pertwk Chapter 55 Moving Mountains and Unloading Ridges, the Master with Great Supernatural Powers
Chapter 55 Moving Mountains and Unloading Ridges, the Master with Great Supernatural Powers
"Gathering information? Gathering information about what?"
Huang Bai asked the question knowingly, but his expression remained completely unchanged.
Partridge Whistle was naturally unaware that Huang Bai already knew their purpose.
Fearing the old foreigner might blurt out the truth, he preemptively took over the conversation.
"We're in the medicinal herb business, and we've come here to inquire about some valuable medicinal herbs. If we find any suitable ones, I'm willing to buy them at a high price."
Over the years, he has traveled all over the country and has extensive experience in the underworld. When he lies, he remains calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.
Although they didn't go down into the tomb for money, the things they brought out were enough to feed an ordinary person for several lifetimes, so it wasn't too incongruous to claim they were medicine merchants.
Seeing that his senior brother had already started, the old foreigner immediately chimed in.
"That's right. If we really have the medicinal herbs we need, the price is negotiable."
Huang Bai listened but didn't expose him; he just smiled.
"It's getting late, let's find a place to stay for the night first."
After this delay, the sun was already sinking low over the mountains. Continuing to wander aimlessly in the mountains wouldn't be seeking lodging; it would be asking for trouble.
Huang Bai led the three down the mountain and found a family they knew to stay with.
The mountain dweller was flattered to see Huang Bai visiting. He immediately offered to kill a chicken to entertain the guest, insisting that since his benefactor had come, he could not be negligent in any way.
However, Huang and Bai all declined, citing their fatigue from the journey, and simply ate some food before resting.
Late at night, the sky was a clear blue expanse filled with stars.
Partridge Whistle lay there for a while, but couldn't fall asleep, so he got up and went to the courtyard to practice his boxing.
Every time he went into a tomb, it was a matter of life and death. He himself wasn't that afraid, but what he was really worried about were his junior brothers and sisters who were always by his side.
The Zagrama people carried too much on their backs.
For thousands of years, countless lives have been lost in the struggle to break that curse.
Partridge Whistle only hoped that he could shoulder more of the burden himself, and not let Hua Ling and the old foreigner follow him on those perilous journeys.
call!
A sudden gust of wind came from behind.
Partridge Whistle's eyes lit up, and he twisted his foot, turning around in the process.
"Good timing."
The visitor was Huang Bai.
Without saying much, the two started fighting.
One was a seasoned fighter, each move steady and deliberate; the other was agile and possessed astonishing strength. The courtyard was instantly filled with the whooshing sounds of fists flying.
boom!
After a fierce exchange, Partridge Whistle staggered back a few steps, shaking his numb arm, but a strange glint appeared in his eyes.
"Are all Taoist priests this good at fighting?"
Huang Bai smiled but didn't respond.
Partridge Whistle knew very well that if they really went all out in the fight, he might not necessarily lose.
His lineage specializes in maneuvering in dangerous terrain, scaling cliffs with zip lines, and launching close-quarters attacks. If he were to use his Vajra Umbrella, throwing knives, and climbing iron claws, killing someone in close combat would be a matter of moments.
Standing still and fighting in a ring is not a combat style that the Mountain Moving Sect is good at.
Even so, this young Taoist priest was ridiculously strong.
Afterwards, the two sat in the courtyard to rest and talked a lot about Ping Mountain under the cover of night.
Huang Bai recounted most of the mountain rumors, old stories of Ping Mountain, and tales of the poisonous insects and the Corpse King that he had heard over the past few days.
Partridge Whistle heard this but didn't show it on his face; in his heart, he felt the situation was becoming increasingly complex.
The next day, before dawn.
Huang Bai got up and walked into the courtyard. He saw two packets of salt on the table. The three people who had stayed overnight were nowhere to be seen.
"They walk fast."
Huang Bai wasn't in a hurry. He stood there for a moment and then looked away.
He knew that these people would come back to him.
Outside the Miao village, another group of people were marching in along the mountain path.
Besides the heavily armed soldiers, there were also many strong men dressed in disheveled clothes.
Among the crowd were people carrying ladders, ropes, and boxes; they were clearly not ordinary caravans on their way.
The leader was a dashing young man, wearing round-framed sunglasses, waving a feather fan, and looking relaxed, just like a rich young master going to the mountains for sightseeing.
This person was none other than Chen Yulou, the leader of the Unloading Ridge faction.
Standing beside him was a burly-looking officer with a gun at his waist, whose every move exuded a bandit-like air.
"General Manager Chen, you are the leader of the Unloading Ridge faction. Leave the professional matters to the professionals. Just tell me how to do it, and I, Luo Laowai, will not say a word more than necessary."
Luo Laowai patted his chest.
The most valuable thing in this world is not antiques, nor gold and silver, but soldiers and horses.
When troops move, food, clothing, and other necessities all cost money. This time, he was short of food and pay, so he had no choice but to ask Chen Yulou to take him down Ping Mountain to make a fortune.
When the group arrived at the Miao village, they first asked a boy who could speak Mandarin for directions.
"What's your name?" Chen Yulou asked with a smile.
"Rongbao".
"How about I give you a basket of salt and take you to Bottle Mountain?"
Rongbao wanted to refuse, but when he looked up, he saw that the people opposite him were armed with guns and knives and there were many of them. If he really refused, it might cause trouble for the village, so he had no choice but to nod and agree.
"Let's make this clear first, I'll only take you to the side. You'll have to figure out the rest yourself."
"Okay, no problem," Chen Yulou replied readily.
The large group then headed deep into the mountains.
Among the four major schools of tomb raiding, the Unloading Ridge has always been the least particular about "meticulousness".
