Chapter 307: Journey Along the Way, Immortal Phoenix Mountain Village
The next morning.
A carriage slowly moved along a snow-covered path in the forest, occasionally jolting, its wheels creaking.
Lin Tianlu leaned comfortably against the side of the carriage, one hand holding the reins, feeling the cool breeze, the other hand holding a novel he had bought from a street vendor in Yumin Village, reading with relish.
Although the language and phrasing in the book weren’t particularly refined, the imaginative stories from the common folk were quite appealing. At least Lin Tianlu could find many interesting tales in these popular novels.
Both entertaining and inspiring.
“Master Lin, you’ve been reading that book all day, you must really like it~”
A slightly frivolous and seductive voice echoed beside his ear.
Lin Tianlu glanced sideways and saw Youluo leaning over curiously, seemingly wanting to see what he was reading.
“It helps pass the time.”
He chuckled: “If you’re curious, Miss, you can choose one from the luggage bag to read, it’s better than closing your eyes and doing nothing.”
“I’ll pass. Instead of reading, I’d rather do some needlework and embroider a few handkerchiefs.”
Youluo smiled mischievously, lazily swinging her long, porcelain-like legs, her curvaceous body swaying gently, inadvertently revealing a seductive and alluring charm. She glanced playfully at the interior of the carriage, which was blocked by a curtain.
“Those two Madams are quite comfortable, still lying down and napping, they seem quite tired.”
“Cough—”
Lin Tianlu coughed lightly: “They were a bit frightened last night and didn’t sleep well.”
“Really… just frightened?”
Youluo brushed her hair lightly, a playful smile on her flawless face: “Although I’m just imagining it, I’m sure the room was filled with passionate sounds and sweet whispers last night. And now the two Madams are so tired, yet they looked radiant this morning when they left. It seems your stamina is quite remarkable, Master Lin—”
“Alright, there’s no need to tease me any further, Miss Youluo.”
Lin Tianlu waved his hand helplessly: “You’ve been teasing me constantly along the way, I’m getting tired of it.”
Youluo chuckled softly and said: “Seeing your reactions, Master Lin, is quite entertaining every day.
But~ If you dislike it, I’ll stop, I wouldn’t want to upset you~”
Lin Tianlu’s thoughts stirred, and he said with feeling: “You can be quite understanding sometimes, Miss.”
“Hu— That’s the first time someone has complimented me like that.”
Youluo’s expression shifted slightly, finally turning into a faint smile as she lowered her eyes tenderly.
Lin Tianlu, seeing the rare emotional fluctuation in her eyes, raised an eyebrow. After a moment of thought, he continued: “Although you often act seductively, Miss, your personality is actually quite good. Perhaps not virtuous, dignified, or elegant, but your character… is indeed gentle and considerate.”
At least, she hadn’t done anything to truly displease him, her words and actions always appropriate and measured.
“Giggle~”
Youluo couldn’t help but cover her mouth with a chuckle: “Are you trying to flatter me, scholar, so I’ll test your willpower less in the future?”
“I would be eternally grateful if you could show some mercy, Miss.”
“Sure, sure~ If you keep saying such sweet things, Master Lin, I might talk less and play a few more games of Go with you.”
Seeing her bright and cheerful smile, Lin Tianlu also smiled faintly.
“We’re going to Immortal Phoenix Mountain today, are you feeling frustrated, Miss?”
“Naturally.” Youluo gave him a playful glare: “I wanted to see you meet with the experts from various factions in Fengtai County, Master Lin, to see what kind of amazing abilities they possess. But now that you insist on going to Immortal Phoenix Mountain first, it’s truly disappointing.”
“If you’re unhappy, Miss, then—”
“There’s no need to say more.”
But before Lin Tianlu could finish speaking, Youluo quickly looked away and said lightly: “Compared to those power struggles, you’re probably more interesting, Master Lin. I’ll just follow along. If I had hesitated, I wouldn’t be sitting in your carriage today.”
Lin Tianlu smiled:
“You’re truly a thrill-seeker, Miss Youluo.”
Then, he patted the Go board in his luggage bag:
“If you’re free, how about a game of Go?”
“I’m indeed interested, but as for Go—”
Youluo smiled seductively, her eyes flickering: “Your Go skills are quite mysterious, Master Lin. Without proper preparation, I wouldn’t dare to accept your challenge. If I were to be trapped by your tricks, I would show a rather embarrassing side of myself.
Or is it that you want to see me blush, my clothes disheveled, moaning softly in shame, Master Lin?”
“…”
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned slightly subtle, and he fell silent.
It sounded as if he was deliberately trying to take advantage of her.
But thinking about it, strange phenomena did tend to occur when he played Go with people who possessed Yin energy.
“Forget it, I’ll just read.”
Seeing his helpless expression, Youluo covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile, a faint, seductive glint in her deep and lively eyes.
Teasing this scholar was truly amusing.
…
Ningxiang Village.
