The group quickened their pace and finally exited the territory of the monkeys. Looking at the pile of rocks ahead, Su Muqing felt something was off. Why was there no slope here? It felt like they had been moving on flat ground.
This mountain seemed ancient everywhere they went. After walking for a while and passing through the pile of rocks, they discovered a hidden world behind it.
Now, there was no path before them. A sheer cliff face was split down the middle, wide enough for a person to pass through. Seeing the only path available, Su Muqing couldn’t have been happier.
"Going through the middle actually saves us trouble," she said, looking at the fissure in the mountain. Traversing it was better than climbing. This would save them a lot of time.
But as soon as they stepped inside, she realized she had rejoiced too soon!
The crevice had likely been formed by years of weathering, not a one-time earthquake. Therefore, the passage inside was twisted and winding, with the ground unevenly bumpy.
Even if the ground was uneven, the light from above couldn't penetrate. Traveling on such a path was truly draining.
Su Muqing thought for a moment and decided to have everyone change into a full set of climbing gear. The cloth shoes on their feet were not non-slip at all, and with all the climbing and descending, a fall would truly be a waste of time.
After changing their equipment, Su Muqing took the lead. Lu Yuzhi followed behind her, with Leng Ren and Leng Feng bringing up the rear.
They hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Lu Yuzhi felt something fly past his side. Immediately, he heard the little milk bun burst into tears. The crying echoed off the mountain walls, sounding sharp and piercing.
It was precisely this cry that made Su Muqing turn back to see what was wrong. The light from her lamp swept across the mountain wall, and a rustling sound came from above.
Following the light, the group couldn’t help but feel their hair stand on end. The mountain wall was densely covered with bats. And each of them was as big as a pigeon.
Seeing the blood-red eyes of the bats, Lu Yuzhi quickly reached out and covered the little milk bun’s mouth, gently patting him to comfort him. Although the crying subsided, the little milk bun was still whimpering softly, his hands and feet flailing.
Seeing the child crying harder, Lu Yuzhi dared not cover his mouth too tightly. He whispered into Su Muqing’s ear, “Something flew past him just now. Was he scared?”
Hearing Lu Yuzhi’s words and looking at the little milk bun’s face, which had turned a purplish-red, Su Muqing examined him carefully. She discovered that his right middle finger was bleeding.
Su Muqing took out a cotton swab to clean the wound, only to see that the tip of his finger had turned a dark purple. After squeezing out the poisoned blood, she applied a bit of spiritual spring water to the wound for secondary disinfection.
Then, she used a healing spell to close the wound. Only then did the little milk bun, sobbing, stop crying. Seeing his red, tear-streaked nose, Su Muqing took out his milk bottle for him. His finger had been bitten by a poisonous bat; no wonder the usually obedient child was crying so hard!
As Su Muqing was thinking of teasing him, she suddenly noticed that the bats on the mountain wall were slowly moving down. They must have smelled the spiritual spring water.
“Oh no!”
With a flip of her hand, she sent Lu Yuzhi and the little milk bun into her space. Then, a swarm of bats swooped towards them.
“Miss, we’ll go with you,” Leng Ren suddenly said, declining Su Muqing’s offer of protection.
They were guards after all. How could they let their future matriarch protect them? Wasn’t that putting the cart before the horse? Hearing them, Su Muqing didn’t insist.
In the narrow passage, the three of them brandished their weapons. Su Muqing used her fingers as blades, wildly throwing wind blades in all directions. But this wasn’t a sustainable solution. Although many bats were killed, Leng Ren and Leng Feng were injured twice by friendly fire.
As she fought, she tried to think of a solution. Suddenly, she remembered a movie scene! She then sprinkled some diluted spiritual spring water on the ground. The bats indeed swarmed over, stopping in layers to compete for the spiritual spring water.
This freed Leng Ren and Leng Feng from their entanglement. Su Muqing took out a fine fishing net and quickly flew up, tossing the net to Leng Ren.
The two of them spread the fishing net, covering the swarm of bats. The bats realized something was wrong and flapped their wings, trying to fly up. Su Muqing signaled Leng Feng to come over and take over the other side of the net.
The trapped bats began to struggle with astonishing strength. Leng Ren and Leng Feng, holding the two ends tightly, were starting to strain. If they hadn’t experienced it themselves, they would have laughed if someone told them.
Su Muqing flew into the air, took a large barrel of gasoline from her space, and poured it onto the bats.
“Get back!” Leng Ren and Leng Feng heard the command and quickly retreated.
The swarm of bats flew up, entangled in the fishing net, and began to bite at the net lines with their sharp teeth, trying to break free. After moving a safe distance away, Su Muqing struck them with lightning.
