“Are you sure this is the place?”

“Positive!”

“Then why can’t we see the mountain, and why is the scenery different from what’s on our map?”

An old man, sleeves and pant legs rolled up, with wrinkles as deep as if he’d spent his entire life tilling the fields, rode a donkey. The sound of bells accompanied him and his companions as they walked towards the depths of the mountains.

Following him were three men and a group of laborers who carried poles, wood, and chisels, looking like well diggers.

As they walked, they constantly compared their surroundings to the map in their hands, but they grew increasingly confused, even unsure if they were in the right place. The old man on the donkey sighed softly and said, “The orientation is wrong. Clear the path!”

The porters behind him responded softly. Someone stepped forward, used wood to make a door frame, and erected it by the side of the road. On each side, they wrote the cardinal directions – east, south, west, and north – and attached red talismans.

Then, led by the old man on the donkey, they passed through the door frame one by one. The last person to pass through burned the door frame behind them and continued forward as before.

The road was still the same road, and the barren land on either side was still the same, but gradually, the scenery changed, becoming more and more like what was on the map.

Bu Shi Niu (literally "Doesn't Eat Beef") had been searching for the Dragon Lair of the Honorable Zhang family for many years, knowing it was the root of all major events. Having already identified a location, the sight of the familiar red cliffs in the distance invigorated them.

“It’s up ahead. The Dragon Lair is in the mountains, but we don’t know exactly where!”

“But as long as we enter the mountains, with our skills, it won’t be hard to find!”

“…”

They had each rushed here as quickly as possible after receiving their Eldest Brother's summons, but no one knew what was going on.

Clearly, the iconic red cliffs didn’t seem too far away, only a few hundred *zhang*, but the more they walked, the more confused they became. Not only did they not get closer, but the red cliffs seemed to be getting further away.

So the old man on the donkey had them build a bridge on dry land. An arched bridge stood on the road, and as they crossed it one by one, they saw the red cliffs, which had been hundreds of *zhang* away, suddenly pulled right in front of them as if by magic.

But when they reached the red cliffs and looked for a path, they couldn’t find the small mountain path that was clearly marked on the map.

Finally, the Eldest Brother slowly dismounted the donkey and came to the foot of the mountain himself, where he burned a pile of paper money.

The smoke rising from the burning paper seemed to curl straight out of the mountain, stinging the eyes of the group.

When they looked up again, they couldn’t help but be startled, even taking a slight step back. They saw a group of people standing in front of the mountain, village farmers, men and women, old and young.

Their bodies were semi-transparent. Holding hands, one after another, heads bowed, they blocked the path into the mountain, blocking the gaze of others towards the mountain.

“Why bother?”

Looking at the people blocking the path, Bu Shi Niu's Eldest Brother seemed deeply weary.

He slowly raised his head and looked forward, murmuring, “Harmful Arts are already a theft of heaven's ingenuity, so why be so cruel?”

“The Honorable Zhang family is high above, for four or five hundred years, counting the previous dynasty…”

“But it seems… you don’t have to treat people so inhumanely, do you?”

“…”

“The Bu Shi Niu demons, like rats in the gutter, have been hiding for so many years, and now they finally dare to show their faces!”

As the words fell, they saw someone in a gray cloth robe and small hat emerge from behind a cypress tree on the mountain path behind the red cliffs, looking down coldly. “The world is not short of people, but not everyone deserves to be one.”

“Just for what they did to our Zhang family’s Second Master, their viciousness, greed, selfishness, and treachery are enough to send them to the eighteenth level of hell!”

“What?”

“You Bu Shi Niu demons, hiding for so long, now you want to speak up for them?”

“…”

Bu Shi Niu's Eldest Brother sighed softly. “The people are already dead. What’s the use of speaking up?”

“We Bu Shi Niu don’t do useless things. We only remember our master’s teachings, hoping that there will be no one like you in the world.”

“…”

“Enough nonsense!”

These words suddenly enraged the person on the mountain, who said grimly, “It’s only because the Ten Surnames don’t have time to deal with you rats that you’ve been so rampant for so long. Now that you’ve shown your faces, if you have the guts, come up the mountain and let us see what the Bu Shi Niu are capable of!”

As he spoke, figures appeared at various intersections on the mountain, glancing out before disappearing again.

Clearly, they had already formed a battle formation, ready to fight.

On the mountain, an old man whose clothes were many years old and filthy was being bathed and dressed in a brocade robe by his nephew.

But the weathering left on him by so many years of hard cultivation could not be washed away. Now, wearing the brocade robe, he didn’t look right in it. Only the domineering look on his stiff face showed some of the Zhang family’s style.

“Second Uncle, I brought you your favorite candied fruit and fine wine. You rest first.”

