Wu Yun did not keep us waiting long, descending from the vehicle about half an hour later. She appeared entirely invigorated, her excitement palpable.
Seeing us waiting, she smiled and asked, "I'm ready. We can head into the mountains anytime. Do you want to go now, or wait until dawn?"
"If you ask me, it's safer to enter the mountains at dawn. With the firearms I brought, we can blast our way in," Ghost's Dread, who had been ignored until now, interjected eagerly.
"Captain Gui, having more people is useless. You haven't seen the mountain spirit herds. Even an army would be ineffective; there are simply too many of them," Wang Defa was genuinely afraid that Ghost's Dread would impulsively lead the team into the mountains. This was no laughing matter. Almost all his men had perished, and the brutality of the mountain spirits was etched into his memory as if it had happened only moments ago. If he hadn't experienced so many life-and-death partings, he would have gone mad.
"Shut up… You don't need to tell me what to do…"
"Alright, Old Wang is just looking out for you. The terror of the mountain spirit herds is something you, who haven't witnessed it, cannot comprehend. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to lead your men in to die. Just don't drag us down with you." I showed no respect to Ghost's Dread. After all, I had extorted a sum from him earlier; who cared if he lived or died?
"You…" Before Ghost's Dread, his face ashen, could speak, Wu Yun interrupted him again.
"Young Song is right. The number of people entering the mountains must be kept small. The mountain spirits are being controlled by another witch doctor. I can only take a small group in, trying to avoid the herds. A large group entering the mountains is too dangerous. If you insist on going, then I won't."
Wu Yun's words immediately left Ghost's Dread speechless. He could disregard my suggestions with impunity, but he could not ignore Wu Yun's presence. He had just witnessed the power of the蛊 (gu) worms and had also seen the various miraculous abilities of witch doctors in the archives. He could only grit his teeth and agree.
"How many people do you plan to take into the mountains? I believe at least fifteen are necessary. Their current situation is unknown, and essential medicines must be brought along. If too few people go, just the equipment alone will be enough for us to carry…" Ghost's Dread voiced his concerns.
I shook my head and refused, "A maximum of ten people can go. You, me, Brother Zhang, Senior Wu, plus Old Wang. You can add five more people. Otherwise, the team will be too spread out to evade the mountain spirits' senses."
"Five people? That's far too few. It should be at least fifteen, otherwise the weapons and equipment I brought will be useless…" Ghost's Dread shook his head like a rolling drum. For him, having no one around and no firearms meant no sense of security, even though he specialized in dealing with malevolent entities.
"You're going into the mountains to rescue people, not to fight a war. Why bring so many weapons? Just bring some life-saving medicines… It's decided. Hurry up and choose people, preferably those with strong physiques. If they need to carry someone, they can be useful…" Although Ghost's Dread still wanted to insist on his idea, he also knew that saving people was like fighting a fire; every moment delayed put them in danger. He finally rolled his eyes and went to find people.
Half an hour later, everyone was in place. Those entering the mountains were myself, Zhang Dabiao, Wang Defa, Wu Yun, and Ghost's Dread's carefully selected subordinates, including that bearded man, Wang Tie. I don't know how his brain was wired, but he seemed to have forgotten the previous unpleasantness with Zhang Dabiao. As soon as he arrived, he eagerly ran up to Zhang Dabiao, wanting to apprentice himself and learn swordsmanship, which made Zhang Dabiao both amused and exasperated…
Before leaving, Ghost's Dread specifically instructed those remaining at the camp to be ready for any unexpected situations, especially from the direction of Qingfeng Mountain.
With all preparations complete, the group did not drive into the mountains. Instead, they proceeded rapidly along the small path at the foot of the mountain. Two hours later, the group had arrived at the location where the mountain spirits had attacked at night.
Seeing the ground littered with stones the size of human heads and spotting speckled bloodstains, Ghost's Dread gasped. After a brief mental calculation, he understood the terror of the mountain spirit herds.
I stopped Ghost's Dread, who was still eager to press on, saying, "We'll rest here for an hour, then continue."
Ghost's Dread sized me up and said contemptuously, "Can't even walk this short distance? Why don't you rest here, and I'll take my men to scout ahead?"
"What kind of talk is that?" Zhang Dabiao interjected indignantly. He particularly disliked Ghost's Dread's condescending attitude and his tendency to be overly serious about everything.
I made a gesture of invitation to Ghost's Dread and then said, "If you wish to go alone, I won't stop you." After speaking, I pulled Zhang Dabiao away to find some supplies from the vehicles left behind.
Wu Yun glanced at Ghost's Dread and silently followed behind me, her intentions unclear. Wang Defa advised, "Qingfeng Mountain is our first time here. It's best to listen to him! I don't want you to suffer the same losses I did." He patted Ghost's Dread's shoulder with a disgusted expression and also left.
The bearded Wang Tie watched Zhang Dabiao leave and wanted to follow, but Ghost's Dread glared him back into place with a look. He scratched his head in embarrassment and stammered, "Why don't we just listen to them?"
"Shut up! You're embarrassing me completely." Ghost's Dread was furious, but he dared not act rashly alone. He could disregard his own life, but he couldn't risk the lives of his subordinates.
Ghost's Dread maintained his stubbornness and did not follow, leading his men towards other vehicles.
Seeing that he did not rashly charge forward, I also breathed a sigh of relief. If he had insisted on forcing his way in, I would have had to ask Wu Yun to subdue him.
"Kid, what's your game? Don't tell me you're really tired and want to rest here?" Before I could even sit down, Wu Yun, who had followed behind, suddenly asked.
"What game could I be playing? I just want to rest here. The road ahead is difficult, covered in vines that require someone to clear the path. If we don't rest here, we won't have any energy later," I explained earnestly.
"Really?" Wu Yun pressed on with a suspicious look.
"What else could it be? I have no reason to lie to you!" I shrugged my shoulders, feigning innocence.
"I hope so."
In fact, my other purpose for staying here was to wait for Yue'er. She had gone to the Fifth Prince's place to retrieve the artifact for controlling mountain spirits. Once Wu Yun lifted the curse on the mountain spirits, they could be returned to normal. After a few repetitions, they could be mass-recruited, forming an incredible fighting force.
An hour later, a small snake, the size of an earthworm with white stripes on its back, appeared before me. Its tiny forked tongue flickered. Seeing that I had noticed it, it nodded and left.
This scene, apart from me, even Zhang Dabiao did not see. This was the agreed-upon signal with Yue'er, indicating that she had obtained the item.
"Let's go, we're entering the mountains…"