Chapter 289: Lin Fan: This mushroom is poisonous, don't eat it

Changbai Mountain.

A group of people trekked through the wilderness.

Mu Hao looked around, nodding repeatedly. "This place is truly extraordinary, a land of treasures covered in white snow. It's just a bit vast, making it difficult to find what we need."

"Master, where there's a will, there's a way. As long as we search diligently, we will surely find what you seek," Bei Tao said.

He wore a mask, following Mu Hao, not even wearing his usual flamboyant red suit.

He was afraid of being recognized.

As a high-ranking member of the special department headquarters and a senior member of the Shadow Society, his identity was highly confidential and could not be exposed.

His purpose in following Mu Hao was simple:

To find out what they were looking for in Changbai Mountain.

If he could infiltrate their ranks, with his talent for flattery, he might truly thrive. At least, he had successfully ingratiated himself with Mu Hao's current followers. From their initial disdain, they were now willing to converse with him.

Although they still looked at him with a hint of contempt, they were now willing to share some previously unknown information.

The Mu Clan was just one of many clans among the stars.

Not the strongest, but not weak either.

One of the hundred clans.

Mu Hao, the young master before him, held a high position, and all the Mu Clan disciples had to obey him.

However, whenever he tried to inquire about the situation in Changbai Mountain, they would shake their heads, feigning ignorance, acting secretive, as if they knew something but couldn't tell him.

Bei Tao would often just smile without speaking, conveying an air of understanding, as if to say, "I understand, I know what you mean." He knew most of these guys were difficult to fool.

Except for one, who seemed relatively gullible. This person gave Bei Tao the impression of being somewhat simple-minded. If he found the opportunity, he could share a drink with him, casually chat about various topics, and subtly steer the conversation towards the information he wanted.

Mu Hao said, "Naturally, if I can't obtain it, who can?"

This statement was somewhat arrogant.

After all, it wasn't only the Mu Clan who had come to Changbai Mountain; there were others. However, in front of the natives, he had to appear domineering, exuding an aura of conquest.

"Opportunities await those destined for them, and Master, you are that destined one. In this world, besides you, who else possesses such qualifications? Am I right?" Bei Tao boasted loudly, not only praising Mu Hao himself but also setting the rhythm, encouraging those around him to agree.

The Mu Clan disciples looked at Bei Tao with admiration.

Amazing!

Ordinary people couldn't compare.

"Yes, absolutely right. Besides our young master, who else could be the destined one?"

"Our young master is destined to rule the world."

"Exactly."

The Mu Clan disciples chimed in with their flattery.

Even though Mu Hao was a young master from a powerful clan among the stars, he still reveled in Bei Tao's barrage of compliments.

Just look…

Mu Hao held his head high, a confident smile playing on his lips. His gaze towards Bei Tao was filled with satisfaction and approval.

It seemed that these natives, while lacking in other skills, had a good eye for judging character.

He was very pleased.

"You are the first native to pledge allegiance to our Mu Clan. Once this matter is resolved, I can take you back to the Mu Clan and witness the grand spectacle of the heavens," Mu Hao said.

Bei Tao exclaimed excitedly, "Really? Thank you for your kindness, Master. I am willing to go through fire and water for you and the Mu Clan."

"Good, well said. When have I, Mu Hao, ever lied?"

Mu Hao laughed heartily. Gaining a loyal servant here was a matter of prestige for him.

Bei Tao said, "Master, I am very curious about this place. I have been to Changbai Mountain before, but apart from evil creatures, there was nothing else. Could there be some hidden secret?"

If he had asked this question earlier, he would have been scolded.

Some things were not for him to ask. But now, things were different. He had just flattered Mu Hao to a very comfortable state, so even if he asked some more sensitive questions, he wouldn't be reprimanded.

Mu Hao said, "The time has not yet come; naturally, you cannot discover it. As for these evil creatures, they are merely remnants."

Hearing these words, Bei Tao pondered them carefully.

Time?

What exactly was this time?

He etched these words into his memory.

He also realized that these people from the stars knew about the evil creatures. Logically, this shouldn't be possible; they didn't live on this planet. How could they know?

There was only one possible explanation…

They had been here before and had interacted with the evil creatures; otherwise, how could they know?

He didn't inquire further.

Although his flattery had pleased Mu Hao, asking too many questions might arouse suspicion, which would be troublesome.

Bei Tao had seen the video.

He didn't know what the firelight was, perhaps the mythical Fire Demon.

But the dragon-like creature in Heaven Lake was right there. Yet, judging by their behavior, they clearly didn't want to confront it, most likely because they knew they were no match for it.

That's why they hadn't gone to fight it; it was a possibility.

June 28th!

A helicopter slowly landed at the edge of Changbai Mountain.

"Wow! What fresh air! Old Zhang, let's take a few deep breaths."

Lin Fan, just off the helicopter, took a deep breath and felt the refreshing air. The feeling of being close to nature was incredibly comfortable, an indescribable exhilaration.

Old Zhang inhaled deeply. "It really is fresh."

Then, Old Zhang reached out his hands, grabbed at the air, and brought them to his mouth as if eating something.