Simultaneously with a loud bang, the fishing net burst into flames. The bats, scorched by the fire, let out shrill squeaks. So, bats could make sounds too…
Releasing Lu Yuzhi and the others from her space, the group didn’t dare to linger. They quickly evacuated the area.
If she hadn’t considered the inconvenience of returning, Su Muqing would have preferred to take a different route. Knowing the dangers within, she should have chosen the water route!
“Quick, move! It feels like something is following us,” Su Muqing said, looking at the blue dot on the detector that was continuously moving towards them.
The detector displayed the life sources of all insects and animals on the ground. However, there were no pictures, only blue dots. Before entering the mountain, Su Muqing had seen a dense screen of blue dots and almost developed a phobia of them!
So, she had turned off the detector screen, only turning it on when needed. Yesterday, she had noticed a small dot that kept jumping, but she hadn’t thought much of it then, assuming it was some kind of bug.
However, just now, Su Muqing had noticed something amiss. The path that the small dot had taken was identical to theirs, clearly indicating it was following them.
The group became alert and accelerated their pace, continuing until past five in the afternoon. They ate a quick meal in their space and then resumed their journey.
Seeing the approaching dot on the screen, Su Muqing and the others stopped and turned to look back.
Indeed, the small dot had followed them, and it was an old acquaintance!
Su Muqing looked at the dirty lump ahead. “It’s that black bear!”
Lu Yuzhi also frowned, looking at the black bear. “What is it following us for?”
The black bear looked at the group staring at it. It sat down on its rear, rubbing its face with its front paws. Then, it looked back at them with a dazed expression.
Just as both sides were in a stalemate, 217 issued a warning in her mind. “Warning! Warning! A group of poisonous creatures is approaching. Host, please leave this place immediately.”
“Let’s go! It must be those bats catching up,” Su Muqing said, seeing blue patches appear on the screen. The dots were no longer showing. How many were there?
Thus, Su Muqing and the others abandoned the black bear behind them and hurried towards the path ahead. The black bear, seeing them inexplicably leave, also got up and chased after them.
In this manner, the group ran ahead with their lightness skills, while the black bear leisurely pursued them, always maintaining a comfortable distance.
As they watched the screen, the swarm of bats stopped moving. Clearly, they were no longer pursuing them. But a new problem emerged.
The terrain ahead was no longer a narrow passage but quite open. However, before them now appeared a thick fog, shrouding everything around them, making it look like the underworld depicted on television.
Su Muqing noticed a reflection on the ground illuminated by the lights. Black mud, white stones, and shining water – could there be a water source ahead? She quickly called for them to stop.
Lu Yuzhi and the others stopped, but the black bear behind them didn’t hear and didn’t slow down. It charged straight towards them.
Seeing the charging black bear, Su Muqing instinctively turned and sent Lu Yuzhi into her space. The entire event happened in an instant.
With a “bang!”, the black bear collided with Leng Ren and Leng Feng ahead, also knocking Su Muqing flying.
With three “whooshes,” the two and the bear all fell into the mud pit before them.
Su Muqing, knocked into the thick fog, quickly flipped over and steadied herself. She couldn’t fly forward with Lu Yuzhi, so she sent him back to the shore. Then, she erected a wind blade wall around him to protect him.
Only then did Su Muqing feel at ease as she flew out, using her light to search for Leng Ren and the others. As she flew into the air, she looked down at the gurgling, bubbling mud pit.
Good heavens! This was a swamp! Was this the Ghost Mountain? How could there be so many strange pits? She had to find Leng Ren and the others quickly, or people might die.
Leng Ren, Leng Feng, and the black bear all fell into the swamp pit. At first, they flailed their arms, trying to climb out. But the more they struggled, the deeper they sank. The two quickly stopped moving and remained still. The black bear likely sensed this too and didn’t dare to make any further large movements.
“Su, where did you fall?” Leng Ren asked loudly, worried that Su Muqing might have fallen in as well.
Coincidentally, Su Muqing was also searching for them through the mist. She flew towards the sound of his voice and took out a large spotlight. Finally, she saw Leng Ren and Leng Feng, and the culprit black bear!
She flew down and first put Leng Ren and Leng Feng into her space. Then, she went to where the black bear was submerged. Its weight was too great, so it sank quickly, with only its head still floating on the swamp’s surface.
Seeing Su Muqing fly over, the black bear looked at her with pleading eyes. Although it was its fault for falling into the swamp, Su Muqing still intended to save it. She even decided to tame it!
Su Muqing grabbed it by its bear ear and threw it into her space. Then, she turned and flew back to the shore. With a wave of her hand, she dispelled the wind blade wall and entered her space with Lu Yuzhi.
