"Just waiting for you," Nie Zhengyu waved at Yuan Liang.
Xiang Dun was a diligent scholar. His wide robe covered his muscles, giving him the appearance of a tall and imposing intellectual.
"Flying boat?" It was Yuan Liang's first time here.
It wasn't just Yuan Liang and his group; about ten others also boarded the flying boat.
Nie Zhengyu said proudly, "I managed to snag half-price tickets a few days ago."
The three of them stepped onto the flying boat, which was spacious but already had quite a few passengers.
"So, where are we going? What's the mission?" Yuan Liang asked after taking a seat.
"We're heading to a place called Willow Town. Xiang Dun can tell you the details since he found the mission," Nie Zhengyu replied.
Xiang Dun closed his book on formations and began explaining calmly.
"A terrifying presence has appeared in the forest, forcing hunters to abandon the woods they rely on for their livelihood…"
…
The old hunter noticed that it had started to drizzle and directed everyone toward a nearby abandoned temple. "Let's rest here. We'll continue tomorrow."
Just as they reached the temple, the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour.
Upon entering the Temple of the Mountain God, they didn't care about appearances, shedding their rain gear and collapsing on the floor, gasping for breath.
The temple was not well-maintained but spacious, with three dusty statues of the Mountain God in the center.
The area was littered with dirt and animal droppings, and the plaque bearing the Mountain God's name was nowhere to be seen.
It seemed the offerings had been eaten by wild animals long ago.
Both of the temple's doors were gone, allowing a chilly wind to blow in.
The old hunter placed a few items as offerings, giving thanks to the Mountain Gods for letting them take shelter.
The three statues of the Mountain God were roughly carved, but each had distinguishing features.
The central god had the form of a tall scholar, holding a core crystal for formations in one hand and a book in the other.
To the left was a bald figure with a caterpillar on his shoulder, staring forward sternly.
The figure on the right was also bald, holding a long staff that looked suspiciously like a loaf of bread.
"Is this a temple for monks?" The old hunter felt the statues were almost lifelike.
But he wondered why two of the statues were bald.
Just then, a young woman burst through the rain, dressed in a green robe, her expression tinged with sorrow.
"Excuse me, I encountered a downpour on the road. May I take shelter here for the night?"
"No!" The old hunter immediately refused.
A beautiful woman appearing suddenly in the depths of the mountains was suspicious.
The most telling sign was that the woman in green was completely dry!
Despite the torrential rain outside.
The woman in green found their attitude rude.
"You're so unreasonable! The temple has no owner, and you're merely taking shelter here from the rain. Do you expect me to keep casting a spell to ward off the rain?"
The old hunter, relying on his years of experience, felt something was off about her. He softened his tone.
"Honored cultivator, you're a lady, and we're seven men here. It wouldn't look right."
"There's a mountain trail to the north with a small cabin halfway up, where we hunters sometimes take refuge. For someone of your abilities, it's only a few steps away."
He wasn't lying; there was indeed a cabin there, though it wouldn't hold all of them.
The woman in green considered it and agreed.
There was no need to stay in this drafty old temple if she had other options.
After she left, everyone let out a sigh of relief, fearing she might harm them.
"Alright, get some sleep. We have to start early tomorrow. I don't ever want to come back to this creepy place," the old hunter said, yawning as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
He assigned two people to take turns on watch, and they all went to sleep.
After everyone fell asleep, the eyes of the three Mountain God statues moved, watching over the group.
…
One of the young men yawned, his vision blurry as he and another took the first watch.
"I'm so tired… I just want to sleep."
"Stay awake. These woods aren't safe…"
"Right, I can't sleep. I'm waiting for a woman ghost to visit me."
"You're not even that handsome! If anything, the woman ghost would visit me."
"Woman ghosts like scholars, you know. I've read so many books, so the ghost would pick me."
They whispered back and forth about the imagined woman ghost, growing more awake as they talked.
Suddenly, a deep growl pierced through the sound of rain and thunder, startling them.
Just as they wondered if it was their imagination, another low growl sounded, closer this time.
"It's a bear!" They exchanged fearful glances.
"Wake up! Everyone, get up!" the young man shouted.
The group woke up, clutching their weapons and staring nervously outside as cold sweat dripped down their faces.
The growling stopped, replaced by heavy breathing, hinting at the size of the beast outside.
A shadow appeared in the rain, growing larger as it neared, causing everyone's hearts to race.
A gigantic black bear emerged from the rain, stepping into the temple.
The old hunter could even make out the individual strands of the bear's fur.
The bear entered fully, towering over them, making them break into a cold sweat.
"What now?" the young man whispered to the old hunter, knowing their wooden sticks were no match.
To everyone's surprise, the old hunter walked straight up to the bear and bowed, saying, "Please, have a meal, Great Bear."
"Good job," the bear said, speaking in a human voice.
The group fell back in shock, realizing one of them had betrayed them.
The bear sneered, "I didn't originally plan to eat you all, as it might draw attention if so many people disappeared."
"But you left me no choice. You planned to report me to the Great Love Sect and other sects, so now I can't let you leave!"
The black bear lunged, mouth wide, as the hunters shut their eyes, awaiting death.
Suddenly, a shout rang out, "Your grandpa has arrived!"
"Who's there?" The bear froze, fear creeping into its heart as the unexpected voice startled it.
"Hand over your life!" One of the Mountain God statues exploded, and a man jumped down.
"A monk? Which temple are you from?" The bear frowned, seeing the bald figure.
"Shut up! You're the monk!"
Nie Zhengyu shouted, wielding a staff that looked suspiciously like a loaf of bread.
"I've been waiting for you for three days!"