Chapter 377: Arriving at Mount Min, Towering Peaks p2
…
But after a moment, the commotion subsided without a trace, not even a ripple.
Only a graceful figure, moving silently, disappeared like the wind.
Only minced flesh and blood remained in the forest, splattered everywhere, covering almost half of the trees, the corpses indistinguishable, their souls shattered and annihilated, only a silent terror and regret lingering.
…
The next morning arrived.
The morning sunlight streamed into the carriage, illuminating the beautiful women’s faces.
Yun Yue smiled gently, her eyes lowered, tenderly caressing Mao Ruoyu and Cheng Yishi, who were sleeping soundly on her lap, their hair intertwined like a beautiful and captivating painting.
Hua Shuya, sitting opposite them, opened her eyes, finished adjusting her breathing, and exhaled softly.
Seeing the three of them still resting, she smiled faintly, casually lifted the curtain, and tiptoed to the driver’s seat.
“Master, are you still… fiddling with that jade flute?”
She smoothed her skirt, sat down gracefully beside Lin Tianlu, and asked curiously: “Have you… recovered its power from last night?”
“Not yet.”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.
“I tried playing it a few times, but it seems to have returned to being an ordinary flute. According to that young lady’s explanation, perhaps it only works in places with abundant soul power?”
“That’s a pity.” Hua Shuya murmured softly.
“Actually, it’s not a bad thing.”
Lin Tianlu smiled calmly, casually turning the jade flute in his hand: “Even if this flute could truly reverse life and death, it wouldn’t be a good thing for us. The boundary between life and death would become blurred, our fates in our own hands. If we’re not careful, we might stray from the right path.”
Hua Shuya nodded thoughtfully: “So, Master, you mean we shouldn’t rely too much on this power of resurrection?”
“Indeed.” Lin Tianlu smiled and continued: “However, if this flute truly possesses such power in the future, we can use it wisely. There’s no need to feel burdened.”
“You’re always so open-minded, Master.”
Hua Shuya sighed with emotion.
She looked towards the distant mountain range, her eyes narrowing slightly, and murmured: “Is that Mount Min ahead?”
After traveling all night, they had almost reached the area around Mount Min.
“According to the locals, that mountain range should be Mount Min.”
Lin Tianlu took out a simple map and compared it casually: “The mountain range between Wuchang and Maohuan Provinces, this is the only one that matches the description, surrounded by peaks, majestic and imposing. It’s just that it’s quite remote and the terrain is treacherous, so there are almost no settlements around Mount Min, few people even mention this place.”
Along the way, several locals hadn’t even heard of Mount Min, which was a bit frustrating.
Hua Shuya leaned closer and looked at the map, pondering: “Then where should we go up the mountain?”
There didn’t seem to be any paths leading up the mountain, and there were no villages nearby. Finding Miss Yang seemed quite difficult.
“Since Miss Yang specifically invited us to Mount Min, and the people of Mount Min have been living here for generations, for thousands of years, they should have some way of finding us.”
Lin Tianlu smiled: “Let’s just reach the foot of the mountain first.”
…
Around noon, clouds gathered, and the sunlight dimmed.
Lin Tianlu and his group followed the overgrown path, finally arriving at the foot of Mount Min.
Mao Ruoyu looked up at the endless peaks, shrouded in clouds and mist, and couldn’t help but exclaim: “So magnificent.”
Such an imposing mountain range, it was probably no less grand than Immortal Phoenix Mountain, perhaps even more so!
“But how do we go up?”
Cheng Yishi and Hua Shuya got off the carriage, looking around in confusion.
Although it was winter, the deep mountain forest was still lush with vegetation. They had been lucky to find a stone path wide enough for the carriage, but there didn’t seem to be any paths leading up the mountain.
Lin Tianlu was pondering when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps not far away.
Hua Shuya frowned slightly and suddenly shouted: “Who’s hiding in the forest? Show yourself!”
“…”
After a moment, a hunched figure slowly emerged from the trees.
But to everyone’s surprise…
It was an elderly woman, her hair white, her face covered in wrinkles like tree bark, slowly walking towards them with a sturdy wooden staff. But her clothes were clean and tidy, suggesting a certain status.
Lin Tianlu quickly cupped his hands: “May I ask if you’re a resident of this village, old Madam?”
The old woman raised her cloudy eyes, her voice hoarse: “Are you… Lin Tianlu and his family?”
Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow: “Indeed, but how did you know, old Madam…?”
“I’ve been waiting here at the foot of the mountain, on the orders of… the Azure Lady of Mount Min.”
