Chapter 14: The Method to Ascend the Mountain
“I hope you won’t blame Old Deng and me for our choice; it was also for your safety.”
As Wu Yixuan finished speaking, a complex expression flickered across his face.
Back then, the Liu Haoyu he saw was just an impetuous youngster with little power.
Looking at him now, his strength far surpassed that of the past, and he might even surpass himself.
This truly lived up to the saying, “The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves before, and each wave is stronger than the last…”
Liu Haoyu took the cigarette offered by the other party, but because Deng Xiaolin and Qin Liu were present, he didn’t light it. He simply tucked it behind his ear and said,
“I was young then and perhaps impulsive, so I can understand.”
“But speaking of this disappearance, on my way here, I received a commission at a law firm on Annan Street.”
“A Yin-Yang Master named Liao Tianyu went missing after entering Ye Shangfeng.”
“So I’d like to ask Fifth Master if you’ve seen this person?”
Upon hearing this, Wu Yixuan’s face turned extremely grim.
“I’ve also heard about this from the police.”
“But under normal circumstances, supernatural events only occur during the period between the full moon and the waning moon.”
“And because of the seal, ordinary people shouldn’t be able to encounter ghosts… There might be something strange about this matter.”
As the guardian of Ye Shangfeng, Wu Yixuan was naturally well aware of the cyclical nature of Ye Shangfeng.
Could it be… the work of the Night Walker that Liu Haoyu mentioned?
The two ghost exorcists exchanged glances and immediately affirmed this conjecture.
Seeing this, Wu Yixuan calmly said,
“I went up to look for this person a few days ago, but one person’s strength is limited, and I didn’t find anything.”
“Many hands make light work. Now with your help, we might achieve something. However, the most dangerous time for Ye Shangfeng is only three days away, so we must ascend the mountain during this three-day window to find this person.”
As he spoke, Wu Yixuan took out a piece of paper and a pen, writing as he explained.
“To ascend the mountain, you need to pass three hurdles.”
“First, for the mountain path, you cannot take the main road. I will lead you along a path that no one knows.”
“Then, after entering the mountain, we will pass through the mine tunnel. There is a barrier left by Old Deng, which is also the entrance to the hidden world.”
“The last point is the most important one to remember…”
Wu Yixuan’s tone became very heavy as he reached this point.
Even Deng Xiaolin and Liu Haoyu straightened their backs.
Seeing that their attention was focused, Wu Yixuan continued,
“It’s easy to enter the mountain, but difficult to exit.”
“Once you enter Ye Shangfeng, if you see figures wearing miner’s clothes, do not look back.”
“You must leave the mountain before dawn, otherwise…” Wu Yixuan pointed to the clock hanging above the antique shop, “you will be forever trapped in the night of the mining disaster.”
Hearing this, Liu Haoyu pondered for a moment and said,
“In other words, is it highly possible that the Yin-Yang Master is already dead?”
The other party had been missing for so long. If that were the case, Liu Haoyu would naturally not risk it.
Wu Yixuan shook his head after hearing this and said,
“The hidden world only opens during the half month after the full moon.”
“According to the surveillance footage, he took the main road, and he shouldn’t have entered the hidden world.”
Wu Yixuan’s words were indeed somewhat reasonable, but in supernatural events, one cannot rely on common sense.
Liu Haoyu had already prepared for the worst.
He took a deep breath and said,
“In that case, let’s search Ye Shangfeng tonight. We won’t enter the hidden world first.”
“That’s no problem.”
Wu Yixuan nodded.
“Let’s act after the midnight hour.”
——————————
Tonight, Ye Shangfeng was exceptionally cold.
Just standing at the foot of the mountain, the gusting cold wind made them shiver.
Wu Yixuan put on his dark blue robe and stood at the doorway with a peachwood sword in hand. He said to the two behind him,
“Stay close to me.”
Although it was a search operation, there might be dangers hidden within Ye Shangfeng, so the three of them would not split up.
Liu Haoyu had originally intended for Deng Xiaolin to wait in the antique shop for him and Wu Yixuan to return.
However, he remembered that it wouldn’t be safe for her to stay there alone, as no one knew if the Night Walker would find the shop again. Therefore, it was better for them to go up the mountain together.
Ye Shangfeng was a tourist attraction, so the path up the mountain was not difficult. It was basically smooth steps, with no complicated small paths.
After climbing up the steps for an unknown amount of time, Deng Xiaolin was out of breath, and Qin Liu was so tired that she could only float along.
“Are you two alright?”
Liu Haoyu and Wu Yixuan walked at the front, and seeing Deng Xiaolin covered in sweat, Liu Haoyu asked,
“Do you need to rest?”
“No, no.”
Deng Xiaolin clutched her aching abdomen and waved her hands repeatedly.
“I can still hold on.”
Women’s stamina was indeed less than men’s.
At this moment, Wu Yixuan also noticed Deng Xiaolin’s condition, so he pointed to a platform above.
“Hold on a little longer, we’ll go there to rest.”
“I’ll go into Hong Yu and lie down. Call me if anything happens…”
Qin Liu was also too tired to walk. She returned to Hong Yu and sprawled out in a “big” shape.
Afterwards, the remaining three ascended to the platform.
Standing on the platform, one could see the entire ancient town directly, and even take in the night view of the entire Beiming City, giving a sense of looking down on all beings.
The group sat down, and Deng Xiaolin lifted the collar of her clothes, fanning herself continuously to let the cold wind blow into her clothes.
“My goodness… is this mountain this high?”
“We are halfway up the mountain now, and the collapsed mine tunnel is in front of this platform.”
As instructed by Wu Yixuan, Deng Xiaolin also saw the mine tunnel. It was indeed not far, about ten meters away, and she could see the ruins of the mine tunnel.
After resting for a while, Liu Haoyu walked to the entrance of the mine tunnel.
A stone monument was erected here, with “Ye Shangfeng Mining Disaster Site” written on it, along with the names of all the victims from that year.
After reading the stone monument, Liu Haoyu cast his gaze into the depths of the mine tunnel.
It was very, very dark there. The uneven rock walls at the entrance were covered with dark red moss, which, if not looked at closely, resembled dried bloodstains covering the rock walls.
Rusting iron rails extended to the cave entrance, and the sleepers of those iron rails had long since become rotten and dilapidated due to the erosion of time.
A mixed wind, carrying the stench of mud, blew from the mine tunnel onto Liu Haoyu.
The wind whistled, like the wailing of fierce ghosts.
Even stranger…
Liu Haoyu seemed to hear a sound of rocks being struck, mixed with the damp and cold wind.
