"What do you mean, 'sort of'? If it is, it is, if it isn't, it isn't. What's this 'sort of' business?" Wang Defa was clearly displeased with my answer.
Facing Wang Defa's complaint, I didn't reply. Instead, I closed my eyes to rest, pretending not to hear.
I knew what he meant. He wanted to reconfirm if such a situation had occurred before. While his words were directed at me, his gaze was not.
Zhang Dabiao wasn't a fool. He understood the situation with a moment's thought and chuckled, explaining, "This is our second time here too. Who knows if this kind of weather is common? Anyway, it was raining the first time we came, just not as heavily as this..."
Since the car couldn't proceed, Zhang Dabiao began to use his persuasive tongue to tell Wang Defa about their journey into the mountains...
"Oh! So that's how it is. I've misunderstood you..."
In the time it took to eat a meal, the rain outside intensified. Water hammered the car roof with a pounding sound, as if someone was venting their anger with their fists.
"This... is this still rain? Why does it feel like someone is smashing the car?" Wang Defa looked at the rain-streaked window with a strange expression and muttered.
I stopped pretending to sleep and perked up my ears, listening carefully to the sounds outside. Just moments ago, I had felt a sudden surge of many Yin energies.
This made me frown. These Yin energies felt somewhat familiar; they were similar to the aura of the伥鬼 (chāngguǐ - a type of ghost) I encountered when entering the mountains. Those things hidden in the black mist, if called Yin souls, they lacked the Yin energy and the specific attributes of Yin souls, making them very difficult to deal with.
Just as I was about to remind Wang Defa to use the radio to notify the other vehicles of the approaching danger, a scream came from the radio before I could even speak.
"Ah... what the hell is that? Help me..."
"Dragon Tiger Profound Yang, Heaven and Earth borrow the law... Heavenly Thunder... Rumble..."
Along with the rolling thunder, static crackled through the radio. Just as Wang Defa couldn't help but prepare to get out of the car to investigate, Master Fang's voice came through the radio again.
"Ahem... Everyone listen to me. Absolutely do not get out of the car. We don't know what kind of monstrous things are out there. Stay in the car."
"I..." Wang Defa retracted his hand, which had been reaching for the car door, his face ashen and dark as if it could drip water.
"Song Qingyun, explain to me why we've encountered danger here."
"You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? I told you about these monstrous things back then; they were on the east side of the mountain hollow, on the only path for us to enter the mountains. Who knew they would come here for some reason?" My face turned cold. "What do you mean by that? Are you suspecting me of playing dirty?"
"I didn't say that."
Zhang Dabiao chimed in, his face stern. "Old Wang, you're in the wrong. We've been in the car the whole time, and no one has gotten out. How could we have acted? If you're going to say that, then I might as well say you tampered with things!"
"You..." Wang Defa felt he had been impulsive after Zhang Dabiao's words. He wanted to apologize but couldn't bring himself to do it, as he was the commander. He could only mutter incoherently.
I didn't let Zhang Dabiao continue. It wasn't the time to fall out, and besides, no one knew the situation outside. We needed to deal with the danger first.
By then, the rain outside had lessened considerably. We could see the parked vehicles in front, behind, and to the sides. Through the car window, we saw the door of the vehicle parked to our left wide open. We didn't know whose vehicle it was, but a corpse lay sprawled beneath the door, its head missing.
"Li Qiang..." Wang Defa called out and got out of the car without an umbrella.
Just as I was about to tell him not to go, not knowing if there was still danger outside, Yue'er stopped me. I looked at her, puzzled. She had been sleeping soundly just moments ago, how could she be awake now?
"Let him go. Those things have moved away."
"Do you know what those things are?"
Yue'er nodded.
"What are they?"
"A type of 伥鬼 (chāngguǐ). They are immortal and indestructible. Being marked by them is very troublesome."
"伥鬼 (chāngguǐ)? Are they the same kind of things I encountered on the way to the Half-Yin Realm?"
"That's right."
"Shouldn't they be in the deep mountains? Why did they suddenly come out?"
Yue'er shook her head. "I don't know. It's likely that something truly significant specifically attracted them... It seems this trip up the mountain is getting more and more interesting."
As we spoke, footsteps and curses began to echo from outside, with Hu Yuan's voice being the most offensive.
"Song Qingyun, get out here! If you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'll skin you alive."
"What's this kid going crazy about now? Why is he like Wang Defa? Does he really think he's an emperor?"
Zhang Dabiao pushed open the door and got out, shouting loudly, "You little brat, watch your mouth. If you keep spewing nonsense, I'll kill you." With Yue'er present, he had no fear of Hu Sixi, and moreover, Wu Yun was there as their protector.
"You... get lost. I'm here to deal with Song Qingyun, what business is it of yours? Be careful, I might deal with you too."
I got out of the car with them, my expression darkening. "Hu Yuan, if you don't give me a reasonable explanation for why you're yelling at me today, don't blame me for not being polite."
"Heh heh... Not polite? Everyone heard that, right? I said this kid was secretly causing trouble, and now he's admitted it himself. What else is there to say? Let's all take him down together..." Before he could finish speaking, he was hit on the back of the head. Turning around to curse, he saw Hu Sixi withdrawing his hand. Standing with him were Master Fang from Longhu Mountain and the Sleeping Daoist from Maoshan.
"You little beast, if you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll skin you myself." Hu Sixi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He was utterly embarrassed.
As the experts among them, the three of them had braved the heavy rain to chase after those things to see what they were. The moment they returned, they saw Hu Yuan causing trouble for me, even accusing me of being the culprit, which had completely disgraced the Hu family. Su Dan Novel Network
"Young friend, according to your account, these things should only appear two days after entering the forest. How did they appear here now? Can you explain it to us?" The Sleeping Daoist, being the eldest and most senior among them, commanded respect, and no one else spoke when he did.
I gave a wry smile and explained, "Senior, to be honest, I don't know what's going on. I did encounter these things when I entered the mountains previously, but they only appeared under the cover of thick fog. As for why they appeared today during the heavy rain, I truly don't know.
If you don't believe me, you can have the people who stayed behind in Molu Village ask Boss Fang Huixin, who deals in冥器 (míngqì - ritual objects for the dead), she knows better than anyone."
"..."