Wu Yun's words made me feel as if I had swallowed a fly. I had only mentioned a possibility, and it had actually come true, like a prophecy. Hu Sixi was already in his eighties, and his second uncle was even older, well over a hundred. To think that he hadn't reincarnated but had hidden himself in the body of a younger generation. His purpose was self-evident. It seemed the Hu family had ambitious plans this time.
As Wu Yun continued her account, Wang Defa's expression grew increasingly grim. By the end, his face was ashen, not only terrifyingly pale but also beaded with sweat that dripped down his chin. He muttered incessantly.
"How dare the Hu family do this? Aren't they afraid of retaliation from Longhu Mountain and Maoshan? Aren't they afraid of trouble from Beijing?"
No one answered Wang Defa's questions, nor could they. Since Hu Sixi dared to make this move, he must have considered countless possibilities before deciding, otherwise, he wouldn't have put the Hu family in such peril.
Perhaps one thing he hadn't anticipated was Wu Yun's escape from his grasp.
Wu Yun's words were flawless and made perfect sense, yet I felt something was still missing.
Hu Sixi wasn't a fool; he was a wily old fox who had lived for decades. How could he possibly take such a step that could lead to the Hu family's annihilation? What was his motive?
These questions swirled in my mind, but no one could provide an answer. I could only suppress them, to be addressed later.
Wang Defa, overwhelmed by multiple blows, seemed to be at his wit's end, only repeating, "What should we do? What should we do?" without offering any concrete suggestions.
Finally, I proposed a plan, which helped him stabilize.
The only thing to do now was to confirm whether Daoist Shui and Celestial Master Fang were truly dead. If they were, this matter could not be concealed; the two major sects had to be informed immediately so they could decide on the course of action.
This wasn't a matter of disbelieving Wu Yun, but rather because Daoist Shui and Celestial Master Fang were both experts at the Heavenly Ascension realm. They surely possessed unknown life-saving techniques, so it was still too early to declare them dead.
My suggestion brought a flicker of life back to Wang Defa's face. He agreed, "Yes! We must ascertain if they are truly dead. After all, they are senior experts; we cannot judge them by our own capabilities."
"Are you doubting my words?" Wu Yun's expression turned displeased. She couldn't believe that her words were being doubted, especially when she had witnessed it firsthand. How could it be false?
I cursed Wang Defa inwardly, thinking he had gotten me into trouble. I quickly interjected, "It's not that we don't believe fellow Daoist Wu, but rather that we juniors believe that as experts at the Heavenly Ascension realm, Daoist Shui and Celestial Master Fang should have had means of self-preservation even when ambushed. Although our group didn't enter the mountain, we clearly saw with the binoculars that Celestial Master Fang and Daoist Shui had been locked in combat with the dark figures for a long time. Therefore..."
Wu Yun interrupted me, "Enough. There's no need for further explanation. Since you don't believe me, then you figure out a way to enter the mountain and confirm it yourself. However, let me be clear: I will not accompany you into the mountain to confirm. I don't care what you do." She then turned her gaze to Wang Defa and said, "I've used the car; find somewhere else to sleep. Don't think about getting close to the car; I'll cast curses around it after I get in." With that, she left Wang Defa, who looked extremely dejected, behind.
After Wu Yun left, the atmosphere at the scene felt considerably lighter. The main reason was her pervasive蛊虫 (gu worms), which were impossible to guard against. One never knew when they might be afflicted, which was why everyone feared the presence of the Gu Woman.
"Alright, Old Wang, stop looking so glum. Cry when you've confirmed they're truly dead. It's not confirmed yet, is it?" Zhang Dabiao patted his shoulder to comfort him.
"Confirm? How do we confirm? Are you going into Qingfeng Mountain, or am I?"
Zhang Dabiao glanced at me. Seeing my lack of reaction, he said, "Qingyun came up with this idea, so he must know how to proceed."
I rolled my eyes and said, "Do you think I'm a celestial being? How would I have a way?" Although I said that, I already had a plan in mind.
