Crackling sounds filled the air as the firewood burned, its light illuminating a part of the mountain god temple. The glow reflected on the faces of the three men, making them appear uncertain.
"Boss, how much money do you think this batch of goods will fetch?" a much younger man asked softly, looking at the man seated in the middle.
The man addressed as "Boss" pondered for a moment before replying, "Probably several hundred taels. This is a big deal, so keep your eyes peeled and be careful. Once this is done, we'll have enough to live it up for a while."
"Heh heh, when it's over, I'm definitely going to the Red Jade Pavilion to see what that top courtesan tastes like, heh heh!" another man chuckled lewdly, his mind already picturing the days to come.
"Always thinking about women. Second, you'll die on a woman's belly sooner or later," the Boss scolded sternly, clearly displeased with Second's behavior.
"Boss, don't you worry about me. Women are so wonderful. I can't live without them."
Second scoffed at the Boss's words. To him, women were life itself; he couldn't survive without them.
As they chatted, in the center of the mountain god temple stood a stone statue of the mountain god, riddled with cracks. The statue's face seemed normal at first glance, but under the flickering firelight, it appeared sinister, almost as if it were wearing a faint smile.
Its hollow eyes stared at the three men sitting around the fire. The originally smooth corners of its mouth gradually curved upwards, stretching all the way to its ears, revealing a dark, gaping maw within. The shadows cast by the fire began to engulf the figures of the three men.
Just then, a sound from outside made the three men instantly alert.
Clop, clop, clop!
The sound of horses' hooves echoed, and the shadow of the mountain god statue instantly retracted. The curve of its mouth seemed to widen further.
Prey had arrived.
Gu Yuan gazed at the mountain god temple in the distance, where a flickering light could be seen. He sensed a hidden demonic aura within and a slight smirk touched his lips. Prey? Hunter? It wasn't decided yet.
He tied his horse to a tree, draping his straw cloak over the animal.
With a swift movement, he sped towards the nearby mountain god temple.
This was his third day traveling towards the capital, covering about three to four hundred kilometers, more than halfway through his journey. The road had been relatively peaceful. Looking up at the overcast sky, it was oppressively dim, suggesting that demons and strange entities were about to stir.
Gu Yuan wondered about the strength of this fake mountain god. He didn't feel a sense of danger. The qi within his body also sensed the chilling aura and began to boil slightly, but he suppressed it to prevent the fake mountain god from sensing it and fleeing.
After all, this was a source of contribution points for him, which could be exchanged for resources to accelerate his growth. Even a small mosquito's leg is still meat.
He strode into the mountain god temple. Upon entering, he saw a very unsettling mountain god statue facing him. The firelight cast an eerie glow on the statue's face.
Gu Yuan forced himself to look away, fearing that if he stared any longer, he might be compelled to draw his sword and cleave it.
On the other side, three men watched him with nervous eyes, each clutching a sword or saber.
Gu Yuan clasped his fists and spoke loudly, "Esteemed brothers, we meet by chance in this wilderness. I merely seek shelter for the night, with no other intentions."
The three men exchanged glances. The leader, the Boss, replied, "No problem, esteemed brother. Please, make yourself comfortable."
Gu Yuan bowed his clasped fists again and thanked them.
Then, he turned and walked towards the other side, keeping a considerable distance from the three men. Seeing this, the tension in their bodies eased, and they slowly returned to their seats.
However, their occasional glances in his direction indicated that they were not as calm as they appeared.
Gu Yuan paid them no mind. He settled into a corner, discreetly taking out his dry rations and water pouch as he had gestured. He ate his rations with plain water, making no sound.
Time ticked by. The three men seemed to be succumbing to sleepiness, leaving only one to stand guard while the other two, holding their travel bags, lay down on the ground to sleep.
Gu Yuan did the same, which further relaxed the man on watch.
His eyelids flickered, and drowsiness crept into his mind, making him feel groggy.
The only sounds in the mountain god temple were the crackling of the firewood and the drumming of rain outside, creating a noisy yet quiet atmosphere.
But some things were bound to disrupt this tranquility.
The shadow of the mountain god statue, cast by the firelight, swayed slightly, gradually enveloping the three men in their slumber.
A shadowy tentacle even stretched out in Gu Yuan's direction.
An incredibly cold aura emanated, causing the three men, even though bathed in firelight, to shiver and curl up involuntarily.
Heh heh.
Faintly, a playful chuckle echoed strangely within the mountain god temple.
Gu Yuan's eyes snapped open, a flash of crimson light flitting across them.
Whoosh!
A flash of saber light, accompanied by a resentful scream.
Gu Yuan suddenly stood up, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Come out, little crawler."
The gleaming saber began to be infused with Gu Yuan's scorching blood qi, dyeing it a deep crimson.
Hearing the scream, the other three men were instantly jolted awake. They felt a chill run through their bodies. The moment they opened their eyes, they saw Gu Yuan, holding a fiery red saber, confronting a mass of shadow.
The realization dawned on them instantly. They understood the situation, for they lived in this world and could discern a demon, or perhaps a spectral entity.
They were merely strong ordinary people, skilled in some rudimentary martial arts, capable of dealing with bandits, but when it came to fighting demons or similar beings, their courage had long since waned.
With a few cries, they grabbed their belongings and fled the mountain god temple, disappearing into the rain.
Gu Yuan watched the three figures vanish in an instant, his eyes twitching slightly. He hadn't expected them to be so quick on their feet.
Aargh!
The shadow let out a roar, attempting to charge after them to intercept them. After all, this was food delivered right to its doorstep; how could it let them go so easily?
Gu Yuan's expression turned icy. With a cold snort, he unleashed a crimson saber energy, radiating an intensely scorching aura.
This forced the shadow to retreat instinctively. The saber energy struck the ground, leaving a mark several feet long and several feet deep.
Without further ado, Gu Yuan surged forward, charging directly at the shadow. He now knew this was a spectral entity, not a demon. Demons were rare in the Great Gan dynasty; most beings were spectral entities.
However, on certain special occasions, demons would revive in large numbers, inflicting heavy losses upon humanity.
Wielding his long saber, Gu Yuan unleashed dozens of crimson saber energies, enveloping the entire escape route of the spectral entity.
Boom!
The mountain god statue was instantly sliced into pieces by Gu Yuan's saber energies, the edges of the broken stones smooth and even.
Aargh!