chsdbacks Chapter 180: Zhantai Mountain... Five Finger Mountain...
Chapter 180: Zhantai Mountain... Five Finger Mountain...
The strong winds from high above blew past on both sides of me, making my robes rustle.
Zhang Ping did not use his qi and blood to block the gale; instead, he fell from the sky in a diving posture.
boom!
A large crater, about two meters in diameter, was smashed into the ground.
Stepping out of the pit, Zhang Ping glanced around, slightly surprised.
"There are places like this in the South?"
This is the heart of a vast mountain range. The exact name of the mountain range is unknown, but from the perspective of the sky, it can be seen that the range covers an area of over a thousand miles.
The entire southern border region had been occupied by demons years ago, radiating outwards from the eastern frontier. It was all desolate and barren.
Located in the southern border, this place should theoretically be unable to escape the ravages of demons.
But as Zhang Ping had traveled along the way and entered the mountain range, he found that the mountain range remained unchanged. It was beautiful with clear waters and lush mountains, and wild animals frequently appeared.
quack-
Birdsong filled the sky; looking up, I saw a migratory bird unique to the north. It had even braved the unpleasant climate to survive in these mountains.
Zhang Ping withdrew his gaze and walked forward, stepping on the grass that was above his ankles.
Each step covered tens of meters, and they quickly disappeared into the mountains.
......
As Zhang Ping ventured deeper, the surrounding mountains grew taller, and mist filled the air. Dense tree branches grew wildly, appearing like ghostly shadows against the backdrop of the mist.
After a long while, Zhang Ping landed in a corner in the mountains, where a three-meter-wide stream flowed out, forming a small stream channel. The bottom was made of smooth pebbles.
You can vaguely see some small, transparent fish swimming between the pebbles.
"This is Zhantai Mountain." Zhang Ping shifted his gaze from the stream to the silhouette in the distance through the mist.
In the hazy sky, five sharp mountain peaks extend upwards, the middle one being higher and the two sides lower, with the leftmost peak being slightly thicker.
It looks remarkably like an upright hand.
gulp,
Suddenly, a small fish the size of a palm jumped out of the water. Zhang Ping reacted quickly and sucked the fish into his hand.
The fish is transparent and looks very clean. It doesn't feel sticky when you hold it in your hand.
The fish head area has scattered scarlet marks.
"Such abundant vital energy!" Zhang Ping was slightly surprised when he sensed the level of vital energy in the strange fish in his hand.
With this level of qi and blood, it could already be used as the main ingredient in the making of secret medicines.
What's more, there are many of these strange fish in the stream.
It seems that Zhantai Mountain is indeed somewhat special.
Zhang Ping casually tossed the fish back into the stream and continued deeper into the water.
Following the stream upstream, we discovered that the source of this stream is precisely the mountain Zhantai.
Confirming his suspicions, Zhang Ping continued upstream.
After crossing tens of thousands of meters, we arrived at a wide and flat area halfway up the mountain.
At this time, the sun was setting in the west. The twilight light bathed the mountainside in a golden glow.
The instant Zhang Ping turned to look at the setting sun, he suddenly noticed several wisps of smoke rising into the sky.
"Someone's here?!" Zhang Ping stopped in his tracks instinctively, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Looking back, although this place is halfway up the mountain, it is still tens of thousands of meters away from the foot of the mountain, and there are countless strange beasts there. Who would still live on this mountainside?
Following the smoke from the chimneys, we passed through a low-lying forest and stepped onto a flat, open meadow. Directly ahead, there were three houses. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of two of them.
The big yellow dog lying on the grass immediately stood up and barked when it saw Zhang Ping.
A young voice came from inside the house: "Big Yellow, did you see the big snake again?"
A wooden door, bound with vines, was opened, and a young man stepped out. He was wearing a coarse cloth vest, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
After stepping outside, I gently soothed the barking dog, Da Huang.
Zhang Ping's gaze swept over the man, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"mortal?"
At this moment, the man also saw Zhang Ping and was greatly surprised.
"You...you came in from outside?"
He took two steps back, then quickly ran back into the house.
As he ran, he shouted, "Dad! Dad! People from outside have come in!"
......
An hour later,
The air is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms under the large osmanthus tree.
The texture of the wooden stump is clearly visible on the tabletop.
"Here, have some water, sir!"
Zhang Ping sat on the stool, facing the young man and his family from before.
An elderly person, a couple, and a teenager.
"Thank you!" Zhang Ping glanced at the plain water on the table. Then, somewhat curiously, he asked:
"Brother Li, is your father...?"
As he spoke, Zhang Ping glanced at the old man who was struggling with the osmanthus tree.
Beneath the osmanthus tree, an old man with white hair held a light-weight axe made of rotten wood, swinging it repeatedly against the tree trunk while muttering, "Chopping down the ghost tree... Guardian..."
The old man seemed completely oblivious to the stares of others and Zhang Ping's arrival. Even when the conversation turned to him, he continued to swing his axe and chop down trees.
Li Qing scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. He explained:
"Young man, my dad can usually stay lucid most of the time, it just so happens that today is the day he was lucid."
"I'm talking about the Execution Platform you asked about. I've never heard of it from my father. I only know that this is Wuzhi Mountain. My family has lived here for generations."
"Have you lived here for generations?" Zhang Ping paused, his hand holding the wooden cup still.
"Yes." Li Qing nodded.
"Speaking of which, this young man is the first stranger I've met in over ten years. The last time was when I was five or six years old, and I can't remember what happened then. I only remember that he gave me a lot of things, including children's food."
Seeing Li Qing's reminiscing expression, Zhang Ping remained silent. Instead, he glanced at the woman returning to the house with the kettle of boiling water, and at the child peeking out from inside, curiously watching.
"I'm curious, where is Brother Li's wife from? Could it be...?" His eyes flickered.
Li Qing quickly shook his head and explained, "Xiao Ru is from the mountains."
"Are there other people living in the mountains?" Zhang Ping asked.
Li Qing shook his head: "No, there's only my Li family on the entire Wuzhi Mountain. Xiao Ru came from the mountains, but she doesn't know where she came from."
Zhang Ping neither confirmed nor denied it.
He glanced at the old man who was still playing with the wooden axe, then got up and walked to the edge of the courtyard.
This is the backyard of the house, a fenced-off area serving as a yard. Outside the fence is a large, sloping hillside. Lush greenery fills the view.
Further on, the forest disappears. Wild beasts roam freely there, and strange creatures abound. Even without the strength of the Blood Essence Realm, finding this place would be virtually impossible.
Similarly, the same applies to surviving on this mountain.
But the strange thing is precisely this... Zhang Ping crossed his arms and turned slightly to the side. He glanced at Li Qing's family out of the corner of his eye.
When Li Qing saw Zhang Ping looking over, he responded with a smile.
There are many strange beasts on the mountain, but there are no strange beasts around this place within a ten-mile radius. Even larger wild animals avoid it and dare not get close.
It's really puzzling.
Meeting Li Qing's smile, Zhang Ping suddenly smiled, his lips twitching as he said, "Is it Zhantai Mountain or Wuzhi Mountain? And is there a powerful demon trapped beneath it...?"