From the early hours until dawn, that pesky ghost girl kept scolding me nonstop, and my head got bumped so much it looked like the Buddha's, full of lumps. But for Xiaoxiang's sake, I refused to back down. I'd rather die than give up. In the end, the ghost girl got tired of beating and yelling at me and reluctantly gave in. However, she warned me sternly: this time, no matter what happens in the Desolate Mountain, she wouldn't give me any advice. She told me I could just wait to die.
By now, I was familiar with her temper. I knew she was just saying it out of anger. When things got critical, there was no way she'd really leave me to fend for myself.
After catching a few hours of sleep, I got up at sunrise, packed my belongings, and left a note for my three roommates, who were still sleeping like logs. I told them I'd gone on a trip out of Nandu for a few days. On my way past the landlord's place, I thought about Moxie and left the old lady a note too. I explained that if Moxie woke up with signs of amnesia, she shouldn't worry—I was heading out to summon her soul back.
Nandu was over 500 kilometers away from Luoyang, but it only took Xie Chen three hours to drive there. Riding in a BMW is undoubtedly comfortable—I didn't feel the least bit tired. When we arrived, the first stop was Xie Chen's apartment in a residential complex. Inside, two people were already waiting for us. Xie Chen explained that they were his assistants and that once we were fully prepared, we'd head to the Desolate Mountain together.
The two assistants couldn't have been more mismatched. One was a buck-toothed woman with a face full of acne scars, wearing a cheap pair of glasses and an outdated floral outfit. She looked like a spinster from the 1950s. The other was a man resembling a homeless person—messy hair, filthy clothes, and a body reeking of sour stench.
I couldn't help but stare in disbelief. Were these people really qualified to be assistants? I began to suspect that Xie Chen was just cutting costs, hiring janitors and movers off the street.
Xie Chen read my mind and pulled me aside to explain. The woman's name was Liu Ying, a villager from a nearby mountain village in Luoyang. Despite her appearance, she was incredibly strong and had some martial arts training. Her sense of smell was as sharp as a hunting dog's. The man was Wu Luo, a down-and-out hermit proficient in folk sorcery. Though he was living in poverty, his abilities were remarkable. Xie Chen claimed he had discovered these hidden talents by chance and hired them temporarily for jobs like this, as their rates were cheap.
Typical cost-cutting measures, but his descriptions of their abilities sounded almost too good to be true.
I decided to stock up on yellow paper, brushes, red string, a bagua mirror, and a peachwood sword—basically the essentials. Thanks to the ghost girl's teachings, I knew how to use these items, and bringing them along seemed wise. Liu Ying went out to buy them for me and returned promptly. I immediately got to work drawing a few talismans for sealing, Samadhi True Fire, and Golden Light.
Meanwhile, Wu Luo had packed all the food and tools we'd need for venturing into the mountains, neatly storing everything in the car's trunk. Despite his shabby appearance, he was impressively efficient. Liu Ying, for her part, proved to be sharp and quick-witted when running errands. I started to feel more reassured.
After grabbing a quick meal at a restaurant downstairs, the four of us set out for the Desolate Mountain.
The Desolate Mountain lay about 70 kilometers southeast of Luoyang. Within an hour, we reached a hotel parking lot near the mountain, where Xie Chen left his car. From there, we had to hike in on foot, laden with all our gear. Xie Chen carried a satellite map, but strangely enough, while the Desolate Mountain was fully mapped, the location of Juehu Village remained a blank white spot. Xie Chen said the village was about ten miles through the woods, and we should reach it before nightfall.
We had considered hiring a local guide, but as soon as the villagers heard we were heading to Juehu Village, their faces turned pale, and they shook their heads vehemently. No one was willing to go. Xie Chen assured us that Liu Ying and Wu Luo were accustomed to mountain life, so we'd manage just fine without a guide.
And so, the four of us entered the wilderness.
Once we were inside, I started to regret it. The mountain terrain was steep, densely forested, and entirely overgrown. There was hardly a path to follow. Once we plunged into the trees, the canopy blotted out the sky. By the time we emerged from the woods, our clothes were ripped, our hands and faces were scratched, and the sweat made the cuts sting unbearably. It was pure misery.
Wu Luo and Liu Ying remained silent and followed behind us. I had underestimated Liu Ying—she turned out to have incredible stamina, keeping pace with Wu Luo effortlessly. Xie Chen, on the other hand, was completely out of shape. He panted like a dog and was drenched in sweat long before we reached the halfway point. We had to stop twice just so he could catch his breath.
By the time we descended into the heart of the mountain, the terrain became even more challenging. Towering ancient trees blocked out nearly all the light, making it hard to orient ourselves. Thankfully, Xie Chen's satellite locator helped us keep on track. Liu Ying proved her worth, leading us safely past several bogs, quicksand, and tangles of vines that could have trapped us.
Scattered along the way, we found the occasional human skeleton or animal droppings. Liu Ying pointed them out, cautioning us to remain vigilant.
Her warnings unsettled me. These days, I wasn't too afraid of ghosts, but wild animals? That was a different story. In this wilderness, who knew what kinds of venomous creatures or predators lurked? I couldn't help but wonder how Moxie and her friends had managed to find Juehu Village in the first place.
Wu Luo urged us to pick up the pace. If night fell before we reached the village, staying in the forest would be extremely dangerous.
Though I wasn't as fit as Liu Ying or Wu Luo, my regular exercise and Taoist training kept me going. Xie Chen, however, was hopeless. When he finally gave out, Wu Luo had to carry him the rest of the way.
Just as the sun was setting, we emerged from the forest.
Standing on a hillside, we looked down to see the ruins of Juehu Village—a desolate cluster of old houses shrouded in overgrown vegetation.
Despite our exhaustion, we couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. We had found the village!
The ancient architecture nestled among the greenery was breathtakingly picturesque. Yet under the blood-red hue of the setting sun, it exuded an eerie and mysterious aura.