Chapter 16 (Revised Version): A sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, winding through the mountains…

Chapter 16 (Revised Version): A sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, winding through the mountains…

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, two rows of lanterns led a line of shadowy figures slowly up the stone steps along the winding mountain path.

Such a scene, reflected in the surrounding layers of dark blue-green mountains, the distant, indistinct mountain ridges resembling a crouching giant beast, and the slightly eerie rustling of the trees, is like the opening scene of some strange tale.

The eerie and sinister atmosphere was even more intense when there was a beautiful young girl full of resentment in the group.

"Ah... biased ghost, biased ghost, biased ghost..." Step by step, Xiao Yan Hui climbed the mountain stone steps. At this moment, Xiao Yan Hui's eyes had lost their luster, making him appear as if he were a living person on the verge of death, but his heart was screaming wildly. He was so resentful that he could easily raise one or two evil sword immortals.

Honestly, this was the first time she had ever been so vulnerable since she had traveled through time.

Can you imagine?

I was woken from a deep sleep at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), then urged to wash up and, under the still-dark sky, traveled by horse-drawn carriage to Fuhu Mountain.

She only managed to grab a quick bite of a dry biscuit and a sip of water on the bus. And so, so early in the morning, before the sun had even fully risen, she had to start climbing the mountain step by step in the dim light of dawn.

Her dislike for the old lady reached its peak at this moment. They were all supposed to come to the mountain to attend the Dharma assembly, but she only picked up Xiao Quexian and brought her up the mountain in advance.

They're both granddaughters, but Xiao Quexian is her biological granddaughter, while Xiao Yanhui was just adopted.

She had always assumed that the Buddhist ceremony would be held in the afternoon, and the main family had arranged the schedule and manpower according to the assumption that the ceremony would be held in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Chen from the old lady's courtyard came to pick her up while it was still dark. The Dharma assembly was scheduled for the morning, and Xiao Yan was to arrive before the old lady lit the first incense stick. The copied scriptures were to be offered and burned at that time, and she was to offer incense along with them.

This old lady is quite eccentric. She wants to meditate and hold a Dharma assembly, so why doesn't she do it herself? Instead, she insists on dragging others into it.

It would be understandable if the whole family went, but the fact that no one else was allowed to go, and only Xiao Yan Hui and Xiao Que Xian were invited, made it hard for Xiao Yan Hui not to suspect that she had ulterior motives.

Unfortunately, she was an elder, and this matter seemed like a small thing. In other people's eyes, it might even be seen as the old lady's affection.

It does align with the old lady's style over the years; it seems like she's saying things for your own good, but for those who experience it firsthand, everything is so unpleasant.

The mother-in-law only allowed the third daughter to go, so the first wife couldn't say anything. Although she was in a hurry to leave early this morning, the first wife still tried her best to arrange more manpower. She not only brought strong maids, but also several guards who looked to be quite capable in combat.

This was likely not only to guard against possible accidents along the way, but also to guard against the old lady or Xiao Quexian secretly plotting something bad.

As she climbed step by step, the repetitive mechanical movements gradually lessened some of her negative emotions, but her physical condition worsened. This was no well-trained body; the soreness in her feet became increasingly noticeable, and Xiao Yan's climbing speed slowed down.

This won't do. I just asked Qingfu, and they've only covered about a third of the mountain path so far. If I climb the whole way, I'll probably be exhausted.

My gaze shifted to the two-person sedan chair behind us. It was something that had already been prepared, but Aunt Chen blocked it, saying that she would be more sincere to Buddha if she climbed the mountain herself.

Looking at a small platform not far ahead where one could rest temporarily, Xiao Yan decided to walk a few more steps and then use a sedan chair once she reached the platform.

"Third Miss, don't stop! We need to hurry, or we'll miss the time for the first incense stick." The annoying voice rang out again.

Xiao Yan did not respond to the urging, but climbed the uneven mountain path steps with a bit of resentment.

Aunt Chen watched as the Third Miss stomped heavily on the ground, a hidden disdain flashing in her eyes. It wasn't that she wanted to make things difficult for anyone; the Third Miss was just being tactless and not favored by the Old Madam.

Touching the gold hairpin in her bosom, Aunt Chen once again marveled at the Second Miss's generosity. She had only caused a little trouble on the way, yet she had received such a reward. Why wouldn't she do something so easy?

"Third Miss, let's hurry up, or we'll be too late."

Xiao Yan slowed her pace a bit, and then she heard Aunt Chen repeating the same old things again.

