Ying Liu was still a little confused, but since the little guy had said so, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.

Da Niu sized up Ying Liu with a cold look in his eyes, as if to say, "I'll see how you try to convince me."

Ying Liu had no experience with this kind of thing and looked a little nervous. "Well, I don't know what to say, since I've never dealt with this kind of thing before."

He scratched his head, then pulled out a gold ingot and placed it on the table. "I have no experience. Is this enough?"

The seemingly insignificant movement stirred up a storm in the hearts of the shopkeeper and Da Niu.

Good heavens, he just threw out a gold ingot?

What kind of family are you from?

Da Niu took a deep breath, his resolve wavering.

Even the shopkeeper's eyes widened in disbelief; such a large ingot must be worth at least twenty taels!

Seeing that Da Niu didn't speak, Ying Liu frowned. "Isn't it too little?"

Muttering to himself, he took out a gold brick and placed it on the table. "Would you consider this?"

Da Niu and the shopkeeper exchanged a glance, and were completely dumbfounded.

Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?

Is it possible for someone to carry gold bricks with them?

Seeing that the two were stunned and silent, Ying Liu silently took out two more gold bricks and stacked them on the table. "I didn't bring many with me when I went out. Would you like to take another look?"

He regretted not bringing more change with him.

As Mother said, it's good to have extra change when you're out and about, to avoid all sorts of strange situations.

Upon seeing this, Da Niu's expression darkened, and he walked up to Ying Liu, saying, "This is not about money."

Seeing this, Ying Liu frowned, looking rather disappointed.

So it still doesn't work?

"It's a matter of sincerity! I've felt your overflowing sincerity; I'd be willing to go to the ends of the earth for you!"

As he spoke, he hugged the gold brick tightly, feeling the scent of gold, and immediately grinned from ear to ear.

Seeing his appearance, the shopkeeper asked, "Aren't you afraid of evil spirits anymore?"

Da Niu's eyes blazed. "Evil spirit? How dare it stop me from accepting the sincerity of my distinguished guest? Even its father would get slashed twice."

The group continued on their journey.

With Ying Liu's sincere help.

The carriage traveled for three days.

When they reached a mountain that stretched as far as the eye could see and was completely dark, Da Niu stopped the carriage and said, "Qianyin Mountain is just ahead."

Upon hearing this, Ying Liu lifted the curtain and looked out; his expression immediately darkened.

A strange feeling welled up inside me.

The mountain, which should have been lush and green, was instead a deathly black expanse, devoid of any vibrant foliage.

There was no living creature in the sky, and no birdsong or insect chirping could be heard; it was eerily silent.

It was a time of bright sunshine, but the other side of Qianyin Mountain seemed to divide the world into two sides: one side was bright with sunlight, while the other was gloomy and cold, with dark clouds covering the sky and a hazy atmosphere.

It seemed that even sunlight could not penetrate that world.

The carriage moved slowly forward, having already entered the Thousand Yin Mountains. The entire sky darkened, as if entering another world.

A fierce wind howled past, carrying whispers, as if something was approaching.

Sensing the restless Yin energy within his body, Ying Liu quickly lowered the curtain, no longer daring to look outside.

As Da Niu drove the carriage forward, his brows furrowed involuntarily. "This godforsaken place is still the same as before."

The muddy road was shrouded in mist, and all he could see were decaying, withered branches. If he hadn't been familiar with the terrain, he would have surely gotten lost in the mist.

The fog was alright, but what bothered him more was the eerie atmosphere around him. The cold wind seemed to carry cries and screams, which made his back feel cold.

Xiaoyao stepped outside the carriage, and a faint Buddhist light appeared around him, which made Da Niu feel a little better.

Xiaoyao looked around and said, "You just need to focus on driving. There's nothing else to worry about."

Da Niu frowned, his face very bitter. "I don't want to worry, but three men came in here before, two died and one went insane. Those are all true stories."

"I don't want to be afraid, but the evil spirits of Thousand Yin Mountain are not just infamous; they are truly terrifying!"

If that kid hadn't given him so much, he would never have wanted to step into this place.

Seeing his fear, Xiaoyao patted the wooden box in his hand, "Don't be afraid, this old man has brought a very powerful magic weapon this time. No matter how powerful the evil spirits come, they will not return alive!"

Da Niu glanced at Xiao Yao and saw that he had an extraordinary aura, wore a tattered monk's robe, and had Buddhist beads around his neck. He did indeed seem to have some spiritual cultivation.

Looking at the wooden box again, it was exquisitely crafted and indeed looked like it contained a powerful magical artifact.

He felt more at ease and calmed down, and the carriage sped up considerably.

An hour later, the carriage stopped in a valley.

Da Niu looked around and saw that the ground was full of dry stones, the cold wind was howling in the valley, and there was no living creature in sight. It was very eerie.

He frowned, looking somewhat worried about the group. "Are you really going to get off here?"

The little guy looked around and then nodded, "Yes, this is the place."

Helpless, Da Niu pulled on the horse's head, preparing to leave.

But when he turned his head, he saw Xiaoyao's wooden box.

He was curious and couldn't resist opening it to take a look, only to find it filled with candied hawthorns.

He frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Is this a powerful magical artifact?"

Xiaoyao's voice came, "You can't use this magic artifact."

As he spoke, he closed the wooden box, carefully held it in his arms, and then handed Da Niu a talisman, saying, "Keep this with you, and you will be able to return safely."

Da Niu quickly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you! Thank you so much, Master!"

After Da Niu left, Xiao Yao looked at the little guy and asked, "What's next?"

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