Chapter 146: Infiltrating Rear Mountain
Chapter 146: Infiltrating Rear Mountain
Night fell upon Shoushan Sect. The mountain peaks drowned in darkness.
Stars and moonlight were absent, especially in the rear valley not a single gleam penetrated. It resembled the open maw of a fierce beast.
Silent, yet endless killing intent seeped from within the valley.
Even the insects here dared not chirp.
Yet through the dark, a lantern slowly approached.
Leading was the Lantern-bearing Little Fox Girl. Behind walked a tall figure in a white robe: Second Young Master Fang Fang Cun. He radiated extraordinary poise and possessed peerless good looks, moving unhurriedly along the mountain path, the Old Umbrella tucked under his arm.
Soon, a steward on night duty noticed the lantern’s glow and rushed over. Upon recognizing who it was, he hastily bowed.
“Ah, Elder… Elder Fang. Such a late hour, might I ask, where are you bound?”
Elder Fang regarded the steward and smiled faintly. “Oh, nothing really. Just taking a stroll.”
“Hmm…” The steward thought to himself, “What’s he doing wandering around like a ghost this late? Scared me half out of my wits…” Outwardly, he remained respectful, offering kindly, “Then, honored Elder, do take care. Heading south? Please don’t go too far. That path leads to Rear Mountain. If you wish to refresh yourself, other directions might be more pleasant…”
Fang Cun merely smiled again. “I know.”
He bid the steward goodbye and continued his leisurely pace towards Rear Mountain.
Two female disciples of Shoushan Sect emerged from the woods, chatting and laughing while carrying a wooden tub towards Mirror Lake. Suddenly, Second Young Master Fang walked into view, approaching from the direction of Rear Mountain. Under the lantern’s glow, his white robe stood out starkly against the night. His normally handsome features softened in the lantern light, rendering him ethereal, as if stepped out of a painting…
They stared, momentarily entranced, before snapping back to reality. This was the recently appointed Elder Fang.
“Greetings, esteemed Elder…”
As disciples encountering an Elder, they naturally bowed. Faces flushed slightly with shyness, still clasping their bath bucket.
Fang Cun nodded gently. “It’s late. Return to your quarters and rest earlier.”
“Yes…”
The gentle admonishment flustered them slightly. One disciple suddenly noticed the direction he’d come from, recalling the sect’s forbidden area. Curiosity got the better of her. “Elder… where… where are you heading?”
Fang Cun, showing no haughtiness, answered politely, “Just taking a walk ahead.”
The other disciple offered a warning. “Don’t go too far… Rear Mountain is almost upon us…”
Fang Cun smiled his reply. “I know.”
By the forest stream, several sleepless disciples were huddled around a campfire, grilling fish they’d caught. Sharing quiet words, their talk naturally turned to Senior Disciple Zhou Huai, inevitably tinged with sighs. Then they remembered Elder Fang’s recent instructions, faces twisting with doubt. They murmured quietly: “He said tomorrow we start listening to his lectures… but what ‘Way’ can he even expound in this dump?”
“Heh, unless he can get that Divine Nether Body Tempering Art back…”
“Could he really be looking for a new Body Tempering Art for us?”
Just as they spoke, they spotted someone with a lantern approaching slowly from the Rear Mountain path. Squinting, they recognized him instantly and scrambled to their feet, hastily hiding the grilling fish behind them. Heads bowed, they chorused: “Greetings, honored Elder!”
“It’s late. What are you waiting for? Return to your rest!”
Fang Cun spoke sternly, his tone cold.
The disciples exchanged alarmed glances. They bowed lower. “Y-yes! Right away!”
“Go back to your peak quietly later,” his chilly voice continued. “If you hear anything… don’t come running out…”
He finished his stern warning and moved past them, following the Little Fox Girl. The disciples mutely nodded, then froze: “He… he was heading towards Rear Mountain…”
“He told us… ‘if you hear anything… don’t come running out’… What kind of noise?”
A single lantern, a small fox girl, accompanied Fang Cun’s figure as it gradually vanished at the path’s end, swallowed by the deeper woods towards Rear Mountain.
