Entering Lingkong for the First Time Chapter 95: A Visit to the Bai Family

The old beggar suddenly stood up, squinting his intoxicated eyes, and said, "Let us take advantage of our drunken state to continue our journey."

The down-and-out scholar laughed and replied, "Brother Bai, we must decline your generous hospitality for now; we shall have to impose upon you another time."

At this moment, Xie Yuhua and the other three had each been given a bowl of sobering ginseng soup by the servants of the Bai manor. Having regained their clarity, they returned to the main hall.

Young Miss Jie, being the most impatient, walked up to the down-and-out scholar the moment she was clear-headed and asked, "Uncle, have you found out where Miss Meng lives?"

The down-and-out scholar nodded, then asked with a puzzled expression, "Young Miss Jie, why are you suddenly being so polite to me? I did find out the location, but whether we can actually find it is another matter."

Young Miss Jie arched her delicate brows and said, "Calling you 'uncle' is hardly being polite! As long as we have the name of the place, there is nowhere we cannot find. Let us be on our way at once."

Seeing that they were determined to leave, Bai Jiemin knew he could not detain them. He instructed his wife to select several rare and precious gifts to present to each of them as a token of gratitude for saving his daughter.

Being people of chivalry, they refused the gifts. Only the old beggar filled his gourd with Fen wine to take with him.

The distance from the Bai Family Manor to Nine-Nether Peak was barely over a hundred miles. With their mastery of light-body techniques, they reached their destination in less than an hour.

However, they were unaware of where exactly Nine-Nether Peak was located within the Thunder-Head Mountains. Had they not coincidentally encountered a night traveler heading toward the peak, they would have found it difficult to locate.

Just as they had ventured twenty or thirty miles into the Thunder-Head Mountains, the old beggar happened to glance back and saw a dark figure trailing them from afar.

The old beggar whispered to the down-and-out scholar, "That figure's light-body technique is no match for ours. Let us find a place to hide and see who it is."

The down-and-out scholar nodded without a word. Seeing a patch of tall, wild grass to his left, he waved his right hand and leaped into the foliage first.

They had barely concealed themselves when the pursuing figure arrived. The speed of his movement was astonishing.

The figure reached their hiding spot, suddenly checked his rapid momentum, and stood still. His eyes, sharp as lightning, swept across the grass as if he had detected their presence.

The down-and-out scholar was secretly alarmed, thinking: Could he have discovered us?

Young Miss Jie saw that it was her masked cousin and was about to leap out, but the down-and-out scholar grabbed her and signaled for silence.

The figure following them did not know their purpose for coming to Nine-Nether Peak, so he did not launch an ambush.

Once Xie Yuhua recognized the masked man, she also wanted to step out and greet him, but being more experienced, she saw that the two seniors had not moved and dared not make a sound.

Jie Zhenzi and Hundred-Flower Maiden felt their hearts racing like startled deer at the sight of the masked man, fearing he might suddenly strike.

However, after scanning the grass, the masked man stood still for a moment, then resumed his rapid pace and vanished ahead.

Only after the masked man was far away did the down-and-out scholar emerge from the grass and say, "The masked man appearing here so suddenly—I cannot guess the reason."

The old beggar scoffed and said, "You poor fool, you really have grown muddled from your poverty. He broke into the tomb and rescued Miss Bai; of course he would return to Nine-Nether Peak to inform Miss Meng."

The down-and-out scholar nodded. "What you say makes sense, beggar, but I wonder what his relationship is with Miss Meng?"

The old beggar curled his lip. "You really are a blockhead. No wonder you’ve been destitute all your life. You can’t even figure out such a simple thing? What kind of books have you been reading?"

The down-and-out scholar smiled slightly. "Don't just keep insulting me. I won't accept your conclusion until you explain the reasoning."

The old beggar said, "I think insulting you is too lenient; I should be harsher. Just think about it: a girl as stunning as that—not to mention asking a young man like the masked one to run errands, which he wouldn't refuse—if she asked me, the old beggar, I would—"

The down-and-out scholar waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, I understand."

The old beggar's casual remark, though seemingly harmless, left someone listening feeling as though they had swallowed vinegar, trembling with suppressed anger.

Xie Yuhua said, "Miss Meng and the masked man are fellow disciples. Senior, please do not misunderstand."

Seeing that the masked man had gone quite far, the down-and-out scholar feared losing the trail and immediately set off at a sprint.

The masked man’s pace seemed to slow down, and he kept looking back. The down-and-out scholar and his companions followed from a distance, hiding as they went; had the masked man not slowed down, they would never have kept up.

The night wind whistled, and the leaves rustled. The mountains were shrouded in thick fog, and one could only see things within a range of twenty or thirty yards.

Following the masked man, they cautiously navigated a winding mountain path. They could hear the thunderous sound of a stream below. With sheer cliffs and jagged rocks, one wrong step would mean falling into the deep abyss.

Looking down, they could dimly see a turbulent river over twenty feet wide, crashing against the rocks and sending up spray several feet high—a truly terrifying sight.