This was the closest village to Immortal Phoenix Mountain, and its size was clearly different from Yumin Village.
As the carriage entered the village, they could almost see the entire village at a glance. The area was small, with scattered thatched and stone houses, clearly just a small village with about a hundred people.
And—
“This place is truly different from Yumin Village.”
Cheng Yishi lifted the curtain and looked at the village streets, vaguely seeing a few dirty children playing and running not far away.
The village women she saw along the way were all dressed in ragged and coarse clothes, clearly not living in abundance.
“This… is the normal size of a mountain village.”
Mao Ruoyu murmured softly: “Although life is a bit hard, as long as the family is together, it’s still a carefree life.”
Cheng Yishi frowned slightly, but her expression quickly relaxed.
Just then, Lin Tianlu lifted the carriage curtain and asked: “This village is quite small, there doesn’t seem to be an inn or post station. We can only ask around at the nearby houses.
Ruoyu and Yishi, you can wait in the carriage while I go and ask about the legend of Immortal Phoenix Mountain.”
…
Not long after he got off the carriage, a wizened old man with a weathered face, leaning on a cane, walked over, stroking his long beard and saying hoarsely: “Young man, where do you come from?”
Lin Tianlu quickly bowed respectfully: “Replying to you, old man, we come from another province. We came to Ningxiang Village because we heard a mysterious legend about Immortal Phoenix Mountain and wanted to see it for ourselves.”
“Immortal Phoenix Mountain?”
A look of surprise flashed across the old man’s face, but he quickly smiled kindly: “You startled me. I thought something had happened in the village, why would outsiders suddenly visit? So it’s because of that ancient legend.”
“We apologize for disturbing the villagers.”
Lin Tianlu smiled gently and humbly, and said softly: “But the residents of this village seem to be…”
“Our Ningxiang Village has always been sparsely populated. Most of the young and strong men leave to work and earn money in the nearby towns and counties to support their elderly parents at home.” The old man smiled faintly: “As for the Immortal Phoenix Mountain you’re looking for, there was indeed such a legend, a story that many children in our village grew up hearing.”
Saying this, he turned around and pointed towards the back of the village: “There! That mountain range stretching into the clouds, that’s Immortal Phoenix Mountain.”
Lin Tianlu looked in the direction he pointed and vaguely saw the towering mountain peak reaching into the clouds. The humid and cold winter weather added a thick layer of mist, making it difficult to see clearly, adding to its mystery.
“Then, old man, about that legend—”
“Young man, do you really believe that there’s a phoenix living in that mountain?”
The old man shook his head and chuckled: “Paying respects to the Immortal Phoenix in the mountain every year is a tradition passed down in our Ningxiang Village, a rule set by our ancestors. But to truly believe that there are immortals and gods living in that mountain and climb that dangerous peak, it’s truly not worth it.”
“Haven’t any villagers gone up the mountain to investigate in the past few hundred years?”
“Of course, there have been.” The old man chuckled: “But after searching the mountain for a long time, they only found trees and bushes. Even after climbing to the top of the cliffs, they only saw withered leaves.”
Nothing unusual in the mountain?
Lin Tianlu asked curiously: “Has there truly been no unusual phenomenon on Immortal Phoenix Mountain all these years?”
“Hmm… If you’re asking about unusual phenomena, there was one, but it happened a hundred years ago. At that time, even my parents were still children running around the village.” The old man stroked his long beard, his eyes narrowing as if recalling the past: “I heard from my parents that there was indeed a strange light emanating from the mountain, as bright as day even in the dead of night. But most of the villagers were asleep at that time, and not many people saw it. Only a few villagers who were up at night described it… As for whether it’s true or not, I haven’t been able to confirm it.”
It seemed that there hadn’t been any activity on Immortal Phoenix Mountain for many years.
Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment and quickly asked: “But has there been any strange activity around Ningxiang Village recently?”
“Although life is a bit hard here, there haven’t been any supernatural incidents.”
The old man stroked his beard and smiled: “I know you’re eager to find something, young man, but I have to disappoint you. Ningxiang Village has been peaceful for decades, without any natural disasters or man-made calamities.
However, if you truly want to explore Immortal Phoenix Mountain, I suggest you wait until spring. The mountain is covered in ice and snow during winter, very slippery and cold, and one careless step could lead to a fall from the cliffs.”
His expression turned serious, and he said earnestly: “These aren’t empty threats or attempts to scare you. The wilderness mountains are truly dangerous during winter, even we villagers of Ningxiang Village don’t go near the mountain peaks during this time.”
“You’re right, old man.”
Lin Tianlu could see the snow accumulated halfway up the mountain from afar.
If someone were to climb the mountain unprepared, a single misstep could lead to a fatal fall.
“Young man, go back, come back and see the beautiful scenery of Immortal Phoenix Mountain in spring.”
The old man smiled and shook his cane: “But if you want to visit, you’re welcome in our village. You can have dinner and stay the night at my humble house.”
