A sound of pleasure
"We're not going to Huamian Village, so no matter what it is, it's best for us not to provoke it." As he was speaking, Ah Li suddenly realized and asked, "Since everyone who lived on Gushu Mountain has moved away, and it's a mountain that has been empty for seventy or eighty years, what are we going to investigate in Gushu Mountain?"
"It's true that no one lives here, but this mountain is very lively. Once you go up the mountain, you'll slowly find out. It probably won't be easy to sleep at night, would you like to get some sleep now?"
Cha Suxun thoughtfully took out the blanket that had been placed behind him and spread it out, draping it over her. Lifting the carriage curtain, Cha Suxun said to He Qi, who was driving the carriage outside, "Let me drive the carriage for the rest of the journey. A woman like you would be too conspicuous to drive the carriage, and you'd easily become a target for robbery."
As they exchanged glances, Heqi telepathically transmitted, "My people have already infiltrated the mountain. Word has reached me that the hundred-mile territory allotted to you crosses the border of two monsters' territories, effectively stealing their territory. One is a bird spirit, and the other a spider spirit. They've already arrived on the mountain, ready to kill you and take their territory back. Be extremely careful. It's best to spend the night near the center of Gusu Mountain, near the mirror tree where quests appear. Many monsters will be entrenched there to keep up with quest updates and snatch the best quests for themselves. As long as you're the leader, your words are yours. As long as you give an order, they will obey and will be unable to resist."
Cha Suxun winked at Heqi in response and switched places with him.
Sitting down next to his sister, Heqi continued to telepathically transmit to Cha Suxun, "Ali has entered this mountain. Soon, those in the heavens who are watching her will notice something unusual about Mount Gushu and gather here. Having said that, I need to completely seal off my magical power to prevent anyone in the heavens from discovering it. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I've informed my people not to take action unless necessary. You should be worried about yourself, not my sister. The people in the heavens will definitely protect her. I've sent a message to Tianshu, and he'll come. More people means more protection. After all, the three of us are now completely weak mortals. Give me a response if you have no problem."
Cha Suxun pretended to drive the horse, not even bothering to swing the whip in his hand, and said, "Go."
"Very good! Brother-in-law."
The last ray of sunlight faded from the horizon, the mountain mist gradually dissipated, and a crescent moon hung high above the treetops, its silvery glow illuminating the road ahead. As we approached the Mirror Tree, the road became completely silent, not even the daytime birdsong or insect chirping. The only sounds were the creaking of carriage wheels and the rhythmic thud of horses' hooves.
Knowing there must be something fishy going on, Cha Suxun sped up his carriage and finally saw the mirror tree, the one the white clam shell had revealed. He chose a spot with a relatively wide view, ideal for both escaping and observing.
Tiptoeing into the carriage, A'li was still asleep. Heqi took out a piece of white cloth with some crooked red symbols drawn on it.
Heqi dismounted the carriage, calm and composed, expertly tying the white cloth around the horse's neck. Heqi glanced around and stood for a moment before returning to the carriage. Cha Suxun had already carelessly cuddled up with his sister to catch up on some sleep, leaving Heqi to sit awake and keep watch.
That’s right, I am the only non-human person in the carriage. I don’t have to sleep like ordinary people, so I am naturally the most suitable person to keep watch.
They thought the two monsters would take action, but until the task update appeared on the mirror tree, nothing came close to their carriage.
Because of the task update, the surroundings immediately became lively and the sound of fighting never stopped. Soon, Cha Suxun and A Li were woken up.
Ah Li was so sleepy that her eyelids were fighting each other. When she woke up, her eyelids were so heavy that she could only open one.
"what happens?"
Cha Suxun covered her ears and said calmly, "It's okay, just continue sleeping. No matter what, don't get off the carriage."
"The fighting outside is so intense. Why don't you be ready to escape at any time and continue to sleep and wait for death?"
A'li deliberately lowered her voice and slightly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to look. She saw the interweaving of light and shadows, and the figures of foxes and rabbits jumping and fighting flashing back and forth between the low bushes and tree trunks. Many of the human-shaped shadows had more or less animal characteristics.
Behind the closed window, Ah Li's eyes were filled with shock, and her voice trembled as she said fearfully, "Really? There's a demon! How can you two be so calm?"
My cousin quickly signaled her to be silent. "Cousin, keep your voice down. This mountain is full of monsters. We'd better act like we're used to it. They'll think we're some mortals who dare to come to the monsters' territory. At least it's safer for now."
"Oh, yes, alright."
An Jing waited until most of the monsters had dispersed, leaving only a few squatting by the mirror tree in a dilemma. Then Cha Suxun said to Ah Li, "I'll be back soon. No matter what you see, don't believe it. Don't get off the carriage. Stay with your cousin. She will protect you."
Ah Li grabbed Cha Suxun's sleeve tightly, frowned, and said angrily, "Are you crazy, Ah Xun? There are monsters outside! They are not mortals. Our little tricks of using poison can't deal with monsters at all!"
