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墨書 Inktalez
Outside the door was a hidden jungle, with shrubs and vines covering the ridge above. Behind them was the passage that Bai Yujing and the others had emerged from. At this moment, the sky outside was bright, the white mist that had shrouded hundreds of miles was gone, and the mountains that had seemed both real and illusory were no longer there. Everything had returned to normal.
Li Hao turned back to look at the passage behind him. "It seems like no one followed us!"
Bai Yujing also took a look, shining his flashlight and discovering that the passage extended only three or four meters before reaching a dead end, with nothing left but a wall. The long corridor that had been sufficient for several hours of walking had vanished, as if it had dissipated along with that bizarre world.
"There's nothing left!" Lin Ruoqiao said, feeling very dissatisfied after coming out empty-handed.
Li Hao was relatively satisfied; they had all made it out alive, and Lin Ruoqiao was fine. "Alright, do you still need anything? Hurry up and follow me back. If you keep wandering around, I'll tell your dad to break your legs!"
Zhong Qiang and A Ling felt lost and disappointed. After all their efforts, they returned empty-handed, and many people had died. However, at this point, they both understood that returning alive was truly a stroke of luck; everything else was insignificant.
The group checked their belongings and found that most of their things were scattered everywhere, with no food left. They hadn’t eaten anything for over a day and felt utterly exhausted.
"Let's find something to eat quickly. We don't have sleeping bags or tents left; we have to tough it out for a few days!" Bai Yujing looked at the vast mountains and said to Li Hao and the others, prompting another round of lamentations from everyone.
"The fact that you can still shout means you have strength left. You two, come with me to find water and food. You gather firewood and get a fire going!"
When Bai Yujing went out to look for food, he soon found a stone tablet not far ahead. It was the same tablet he had seen in pictures before, inscribed with the ancient characters for Kuaiwei Clan.
"So this stone tablet is here? I wondered why I didn't see it before!"
This place had long ago been the core area of the Kuaiwei Clan. After the decline of the Kuaiwei Clan, they built an Imperial Tomb deep in the mountains, attempting to create a celestial palace for their clan. However, it seemed they had failed in this endeavor, ultimately leaving behind only an entrance to a Kuaiwei Clan sacrificial passage for future generations to pay homage to. Eventually, as the Kuaiwei Clan disappeared, nothing remained here.
After finishing their meal, a few people continued walking forward and soon saw the Mountain Spirit Clan's Village. They began to cautiously pass by the side, afraid of disturbing whatever was inside. However, as they got closer, they realized that this Village looked quite different from what Bai Yujing and the others had seen before. It seemed as if no one had lived there for a long time; it was empty inside, with nothing at all.
"What happened? We just left not long ago, how could it seem like so many years have passed?" Lin Ruoqiao and A Ling were very familiar with this place and were surprised to see it transformed in the blink of an eye.
Li Hao was also astonished: "Where are the Mountain Spirits? There used to be so many of them everywhere, but now not a single one can be seen! Have they all left?"
Everyone looked at the dilapidated Village. The large buildings above had collapsed, and the entire Village had turned into a wasteland. The ground was overgrown with weeds and shrubs, with tall grass reaching up to their knees.
The ancient and mysterious Suspended Tower in the center of the Village had also decayed. As soon as someone stepped on the stairs, they would immediately collapse. The doors and windows were rotten, and there was nothing inside—no Mountain Spirits wearing Masks, no strange figures holding lanterns, and no sight of the stunning Red Consort.
Standing in the center of the Village, everyone looked around, feeling as if they had just experienced an unreachable dream. Upon waking up, there was no trace left; it felt as if everything was merely an illusion, just a figment of their imagination.
A few days later, they emerged from the Wild Man's Gorge in disarray and finally saw the familiar Laojun Mountain again. They were on the verge of tears as they rushed to a restaurant outside the mountain for a hearty meal. After resting for a night in Muyu Town, they finally came back to their senses.
"From now on, I swear I won't go into the mountains again; I've been traumatized!" Li Hao said to Bai Yujing while walking alongside Lin Ruoqiao.
"By the way, Old Bai, what happened after you fell down? Why did that ghostly place suddenly collapse?" Li Hao looked at Bai Yujing with confusion, clearly curious about what had transpired afterward.
Bai Yujing was reluctant to discuss what happened later. He vaguely felt that this matter was not so simple and chose not to elaborate. After all, Li Hao and Lin Ruoqiao's involvement in this incident had come to an end; what followed had nothing to do with them: "There’s nothing much to discover; I just fell down and didn’t die—lucky me! Who knew how I suddenly ended up back in that passage!"
Just as they walked out of the hotel, they ran into Zhong Qiang and A Ling. The two had also come out to see off Bai Yujing and the others. Having traveled together for so long, they had become familiar with each other. Even if there had been some unpleasantness earlier, it didn’t matter anymore now that they were here.
"A Ling, Qiangzi, how are you? What are your plans for the future? This matter has reached a conclusion; everything hidden here—the Kuaiwei Clan, the divine mountain, the Mountain Spirits—has vanished without a trace. There’s nothing left," Bai Yujing said to them both.
A Ling seemed very lost: "I don't know what to do. The Minister is missing, and the branch here has basically been disbanded. The Minister left some things and transferred the branch to me, saying that I would be the Minister of the Shennongjia Branch from now on!"
Bai Yujing immediately asked, "Your Minister is missing? That's really unfortunate. Such a mysterious figure, I was looking forward to meeting him and having a talk, but he disappeared so quickly. It seems that Shennong really shows his face but not his tail!"
A Ling shook her head: "I’m not sure what exactly happened, but the Minister has always been very mysterious!"
Bai Yujing then looked at Zhong Qiang: "Qiangzi, what about you?"
Zhong Qiang laughed heartily, looking in good spirits: "I never belonged here; I just came to join the fun. Since there's nothing for me to do anymore, I'm planning to head back!"
Bai Yujing nodded: "Alright then, let's part ways here. If anything comes up in the future, we can get in touch!"
Zhong Qiang nodded: "But I still feel like this matter won't end so easily!"
Bai Yujing smiled: "We'll see!"
Li Hao and Lin Ruoqiao also bid farewell to the two of them. Lin Ruoqiao started bickering with A Ling again, and after a reluctant separation, they got into the car. Li Hao drove away from Muyu Town, following the scenic mountain roads of Meili, gradually leaving Shennongjia and returning to the densely populated city.
At this moment, sitting in the car, Lin Ruoqiao said sadly: "It's a pity that Xu Lei didn't come back with us!"
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