Chapter 594: Bone Box

Volume 3, Volume 4: Winds Rise Overseas

“You want to seize power!” Han Li asked calmly, his expression unchanged.

“That’s right. How can we cultivators be like ordinary mortals, ordered around by these so-called elders? We should be the village elders. I, a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, have been bossed around by mortals for so long that I can no longer tolerate it. Before, our numbers were too few to act rashly, but now with the two of you joining, success is assured,” another red-faced old man said, his eyes gleaming.

“I’m not interested. Please leave, fellow daoists. Let’s pretend you never mentioned any of this to me.” Han Li’s gaze swept over the three men as he spoke expressionlessly, causing their faces to change dramatically.

“What? Are you truly willing to remain subordinate? As long as we seize the elder positions in the village, we few can jointly govern this village, without any distinction in rank. That way, even if the environment here is harsh, we can live freely,” the long-bearded old man said, forcing a smile, as he continued to persuade.

“I think, fellow daoists, you’ve misunderstood something. We never said we would stay in this village; we’ll be leaving in a couple of days. So no matter what grand promises you make, Miss Mei and I won’t get involved,” Han Li said calmly, stroking his chin.

“Leaving here? Are you dissatisfied with this village and want to go to other settlements? Fellow daoist, you might not know this, but our village is one of the largest among all human villages. The conditions in other villages are far worse than ours,” the long-bearded old man blurted out, stunned.

Hearing this, Han Li simply smiled faintly and shook his head silently.

“Could it be that you two want to climb Storm Mountain?” the hunchbacked old man asked, a flash of insight appearing in his mind as he saw Han Li’s expression, his face filled with astonishment.

“Why? Is it strange that we don’t wish to stay here and want to leave?” Han Li replied noncommittally, his smile fading.

“It’s not about being strange or not. It’s whether you two truly know what Storm Mountain is and how dangerous it is,” the red-faced old man asked, twirling his white beard, his expression peculiar.

“Although I don’t know much, I’ve heard a bit about the general situation from the Great Elder,” Han Li replied calmly, glancing at the man.

“Hmph! How much does that fellow know about the horrors of Storm Mountain? It’s all just hearsay. The true terror of Storm Mountain is something Daoist Yun and I have experienced firsthand. It’s simply impassable for us, who have lost all our magic power. Not to mention, some of the most powerful Yin Beasts in the Underworld reside beneath Storm Mountain. If you accidentally disturb them, you’ll die without a burial place. Even if you manage to pass the Yin Beast trial, the Yin Wind and illusory mist on Storm Mountain are equally lethal and invisible. There’s absolutely no chance of reaching the summit. And the idea that you can surge out of this place from the peak of Storm Mountain when the fissure opens is just a legend; no one has actually tried it. It might not even be possible,” the hunchbacked old man recounted, his expression changing several times, filled with lingering fear.

“You two have climbed Storm Mountain before? Could you tell me about it?” Han Li asked with a stirred expression, staring at them, clearly interested.

“It’s nothing. Even if you hadn’t asked, Daoist Han, we would have told you, to dispel any hopeful thoughts you might have. Not long after Daoist Jin and I arrived here, we, too, were unwilling to spend our entire lives in this place. So, after half a year of preparation, we gathered with three other fellow daoists from other villages and set off towards Storm Mountain. However, before we even got close to the mountain, one of our companions was discovered by the nearby Yin Beasts and perished at its base. When we finally reached Storm Mountain, the remaining two companions hadn’t even climbed a quarter of the way up before they were frozen to death by the Yin Wind. Daoist Jin and I, because we still carried some Flame Stones, were barely able to continue. But the higher we climbed, the stronger the Yin Wind became, making it impossible to even stand. Ultimately, we never even saw the illusory mist at the mountainside; we were repeatedly blown off the cliffs by the fierce winds. Although we miraculously survived, we dared not go further and had no choice but to return. Upon returning to the village, both of us immediately fell gravely ill due to the bone-chilling Yin Wind, lying bedridden for several months before we could move again. From then on, we completely gave up any thought of leaving via Storm Mountain,” the red-faced old man slowly recounted, his eyes filled with lingering fear.

“That does sound terrifying!” Han Li murmured thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

“It’s more than just ‘terrifying.’ You two should abandon this idea. There’s no need to even try. Although the outside world may be good, you need to survive to reach it. It’s better to stay here and work with us. You’re both still young. Once our time comes, everything in this village will be yours,” the long-bearded old man tempted, sounding very sincere.

