Mountain God
The tinder in Tang Zhou's hand slowly burned to the end, and with a "poof," the surroundings were plunged into darkness again.
Yan Dan flicked her sleeves, and a hazy, silvery-white light shone through the darkness, slowly illuminating the underground cave: the surrounding area was full of stalactites, and water droplets dripped from the stones, making a dripping sound.
Yu Mo smiled lightly and walked forward. After a few steps, he turned back and said, "Tang Zhou, do you think it matters whether you believe it or not?" He paused and then said slowly, "If you want to go to Mirror Lake, come with me; if you don't, we'll part ways here."
Tang Zhou said coldly, "Then I'll trouble you to lead the way."
Seeing this, Yan Dan breathed a sigh of relief and tugged at Yu Mo's sleeve, asking, "Yu Mo, Yu Mo, why did you come looking for me?"
Yu Mo looked down at her, his eyes dark, and smiled slightly, "I rushed back to Yelan Mountain, but found that you hadn't returned. I guessed that you might have encountered some danger, so I came looking for you. But now it seems that you haven't suffered any hardship."
"Who said that? You don't know, I..." Yan Dan chattered and laughed all the way, vividly recounting what had happened since they parted. Yu Mo listened quietly with his head tilted to the side, chuckling softly when she mentioned something amusing. Tang Zhou could only shake his head with a wry smile as she exaggerated his actions several times over in her scathing rebuke.
"Speaking of which, you found me in Xiangdu, so why didn't you come out?" Yan Dan suddenly remembered this.
Yu Mo nodded slightly: "Weren't you thinking about how to get away back then? Even if I carried you back, you wouldn't have agreed, would you? Besides—" He said in a light tone: "Later, after you were no longer bound by the restrictions, you were thinking about helping to find the divine artifact. Would you still listen to what I had to say then?"
Yan Dan was speechless. Although she should listen to the mountain lord, Yu Mo had never put on airs, and as time went on, she had also developed a casual habit of addressing him by his name.
"I followed you all the way to the southwest and found that there were always people scouting ahead for you. The southwest is beyond the reach of the imperial court, so how could it be so peaceful?"
Yan Dan let out a long "oh." She had previously thought the government was meddling too much, not even catching a single bandit. It turned out she had misunderstood them. The real culprit was actually Liu Weiyang.
Tang Zhou suddenly stopped and bent down to look at the pile of debris in front of him. Yan Dan leaned closer to take a look and asked curiously, "What's this?"
Yu Mo glanced at it and said indifferently, "Snake skin."
Tang Zhou thought for a moment and murmured, "Could it be that the mountain god they're talking about is actually a snake?"
“That’s not surprising. This is a remote area, so there are naturally more strange customs than in the Central Plains,” Yu Mo said nonchalantly. “The two local guides had a fishy smell on them, probably from snakes. I suppose that with that smell, snakes wouldn’t have swallowed them.”
Yan Dan said in surprise, "So it was a snake? I thought they usually ate carrion, that's why they smelled like that."
Tang Zhou glanced at her sideways: "Why do you always have such strange ideas?"
Yan Dan pouted and remained silent.
Yu Mo smiled slightly, "It seems Yan Dan has had some good experiences following you; at least she's learned to know when to stop." Yan Dan was deeply hurt. Yu Mo looked at her calmly, a smile playing on his lips, "But it's also because I've been too polite to her that I've spoiled her like this." Yan Dan was practically bursting with rage: "You...you...you..."
Tang Zhou smiled modestly: "Not at all, it should be so."
Yan Dan watched helplessly as the two who had just been at odds almost started calling each other brothers, and could only drag herself along at the back, sulking to herself.
They went deeper and deeper underground, and the ground beneath their feet gradually became wet, splashing water as they stepped on it.
Yan Dan crossed her arms and began to feel a chill rise from her feet. She also heard a faint rustling sound in her ears, as if something was crawling towards her: "Didn't you hear any strange noises?"
Tang Zhou stopped and listened for a while, then shook his head: "There's nothing there."
Yan Dan muttered, "Of course you wouldn't hear it. Mortals' sense of hearing and smell are incredibly dull."
Yu Mo smiled slightly and said, "I didn't hear anything either. Are you just too nervous?"
Yan Dan stopped and listened carefully for a while, but indeed heard nothing more, so she remained silent. However, as soon as they started walking forward, she heard a rustling sound again and couldn't help but say, "But there really is..."
Yu Mo raised his hand, and a blue halo slowly bloomed, instantly illuminating the entire cave with a chilling blue light. Within this blue glow, Yan Dan watched as tangled clumps of snakes slowly crawled towards them, their scales reflecting the pale blue light, making them appear even more eerie. Wherever these large clumps of snakes passed, they left trails of glistening slime.
Yan Dan pointed ahead, her voice trembling, and asked, "Is this a snake's den?"
Yu Mo looked around and pointed to the cave on his left: "Go that way!"
