“May I ask, esteemed one…”

A bellow could be heard in response.

“Thank you…”

“So that's how a deer sounds like.” Heroine Wu watched the little deer gradually disappearing into the forest with some reluctance. She smacked her lips; after eating porridge for several days except this morning, tears almost welled up at the corners of her mouth.

However, there were certain etiquettes in the

jianghu

, especially for those from prestigious sects. Even though the Daoist didn't say anything, she knew that since the deer had pointed the way for them, she couldn't immediately draw her blade and attack it right after they asked it. That would be unethical.

Moreover, since the Daoist had been courteous and respectful in all his questions, a little bit of wisdom would reveal that it wasn't the time for savagery.

“What did the deer say?” Heroine Wu turned to the direction the deer had looked at, which was now the mountain peak. “Did it say it’s on that mountain peak?”

“Exactly.” Song You nodded. “It’s very frightened.”

“Frightened of what?”

“You don’t think mountain monsters only eat people, do you?”

“I see…”

“Let’s go.”

Song You started walking toward the mountain peak, explaining to her along the way, “Mountain demons, mountain spirits, mountain monsters, and mountain ghosts—the world often mixes up these terms. People use whichever term rolls off the tongue best.

“Some are creatures who attained enlightenment and transformed from flowers, plants, and animals in the mountains. Others are spirits nurtured by the natural essence of the mountains. Both good and bad exist. From the intel you’ve gathered, it’s likely a spirit nurtured by the natural essence, hence it’s as large as a cow and hard to find and capture.”

She asked, “Why’s that?”

“Because these mountain monsters usually have the ability to change forms. They generally can’t transform into humans but are skilled at becoming rocks or plants in the mountains. That’s both good and bad news,” Song You said.

He added, “If the demon sees you approaching with a long knife, it definitely won’t come out easily. But if it transforms into a rock or plant, as you mentioned, even a god or immortal would have a hard time finding it unless they are exceptionally skilled, and it would require searching the mountain cun by cun.”

“So what should we do?”

“Beasts and spirits in the mountains fear loud noises and fire. We can use these to scare them out.”

“How should we scare them? By shouting? Burning the mountain?”

“Coincidentally, while buying vegetables yesterday, I came across someone selling firecrackers. I haven’t used firecrackers in years…” Song You seemed a bit nostalgic.

He then reached into his bag and took out a few firecrackers.

“Impressive, Daoist master…”

By this time, the two had slowly made their way to the mountain peak. In the distance, the sun was setting, casting a fiery red glow across the sky.

Heroine Wu held her sword in one hand and gripped the hilt with the other. She scanned the surroundings, only to find dense vegetation and rugged rocks. Squirrels climbed the trees, and birds flitted about the branches—there were no signs of any mountain monsters.

“

Sssss

!” There was the sound of a fuse being lit.

Heroine Wu turned to see the Daoist holding a lit firecracker, casually tossing it away.

She immediately focused intently in that direction.

“

Bang

!” A thunderous explosion and a burst of flames erupted.

The area remained silent.

“

Ssssss

!”

“

Bang

!”

Still, no response.

“Could it be that the mountain monster has gone down the mountain to cause trouble and isn't here?” Heroine Wu glanced down. “You’ve only brought five firecrackers—what if they run out?”

“I have some knowledge of thunder magic.”

“…”

The fourth firecracker was thrown.

“

Bang…!”

At that moment, a rock larger than a water tank nearby suddenly shifted. In the blink of an eye, it uncurled and stretched out, revealing a mountain monster the size of a cow. Its form quickly changed from a gray rock into a pale-skinned, upright, muscular, and fearsome mountain monster.

It appeared to be a combination of various animals. With a body like a monkey, it had cow hooves, goat horns, a mouth full of sharp teeth, long arms like an ape, and talon-like claws. The mountain monster seemed startled and turned to flee.

“Not so fast!” With a swift motion, Heroine Wu drew her long knife and chased after it.

Song You stood on the mountaintop, observing. Although the mountain monster was large, it moved nimbly through the mountains. Heroine Wu, however, was even more agile and fast. She was also adept at anticipating movements.

As the mountain monster made a turn and glanced back, sensing no immediate threat, a figure had already closed in on its face.

The blade gleamed like icy snow, its chill overwhelming. The mountain monster, in a panic, raised its hands to fend off the attack.

“

Shhhh…!”

Blood sprayed out, and its arms were severed completely.

“

Argh…!”

The mountain monster roared in pain or rage, then retaliated fiercely, lunging forward to bite.

In the

jianghu

, even the most skilled warriors might not claim to be godlike, but dealing with a wild mountain monster was relatively simple.

As long as the blade could cut something, they could kill it.

In the past, Shu Yifan could chop evil creatures into pieces with a long sword. Similarly, Heroine Wu’s long knife was more than capable of slaughtering the mountain monster today.

As the sun set, the light diminished rapidly. Soon, the mountain grew quiet.

A rustling sound came from the woods. A shadow emerged, holding a long knife in one hand and a strange head in the other, making its way to the mountaintop.

Song You arrived from the other side.

“Huh? Where did you go?”

“The climate is dry, and there’s a lot of dead grass. I went to check if the firecrackers had ignited any of it, to prevent a mountain fire.”

“Hey, you’re quite meticulous!”

“It’s my duty.”

