Chapter 008: Entering the Mountains

Old Yang cleared his throat: "The feng shui of this mountain area is acceptable, the wealth position is slightly off... This mountain area can make money, but the money cannot be kept..."

After I finished a cigarette, Old Yang also put away the compass. He casually found a place to sit down, not saying a word. It seemed he was waiting for the two of us to make a move

As soon as I finished speaking, Zhang Mu's gaze towards me changed immediately

Xingzi pouted and said, "I didn't say anything wrong either"

I looked up at Xingzi and said: "I see, you are quite accomplished. You make things difficult for me everywhere, trying to prove that you are better than Uncle Gao, right? Even if you manage to suppress Uncle Gao, what does it matter? If you truly have the ability, you wouldn't need to resort to such tricks; naturally, people would respect you.

I did not pay attention to the auspicious signs: "I did not discern the feng shui, but I did see the dead. However, I know that this place certainly does not harbor any evil. If you were to run out and seek help because of matters here, it would be akin to selling children and buying monkeys. It would be a frivolous endeavor."

"You act like a dog all day, making a fuss, yet I haven't seen you achieve anything substantial!" I pointed towards the mountain area and said, "There are plenty of brothers here; why don't you ask around who can't see through your little dog-like intentions?"

The old beggar is impressive! A couple of years ago, a brother without a home passed away and was buried there! The old beggar hit the nail on the head, and even Zhang Mu must feel proud: "Nephew, it's your turn now"

Zhang Mu likely intends to separate the people first, and then have a private chat with Datou and Xingzi about the illustrations and books. Gao Datou probably understands his intention as well, saying nothing and turning to leave. As soon as he enters the room, he pats me on the shoulder: "I knew it, Master Li's grandson won't come for nothing. Monkey, go get a couple of dishes, I'm treating my nephew to drinks"

When those people's laughter quieted down a bit, I finally found an opportunity to speak: "I ... ... "

Zhang Mu glared and said: "Are you not done yet?"

"No, I won't compete in the last two matches either." Without waiting for Da Tou to respond, Zhang Mu said, "Hurry up and pack your things, we need to head into the mountains. The boss is urging us to deliver the wood quickly; if we finish this deal a day earlier, he will add an extra 10,000."

The old man looked at me and said, "Young man, you go first"

Old Guai Zi, with his hands behind his back, walked around in circles and said: "Yang, my friend, I have finished here. Why don't you enlighten us first?"

Before I could finish my sentence, Xingzi burst into a hearty laugh, holding his stomach: "Hahaha... alright, kid, at least you still have some face. Those shameless ones are much worse than you. Don't worry, when you go back, I will give you five hundred yuan. I won't let you make a trip for nothing. We have rules in the mountains; even if a dog comes, it should be given a bone."

Xingzi gave a thumbs up after listening: "What you said is always so accurate..."

The old man did not say much: "You are the leader, I will follow you."

I glanced up there: "This place used to be a bookstore, right?"

The wine offered to heaven and earth must not be disturbed; only the bowl of wine offered to the gods and spirits may be broken. If the wine bowl falls to the ground and is completely absorbed by the earth, it is a great omen, as it signifies that the gods and spirits are providing you with sustenance

It is said that the most fearsome thing is when wine spills on the ground, turning into blood; regardless of how many people enter the mountain, they are destined to perish within it

Breaking a wine bowl is, in fact, also a way to inquire about fortune and misfortune

With that smile from Xingzi, the entire mountain area erupted in laughter, dozens of people laughed together, their tall heads and faces flushed red, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to hide in

You ... ... '' The tall nephew's face turned red: `` Nephew, you speak. Speak freely, your uncle is here too! ''

Zhang Mu led us for half a day, and it was only when dusk fell that he brought us to a place resembling a mountain field

My subsequent words were completely drowned out by their laughter, and nothing was said. Even if I wanted to speak now, there would need to be someone to listen. They were all laughing so hard, who could hear me speak

Cough cough... I cleared my throat twice and said, "You are all grown up now, why the rush?"

The old beggar looked at him and casually pointed to the edge of the mountain area, saying, "That place has buried people before." As soon as he finished speaking, the old beggar fell silent. The people present, however, all gasped in shock and turned their gazes towards Zhang Mu.

"Little bunny, who are you talking about?" Xingzi's anger suddenly flared up towards me

I didn't even raise my eyelids: "I've seen it, you come!"