Yan Dan didn't wait for his urging and immediately turned and ran. She heard a hissing sound behind her growing louder and louder. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind behind her and immediately ducked down. She saw a brightly colored venomous snake dart over her head and crash into the stone wall. Before she could straighten up, someone pushed her hard from behind, and she stumbled forward.
Stumbling and falling along the way, stepping over stalagmites and wading through puddles, Yan Dan only heard Tang Zhou say behind her, "Alright, we should have shaken them off."
Yan Dan was out of breath. She lightly traced a white light with her finger, revealing two bright yellow lanterns in front of her. She was stunned for a moment before she slowly realized that the two yellow lanterns were growing on a triangular face covered in scales, and that face was almost touching the tip of her nose!
She almost screamed, but finally reacted immediately and covered her mouth. She slowly took a small step back, only to see that terrifying face close to her again. She heard two hissing sounds, and a long, thin, forked tongue flicked in and out in front of her eyes. Yan Dan's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.
That was a giant snake!
Although she couldn't quite make out how long its body was, the sheer size of its head made it impossible to deceive herself. She forced herself to look up and meet the giant snake's gaze. She couldn't move, and dared not move, for even the slightest blink would send the snake lunging at her.
Tang Zhou wanted to draw his sword, but Yu Mo reached out to stop him and slowly shook his head.
"Yan Dan, don't move, I'm right behind you." Yu Mo slowly approached, trying his best to make no sound as he moved.
Yan Dan watched as the giant snake slowly opened its mouth, revealing sharp, blade-like teeth, and a musty, rotten smell wafted towards her: "Yu... Yu Mo..."
"When I touch your shoulder, you two run forward immediately, and don't stop until you reach the end." Yu Mo slowly reached out and gently pushed her shoulder. "Hurry up!"
Yan Dan had barely taken a step when Tang Zhou grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She couldn't help but turn back to look, only to see Yu Mo surrounded by a faint blue demonic aura. This aura grew stronger and stronger, turning into a bluish-black color in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, a demonic aura tightly bound the giant snake, forcing it to writhe its tail and hiss.
Yan Dan felt that she had been having a string of bad luck lately. First, she was being chased and fled by mortals, and now she was being chased and fled by snakes. Both times she was in a very sorry state.
The tunnel grew increasingly damp, and the sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance. The view gradually opened up, and a faint light seemed to seep in from the end. Even a sliver of light is priceless to someone walking in complete darkness.
Yan Dan ran to the end, only to find that there was no path ahead. Outside, the sound of rushing water was deafening; it was a magnificent waterfall. She whispered, "This is the end."
Tang Zhou suddenly asked, "How long have you been following Brother Yu?"
Yan Dan thought for a moment and then said simply, "It's been almost twenty years."
"So, you've got a clear understanding of his situation?"
Yan Dan pondered for a moment and nodded.
Tang Zhou said calmly, "I think he is very likely the master of Shenxiao Palace."
Yan Dan was stunned, finding it somewhat unbelievable: "How is this possible? I've known Yu Mo for so long, and I've never discovered that he has the same fetish as the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace who likes to impersonate other people."
"There will always be some flaws in the art of disguise in this world, but the Divine Firmament Palace Master's skill is already unparalleled. Yu Mo can also transform into other people's appearances at will. Even if this is a coincidence, he knows that one of the divine artifacts is in the hands of the Divine Firmament Palace Master. Did he ever tell you that he knew the Divine Firmament Palace Master?"
"No... no."
"Even if he has known the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace for a long time, it's absurd that he doesn't even know the way to Mirror Lake Moon."
Yan Dan thought for a moment and said, "Although these words sound absurd, don't you think it's even more ridiculous that Yu Mo is trying to deceive people with such flawed statements?"
Tang Zhou smiled faintly: "How could a smart person like him say something so full of flaws? That's what you think, right? So these words seem absurd, but there must be a reason for them. If you think that way, then these words are no longer absurd."
Yan Dan rested her chin on her hand and said slowly, "You're right, but if Yu Mo really is the master of Shenxiao Palace, I'd be overjoyed."
"If I say that I am indeed not, wouldn't you be disappointed?" Yu Mo strode over, his sleeves fluttering, his dark eyes slightly narrowed. "It seems that if some things are not clarified, everyone will have a knot in their hearts. Ask whatever you want, and I will tell you everything I know."
Yan Dan sidled up to him, flashing a charming smile: "There's only one thing I don't understand. You said you've met the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace twice, so is this Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace Liu Weiyang?"
Yu Mo shook his head slightly: "The Divine Firmament Palace Master's disguise skills are unparalleled in the world. I'm not sure if what I saw was his true face, but it wasn't like Liu Weiyang's." He turned to look at Tang Zhou: "As I said before, I didn't know how to get to Mirror Lake Moon, because I was blindfolded the whole way. As soon as Yan Dan fell into this underground cave, I felt that it seemed somewhat similar to the path I had taken before. I remembered the route entirely by feeling and the sounds around me."