On the other side of the stream, another towering peak blocked their path. They saw the masked man cross the stream and use his "Gecko Technique" to scale the cliff.

Standing on the bank, they were stunned to see his movements, which were as agile as a supernatural ape.

Once the masked man had ascended the cliff, they crossed the stream and began their own climb. After scaling the hundred-foot precipice, they were all drenched in sweat, especially Jie Zhenzi, his sister, Hundred-Flower Maiden, and Xie Yuhua, who were panting heavily.

After resting briefly on the ridge, they crossed a smaller peak, and the Nine-Nether Peak, piercing the clouds, came into view.

They discovered the masked man racing toward the summit like a wisp of smoke, reaching the mountainside in the blink of an eye. They used their own movement techniques to chase after him, fearing they would lose their target.

Nine-Nether Peak was steep and treacherous. Halfway up, the mountain wind grew fierce, causing the clouds and mist to churn.

Amidst the mist, trees were faintly visible. Strangely, they were all maple trees, thick enough to be hugged by a man, and likely over a century old.

The down-and-out scholar reached the mountainside and noticed the trees were planted in a peculiar pattern. He slowed down to examine them, then realized with a start: these maples were planted in the formation of the Innate Eight Trigrams. No wonder Bai Jiemin had spoken of it so fearfully.

Recognizing the formation, he warned his five companions to be careful and led the way toward the summit.

After another half hour of rapid travel, they reached the peak. There, nine jagged rocks rose into the clouds beneath the cliff walls.

The summit was shaped like a lamp—high on the sides and low in the middle. In the central basin, nine exquisitely crafted, distinct huts were arranged at equal distances. A large bamboo pole stood atop each hut, and the tops of all nine poles were connected by copper wire. It was difficult to guess the purpose of this at first glance.

The down-and-out scholar looked up and saw a bamboo pavilion about a mile down the mountainside. He wondered who lived there.

As he was contemplating this, a beam of light suddenly shot from the central pavilion, illuminating their position. Realizing their presence was exposed, they were startled, but the light only swept over them for a moment before vanishing back into the pavilion.

Just as the light vanished, a strange sound broke the air behind them. They looked back and saw a massive shadow swooping down from a cliff top toward them.

Though all of them were highly skilled, they were caught off guard by the unknown creature and scattered in alarm.

The Nine-Nether Peak, shrouded in thick fog, already possessed a supernatural quality. With the masked man’s unfathomable martial arts, the atmosphere was even more mysterious.

Not to mention hearing strange sounds and seeing massive shadows, even the slightest rustle of grass would make their sensitive nerves tremble.

Scattering, they gripped their weapons tightly, standing on high alert.

The down-and-out scholar raised his Sword of Intent, about to call out the name of the sword-maker, when he looked up and realized the massive shadow was not a monster at all, but a giant flying squirrel, which glided over their heads toward the base of the peak on the left.

Relieved, they couldn't help but laugh at themselves, silently cursing the creature for playing such a trick on them.

They crept to the outside of the bamboo pavilion and hid, peeking inside. The windows were open, and the pavilion was brightly lit; everything was visible.

On the wall near the window hung a painting covered in circles, dots, and symbols—it was hard to tell if it were a map or a musical score.

Beneath the painting was a table with a large copper mirror. The light reflected off it toward their hiding spot, but they remained concealed.

A young woman in a black dress, her back gracefully silhouetted, sat facing the copper mirror. She was hunched over a book on the table, completely absorbed in the text.

The masked man stood stiffly behind her, holding a golden pen and a "Soul-Chasing Clapper." Seeing her concentration, he did not dare disturb her and stood silently.

As the young woman let out a long, heavy sigh, seemingly filled with unbearable sorrow, the masked man quickly wrote something on his clapper to show her.

Although his clapper was held vertically behind the girl, the reflection of the characters was cast clearly in the copper mirror.

The words on the Soul-Chasing Clapper read: "Master! It is almost dawn, and you have yet to rest."

The girl looked up, glanced at the copper mirror, arched her brows, and chided softly, "I have told you many times, why do you still address me like that!"

Her voice was clear and melodious, like an oriole emerging from a valley. In the copper mirror, her beautiful, sweet face was reflected—her eyes as clear as autumn water, unblinking.

With two dimples that swirled deeply on her cheeks, she was incredibly beautiful and sweet. Even Young Miss Jie, a peerless beauty herself, would have to concede to her elegance.

The masked man quickly lowered his clapper and wrote again: "Senior Sister, I will not dare disobey your orders next time."

The young woman frowned and said lightly, "Senior Sister is Senior Sister, why this talk of 'not daring to disobey'? If someone saw this, they would laugh, thinking I, the Senior Sister, was putting on airs before my Junior Brother!"

The down-and-out scholar was stunned. He thought to himself: From her tone, it seems she knows we are here eavesdropping. If I am not mistaken, this young woman not only has superb martial arts but her perception and alertness also far exceed those of ordinary people.