Chapter 27 The Immortal Appears That’s Not the Case
As expected, it was Saturday, with many locals and tourists out hiking. The laughter and chatter of passersby along the way made the silence between the three of us less tense.
However, once we passed the official road and continued up the mountain, the road became difficult and we gradually lost sight of other passersby. The silence between the three of them was almost deafening.
Chang Xile couldn't stand a dull moment, and the other two people had come here for her, so it was her responsibility to ease the atmosphere!
Chang Xile glanced to the left at Yang Guisi, who was walking with his arms folded, and to the right at Anping, who remained silent, and tried to start a conversation: "Have you heard of a strange story?"
"Tell us about it?" Yang Guisi applauded, while Anping looked at Chang Xile in agreement.
"I heard there was once a woodcutter who rose early to travel into the mountains. Exhausted from the journey, he leaned against a tree and took a nap. When he awoke, he found his friend crouching beside him. He said he'd been passing by and seen him sleeping there, and was worried about him being alone. So the two decided to walk together. However, as they walked, they lost their way in the forest. Supporting each other, they rescued each other several times, managing to survive in the mountains. They walked for days. Finally, one day, the woodcutter spotted a figure sitting under a tree in the distance. Overjoyed, he approached to ask for directions, only to find that the figure had been dead for days. And the face was that of his friend!"
When Chang Xile heard this story once, goose bumps covered her arms. She observed the expressions of the two listeners and saw they remained unmoved. She coughed dryly twice and continued, "So, this friend is actually a fox spirit in disguise. The real friend has long since died a tragic death."
"That's why they say that when walking in the mountains and forests, one should be extra careful of companions who have become separated." Chang Xile saw that she had reached the end of her story, but the two listeners remained unmoved. She couldn't help but ask in frustration, "Why aren't you afraid at all?"
Yang Guisi shook her head in amusement, scratched her nose, and asked, "Are you scared by a ghost story like this?" She was in the business, and had heard countless strange stories. At this moment, Yang Guisi was thinking maliciously, should she pick a night to tell Chang Xile some horror stories in bed? The child would definitely scream in fear.
Anping listened to the story carefully, but was puzzled: "Why should I be afraid?"
"It's just... it's terrifying when you think about it." Chang Xile couldn't explain the reason for a moment.
Yang Guisi glanced at An Ping and said matter-of-factly, "It's terrifying to think that the friends and family you spend every day with are inhuman."
An Ping subconsciously retorted, "But after spending so many days together, the fox demon didn't harm him and even saved his life."
"Perhaps the demon just wants to lure people into its lair. He's a mountain creature, how could he possibly get lost? Besides, regardless of whether he harbors evil intentions or not, the huge power disparity between humans and demons is undeniable. You might not crush an ant to death, but that doesn't stop the ant from being afraid of you." Seeing Anping's silence, Yang Guisi took Chang Xile's hand again, turned around, and asked with the gentlest smile, "But Xile, how can you be so sure we're human?"
"Wow! Yang Guisi, you are so bad!" As expected, Chang Xile was frightened again. She screamed and ran forward.
Yang Guisi was stunned for a moment, looked at Anping who was obviously in a bad mood, and chased after him.
Yet, even though the distance between them was not that great, the two of them still couldn't find Sheung Hee-lok. The reason was that there was no original path on the mountain, only some man-made trails. Everyone's path to the mountain was different; there was no single answer.
"Xi Le! Where are you?" Yang Guisi shouted several times, but received no response. An Ping watched Chang Xi Le disappear before his eyes, but he didn't panic or shout. He just stood there and closed his eyes.
"Hey, Xile is your lover after all, why don't you react at all..." Yang Guisi turned to ask Anping anxiously. But he put a finger to his lips and shushed her.
In a few breaths, he opened his eyes and walked firmly in a certain direction. No matter how Yang Guisi shouted, he did not turn back.
The path to the top of the mountain was already a bit complicated, and with Chang Xile already missing, getting separated from Anping would be even more troublesome. Yang Guisi hesitated for a moment, then decided to give chase. However, Anping clearly hadn't gone far, and when Yang Guisi walked further, he didn't see him anymore.
She took a few more steps forward, then felt something was wrong. When she turned back, the scenery behind her was completely different from before.
Her master had taught her to be extremely vigilant when entering uninhabited areas. Even a simple change in a plant, a stone, or even a blade of grass could confuse the mind. It could be a form of Qimen Dunjia, or perhaps a form of ghost wall. Her master had taught her how to break it, but...
What is the solution?
Yang Guisi remembered the day her master gave the class. It was raining heavily outside the window, and the Sunny Doll was dangling in the corridor. She even remembered the pattern of a butterfly with wet wings on the edge of the cushion.
But the solution remained as hazy as a blur of water. She had been away from her master for far too long. She had given back everything she had learned.
She frowned and thought for a long time before she slowly muttered to herself, "One, check, two, no, three, look back?"