Zhang Mu walked to https://m.hetushu.com and offered three sticks of incense at the small temple. He then took off a red belt from his waist and tied a knot in a tree. Holding three stones, he arranged them on the ground in the shape of a character pointing towards the mountain, signifying that we are to enter the mountain from this place, and if anyone wishes to find us in the future, they should follow this path downwards.

Xingzi scoffed, "What does he understand? In a moment, he will just mimic what others say; who can say he is wrong?"

In particular, the mountain deity temple tied with red ropes on the tree serves as a double reminder that the path ahead is difficult to traverse. If one truly wishes to enter, it is advisable to leave a marker in advance to avoid getting lost, as the patrollers will have no place to search for you.

Zhang Mugang was about to move forward when Old Guaizi spoke up: "Hey, are you going to spill the wine from the broken bowl down there?"

The snacks for drinking have not yet arrived from the monkey's side, but Zhang Mu has come in first. Gao Da Tou pointed to the table and said, "Brother, you arrived just in time; let us have a couple of drinks."

Gao Da Tou was taken aback, his eyes wide open: "How did you figure it out?"

After following them for more than half a day, I saw from a distance a mountain temple built on a hill, and behind the small temple stood an old poplar tree tied with a red rope

Stop! Zhang Mu, come up and stand between the two: What are you all doing? Do you want to rebel? All of you, go back to your places. Anyone who dares to come forward again, don't blame me for being ruthless.

Everyone working in the mountain field knows that today there is a grand duel of the masters, and they all come out to watch the excitement, each one left in a daze by Old Yang. They all say that old fellow possesses great skills, and he is so pleased that his eyes have turned into slits.

After Zhang Mu took control of the situation, he coldly shouted, "Everyone get the hell back to your rooms and rest."

Zhang Mu looked at the old beggar for a while: "No matter what, I have to go in, whether I fall or not. Asking or not asking, it all amounts to the same."

Those who frequently travel into the mountains are well aware that the Mountain God Temple is not only a place of worship for the mountain deity, but at times also serves as a marker, signifying that beyond this point lies the deep mountains, and the Mountain God can only protect you up to this location

Xingzi curled his lips and said, "This matter was told to you by Gao Datou, wasn't it?"

If the wine flows along the ground for quite a distance, it means that the spirits do not drink your wine, and you will come out of the mountains empty-handed

The people at the mountain site saw Zhang Mu turn hostile, and immediately they all dared not utter a word, each one dejectedly carrying their tools and standing at the edge of the area

"That's enough! Zhang Mu has really lost his temper this time: 'What do you all want? Is there anyone as difficult as you, Xingzi? Hurry up and apologize to Lao Er.'"

I spoke slowly and said: "I truly did not notice, how is the feng shui here? I also did not see that someone was buried here..."

I had just uttered a single word when Xingzi pointed at me and burst into a fit of laughter, saying: "What a joke! Give Lao Gao some face, will you! Hahaha..."

"Okay, I will pack my things right away." Upon hearing about the extra money, Gao Datou immediately stopped drinking and hurriedly got up to pack his belongings, leading me into the mountains

Mr. Wei, everyone here has their own abilities. Forcing them to compete against each other not only damages relationships but also creates financial disputes. Let's discuss this further when we arrive at our destination

What’s going on? Xingzi ignored that approach: "The people you brought along are incompetent? Are you embarrassed? If he is capable, let him speak about the hours of the day and enlighten us?"

"Gao, the brothers are leaving with you!" Gao Datou turned around, and nearly twenty people followed suit.

Gao Datou, furious, stamped his foot and said, "Nephew, let's go. I will go with you." As Gao Datou turned around, tears of anger welled up in his eyes

Before I could speak, Zhang Mu, who was walking ahead, turned his head and said: "Good eye. Let's stay here for the time being, and when we are ready, we will venture further in."

You are looking for trouble! This time it is Xingzi who is embarrassed, coming up and wanting to take action.

The tall and big-headed person really can't hold it anymore: "I think you deserve a slap!"

Before entering the mountain, the head of the mountain site usually places three bowls of wine. After reciting for a while, the last bowl of wine is smashed onto the ground—three bowls of wine, one bowl to honor Heaven, one bowl to honor Earth, and one bowl to honor the spirits.

If one were to fall down and the bowl does not break, it would be disastrous. That is a very ominous sign; entering the mountains would surely result in death. The spirits are deliberately leaving you an empty bowl, preparing a meal for themselves in the afterlife.

"Damn it, give me the weapon..." A tall man nearing forty, his temper flaring, reached behind his waist and drew a knife, charging towards Xingzi.