Tang Zhou slowly said, "That snake monster, you and I could both kill it, but you didn't want to. Why is that?"
“This serpent monster is covered in venom, even on its scales. If its blood were to splatter out, it would immediately rot and die. Killing it wouldn’t be difficult, but the cave is narrow and the strata aren’t stable enough, so it’s not worth it.”
Tang Zhou nodded slightly: "I see. So, have you found the way to Mirror Lake now?"
Yu Mo pointed to the waterfall: "It's right below here."
Yan Dan peeked out, unsure whether she should just close her eyes and jump. After all, a waterfall only exists when water flows down a cliff face; jumping would be tantamount to jumping off a cliff. Even if she was a demon, she only had one set of bones; if they were all shattered, where would she find a new set?
Yu Mo walked straight over without blinking and jumped down.
Since her lord had jumped, Yan Dan naturally had to follow suit. Besides, even if Yu Mo remained outwardly calm, she knew he must be furious. Yan Dan landed in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall, immediately popped her head out of the water, looked around, and couldn't help but say, "The scenery here is quite nice." The pool was crystal clear, the lake and mountains reflected the blue sky and white clouds, making it exceptionally beautiful.
Yan Dan slowly swam towards the shore and saw Tang Zhou following her down. He choked on several mouthfuls of water; anyone with eyes could see he wasn't a very good swimmer. If she had taken the water route when they met in Nandu, she could have avoided so much suffering…
Yu Mo stood on the shore, soaking wet. Seeing that she had swum to the shore, he didn't try to pull her up. He said casually, "Now walk one hundred and fourteen steps along the lake."
Yan Dan stole a few glances at him, then cautiously tugged at his sleeve: "My lord... are you angry?"
Yu Mo turned to look at her, still expressionless: "So you know I'm angry?"
Yan Dan smiled sweetly: "I can tell what you're thinking just by looking at you... no, I can guess what you're thinking even if I see a single hair on your head."
Yu Mo looked at her for a while, then a slow smile appeared on his lips: "Is that so?"
They walked along the lake for a long time when they heard two screams ahead. They saw blood slowly dripping from the long sword in the hand of the woman in the light purple dress. The two corpses lying on the ground, one tall and one short, were the two locals who had led the way for them.
The woman in purple, who had her back to them, suddenly turned around upon hearing footsteps behind her. Yan Dan exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Tao!" This woman in light purple was none other than Tao Ziqi, whom she had met in the secret passage of the ancient tomb in Qing Shi Town.
Tao Ziqi saw them, but her expression didn't change. Her voice was as clear as shattered jade: "The Venerable One sent me to lead the three of you to Mirror Lake for a visit. The Venerable One has been brewing tea and waiting for you for a long time."
Yan Dan frowned slightly as she watched her turn away, then smiled and asked, "Is the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace very proficient in the tea ceremony?" She suddenly remembered that the figure in black clothes she had seen before being ambushed from behind at Lingxiao Taoist Temple looked very much like Tao Ziqi's back.
Tao Ziqi gave her a cold look: "Your Excellency is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and classical texts."
Tang Zhou said calmly, "Miss Tao, I was worried that you might be trapped in the tunnel, but it seems you are safe and sound."
Tao Ziqi's back stiffened, and he spoke coldly, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Tang. The latter half of the secret passage in the tomb was actually built by the Venerable Lord later. I was ordered by the Venerable Lord to bring you here, but I did not expect Shen Yijun to suddenly betray me and lock me in the tunnel."
Yan Dan couldn't help but think to herself that the Shenxiao Palace Master's acting skills were already extraordinary. She never expected that he would be influenced by his surroundings and that even his subordinates would pick up this hobby. Tao Ziqi was always timid and shy in the cemetery, but now she kills a couple of people without even shaking her head. It's true that birds of a feather flock together.
"Why did the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace bring us here?" Tang Zhou asked.
Yan Dan sighed. If she were willing to talk, she would have done so long ago. Tang Zhou's question was truly unnecessary.
Unexpectedly, Tao Ziqi hesitated for a moment and said softly, "The Venerable One obtained one of the divine artifacts, and he needs a pure soul to break the curse mark engraved on the artifact. Although you are not the only one in this world with a pure soul, the process of breaking the curse mark is too dangerous. It is impossible to do it without some skill."
As the group walked and talked, they spotted a small boat moored on the shore not far away. Tao Ziqi stepped forward, untied the rope at the stern, and walked to the bow: "You can still decide now whether or not you want to go to Mirror Lake. Once you get there, it will be too late to regret it."
Yan Dan was slightly puzzled. Although Tao Ziqi was under the command of the Divine Firmament Palace Master, why did she feel that Tao Ziqi's words and actions were not in favor of her own Lord? To put it nicely, she was doing something disgusting but kind; to put it bluntly, she was betraying her own master.
Tang Zhou turned to look at them and said softly, "You should go back. Staying with me here is enough."
His expression was somewhat vague and unclear.
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