Chapter 28: White Wine Calls
Chapter 28: White Wine Calls
"Are you going with them?"
At Huma's words, both the elder and Second Master Li were visibly surprised.
The villagers had all heard about Huma's situation. The last incident happened in the forest, and the old woman had come to the village to ask the ancestors in the ancient hearth to acknowledge Huma, but they refused. Without the ancestors' protection, Huma was left vulnerable.
He was supposed to learn skills from Second Master Li, but he had only been there for a few days.
Now, entering the forest was no different from walking into death.
"Don't follow us; you might delay Second Master Li's affairs!"
The old elder immediately warned Huma sternly, "We'll find a way to locate the old woman."
"It won't delay anything. Besides, the direction these city folks are heading is the same as where the old woman went before she disappeared, right?"
Huma had thought it through and insisted. The old woman must have encountered some trouble; otherwise, she wouldn't have forgotten to burn the incense for Little Hongtang.
If the trouble was something the village couldn't handle, only Second Master Li could help. That's why Huma had to go with him.
As for the dangers of entering the forest...
Huma had already considered this. His current skills were strong enough to keep ordinary evil spirits at bay. Those that could get close to him would be just as deadly whether he stayed in the village or not.
It was better to go with these people and receive Second Master Li's protection while searching for the old woman. Even if it turned out to be a false alarm, once the old woman returned to the village, they could both be at ease.
"Ah... right, then let Little Huma come along."
Second Master Li had initially wanted to persuade Huma to stay, but he suddenly understood the logic.
It made sense for Huma to go with him.
He had just been a bit slow to react.
"Tell me, isn't it difficult to find a guide in such a large village?"
At that moment, the old man in a long robe, who had been standing nearby with his hands behind his back, walked over with a smile. "We're eager to enter the mountains. If your Sheep's Haven Village doesn't have someone familiar with the old forest, we can find someone in another village. It's still in time."
"Yes, yes."
The elder quickly smiled and replied, "He's right here. I'll explain the rules to him so he doesn't offend you."
"I'll guide you through the mountains. I know every inch of the eight-hundred-mile-old Yin Mountains around Sheep's Haven Village."
Second Master Li turned to the old man in the long robe and said, "But I need to bring this boy to help me with some tasks."
"Guiding us and doing tasks?"
The old man in the long robe smiled and glanced at Huma. "Fine, but he won't get paid."
"He wasn't getting paid anyway..."
Second Master Li grumbled and walked toward the village. "I'll prepare some dry rations."
"No need. We have everything. We won't be lacking food or drink. Don't waste time; let's enter the mountains as soon as possible."
The old man in the long robe raised his hand to stop him and gestured to the people behind him. "Unload the stuff!"
The porters and guards, who seemed very efficient, immediately opened the large carriage. It was filled with boxes and luggage.
They unloaded everything, picked out the essentials, and tied them with thick ropes, each carrying a pack on their back.
The largest pack was unceremoniously handed to Second Master Li.
Even Huma wasn't spared; a bundle was thrown at him. "Wild boy, do your share."
Huma silently took it without resistance.
With his short hair and rough clothes, and wearing cloth shoes, he did indeed look like a wild boy.
Besides finding the old woman, these people had piqued his curiosity. Perhaps he could learn more about this world through them.
"It's almost noon."
The old man in the long robe took the grass rope from someone nearby and tied the front and back of his robe around his waist. He wrapped his legs with silk pants and bowed respectfully to the sedan chair with the black curtain. "Shall we depart now?"
"Sure."
A cold, clear voice replied from inside the sedan chair.
Two muscular men, one in front and one behind, approached the sedan chair and placed the ropes over their shoulders.
"They're actually going to carry the sedan chair into the mountains?"
Huma watched in surprise. The forest paths were rough, and the carriage couldn't enter, so the luggage had to be carried by people. But the person in the sedan chair needed to be carried by the porters?
Of course, they had already discussed and agreed on this. No one objected, and once everything was ready, they set off.
Huma withdrew his gaze and silently followed Second Master Li.
The group left the village and headed west, directly into the densest, most desolate part of the Yin Mountains.
Having been in this world for a while, Huma had gradually grasped the basic situation.
