"Danger? What danger? Am I afraid of those mountain spirits coming out to bite me? Didn't the mountain spirit leader say they would leave the valley in three days? It's been over ten days, they should have long since vanished."
Although I said this, my heart also wished to leave sooner. The appearance of the mountain god in the valley indicated that something had changed. I could scare it away once with the Heavenly Retreat Seal, perhaps because it was injured. If its injuries healed, who knew who would be scaring whom.
However, leaving just like this, I felt a little unwilling. How did I end up in the county hospital? Why did I have no memory of what happened in the final moments? This was something I needed to figure out, and it was also the reason I agreed to come to Qingfeng Mountain.
Now, Bai Ling'er, the person involved, was right in front of me. If I didn't get a clear explanation and just slunk away, I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly.
"Then you can wait here to die! I can't be bothered to manage you," Bai Ling'er replied indignantly, making a move to leave.
How could I let her leave so easily? After finally seeing her, I had to make her explain things clearly!
"Ling'er, wait a moment."
Bai Ling'er, who had just flown a short distance, stopped and said without turning her head, "What else do you want? Are you asking me to collect your corpse? Don't worry, I've promised to do that."
"Pah, you jinx."
I rolled my eyes at Bai Ling'er. I had just turned eighteen today, hadn't married, hadn't even dated, how could I possibly die in this godforsaken place?
Seeing my look of disgust, Bai Ling'er wasn't angered. She simply looked at me with her usual serpentine smile, waiting for me to continue.
"Ling'er, no matter what, we are friends, aren't we? Friends should chat when they meet. If you leave like this, I'll be sad." As I spoke, I took out the canned beef I had "borrowed" from Zhang Dabiao when I left the tent earlier, opening it to bribe this little foodie.
As soon as the can was opened, I saw Bai Ling'er's little head actually trying to turn back. My heart rejoiced, thinking I had finally flattered her correctly. But then, she stopped again.
"You think you can bribe me with such a small thing? What kind of snake do you think I am?"
Seeing her tone soften, I quickly said, "How can this be enough? There's still plenty in the tent. I just came out in a hurry and only brought one can. If you like it, I can bring out a few more for you to taste."
As soon as I finished speaking, the can in my hand vanished. Looking at Bai Ling'er, who was coiling her tail around the can and eating ravenously, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. I wondered how much she had suffered. She was eating the canned beef she used to refuse with such relish.
All the questions I wanted to ask were swallowed back. I turned to go back to the tent to get all the canned beef I had "borrowed" from Zhang Dabiao. As soon as I entered the tent, I saw Zhang Dabiao sitting on the bed with bright eyes.
"Brother Zhang, when did you wake up? I..."
Zhang Dabiao made a shushing gesture and said softly, "I woke up when it came."
I awkwardly scratched my head, not knowing how to explain that Bai Ling'er only called out to me. Su Dan Novel Network
Zhang Dabiao seemed unconcerned. He said softly, "No need to be embarrassed, this is normal. The canned beef is all packed for you. Hurry and give it to it. Oh, and don't ask what happened that day."
I nodded, indicating I understood, and then left the tent.
When I returned to the place where I met Bai Ling'er, it had already finished off a can of beef and was idly spinning the empty tin with its tail.
Seeing me return, it flicked its tail, and the tin flew into the bushes without a sound.
"Why are you so slow? Did that big guy give you a hard time?"
I stopped opening the can and looked at it suspiciously, "How did you know Brother Zhang was awake?"
"Hmph, what don't I know? Do you think the big guy is as stupid as you? He didn't even notice when I went in."
Me: "..."
After devouring all the canned beef, Bai Ling'er patted its belly with its tail, "This stuff is only good for the first bite. It's no comparison to roast whole lamb."
Me: "..."
"Alright, I'm done eating. Since you gave me delicious food, I can answer three of your questions. Once you've asked them, leave this place quickly and never come back."
"Three questions? Isn't that a bit too few?" I had too many things I wanted to ask, far more than could be resolved in three questions.
Bai Ling'er showed a look of serpentine impatience and replied, "Ask if you want, don't ask if you don't. I'm leaving. I've told you what I needed to tell you, and if you don't listen, I can't help it."
Seeing Bai Ling'er about to leave again, I quickly replied, "I'll ask, okay? You have to give me some time to think!"
Bai Ling'er nodded slightly, agreeing.
I fell silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "How did Zhang Dabiao and I leave Qingfeng Mountain? And who sent us to the county hospital?"
Bai Ling'er blinked its anthropomorphic big eyes and said, "Do you think I can't count? That's two questions, isn't it?"
I chuckled and replied, "That's a related question, it doesn't count as two."
Bai Ling'er gave me a big roll of its eyes and remained silent for a long time. I didn't urge it, lest it get annoyed and leave, leaving me without anyone to enlighten me.
"Fifth Princess, it was Fifth Princess who rescued the two of you. She also arranged for people to send you to the county hospital."
Hearing this answer, I was incredibly surprised. I hadn't ruled out the possibility that Fifth Princess had saved Zhang Dabiao and me when I was in the hospital, but I had dismissed it myself.
When I had interacted with Fifth Princess before, she had said that she could never leave the Half-Yin Realm in her lifetime. She didn't say why, but I remembered that when she said she couldn't leave, she had a hint of melancholy and sadness in her expression.
Now, she had actually left the Half-Yin Realm to save me. I didn't know what the consequences would be. I could only hope she wouldn't suffer too much harm.
"Second question, why do Zhang Dabiao and I both have a period of missing memory? Who tampered with it? And why?"
Bai Ling'er answered this question very quickly, without even pausing.
"Are you an idiot? Besides Fifth Princess, who else could temporarily seal memories? Could it be me?"
I was stunned. "Fifth Princess? Why would she do that?"
"You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? Fifth Princess must have her reasons for doing this. If you really want to know, ask her yourself when you see her. There's one last question left, you'd better think carefully before asking."
I was so annoyed I wanted to slap myself. I had wasted this precious opportunity to ask a question.
After thinking for a moment, I posed my third question: "Why have you repeatedly emphasized that we should leave quickly? You must give me a reason! You know that woman, Fang Huixin, is very stubborn. She won't leave without a reason. I can't just abandon them and run. If I did that, it would be detrimental to my virtue."
Bai Ling'er circled me, its anthropomorphic big eyes showing a thoughtful expression.
"I shouldn't have told you, but since you asked, I'll tell you a little."
I nodded, very much agreeing with its words.
"The mountain god has slaughtered all the mountain spirits in the entire valley, but in doing so, it has become trapped within the valley. It will break free at the earliest by tonight, and at the latest by tomorrow night."
"What mountain god is coming out?"