mesbooks Chapter 123 Tianmen Mountain Jiazigou
Chapter 123 Tianmen Mountain Jiazigou
At Old Man Jin's suggestion, everyone decided to go into the mountains early the next morning.
It was already afternoon, and it would get dark soon after we went into the mountains.
Especially in the dense forest, it gets dark much earlier than outside.
The disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect had also taken this into account and had prepared accommodations in advance.
The group stayed overnight in Foping Town.
The accommodations were very basic, and Cheng Feng and Hei Xiazi had to squeeze into a large dormitory with several Xieling brothers.
The next morning, Old Man Jin came to visit, and after everyone had breakfast together, they immediately set off.
For the first part of the journey, the disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect drove donkey carts to carry everyone.
After leaving the town, the road became increasingly difficult to travel, and finally we stopped at the entrance to the mountain where the old hunter had started his ascent.
"Please take care on your journey, I'll be waiting for you to come back in Foping Town!"
Before parting, the disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect bowed and greeted Cheng Feng.
Cheng Feng helped him up and said, "Alright, thanks to my brother's good wishes, this trip will surely go smoothly!"
After saying goodbye, Cheng Feng and his group carried their bags and officially stepped into the Qinling Mountains.
The jungle was covered in white snow in the early morning; the snow that fell during the Lunar New Year was just beginning to melt.
Especially this section of the road leading into the mountains, which was extremely muddy when you got to your feet.
The surrounding trees have begun to sprout green buds, but the hunter's path is covered with withered vines and weeds.
"Going into the mountains at this time of year is still somewhat dangerous; the snow on the mountains hasn't melted yet, even though the Lunar New Year has just passed."
In difficult terrain, it's easy to slip and fall.
Old Man Jin and Cheng Feng walked at the front, looking around as they spoke.
"Don't worry, sir. We all have experience in this area and won't hold you back."
Old Man Jin thought about it and realized that it made sense; if you don't have the skills, how can you take on a job you can't handle?
As the group walked along the hunter's trail, the altitude increased.
Although it was a bit colder than at the foot of the mountain, the path underfoot was easier to walk on.
The snow here hasn't melted yet, and the roads aren't as muddy as before.
By noon, the group had officially arrived at the Tianmen Mountain area.
Old Man Jin found a sheltered spot where everyone could rest and eat something to replenish their energy.
The Xieling brothers lit a fire and melted some clean snowflakes to boil water on the fire.
Black Bear drew his dagger and said, "I'm going to get some game and scout ahead while I'm at it."
"Be careful!"
Cheng Feng gave a brief explanation, saying that he didn't need to worry about Hei Xiazi's skills.
The old man next to him opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything. Although he was the guide, he didn't have much say in the group.
Since Cheng Feng and the others weren't worried, he didn't feel comfortable speaking up.
Twenty minutes later, Black Bear came out of the forest carrying a plump wild rabbit.
After tossing the rabbit to the disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect, Hei Xiazi sat down next to Cheng Feng and said:
“A group of people entered Jiazigou before us. I found their footprints. It should have been within the last two days.”
Jiazigou is a naturally formed valley in Tianmen Mountain.
The valley is straight and split open, looking as if it had been cleaved by a sharp sword when viewed from above.
Locals also call this place "A Line of Sky".
The bronze bell was first discovered in Jiazigou.
"Be careful when you get there."
The large tomb in the Qinling Mountains has caused quite a stir, so it's perfectly normal for people to come and visit.
Even the government might send archaeological teams to investigate, but once they enter the deep mountains and forests...
Regardless of one's identity, in the end, one can only survive by relying on one's true abilities. Trying to find the murderer after dying here is utter nonsense.
After skinning a rabbit, there wasn't much meat. The group ate the rabbit meat and biscuits to fill their stomachs before continuing their journey.
Old Man Jin was very familiar with Tianmen Mountain, and under his guidance, the group descended into Jiazigou before dark.
“Boss Cheng, I haven’t been deep into this narrow pass either, so I probably can’t help you with the rest of the journey.”
Old Man Jin said with some shame.
"If you can bring us to Jiazigou, you've already completed half of your guide's task."
All you need to do now is lead us away after this is over.
Jiazigou is straight, so there's no risk of getting lost; you just need to find the ancient ruins.
Old Man Jin breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Cheng Feng's words.
He was afraid that Cheng Feng would feel it wasn't worth it and would ask for the money back later.
"It's getting dark, let's find a place to set up camp."
At Cheng Feng's command, the team continued into Jiazigou, searching for a suitable location to set up camp.
At this moment, Hei Xiazi stopped and slightly shook his head, saying to Cheng Feng:
“There are traces of someone walking over there.”
"Go over and have a look."
As they spoke, Cheng Feng and Hei Xiazi walked towards the woods on the side.
The group followed behind the two men, and after walking about ten meters, some messy footprints came into view.
"What an amazing person! He can see the traces from so far away even while wearing sunglasses."
Old Man Jin was utterly astonished by Black Bear.
Hei Xiazi smiled but didn't explain anything. Sometimes he would rather not have such good eyesight.
"The leader said that judging from the footprints, there should be nine of them."
The footprints overlapped, and it took the disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect a while to figure it out.
Cheng Feng looked at the direction the footprints were spreading and said:
"Let's follow in their footsteps. It's good to have someone scout ahead, as it will save us a lot of trouble."
No one objected to this, and Cheng Feng provided each of them with a pistol before they set off.
Even when they encounter other competitors, they are the stronger party.
Following these footprints, the group walked several hundred meters more through the jungle of Jiazigou.
Soon the footprints led them to an open space filled with people.
"They once camped here."
Black Bear used his dagger to lift an empty tin can from the snow, next to a campfire covered in snow.
"Since there's a place available, let's rest here for the night."
As he spoke, Cheng Feng put down his backpack.
It was already getting dark, and it was time for everyone, who had been traveling all day, to rest.
Apart from Cheng Feng and Hei Xiazi, who are still in good condition, everyone else's physical strength has declined significantly.
The disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect worked together seamlessly and quickly set up the tent.
Meanwhile, a campfire was lit in the center of the tent.
A few minutes later, Cheng Feng sat in the tent, drinking hot water and flipping through his notebook.
The notebook contained information about the Qinling Mountains that Chen Wenjin had compiled for him during the Chinese New Year.
This includes the specific location where the bronze bell was discovered, as well as detailed information about the bronze bell.
After investigation by experts, it was found that the bronze bell came from the ancient She Kingdom. She is also related to snake, and the kingdom used a two-headed human-bodied snake as its totem.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the people of the She Kingdom worshipped a sacred tree and had a tradition of blood sacrifice to the sacred tree.
And through blood sacrifice, the sacred tree can grant any wish.
"The Bronze Divine Tree, I wonder if we can take it with its roots."
Cheng Feng opened his ghost eyes, disregarding the mountain collapse caused by taking away the bronze divine tree.
He really wanted to try and see if he could send the divine tree into the imaginary space.
At this moment, some disciples of the Unloading Ridge Sect arrived in front of Cheng Feng's tent.
"Chief, the food is ready."
Cheng Feng responded and closed his laptop.
Silent all night.
The next morning, when Hei Xiazi stretched and walked out of his tent, he saw a group of golden monkeys surrounding Cheng Feng's tent.