chsdbacks Chapter 30: Ghost Tianhe
Chapter 30: Ghost Tianhe
The trees grew short and sparse, their branches and leaves taking on an ominous, inky black hue. The sky seemed to be weighed down by a huge, filthy lead plate, thick with dark clouds, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
"This is... Gui Tianhe?"
Seeing is believing!
Zhang Ping reined in his horse and stopped, gazing at the vast river in front of him, which seemed to have been cleaved by the axe of a giant god to form the towering mountains. He couldn't help but gasp in astonishment!
The river was over a hundred feet wide, its turbid waters rushing and roaring, shrouded in a thick, eerie black mist that completely swallowed the view on the opposite bank.
The riverbank where they stood was a narrow valley formed by two steep black mountains.
Zhang Ping dismounted, walked to the riverbank, and squatted down.
The river water was a murky yellowish-black color. He scooped up a handful, and his fingertips felt an icy chill.
With a slight thought, the dog's nose wrinkles quietly activated, and it took a deep breath... Apart from the strong fishy smell and an indescribable stale mud smell, there was nothing else unusual.
"Rest where you are!" Chongxin's loud voice rang out. He strode towards the tall, thin, skilled alchemist, clearly intending to discuss crossing the river.
"Damn! This Heavenly River is really something else!" Qin Hu moved closer to Zhang Ping, squatted down like him, and exclaimed as he looked at the churning black water.
"I heard that a formidable demon used to roam this place, completely cutting off the trade routes! People from Songping County who wanted to go to the prefectural city had to take a huge detour to the east, which was incredibly difficult! It really ruined Songping's business."
"So it was Magistrate Xiao who beheaded that great demon?" Zhang Ping stood up and wiped the water off his hands on his clothes.
"Haha, no!" Qin Hu shook his head, a hint of longing on his face.
"Before Lord Xiao, that great demon was dealt with! Who did it? Heh, no one can say for sure! Only some mysterious legends remain."
It is said that the sword light soared into the sky that day, cleaving away the dark clouds that had been gathering in this wicked place for hundreds of years! The demons within a thousand miles were so frightened that they fled in terror! He gestured exaggeratedly to describe the scene.
"Later, a big shot from the capital's Demon Extermination Bureau arrived, glanced at him, tossed out a 'I'm no match for him,' and turned to leave!" Qin Hu clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Times have passed, and it's hard to tell if these old almanacs are genuine or fake. But since then, this waterway has been open, and the travel time between Matsudaira and the prefectural city has been reduced by more than half!"
He paused, then pointed to the churning black mist of the river: "However, while the great demon is gone, there are plenty of lesser demons and monsters in the river. To cross this Ghostly Heavenly River, we need to go to Ghost Cloud Mountain, five miles away, to dig up a special kind of 'Ghost Stone'! With that stone by our side, the water ghosts in the river won't dare to approach us."
Listening to this legendary and perilous past, Zhang Ping felt even more awe for the treacherous river before him.
"Brother Qin, how many times have you traveled this waterway before?" he asked curiously.
"Hehe," Qin Hu scratched the back of his head and chuckled.
"To be honest, this is my first time getting married like a young woman! I overheard those stewards from the Gou family bragging on the way here!" He showed a smug look on his face as he put his newfound knowledge to use.
Zhang Ping blinked speechlessly, realizing that he had just been listening to a folk tale.
After a moment's thought, he walked straight to the Lu family caravan's encampment at the edge of the camp.
...
"Oh? Only warriors at the Skin Tempering Realm can go?" Zhang Ping was somewhat surprised to learn about the Ghost Stone from Lu Wanrou.
"Yes." A layer of sorrow lingered between Lu Wanrou's brows.
The Lu family was no stranger to the Ghost River, having crossed it many times. To cross the river, they had to go to Ghost Cloud Mountain to find the Ghost Stone.
However, Ghost Cloud Mountain is extremely dangerous, constantly tainted by a heavy aura of demons, and teeming with countless unconscious demons.
Once a martial artist who has surpassed the Skin Tempering Realm enters, it is very easy to attract a large number of demons; on the contrary, martial artists in the Skin Tempering Realm have low blood and qi, and as long as they do not go too deep, they can find the ghost stones they need.
"Was Zhang Di sent to collect the ghost stone?"
"The head of the museum hasn't been decided yet, but I'll most likely be one of them," Zhang Ping said, stroking his chin.
I inadvertently ruined Chongxin's plans in Lishan Town, so it would be strange if Chongxin didn't take the opportunity to send me. Besides, he might have had this intention in mind when he brought me along on this escort mission.
Lu Wanrou's eyes lit up. She quickly glanced around and, seeing only her maid Xiaoqing beside her, hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice to plead, "At that time... could Brother Zhang protect the disciples of my Lu family?"
Zhang Ping's eyes flickered slightly: "Price."
"..."
Lunch was quickly eaten, and in the afternoon, Zhang Ping indeed saw his name on the list of those collecting ghost stones. The group of twenty needed to bring back over a hundred ghost stones to ensure the entire team could successfully cross the Ghost River.
"Brother Zhang, be very careful! Just search on the outer perimeter, don't go in!" Qin Hu, who was leading the team, walked up to Zhang Ping before heading up the mountain and gave him a serious warning.
Zhang Ping nodded, turned around, and stepped onto the mountain path with Lu Feng. The others also dispersed in their own groups.
"Brother Zhang, cough cough...which way should we go?"
The Ghost Cloud Mountain is covered with pitch-black vegetation, and the soil underfoot is also a deep, dark black, making it impossible for unfamiliar people to discern directions.
Lu Feng was still recovering from his injuries, and his voice was tinged with suppressed coughing and wheezing.
He cautiously scanned the surrounding mist, subconsciously waiting for Zhang Ping to make a decision. In previous years, the dangerous task of crossing the river and collecting ghost stones was not something a talented disciple like him would be given; it was always the family members whose potential had been exhausted who took the risk.
The family suffered heavy losses this time and simply couldn't spare any manpower.
Zhang Ping paused, actually having no clue either.
Feeling the increasingly cold and damp air in the mountain forest, he hesitated for a moment: "Let's go further in and see."
"Okay!" Lu Feng replied.
The dead branches underfoot were rotten and brittle, making a slight, grating crunch when stepped on.
The higher you go, the stronger the mountain wind becomes, howling coldly and carrying wisps of chill that seep into your collar.
"Brother Zhang, shall we continue further in?" As he estimated the distance they had traveled, Lu Feng felt a growing unease.
They had already gone quite far; further ahead lay the truly dangerous core area, a place where demons lurked.
Zhang Ping stopped and looked around: "Let's look around nearby first."
"Okay." Lu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately bent down and carefully searched the surrounding black bushes and crevices of rocks.
With the power of the spirit fox beast pattern within him, Zhang Ping's qi and blood were stable, and he moved with less restraint.
He wandered around seemingly casually, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. Soon, he discovered a strange gray stone under a dead, dark shrub.
The stone was about the thickness of a wrist, oval in shape, and its surface was so smooth that it seemed otherworldly. It had a strange softness to the touch, like... a woman's skin.
"This is the Ghost Stone?" Zhang Ping examined the strange stone with great interest. He had read about it before setting off.
Just then, something stirred within my dormant mind...
......