The old woman’s deep-set eyes scanned them, and she said slowly: “I heard in the neighboring Yang Village that Master Lin had married into the Hua family, and I calculated that you would arrive at Mount Min around this time, so I came to have a look.”
Hua Shuya asked curiously: “So, you’re here to guide us up the mountain, old Madam?”
“No.”
But the old woman shook her head.
“No one can easily set foot on the main peak where the Azure Lady resides. Only Master Lin can ascend, she’s been waiting halfway up the mountain. The rest of you can come with me to a side hall to rest and wait until she’s finished with her business.”
“Only I can go up the mountain?”
Lin Tianlu looked surprised.
“These are the rules of Mount Min.” The old woman’s voice was dry and indifferent: “If it weren’t for the Azure Lady’s specific instructions, even you wouldn’t be allowed to step foot on Mount Min, Master Lin.”
“This…”
Lin Tianlu looked back at Hua Shuya and the others, a troubled look on his face.
But after a moment of thought, Mao Ruoyu nodded seriously: “Go ahead, husband. Since we’ve come to Mount Min, we should naturally respect their customs. We’ll just go and rest with this old Madam.”
“Miss Yang wouldn’t harm us.” Cheng Yishi agreed: “Perhaps she truly has something important to discuss with you privately, husband, and it’s not convenient for us to be present.”
If it were anyone else making such a strange request, she wouldn’t have agreed so easily.
But they had spent time with Yang Chanzhen and knew that although she was aloof, she had no malicious intentions and wouldn’t deliberately cause trouble.
“Alright.” Lin Tianlu’s expression turned serious, and he looked at the old woman: “Please take care of my wives, old Madam.”
“Naturally. The Azure Lady instructed me to treat these ladies well, they won’t be harmed.”
The old woman tapped the ground with her staff and said in a deep voice: “As for you, just follow this mountain path, and you’ll see the way when you reach the mountainside.”
Lin Tianlu cupped his hands respectfully: “Thank you for your guidance, old Madam.”
“Ladies, please come with me.”
The old woman turned and shuffled away.
Yun Yue suddenly whispered: “I’ll look after them, Tianlu, you can go up the mountain without worry.”
“Then I’ll be going, take care.”
Lin Tianlu watched Mao Ruoyu and the others follow the old woman, then turned to look at the towering peak, his gaze narrowing slightly, and quickly started climbing.
…
The steepness of the mountain was no obstacle for someone with his abilities.
Lin Tianlu, his hands behind his back, leaped and climbed, using the branches and cliffs as footholds, as if walking on air, quickly passing through the clouds and mist on the mountainside.
Until—
“Hmm?”
Lin Tianlu suddenly stopped, landing on a flat area on the mountainside.
Looking up, he could sense a barrier blocking his path, preventing him from climbing any further.
“This should be a protective barrier of Mount Min, preventing outsiders from approaching?”
Lin Tianlu looked around, the scenery on the mountainside quite beautiful, like a peach blossom garden, lush vegetation covered in snow, fresh and pleasant.
“This isn’t a natural landscape, but carefully cultivated.”
He walked along the path, a faint, cool, and ethereal aura lingering around him, similar yet different from Yin energy.
“Could it be from the people of Mount Min… Hmm?”
Lin Tianlu suddenly stopped, looking ahead in surprise.
The trees parted, and the view before him opened up, revealing a seemingly endless staircase leading towards the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
Lin Tianlu looked around, confirming that there were no other paths.
“Could it be that only after climbing these stairs can one truly reach Mount Min?”
The old woman at the foot of the mountain had said that the Azure Lady of Mount Min was waiting halfway up the mountain, but he didn’t see— “I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
A cold and indifferent voice suddenly echoed.
Lin Tianlu’s heart stirred, and he turned around.
Then, a graceful figure quietly emerged from the shadows of the trees. She was still dressed in her elegant and dignified attire, her face veiled, her dress low-cut, revealing her fair and delicate shoulders and ample bosom.
An oil-paper umbrella hung from her arm, its faint shadow falling on her beautiful figure, yet it couldn’t conceal her captivating aura.
Yang Chanzhen brushed the hair from her temples, her purple eyes flickering slightly, and she said softly: “You seem… more mature now, Master Lin.”
Her voice was ethereal and calm, as if soothing the ripples in his heart.
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “You flatter me, Miss, it’s only been half a month, I haven’t changed that much.”
“Perhaps.”
Yang Chanzhen nodded noncommittally and slowly walked towards him.
As Lin Tianlu watched, slightly surprised, she took his arm: “Follow me, let’s go up the mountain.”