They drew nearer. The Little Fox Girl grew visibly agitated, her small hand trembling slightly as she held the lantern. After a few steps, she glanced back at Fang Cun, her expression imploring.
Fang Cun chided her softly but firmly. “What’s to fear? I am here.”
Bolstered, the Little Fox Girl gritted her resolve and continued into the valley.
Slowly, they neared the valley mouth, sensing the vast, unsettling aura permeating the night air. Presence of a mighty Great Qi Refiner resided here – one whose fractured mind rendered him unable to contain the overwhelming force emanating from him, creating an eerie and oppressive field…
They walked into the valley. Fang Cun came to a halt beneath an ancient Green Pine.
He stood unmoving. The Little Fox Girl dared not move either.
She watched her Young Master with pleading eyes, her thoughts swirling: If Young Master truly enters… and clashes with that lunatic…
Suddenly, she heard Fang Cun whisper urgently, closer: “Alright, stay close to me!”
“?”
The Little Fox Girl looked at him, puzzled. He had already opened the Old Umbrella, finding a hidden pocket amongst tall grasses.
“Young Master, you’re…”
“Shh! Not a word…” Fang Cun swiftly pulled her towards him, tucked her under his arm, and positioned the umbrella to shield them both.
Then, silently, Fang Cun focused his mind. On Jade Mirror Peak, a cloud of butterflies suddenly took flight. In the darkness, the mass of fluttering wings drew no attention. Gliding silently towards Rear Mountain, each butterfly clutched a strange, inscribed Talisman. Had He Zhenzhang been there, he’d have recognized them instantly: these were high-grade, tremendously powerful Lightning Talismans.
The butterflies drifted over Rear Mountain, silently scattering the Lightning Talismans everywhere across the valley below. Then, as silently, they flew away.
The Little Fox Girl curled up beside Fang Cun, hidden under the black umbrella, utterly oblivious.
She only saw a faint, smug smile curl his lips. Then, ever so deliberately, he began forming a hand seal…
“BOOM!”
CRACKLE… CRACKLE… BOOM!
Instantly, several thunderous detonations shattered the silent night over Rear Mountain!
The first blasts triggered another wave. Four, five… more than a dozen… within moments, the entire Rear Mountain shook as if struck by an earthquake! Light blazed skyward, illuminating the scene as bright as daylight! The earth groaned! Rocks crashed and tumbled as whole sections of cliff face collapsed!
KABOOOOOOM!
At that moment, across Shoushan Sect – disciples, Elders, even the Sect Leader – jolted awake to the terrifying symphony of destruction!
Simultaneously, the terrifying sounds of thunder and the cascading violence roused the occupant of the Rear Mountain: a madman sprawled high in a tree, clutching a pile of paintings to his chest. He sprang up, howling!
“STEALING THEM! SOMEONE’S STEALING MY PAINTINGS!!”
His enraged roar echoed through the valley. With a furious lunge, he propelled himself through the air like a missile, rocketing straight towards the source of the echoing blasts!
KRA-SHOOOO!
Lightning had just ripped through a section of rockface. He arrived just as the last echoes faded. His fist descended like a hammer!
WHUMP!
Half the rock wall exploded into a shower of pulverized stone!
Thunder echoed across the land as his foot slammed down, instantly stamping out a deep, massive crater in the earth.
Many Lightning Talismans were snatched into his grasp before they could unleash their power, crammed directly into his mouth. With a loud, sharp “CRUNCH,” the talisman detonated inside his jaws, blazing with endless lightning. Yet, he stubbornly swallowed everything down. A ball of lightning burst inside his belly, yet he remained completely unharmed… even letting out a satisfied burp…
“Crack, crack, crack…”
Fang Cun had desperately instructed the butterflies to scatter the Lightning Talismans as far from him as possible. Yet, unexpectedly, when the mad figure appeared in the void and frantically slammed a palm downward, a deep fissure split the mountain rock. Snaking like an earthworm, it extended directly toward the hiding spot of him and the Little Fox Girl…
“Is this… really a madman?”
