Chapter 17

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An unknown amount of time had passed...

Between the orchid, cypress, and swirling white clouds, a graceful figure approached on a sword. Even before she arrived, she smiled, then bit her lip, her eyes twinkling with a thousand charms, and said, "Since our parting in Fenghua Valley, are you well, my lord..."

On a cliff adorned with flowers, a man in a green robe stood, as handsome as a tree in the wind. He raised his head and smiled, his gentleness evident as he said, "Though a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers may stand in the way, they cannot block the depth of my feelings. For my Ziyun, I will never give up in this life!"

The fairy arrived, her face blushing, shy and bashful, and said with a pout, "My lord..."

The man in the green robe, moved by her, quickly opened his arms, "My dear..."

But before the fairy could respond, she suddenly transformed into a disheveled, monstrous ghost, sneering coldly, "You, a mere accountant in a brothel, dare to challenge me? Return my treasure..."

The man in the green robe, caught off guard, screamed in terror, "Ah..."

At the same time, a ray of sunlight penetrated the cave entrance, illuminating the once dark cave. The four cultivators who were about to leave were stunned, each one puzzled. Among them, Mushen took two steps back, his hand secretly forming a spell, his expression wary.

The person who had been sound asleep suddenly jumped up, one hand holding a sheathed short sword, the other clutching two talismans, and screamed hysterically, "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, show your power, great immortals of the past..." Fortunately, after two shouts, he realized the situation and calmed down, smiling awkwardly, "Heh, just a dream..."

It turned out to be a false alarm, but it was terrifying!

Wujie had endured the darkness for a long time, falling asleep without realizing it, but suddenly woke up, realizing it was just a dream. He secretly sighed in relief, put away the talismans and short sword, and regained his composure, saying with a serious air, "In the dream, I heard the sound of horns, and with a mighty strike, I vanquished demons and monsters, upholding justice and righteousness. Watch me break through the heavens with my sword!" Seeing that no one responded, he felt a bit awkward and then asked curiously, "What time is it? Are we setting off?"

Guli shook his head and said, "After a night, it's time to travel." He turned to leave the cave but couldn't help turning back to say, "Brother, the incantation you just recited is not from our Daoist tradition..."

Wujie didn't argue, shrugging his shoulders somewhat guiltily. Of course not, it was a common incantation used by charlatans and witches in the secular world, and he only remembered that one. What could he do? He took the opportunity to follow Guli out of the cave, and Mushen laughed, "Heh! Good poetry, good talent, Friend Wu is truly righteous and chivalrous, even in his dreams he doesn't forget to vanquish demons!"

Hmph, a good dream ruined by that guy! He should be grateful that I don't know any spells, or he'd be in for it!

Wujie ignored Mushen and continued toward the cave entrance, but the laughter continued, "Heh, I didn't expect that the Ziyun girl in your dream turned into a demon, truly a beauty turned into a skeleton, how tragic..."

That guy is really despicable, eavesdropping on my dreams?

Wujie couldn't help but turn and glare, then hurriedly walked out of the cave...

...

At noon, five figures landed on a desolate slope.

Besides Wujie, Guli, Mushen, Taozi, and Hongnü were all weary and travel-stained. They had been on the road for five consecutive days, hiding in a cave for two days, and finally crossed the thousand-mile "Yellow Heaven Marsh" to reach this place.

In front of them, the mountains were layered and the forests dense; behind them, the desert and the vast expanse of yellow sand.

The high mountains and steep ridges blocking their path were the last major obstacle of their journey, the Yunling Mountains.

It was said that the Yunling Mountains stretched for eight hundred miles, with countless rare flowers and herbs, and a variety of exotic birds and beasts. However, the mountains were high and the forests dense, the paths rugged. A slight misstep could lead to getting lost, and a bit of bad luck could cost one's life. Moreover, this place was rarely visited by people, and if one encountered trouble, they could only blame their fate!

During the rest, Guli briefed everyone on the relevant matters. Mushen, Taozi, and Hongnü also shared information to help each other on the journey.

After learning about the general situation of the Yunling Mountains, Wujie stood alone on the desolate slope, his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. He was excited but also secretly worried.

He was excited because crossing the Yunling Mountains would bring him face to face with Ziyun Fairy. If he could take the opportunity to hide in Lingxia Mountain, he might be able to avoid the pursuit and live in peace. However, he was worried that crossing eight hundred miles of dense forest would not be easy, and encountering a leopard or a tiger would not guarantee survival...

After a brief rest, Guli urged his companions to set off.

Wujie, who was wandering nearby, hurried over to join them. However, the four of them just kept moving forward, no one stopping to wait. He hurriedly followed, shouting, "Brother Gu, wait a moment..."

Guli called out, "I have already said that I can only bring you to this place. The rest is up to fate!"

Taozi and Hongnü didn't even turn their heads, both moving swiftly.

Mushen did turn back, smiling maliciously, "Friend Wu, would you like me to take you along..."

Wujie slowly stopped, his face showing disappointment.

Guli seemed generous but was actually petty. Even if he brought me to Lingxia Mountain, what could he do? Does he really think I'm hiding something, which is why he's doing this? I told him I haven't even entered the Daoist path, so why bother...