“Look!” The heroine tossed the head onto the ground, seemingly amused, and said, “This mountain monster has caused trouble here for quite some time, and many

jianghu

people and local experts have failed to find it. I thought we’d be stuck here for a few days, but it was surprisingly easy.”

“You just need to understand the tricks.”

“I got it.” Heroine Wu sighed deeply, appearing tired. She said, “You deserve more credit for this. You should get a larger share of the reward.”

“It’s best if we equally divide the reward.”

“You should get more.”

“I want to avoid future disputes.”

“Fair point.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“When will we head down the mountain?”

“I think the view from the mountaintop is nice. I’d like to stay here overnight and watch the sunrise tomorrow morning,” Song You said to Heroine Wu. “What about you?”

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“It’s too dark to see the way down, so we can’t go back tonight. But the wind at the mountaintop is too strong,” Heroine Wu replied. “Moreover, your blanket is still on my horse. Do you expect to sit here and freeze all night?”

“It’s not entirely out of the question.”

“Then you stay here. I’m worried about my horse, so I’ll go back to find it.”

Heroine Wu picked up the demon’s head again and sniffed it. “This thing stinks. I won’t leave it here to gross you out. Tomorrow morning, after the sun rises, I’ll wait an hour at the base of the mountain. If you’re not down within that hour, I’ll take this head back to Changjing to claim the reward. It seems people who have encountered it and survived can get paid immediately at the

yamen

.”

“After I get the money, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“That sounds good…”

Heroine Wu’s figure gradually disappeared from sight.

At that moment, there was more rustling in the grass. As the light dimmed, several streaks of color emerged from the undergrowth—a calico cat, holding a rabbit in its mouth.

“Mmm…”

“The mountain monster has been dealt with, and the heroine has taken it down the mountain. She plans to stay here overnight and watch the sunrise tomorrow,” Song You said, looking at her. “You’re indeed impressive.”

“Eat the rabbit…”

“There’s no water here, so you should eat it instead,” Song You replied.

“And what will you eat?”

“I’m not hungry.”

Song You looked regretfully at the rabbit. It wasn’t just the lack of water; water could be found nearby. The real issue was that they had set out without any seasonings, and eating the rabbit meat plain was quite unappetizing. He had no choice but to decline her kind offer.

Unexpectedly, as night deepened, Heroine Wu returned, bringing her beloved horse with her. However, no matter how skilled the horse was at navigating mountain paths, it couldn’t reach the mountaintop and had to wait among the rocky outcrops below.

Heroine Wu delivered Song You’s blanket, food, and water, and returned the talismans that had been attached to the horse. She then found a wind-sheltered spot and slept there with her horse.

***

The next morning, just as the first light had appeared, Song You sat cross-legged on the mountaintop with a blanket and a mat underneath him. His hair and eyebrows were already covered with dew, and the cat curled up between his legs, deeply asleep and making his legs numb.

Slowly, Song You opened his eyes. The sky was ablaze with crimson.

But Song You frowned, deep in thought.

The clouds in the east were thick, and it seemed unlikely they would see the sunrise. Yet, after a brief wait, the clouds parted on their own. Moments later, the first rays of sunlight emerged from behind the distant mountains, and a streak of orange appeared on the mountaintop.

The morning light that had initially aimed at the sky gradually descended, spreading across the world and painting the mountaintop. It also bathed Song You’s face in its glow.

He could feel a hint of warmth, and Song You’s frown finally relaxed.

“Mmm…”

A fluffy head poked out from between the gaps in the blanket in front of him. The cat looked at the distant red sun, then up at Song You’s orange face and eyes reflecting the morning light. It shook its head and stepped out from its special blanket tent. It then shook its legs, yawned, and then stretched lazily.

The red sun gradually rose, seeming to carry a touch of moisture.

But it quickly changed from red to white, rising higher and higher. By the time the world was fully illuminated, the colorful clouds had dispersed, and this rare visual feast lasted only a short while.

Heroine Wu had somehow arrived at the mountaintop and witnessed the sunrise. Although her thoughts remained unknown, she merely remarked, “It’s quite peaceful here...”

Song You smiled and then turned to her, saying, “I find the scenery in these mountains enchanting and would like to stay a few more days. Would you mind...?”

“So, you want me to go back alone?”

“Yes.”

“That’s fine. I’ll leave you the remaining provisions and water. Just be aware that the headless corpse of that mountain monster is right nearby; isn’t that disturbing?”

“It’s of no concern.”

“Do you want me to leave the felt blanket for you?”

“I can’t carry it back, so please take it with you.”

“Won’t it be cold at night?”

“I’ll find a sheltered spot and light a fire.”

“Alright then.” Heroine Wu only said what needed to be said and did not linger. She stood by while Song You folded the felt blanket and took it before turning to leave.

The figures of the person and the horse gradually disappeared into the forest.

Song You turned his gaze back to the mountain. There were undulating greenery, occasional clusters of peach blossoms, and morning mist.

According to Heroine Wu, this mountain often harbored malevolent spirits, ghosts, creatures and monsters, suggesting it might be a place of concentrated spiritual energy. However, despite his insight on the spiritual essence of the natural world the previous night, he hadn’t sensed anything particularly unique about this place.

Compared to the remote mountains of Pingzhou or even the famous scenic spots he had passed, the spiritual energy here seemed somewhat thin.

There must be another secret to uncover.