This person not only spoke repeatedly like an NPC, but also had a smile that never changed much. Combined with the atmosphere in the mountains, it even had a somewhat terrifying effect at first glance.

Xiao Yanhui even had the illusion that she was being taken away for a sacrifice.

At this moment, Aunt Chen felt she had the man under her thumb and was feeling quite pleased with herself. But after climbing only a few steps, she suddenly heard a gasp from the side.

However, Xiao Yan accidentally stepped on the moss that was still damp with moisture.

Because she was in a bad mood, Xiao Yan took a slightly heavier step when climbing the mountain. Unexpectedly, after climbing another step, she suddenly felt her foot slip and her left foot slid to the side, breaking her balance and almost falling.

"Girl, be careful." Fortunately, Qingfu and Lü'e, who were following behind, were alert and immediately stepped forward to help her up.

"Third Miss, I told you before that the mountain path is slippery. You should be careful when you walk on the mountain path." Aunt Chen, who was leading the way, only looked at Xiao Yan Hui, but stood still. She had that overly standard smile on her face, and her tone was neither warm nor cold, but carried a hint of sarcasm.

Some people really give her face, and she takes it even further. Just as Xiao Yan was about to lash out, a still somewhat childish voice rang out before her: "Auntie can only offer her advice after the fact, why didn't you think to help the young lady sit down and check her injuries?"

Looking up, I saw that the one who had started the argument was Xiao Zhu, oh, she has now changed her name to Zhu Yue.

This little girl, who was only twelve or thirteen years old, was the one who had come to serve her last time with Mao'er. She usually seemed a bit naive, but now she seemed quite bold. The way she looked up at Aunt Chen was quite imposing.

Behind her, Cat urged the two strong women carrying the sedan chair: "Hurry up, how can we servants be so oblivious and just stand by and watch our young lady get injured and not move?"

It's a very obvious case of using a veiled insult to criticize someone else.

"You..." Aunt Chen, who had been humiliated by this newly promoted young maid, was furious and her face turned red. She raised her hand to slap Zhu Yue across the face.

"Aunt Chen!" Although she had been dissatisfied all morning, Xiao Yan Hui hadn't shown much aggression. But seeing Aunt Chen's actions, her voice suddenly turned cold: "Have you thought it through? You're going to touch my maid right in front of me."

"She's just a little brat." That's what she was thinking, but when she saw the Third Miss's face turn cold and frosty, Aunt Chen's raised hand froze in mid-air, unable to bring herself to swing it down.

Even though the memory of the Third Sister's obsequious and cautious manner towards the Old Lady was still vivid, and even though just now she felt she could easily manipulate her, now, when she met the Old Lady's eyes flashing with warning in the dim light of dawn, the raised hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The hand stiffly turned in the air, transforming into a gesture of tidying her hair: "Third Miss is joking, I had no such intention."

After saying that, he probably felt a little unwilling to just give in, so he muttered something under his breath: "These young girls nowadays are becoming more and more unruly. They haven't learned properly and they won't let anyone teach them."

Actually, this Aunt Chen wasn't exactly a top-tier figure in the old lady's courtyard. If she were truly a confidante, she wouldn't have been sent out to do this job of picking people up before dawn.

All her previous actions were merely due to the old lady's influence and the Third Miss's consistent respect for the old lady.

Those people in the old lady's courtyard had become accustomed to criticizing the third daughter whenever they had a spare moment over the years. Often, these sarcastic remarks were not only not punished, but might even be rewarded.

Years of habitual interaction made them overlook the fact that the third daughter was no longer being raised in the old lady's courtyard, and was no longer an eight or nine-year-old child.

But these people are often all bark and no bite. As soon as Xiao Yan Hui became assertive, she immediately realized who was the master and who was the servant.

Zhu Yue and Mao'er helped Xiao Yan Hui onto the sedan chair. For a moment, Qing Fu and Lü E looked a little embarrassed, as they should have been the ones to do what Zhu Yue and Mao'er had done.

Sometimes, the master has things he can't say or do, so naturally, he wants the head maids to step up. But just now, the two of them were not as useful as the new maids.

The original owner was raised by the old lady a few years ago, and naturally, the green caterpillars and moths were with her. They were used to being disciplined together over the years, and thus, they were not as fearless as newborn calves.

The group checked Xiao Yan Hui's foot and found that she had just slipped and was not seriously injured.

"Carry me to that small platform up there, let's stop and rest for a while before continuing," Xiao Yan instructed.

"Third Miss..." Aunt Chen walked over again, but this time she was interrupted as soon as she opened her mouth.

