Chereads / The Journey of Mountains / Chapter 11 - Growing Reputation, New Mission

Chapter 11 - Growing Reputation, New Mission

 After defeating the mysterious man, the deeds of Lin Feng and others quickly spread in the surrounding villages and towns. People were singing the praises of their bravery and justice, regarding them as heroes who protected the area. When Lin Feng and his companions walked on the streets, they could often feel the respectful gazes of the villagers. The children's eyes sparkled with admiration as they surrounded them, asking them to tell the story of the battle. Lin Feng scratched his head a bit shyly and said to his companions, "I never expected that we would become heroes in everyone's mouths now." Xiaohu grinned and said, "Haha, this feeling is really good! But it also shows that we've done a great deed." Xiaohua blushed as she was surrounded by a group of children. She answered their questions a bit shyly, "We just couldn't let the bad guys hurt everyone. It's what we should do." A Niu smiled and patted Lin Feng on the shoulder, "Our efforts haven't been in vain. But this is just the beginning. We still have a long way to go." However, fame brought not only glory but also some troubles. One day, a messenger dressed in splendid clothes came to find them. The messenger bowed respectfully to them and said, "You young heroes, I'm sent by the city lord. The city lord has heard of your deeds and highly appreciates you. He specially invites you to the city lord's mansion for a chat." Lin Feng and the others exchanged glances, feeling a bit puzzled in their hearts. But they still decided to follow the messenger to go. The city lord's mansion was magnificent, with the high gatehouse elaborately carved and heavily guarded. They followed the messenger through the long corridor and came to the city lord's council hall. The city lord was a middle-aged man with a solemn face but wise eyes. He looked at Lin Feng and the others, smiling and said, "You are the young heroes who have become famous recently. Truly, heroes come from the youth. I invited you here because there is an important matter I want to discuss with you." Lin Feng took a step forward and said respectfully, "City lord, may I ask what the matter is? As long as it's within our ability, we will do our best." The city lord nodded slightly, and his expression became solemn, "Recently, some abnormal phenomena have occurred in our area. Strange sounds often come from the Misty Forest on the outskirts of the city, and many people who entered the forest have gone missing. We suspect that there is some evil thing causing trouble, but those we sent in never came back. I've heard that you have extraordinary strength, and I hope you can help investigate." Xiaohu frowned and asked, "City lord, is the Misty Forest very dangerous?" The city lord sighed, "The Misty Forest was originally full of various unknown dangers, with fierce beasts and complex terrains. But this time the situation is unusual. Those missing people didn't leave any clues, as if they disappeared out of thin air. I also know that this task is extremely difficult, but there is really no other better way at present." Lin Feng thought for a moment and then said firmly, "City lord, we are willing to accept this task. We will do our best to find out what exactly is happening in the Misty Forest." Xiaohua pulled Lin Feng's clothes worriedly and said, "Brother Lin Feng, won't it be too dangerous?" Lin Feng gently patted Xiaohua's hand and said, "Xiaohua, we can't retreat just because of danger. Those missing people need us to find the answers. Moreover, if there really is an evil thing and we let it be, more people will be hurt." A Niu also nodded, "Yes, we have to go." After getting their reply, the city lord prepared some necessary supplies and equipment for them and arranged an experienced guide who was familiar with the Misty Forest. The guide was an old hunter named Uncle Li. Uncle Li looked at Lin Feng and the others and said, "Kids, the Misty Forest is no joke. You must follow me closely and don't run around." After entering the Misty Forest, Lin Feng and the others immediately felt a压抑的 atmosphere. The mist was thick, blocking their sight, and they could only see a few meters ahead. The surrounding trees were unusually tall, with dense branches and leaves, and the sunlight could hardly penetrate, making the forest look gloomy. Lin Feng observed the surroundings vigilantly and said to his companions, "Everyone, be careful. Something doesn't feel right here." Xiaohu tightened his grip on his weapon and said, "Yeah, this fog seems to interfere with our perception." As they were walking, suddenly a low growl came, as if from the depths of the forest. Xiaohua was so scared that she grabbed Lin Feng's arm tightly, "What's that sound? It's so scary." Uncle Li's face was solemn, "That sound... doesn't seem like an ordinary beast. Everyone, get ready. There might be danger." As the growl got closer, they saw a huge black shadow looming in the mist. When the black shadow gradually became clear, they saw that it was a huge monster. The monster was covered with spikes all over its body, its eyes glowed with an eerie red light, and its huge mouth was full of sharp fangs. Lin Feng said in a low voice, "Everyone, don't