In the twilight, Qingmu leaned against the car door, smoking one cigarette after another, waiting for Wang Xuan to finish work at the design institute. He felt troubled; his master had hastily fled to the New Star, and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened.
Wang Xuan was in a good mood, feeling a weight lift from his heart, laughing and chatting with colleagues as they exited the building. "Little Wang, over here," Qingmu called.
"Someone's looking for me; see you tomorrow!" Wang Xuan quickly waved goodbye to his colleagues and moved toward Qingmu.
As flocks of migratory birds faded into the distance against the autumn sky, Qingmu drove Wang Xuan to dinner while bombarding him with questions. When he heard about Old Chen's recent meeting with the True Immortal of Feather Transformation, he almost crashed the car.
"Watch the road! Take it easy!" Wang Xuan reminded him, noticing the traffic was dense during rush hour. Qingmu felt a knot in his stomach; could it be that Old Chen had been scared off by the female sorceress?
Wang Xuan was relaxed, admiring the fiery maple trees lining the road, thinking that with the female sorceress no longer appearing, Old Chen might have indeed run to the New Star.
"Do you think my master will be okay?" Qingmu asked, still unsettled by the bizarre turn of events.
"Old Chen is a good man; he'll be fine," Wang Xuan reassured him.
Having ordered at a high-end restaurant, Qingmu began to inquire about the details. "So, Old Chen helped you dodge a disaster?"
Wang Xuan laughed, "Don't get the wrong idea; it's not my fault! Everyone involved in the Daxinganling underground experiments isn't innocent. You should be careful too!"
As they ate, Wang Xuan warned Qingmu to prepare some talismans, recalling how Old Chen had stockpiled them all over himself after the incident.
Qingmu remained silent, a complex expression on his face as he blew out a smoke ring.
"With great power comes great responsibility," Wang Xuan quipped.
Qingmu shot him a glare. "What nonsense is that?"
"How can we help him?" Qingmu frowned, genuinely worried about his master.
"I don't think it's a big deal; Old Chen's gone to the New Star, and the female sorceress will find it hard to adapt there. Sooner or later, she'll bring him back," Wang Xuan replied.
Qingmu frowned again and suggested they go help Old Chen in New Star.
Wang Xuan quickly refused. "Just escaped from one fire pit; why jump into another?"
He looked at Qingmu seriously. "You should worry about yourself. If the female sorceress comes back, you'll probably be next."
"Shut your mouth!" Qingmu retorted, feeling increasingly uneasy.
He suspected that the female sorceress might have approached Old Chen because of Wang Xuan's earlier words.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. He insisted, "Let's eat and then leave! You shouldn't contact me for a while; don't mention my name!"
"Come on, it's not like my mouth is some kind of beacon for trouble," Wang Xuan protested.
"Just be quiet! We need to keep our distance for now!" Qingmu rushed to settle the bill, eager to leave the table.
"How soon will that five million hit my account?" Wang Xuan asked, eyeing his friend.
"Tomorrow!" Qingmu confirmed, and without hesitation, he left, resolved not to come near Wang Xuan's place for the time being.
The next day, Wang Xuan received a text alerting him of a large deposit. He counted six zeros: five million! His spirits soared.
He suddenly remembered a crucial detail: had taxes been paid? He called Qingmu, but his calls were rejected five times.
Finally, Qingmu couldn't ignore him anymore and sent a text confirming that taxes were handled, and he'd receive the net five million.
"You're the best, Old Qing!" Wang Xuan quickly replied.
Seeing that message, Qingmu blocked him, convinced that any interaction would lead to trouble.
That evening, Wang Xuan called his parents, announcing he'd visit that weekend. He preemptively said, "I won the lottery!"
Over the next two days, he studied Daoist texts, practiced foundational techniques, and thought about the Feather Transformation Stone. He was determined to check the mountain where legends of the immortal lady lingered.
On Friday, after work, he hurried to the bus station. His home was just over a hundred kilometers away, so the trip wasn't long.
When he arrived, his parents were pleased but surprisingly calm. As his father said, "What good is all that money? As long as you have enough, it's fine." This laid-back attitude explained Wang Xuan's own easygoing nature.
"Keep it for yourself; buy a home, settle down soon," his father encouraged, pushing the idea of marriage.
Wang Xuan, who visited only every couple of weeks, noticed that while his parents were happy, they took his visit in stride.
"I just graduated; it's too early. Let me wait a couple of years. Here's the money for you." He promptly transferred funds without a second thought.
After dinner, he inquired about the legends surrounding the Dake Mountain, rumored to be home to an immortal lady.
His father reminisced, "Oh, that place had quite a following. Back when I was young, it was thriving. But after the town was redeveloped, everyone moved away, and it fell silent. Now, it's just overgrown, and the temple's foundations have vanished."
Wang Xuan said, "Tomorrow, I'll take two childhood friends to check it out. It's been ages since I went to Dake Mountain, and it's a good season to forage for hazelnuts and walnuts."
Later, he arranged with his friends, who were eager to join. One said he'd prepare a vehicle, while the other promised to bring hunting dogs for rabbit chasing.
Unfortunately, the weather forecast turned sour. While Saturday was supposed to be sunny, rain began to fall heavily, and both friends canceled, suggesting they postpone until Sunday.
Wang Xuan, feeling restless, decided that the rain didn't hinder him. For someone practicing ancient techniques, it wasn't a problem at all. He set off for Dake Mountain.
He donned his rain gear and headed out, feeling the connection between the immortal lady's legend and the rain—perfect for his expedition.
With his fourth-level Golden Body technique, even several dozen kilometers felt like a breeze.
Finally, he entered the mountain range. The rocks appeared dark and desolate, resembling faint ink stains, hence the name Dake Mountain.
Following his memory, he headed directly for a peak, climbing swiftly. However, when he reached the summit, he was puzzled—the temple he expected was nowhere to be found. Even if it had collapsed, there should have been some remnants.
He suspected the foundation had been excavated.
Did he remember incorrectly? Was it not this mountain?
Wang Xuan searched other peaks, but after climbing several, he found no trace of the collapsed temple.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the air, and a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky, momentarily brightening the entire Dake Mountain.
Inadvertently, Wang Xuan looked up and noticed something unusual. On the very peak where he initially thought the temple had collapsed, a creature appeared—an enormous hound carrying a person down the mountain.
With each bound of the hound, the ground trembled slightly as it raced towards him!