When you come to a strange place and want to find something, the fastest way is of course to grab your tongue.
Soon, they found an old ghost and beat him up until he became obedient.
Yu Qian'an: "Do you know if there's a mushroom-shaped mountain nearby?"
Old Ghost: “I don’t know!”
Yu Qian'an: "If you still don't behave, keep beating me!"
Old Ghost: "Oh... Ouch... Ouch... It's unfair... I really don't know."
After a while, Yu Qian'an continued to ask: "Now tell me, where is that mushroom-shaped mountain?"
Old Ghost: "Wow... I don't know! I really don't know! Otherwise, why not just me being the mountain that looks like a mushroom?"
Yu Qian'an: "You're an old man who's lived here your whole life. Even if you haven't seen it, haven't you heard of it? If you don't behave yourself, I'll beat you up!"
Yan Chixia whispered to Yu Qian'an, "Boss, we can't fight him anymore. If we continue, he'll be scared to death."
Old Ghost: "I really don't know. I'm not from here. I was robbed while passing by and turned into a ground-bound spirit here. I haven't been to the surrounding mountains to look, so I have no idea. Woo woo... Woo woo."
Yu Qian'an: "Earthbound spirit? What a coincidence? You just caught one and it's stuck there? Yang Jiarui, why don't you give it a try?"
Yang Jiarui: "Then do you know where that bandit is? Is he a human or a ghost?"
Old Ghost: "Those bandits have both humans and ghosts, as well as mountain monsters and their minions. There are probably hundreds of them in this group, so scary. They live on the narrow passage above the Eagle Sorrow Stream. It's said that even a single man can hold off ten thousand, and even gods and ghosts can't get through."
Yu Qian'an: "Didn't you say you didn't know? How come you know so much about this bandit?"
Lao Gui: "Because we all heard about this group of bandits when we passed by. We originally thought that they would not come down the mountain to rob a group of poor people passing by, but we didn't expect that they would not even let go of human flesh.
The old man watched them hack and chop those people up the mountain on their backs. He was so frightened that he fell down and died on the rock. When he woke up again, he had become an earthbound spirit, and his soul was parasitic on the rock.
Yu Qian'an: "Alright, there's nothing more to be learned, let's pray for salvation!"
Yang Jiarui: "Don't panic! Is there a young couple in your team with this little girl?"
The old ghost stared at the little girl again and again: "I have never seen such a pitiful little girl! What a sad world! Now everyone is dead!"
Yang Jiarui: "You haven't seen the ghosts of her parents? Or the kind of ghosts that are looking for children?"
The old ghost still shook his head: "Really not."
Yu Qian'an waved his hand, Yan Chixia stabbed out with a sword, and the old ghost disappeared between heaven and earth.
Yang Jiarui was stunned for a moment: "He obviously hasn't already..."
Yu Qian'an: "Okay, don't be silly. He has scared countless passers-by to death here, otherwise why would his yin energy be so strong? Is it good or bad that it can escape Yan Chixia's eyes?
Let's go find those bandits!"
Yang Jiarui: "I don't know how much time has passed. I guess the bandits have all turned into ghosts long ago."
Following the old ghost's directions, the group headed forward. "Yingchoujian" was the name of a ravine nestled between mountaintops. The ravine had steep cliffs, and a large cave halfway up the mountain. It's likely that mountain eagles once frequented the cave, hence its name, Mountain Eagle Cave. The ravine outside the cave was also called "Yingchoujian."
Yu Qian'an was puzzled: "The eagle is a bird that excels at soaring high and far. Some people call it the 'king of birds'. So why would it be 'worried' about a small mountain ravine?"
Yang Jiarui: "There's a bandit ghost on the hill. If we catch him and ask him, we might find out!"
Yu Qian'an gestured to Zhao Yun, who soon brought back a bandit ghost who had been beaten half to death. Yu Qian'an asked, "Tell me, why is this place called Eagle Sorrow Stream?"
Bandit Ghost: "I know. There's a monument over there for tourists to see. It says something on it."
Yu Qian'an went over to take a look:
Legend has it that long ago, this place was a vast forest, home to not only ferocious beasts like tigers and leopards, but also a variety of birds. These animals lived freely and unfettered. At the mouth of a stone cave perched on a cliff above a mountain stream, a magnificent sight could be seen year-round, soaring eagles across the sky. However, over time, things changed. Hunters arrived in the mountains, gathering together to form villages. The growing demand for wood for daily needs—cooking, heating, building homes, and transportation—led to severe forest destruction. The number of wild animals in the forest gradually dwindled, and eventually, hunters could no longer rely solely on hunting to survive. They began to shift their food sources to farming, even burning entire forests to clear more land. As a result, the birds and animals lost their habitat and vanished. Only the eagle cave on the cliff became a target for archers, and disaster struck the eagles within.
Days and years passed, and one eagle after another was shot down in Eagle Cave, until their numbers dwindled. Despite their limited targets, the hunters remained relentless. To drive the remaining eagles out, they lit a fireball and threw it into the cave. This devastating act ravaged the remaining eagles. Those that managed to escape flew away, while those unfortunate enough to escape were struck by stray arrows and fell to their deaths. Those unable to escape were burned alive within the cave. However, a strange thing happened: a large red eagle, supposedly a powerful flyer, could have easily escaped. Despite the devastating disaster, it lingered amidst the flames and fire. Even after the disaster, it refused to leave. Its behavior perplexed the people, who speculated that the cave must contain something "exotic." So, they found a rope, lowered a man from the mountaintop, and entered the cave to investigate.
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