"I don't need Gu. Your husband has many skills. Every time I take action, I'm always 70% to 80% sure. Trust me."
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just too dangerous!"
"Trust me, Ah Li." Cha Suxun held her hand, pried open her tightly clenched fingers, and patted the back of her hand. Cha Suxun quickly climbed down from the carriage, making no noise.
"I know you are worried, but if you follow me, it will only distract me and make it more likely that something bad will happen. Not taking any action and just hiding in the car will only be more dangerous." After saying that, Cha Suxun walked straight towards Jingshu.
The first entry in the mirror book only has two words written on it: Jade Hairpin.
Touching the task text means that the task has been accepted. Tasks cannot be accepted randomly. Once a task is accepted, the task will be locked. If you fail to complete the task and return the task item within the specified time, you will be killed immediately.
Therefore, Cha Suxun guessed what the lily of the valley hairpin referred to in this task was, but he did not dare to click to see the detailed explanation.
Turning to the 80th item and looking from the back, Huamian Village happened to be ranked 79th. As a mortal, the remaining tasks were all very far away, and without magic power, it would be impossible to even reach them within the time limit.
Therefore, Huamian Village is the best choice.
Cha Suxun chose Huamian Village without hesitation, and the Mirror Tree dropped three green leaves into his hands. The onlookers had different looks, but all agreed that he was ignorant and doomed to die.
Open the three green leaves according to the method described by Bai Bangke. The veins of the green leaves will light up instantly, and words will appear in front of you, but only the person who receives the task can see them.
The first task is to show:
Complete any of the following tasks.
1. Kill the legendary demon mountain god in Huamian Village.
2. Get the treasure hidden deep in Huamian Village.
The second piece shows a warning, which reads:
1. Once you enter Huamian Village, don’t trust anyone in the village, including the person you are traveling with.
2. Don’t eat anything in Huamian Village, even if you are about to starve to death.
3. After leaving Huamian Village, please make sure you are still alive.
4. The earth's rewards are always bountiful; the end of life is also its origin. At the intersection of the two worlds, the pervasive yellow sand will eventually swallow you into the abyss of desire.
The third piece has nothing written on it, but it is also the most important one.
The deadline given by Jingshu is thirty days.
Now they can only wait for dawn and meet up with Tianshu as soon as possible to find the location of Huamian Village. It would be a waste of time for them to search aimlessly over the mountains.
The next day, the sun rose over the mountains, and the morning light shone through the treetops, casting dappled patches of light. The lush greenery of the trees, with its flourishing branches and leaves, and the ground covered with flowers and plants, was full of life. It was impossible to associate the scene of the previous night with any beautiful scenery.
Gushu Mountain had been deserted for decades, and the original mountain paths had largely fallen into disrepair. Driving through the mountains became increasingly difficult. So, the group chose a deserted, dilapidated courtyard, tied their horses in the main hall, picked up some essentials, and began to wander the mountains, searching for their way.
They left marks along the way, worked around the clock, their feet almost blistered, but in the end they returned to the starting point.
Thirsty and exhausted, Ahri collapsed on a large rock to rest. Heqi found some branches and sticks, built a bonfire, and began to prepare dinner.
Seeing this, Ah Li sat up and hurried into the courtyard to help. However, her cousin decisively refused, saying, "It's good for everyone to do their own thing and do what they're good at. You two are more knowledgeable and intelligent than me, so you can handle the investigation and ideas, and I'll do what I'm good at, like making fire, cooking, and washing clothes. We'll all contribute, and no one will feel embarrassed."
"You've been tired all day. I'll do it with you so you can rest soon."
"Really, there's no need, cousin. Don't be angry if I say something I shouldn't. Cooking is not your strong point. I can do it faster by myself." As he said that, He Qi stood with his back to her, put his hands on her shoulders, and gently pushed her to the stone in the yard that was temporarily used as a small stool to sit and rest.
Cha Suxun heated up a pot of hot water to clean Ah Li's face and soak her feet. His tone was a little guilty, and the look he gave her was full of apology. While cleaning her face, Cha Suxun held her face in his hands, and gently stroked her flushed cheek with his thumb, "Following me, you've suffered."
"Don't always feel like you owe me something." Ah Li fished out a small bottle sealed with a breathable cloth from her pocket and proudly showed it to him, "Guess what treasure I found in the mountains today? This trip wasn't in vain!"
"Don't tell me you caught some more poisonous insects. The conditions are not as good as they were in the mountains. If you get bitten, there's no medicine to treat it."
"Alright, alright, my housekeeper. Who is whose wife?
The two were enjoying their usual affectionate bickering when a titmouse was suddenly shot down and landed in their yard. A man in patched clothes ran over from a distance and asked if anyone had seen the titmouse he had shot.
Halfway through his words, the man suddenly exclaimed, "Wife!"
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