After re-examining the mountain route, it was already past ten o'clock. Having learned from me that the mountain sprites had an even larger clan, Wang Defa decisively arranged for night watch personnel and also prepared to have the ordinary people deliver their equipment and supplies to the cave where we had previously stopped, and then send them back.
Their accompanying us into the mountains would not only fail to provide assistance but also had the suspicion of being a burden. The previous mountain expedition organized by Li Zuoquan had ordinary people armed to the teeth, and in the end, not many survived.
Wang Defa was annoyed that he hadn't brought any guns. With firearms, even a mountain sprite horde would not be feared, as these things were like imperial decrees in the hands of ordinary people.
However, he could only think about it now. Even with immense capability, he didn't have the time to mobilize weapons. Moreover, firearms were strictly prohibited by the state. While one or two guns might be overlooked, procuring more would certainly lead to trouble.
As for why the mercenaries hired by Li Zuoquan had so many firearms, that was because Li Zuoquan had painstakingly smuggled them from the border, and not all at once, but transported in batches. It took several years to accumulate that scale, only to have them all wiped out on his first entry into Qingfeng Mountain, and he himself became a ghost trapped in Chenghuang City...
Returning to the tent, Zhang Dabiao was not yet asleep. He had somehow procured peanuts and beer and was happily drinking, waiting for me to return.
"Where did you get these things? I didn't see them brought when they were loading the vehicles!" I plopped down on my bunk, snatched a can of beer, opened it, and gulped down more than half of it.
"These things were smuggled in by Wang Defa's men. I discovered them and took them. What did they want with you?" Zhang Dabiao asked, taking a sip of beer.
"What else? The mountain route encountered a landslide, and we were discussing how to reroute for tomorrow's ascent." I had nothing to hide from Zhang Dabiao and told him everything, even about Hu Sixi and Wu Yun killing mountain sprites.
After listening, Zhang Dabiao put down his beer can and said, "Why haven't the mountain sprites left yet? Didn't you say last time that they had already fulfilled their agreement and were going to choose a new dwelling place?"
"How would I know! I guess they've grown accustomed to living in the valley and are reluctant to leave their homeland!" After saying this, I finished the remaining beer in two gulps.
"Are you worried they'll be wiped out?" Zhang Dabiao seemed to be able to read my mind.
I nodded without denying it and said, "Although mountain sprites are beasts, they also have emotions. When we entered the mountain last time, they were ordered to block outsiders. In another few decades, they could let anyone enter if they wished, and they wouldn't have to pay any mind. Now, they've become the stumbling block for entering Qingfeng Mountain, and it's hard not to be wiped out."
When Yue'er prepared the medicine, she had only made the mountain sprites fall into a comatose slumber. However, Hu Sixi and Wu Yun were different; they truly intended to kill, even making the mountain sprite clan disappear from Qingfeng Mountain.
From the conversation between Bai Ling'er and the Mountain Sprite King, it was evident that they knew each other, even very familiar. It was just unknown how the Mountain Sprite King would react to so many mountain sprites being killed.
"I just don't know if that person will make a move then," Zhang Dabiao said, glancing at the vehicle beside them, implying without saying.
"Probably will!"
The rain outside began to fall again sporadically. The entire camp, except for those on night watch, had fallen asleep. I was the same, but my sleep was not sound; I always felt like something was about to happen.
Just as I was drowsily about to fall asleep, a series of roars and howls came from outside the tent.
"Roar... roar... woo... woo..."
Following that were sounds of "bang bang" smashing things and various screams.
Zhang Dabiao reacted faster than me. He sprang up from the bed, didn't even put on his shoes, and gripped his Pishanh Dao, standing at the tent entrance, cautiously looking outside.
I was a step behind him, mainly because I took longer to put on my clothes completely. I lifted the tent flap and looked out. I saw black shadows like raindrops falling from the sky. One of them landed less than a meter in front of us, creating a human-head-sized pit in the ground.
"It's rocks. The mountain sprites are attacking."
"These beasts are really quite clever. Hurry into the car, or we'll be smashed to death," Zhang Dabiao cursed, turned, quickly put on his clothes, then pulled me and we jumped into a vehicle.
As soon as we got into the car, we saw dozens of human-head-sized rocks hitting the tent, which instantly turned into a pile of stones. It made my scalp tingle; if we had been a moment later, we wouldn't have needed to dig another grave.
One round, two rounds... human-head-sized rocks seemed to fall from the sky as if they were free. The mountain sprite horde occupied the highest ground, and they only needed to throw the rocks down. Accelerated by gravity, being hit would result in death or severe injury.
After several rounds of stones, the screams stopped, leaving only the sound of rocks colliding. This was because everyone discovered that as long as they made a sound, the rocks would fall from the sky as if they had eyes.
With a roar of victory, the mountain sprite horde let out strange chirping sounds, as if mocking humans for their overestimation of their abilities. The saying in the forest, "Better to provoke tigers and leopards than mountain sprites," was not just for show.
After waiting for more than ten minutes and seeing no more rocks falling, we got out of the car.
As soon as I got out, I almost tripped over the rocks underfoot. Looking around, the entire encampment was almost covered in human-head-sized rocks, interspersed with some unfinished fruits...
"Is this revenge coming too fast?" Zhang Dabiao swallowed and said with a grim expression.
I was also deeply shocked by the scene. If the mountain sprites had used this method to deal with me last time, I couldn't even imagine the scene. For example, the guy not far away had his eyeballs smashed out and hanging from his eye sockets, his hand desperately reaching in the direction of the car.
Judging by his clothes, he was from the Hu family. Logically, he should have been filled with joy, but now all I wanted was to vomit, almost to the point of expelling my stomach.
"Ah... ah... if I don't kill you all, I swear I won't be human." Hu Sixi, like a madman, stood in front of a pile of rocks and roared. Behind him stood several disciples, all injured, but Hu Yuan was missing.
My heart sank. Could it be this coincidental? Had Hu Yuan been smashed to death in one attack by the mountain sprites? If that were the case, it would overturn the saying that good people don't live long and villains live for millennia.
"Ah... I slept so comfortably. What are you guys looking at?" Yue'er appeared behind us at some unknown time and spoke suddenly, almost scaring me to death.
"You were sleeping just now, didn't you hear the commotion outside?" I asked, looking at her with disbelief.
"Hear what? A dog barking?" Yue'er blinked her innocent big eyes and asked me.
Alright, I understood. I completely understood. It would be a lie if she wasn't secretly orchestrating all of this. But what method did she use to command the mountain sprites? And why did she make them target Hu Sixi's location specifically, while ignoring others?
"You guys continue watching. I'm going back to sleep, or I'll get wrinkles."
Zhang Dabiao and I exchanged glances, feeling speechless. What could we do? She was a deity, after all. So, we rolled up our sleeves and joined the rescue efforts.