Li Jiang, Lu Chang, and several disciples behind them carried in food. The aroma of the dishes attracted everyone, and the atmosphere instantly became lively again.
Qing let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief and sat back down in her original seat.
Mu Dong wanted to say something, but Qing He glared at him and shut him up. Mo Junqian also opened his mouth, but feeling Qing He's unfriendly gaze, he also shut his mouth.
They ate their own meals.
Speaking of which, Qinghe hasn't had a decent meal in a long time. Not to mention that Qingyun Sect is extremely poor, even if they had some surplus, it would be difficult for her picky taste to find something satisfying.
It must be said that Master Lu Chang's cooking skills are really good. The dishes he makes are perfect in color, aroma and taste, and they are all her favorites. Coupled with the mellow rice wine, they are truly delicious food.
Ignoring the ravenous eating of some people at the table, the dinner was still quite pleasant.
After dinner, Qi Changfeng called Mo Junqian aside for a private talk in the back hall, while the others dispersed.
The night was slightly cool, and the courtyard was dark, with only a few faint warm lights. The vast Qingyun Sect was extremely quiet.
A few stars twinkled in the sky. Qinghe stood on the shore of Crescent Moon Lake, looking up at the sky.
She didn't understand astrology; she just thought it looked pretty.
Just as I was admiring it, a dim star suddenly shone brightly, streaking across the sky and flowing towards the back mountain before disappearing without a trace.
Qinghe looked towards the back mountain and paused for a moment.
The back mountain is part of the Fushan mountain range, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Qingyun Sect. However, the mountain is shrouded in mist and infested with magical beasts, so few people venture near it. Most of the time, it is only cultivators who want to gain experience who enter.
Could there be something in Mount Fu?
Thinking of this, Qinghe had the idea of going to Mount Fu. If there were any treasures, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take them for himself. Even if there were nothing, it would be good to go and gain some experience. There was no harm in it.
It's better to be lucky than early; this time is perfect. As a man of action who does what he says, Qinghe made up his mind and didn't waste a single second. He channeled his spiritual energy and sped towards Mount Fu.
*
Mount Fu is named so because the mountain is long and narrow, with a crack in the middle and a dense network of winding mountain paths that resemble symbols on a talisman. In addition, it is often shrouded in thick fog, making it dark, damp, and teeming with magical beasts, hence the name Mount Fu.
Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, believing that by giving it the name of a Taoist exorcism talisman, the demons inside can be sealed off from entering and leaving—it's just self-deception.
In the blink of an eye, Qinghe had arrived at the foot of Mount Fu.
Even though they were still some distance from the mountain entrance, Qinghe could already feel the thick fog swirling around Mount Fu, the dark and cold atmosphere, and the howls of wild beasts coming from the depths of the mountains made him tremble, sending chills down his spine.
Qinghe shuddered, rubbing his arms with both hands, and muttered, "Fushan is indeed worthy of its reputation. If it weren't for the Qingyun Sect guarding it here, the people at the foot of the mountain would probably have suffered."
She took a deep breath and unconsciously touched the Great Light Mantra on her little finger. The Great Light Mantra sensed its owner's movement and emitted a faint golden light, as if in response to her.
Qinghe withdrew his hand and stepped into the entrance of Mount Fu.
The valley was full of thorns, and the soil underfoot was wet and soft, slippery and greasy like flesh. There was also a faint smell of blood in the air, making for a terrible experience.
The valley was filled with towering trees, creating a dark atmosphere. Since it was nighttime, it was pitch black, and Qinghe had no choice but to rely on the light source created by the Great Light Mantra for illumination.
It must be said that although Mount Fu is dangerous, it is rich in rare and precious natural treasures. We've already discovered quite a few good things in just a short walk, most of which are rare medicinal herbs suitable for alchemy.
Perhaps because they were used to being poor, they couldn't resist picking up anything good. Qinghe was having a great time. These things were not common in the stingy Qingyun Sect. Not only could they sell them for a good price, but they could also keep them to refine pills and save their lives. Wasn't that wonderful?
She was happily making plans in her mind, completely unaware that several strange eyes were watching her intently from not far away.
"This...this...and this...wow, we're going to be rich!" Qinghe carefully packed all the herbs into the cloth bag he carried with him, and after sweeping through one area, he turned around to sweep through another.
"This one can sell for fifty taels, this one for a hundred taels no problem, this one... wait, something seems off?"
Qinghe slowly stood up, squinting as she looked ahead. Not far in front of her, several green-glowing, emerald-like objects were fixed there, looking rather eerie at first glance.
Based on her experience of traveling the world for less than two hours, this was definitely not a good thing. Even rare and precious natural treasures would never exude such a dangerous aura.
But as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. The more unknown something is, the more Qinghe wants to find out, at least to die knowing why.
But after she saw what it was, she changed her mind. Sure enough, nothing is more important than life!
But the dozen or so wolves opposite them clearly didn't think so; they were even grateful to God for bringing them another delicious meal.
Qinghe tilted her head, and the wolves imitated her. Qinghe squatted down, and the wolves also moved down a little. Qinghe took a step back, and the wolves took a step forward.
"Not too stupid."