Others rely on skills, tricks, and craftsmanship, but they rely purely on brute force. With more people, more equipment, and a larger formation, they often overwhelm the enemy in a massive, overwhelming manner.
As they ventured deeper into the territory, the main force was unable to advance further and had to set up camp, while smaller elite units continued to penetrate deeper.
Before long, everyone fell victim to the illusion of the Tanuki spirit.
Chen Yulou almost lost his life in the forest, but fortunately he was spotted by Partridge Whistle and his two companions who happened to be passing by and were saved.
"You all have quite the skill."
After regaining his composure, Chen Yulou immediately decided to befriend him.
"Three heroes, would you like to come with us? With more people, we can look out for each other."
Partridge Whistle pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Can."
"You seek wealth, I only seek pearls."
"Of course, of course!" Upon hearing this, Luo Laowai beamed with joy. "With the Mountain Moving and Ridge Unloading teams all assembled, are we still worried about not being able to take down the Bottle Mountain Tomb this time?"
In his view, whether it was a bead or not was unimportant. As long as Partridge Whistle didn't want gold or silver, everything was negotiable.
Soon, the group arrived at the cliff.
Below, the abyss is unfathomable, and the cliff face is covered with ancient vines and withered trees, with large sections of broken walls and ruins still faintly visible below.
There were many people on the Xieling side, so they immediately carried out the centipede-shaped mountain ladder and pieced it down section by section, like a giant iron centipede hanging down the cliff.
"You two go down and scout ahead."
Chen Yulou selected two scouts.
The two people slowly descended the mountain ladder, and soon there was no more movement.
The group waited for a while, but there was still no response.
Partridge Whistle was unwilling to wait any longer.
"Never mind, I'll go down first."
He put down the Vajra Umbrella and rope, and his body slid straight down the cliff face. Lao Yangren and Hua Ling didn't say much and immediately followed him down.
"Let's go down too."
Not wanting to fall behind, Chen Yulou led his men down the Centipede-shaped mountain ladder.
At the bottom of the cliff was a scene of broken walls and ruins, with collapsed bricks and stones, decaying palaces, and a sinister atmosphere pervading the area.
As soon as Partridge Whistle landed, he found the clothes of the two scouts on a roof wreck.
The clothes were still there, but all that remained of the person was a pool of greenish pus.
"not good."
Partridge Whistle's ears twitched, and his expression changed instantly.
The rustling sounds came from all directions, pressing down on people like a tidal wave, making their scalps tingle.
The next moment, a dense swarm of centipedes poured out from between the broken walls and rubble, overwhelming the crowd.
"what!"
"Help!"
Screams immediately filled the air.
Hua Ling hurriedly opened the Vajra Umbrella and retreated to Partridge Whistle's side.
"Senior brother, what is this?"
"These centipedes in the mountains have been nourished by the elixir's energy and have become a mutated species. We cannot confront them head-on; let's retreat!"
Partridge Whistle made a decisive decision and immediately ordered a retreat.
The group of people, who had been so aggressive just moments before, now seemed to have gone into a panic, scrambling to escape up the cliff. Those who were slow were quickly overwhelmed by the horde of centipedes, leaving not even a trace of their bones.
After a period of chaos, the group finally managed to escape from the bottom of the cliff.
Nearly 30% of the team was lost in this operation, and the remaining members were pale and still in shock.
"Where's the head officer?"
Where did Chen Yulou go?
Everyone looked around and realized that Chen Yulou was nowhere to be found.
call!
Just then, a strange wind suddenly rose from the bottom of the cliff, and yellow sand swirled upwards.
Everyone instinctively stepped back, only to see a figure swept up by a gust of wind and thrown heavily onto the cliff edge—it was Chen Yulou.
"This is……"
Partridge Whistle's pupils suddenly contracted.
In that eerie wind, he clearly saw a giant centipede, as thick as a water bucket and with six wings on its back, which circled for a moment before falling back to the bottom of the valley.
"Six-winged centipede".
Partridge Whistle's heart sank.
This is no longer an ordinary poisonous insect, but a monster that has become powerful.
The group looked at each other, caught in a dilemma.
We can't go in from below, and we can't just turn back from above. With so many people stuck in the mountains, this stalemate isn't going to work.
Partridge Whistle hesitated for a moment, then spoke:
"The Miao people living in the mountains often deal with poisonous insects and miasma, so they may know how to deal with them."
"You all wait here, I'll go down the mountain to ask."
Chen Yulou nodded, then turned and called over a spirited woman.
"Red Girl, you go with him."
Partridge Whistle did not refuse and took Red Girl down the mountain to gather information.
The two asked many people along the way.
"Poisonous insects? Miasma? We'll have to ask the master for help."
"Yes, let's go to the Heavenly Way Temple and find Master Gong."
"Our master is a celestial being descended to earth. His talismanic arts can even cure plagues. If he were to take action, he would surely have a solution."
"If you're looking for someone with real ability, don't bother looking elsewhere, just go to the Heavenly Path Temple."
When the villagers talk about "Master Gong," their expressions are firm and their tone is full of respect.
Partridge Whistle and Red Girl listened the whole way, but each had their own thoughts.
"Strange, this person has such a great reputation, using talismans to cure the plague, it sounds like the White Lotus Sect or the Boxer Rebellion." Someone couldn't help but mutter to themselves.
Others nearby echoed this sentiment.
"There are no immortals in the world with great supernatural powers who can command ghosts and gods. Most of them are just ignorant mountain people who think that anyone who knows a little about the ways of the world is a god."
Partridge Whistle, however, did not rush to conclusions.
"For someone to have such a reputation, it at least proves they have the ability to make a living. Whether it's true or not, let's go and see for ourselves."
After saying that, he led everyone straight to the Temple of Heaven.
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