panic. Let's follow the previous tactics. Xiaohua, you prepare the auxiliary spells at the back; Xiaohu, A Niu, let's attack together." Xiaohu and A Niu nodded, and the three quickly got into position. When the monster saw them, it roared and charged towards them. Lin Feng launched the first attack. He cast an immortal technique, and several sword lights shot towards the monster. The monster easily blocked the sword lights with its tough hide and continued charging towards them without slowing down. Xiaohu saw the opportunity and rushed towards the monster from the side, slashing his weapon hard at the monster's leg. The monster howled in pain and swung its claw at Xiaohu. A Niu saw this and promptly blocked the monster's attack with his shield. The huge impact made A Niu step back a few paces. "Xiaohua, disrupt it!" Lin Feng shouted. Xiaohua immediately cast a spell, and the surrounding vines grew rapidly, wrapping around the monster's body and restricting its movement. Lin Feng took the opportunity to gather his strength and launched a stronger attack, hitting the monster directly on the head. The monster let out a painful howl and broke free from the vine's restraint, charging at them again. After a fierce battle, they finally managed to repel the monster. Everyone was a bit out of breath. Especially A Niu, who had borne most of the monster's attacks and suffered some minor injuries. "Is everyone okay?" Lin Feng asked. "I'm okay. Just a bit tired. This monster was really tough to deal with." Xiaohu replied. A Niu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "I can still hold on. We have to keep going." Xiaohua took out some herbs from her bag and treated A Niu's wounds, "Brother A Niu, take a rest first." After a short rest, they continued to go deeper into the Misty Forest. As they went deeper, more and more strange phenomena occurred. They found some strange symbols carved on the trees. These symbols emitted a mysterious power that made people feel uneasy. Lin Feng leaned closer to observe those symbols and said, "These symbols don't look like ordinary marks. They seem to be hiding some information." Uncle Li frowned and said, "I've been hunting in this forest for so many years, but I've never seen these things. This Misty Forest must have been affected by some evil power." Just as they were studying the symbols, suddenly a melodious flute sound came. The flute sound was ethereal and eerie, as if it had a magic power that made people unconsciously want to trace its source. "This flute sound... is so strange." Xiaohua said a bit trance-like. Lin Feng had a bad feeling in his heart, "Everyone, don't be confus by the flute sound. This might be a trap." However, Xiaohu had already uncontrollably walked towards the direction of the flute sound. Lin Feng quickly grabbed him, "Xiaohu, wake up!" Xiaohu's eyes were glazed, "I... I can't control myself. The flute sound seems to be calling me." Lin Feng quickly cast a Clear Mind Incantation to help Xiaohu regain consciousness. After Xiaohu regained consciousness, he said in horror, "This flute sound is too scary. I almost fell for it." They decided to walk in the opposite direction of the flute sound, trying to get rid of this eerie temptation. However, they found that no matter how they walked, the flute sound always seemed to surround them, as if they were trapped by an invisible force. "What should we do? The flute sound seems to be following us all the time." Xiaohua said anxiously. Lin Feng frowned tightly, thinking of a countermeasure, "We can't be led by the nose by it. We have to find a way to break this situation. Maybe we can use immortal techniques to block the influence of the flute sound." So they each cast immortal techniques, forming a protective barrier around them. Sure enough, the influence of the flute sound weakened a lot. They continued to look for a way out and moved forward with difficulty in the forest. After walking for an unknown amount of time, they came to an empty area. The mist here was even thicker, almost making it impossible to see their hands in front of their faces. In the middle of the empty area, there was an ancient altar, and on the altar was placed a crystal ball emitting an eerie glow. "This altar... feels really evil." A Niu said in a low voice. Lin Feng carefully approached the altar. He could feel a powerful evil power emitting from the crystal ball. "This must be the source of all the problems. We have to be careful. Destroying this crystal ball might trigger a more intense reaction." Just as they were about to study how to destroy the crystal ball, the surrounding mist suddenly churned violently, as if there were countless pairs of eyes peering at them in the darkness. They knew that a greater challenge was coming. "Everyone, get ready. A fierce battle is inevitable." Lin Feng clenched his fists and stood back to back with his companions, ready for battle. Suddenly, a group of black shadows emerged from the mist. Their figures were ethereal and their speed was extremely fast. They pounced towards Lin Feng and the others. Another thrilling battle was about to begin. Could they successfully destroy the crystal ball and lift the crisis in the Misty Forest? Everything was still unknown, and they could only rely on their courage and wisdom to face it.