Xia Qingtian naturally wouldn't let Mobius wait here alone until dark; what if there was danger?
She immediately decided to stay and accompany Mobius.
Seeing that Xia Qingtian couldn't be persuaded to leave, and also worried about her getting into danger, Mobius suggested they go back together first.
The two then returned to the city together.
Later, as the sun began to set, Mobius returned to the foot of Shenshan mountain. Just as he was about to ascend, he saw a girl squatting in the spot where they had hidden during the day, resting her chin on her hands and asleep, with a large leaf covering her head.
If one didn't look closely, it would indeed be hard to tell someone was there.
"Qingtian?" Mobius's mouth twitched slightly as he reached out and touched Xia Qingtian.
"Hmm?" Xia Qingtian finally opened her drowsy eyes a sliver, her voice hoarse with a hint of babyishness, "Mobius? What a coincidence, we meet again..."
For a moment, Mobius didn't know where to start complaining.
Xia Qingtian was not usually someone who slept a lot, and her personal schedule was quite regular.
Today, she was simply exhausted from climbing up and down the mountain. She had returned early and thought she would hide until it got dark.
Once she quieted down, drowsiness crept in, and she fell asleep without realizing it.
Seeing Xia Qingtian like this, Mobius couldn't bring himself to send her back to the city again, so he could only take Xia Qingtian up the mountain with him.
The mountain path that had felt difficult to traverse during the day was even more challenging now.
Fortunately, Xia Qingtian had caught up on her sleep, so her stamina was still up to par.
"Shhh..." As soon as they reached the mountain, Mobius seemed to hear something and made a shushing gesture to Xia Qingtian. The two of them lowered their bodies and cautiously moved towards the source of the sound.
At the entrance to Teacher Song's courtyard, a young man who looked less than thirty years old, with his arms crossed, said with a smile, "Teacher Song, if you want to get rich, you should get rich together. After all, we've all been getting along for so long."
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Teacher Song said. "Da Qiang, have you been drinking again?"
"I had a little, but I'm just happy," Da Qiang chuckled. "That Taoist priest today was also found by you, Teacher Song. You must have given him a lot of money, right?"
"Daoist Master Liu and I have a connection; we've known each other for many years and he just came to help," Teacher Song naturally wouldn't admit it.
"What Daoist Master Liu? He's just a charlatan who pretends to be a god," Da Qiang said dismissively. "My little girl told me that sodium carbonate solution is alkaline and turns red when it encounters certain things; it's all tricks to fool children."
Hearing this, Xia Qingtian turned to look at Mobius. Wasn't this what Mobius had explained earlier today when talking about the phenomenon of blood writing appearing?
It seemed this was Xiao Ni's father.
Hearing Da Qiang's words, Teacher Song took a deep breath and stepped forward to push him away. "You've had too much to drink. Why don't you go home first? It'll be dark later, and it'll be difficult for you to get down the mountain."
"It doesn't matter if I can't get down the mountain. I can just sleep here for the night," Da Qiang said indifferently.
"It's not convenient here. I bought floral foam today and I'm working on my flower room. The courtyard is full of mud, and there's nowhere to step," Teacher Song said. "Besides, I don't understand what you're saying at all. You can tell me again tomorrow when you're sober."
"If you don't understand what I'm saying, I can explain," Da Qiang said, letting out a drunken hiccup. "The dried-up well in the back of the mountain suddenly has water. That's your doing, isn't it, Teacher Song? And that old tree, it's been hundreds of years, it was fine, why did it suddenly die?"
"Other people believe your nonsense about the Nightmare God beneath Shenshan being awakened. I don't believe that."
"I've seen you by that big tree several times before, and I even saw you pouring something under the tree roots with my own eyes," Da Qiang stared directly at Teacher Song. "It was all you."
After saying that, Da Qiang smacked his lips and continued, "It's just that I don't know how Old Wu suddenly disappeared."
"But he had no children or grandchildren and was an orphan. If he's dead, he's dead," Da Qiang waved his hand impatiently and continued, "Teacher Song, you've gone to so much trouble to do all this. You must know some inside story, right?"
"Is it possible to find a better buyer? Or... do you know about any demolition news in this area? Don't keep it all to yourself!"
"If there's money to be made, we should make it together," Da Qiang rubbed his fingers together, making a gesture of counting money.
"Alright, since you know, I won't hide it from you anymore," Teacher Song said with a dark expression. "Come here, I'll show you the specific area for demolition."
Upon hearing Teacher Song's words, Da Qiang's eyes lit up, the redness on his face intensified, full of excitement.
Teacher Song led Da Qiang to the foot of the mountain and casually pointed with his hand, "See? It's that area, from there to here is the designated demolition zone."
"Such a large area?" Da Qiang squinted, trying to see more clearly.
At this moment, his vision was somewhat blurry, and coupled with the fact that he had been drinking, he concentrated even harder.
Teacher Song quietly stepped back two paces, picked up a heavy stone brick from the grass, and struck Da Qiang hard on the back of the head. After three blows, Teacher Song forcefully pushed him forward, shoving Da Qiang down the mountain.
"Hiss!" Witnessing such a scene with his own eyes, Xia Qingtian's mind went blank, and she could only gasp in shock.
"Who's there!" Teacher Song shouted, looking around.
"!" Xia Qingtian immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth. Mobius frowned tightly and immediately gripped Xia Qingtian's other hand, ready to find an opportunity to escape with Xia Qingtian as quickly as possible.
At this moment, not far from Xia Qingtian and Mobius, the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground was heard again, accompanied by a distinct metallic clanging.
"Get out!" Teacher Song said coldly.
Then, the grass nearby rustled, and a very disheveled man rolled out. Judging by his build, he was not a young man.
"I, I don't know anything!" The man's voice trembled. "I didn't see anything!"
Xia Qingtian found the voice somewhat familiar. After a moment's pause, she realized it was the yellow-robed Taoist priest she had met today!
"I don't want this money!" The old Taoist priest tremblingly threw the box of money back at Teacher Song's feet. "I don't want it! Let me go! Please, let me go!"
Teacher Song didn't reply but raised a foot and stepped on the box, a cruel and sinister smile appearing on his face. "Still alive? As expected of an old hand, you're quite resilient."