Wushen Mountain was Yan Shouyi's backup plan!
Although Yan Shouyi had kidnapped Hu Chai, he hadn't actually harmed him.
In contrast, Li Genmiao's attempt to usurp Ji Bing and annex Wushen Mountain had angered Ji Bing even more, as it touched upon his bottom line.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Yan Shouyi believed Wushen Mountain was a force he could leverage this time.
On the way to Taoyuan Village, Yan Shouyi had tried to contact someone on his phone. Yang Ge had advised him against contacting the Folklore Research Association, but in reality, Yan Shouyi hadn't intended to contact them. He had planned to contact Wushen Mountain!
He told Ji Bing that Wushen Mountain was riddled with spies sent by Li Genmiao and proposed a joint effort to eradicate the New Xuanshan Sect's influence in the Northeast.
Upon receiving the news, Ji Bing immediately decided to cooperate with Yan Shouyi. He would first eliminate the spies and then find Li Genmiao's hiding place to provide Yan Shouyi with support as quickly as possible – in exchange, Yan Shouyi would not harm Hu Chai.
According to Yan Shouyi's calculations, by the time he and Li Genmiao returned from Changbai Mountain's Heavenly Lake the next day, Ji Bing's people would have arrived.
That would be the time for him to deal with Li Genmiao!
...
The scenery of Changbai Mountain was, as expected, breathtakingly beautiful.
The main peak was covered in snow, dazzlingly white, with bare, withered trees within the mountain, while the foothills were covered in greenery. It was a panorama of all four seasons at a glance.
There was an ancient saying that all feng shui originated from Kunlun, with Kunlun Mountain regarded as the ancestor of all mountains. However, Changbai Mountain was no less significant; it was considered the dragon's head position of China's feng shui.
Legend had it that when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty, he ordered the astrologer Liu Bowen to sever all dragon veins in the realm to ensure the eternal prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. And who was Liu Bowen?
Zhuge Liang in three parts of the empire, Liu Bowen in unifying it!
Liu Bowen had severed ninety-nine dragon veins in total, but upon seeing Changbai Mountain, he turned and left.
Although the reason why he abandoned severing Changbai Mountain's dragon vein remains unknown to posterity, this story was enough to illustrate the uniqueness of Changbai Mountain.
Along the barely-there mountain path, Yan Shouyi and Li Genmiao walked in silence for a long time.
Yan Shouyi mused that since he had a rare opportunity to converse with Li Genmiao alone, it would be a shame not to extract more information from him.
So, he began, "Actor, why did you kill your mother at Longhu Mountain back then?"
Li Genmiao's footsteps did not falter, his emotions remained undisturbed, and he stated calmly, "Zhang Qingsu is not my mother, nor is Li Chongxi my father."
"Zhang Qingsu treated you poorly in the past; I know about that."
"I'll say it again, Zhang Qingsu is not my mother," Li Genmiao turned back and explained earnestly.
Yan Shouyi frowned. Listening to Li Genmiao's tone, it seemed he was stating a fact, not speaking out of spite due to resentment towards Zhang Qingsu.
This made Yan Shouyi think even more.
Li Genmiao, despite being born in the Central Plains, claimed Taoyuan Village as his hometown. He also didn't acknowledge Zhang Qingsu and Li Chongxi as his parents. Even stranger, although he wasn't a member of the Thirteen Guardians of Xuanshan, he was intent on establishing the New Xuanshan Sect...
Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck Yan Shouyi.
Was it possible that the Li Genmiao before him was no longer the Li Genmiao of the past?
Memory alteration? A split personality? Or perhaps... possession and rebirth?
There were too many possibilities in this world, especially when it came to someone like Li Genmiao; nothing would seem too outlandish.
"Are you very interested in me?" Li Genmiao turned back again, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
Yan Shouyi did not evade the question. "Know yourself and your enemy, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
"The truth you seek might shatter your perception of me, and my relationship with your mother might prevent you from acting against me," Li Genmiao spoke in riddles once more. "How wondrous the cycle of reincarnation is!"
What gibberish was this fellow spouting now?
Before Yan Shouyi could press further, Li Genmiao suddenly spoke, turning towards the empty woods, and began to sing.
"Since ancient times, flowers have never bloomed eternally, nor has the moon always been full~~
No matter how much gold and jade you pile up, you cannot buy eternal life~~
Do birds have cranes that live a thousand years? It is rare to see a centenarian in this world~~~"
Yan Shouyi had intended to ask more questions, but upon hearing the desolate song and its mournful lyrics, he chose to remain silent.
He decided to let the "actor" finish his song first.
"Living a life of toil, dying in a hurry~~
When will one awaken? How can one live forever~~
Floating clouds shrouded in mist, sighing at the vicissitudes of life for no reason~~~"
As Li Genmiao's singing grew more impassioned, he would discard his walking stick, mime opera gestures, and accompany them with expressions and movements, vividly bringing the song to life.
Walking through the snow-covered mountains, the two figures moved to the accompaniment of the desolate and melodic singing.
"What's the point of fame and fortune, or praising flowery prose.
You must believe that in the end, it's all an illusion, ultimately a fleeting dream.
Where have the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors gone? Where are the successive emperors and officials?
Just look at the annals of history; who can escape impermanence.
If the true spirit is not forgotten, may it partake in the feast.
Kneeling before the spirit, perform the three libations.
...
The first libation of wine, the second libation of wine, the first, second, and third libations of wine.
Dukang's wine fills the jars with fragrance, intoxicating Dongbin and Lu Chunyang.
...
The first offering of food, the second offering of food, the first, second, and third offerings of food.
The food served at the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet, wishing the deceased an early ascent to heaven.
...
The first offering of silk, the second offering of silk, the first, second, and third offerings of silk.
Paper burned in the mortal world becomes money in the underworld; one sheet transforms into ten thousand strings of cash
..."
...
...
As the sun set and night fell,
Yan Shouyi and Li Genmiao finally reached the base of the Changbai Waterfall.
Beneath the clear starry sky, the Changbai Waterfall flowed like a silver dragon, as if a ladleful of water scooped from the Milky Way had been sprinkled upon the mortal realm by a celestial maiden.
Not far away was the "Julong Spring," a natural hot spring in Changbai Mountain. Yan Shouyi did not forget that Changbai Mountain was a dormant volcano.
However, there were no monkeys in Changbai Mountain, and the imagined scene of monkeys soaking in hot springs did not materialize.
Li Genmiao stopped near Julong Spring and said softly, "This is where I encountered that black bear spirit last time."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shouyi scanned the surroundings, looking for traces of the black bear.
Wild animals typically marked their territory with their droppings. If a black bear had indeed been here, it would have left something behind.
As Yan Shouyi bent down to search, a fleeting shadow caught his eye in the corner of the woods.
The shadow was no taller than Yan Shouyi's knees, fluffy white, with what seemed to be red adornments, and moved with great agility.
Yan Shouyi frowned and said, "Actor, there's movement over there."
Li Genmiao's attention was captured. He held his breath, and the two quietly moved towards the spot where the figure had disappeared.
Pushing aside a patch of dense grass, Yan Shouyi saw a chubby child with a peach-shaped haircut, two little pigtails tied to his head, and wearing a red bellyband, all fluffy white!
In this deep mountain wilderness, in the heart of winter, how could a child wearing a red bellyband be found here?!