Fang Cun himself was startled by the unexpectedly terrifying power. He immediately tightened the protective hold on his umbrella.
“ROAR…”
“Steal my painting? Who dares steal my painting?!”
“Looking for death! Looking for death!”
“Come! Come! Fight me!”
“…”
“…”
The thunder was a single wave, roaring intensely before swiftly fading away. But the madman continued to dart through the Rear Mountain, striking out wildly. Countless giant rocks were pulverized; numerous towering ancient trees were shattered. Yet, unable to find any opponent, after a frenzied bout of destruction leaving only desolation, the empty Rear Mountain remained unseen…
So, muttering incoherently, the madness secure in his grip, the madman finally embraced the painting tightly and found another tree to sleep under.
The Rear Mountain, at last, became quiet once more.
“Not someone to provoke… truly not someone to provoke…”
Clutching the umbrella close, Fang Cun finally let out the breath he was holding, truly breaking a cold sweat.
Only when the commotion had subsided for a long while, estimating the madman must be sound asleep, did Fang Cun slowly emerge holding the umbrella, leading the Little Fox Girl towards the valley exit. Upon nearing the mouth of the valley, he had the Little Fox Girl light the lantern while he gradually folded his own umbrella.
……
Now, outside the Rear Mountain valley, easily seven or eight miles away, the entire Shoushan Sect, from the Sect Leader to the Elders, the Stewards, and even the bolder disciples, had gathered. All were roused by the earthshaking sounds from the Rear Mountain, staring towards its direction with horrified expressions. Everyone speculated, discussed, utterly baffled by the sudden emergence of such terrifying commotion…
“The… the Elders Fang seemed to be heading towards the Rear Mountain…”
Quite a few people confirmed this news, instantly sparking a wave of conjecture.
Especially Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders Green Pine and Cold Stone, recalling what Elder Fang had said earlier. Their faces went bloodless with fright.
“He… he really went to the Rear Mountain?”
“With such noise… did he… did he cross blows with Elder Shenshan?”
At the mere thought of this possibility, their hearts nearly leaped from their chests. Listening to the endless rolling thunder, interspersed with the mad enraged roars of Elder Shenshan, their legs almost gave way. They could only pray desperately that nothing terrible happened…
Then, finally, silence returned to the Rear Mountain.
But Master Fang the Second Young Master still had not appeared…
Just as Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders couldn’t hold back any longer, considering whether to risk rushing into the Rear Mountain to search for Master Fang the Second Young Master, they finally saw it: a lantern lit the little path leading down from the Rear Mountain. Slowly, a man and a fox emerged.
The Little Fox Girl in front, beautiful as carved jade.
The Young Master behind, tall and graceful, his white robe immaculate, devoid of even a speck of dust.
“Elder Fang… Elder Fang…”
When their figures became clear, whether Sect Leader, Elders, Stewards, or curious disciples, all reacted with intense excitement and astonishment. It really was Elder Fang Cun! He had indeed gone to the Rear Mountain. That earthshaking clamor from the Rear Mountain was unquestionably caused by him and Elder Shenshan. Most crucially… he had emerged utterly unharmed.
Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders surged forward, unable to restrain themselves, urgently scanning Fang Cun’s person for injuries.
Elder Cold Stone’s voice trembled as he whispered urgently, “What… what exactly did you go and do?”
Facing the sect members’ fervor, Fang Cun remained placid. “What do you think?” he smiled slightly.
Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders froze for a moment, then comprehension dawned, flooding their faces with profound shock and utter delight.
Elder Green Pine could barely control his quivering voice: “Then… did you… did you manage to get… manage to…”
Fang Cun glanced at him, a calm smile playing on his lips. “Guess?”
“This…”
The Sect Leader and the two Elders heard this. Wild joy crashed within them, beyond expression.
Young Sect Master Xu, overwhelmed by exhilarating relief yet gripped by a visceral fear, cast a shaky glance back towards the silent Rear Mountain valley. “You… how did you manage it?”
“Well…”
Fang Cun gave a light laugh, followed by a dismissive, soft sigh. “If you really wish to know… I suppose you could ask Elder Shenshan!”