“There’s no need to persuade me, fellow daoists. I, Han, will not give up until I’ve personally tried it. Of course, if I genuinely cannot reach the summit of Storm Mountain, I will naturally consider your suggestions,” Han Li replied more gently and subtly, unwilling to easily create animosity with the three.

Hearing Han Li’s words, the three were somewhat displeased and tried to persuade him a few more times. However, Han Li seemed to have made up his mind, showing no inclination to change it.

Helpless, the three then turned their attention to Mei Ning. But she simply stated calmly, “Brother Han and I will advance and retreat together,” leaving the three equally dumbfounded.

Fortunately, Han Li hadn’t flat-out rejected them. If he failed to climb the mountain but survived, they would still have a chance. So, after their persuasion proved futile, the three could only force smiles and bid farewell, leaving the place.

“Will this person betray us later?” the hunchbacked old man suddenly asked, his expression dark, once they had moved some distance from Han Li’s residence.

“Betray us? What good would betraying us do them? Haven’t you noticed? The woman aside, the young man named Han is extremely shrewd. He wouldn’t do something so foolish. I just hope they realize the difficulty and retreat before even getting close to Storm Mountain. After all, if we act now, it’s only a fifty-fifty chance; with the two of them joining, our strength would increase significantly. However, it’s also thanks to that young man Han, who unknowingly removed the biggest obstacle, Feng Tianji. Otherwise, that man’s martial arts would have been a real problem,” the long-bearded old man said dismissively.

“True, he is indeed very cautious. He wouldn’t do anything thankless, but just in case, we should still have someone secretly monitor them. We can’t afford any mistakes,” the red-faced old man nodded in agreement.

“Brother Yun, your thoughts are thorough. Let’s arrange it that way. But be careful not to be discovered by them. However…” the long-bearded old man trailed off, a hint of doubt appearing on his face as he spoke the last sentence.

“However what?” the hunchbacked old man asked, somewhat puzzled.

“I wonder if it’s just my imagination. I feel as if they are brimming with confidence about leaving this place. Even after hearing us describe the dangers of Storm Mountain, they seem utterly unfazed. Could they truly possess a way to climb to the summit of Storm Mountain?” the long-bearded old man muttered to himself.

“How could that be? Leaving aside everything else, no one can possibly brave the Yin Wind on that mountain. Daoist Yun and I can guarantee that. Those countless frozen corpses below the mountainside are all cultivators and mortals who foolishly tried to escape this place,” the hunchbacked old man said, shaking his head, utterly disbelieving.

“Hmm, perhaps it’s just my imagination then!” the long-bearded old man thought for a moment, also finding it unlikely, and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

But the red-faced old man named Jin, hearing these words, suddenly felt a stir in his heart, and an idea came to him.

Once the long-bearded old man and the other two had left, Han Li spoke a few words with Mei Ning and then also left the house. He first went to the residence of the middle-aged man named Feng and indeed found him dead, his throat bitten through by the Gold Devouring Beetles. Han Li merely glanced at the corpse from a distance before leaving expressionlessly.

Next, Han Li continued to inquire with the villagers about the local geography, the locations of other villages, and the general distribution of Yin Beasts. All information that could help him escape this place gradually accumulated in his mind. Han Li even drew a detailed map himself based on the villagers’ descriptions.

After two continuous days of such preparations, Han Li was nearly ready. He explicitly informed the village’s Great Elder of his intention to leave and ascend Storm Mountain. Hearing this, the stout old man naturally felt some regret. He spoke a few words of persuasion, but seeing that Han Li’s resolve was firm, he no longer insisted and agreed.

Han Li immediately returned to their dwelling with Mei Ning, intending to rest well for the night and leave the village the next day. However, someone secretly found their residence and knocked on the door.

“Daoist Yun!” Han Li was surprised to see the red-faced old man standing before him.

“Daoist Han, I’ll be brief. Although I don’t know if you truly have the means to leave this place, it’s still a hope. So, I have something to entrust to you. If you truly manage to escape this predicament and have the opportunity, I hope you can deliver this box to our Talisman Gate,” the red-faced old man said to Han Li with a solemn expression, pulling a crude bone box from his robes and offering it to Han Li with both hands.