The Taoist priest Fang's sudden flight terrified everyone. Fat Kang was right behind him, followed by Li Jian. The group fled like ducks driven up a mountain by dogs. Fortunately, they hadn't discarded their packs, or they would have truly been a beaten army.
"Don't just stand there, hurry up! That Taoist priest wasn't wrong," Yue'er nudged me as I remained dazed. She transformed into a swift leopard again, moving even faster than Fang.
Zhang Dabiao and I lagged behind. My stamina was truly lacking. My master had drilled me on many possible scenarios, but I never imagined I'd be hiking to train my stamina one day.
If I weren't holding him back, he would have caught up to the others long ago.
"I can't anymore, Brother Zhang. I really can't run. You go ahead quickly, or you'll fall behind them," I gasped for air, hands on my knees, utterly unwilling to move another step.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Save your strength to run. These beasts won't dare to charge us for a while; they can only trail us. Don't stop, or they'll think you have no strength left to resist, and they'll definitely charge," Zhang Dabiao, though equally exhausted, grabbed me, slung my backpack onto his own shoulders, and we trudged forward.
As expected, the moment we stopped, the mountain imps' squeaking sounds grew closer.
However, none of them charged. Perhaps, as Zhang Dabiao said, they were scared by the gunshots and dared not attack yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Squeak—
A sound louder than the others, exceptionally abrupt, echoed from the bushes. It gave me the feeling that it wasn't a sound a mountain imp could make.
Zhang Dabiao's face changed drastically upon hearing it. "Not good, that might be the Mountain Imp King. It seems they can't wait any longer and are preparing to attack."
Indeed, the moment the Mountain Imp King's voice faded, the entire canopy erupted. Squeaking sounds came from everywhere, and occasionally, something was thrown down.
A small tree near me suffered the brunt of it. Its trunk, as thick as a thumb, was snapped directly. Shining my flashlight, I saw it was a stone about the size of a fist.
"These beasts are truly clever, knowing how to use weapons now."
I had envisioned many ways to die, but being stoned to death by mountain imps was never one of them. The thought alone made my scalp tingle.
This time, I ran with all my might without Zhang Dabiao's help. I didn't want to be stoned to death by these creatures.
Fortunately, they didn't dare to charge out, only ambushing us with stones from behind. We had food and basic medical supplies in our packs, so we weren't afraid of being hit.
After running a bit further, I realized the group had vanished. My heart sank. Without the suppression of gunfire, Zhang Dabiao and I would surely be stoned to death by these beasts.
Just as I stopped, I was hit twice more. A stone grazed my face, leaving a burning pain.
"Brother Zhang, they've disappeared." I said, a little panicked.
This was where the difference between experienced and inexperienced people showed. Zhang Dabiao scanned the surroundings. Though breathing heavily, his tone was remarkably steady.
"They can't have gone far. There should be a cave nearby; they must have hidden there. Don't stop, hurry and look." As he spoke, it was like a rain of stones fell around us. Fortunately, these beasts had poor aim, and only a few stones hit us, but they still stung.
If it were just Zhang Dabiao, I'm sure he could have escaped the encirclement. But with me, he was stretched thin.
After running for an unknown distance, something suddenly pulled me. I crashed into a thicket of thorny vines. Before I could cry for help, a cold hand covered my mouth.
"Don't speak."
Hearing Yue'er's voice, I breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to mention Zhang Dabiao was outside, a dark figure rushed out from the thorny bushes. If Yue'er hadn't quickly pulled me, Zhang Dabiao would have stepped right on my face.
It was then that I realized we were in a cave, and the thorny vines had perfectly concealed the entrance. If Yue'er hadn't pulled me, even if I stood in front of the cave, I might not have found it.
"You two, don't stop here. I'll camouflage this place and be right there."
"Mm!"
Zhang Dabiao pulled me up from the ground where I had collapsed. We lowered our heads and walked into the cave.
The further we went into the cave, the higher the ceiling became. After a few meters, we could stand upright.
Inside the cave, we found a space about the size of half a football field. Several bonfires had been lit, and people were gathered in groups of three or five, warming themselves.
Seeing us arrive, they merely glanced over before returning to their activities. I then walked towards Fang the Taoist priest's bonfire.
Fat Kang rolled his eyes as I approached, grumbled something unintelligible, then got up and moved to another bonfire, clearly displeased with me.
After sitting down, I quickly took off my clothes and shoes and placed them by the fire to dry. Wearing wet clothes all night would surely lead to illness.
"Young friend, would you care to explain?" Li Jian asked as I settled down.
I rolled my eyes. "Explain what? I haven't even asked you to explain yet! You all ran faster than rabbits. If my elder brother wasn't with me, I would have been food for the mountain imps."
If I explain, I'll be full of anger myself! I don't know what that old stubborn mule Li Jian was thinking, insisting on going up the mountain at night. Otherwise, how could we have encountered these ghostly mountain imps?
Li Jian's face turned red after being retorted, but he couldn't do anything about it. I dared to talk back to Li Zuoquan, let alone his nephew. Moreover, we hadn't made a good impression on each other from the start, so why would I indulge him?
Li Jian opened his mouth twice but said nothing, only looking to Fang the Taoist priest for help, as if asking him to intervene.
"Ahem..."
Fang the Taoist priest cleared his throat and then asked sternly, "Lay disciple, Layman Li meant no offense. He merely wishes to ask how you encountered the mountain imps. He simply wants to hear the story."
I could disregard Li Jian, but I couldn't disregard Fang the Taoist priest. That old Taoist priest had Longhu Mountain behind him. If I offended him completely, I wouldn't be able to make a living in the Feng Shui world anymore.
"Daoist Priest Fang, how should I put this? I..."
Before I could explain, Yue'er's voice called out from a distance.
"What's there to explain? We were attacked by mountain imps from behind."
Yue'er walked to the bonfire and sat beside me, giving me a glare as if I talked too much.
Yue'er's words were blunt, but no one objected. Fang the Taoist priest frowned. "That shouldn't be the case! Mountain imps rarely travel at night. Did you perhaps provoke them or accidentally trespass into their territory?"
My heart skipped a beat. I didn't expect Fang the Taoist priest to be so sharp, guessing the truth almost entirely. No wonder Yue'er didn't want me to speak.
If I had spoken, everything would have been revealed, and the two of us would have incurred the wrath of everyone.
Fang the Taoist priest wanted to ask more, but seeing Yue'er's impatience, he suppressed his questions and said to Li Jian, "We can't move tonight. We'll wait until dawn."
Li Jian sighed helplessly. "That's the only way."
While they were talking, I quietly gave Yue'er a thumbs-up.
She gave me a big eye roll, but I smiled happily.