Chapter 24: Everyone's Just Fooling Around
When they got on the car, Mountain Goat Daoist didn't sit with Zhang Kai's group but stayed with Gu Mingyu and the girl with twin ponytails.
This time, Zhang Kai was calm, while the old fortune teller seemed a bit restless.
"Mingyu, who are those two Daoists?" Zhang Kai asked.
Gu Mingyu smiled and replied, "I was just about to explain to Zhou Daozhang. They were sent by my father. The one with the Daoist name Chongming is also quite remarkable. He arrived last night, but Zhou Daozhang, don't worry; he's here to assist us. You are still in charge."
The old fortune teller smiled knowingly.
If I trust you, I must be a fool.
It seemed that Zhang Kai's assessment was correct. The Gu family had some deep connections.
He glanced at Zhang Kai, who had averted his gaze and was busy examining his nails.
You warned me earlier that you're quite confident. If you're so confident, don't bother looking at me. I'm not afraid. If you dare to betray me, I'll use my Dragon Subduing Palm to make you unrecognizable to your own mother.
The old fortune teller's mouth twitched.
Damn, this is going to be troublesome.
The journey was quick, and in less than two hours, they reached Duqiao Town.
Duqiao Town, in reality, was a town by the river, named after the river called Bingshui River. The source of the river was Snow Peak Mountain, and the town was named after the large bridge that crossed the river.
However, the bridge appeared aged and had seen better days, and the river had significantly receded. What used to be a river over ten meters wide was now only six or seven meters across.
Such was the changing nature of the world and its terrain.
The convoy entered the town and stopped in front of a courtyard.
Gu Mingyu turned to the old fortune teller. "Zhou Daozhang, this is a temporary resting place we've arranged. You mentioned needing something; can we go now?"
The old fortune teller nodded, "Yes, I was just about to go. But where I'm headed, the owner has a peculiar temperament and dislikes outsiders interfering. Mingyu, you can rest here, and Zhang Daozhang and I will go."
Gu Mingyu smiled, "I see. I'll follow from a distance then. After all, I'm the host here, and if there's anything you need, I might be able to help."
The old fortune teller paused for a moment and said, "Very well, then let's go."
They got off the car and headed towards a courtyard.
With the courtyard gate open, they saw a teenage boy of about fourteen or fifteen drying medicinal herbs. He was taken aback when he saw someone at the door and then hurriedly ran inside.
The old fortune teller turned to Gu Mingyu. "Mingyu, you and Zhang Daozhang can wait here. I'll be back shortly."
Gu Mingyu looked at the boy and asked, "Who is he?"
The old fortune teller sighed, "He's a direct disciple of my friend. He's bringing me something. It's part of our deal."
Gu Mingyu furrowed her brow. "Is it convenient? The restricted area can be dangerous."
The old fortune teller reassured her, "Don't worry, he's one of our kind, and he has some self-defense techniques. He's been gathering herbs in the mountains for a long time, so he knows his way around. He might be able to help us."
Gu Mingyu glanced at the boy, who was now hiding behind the old fortune teller, looking shy and embarrassed.
Zhang Kai also glanced at the boy and smiled.
Take him along?
Hah.
This kid is emitting a strong medicinal aroma. It looks like he's been in contact with herbs for a long time. But how could he possibly hide his scent from Zhang Kai's keen senses and nose?
The medicinal aroma was clearly emanating from the boy himself. There was definitely something fishy about this.
But everyone was playing along, and Zhang Kai had no intention of exposing the boy.
With everything in place, they were ready to enter the mountain.
Tomorrow would be the auspicious day, as the old fortune teller had mentioned.
On Gu Mingyu's side, everything had been prepared as well. After some discussions, they all packed their bags and luggage, ready to make their way towards Snow Peak Mountain.
Snow Peak Mountain was located behind Duqiao Town, a few kilometers away, in the mountainous forest.
Snow Peak Mountain was a branch of the Changling Mountain Range, with its main peak standing nearly a thousand meters tall. The peak was perpetually covered in snow and never melted, hence its name.
However, what made Snow Peak Mountain famous wasn't the mountain itself but the creatures that inhabited it. There were three deadly poisonous insects in this area, enough to make anyone turn pale with fear.