Lu Yang returned to the pancake stall. The vendor was a senior disciple sister. She fermented the dough, let it rest, kneaded it, and then slapped it into shape with a skill that suggested years of practice.
The senior sister pinched the dough into small portions, using her entire body—hands, wrists, arms, torso—to knead them into pancake shapes. Her movements seemed to embody some principle, suggesting it wasn't merely kneading dough but also a method for training physical coordination.
The senior sister placed the pancake dough on a forging table and began striking it vigorously with a large iron hammer, creating resounding clang-clang-clang noises. Sparks flew everywhere, burning small holes into the ground. The pancake dough was then quenched in cold water, which instantly boiled and bubbled. Soon, a pancake was ready.
Lu Yang was amazed. The Hundred Refinements Peak truly had ingenious ideas, seamlessly blending culinary arts with artifact refining.
"I'll have a pancake," he said. The cafeteria items were indeed cheap. Lu Yang saw many fascinating things there; if not for his limited contribution points, he would have bought them all.
***
The next morning, Lu Yang met up with the two others at the Ask-the-Dao Sect's mountain gate, as arranged.
"We were just waiting for you," Meng Jingzhou said, waving when he saw Lu Yang. Behind him was the same carriage that had brought them to the Ask-the-Dao Sect, pulled by the same old horse. The only difference was that the third person was now Mang Gu instead of Senior Sister Yun Zhi.
Mang Gu was diligently reading, even studying while waiting. His large scholar's robe concealed his muscles, making him look truly like a tall, imposing scholar.
"We're not taking a flying boat?" Lu Yang had been prepared for that. Although his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch technique was convenient, it ultimately wasn't as fast as a flying boat. He had temporarily given up on mastering Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, focusing instead on its individual components.
Meng Jingzhou patted the carriage proudly. "This carriage of mine is a rare treasure! It contains a spatial array. While we might feel it's moving slowly inside, to outsiders, it's as fast as a flying boat."
Come to think of it, the Meng family was far away in Imperial City. It was impossible for Meng Jingzhou to have traveled from the Meng family to the Ask-the-Dao Sect relying solely on an old horse's slow pace; it would take a year to reach the sect that way. The carriage must have activated its array on the way to the Ask-the-Dao Sect, moving at incredible speed, only deactivating it and slowing down as it approached the sect to show respect. What Lu Yang had seen before was the carriage after it had already decelerated.
The three got into the carriage, which was as spacious inside as ever. Only now did Lu Yang truly understand the immense value of this carriage.
"By the way, where are we going? What's the mission?"
"Oh, I haven't told you yet? We're going to a place called Qinghuai Commandery. Let Brother Mang Gu tell you the details, since he's the one who found the mission."
Mang Gu placed a bookmark in his book, closed it, and slowly began to explain. "I heard about this when I was on an outdoor mission, from a passenger on a flying boat. He was a caravan leader, privy to many things ordinary mortals don't know. He told me a story that circulates among merchants, and it has a certain degree of credibility."
"Between Qinghuai Commandery and Yanjiang Commandery lies a vast, undulating mountain range. Merchants wishing to cross these mountains must be led by local hunters."
"A terrifying entity has appeared in the mountains, forcing the hunters to abandon the forests they depend on for their livelihood..."
***
Night fell. Wildly growing tree branches blocked the moonlight. Thunder rumbled deafeningly, and torrential rain poured down, turning the ground into slippery mud, making it impossible to find stable footing.
Seven or eight people were tied together by ropes around their waists, to prevent anyone from slipping and falling down the mountain, getting lost. The torrential rain created such a roar that even if someone fell and cried out, their shouts would likely go unheard.
They wore straw raincoats, leaned on trekking poles, and carried baskets on their backs. Every step they took was cautious, fearing they might step into a deep pit. The bone-chilling raindrops made them disheveled. Looking up, the dense curtain of rain obscured their vision, forcing them to follow the lead of the old hunter at the front.
"Watch your step! The mountain path is very slippery in the rain!"
"Don't stop even if you're tired. Push harder, we're almost there. If you stop now, it'll be hard to find the strength to continue!"
"I... I really can't go on... Help me! I'm falling!"
Someone slipped, lost their balance, and slid towards the cliff edge beside the mountain path. The merchants felt a tug on the end of the rope, realizing someone had fallen behind. They immediately stopped and frantically tried to pull the person back up.
"A-Yue, hold the rope tight! We'll pull together!"
"I have no strength left," A-Yue said, dangling at the cliff face, held only by the thick hemp rope tied around his waist. He was exhausted and hungry, unable to exert any strength, and found it difficult even to try and climb the rope.
The old hunter, experienced and calm, directed everyone while personally helping to pull. "The rest of you, cling to the big tree! Don't let all seven of us slide down too!"
"Everyone else, wrap the rope around your wrists. When I count to three, pull with all your might!"
"One, two, three, pull!"
"One, two, three, pull!"
After an immense effort, they finally pulled A-Yue back up. The already exhausted group was now too tired to even stand steadily.
The old hunter didn't relax. He anxiously checked A-Yue's condition: "A-Yue, how did you slip? Did you feel someone push you?"
A-Yue shook his head blankly, not understanding why the old hunter was asking such a question. Of course, he had slipped by himself; could someone have harmed him?
"Old Sun, what do you mean?" Qi Wu asked. As the leader of the merchants, he vaguely sensed something amiss from the old hunter's question.
The old hunter shook his head and pointed to the dilapidated temple ahead. "Let's keep going first. We'll talk when we reach the Mountain God Temple."
With the rain pouring down, it wasn't a good environment for discussion. Qi Wu nodded, offered a few words of encouragement, and urged everyone to quickly reach the Mountain God Temple for shelter.
Upon reaching the Mountain God Temple, they shed their straw raincoats without concern for appearance, collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. Then they quickly checked their baskets to see if their goods had been ruined by the rain, knowing that if they were, their entire trip would have been for nothing, a complete loss.
"Phew, luckily everything was wrapped in waterproof cloth beforehand. Brother Qi truly had foresight."
The Mountain God Temple wasn't particularly grand, but it was spacious. Three old, dust-covered statues of mountain gods sat in the center, surrounded by dirt and droppings. The tablets bearing the gods' names were missing, and any offerings had been eaten by wild beasts long ago. Both large doors were gone, and the broken windows let in biting cold wind.
The group didn't much care. To them, any place that offered shelter from the rain was a good place.
Qi Wu took some goods from his basket as offerings and presented them to the three mountain gods, thanking them for allowing them to shelter in the temple. The three mountain gods were clay sculptures, not exquisitely crafted, but their distinctions were clear. The central god held a gentleman's sword and had a righteous expression. The two flanking gods represented civil and martial aspects: one wore a scholar's robe and held a book, signifying the civil rank, while the other exuded pure Yang righteousness, signifying the martial rank. Their hierarchy was distinct and orderly.
"May the mountain gods bless our journey with safety."
Qi Wu couldn't shake the feeling that the three mountain gods possessed a remarkable spiritual presence, as if they were alive.
5962 · 0 · 12
