According to plan.
We first need to go to a place called Han Shan Town, and then walk to Xiao Han Mountain.
It takes nearly three hours by car.
After getting on the bus, I originally wanted to sit with Lao Mo.
But Lao Mo was pulled by him to sit with Uncle Tang.
Master and Daoist Yunxia sat together.
Finally, only two seats were left.
So I had to sit with Xia Qiu Xi.
This was actually nothing.
But who knew that Xia Qiu Xi started to get sleepy as soon as she got on the bus.
She fell asleep after a while, and then leaned on my shoulder.
I couldn't push her away, nor could I say anything.
As a result, she leaned on me for more than two hours on the bus.
By the time the bus was about to reach the station, my shoulder was stiff.
Xia Qiu Xi then woke up.
Seeing that she had been leaning on my shoulder, she apologized and said to me:
"I'm sorry, I get sleepy when I travel. Is your shoulder okay?"
I moved my arm and smiled:
"It's fine, it will be okay after some stretching."
As I spoke, I twisted my shoulder.
Xia Qiu Xi saw my pained expression, yet I was still forcing a smile.
She giggled and said:
"I didn't expect you to be such a warm guy. Let me give you a massage."
Saying that, she was about to massage my shoulder.
I was caught off guard and repeatedly declined:
"No, it's really okay."
But Xia Qiu Xi smiled with pursed lips:
"You're still embarrassed!"
After speaking, she ignored me and began to massage my shoulder.
I have to say, Xia Qiu Xi's massage skills were quite good.
She looked like a cold girl, but she was actually very gentle...
Because of this incident, I chatted with Xia Qiu Xi for a while.
I learned that Xia Qiu Xi was an orphan, adopted by Daoist Yunxia from a young age and grew up on Mount Qingcheng.
She is now in her fourth year of university and has not gone out for internships or work.
Instead, she returned to Mount Qingcheng to continue her cultivation, following Daoist Yunxia to fight demons and monsters.
Compared to Xia Qiu Xi, I at least still have a grandmother.
Xia Qiu Xi has never even met her own parents.
I feel I am quite fortunate compared to her...
As we chatted, the bus arrived at the station.
It was already one o'clock in the afternoon.
After getting off the bus, we found ourselves in a rather large town.
It was a logistics park, with many people working there.
The place we needed to go was behind Han Shan Town, and it would take some walking to get there.
Since we hadn't eaten and didn't know the way.
Our masters decided to find a place to eat first, then ask for directions.
And then continue our journey.
We found a small restaurant nearby and ordered some dishes.
As it was one o'clock in the afternoon, there weren't many customers.
Master then asked me to inquire about the way.
I didn't hesitate, got up, and asked the owner:
"Boss, do you know how to get to Xiao Han Mountain?"
The owner was a middle-aged man.
He had a cigarette in his mouth.
Hearing my question, his expression changed slightly.
Frowning, he said to me:
"Brother, why are you going to Xiao Han Mountain? That place, you really shouldn't go."
Seeing him say that, I asked further:
"Boss, why shouldn't we go? We heard there's a temple up there, and we plan to pay our respects."
The owner showed a wry smile upon hearing this:
"You mean Xiao Han Temple, right? A few years ago, that place still had some incense burning, but these past few years, it has become a forbidden area. Many people who went up the mountain to worship have disappeared mysteriously."
"Oh? Is there such a thing?"
The owner then explained mysteriously:
"Indeed. I heard that Xiao Han Mountain has giant snakes. As thick as a water缸. Those who disappeared might have been eaten.
So, no one has gone up the mountain in recent years.
You wouldn't believe it, last month some wildlife experts came for a survey.
Guess what? Five went, only two came back.
Four of them disappeared, and the other one was so terrified that he went mad and couldn't even speak coherently.
I advise you all! Don't go up the mountain, it's dangerous..."
Hearing the boss say this, my conviction about Qing Dai's words was even stronger.
This mountain really has snake demons.
Those who disappeared were probably eaten by the snake demons.
But whether they were as thick as a water缸, I couldn't tell.
I smiled and said:
"It's fine, just tell me how to get up the mountain."
Seeing that I was resolute in my words, the boss tried to persuade me a couple more times, but to no avail. He then told me the general route to the mountain.
He said that in the past, one could take a motorbike up.
But in recent years, due to the incidents of giant snakes on the mountain, no one dared to go.
The path was overgrown with weeds, and even motorbikes couldn't get up now.
To reach Xiao Han Temple, one could only walk.
He estimated it would take about three hours.
Hearing that it would take three hours of walking, my legs felt numb.
But I had to go.
After inquiring in detail, I returned to my seat.
I relayed all the information I had gathered to Master and the others.
My masters all had grim expressions upon hearing this.
Daoist Yunxia even said:
"I didn't expect the demonic affliction here to be so severe.
Even if it's not the demonic evil of the You Ming Sect, we must intervene.
Otherwise, how many more people in this place will lose their lives..."
Daoist Yunxia, with his righteous spirit, spoke with a fervent hatred for evil.
Master and Daoist Tang also nodded.
They said we would depart after eating.
And strive to find the dilapidated temple on the mountain before dark...