“Thank you for your kindness, old man. I have to discuss it with my wives who are traveling with me, we’ll act according to our capabilities.”
Lin Tianlu cupped his hands and excused himself for the time being.
…
A short while later, he returned to the carriage parked in the village.
“You were talking with that old man for quite a while, husband.” Cheng Yishi poked her head out and asked curiously: “Did you find anything?”
“Nothing unusual.”
Lin Tianlu smiled wryly: “Unlike the village at the foot of Jade Peak Mountain, this place seems quite peaceful, there hasn’t been any unusual activity for a hundred years. As for that incident from a hundred years ago, it’s probably just a rumor, hard to tell if it’s true or not.”
“This…”
Mao Ruoyu and Cheng Yishi frowned.
So, they had lost the trail again?
Or perhaps, their true destination wasn’t Immortal Phoenix Mountain, but somewhere else?
“Hum—”
A sudden tremor made Mao Ruoyu yelp in surprise, a blush appearing on her face.
Lin Tianlu and Cheng Yishi looked at her, puzzled, but quickly froze.
The ample bosom beneath Mao Ruoyu’s robe was trembling and jiggling slightly, a mesmerizing sight that left Cheng Yishi dumbfounded.
“Wh-What happened?”
“Eh, eh?”
Mao Ruoyu’s face started to redden, and she instinctively raised her hand to cover herself, but then she quickly reached into her bosom.
She quickly took out the jade pendant she was wearing.
The previously motionless jade pendant was now shimmering with a strange light, even trembling slightly.
“Hu—”
Mao Ruoyu breathed a sigh of relief, her face red, and murmured: “It seems Xuanling isn’t communicating with me directly, but… through some kind of… more subtle connection?”
Lin Tianlu quickly took the jade pendant from her and said in a deep voice: “Xuanling, do you have any impressions of this place? If you think there’s a clue here, give us some guidance.”
Hum—
The jade pendant quietly floated up, spun a few times in the direction of the mountain range, and then returned to his palm.
Cheng Yishi blinked repeatedly and murmured: “It seems that there might not be any phoenix on Immortal Phoenix Mountain, but there’s truly something related to Miss Xuanling?”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but smile wryly, poking the jade pendant in his hand: “You should react faster next time.”
If he hadn’t asked, they might have left Ningxiang Village without realizing it.
The jade pendant trembled slightly, as if responding.
Youluo, sitting on the driver’s seat, chuckled and looked at them:
“It seems we can finally search the mountain now?”
“Indeed.”
Lin Tianlu nodded slightly: “But the mountain paths are slippery and full of insects and spiders, if you find it dirty and troublesome, Miss, you can wait here.”
“If I minded such things, why would I have come along?”
Youluo jumped lightly from the carriage, smoothing her skirt, and said with a smile: “Even Madam Mao, such a delicate and gentle woman, doesn’t mind going up the mountain, how could I refuse?”
Mao Ruoyu smiled faintly: “Then thank you for your help, Miss Youluo.”
This vast Immortal Phoenix Mountain range was quite expansive, having one more person to help search was naturally a good thing.
Lin Tianlu patted the horse’s head:
“Since you’re coming with us, Miss Youluo, let’s find a family to leave the carriage with and then go up the mountain.”
…
Rustle, rustle, rustle
Lin Tianlu pushed aside the dry, snow-covered branches, creating a path.
Behind him, the three women followed closely, their gazes constantly scanning their surroundings, making sure not to miss anything unusual hidden in the corners of the mountain.
The mountain paths in winter were indeed quite slippery, and the temperature was extremely cold, but the four of them all possessed extraordinary abilities and naturally weren’t afraid of such difficulties.
Even though the mountain path was rugged and steep, they still walked with ease.
“This mountain is truly tall, the snow on the peak must be quite thick.”
Lin Tianlu looked up at the snow-capped peak, faintly visible amidst the clouds and mist, and couldn’t help but chuckle: “If there really is a phoenix living here, it must be hibernating.”
“I wonder where that treasure is hidden.”
Cheng Yishi summoned her battle-axe and started clearing the weeds and thorns blocking their path, preventing them from snagging their clothes.
“If we were to search every corner of this mountain, even three days and three nights wouldn’t be enough.” Mao Ruoyu looked closely at the jade pendant in her hand: “Sister Xuanling, do you have any more hints or senses to guide us?”
Hum—
The jade pendant trembled slightly, nudging in the direction of the mountain peak.
Lin Tianlu murmured: “It seems the treasure on Immortal Phoenix Mountain is also hidden on the peak?”
Youluo, following behind, asked curiously: “Have you climbed a mountain like this before, Master Lin?”
“A few months ago, indeed.”
Lin Tianlu was about to take another step.
But at this moment, Mao Ruoyu suddenly exclaimed softly.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s not me, but Sister Xuanling.”
Mao Ruoyu touched her forehead, a strange expression on her face, and murmured: “She seems to be communicating with me mentally, saying that something isn’t right in this mountain, she has a bad feeling.”