And Mushen leaving was a stroke of luck in an unfortunate situation. He was still afraid I would expose his secrets, to avoid a falling out with Guli and the others. Hmph, it's just eight hundred miles of Yunling Mountains, even if it's a thousand or ten thousand miles, I'll treat it as flat ground!

However, it's still better to follow those few, at least I have a direction...

Wujie pondered for a moment and ran toward the front.

The ground was covered with broken stones, making it difficult to run. The wild grass in the crevices gradually thickened, extending to the valley a few miles away. Looking around, the mountains and forests were lush and undulating. The so-called eight hundred miles of Yunling Mountains might just be a rough estimate. The details were still unknown.

After a short while, the valley was in sight. Clearly, Guli and the others had entered from here.

Wujie, panting heavily, didn't dare to stop, crossed a hill, and soon found himself in the valley. Before he could see the valley clearly, he was already blocked by towering ancient trees.

The valley was wide, but the trees made it difficult to see clearly. The vines entangled and the forest canopy blocked the sun, with numerous paths leading in all directions. The figures of the four cultivators had already disappeared, and even if he wanted to follow, he didn't know which way to go.

Wujie scratched his head, hesitating, but then his eyes lit up.

Not far ahead in the forest, there were fresh, broken grass stems. No need to think, they were definitely left by the others in their haste.

Heh, in these two years of fleeing, I have truly changed. From reading people's expressions and adapting to danger, to tracking and survival skills, I have improved a lot!

Wujie secretly gloated, then stepped into the dense forest.

Perhaps due to the shade of the trees, the wild grass underfoot was slightly sparse, and the paths, though crisscrossing, were clear. Along the way, there were often broken grass stems or signs of being disturbed by the wind.

Wujie no longer rushed, but walked leisurely. After a while, he stopped under an ancient tree and looked up.

The tree trunk was several people wide, straight and tall, reaching high into the sky. Occasionally, an unfamiliar bird flew by, its pleasant chirping echoing far. Small, exotic animals peeked from the branches, adding a touch of wild charm. A spotted arm slowly moved, with two cold, icy eyes, a snake...

Wujie, looking up, suddenly saw a snake sliding down the tree trunk, and he ran away, not forgetting to break off a branch to hold for courage. After not walking far, he slowed down and secretly cursed.

Ahead was a clearing in the forest, several hundred feet wide, lush and green, very refreshing to the eye. The grass was knee-high and naturally bent. If ordinary people walked through it, they would leave obvious traces. For cultivators who traveled by wind, it would be hard to notice...

Wujie looked back, guessing the direction Guli and the others had taken, and slowly continued forward, using the branch to beat the grass.

This was a skill taught by old hunters in the mountains, to beat the grass and startle the snakes!

After crossing the clearing, no snakes or insects appeared. Unfortunately, the traces of the four cultivators also disappeared. Even after searching left and right, he found nothing.

Wujie, at a loss, had no choice but to continue on. He tapped the ground with the branch, looking around, and gradually entered the depths of the valley...

Half a day passed, and the surroundings gradually became more open. A moment later, a mountain ridge appeared several hundred feet away.

Had he left the Yunling Mountains? Impossible, it's eight hundred miles, and at this pace, it would take nearly a month to cross these mountains.

Wujie used the branch as a cane, finally climbed the mountain ridge, and quickly found a stone to sit on, panting and wiping the sweat.

It was nearly dusk, the sun setting in the west. The valley he had come from finally revealed its rugged beauty, picturesque under the soft twilight. Ahead, the mountains were vast and dark, endless. No matter which way he looked, there was not a single person in sight!

Those arrogant guys, who knows where they've gone. Just knowing a few spells, how impressive!

Wujie rested for a moment, his stomach growling. He hadn't eaten for half a day and was hungry. He rummaged in his bag, sighing weakly.

The last steamed bun, beef, and peach were used to please Guli. Now he had nothing left, and the feeling of hunger was unbearable!

Wujie, seeing it was getting dark, had no intention of traveling, put down his bag, and started searching around.

After a while, he picked up a few pine cones from the nearby forest, gathered some branches and leaves, and took out a fire starter. After lighting a small fire, he threw the pine cones into it. After a short while, he dug out the charred cones, cracked them open to get the pine nuts, and ate them with relish. After eating the pine nuts, his hunger was somewhat relieved. There was no water to drink, so he had to endure for now.

As night fell, the moon was a slender crescent. The dark, deep forest was surrounded by the misty moonlight. It had been nearly half a month since he left Fenghua Valley. Although the journey had been perilous, he had reached this place in such a short time, which Qi Sanren probably hadn't expected, hehe!

Wujie stood on the mountain ridge, gazing at the night, feeling the mountain breeze, and recalling the past, feeling quite content. Seeing that it was cool, he wanted to lie down and rest. After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly felt uneasy, quickly stomped out the still-burning fire, picked up his bag, and walked to a nearby tree, looking up.

After a while, he climbed up the tree, using both hands and feet.

This was an ancient cypress, several people wide, with branches forked at four or five zhang high, just right for lying down. At such a height, he could avoid the threat of snakes and insects. When traveling alone, one had to be cautious!

Wujie climbed onto the branch, settled his bag, and before he could get comfortable, he couldn't help but look down.

At that moment, a sneaky black shadow suddenly appeared in the forest on one side of the mountain ridge...

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