Chapter 48: Kong Sang mountain

After leaving the city, Grey and his companions flew for seven long days toward Kong Sang Mountain.During this time, Grey couldn't shake the odd feeling he'd been having about Lu Xueqi.The way she kept glancing at him—her eyes lingering a little too long—felt strange. It wasn't just curiosity or suspicion.No, he'd seen this before. Countless times, in the cheesy TV dramas he swore he never watched but definitely did. It was the way a girl looks at the person she loves.He wanted to ask her about it, maybe even confront her directly.But every time he tried, Lu Xueqi managed to dodge the question with the finesse of someone who had years of practice."Why do you keep looking at me like that?" he'd ask, only to get a vague response or a sudden, urgent need to focus on flying.It was starting to drive him a little crazy.And just like that, seven days passed.As they neared their destination, Kong Sang Mountain loomed in the distance. The eerie atmosphere hit them all at once.The air grew thick with a gloomy, dark energy, and strange, unsettling animal sounds echoed from the dense, twisted forest below.The place felt haunted—like it existed on a different plane of reality, separated from the world they knew.Hovering above the mountain, Grey took in the foreboding landscape and finally spoke, his voice serious and laced with a hint of unease."This mountain is haunted," he said, trying to sound matter-of-fact, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him.He coughed, straightening his posture. "I mean, not that I'm scared or anything... just saying, it's got that vibe, you know?"The ominous aura that enveloped the mountain was perfect for demonic cultivators who wanted to stay hidden—away from the prying eyes of the righteous sects determined to purge this kind of darkness.Grey couldn't help but shiver as he took in the eerie surroundings. Ghosts… why does it have to be ghosts?In all honesty, Grey was a little embarrassed.Ghosts had always been his weakness, even in his previous life.It wasn't like he'd run screaming at the sight of one, but they freaked him out enough to make his skin crawl and his heart beat faster than it should.He tried to calm himself, reminding himself he was a powerful cultivator now. But that little voice in the back of his mind kept whispering, Yeah, but you're still scared of ghosts, buddy.He could already imagine the awkward confrontation with a spirit: "Uh, hi. Can we maybe... not haunt today?"Be brave, Grey. Aren't they just ghosts? You can just smash them with lightning. He mentally coached himself, trying to summon some courage.Suddenly, Shu Shu interrupted his thoughts, squinting toward the mountain. "Hey, what are those?"His eyes narrowed as he spotted a swarm of small, bird-like creatures rapidly flying toward them.Grey, misinterpreting the situation entirely, immediately summoned his massive Qi sword, energy surging."What, ghosts?!" he shouted, poised to dramatically slice the air with enough force to obliterate an entire mountain.Qi Hao, not even slightly phased by Grey's overreaction, sighed, his voice urgent but calm. "No, no ghosts! Danger. Those are blood-sucking bats." His tone grew more serious. "Fighting them in the air is risky."Grey blinked, his sword still at the ready, looking slightly embarrassed. "Not ghosts?" he muttered under his breath, feeling a little silly but too proud to fully admit it."Let's land," Qi Hao added, taking charge as the oldest and most knowledgeable.He knew exactly how dangerous the bats were, especially when fighting in mid-air, where their agility and numbers would give them an advantage."Okay, let's do that," Grey quickly agreed, trying to regain his composure.Sure, he could blow things up with a snap of his fingers, but he wasn't about to ignore Qi Hao's advice.Experience beat power in some situations, and this felt like one of those times.The group swiftly descended to the barren terrain below.As soon as they landed, the blood-sucking bats swarmed them, filling the sky like a cloud of tiny, vampiric nightmares. Without hesitation, Grey formed a Qi barrier around them, the shimmering wall blocking the bats from getting through."Junior, your Qi is as strong as ever," Qi Hao said, clearly impressed by the sturdiness of Grey's barrier."Not the time for compliments, Brother Qi Hao!" Grey snapped, his eyes focused on the bats. "But seriously... what the hell are those things? They don't look like regular bats.""They're not," Qi Hao explained, his tone grim."These bats are specially raised by demonic cultivators. They feed on their victims' blood, draining them dry. They're more than just a weapon—they're torture.""Man, demons sure know how to ruin a vacation," Shu Shu muttered, watching the bats hover just outside the barrier with a disgusted look on his face.Grey, getting tired of the situation, clenched his fist. "Time to get rid of them," he said, his voice full of resolve.With a swift motion, he summoned a wave of flames outside the barrier. The fire roared through the swarm like an inferno.The bats screeched as they were instantly incinerated, reduced to ash in seconds."Well, that was… efficient," Shu Shu commented, brushing a bit of ash off his sleeves. "You didn't even give them a chance to be spooky.""Not in the mood for spooky," Grey replied dryly, dispelling the barrier with a flick of his wrist.Then Grey shot a sidelong glance at Lu Xueqi as he heard her stifled laugh.It was subtle, but enough to wound his fragile pride.He could feel his face heating up, though he tried to brush it off with a smirk of his own.Great, now I've got the ice queen laughing at me. Fantastic.