Chapter 40

That was a legendary fierce bird, the human-faced jiu, with an ugly and ferocious human face, bristling hair, a mouth split to the jaw, teeth like sharp blades, and wings spanning over ten meters. Its claws were like iron hooks, stirring up a strong wind as it swooped down at Wei Shizhi.

Wei Shizhi stood on the narrow stone beam, unsteady on his feet. If he raised the iron club to counterattack, he might be knocked into the abyss by the human-faced jiu. He was quick to react, immediately thrusting the iron club into the talons. The human-faced jiu let out a shrill scream, flapping its wings fiercely and lifting Wei Shizhi into the air.

Wei Shizhi gambled that the human-faced jiu would throw him toward the cliff rather than the bottomless Ghost Gate Abyss—fresh flesh falling into the abyss would not be for its consumption. Indeed, the human-faced jiu carried him toward the cliff. Just as they were about to cross the Ghost Gate Abyss, a strange snake suddenly darted out from the mist, opening its huge mouth and biting off most of the human-faced jiu's body. A pungent odor filled the air, and blood rained down. Wei Shizhi curled his body, aimed at the snake's head, and kicked it hard on the jaw. He took advantage of the momentum to lunge toward the cliff, forcefully inserting the iron club into the rock, barely hanging in mid-air.

Focusing his gaze, he saw the strange snake coiled in a cave, extending half its body. Its head was as big as a basin, its eyes emitting a faint red light, and its mouth was filled with sharp teeth. Its lower jaw slowly moved as it stretched its neck to swallow the human-faced jiu. It glanced at Wei Shizhi a few times, seemingly finding him too scrawny to fill its teeth, and slowly retreated into the cave. The mist rolled in, obscuring the cave entrance once again.

Wei Shizhi finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a lingering fear. He looked up and saw the stone beam about ten meters above his head, now only a narrow strip. He used his toes to feel for a foothold on the cliff, finally finding a small stone niche where he could stand. He stabilized himself, grabbed a dead vine with one hand, and struggled to pull the iron club out with the other.

He rested against the cliff for a moment, then used the iron club to create several indentations, gripping the dead vine and slowly climbing up. After climbing about four or five meters, a large lizard suddenly darted out beside him, covered in fine scales, baring its teeth and preparing to pounce. Wei Shizhi was both amused and frustrated, even such a small creature was bullying him. He swung the iron club, but the lizard was agile, slipping to the side and disappearing into a crevice.

Curiosity piqued, Wei Shizhi poked the iron club into the crevice, prying it a few times. He intended only to widen the crevice for a foothold, but unexpectedly dislodged a large, loose stone, which rolled into the misty Ghost Gate Abyss. After a long while, a faint "splash" was heard, as if it had fallen into a pool of water.

Behind the stone was a dark cave, large enough for a person to walk bent over. Wei Shizhi tentatively extended his hand, feeling a chill and a fresh, crisp air, like the cold of early winter and snow, which invigorated his spirit.

Was it a trap or an opportunity? Should he explore it? Wei Shizhi was hesitant, but another human-faced jiu flew up from the Ghost Gate Abyss, screeching and lunging at him. He had no choice but to dive into the cave.

The human-faced jiu fiercely bit at the cave entrance, stretching its neck to probe inside. The cave was narrow, leaving no room for his mad staff technique. Wei Shizhi thrust the iron club hard, hitting the human-faced jiu's left eye. The human-faced jiu let out a mournful cry, plunging into the abyss, blood streaming from its eye.

In the pitch-black darkness, Wei Shizhi slowly moved his feet, leaning against the stone wall and sitting down, not making any rash moves. After a while, when his strength was fully restored, he tore some dead vines, lit them with a flint, and walked step by step into the cave.

After a winding journey, the cold grew more intense, piercing to the bone. The walls of the cave were grayish-white, looking like piles of snow under the firelight. Wei Shizhi began to wonder, the Ghost Gate Abyss was known for its dense fire qi, which should be warm like spring. Why was this place so cold? Could there be something strange?

He became even more cautious.

After taking about ten more steps and turning a corner, the view suddenly opened up to a man-made stone chamber. In the center, a gaunt Taoist sat on a mat. Behind him, two lines were carved into the stone wall: "Snow Cave, where Huang Longzi passed away."

The cold was emanating from his body.

Countless familiar scenes flashed through his mind. Wei Shizhi took a deep breath, feeling fortunate. To inherit the legacy of a predecessor was a great honor, something only the main character in his impression could experience.

He did not rush to check his gains but first solemnly paid respects to Huang Longzi's remains, muttering words of respect, wishing the predecessor a peaceful journey, promising to properly bury the remains, and vowing to carry on and promote the lineage.

"You little boy, what are you mumbling while paying respects to the old Taoist?" the old Taoist asked, startling Wei Shizhi.

"Is the Taoist still alive?" Wei Shizhi asked in surprise.

The old Taoist chuckled, "Of course I'm still alive. If I were dead, how could I talk to you?"

Wei Shizhi looked at the two lines on the stone wall: "Snow Cave, where Huang Longzi passed away," then at the old Taoist, and asked, "Are you Huang Longzi, the predecessor?"

"That's right, this old Taoist's Daoist name is Huang Longzi."

"Huang Longzi, didn't you pass away in this Snow Cave?"

The old Taoist sneered, "This old Taoist won't live much longer, so I carved those two lines for future generations. If I really died, how could I have the time to carve them? You look smart, but you're as dense as a block of wood, not getting it at all!"