The first method was to wait for Yue'er to return. When she did, she would naturally know what had happened on Qingfeng Mountain and whether it was as Wu Yun described.
Secondly, I could take the risk of divining for Celestial Master Fang and Daoist Shui. If they were still alive, the divination would fail, and I would only suffer a backlash. If they were dead, I could locate their wandering souls.
Between these two methods, I leaned towards the first. After all, a backlash was no minor matter, and the risk of divining for two Heavenly Ascension realm experts, whose power far surpassed mine, would be exponentially increased. I wouldn't choose the second method unless absolutely necessary.
Wang Defa was also a thoughtful person, knowing when to ask certain questions and when not to. Nevertheless, still uneasy, he picked up the phone to report to Beijing, so they would be mentally prepared.
The call was very brief, only a few sentences. After hanging up, Wang Defa appeared somewhat lost. I could basically guess what the response from the other end was.
It was most likely: "Bring them back alive, or bring back their bodies. If you can't find either, don't bother returning."
"What did Beijing say?" Zhang Dabiao asked, opening a can of beer for Wang Defa.
Wang Defa gave a wry smile and said, "What else could they say? Bring them back alive, or bring back their bodies! If I can't find either, I don't need to go back." He then downed the beer in one gulp and opened another bottle.
Knowing Wang Defa's distress – first, more than half his subordinates had died, and now the fate of Daoist Shui and Celestial Master Fang, who had entered the mountain, was unknown – it all pointed to his poor leadership.
Even though he was somewhat unfairly blamed, that was his job, after all.
Soon, Wang Defa got drunk and started shouting that he wanted to go into the mountain to search for them immediately. No matter how much we tried to dissuade him, he wouldn't listen. Finally, Zhang Dabiao had to resort to hitting him, which finally calmed Wang Defa down.
Originally, the two cars and five people were enough for us to sleep. Unfortunately, Wu Yun, in her domineering way, occupied one car entirely. We could have squeezed into the remaining car, but the problem was not knowing when Yue'er would wake up. If Zhang Dabiao saw her, it would cause unnecessary trouble.
"You sleep in the car with Yue'er; you can watch over her and be the first to get news. I'll sleep outside with this guy; I'm not at ease leaving him alone."
Looking at Wang Defa, who was snoring loudly, I nodded and said, "The car I'm driving has a simple tent. We can take it out to protect against the wind and cold." The mountain air was damp at night, and there were many mosquitoes and insects. Without some protection, we'd be sucked dry by mosquitoes by the next day.
After making arrangements, I curled up in the passenger seat of the car and fell asleep shortly after.
I don't know how long I slept before I felt someone calling me. At first, I thought I was dreaming, a self-protective mechanism the body generates when feeling insecure.
But when I felt someone actually pulling me, I realized it wasn't a dream but someone genuinely calling me. Instinctively, I reached for the Yin Ironwood ruler beside me. Its coldness sent a shiver through me, and I woke up.
"Yue'er, you're awake?"
"Mmm!" Yue'er's voice was very soft. If it weren't for the confined space and the utter silence, I wouldn't have been able to hear her.
"What's wrong with you?" I quickly sat up and knelt on the chair, about to turn on the car's interior light.
"Don't turn on the light."
"Why?"
"Just don't turn it on. I'm thirsty, get me a bottle of water..."
I complied. As I handed her the water bottle, my fingers brushed against hers. Instantly, an icy, bone-chilling sensation, like being pricked by needles, surged through me.
Just as I was about to ask, Yue'er spoke first, "Don't ask anything. Let me rest. We'll talk tomorrow." With these simple words, Yue'er sounded extremely strained, as if she were desperately suppressing something.
"Do you want me to turn on the heater?"
"Mmm!"
The temperature in the mountains dropped at night, but it was still in the twenties. The car's air conditioning was usually set to cool. When the heater was turned on, I couldn't stand it and had to get out to cool off, giving Yue'er the space.
Watching the faint hint of white appearing in the east, I silently hoped she would bring good news tomorrow...