The quiet deep mountains were suddenly shattered by the roar of a car. What was once a peaceful slumber was completely disturbed by the annoying sound. My phone was charging in the car, so I could only squint at the sun to estimate the time.
The sun had just peeked over the mountain ridge, putting it around two or three in the afternoon. Looking to my side, Zhang Dabiao was still sleeping soundly, seemingly unfazed by the car. Wang Defa, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Glancing in the direction of the rumbling engine, a figure was looking up in anticipation. It could only be Wang Defa.
Though I desperately wanted to catch up on sleep to compensate for the lack of rest the previous night, the car's sound grew louder. I had no choice but to sit up indignantly, cursing these people for their terrible timing.
I wasn't sure if Zhang Dabiao had naturally good sleep or was faking it, but seeing him snore made me uncomfortable. I gave him a kick, then pretended to go back to sleep.
"Brother, that's not right. Just because you can't sleep, you have to kick me!" Zhang Dabiao said, his voice muffled. Southern School Evil Encounter Notes
"I thought you hadn't heard them arrive. I was just trying to kindly remind you," I lied, my face unblinking.
"You... forget it. Let them come. They aren't here to support us, so why are you so worried?" Zhang Dabiao grumbled, pulling his clothes over his head to continue his dreams.
I didn't have his excellent sleep quality. I got up, took a sip of water, and then poured the rest of the bottle over my head to wake myself up.
Wang Defa's expression hadn't changed much after his phone call that morning, but the involuntary twitch of his cheek suggested that the call for help might have involved some unspoken matters.
The vehicles that arrived were a class above the SUVs we had driven earlier. We were driving four-wheel drives, while these were all six-wheeled.
The wheel arches at the rear were set very low, almost touching the hubs. It looked like each of these vehicles was heavily armed, suggesting they wouldn't stop until they achieved their objective.
The door of the lead vehicle opened, and a young man stepped out. He looked to be in his late twenties, his face mostly obscured by a large pair of mirrored sunglasses. His chin was tilted so high it almost touched the sky, and he completely ignored the hand Wang Defa extended.
"Old Wang, I don't mean to be rude, but you're a squad leader in the special forces, one of the elite. How did you get yourself cornered by a mere mountain demon, and even lose so many men? You're a disgrace to the special forces!" The young man's voice, laced with arrogance, echoed loudly in the silent mountains. Given the proximity, it was impossible not to hear him.
"I..." Wang Defa's face turned red, but before he could explain, he was interrupted.
"Enough, you don't need to explain. I'm just here to clean up. Tell your captain whatever you have to say when we get back." Without another glance at the now red-faced Wang Defa, he walked directly towards me.
Looking at this arrogant and haughty man, who exuded an air of superiority from his very core, I felt a surge of dislike. It wasn't his arrogance that bothered me, but rather a strange aura about him, an inexplicable sense of annoyance.
The young man approached me, scrutinizing me from head to toe. He then removed the mirrored sunglasses from his eyes, revealing a pair of piercing eyes that fixed directly on me.
"You are Song Qingyun? Zhang Danian's useless disciple?"
He was half a head taller than me, so to look him in the eye, I had to tilt my head back. This was something I disliked, as my master had always said that confrontation between people involved an exchange of presence. If you looked up at someone shorter, you would feel inferior, which would affect your speech and demeanor.
So, I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I took a step back, positioning myself on the rock I had been lying on earlier. This brought us to the same eye level, allowing us to meet gaze to gaze.
"I am Song Qingyun. As for 'useless'..." I drew out the word, saying, "We'll see who's useless. Some people, though they may look presentable, are actually hollow inside. They are merely parasites who have benefited from the shade of their elders and eaten a few more bowls of rice."
It was Wang Defa's business to respect you, and even if you cursed him to the heavens, it was between you two. What did it have to do with me? To come here and start spewing insults, did he think I was a clay doll to be molded as he pleased?
Zhang Dabiao also stood up, looking at the young man with displeasure. I wondered where he got the audacity to act like the world revolved around him, showing up with such an accusatory demeanor.
"You call yourself useless and still deny it. Although the personnel in this expedition cannot compare to my team, they are still top-tier. As an Yin-gua master, you possess the ability to avoid danger and ward off misfortune. How could you be so overwhelmed by a small group of mountain demons, losing so many people? What else can you be but useless?"
I was stunned by his words. Where did this guy crawl out from? I did have the ability to avoid danger and ward off misfortune, but someone had to listen to me! Moreover, I wasn't the one leading this expedition. The mountain demons' ambush was triggered by Hu Sixi and Wu Yun entering the mountains to hunt them without a word. And after finding out, I had specifically warned everyone to be wary of a mountain demon ambush.
My words were insignificant due to my youth, and no one was willing to believe me. What could I do? Now, the words coming from his mouth made me the culprit. This was utterly unfair!
"Kid, you're spouting nonsense as soon as you arrive. Are you looking for trouble? Did your parents not teach you how to speak at home? Come... let Uncle Zhang teach you how to speak?"
With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Dabiao's mountain-splitting saber was in his hand. If I gave the word, he would strike immediately.
The young man calmly glanced at Zhang Dabiao and gave his evaluation: "Crude."
"You..."
Zhang Dabiao was furious. When had he ever been looked down upon by some unknown brat? He was about to make a move.
I quickly stopped him, signaling him not to act rashly. This guy was clearly here to provoke us, and it seemed he was the leader of this convoy, as everyone else had disembarked.
Although they weren't holding weapons, their gazes were fixed on us, giving the impression that they were ready to fight at any moment.
The young man glanced at Zhang Dabiao and said, "Hunter Zhang Dabiao, we will definitely spar when the opportunity arises. Let me see if you truly have the skill to hunt demons."
Ignoring Zhang Dabiao's displeased expression, he turned his attention back to me. "I will be in charge of the route ahead. I hope you won't obstruct my path. If you become a hindrance, don't blame me..." With a smile, he put his mirrored sunglasses back on and began directing his men to set up camp.
After the young man left, Wang Defa approached, his previously recovering complexion turning grim again, his face almost contorted with distress.
"Old Wang, who is this kid? Why is he so full of himself?" Zhang Dabiao asked him, his gaze filled with dissatisfaction.
Wang Defa gave a wry smile and said, "I can't tell you his true identity, but his name is quite well-known in the Yin world. I'm sure you've heard of him."
"What name?"
"Ghost's Bane."
"Ghost's Bane?" Zhang Dabiao and I widened our eyes in surprise.
Ghost's Bane was a rising star in the Yin world over the past two years. He was different from other Yin practitioners, who typically used talismans, peach wood swords, or Yin-Yang nails to slay evil spirits.
Ghost's Bane used modified firearms to deal with malevolent entities. It was rumored that he had killed no less than eight hundred to a thousand evil spirits, from powerful ghosts to minor demons, none of whom had escaped his grasp.
"No wonder this guy is so arrogant. He has the capital for it. I just wonder if his arrogance will be as tough as his mouth once we enter the mountains..."