Leng Ren and Leng Feng were covered in foul-smelling mud. However, Su Muqing had warned them not to bathe in here, so they found their change of clothes and waited in their space, still in their dirty clothes.
As before, Su Muqing placed the wooden bucket outside her space and then let the two out. After that, she went to check on the black bear, which was kept separately. Leng Ren and the others could change clothes, but the black bear was even dirtier.
Seeing Su Muqing approach, the black bear looked at her with its small eyes. It then rolled on the ground, exposing its dirty belly.
For a young animal, this was a sign of goodwill. Su Muqing saw it expose its most vulnerable spot, indicating it wanted to befriend her. She cautiously took two steps forward. The black bear kept its eyes on her but made no further moves.
Su Muqing slowly moved closer to the black bear. But as she looked down at the mud on its body, she immediately lost any desire to pet it.
The black bear seemed to understand her thoughts and voluntarily extended its head to nudge Su Muqing’s hand, as if to say, “I’m very dirty, you can pet my head.”
On her way to the black bear, Su Muqing had carefully considered her options. As its head extended, she hesitated for a moment. Would it bite her? Should she strike first? In the end, she restrained herself. If it attacked her, she would quickly throw it back into the swamp!
Fortunately, she held back! In the end, she wasn’t bitten, and the black bear wasn’t thrown out. From then on, in addition to Fei La, she had another pet.
Having confirmed she could keep it, Su Muqing fetched a large amount of water. She then took out an electric water sprayer and doused it with water. After rinsing off some of the mud, she applied some of Fei La’s special pet shampoo to its body.
Su Muqing used a very large brush to scrub it, front, back, neck, and limbs. The black bear lay on the ground lazily, enjoying the experience.
At this point, Lu Yuzhi and Fei La also arrived. Seeing Su Muqing scrubbing the black bear, Fei La was clearly a bit jealous. It bared its teeth and rushed forward, ready to defend its position.
The black bear, seeing the dog that had stolen its honey arrive, stood up with bubbles all over its body. It shook the water off and then assumed a ready-to-fight stance. Just as it was about to let out a mighty roar to bolster its morale…
Su Muqing wiped the water from her face and threatened without looking up, “No one is allowed to make loud noises. Whoever does will be thrown out!”
If the black bear let out a loud roar in her space, she might be close to the afterlife.
Fei La naturally obeyed Su Muqing. Surprisingly, the black bear seemed to understand as well. It awkwardly opened its mouth wide, then cleverly yawned. It then obediently lay down again, giving itself a perfect way out.
Seeing such an intelligent animal, Lu Yuzhi was also surprised. He walked forward, took the brush from Su Muqing’s hand, and began to scrub the black bear. Fei La, seeing this, became even more unhappy and then, like a spoiled child, lay on its back on the ground.
Its meaning was clear! It also wanted a bath, and the two of them could figure it out!
So, Su Muqing bathed Fei La, and Lu Yuzhi bathed the black bear. The atmosphere gradually improved, and the scene was unexpectedly harmonious.
After the dog and the bear were both washed, Su Muqing sternly warned them again. They must live harmoniously in her space, and no one was allowed to make loud noises, or they would be forbidden from entering in the future.
The two obediently lay on the ground, listening to her lecture, and then walked towards the spiritual field together. Su Muqing planned to have the black bear and Fei La live together there. She had searched online for a long time but couldn’t find a suitable den for the black bear. She could only let it sleep on the ground nearby for a few days. When she had time, she would have Brother Leng help her build a wooden house.
Su Muqing and the others had been in her space for almost an hour, while outside at least ten minutes had passed. She figured Leng Ren and the others should have finished bathing as well. So, she brought Lu Yuzhi and the black bear out of her space. It was already nighttime outside, and the little milk bun had fallen asleep. So, Fei La stayed in her space to watch over him.
When they emerged, Leng Ren and the others were indeed ready and waiting. They had even briefly washed the clothes they had taken off. Seeing the black bear come out with them, they became slightly wary.
Lu Yuzhi reached out to stop the two who were about to draw their weapons, telling them that this bear was now Su Muqing’s pet. Only then did they lower their weapons and slowly walk forward, gently patting the black bear’s belly.
Su Muqing saw that they were wearing their original guard uniforms and gave each of them another set of climbing gear. Then, she and Lu Yuzhi went to the swamp to figure out how he should cross it.
She stared at the swampy ground for a long time! She then gazed at the floating deadwood and pondered for a while. Su Muqing suddenly slapped her forehead. How silly! She could have Lu Yuzhi wear skis, and then she could pull him across quickly!
She had figured out a way to cross the swamp, but now there was the problem of the fog. The detector screen also showed fog, and there were life sources in the air.