Qinghe tilted his head and noticed two pitiful people surrounded by wolves. Their bodies were torn and mauled beyond recognition. Judging from their clothing, they were a man and a woman who had come to Fushan to gather herbs but had unfortunately encountered the wolves and were killed. Even their remains were devoured by the wolves.
These wolves have long lived in Mount Fu, a place rich in spiritual energy and ideal for cultivation. They also eat human flesh and use human blood to refine their bodies, which has long since transformed them into high-level magical beasts. They are cruel, domineering, swift, and fierce. Moreover, the wolves travel in packs and attack in groups, knowing how to strategize. Those low-level cultivators who mistakenly enter Mount Fu are naturally no match for them.
After a few seconds of silence for them, Qinghe began to consider his own situation. If he were to start a fight rashly, it would definitely attract more wolves or even other magical beasts. If he were to sneak away, given the wolf pack's keen senses and speed, it seemed unlikely. He had to think of a way.
Qinghe was deep in thought, while the wolf pack kept a close watch on him. Neither side made a sound, and the atmosphere was tense until—
With a "crack," Qinghe accidentally took a step back and, by sheer coincidence, snapped a tree branch. This branch was clearly the last straw that broke the camel's back; like a ticking time bomb, the moment had come, and the carnage began.
"Don't come any closer, I'm not tasty..." Before the words were even finished, the wolf pack leaped up and attacked in unison, their speed comparable to an athlete hurdling in a 100-meter race. Qinghe turned and ran, shouting as he ran, "What's the point of thinking of any other ideas? Survival is the most important thing!"
The valley was instantly startled by birds and beasts; the howls of wolves mingled with the screams of young girls echoed through the valley.
The disciple guarding the gate of the Qingyun Sect suddenly woke up from his sleep, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and muttered, "Why do I think I heard a wolf howling?" He looked around but didn't see anything. "I must be hallucinating." He tilted his head back, yawned, turned over, leaned against the wall, and fell asleep again.
The deeper you go into the valley, the colder it gets; you can't warm up even if you run 800 meters.
Qinghe stopped, panting heavily, too exhausted to run any further. The wolves following behind her also stopped to rest, probably because they hadn't expected this woman to have such a strong will to survive, having run for so long without catching her.
Qinghe, disregarding his image, sat on the ground to regulate his breathing, mocking them as he meditated: "Hey you guys, how long has it been since you exercised? You can't even outrun me. You've eaten too much meat, ruined your health! I think you should stop causing trouble and switch to eating grass!"
Although the wolves couldn't understand what she was saying, they instinctively felt it wasn't a good thing. They all bared their teeth and their eyes gleamed green, and once they regained their strength, they pounced on her and tore her to pieces.
Seeing the comical scene of the other side being aggressive but not daring to step forward, Qinghe chuckled. His sharp eyes swept over each wolf, and when he saw that one of the wolves had a piece of cloth in its mouth, a cold light flashed in his eyes.
“I’m not a saint, and I don’t want to meddle in other people’s business. I’ve already given you a chance, but you don’t appreciate it, so don’t blame me.”
Before he finished speaking, the Great Light Mantra suddenly appeared and disappeared, instantly transforming into a nine-foot-long whip, its entire body radiating a cold, dark golden light, which immediately surrounded the wolf pack.
The wolves were clearly caught off guard, but it was too late. The golden light pierced their bodies like cold arrows, and they turned to ashes before they could even howl.
More than a dozen wolves vanished in an instant. They probably never understood why the person they had been relentlessly chasing and desperately fleeing for his life had become so ruthless in the blink of an eye.
Women are indeed fickle.
Having dealt with the wolf pack, Qinghe's enthusiasm waned considerably. She lost the desire to continue and wanted to return the way she came, only to find herself lost.
Before she knew it, she had stood in front of the crevice in Mount Fu. The cold mountain wind blew through the crevice, stinging her face.
Unlike the atmosphere when she first entered the valley, Qinghe clearly sensed an unusual aura from the other side of the crevice, and her intuition told her that it was extremely dangerous.
Qinghe stood there for a few seconds, thinking, and decided to go in and take a look. Just as she took a step, the Great Light Mantra that had returned to her hand suddenly emitted a force, pulling her back.
It was preventing her from going in; it was clear that it sensed the danger.
Qing placed her other hand on the Great Light Spell, calming it for a few seconds. She was a pragmatic person; she would never act rashly until she was strong enough to protect herself.
I looked up at the crack again, thinking that there would be other opportunities in the future, and I would come back next time.
Just as she was about to turn around and walk back, a powerful force suddenly burst out from the crack, trying to pull her in!
Qinghe instantly circulated all his spiritual power, but that power was simply too strong, and Qinghe was no match for it.
Just as he was about to be sucked in, Qinghe quickly summoned the Great Light Spell, which transformed into a long vine and lashed out, wrapping itself around a nearby tree.
The two forces were locked in a tug-of-war. Qinghe gripped the long vines tightly with both hands. His spiritual power was useless at this time, and he could only struggle desperately.
Time passed second by second, but the difference in strength was too great, and he was ultimately no match for him. After resisting for half an incense stick's time, Qinghe exhausted his strength and was suddenly sucked in the moment he released his power.
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