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墨書 Inktalez
"Senior Master" said he would take me to see something, and I immediately agreed. It was already past four o'clock, and if I lingered any longer, it would soon be dawn. Once the sun rose, I wouldn't have to be so passive anymore. Regardless of whether "Senior Master" would make things difficult for me, his thoughts wouldn't change just because of my suggestions. Ultimately, it came down to seniority and strength; in front of him, I had no say.
Seeing my agreement, "Senior Master" didn't say another word and walked ahead. I turned around and slowly followed him. For the first few steps, he walked normally, but then he floated off the ground, rising higher and faster. He showed no concern for someone like me who could only walk on foot.
Perhaps he knew that dawn was approaching and that if we didn't hurry, we might not make it back in time. Even so, I dared not deliberately delay anymore. I had already lost face regarding "Daoist Techniques," and if I didn't put in more effort now, it would be too embarrassing—after all, this was about "Qiaoling's" reputation.
No matter how fast my legs ran on the path, they couldn't match his floating speed. The mountain was dark, and I could only rely on the faint light to guide me. There were no clear paths; often I found myself walking into dead ends where I either had to climb over rocks or take a detour. It was exhausting.
After about ten minutes of struggling, "Senior Master" noticed my slow pace and simply told me to keep walking westward for about a mile. When I arrived, I should call for him, and he would naturally appear.
I nodded as I watched him vanish like a gust of wind, pondering when I might acquire such a skill myself.
I continued walking westward, and after about a mile, I was drenched in sweat. This place was indeed windy; the gusts were stronger than in other areas, and occasionally a cold breeze swept by. Although faint, I knew this area wasn't as quiet as it seemed—there were certainly some restless spirits wandering about. However, with the road leading to the heavens and each going their own way, we were from different worlds; there was no reason for us to disturb one another.
Looking up at the sky, it had begun to turn a faint gray; dawn was breaking. A wave of joy washed over me—I had finally made it to this point.
Just as I prepared to call out for "Senior Master," he appeared before me in that gradually solidifying manner of "Spirit."
I respectfully bowed to him, and he merely pointed to a spot and said, "Do you see it? My Corpse is inside that cave."
Following "Senior Master's" finger, I looked over but saw no cave—just a pile of stones. Confused, I said to him, "Senior Master, my eyes are dull; I don't see any entrance."
He didn't explain further but slightly elevated his body and floated above the stone pile. I quickly followed him.
Arriving beside the pile of stones, he said, "Kid, if you move this stone, this one here, and that one over there, you'll find the entrance."
I glanced at the stones again and then at "Senior Master," confirming he wasn't joking before bending down to lift one of them. Meanwhile, I wondered why I still couldn't hear the sound of a rooster crowing. Was it not yet time for that?
I placed my hands on the cold stone and exerted force but found it immovable. Just as I thought to ask if "Senior Master" was pulling my leg, he shook his head and said, "You really can't see what's here."
I shook my head, wondering what could possibly be special about this pile of broken stones. Senior Master sighed, "The current practitioners of cultivation are so ignorant to this extent. First, move this stone forward three inches. Then, remove that stone, and shift this one to the left by an inch, and then this stone..."
With Senior Master's step-by-step guidance, I was surprised to find that what had initially seemed like a chaotic pile of rocks was actually quite easy for me to clear away. In truth, understanding it was worth little; it was merely a matter of some methods of Feng Shui that aligned with Lu Ban's principles. The oddly shaped stones were arranged in a way that appeared natural, and combined with the depth at which they were embedded in the ground and some scattered pebbles for camouflage, they looked utterly unremarkable—there was no hint of any hidden significance.
I couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of metaphysics. To be honest, when I asked Senior Master if he had discerned anything unusual, I had really studied it closely but found nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until he pointed things out that I finally understood; these methods of Feng Shui were so intricate that even someone like me, who was somewhat knowledgeable in the field, couldn't see through them. The vast world is filled with countless unknowns.
As I moved the stones aside, a dark hole was revealed—deep and slanted into the mountain. The entrance was small, just barely wide enough for a person to crawl through.
The sky grew brighter, with the east turning pale as dawn approached. I wondered why it seemed like it should have long passed the time for the rooster to crow, yet Senior Master remained unfazed as if nothing were amiss. Did he not fear the dawn?
Just as I pondered this, a chill wind swept past me, and Senior Master floated into the hole. As I hesitated about whether to crawl in and how to do so, his voice came from inside: "Kid, don't block the entrance." I quickly stepped aside, and Senior Master suddenly floated out again; the gust of wind stirred my clothes and hair more violently than before.
Before I could ask anything, Senior Master drifted away muttering to himself, "Forget it, forget it..."
I was filled with confusion, unsure of what he had seen. I wanted to go in and check but also wanted to ask him about his reaction. In the distance, the faint sound of a rooster crowing reached my ears. I thought perhaps dawn had arrived and Senior Master was returning to his formation. Looking up at the sky and then towards the direction of the crowing rooster, I wondered why the chickens in this village had become so lazy that they only started crowing at this hour.
Standing there indecisively as dawn broke, I realized it would probably be impossible to get any information from Senior Master right now. Should I go down and take a look? But in such a secretive place, what if something unexpected happened inside? There wouldn't even be anyone around to collect my body. Checking my phone revealed it had run out of battery.
It seemed wiser not to act impulsively; at least I should consult my master first. After restoring the stones to their original position, I headed down the mountain feeling exhausted from a sleepless night.
As I reached the foot of the mountain, I spotted a young man with blonde hair leading a large water buffalo past me while taking selfies with a selfie stick—first with himself, then with the buffalo, posing as if he were there for a photo shoot rather than tending to livestock. When did Water Buffalo Uncle become just another prop for showing off?
As I walked by him, he called out, "Hey bro, can you help me take a picture?" Though extremely reluctant, I nodded slightly; I didn't even have the energy for conversation—I just wanted to sleep.
He grinned as he handed me his phone and said, "Wait till I climb onto the buffalo's back and strike some poses; make sure you capture them naturally."
I nodded helplessly and urged him to hurry up since I was pressed for time. He sighed dramatically before moving to the right side of the buffalo. Grabbing onto its back with both hands and kicking his legs up high, he attempted to mount it but fell off from the left side with a loud rip from his tight yellow pants. Watching him fall made me feel quite uncomfortable.
He chuckled and said, "Don't rush, don't rush. Let me try again."
This time, he managed to climb up without falling immediately. Just as his hands left the back of the bull, the animal shifted, and he went sliding down with a series of "ah, ah, ah" sounds.
I turned off the camera and pressed the dial button, saying to him, "Take your time, I'm going to make a call." After that, I dialed Master’s number.
While watching the Blonde Youth struggle with the large water buffalo and listening to the dialing tone, I felt an inexplicable sense of amusement.
When Master answered, I quickly explained the situation. He pondered for a moment but didn’t provide any clear response. The Blonde Youth on the other end grew anxious: "Hurry up, hurry up! I did it! I succeeded!" I ignored him and gestured for silence.
Master said, "How about this? I'll call Master Pan, and you two can check out that cave this afternoon to see if there’s anything unusual with Senior Master's Corpse. You can let Master Pan decide what to do. The red envelope from Master Pan will be your responsibility; this is now your matter."
I agreed wholeheartedly, quickly hung up the phone, and took a few impressive photos of the Blonde Youth with the buffalo. The angles were great; they should be enough for him to show off.
The six o'clock slot was fixed; I had some things to do in the evening but should be home early. There would likely be an update later.
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