"I'm tired and need to rest for a while. If Aunt Chen is really in such a hurry, then you should go up and apologize to the old lady for me." Having been urged all the way and almost slipped just now, Xiao Yan's rebellious spirit kicked in, and even though she was already in the sedan chair, she didn't intend to continue the journey.

She was even a little curious, wondering what the old lady would do to her since she was late today.

Seeing the Third Miss adopt such a posture, Aunt Chen's face no longer had the standard smile from before, but it still looked like a smile, only this smile was tinged with bitterness.

It was her duty to come down and pick them up; could she abandon her young master and go straight up the mountain? She couldn't.

Could she take any coercive measures against the third daughter? Not only could she not, but she dared not.

"Third Miss, if we delay the time, the old lady will be unhappy." Aunt Chen could only bring up the old lady again to calm things down.

Unfortunately, it's completely useless now.

"You saw me slip just now. This mountain road is so rugged and difficult to walk, and I am small and weak. What if something happens to me in order to hurry up?"

Moreover, I've heard that excessive fatigue can harm one's health. Given how loving and caring my grandmother is towards her younger generation, she would be extremely distressed and distressed if I were injured or had an accident. Therefore, safety should be our top priority. We should travel slowly, rest when necessary, and taking good care of ourselves is also a way for me to show my filial piety.

"..."

After hearing these words, Aunt Chen was completely speechless.

Oh, can she say that the old lady isn't kind? Can she really take responsibility for what might have happened to the third daughter on the road?

At this moment, she realized that if the Third Miss was determined not to give her face, she would be the one to suffer.

As the cool breeze blew through the three rooms, Xiao Yan suddenly realized that the old lady's universal formula of kindness was indeed very convenient to apply.

You say I'm filial, I say you're kind, and we all live in harmony—no problem there.

Whew, another cool breeze blew by. Seeing Aunt Chen's visible resentment and anxiety, Xiao Yan felt that most of her negative emotions from the morning had dissipated.

The surrounding environment no longer looked as gloomy as before.

As dawn broke, the pinkish-blue clouds drifted slowly across the sky. It was going to be a beautiful day. Looking into the distance, the mountains in the early morning had a touch of the cool, ink-wash painting style.

“Hey, Qingfu, look over there, isn’t there a village over there?” Xiao Yan’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a different color in the mountains. Amidst the lush green mountains, there was a beautiful orange-red.

She pointed to a depression in the mountains. Apart from the different color, some rooftops and houses could be vaguely seen there, but upon closer inspection, they looked like ruins.

"This servant doesn't know where that place is either," Qingfu said, casting a questioning glance at Lü'e.

Green moths are usually more outgoing and spend more time outdoors, so perhaps they would know.

The green moth certainly knew.

Seeing the strange and surprised look on Green Moth's face, Xiao Yan, who had only asked casually, was now truly intrigued.

"Is there something strange about that place?" she asked.

The green moth looked up and saw that although the sun had not yet risen, it was already bright outside.

Since it's already daylight, there's no major problem: "Miss, you don't know this, but that place was originally a village. Because there was a famous pool in the village called Youlong Pool, the village was called Youlong Village."

However, several years ago, most of the village was destroyed by a mudslide that slid down the mountain, and the village was abandoned.

Up to this point, everything was serious, but then Green Moth issued a disclaimer: "I heard that what follows is all nonsense from an old woman. Just listen to the tale and don't take it seriously."

"Isn't this mountain called Fuhu Mountain? I heard that a wise man once predicted that the mudslide was caused by a fight between a dragon and a tiger."

That place was both a battlefield of dragons and tigers, and later, people who died tragically were imprisoned by the energy of dragons and tigers and could not escape. The fierce and resentful energy lingered and did not dissipate, which is why the land was so red and barren.

Anyway, everyone says that place is very unlucky. Not only are there wronged spirits, but there are also dragons and tigers. They fought once but the outcome was not determined, so they are bound to fight again.

Perhaps feeling unsafe, the surviving villagers gradually moved away, and the village was completely abandoned.

"Is that so!" Xiao Yan hadn't expected that her casual question about a glimpse of light in the mountains would lead to such a tragic story with a touch of fantasy.

"Oh, aunt... young lady, Green Moth, look over there, isn't there a figure?" Qingfu exclaimed softly, then pointed to a spot in the village ruins and asked.

A note from the author:

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This chapter was written in a bit of a rush, and I might do some minor revisions tomorrow.

Good night, see you tomorrow.