This forested and mountainous region, known as the Eight Hundred Li Old Yin Mountain, is deep and perilous. It is the most dangerous place, but it is also where the Ta Sui grows, harboring endless treasures.
Although Hu Ma usually slacks off when running through the mountains, his robust stamina and the blazing fire pit have made it easy for him to carry the heavy bundle through the forest.
However, the oppressive silence of the forest can't help but make one feel a sense of desolation.
After a few steps, a red blur flashed by, and Little Hongtang tugged at the hem of his clothes, carefully following him.
Hu Ma noticed that the others hadn't detected Little Hongtang's presence, so he remained silent and continued on his way with her.
It was unclear whether it was because of Second Master's presence or the last time they left the village due to Grandmother's status as a ghost-walking shaman, but this journey was surprisingly smooth.
Aside from a few difficult paths that required a machete to clear and the occasional snake or insect, the rest of the time was just a quiet and monotonous trek deeper into the forest.
"The fog is rising ahead, we can't go on," Second Master said, acting as a guide for the city folks. He spoke less than he did in the village, silently carrying a large pack and leading the way.
He stopped at a small, overgrown fork in the path and said to the old man in a long robe, "We need to go around the river. It will be a longer route."
"What's so bad about the fog?"
The old man in the long robe stopped and looked ahead, where the heavy night fog was slowly drifting.
"The fog isn't normal. It seems the old toad from the river has come ashore," Second Master explained. "If we accidentally intrude, it could lead to unnecessary conflict. Even if we can handle it, it will waste time."
The old man, who looked like a shopkeeper, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "At dusk, yin and yang are divided. The living and the evil spirits each go their own way. It's still early, though..."
"It's different here."
Second Master honestly replied, "The forest of the Old Yin Mountain is different from other places. The yin energy is heavy, and it's always dusk, regardless of day or night."
"Once a living person enters the forest, they have crossed the boundary."
"..."
The old shopkeeper seemed intrigued, showing no fear on his face, but he still looked back at the sedan chair.
From inside the chair, a faint voice finally spoke, "Listen to the guide."
The group fell silent and followed Second Master, who let out a sigh of relief. He quietly told Hu Ma, "The worst thing about guiding these city folks is when they think they know better and don't listen to advice."
"The forest is dark and close to the Ta Sui. No one knows what spirits or monsters lurk here. No matter how skilled they are, they must respect the forest to stay safe. One moment of carelessness, and they won't even know how they died."
Hu Ma took Second Master's words to heart and paid close attention to his every move.
With his fire pit blazing and Second Master's experienced guidance, he felt confident they could control the dangers even as they ventured deeper into the forest.
However, the ancient forest was vast and deep, with no sign of human presence.
Would they really find Grandmother this way?
"Maybe we can only rely on Little Hongtang. As Grandmother's small spirit, she will sense when we get close."
Thinking this, he turned to look at Little Hongtang, who was listless, clinging to the hem of his clothes as if she was afraid of losing him as well.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the sky began to darken. Second Master immediately stopped and found a spacious spot near a stream to rest.
He and Hu Ma gathered some branches, not just for the fire, but to create a makeshift fence and a threshold. This was to create a yang dwelling, a place where the living could stay without inviting trouble from the spirits.
Living people spending the night in the forest was like intruding into the realm of evil spirits. But with a fence and a threshold, they had their own yang dwelling, which would deter unwanted visitors. If any spirits dared to intrude, they could be dealt with without arousing the anger of the forest's inhabitants.
The city folks found this interesting and followed the advice, stopping the sedan chair inside the "fence," clearing the weeds, and starting a fire to cook their dry rations.
They generously shared some of their dry meat and rations with Hu Ma and Second Master. Hu Ma tasted it and confirmed it was just salted meat, not Ta Sui.
Hu Ma noticed that the person in the sedan chair had still not come out, even for the meal. No one brought her food, and it was unclear whether she had her own or if she no longer needed human sustenance.
But with his mind full of worry, he couldn't concern himself with others. He ate the food the others offered, then hugged Little Hongtang and lay down to sleep next to Second Master.
Before long, he drifted into a drowsy sleep. In his half-awake state, he suddenly heard a hoarse voice:
"White wine calling from the Old Yin Mountain. Is there any reincarnated soul who can hear?"
(End of Chapter)
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