The shop owner had no idea what Shangguan Xi was thinking. Seeing that the people in front of him didn't believe him, he continued, "Let me tell you, you really shouldn't disbelieve this. This back mountain is a place that eats people. Many people have gone up there before and never came back. That place is not to be visited!"
Shangguan Xi wanted to know more, "Was this back mountain always like this? Or did it only recently become like this? Has it been affected by other people or factors?"
The barrage of questions left the owner somewhat overwhelmed. "This... I don't know either! I don't have much power; I only dare to live here with this little shop. As for other things, I really don't have the guts to get involved or know about them."
"But all the guests who come here have said that you can't go up the back mountain because there are monsters up there. I wanted to ask what kind of monsters they were, but they wouldn't say anything. That's all I know." After the boss finished speaking, he looked at them nervously, as if he was worried that they would still choose to go up the mountain. Fortunately, after hearing his explanation, the attitude of the people in front of him softened a little.
"Don't worry, boss, we're just going to observe; we might not actually go up."
After saying goodbye to the boss, the group left, but a little tail followed them. Ying Ziping was acting strangely today, sticking to them no matter how much they told him to leave. Nangong Yu, who disliked him the most, even stopped and glared at him, saying, "I said, why are you like a leech, I can't shake you off! You're extremely annoying!"
Ying Ziping shook the fan in his hand, his eyes smiling. "Young Master Nangong, please don't be angry. I just want to protect you all. I have no other intentions. In such a dangerous place, isn't one more person equal to one more force?"
When Nangong Yu was about to argue with him, Xu Yuehuai stepped forward, grabbed Nangong Yu's arm, shook his head at him, and signaled him not to get involved and to keep walking.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Xu Yuehuai looked at the eerie scene before her and suddenly recalled the cemeteries or forests depicted in ghost movies on television when she was still living in modern times. Thinking about it, those days seemed so far away, as if a century had passed.
When Ying Ziping saw this scene from behind, his expression changed drastically. He suppressed his inner panic and followed them up the mountain.
The surroundings were exactly as Shangguan Xi and the others had described. Apart from being a bit dark, there was nothing unusual. Suddenly, a voice broke through, "Hey, beauty, you can't go in here."
Xu Yuehuai looked towards the source of the sound and saw Bai Sha. This time, she was not alone; Hei Sha was also by her side. Hei Sha's expression was not good; his face was dark, and he looked like someone who was not to be trifled with, making people feel intimidated.
Xu Yuehuai glanced at it briefly before looking away. "Why?"
Bai Sha shook her head, thought for a few seconds, and then said, "Would you believe me if I said there's a giant, man-eating tree inside?"
This answer was unexpected by everyone. After all, they had considered many possibilities, but none of them had thought of this one. The group exchanged glances, each seeing disbelief in the other's eyes. Bai Sha, however, was even more certain of his answer, "That's right, there are man-eating monsters. So I advise you not to go in. Otherwise, you'll be eaten by those monsters until your faces are nothing but dust. Even if I wanted to build you a grave, I wouldn't be able to find your ashes."
Xu Yuehuai was somewhat unwilling. They had been here for two days, but hadn't gotten any useful information. They were either being blocked or on their way to being blocked. If this continued, they didn't know when they would be able to finish investigating this matter. With some resentment in her eyes, she asked, "Do you still want to join us?"
No one expected Xu Yuehuai to bring up such a thing at this critical juncture. Bai Sha's eyes lit up, while Hei Sha beside her, with a dark face, warned her telepathically, "If you dare to agree, you're finished!"
Bai Sha, disregarding Hei Sha's thoughts, excitedly said, "Of course it's great! But I want to bring Hei Sha along, otherwise Hei Sha will be too lonely by himself."
Hei Sha stood up abruptly, his face taut and his body slightly stiff. "What nonsense are you spouting here! Can you please stop talking nonsense? What are people going to think of me if you act like this!"
He stared intently at Bai Sha, speaking entirely in a telepathic manner, not wanting anyone else to overhear the grudges and feuds between him and Bai Sha.
Bai Sha ignored the man, his eyes fixed on Xu Yuehuai, waiting for an answer. Xu Yuehuai glanced at the dark-faced Hei Sha beside her and said uncertainly, "Your partner seems unwilling... Are you sure?"
The people behind her, including Shangguan Xi, didn't understand what she was doing, but considering the strength of the Black and White Duo, they guessed that Xu Yuehuai probably wanted to recruit a powerful teammate for them, which would make their lives much easier.
Ying Ziping, who was behind him, also took the opportunity to step forward and promote himself, "Look, I can do it too. I think you've already hired people, so there's no difference between hiring one or two, right? Why not bring me along? It's a worthwhile deal."
Nangong Yu handled Ying Ziping without Xu Yuehuai even needing to intervene. "Who do you think you are? Stop your babbling; it's annoying!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Sha glanced at Hei Sha, tilted his head, and transmitted his voice to Hei Sha, "Are you sure you don't want to agree? How about I tell them your story? Like the time you fell from the tree while picking fruit, something like that."
Those below could see Hei Sha's expression change again, as if he wanted to devour Bai Sha. Everyone was immersed in this atmosphere and couldn't extricate themselves for a moment.
After threatening Hei Sha, Bai Sha happily turned around, fell from the tree, and landed in front of Xu Yuehuai. He extended his hand to Xu Yuehuai in a friendly manner, "Alright, from now on we're teammates. Please take good care of me!"
Hei Sha also climbed down from the tree. Although his face looked unwell, he didn't say anything to argue.
Ying Ziping was somewhat envious when he saw that they had successfully joined Xu Yuehuai's group. When he realized that Xu Yuehuai's path was not working, he began to approach Shangguan Xi.
With the Black and White Duo around, Xu Yuehuai didn't rush up. Instead, she sat down and wanted to find out everything about this place from the White Demon. The White Demon had a baby face, but her clothes were very daring and completely different from theirs. After Xu Yuehuai agreed to let her join, she stayed close to Xu Yuehuai, with her hands on her shoulders and her head on her arm, just like that.
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