Lu Yang returned to the stall selling baked pancakes. The seller was a senior sister who skillfully kneaded the dough, shaping it into pancakes with practiced ease. She pulled off pieces of dough, using her hands, wrists, arms, and body to mold them into flat shapes. Her movements seemed to follow some deeper principle; it wasn't just about making dough but also a way to train her body's coordination.

She placed the pancake dough on a forging table and began to hammer it with a heavy iron hammer, creating loud clanging sounds. Sparks flew, hitting the ground and burning small holes into it. The pancakes were quickly cooked, and Lu Yang was amazed. The Hundred Refinements Peak truly had unique ideas, seamlessly combining food and forging.

"I'll have a pancake," he said.

The food in the cafeteria was indeed cheap, and Lu Yang saw many interesting things. If it weren't for his limited contribution points, he would have wanted to buy everything.

The next morning, Lu Yang met up with two others at the entrance of the Wendaozong mountain as agreed.

"Just waiting for you," Meng Jingzhou waved when he saw Lu Yang. Behind him was a horse-drawn cart, the same one that had taken them to Wendaozong before, and the old horse was still the same.

The only difference was that the third person had changed from Senior Sister Yun Zhi to Man Gu.

Man Gu was diligently studying, even while waiting for others. His loose scholar's robe covered his muscles, making him look like a tall scholar.

"Aren't we taking a flying boat?" Lu Yang had prepared himself for that. Although his shrinking technique was convenient, it couldn't match the speed of a flying boat.

He had temporarily given up on learning the shrinking technique to focus on mastering the shrinking and expanding techniques.

Meng Jingzhou patted the cart proudly. "This cart is a rare treasure. It contains a spatial formation. While we might feel like it's moving slowly inside, to outsiders, it looks as fast as a flying boat."

That made sense. The Meng family was far away in the imperial city, and Meng Jingzhou couldn't have taken a cart all the way to Wendaozong at a snail's pace; it would take a year to get there.

The cart used the formation to speed up on the way to Wendaozong, slowing down only as they approached to show respect for the sect.

The three of them got into the cart, which was still spacious inside. It was only now that Lu Yang understood the cart's true value.

"By the way, where are we going? What's the task?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? We're going to a place called Qinghuai County. Man Gu will explain the details since he found the task."

Man Gu marked his place in the book with a bookmark, closed it, and spoke slowly.

"I heard about this from a passenger on the flying boat during a previous mission. He was a leader of traveling merchants and knew many things that ordinary people didn't. He told me a story that circulates among merchants, and it seems credible."

"Between Qinghuai County and Yanjing County, there is a vast mountain range. If merchants want to cross it, they need to be guided by local hunters."

"A terrifying presence has appeared in the mountains, forcing the hunters to abandon the forests they rely on for survival..."

As night fell, the chaotic growth of trees blocked the moonlight. Thunder roared, and heavy rain poured down, making the ground muddy and slippery, leaving no safe place to step.

Seven or eight people were tied together with ropes around their waists to prevent anyone from slipping and falling down the mountainside.

The sound of the rain was deafening, and even if someone fell and shouted, it would be hard to hear.

Dressed in raincoats and carrying climbing sticks and baskets, they took careful steps, afraid of stepping into a deep pit.

The cold, biting raindrops made them look disheveled. Looking up, the dense curtain of rain obscured their vision, so they could only follow the old hunter in front.

"Watch your step; the mountain roads are very slippery in the rain!"

"Don't stop if you're tired; keep going! We're almost there. If you stop now, it'll be hard to get moving again!"

"I... I really can't go on... Help me! I'm falling!"

Someone slipped, unable to find anything to hold onto, sliding toward the cliff's edge.

The merchants felt the pull from the end of the rope and realized someone had fallen behind. They immediately stopped and hurriedly tried to pull them back.

"A Yue, hold on to the rope; let's pull together!"

"I can't do it anymore." A Yue dangled near the cliff, tied with a thick hemp rope to keep him from falling.

He was exhausted and hungry, unable to muster any strength to climb back up.

The old hunter, experienced and calm, directed everyone while also pulling A Yue.

"You guys hold on to that big tree; don't let us all slide down!"

"Everyone else, wrap the rope around your wrists. On my count of three, pull together!"

"One, two, three, pull!"

After a tremendous effort, they finally pulled A Yue back up. The already tired group was now too exhausted to stand.

The old hunter didn't relax; he quickly checked A Yue's condition. "A Yue, how did you slip? Did you feel someone push you?"

A Yue shook his head in confusion, not understanding why the old hunter asked that. He had slipped by himself; could someone have pushed him?

"What do you mean, Old Sun?" Qi Wu, the leader of the merchants, asked, sensing something was off from the old hunter's question.

The old hunter shook his head and pointed toward a broken temple ahead. "Let's keep moving; we can talk when we get to the Mountain God Temple."

The heavy rain was not a good environment for discussions. Qi Wu nodded, offering a few encouraging words to get everyone to the Mountain God Temple for shelter.

When they reached the temple, they didn't care about appearances. They took off their raincoats, sat on the ground, and gasped for breath, quickly checking their baskets to see if anything had gotten wet. If it had, their trip would have been for nothing.

"Thankfully, we wrapped everything in waterproof cloth. Brother Qi really had foresight."

The Mountain God Temple wasn't particularly nice, but it was spacious. Three old, dusty statues of mountain gods sat in the center, surrounded by dirt and waste. The tablets with the names of the mountain gods were nowhere to be found, and the offerings had long been eaten by wild animals. The two large doors were missing, and the windows were broken, letting in a chilling wind.

The group didn't mind much; for them, any place that offered shelter from the rain was good enough.

Qi Wu took out some goods from his basket as offerings for the three mountain gods, thanking them for allowing them to take shelter.

The three mountain gods were clay sculptures, not very skillfully made, but you could still see the differences. The central mountain god held a gentleman's sword and had a righteous expression. The two side gods represented civil and military roles—one wore a scholar's robe and held a book, while the other exuded pure yang energy, representing martial prowess, clearly showing their ranks.

"May the mountain gods bless us with a safe journey."

Qi Wu felt that the three mountain gods had a certain spirit, almost as if they were alive.

(End of Chapter)