The Zhang family’s eldest son waited attentively, opening the wine jar for the old man to smell, and smiled. “Those who have arrived at the foot of the mountain are just a few insignificant demons. Mr. Wu Tou and the others will take care of them. There’s no need for you to take action. Just wait patiently.”

“…”

The old man smelled the aroma of the wine and smiled silently, waving his hand vigorously, ordering him to pour it quickly so he could drink.

At the foot of the mountain, the three Gate Masters of Bu Shi Niu looked at each other, secretly encouraging themselves. Someone laughed, “Before, because the Martial Uncles didn’t appear, our Patriarch was too busy every day, so no one lifted the strict order.”

“For twenty years, we haven’t been able to fight the Ten Surnames openly. I really don’t know where we Bu Shi Niu are inferior to the Ten Surnames…”

“…”

Seeing that the three Gate Masters and their disciples were all prepared,

The Elder Martial Brother with a pale face shook his head slightly, walked forward slowly, and held three sticks of incense in his hand, walking a few steps towards the foot of the mountain respectfully.

The four Hall Officials of the Honorable Zhang family on the mountain were all on alert, concentrating slightly, ready to strike.

The Harmful Arts sect has always emphasized calculation in fighting. Someone attacks, someone defends. Whether harming people or injuring them, it is all done invisibly. One wrong step, one mistake, one wrong word, and the situation can change drastically, killing people.

They said this, but they dared not underestimate these Bu Shi Niu demons who had survived for twenty years. Especially the Bu Shi Niu Eldest Brother, whose every move made them cautious, even prepared to fight to the death.

But they did not expect that this Eldest Brother would step forward, raise the incense high, and then bow slowly.

Everything was silent.

The people on the mountain waited for a long time, somewhat surprised, and suddenly laughed, “Have you finally realized how powerful we are and come to beg for mercy?”

“Just bowing isn’t enough. You have to kneel down and kowtow to enter the Zhang family’s gate!”

“…”

“I cannot kowtow.”

Bu Shi Niu's Eldest Brother said slowly, “Both Master and Patriarch have said, kowtowing is forbidden!”

“Also…”

He slowly raised his head and looked at the mountain, seeing the dangers everywhere, not knowing how many experts the Honorable Zhang had sent, or what preparations they had made. But on his face, there was only serenity. He sighed softly,

“We are not here to fight with your Zhang family. We are just waiting for the Dragon Lair raised by the Honorable Zhang to be destroyed, and then we will slay the dragon!”

“Of course, you can also understand that we are here to clean up the mess and witness our Dragon Well Martial Uncle’s arrow…”

“…”

“Nonsense!”

Hearing this, the man on the mountain sneered and shouted sharply, “Where is your Martial Uncle? Why doesn’t he show himself?”

“Show himself?”

Hearing this, Bu Shi Niu's Eldest Brother laughed. “Everyone says that there is no one in the Zhang family who understands the art of Harmful Arts. I didn’t believe it before, but now I’ve learned something!”

“The true skill of Harmful Arts lies in calculating the mysteries of heaven and earth. If you still need to show yourself, see people, and then strike, how can that be considered skillful?”

“…”

“You…”

The man on the mountain was furious and wanted to say more, but Bu Shi Niu's Eldest Brother suddenly raised his head and looked up.

At that moment, in his weathered eyes, there was endless excitement and surprise: “It’s coming…”

“Not good!”

At this time, the four Hall Officials of the Honorable Zhang family and the masters who had made various arrangements on the mountain suddenly felt as if the sun above their heads was blocked, and their eyes went black.

Extremely surprised, they all focused their minds, ready to strike. In front of the stone house, the old man threw the wine jar aside and stood up suddenly. His hunched figure straightened at this moment. Missing a leg, his body was unusually strong.

Even the mouth without a tongue suddenly opened, and incomprehensible words, seemingly affecting the mountains and rivers, were rapidly spoken, shocking the heavens and earth, deterring ghosts and gods.

But the next moment, his body suddenly froze.

The imagined earth-shattering battle did not occur. Everything was invisible, like a gentle breeze blowing, the earth quietly recovering, without disturbing the remaining snow on the ground.

He still opened his mouth wide, maintaining the appearance of chanting, but suddenly froze on the spot, his soul and consciousness vanished into nothingness.

Behind his stone house, a small jade wall suddenly cracked. Spiderweb-like cracks were expanding little by little. Then, from the stone wall, gurgling black water began to seep out.

At this moment, no one on the mountain or below reacted. Only the Bu Shi Niu Eldest Brother, holding three sticks of incense, bowed deeply, his eyes red, and shouted loudly, “The ten gates are just mortal arts. An immortal's arrow comes from heaven!”

“Martial brothers, the Dragon Lair has been broken. Follow me to slay the dragon for the people of the world!”