"Tsk!"
Zhu Ganglie boasted while thumping his chest:
"None of you have Yuan Furong's WeChat, but I have her dorm mate's. They must have each other's WeChat. Just ask her, and getting Yuan Furong's WeChat will be a piece of cake."
"I almost forgot you're the top player at this school when it comes to chasing girls! You kneel and lick up to every woman!"
Jiang Liuer and Sha Sheng urged:
"Then why aren't you hurrying? It will be harder to torture him once he wakes up."
Suddenly, after a session of groveling, Zhu Ganglie got Yuan Furong's WeChat. Then, while Li Ping'an was still sound asleep, he picked up his phone, unlocked it using face recognition, and turned on the phone.
Strangely, while searching for WeChat on the phone, they didn't see the game named "Black Myth: The Fated One," as if it had never been downloaded.
Jiang Liuer, Zhu Ganglie, and Sha Sheng, the three scoundrels, first changed their names in Li Ping'an's WeChat to Father Jiang, Father Zhu, and Aunt Sha, then they added Yuan Furong on WeChat and confessed their feelings.
After all this, they went about their own business as if nothing had happened.
At eleven at night, Li Ping'an, completely unaware of the tampering with his WeChat, slowly woke up. Although he had only slept for five hours, he felt refreshed and energetic. He quickly tied the storage gourd around his waist and turned on his phone.
"Monkey God, activate!"
Once again returning to the world of "Black Myth: The Fated One," by the time Li Ping'an opened his eyes, it was already daylight. Zixia was standing outside the dilapidated temple by a water tank, washing up with the clean rainwater collected from the night before.
"Master, where are we planning to go?"
"Chang'an!"
"Chang'an? Chang'an is a great place to go, crowded, bustling, and lively. It's much better than these demon-infested wild mountains and forests."
Li Ping'an took out his weapon and equipment from the storage gourd, got dressed, and also stepped out of the temple to wash up, but Zixia disdainfully said:
"Disciple, you're thinking too much. Nowadays, the entire Great Tang is all the same. Do you think Chang'an is a safe haven?"
"Remember, where there are people, there is Jianghu. Although Chang'an is the capital of Great Tang, the hub of commerce, and the epitome of prosperity, that place is filled with nobility, not just princes and nobles but also high officials, and descendants of generals."
"There are also many extraordinary people, not lacking some powerful individuals from the Buddhist Community and Zong Sects!"
"They collude together, conspiring shamelessly. Forget about offending them intentionally; if you mispronounce a word in front of them, they can kill you on the spot without facing any repercussions from the government!"
Li Ping'an carelessly chuckled:
"Master, didn't you say I'm slick-tongued and shamelessly thick-faced? Right, I'm clever enough to know what to say and what not to say. I'm especially good at dealing with those pampered young masters, so don't worry, Master."
Li Ping'an's words alleviated Zixia's worries, yet she looked wistfully in the direction of Chang'an:
"Chang'an is not peaceful. It's a paradise for the rich and powerful, a hell for the poor. To get to Chang'an, you have to first cross the Five Elements Mountain."
"Five Elements Mountain?"
Li Ping'an questioned curiously:
"What kind of place is that? Are there Human-Headed Dog Demons and other demons?"
"You're playing tricks again. Don't you even know the renowned Five Elements Mountain? I'm starting to doubt whether you're even from this world!"
Zixia gave Li Ping'an, who was embarrassingly scratching his head, a stern look.
"Master, your disciple was hit on the head by a Human-Headed Dog Demon and lost his memory, it's understandable... it's understandable..."
"Enough, I'll explain it to you in advance to prevent you from being unable to cope when you get to that perilous place and end up holding me back!"
After cleaning up, Zixia wiped her delicate face with a fragrant towel and, after tidying up her clothes and attire, patiently explained:
"Five Elements Mountain, also known as the famous Five Fingers Mountain, is where the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong, was suppressed by the Tathagata Buddha using the mountain after causing havoc in the heavens. Later, he was rescued by Monk Tang, and together they went to the Western Heaven to retrieve the scriptures."
"However, over the years, I've heard that a murderous band of outlaws has been hiding in the Five Elements Mountain, claiming the mountain as their territory and becoming infamous. Their notoriety extends for hundreds of miles around—everyone knows, everyone's aware!"
"The leader of this band of outlaws is named Supreme Treasure. Before becoming an outlaw, he was a Dusk Warrior with exceptional martial arts skills well-known in Jianghu. Nowadays, he and his underlings specifically rob passing merchants, either descending the mountain to pillage, or committing all sorts of lawless acts, becoming a local menace."
"Supreme Treasure? Why does that name sound so familiar?"
Li Ping'an thought of Star Lord's movie "A Chinese Odyssey," whose male protagonist was also named Supreme Treasure. Could there be any connection?
"What?"
Zixia immediately glared at Li Ping'an:
"You know that bandit leader, Supreme Treasure? Five Elements Mountain and Dog Head Peak aren't too far apart. Could it be that you're one of the local outlaws from Five Elements Mountain who came here to harm people but got caught by the Human-Headed Dog Demon?"
"Oh, my beautiful and charming master... can we think before we speak? My name is Li Ping'an, and with such handsome looks and a refined demeanor, how could I possibly be a ruthless outlaw with a murderous aura?"
Li Ping'an helplessly spread his hands and explained with an aggrieved expression.
"Well, there's also the fact that you're incredibly slick, shameless beyond measure, and also a coward who is afraid of dying. If you were an outlaw, it'd actually be a blessing for the local people. Your appearance and demeanor seem more like a high-ranking official's son or a wayward playboy."
"Hehehe, only my master knows me, understands me... loves me..."
"Stop with the oily flattery and let's get moving!"
After Li Ping'an finished cleaning up, the two of them packed their bags and followed the mountain road down from Dog Head Peak, heading east towards Five Elements Mountain.
Just as Li Ping'an and Zixia were leaving the ruined temple, a golden-haired fox sprang onto the mountain path behind them, its eyes narrowed and filled with murderous intent as it stared at their backs, especially at Li Ping'an.
This fox was the Fox Demon, the close aide of the Human-Headed Dog Demon mentioned by Zixia.
The night before, after the Fox Demon and the Human-Headed Dog Demon went down the mountain to capture people, the Human-Headed Dog Demon carried the villagers back to Bodhisattva Lingji Temple on Dog Head Peak.
The Fox Demon, meanwhile, transformed into human form and stayed in the village to gather information and see if the local government had invited any cultivators to come and eliminate them.
It learned from bystanders that a female cultivator had come that day, who publicly unveiled a Demon-slaying Announcement and then went to Dog Head Peak alone.
The Fox Demon felt uneasy and immediately returned to Dog Head Peak. While Zixia and the Human-Headed Dog Demon were fighting, it came pretending to aid Zixia but secretly attacked her in coordination with the Human-Headed Dog Demon and captured Zixia.
After being trapped in the cage, Zixia, in a bid to save her own life, tricked the demons by saying her brother-disciple was on his way, and if they didn't want to die, they should release her and flee quickly.