"Old sir, can you tell us about the matter of Qingfeng Mountain?" Zhang Tian asked. The old man turned to look at Zhang Tian and the others. "Seeing that you are all tender and fair-skinned, I suggest you'd best not go. That mountain is truly not a place for ordinary people."
"Legend has it that a hunter went up the mountain to hunt before, and before he even reached it, he was flattened by a bear that was two meters tall."
"Moreover, there are said to be many monsters on Qingfeng Mountain!" the coachman said, his face becoming more serious as he looked at Zhang Tian mysteriously.
"Monsters? Old sir, there are monsters on this mountain?" Xie Yuchen was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected there to be actual monsters in this world. He had only heard about them from his master and father, and he never thought he would hear such legends this time.
"Young lady, you look quite delicate, yet you are so short-sighted," the old man scoffed. "Don't be afraid that I'm superstitious, but some things are best handled with caution." The old man naturally assumed Xie Yuchen was a girl, seeing his fair skin and pink flowery clothes.
Zhang Tian smiled and nodded. "You're right, old sir. We were indeed too careless in our thinking." The old man looked at Zhang Tian with appreciation. "It's not easy that you young fellows don't mock me. When I used to drive people, whenever I mentioned something, they'd quote others saying 'science and education' to shut me up, old man." The old man clearly felt better.
Xie Yuchen didn't pay much mind to the old man's earlier remark and instead perked up his ears, listening intently.
"Then I'll delve deeper," the old man said, emboldened by Zhang Tian's agreement. He puffed out his chest. "Qingfeng Mountain was actually a battlefield in ancient times. It's said that the court, in order to deal with the Xiongnu, drove all the invading Xiongnu to one place to be annihilated."
"And that place was Qingfeng Mountain. The mountain was littered with corpses, and over time, evil spirits arose. It's said that even weasel spirits have appeared there!" the old man exclaimed. Zhang Tian and the others listened intently, even Fatty didn't try to crack jokes.
"Of course, I don't know if these things are true or not. In any case, I advise you not to go. It's said that centuries ago, a group of Taoist priests from a temple went up the mountain to vanquish evil. They all died inside and never returned." The old man spoke incessantly, and Zhang Tian got the general idea. Qingfeng Mountain was once a battlefield. The terrain was steep, and the Xiongnu were skilled in plains warfare, making the mountain easy to defend and difficult to attack. Many people had died there. Due to the lingering spirits, people from a Taoist temple went to cleanse it, but the truth of what happened remains unknown.
"Thank you for telling us so much, old sir. Do you know where Qingfeng Mountain is?"
"You're really going?" Seeing Zhang Tian ask again, a hint of shock flashed in the old man's eyes. He had said so much, and these people were truly not afraid of death. And they were serious about going. Seeing the look in Zhang Tian's eyes, the old man finally spoke. "Head southeast for about thirty li, and you'll find a mountain, which is Qingfeng Mountain."
"Thank you. Here's a dollar, consider it payment. Please accept it." Zhang Tian handed him a dollar. The old man initially wanted to refuse, but the amount was simply too much. Seeing the old man accept it, Zhang Tian said no more. Fatty, however, seemed to have thought of something.
"Heh heh, old man, you said before that the mountain was a mass grave?" Fatty narrowed his eyes.
"If you ask me, I'm old but my ears are not deaf. You, young man, are not only blind but also deaf. I'm not your grandpa, and that place was a battlefield, not a mass grave," the old man replied speechlessly, leaving Fatty with a dark expression.
'Wow, I've been looked down upon so quickly? As expected of an old man from Beidong, he's truly straightforward. I can't afford to offend him.' Fatty pondered for a moment, but his heart was filled with excitement. Based on what Old Hu had said before, perhaps he could find a Ghost Pill this time?
The journey was uneventful. Soon, a small mountain village appeared before Zhang Tian and the others. This village seemed to have become their secret base for digging tombs in Beidong.
"I don't know which living Bodhisattva paved the road for this small mountain village. Now, this village has become one of the wealthiest villages in Beidong." The old man's voice was tinged with envy. It made sense, as in this era, only people from the city could afford to build roads.
"Heh heh, old sir, you're thinking too small! Do you think there's a possibility that we paved it?" Fatty, who never forgot a slight, seized the opportunity to show off.
"Young man, you can't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth. Do you know how much it costs to build such a long road? Honestly, at your age, you've already learned to brag." The old man's words made Fatty's face turn green. Apart from Little Fox, this was the first time Fatty had been put in his place by someone else.
"Hey, you old fellow."
"Fatty, it's alright. Let's go into the village first." Hu Bayi stopped Fatty from saying more and looked towards the village. Standing at the entrance was a man in blue, presumably the village chief.
"Alright, for Old Hu's sake, I'll let you off this time, you old geezer." Fatty said reluctantly.
Zhang Tian looked at the snow-covered mountain village, which gave him a dreamlike feeling. If the environment was good back then, the current scene would be wallpaper-worthy with just a single shot.
"Alright, second brother, Old Hu, Fatty, Young Master Xie, let's head into the village." Zhang Tian called out, said goodbye to the old man, and then led the group, carrying bags and parcels, towards the village. Today was a joyous occasion, which was why the village chief was standing at the entrance.
"I wonder when Fu Gui and the others will arrive." The village chief murmured, taking a puff of his pipe. However, when he saw five people approaching in the distance, carrying bags and parcels, his pipe trembled. He rubbed his eyes. "Is that Comrade Hu Ba Yi!"
"Let me see again to be sure." The village chief looked three times and, upon confirming, took off running. Seeing the village chief, an old man, running faster than a rabbit, Zhang Tian and the others were stunned.
"Old Hu, the village chief, must have been born under the sign of Cao Cao."
"Fatty, what do you mean?"
"Cao Cao, the fastest in the world!" Fatty gave a thumbs-up, leaving Hu Bayi speechless.
Soon, under the village chief's shouts, countless villagers poured out, all with smiles on their faces. Zhang Tian had paved the road for the village, and the villagers remembered him clearly. Now that Zhang Tian and the others had returned, the villagers naturally welcomed them warmly. Seeing the villagers approaching, Hu Bayi felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.
"Comrade Hu, Comrade Zhang, Comrade Wang, we've been waiting for you with bated breath." The village chief said with a smile. The villagers nodded in agreement. Zhang Tian scanned the crowd and, with his sharp eyes, quickly noticed something amiss. Most of the villagers were wearing new clothes, and the village was decorated in red, suggesting a joyous event.
"Village chief, is there something special happening in the village recently?" Zhang Tian asked.
"Comrade Zhang, alas, I didn't want to tell you, but Ying Zi is getting married."
"What!"
"What!"
"What?" Not only Zhang Tian, but Hu Bayi and Fatty also exclaimed in shock. Zhang Tian was bewildered. Ying Zi, throughout the entire Ghost Lantern series, hadn't mentioned marriage, had she? Was this cheating? So fast?
Zhang Qilin: "!!!"