Xia Qing Tian naturally wouldn't let Mobius wait for darkness alone; what if there was danger?
She immediately decided to stay and accompany Mobius.
Seeing that she couldn't persuade Xia Qing Tian to leave, and also worried about her venturing alone, Mobius suggested they return together first.
Only then did the two return to the city.
Later, as the sun began to set, Mobius returned to the foot of the sacred mountain. Just as he was about to ascend, he saw a girl squatting in the spot where they had hidden during the day, her chin propped on her hand as she slept, a large leaf covering her head.
Without a careful look, it would be difficult to tell that someone was there.
"Qing Tian?" Mobius's mouth twitched slightly, and he reached out to touch Xia Qing Tian.
"Hmm?" Xia Qing Tian finally opened her sleepy eyes a slit, her voice hoarse with a hint of childishness, "Mobius? What a coincidence, meeting again..."
For a moment, Mobius didn't know where to start complaining.
Xia Qing Tian was not usually someone who slept a lot, and her personal schedule was relatively regular.
Today, she was truly exhausted from climbing up and down the mountain. She had returned early and thought she'd hide until it got dark.
Once she settled down, drowsiness overcame her, and she fell asleep before she knew it.
Seeing Xia Qing Tian's state, Mobius couldn't bring himself to send her back to the city again at this hour, so he could only take her up the mountain with him.
The mountain path, which had already been difficult during the day, was even more challenging now.
Fortunately, Xia Qing Tian had caught up on sleep, and her stamina was still holding up.
"Shh..." As soon as they reached the mountain, Mobius seemed to hear something. He made a shushing gesture to Xia Qing Tian, and they both lowered their bodies and cautiously moved towards the source of the sound.
At the entrance of Teacher Song's courtyard, a young man, who looked less than thirty years old, stood with his arms crossed, smiling and saying, "Teacher Song, if we're going to get rich, we should do it together. We've all been getting along for so long."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Teacher Song said. "Da Qiang, have you been drinking again?"
"I had a bit, but I'm happy," Da Qiang chuckled. "That Taoist priest today, you found him, didn't you? You must have paid him quite a bit."
"Daoist Priest Liu and I have a connection; we've known each other for many years and he came to help out," Teacher Song naturally wouldn't admit anything.
"What Daoist Priest Liu? He's just a charlatan pretending to be divine. Our Xiao Ni told me everything at home, that sodium carbonate solution is alkaline and turns red when it encounters certain substances. It's all tricks to fool children," Da Qiang said dismissively.
Hearing this, Xia Qing Tian turned to look at Mobius. These were the very words Mobius had said today when explaining the phenomenon of the blood-red characters appearing.
It seemed this was Xiao Ni's father.
Upon hearing Da Qiang's words, Teacher Song took a deep breath and moved to push him away, "You're drunk. Why don't you go home first? It'll be dark soon, and it'll be hard for you to get down the mountain."
"It doesn't matter if I can't get down; I can just sleep here for the night," Da Qiang said indifferently.
"It's inconvenient here. I bought some floral foam today and I'm setting up my flower room. The courtyard is full of mud, and there's nowhere to rest," Teacher Song said. "Besides, I don't understand what you're saying at all. Come back and talk to me tomorrow after you've sobered up."
"If you don't understand what I'm saying, I can explain," Da Qiang said, hiccuping. "That dry well in the back mountain suddenly has water, that's your doing, isn't it, Teacher Song? And that old tree, hundreds of years old, it was fine all along, why did it suddenly die?"
"Others believe your鬼话, saying that the Nightmare God beneath the sacred mountain has been awakened. I don't believe that nonsense."
"I've seen you several times near that big tree before, and I even saw you pouring something at the base of the tree with my own eyes," Da Qiang stared directly at Teacher Song. "You did it all."
After saying that, Da Qiang smacked his lips, "I just don't know how Old Wu suddenly disappeared."
"But he had no children and no family, a solitary man. So what if he's dead?" Da Qiang waved his hand impatiently, then continued, "Teacher Song, you've gone to such lengths to cause all this trouble, you must know something, right?"
"Are you able to find a better buyer? Or perhaps... you know about any demolition news in this area? Don't keep it all to yourself!"
"If there's money to be made, we should make it together," Da Qiang rubbed his fingers, making a gesture of counting money.
"Alright, since you know everything, I won't hide it from you anymore," Teacher Song's face darkened. "Come here, I'll show you exactly which area is scheduled for demolition."
Hearing Teacher Song's words, Da Qiang's eyes lit up, and the redness on his face intensified, full of excitement.
Teacher Song led Da Qiang to the foot of the mountain and casually pointed with his hand, "See that? That's the area, from there to here is the demolition zone."
"Such a large area?" Da Qiang narrowed his eyes, trying to see more clearly.
Things were rather blurry at this hour, and coupled with the alcohol he had consumed, he concentrated even harder.
Teacher Song silently stepped back a couple of paces, picked up a somewhat heavy stone brick from the grass, and brought it down hard on the back of Da Qiang's head. After three solid blows, Teacher Song forcefully shoved him forward, pushing Da Qiang down the mountain.
"Hiss!" Witnessing such a scene firsthand, Xia Qing Tian's mind went blank, and she could only gasp.
"Who's there!" Teacher Song shouted, looking around.
"!" Xia Qing Tian immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth. Mobius's brow furrowed, and he immediately gripped Xia Qing Tian's other hand, ready to find an opportunity to quickly escape with her.
Just then, not far from Xia Qing Tian and Mobius, the sound of a heavy object falling, accompanied by the distinct clatter of metal, was heard again.
"Get out!" Teacher Song said coldly.
At this moment, the nearby bushes rustled, and a very disheveled man rolled out. Judging by his build, he was not a young man.
"I, I don't know anything!" the man's voice trembled. "I didn't see anything!"
Xia Qing Tian found the voice somewhat familiar. After a moment's pause, she remembered that this was the yellow-robed Taoist priest she had met today!
"I don't want this money!" The old Taoist priest, trembling, threw the money box back at Teacher Song's feet. "I don't want it! Let me go! Please let me go!"
Teacher Song didn't reply. Instead, he raised a foot and stepped on the box, a cruel and sinister smirk spreading across his face. "Still alive? As expected of an old hand, you've got a strong will."