Chapter 108: Ascending the Mountain

Dawn broke.

The sky, still studded with a few lingering stars, began to pale. The rising sun cast its rays upon the earth, draping the ridges of Mount Qingtian in what appeared to be a cloak of crimson silk.

Birds began to sing, and the cry of the green phoenix echoed through the air. At the foot of Mount Qingtian lay meadows of fragrant, auspicious grass; below the mountain ravines, torrents rushed with vigor; ancient pines and cloud-fungi stood tall upon the precipices; and behind the mountain, exotic flowers bloomed like brocade. Mysterious apes could be seen climbing trees in search of fruit, while elk trod the green grass in search of blossoms.

At the summit stood a Buddhist temple, wreathed in the smoke of incense.

Clang—clang—clang.

The ancient bell within the temple tolled, its solemn, heavy resonance echoing throughout Mount Qingtian. Crows and magpies took flight from the majestic, wooded peaks, and wild rabbits, badgers, and foxes scurried through the burrows in the cliffs.

At the base of the mountain, pilgrims were already winding their way up the secluded path.

"There is no need for so many of you to come along," Su Yuanbai said, looking back at those following him.

Behind him walked the fierce-eyed martial artist, Xie Xiushi—who wore a bamboo hat—and Miss Cui Dandan of the Cui Estate, her face veiled in white. Her personal maid followed closely behind her.

"I cannot miss the chance to avenge my master," Wu Yang said, bowing his head toward Su Yuanbai, who had stopped to look at them.

"If you leave, I fear that if that young master from the Xu Estate comes looking for trouble again, there will be no one to protect me. But are we not rushing things, coming to the Facu Temple to purge demons like this?" Xie Xiushi whispered to Su Yuanbai, the ram's horn on his forehead pushing against the inside of his bamboo hat.

Though he knew little of the Facu Temple’s true nature, the events of the previous night had yet to be fully processed before they were already rushing through the darkness to the foot of Mount Qingtian. The prospect of climbing the mountain to purge demons in the temple left his head spinning.

"Having someone familiar with the Facu Temple will be of great help in what you are about to do," Cui Dandan said calmly.

Cui Ya stood behind her mistress. Though she remained silent, a trace of hidden anxiety was visible on her face, and her restless footsteps betrayed her inner panic.

"Are you not afraid of the danger?" Su Yuanbai asked, looking at the group with mild curiosity.

Based on their descriptions, the demonic monks of the Facu Temple were no mere commoners. He had not come here intending to wipe them all out in one fell swoop, but rather to first gauge the true nature of the "demonic monks" they spoke of.

After all, times had changed. Had it been the Su Yuanbai of the past, he would have simply fought his way up, but his current physical condition would not permit such a feat. In the absence of absolute overwhelming power, scouting the enemy's strength was the prudent choice.

"A warrior is forged in the struggle between life and death; danger has always been my constant companion," Wu Yang said in a low voice.

He did not fear danger, nor did he fear death; otherwise, he would not have traveled all the way from Guangwan Commandery to Nanxi Commandery the moment he heard the news of his master's death. Because the journey was so rushed, he had not even brought enough money for his expenses. Had he not happened upon Xie Xiushi hiring household guards—and had the generous pay not solved his immediate crisis—Wu Yang might have had to swallow his pride and seek out old friends in Nanxi Commandery.

"With you here, surely there shouldn't be much danger?" Xie Xiushi whispered, looking at Su Yuanbai with curiosity.

In Xie Xiushi’s eyes, this handsome immortal who had once lain in a crystal coffin should find dealing with a demonic temple outside the city to be an effortless task. Surely someone capable of awakening the memories of his past life as the Ghost Star Official must be a deity himself. Xie Xiushi gazed at Su Yuanbai with a sense of certainty; reverence and awe were absent, for he now considered himself an immortal as well.

"Due to certain reasons I cannot disclose, the Facu Temple will not do anything to the Cui Estate, so I have no need to fear," Cui Dandan said, glancing at Su Yuanbai and lowering her gaze.

Cui Ya, who usually obeyed her mistress's every command, looked up at Su Yuanbai before lowering her head in silence. She knew a sliver of the truth regarding how terrifying the Facu Temple truly was. She remained skeptical of this handsome man’s rash actions; while his displayed strength was indeed terrifying, the Facu Temple’s monks had also been able to easily slay the demonized Gan Wen. And the Fire-Dwelling Ghost went without saying—it had been acting under the orders of the temple's monks...

Wait!

Cui Ya’s face turned deathly pale. She gently tapped her mistress on the shoulder, intending to tell her of the terrifying thought that had just crossed her mind. But Cui Dandan looked back at her with a fleeting glance. Seeing the calm, autumn-water clarity of her mistress's eyes, Cui Ya felt a chill in her heart. Her mistress knew that the monks of the Facu Temple had long been aware of the crystal coffin in the Xie Estate and the person lying within it—so why had she not told them?

Just as Cui Ya hesitated over whether to share this information, a figure appeared around a bend in the secluded mountain path. This caused Cui Ya to instinctively take a step back.

"Patron Cui, the Abbot requests your presence."

The figure walked down the path, passing through the drooping green willow branches on either side. He looked toward Cui Dandan, who stood behind the others, and bowed his head with palms pressed together.

He was a young-looking monk with six incense scars upon his shaven head, his simple robes showing signs of being patched with scraps of cloth.

"Did you betray us?" Wu Yang turned to look at Cui Dandan, asking in a low voice.

"I don't see what was so sinister about the Facu Temple as you described; this monk doesn't seem to have a shred of demonic aura about him," Xie Xiushi said, eyeing the young monk standing at the entrance of the path. He looked nothing like the hideous, clawing demons they had been warned of.

"Master Kongchen has returned? Was he not attending a dharma assembly at Mount Wuhun? How could he have returned to Mount Qingtian so quickly?" Upon hearing that the Abbot had sent for them, Cui Dandan’s face turned pale, though she managed to keep her voice steady, hidden as she was behind her white veil.

The monk remained silent, head bowed with palms pressed together, waiting at the entrance of the path like a statue that had stood since time immemorial.

"Let us go." Seeing this, Cui Dandan closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, she had regained her composure. She walked slowly toward the entrance of the path and looked back at Su Yuanbai.

Su Yuanbai gave a slight nod.

The group followed the young monk up the secluded path. It was not a rugged trail; willow branches hung on either side, and the occasional chirp of birds mingled with the faint scent of exotic flowers. As the path ascended, the view suddenly opened up.

In the hazy light of early morning, the mountain scenery was ethereal, as if draped in a thin veil of silk, with the rays of the rising sun painting that veil in hues of orange and red. Clouds and mist shrouded the peaks, creating a dreamlike, transcendental atmosphere. With the cries of birds and the sight of deer drinking and apes climbing, it was truly a magnificent landscape.