gradual acclimatization to the altitude like there was with trains. Shi Changxuan was fine, but Xie Lingya, Fang Zhe, and Hai Guanchao all experienced varying degrees of altitude sickness. Fortunately, none of them were severe, and some medication helped.
Once they arrived at Kunlun Mountain, they couldn’t ascend immediately, so they stayed in a hotel. Xie Lingya arranged with locals to teach them how to use mountaineering equipment and provide some training. This was all learnt from Wang Yuji’s experience, and it was a good thing. Otherwise, Xie Lingya wouldn’t have dared to venture into such a remote place.
From where they lived, they could see Yuzhu Peak in the distance, its summit covered in perpetual snow. It was the highest peak in the eastern section of the Kunlun Mountains. They lived in a desolate area, a two-story hotel, a simple affair. The surroundings were bare, with little grass.
Xie Lingya had brought two roosters from a busier market, but even they had wilted in this place. He asked the hotel for a small amount of rice every day and kept them in his room.
The hotel staff was not happy about this and suggested that Xie Lingya sell the chickens to them. Of course, Xie Lingya refused. He wasn’t carrying the chickens for food; he was taking them up the mountain to lure the evil spirits of Youdu Mountain.
To this end, Xie Lingya even paid a deposit, guaranteeing that the chickens wouldn’t soil the room.
The chickens were now so valuable that if they died, he would have to drive a long way to buy them. So, Xie Lingya secretly drew a talisman and dissolved it in water for the chickens to eat, hoping they would survive.
“Cheer up, we still have to go up the mountain. If you can hold on, it will be a credit to you in the underworld. You may be reborn as a human in your next life.” Xie Lingya comforted with a rooster in his arms.
Hai Guanchao pushed the door open and saw, “Oh, it’s an eyesore. Look at Xie Lingya holding a rooster.”
The guests passing by the door all looked at him sideways.
Xie Lingya: “…”
Xie Lingya: “You will cause misunderstandings, big rooster.”
Fang Zhe also squatted down, touched another rooster, and cast a spell to make them more energetic. He was also worried that the roosters would not be able to hold on.
The four people lived in a suite, with a bed in the inner and outer rooms, and two people slept in one bed.
“At this rate, we can go up the mountain the day after tomorrow.” Xie Lingya said.
Hai Guanchao said helplessly: “Hurry up, I’m going to be exhausted.”
Although he took the initiative to ask to come, the conditions were not very good and the training was quite tiring.
The trainers all assumed they were climbing Yuzhu Peak. Only the leader had a vague idea; he’d had frequent contact with Wang Yuji in the past, but he kept it a secret.
In reality, the peak they were heading for was easier to climb than Yuzhu Pearl, reaching the summit in about three days, with only the final stretch covered in snow and ice.
They weren’t doing all this just for that glimmer of hope. In reality, they weren’t sure if the creatures from Youdu Mountain could be captured, and whether the Yin creatures there would be any help in their search for the Son of Youdu.
There was no Wi-Fi in this place, so after dinner, there was nothing to do. The four of them thus gathered together to read and occasionally play cards.
“It seems a bit chilly tonight,” Xie Lingya muttered, closing the window tightly. “The wind is blowing coldly, and dark clouds are hanging overhead during the day. It’s not a good omen. We’d better go to bed early tonight.”
They each put down their books and took turns using the bathroom. After washing up, they went to bed. The bathroom was outside, and Xie Lingya and his friends slept in the inner room of the suite. Naturally, the middle door didn’t need to be closed, and since they were all men, it was convenient for access.
Xie Lingya turned off the lights, slid under the covers, and threw himself into Shi Changxuan’s warm embrace.
Shi Changxuan, understanding, silently embraced Xie Lingya, and the two exchanged a kiss in the darkness of the quilt.
The roosters beside the bed crowed twice, attempting to leap onto the bed.
Xie Lingya turned around, reached under the covers, and pushed it away. “Brother Pheasant, can you be a little quiet?”
He named the two roosters, one Pheasant and the other Dahuang.
The roosters lay listlessly in the nest Xie Lingya had made, giving up the idea of flying onto the bed.
Xie Lingya could hear Fang Zhe and Hai Guanchao whispering something outside. He hugged Shi Changxuan and sighed, “I miss Zhuyang so much.”
He missed Zhuyang’s beautiful weather, the convenient facilities, the ability to eat whatever he wanted, and the afternoon sun in the courtyard.
Thinking of this, he thought of his uncle and wondered how he had managed to survive alone back then. Fortunately, he still had his belongings and friends with him, which made him much happier.
“We’ll go back once we find it.” Shi Changxuan hugged Xie Lingya comfortingly, and the two of them whispered to each other. Along with the noise outside, the room gradually quieted down, and everyone fell asleep.
Xie Lingya slept uneasily. He didn’t know what time it was in the middle of the night when he was awakened by a strange sound. He opened his eyes with difficulty and poked his head out from under the quilt. The room was dark, with only a little light coming in from the window.
Pheasant and Dahuang seemed to be awakened by him and were now flapping their wings.
Just now, when he was half asleep and half awake, Xie Lingya always thought he heard a rattling sound, like something was being fiddled with. When he woke up, it was as quiet as before, making people suspect that it was just a dream.
Xie Lingya withdrew his head again, wiped his face in the quilt, pinched himself, and became more and more awake.
He lay on Shi Changxuan without moving, as if he was fast asleep.
A full five minutes later, the noises began again, a faint, fragmentary creak. Xie Lingya suddenly emerged, turned on the bedside lamp, and shouted, “Catch the thief!”
A cold breeze rushed through the quilt, startling Shi Changxuan awake. Xie Lingya’s shout also startled the two men outside.
Xie Lingya initially thought it was a thief, but then, looking in the light, he saw a large, sleek weasel crouching in the middle of the room. Its front paws clasped together, its eyes gleaming with a faint, frightened expression.
Man and weasel locked eyes for a second before the weasel lunged forward like crazy, grabbing Dahuang and biting him.
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