She simply ripped a silk scarf from her wrist and tied it around a drooping branch of the tree before her, then continued on her way. After an unknown amount of time, when the scenery before her became familiar, she turned back without hesitation. Once again, she spotted the fluttering ribbon from the branch in the distance, and retraced her steps. Now, the scenery before her gradually became clearer.
Not far from her, Chang Xile was still calling out for Yang Guisi and An Ping. She hadn't actually run very far, but when she turned around, they were gone. Her phone showed no signal. Despite her loud calls, Yang Guisi seemed oblivious.
"Oh... I should have asked Anping to make two copies of the map he drew," Chang Xile sighed. She was a bit directionally challenged and timid. She was now hesitating whether to move forward. Logically, when separated from her companions, she should have stayed where she was and waited. Anping and Guisi would definitely come looking for her.
"Hello, hello. Can you see me? Hey! Can you hear me?" The familiar call suddenly sounded again.
After hearing the sound, Chang Xile looked around but saw no one. She recalled the ghost story she had just told and got goose bumps all over her body. She was so scared that she squatted down and hugged her head: "I can't see you, wuwuwu, don't scare me, go away!"
"I can't leave..." The woman's voice became plaintive as she listened. She said slowly, "You said you would come to play with me, but you left without saying goodbye. What a bad girl."
"Don't try to trick me. When did I say I wanted to come and play with you?" Chang Xile turned pale with fright. As she squatted down, the voice got closer and closer to her, almost sticking to her ear.
"Pfft." The woman laughed and finally stopped teasing Chang Xile. "Stop yelling and let me out. I know how to get out. I'm Dai Shanyan."
"I don't care whether you are a magpie or a goose... I won't let you out! Huh? Wait." Chang Xile suddenly realized something. She raised her head and said blankly, "Shanyan, Dai Shanyan?" The beautiful woman whose life she saved at Lanshan Hospital.
"It's me, it's me! Hurry up and take me out." The other party was obviously excited. Chang Xile listened carefully to the voice and it seemed to be Dai Shanyan.
She pursed her lips and wanted to cry again: "You can't pretend to be Sister Dai and lie to me, she's already passed away!"
"Nonsense! Why else would I follow you into this deep forest?" Dai Shanyan had also heard Chang Xile's story and knew what the girl was worried about. She thought for a moment and tried to identify herself. "The day you saved me, I gave you a bouquet of sunflowers. Later, I wanted to visit you, but I heard you've recovered and been discharged. Congratulations."
If it was a ghost confined to this place for years, how could it know what happened a few days ago, hundreds of miles away? Chang Xile slowly raised her head and said uncertainly, "Are you really Sister Dai?"
“Guaranteed authenticity.”
"But why are you here? How am I going to get you out?"
"Do you still remember that purple purse?" Dai Shanyan's voice was a little weak. "Take it out."
Chang Xile was startled. She had indeed brought the purse her aunt had given her with her this time. She remembered putting it in her coat pocket. She took out the crimson purse and, sure enough, heard a voice coming from there: "Why are you here?"
"It's a long story, and I'd love to know." Dai Shanyan sighed softly, "But the most urgent thing is to get you out of this haunted place."
"Ghost wall?" Chang Xile looked up like a frightened bird. "Are you saying there's a ghost here that's trapped me?"
"That's not the case. It's just a name. It's normal that you can't get out of this formation because you are confused. Just follow the direction I told you and you will be out soon." Next, Dai Shanyan patiently guided Chang Xile on the route. After they finally crossed a tree, the road ahead suddenly opened up.
In front of me is a large green lawn, and right in front of it stands an ancient building with flying eaves and corners and a secluded scenery, which looks a bit like a Taoist temple.
"We've made it out!" Chang Xile said happily to Dai Shanyan. She wiped the sweat from her face and let out a long sigh. The weather had been scorching, the climbing had been arduous, and she was exhausted.
However, as soon as Chang Xile walked out of this so-called formation, Dai Shanyan, who had just been giving her instructions on the direction, fell silent and refused to come out no matter how she called her.
There was no other way, so Chang Xile had to go to the entrance of the Taoist temple and knock on the door, hoping to ask if she could ask the people inside for directions to find her lost companion.
This building seemed quite old. The vermilion gate opened easily upon knocking, unguarded. At the entrance was a large open space, seemingly a training ground for the disciples, yet no one was there.
Chang Xile walked in cautiously and came to a place with a plaque inscribed in gold: "Qingzun Palace."
The first thing she saw from the entrance was the three-story-tall female statue. It looked majestic and imposing, yet its face held a compassionate expression. Chang Xile felt a cool breeze sweep over her, dispelling the heat.
Chang Xile couldn't help but murmur, "What a magical place! In such hot weather, such a cool breeze blows automatically. Could it be a manifestation of the immortals?"
At this moment, a man in a Taoist robe appeared from nowhere. He held a feather fan in one hand, smiled and shook his head, "That's not the case."
Chang Xile was quite curious to see the "staff" here and wanted to hear how the professionals explained this wonder.
However, the Taoist priest shook his head and explained: "Because we turned on the air conditioner."
Chang Xile: ...ok!
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