Su Muqing asked Leng Ren and Leng Feng to protect Lu Yuzhi. She also specifically greeted the black bear, feeding it large chunks of honey and some fruit, before flying ahead to scout the path.
As she approached the foggy area, Su Muqing waved her hand and sent out a gust of wind. Many of the mosquitoes and insects flying over the swamp were blown away, and the blue dots on the detector immediately decreased. So, these insects were the dots on the detector!
The strong wind also dispersed some of the dense fog, but it only lasted for a short while. The fog on the other side quickly closed in again.
Remembering something, Su Muqing turned back. She then took out a coil of very strong fishing line and asked Lu Yuzhi and the others to hold it and let it out. If the fishing line ran out and she hadn’t returned, they were to pull hard.
After saying this, she tied one end of the line to her arm and then flew into the dense fog. Due to the extremely low visibility, she could only rely on her senses, flying straight ahead. Finally, she lowered her altitude and flew close to the swamp’s surface. She discovered that the lower she went, the thinner the fog became.
As Su Muqing flew, she had to blow away some of the surrounding fog. Then, using the light from above, she assessed the situation ahead, looking for any obstacles to avoid. She then tied red cloth strips onto clumps of grass in the swamp.
Fortunately, the swamp was not very wide, at most a little over a kilometer. After finally flying across, she saw a forest ahead. She could faintly hear the sound of flowing water! Fortunately, there was no dense fog in this area; at least she wouldn’t have to be blind.
After surveying the terrain, Su Muqing decided to return the way she came. But to her surprise, where were the markers she had made along the way? Where had those red cloth strips gone?
It was simply unbelievable! Su Muqing was also helpless and could only untie the fishing line from her arm. Then, she securely tied it to a tree and flew back along the straight fishing line. This time, she simply tied the markers directly onto the fishing line.
The journey back was quite smooth. She took the fishing line from Lu Yuzhi’s hand, leaving enough length, and then cut it. She straightened the line and tied it firmly to a nearby rock.
To minimize trouble, Su Muqing collected Leng Ren and the others, along with the black bear, into her space. She only allowed Lu Yuzhi to stay outside. She first threw a large wooden board with a rope tied to it into the swamp and observed for a while. It did not sink.
Then, she flew into the air. After Lu Yuzhi jumped onto the wooden board and steadied himself, Su Muqing pulled the rope and sped forward. Everything went as planned.
The journey ahead for the two of them was relatively smooth. However, when they reached about one-third of the way across the swamp, Lu Yuzhi felt something pushing him upwards from below.
“Muqing, I think there’s something under my feet,” Lu Yuzhi shouted loudly to Su Muqing in the air.
Before Su Muqing could turn back to ask him what was wrong, he heard a “crack!” from beneath him. Lu Yuzhi looked down to see that the wooden board had cracked.
Su Muqing turned around at this moment as well? Fortunately, she had anticipated unexpected situations and had prepared more than one wooden board. She told Lu Yuzhi to jump onto another board, and then she accelerated forward again.
The wooden board Lu Yuzhi had been standing on was smashed into pieces by an unknown tail the moment he jumped to the other side. He turned his head and saw some unknown monsters emerging from the swamp with “glug glug” sounds!
Su Muqing pulled back for a moment and was also surprised by what was emerging from the swamp pit. Didn’t the swamp pit only let things in and not out? What were these abominations?
As more and more monsters appeared, she used all her strength, pulling the wooden board carrying Lu Yuzhi. Following the markers on the fishing line, she desperately sped forward.
Finally, as she reached the other side, she gave a mighty pull and yanked him across. As the wooden board flew up, a monster also flew out of the swamp.
Just a few centimeters apart, it narrowly missed the wooden board. In that fleeting moment, Lu Yuzhi got a clear look at the monster.
It had a round head, as if it had no scalp. Its mouth was large, filled with sharp teeth. The most bizarre thing was that it only had one eye, and it was positioned horizontally.
Lu Yuzhi was so focused on recalling the monster’s appearance that he completely forgot that he was supposed to be thrown into the air.
Su Muqing really put her all into it this time, and Lu Yuzhi was flung directly out of the bushes ahead. Then he let out a yell, “Ah~!”
Hearing his scream, Su Muqing, who was catching her breath, quickly flew over to see what was wrong. It turned out that behind the bushes was a huge waterfall. No wonder she had heard the sound of water earlier.
Lu Yuzhi’s left hand was gripping a thin tree branch. Seeing Su Muqing flying towards him, he reached out his hand. Unexpectedly, with a “snap!”, the branch broke.
Su Muqing flew forward quickly, but she was still a few steps too late. Lu Yuzhi was too far away for her to pull him into her space. She could only watch helplessly as he plunged into the water pool below.