One-Eyed Man said, "It's normal. Can you calm down?"

He had also personally come, along with Yanhai City's top experts.

Master Yongxin!

Liu Haichan!

Lin Daoming!

Unnamed medical experts!

Those below the Town Guardian level weren't considered. Coming to a place like this was bound to be more dangerous than facing evil creatures.

Therefore, those whose cultivation hadn't reached the Town Guardian level faced significant danger here.

"Old Zhang and I are always calm," Lin Fan said.

Master Yongxin said, "Leader, don't be too nervous. Taking a few deep breaths will help."

He had long been Lin Fan's loyal sycophant. If no one else were around, his attitude would be frighteningly good, making it obvious that he was fawning over Lin Fan.

One-Eyed Man looked at Master Yongxin strangely. The old monk had always been quite respectful to him, eager to learn his unique skills, and therefore, his attitude had always been good.

But now…

He felt that Master Yongxin was abandoning him.

No… it wasn't just a feeling; it was real.

"You've been getting pretty close to him lately," One-Eyed Man asked.

Master Yongxin replied, "Recently, I've been chanting day and night, and through meditation, I've discovered that he has a connection with Buddha. So, communicating with him allows me to deepen my understanding of Buddha."

One-Eyed Man rolled his one eye.

Believe that, I will.

You, a guy who never chants, are telling me this.

"Old Zhang, don't eat that."

At that moment, Old Zhang had picked a mushroom under a tree and was about to wipe it and eat it when Lin Fan stopped him.

"What's wrong?"

Old Zhang asked curiously.

Lin Fan said, "This mushroom is poisonous. You absolutely cannot eat it, or you'll be poisoned."

Hearing this, Old Zhang immediately threw the mushroom on the ground and said admiringly, "Lin Fan, you know so much! It's a good thing you're here with me, otherwise I would have definitely been poisoned. But I'm a little hungry, I just wanted to taste it to see if it was good. If it was, I was going to pick more."

Lin Fan smiled. "We've seen this on TV before, they talked about it on the news. You must have forgotten."

"I must have forgotten," Old Zhang scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

One-Eyed Man rolled his eyes. Honestly, even if no one said they were patients from Qingshan Mental Hospital, he would have suspected they had something wrong with their heads.

Master Yongxin said, "Benefactor Lin is truly knowledgeable. Admirable, admirable."

Lin Daoming, the Maoshan expert missing his front teeth, said sarcastically, "Old Baldy, why do I feel like you've also taken a liking to flattery?"

They naturally knew how strong Lin Fan was.

Who wouldn't want to be with a strong person?

But the point was, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was a bit thin-skinned, and showering a young person with praise felt wrong.

"Benefactor Lin, I've noticed a problem with your mindset. Is it really that difficult to acknowledge someone else's excellence?" Master Yongxin said.

Lin Daoming looked at him and shook his head helplessly, no longer wanting to say a word.

To hide his own bootlicking of Lin Fan, his ability to blatantly lie was truly astonishing.

Liu Haichan said, "Instead of chatting idly here, why don't we discuss what we should do next?"

Lin Fan and Old Zhang ignored their conversation, immersed in their own world, chatting, recounting how Lin Fan had identified the mushroom and explaining why it was poisonous.

He relayed the information he had heard on the news to Old Zhang, hoping that Old Zhang would remember it and not be fooled by mushrooms in the future.

The Evil Chicken was very nervous.

There was only one thought in its chicken brain…

Where are my kind?

Why couldn't it sense the presence of its brethren? Where had they gone?

Although it had never been to Changbai Mountain and had never seen its brethren here, its fellow chickens had told it that the uninhabited areas outside of the human world were their territory.

But now…

The Evil Chicken was panicking, so much so that it almost laid a few eggs on the spot.

What made the Evil Chicken even more unbearable was the oppressive feeling it got from Changbai Mountain, as if some terrifying being resided within.

At this moment, One-Eyed Man and the others discussed their next move.

"Before coming here, I contacted Xiadu. We are the vanguard. They can't leave casually for now. If we encounter those mysterious powerful beings, we should try to communicate first, understand their intentions, and see how they view humanity."

One-Eyed Man didn't tell them that Wu Sheng had already said that humans were likely considered enemies in the eyes of these mysterious powerhouses. The chance of encountering a friendly star powerhouse like Wu Sheng was slim.

Lin Daoming said, "Before coming, I divined myself. It was a good omen. Nothing bad will happen."

"Nonsense." Liu Haichan glanced at him, feeling that it was unnecessary. He knew who had come along. If it weren't for Lin Fan, he would definitely be nervous.

But now… what was there to be nervous about?

One-Eyed Man said, "Before coming, I carefully investigated the various myths and legends of Changbai Mountain. There are many types, and it's hard to say which are true and which are false. However, based on the video Sun Xiao shot earlier, the Fire Demon and the White Snake might be real."

"White Snake? I think it's a dragon," Lin Daoming said.

One-Eyed Man said, "The legends speak of a White Snake, but that was in the past. It's hard to say what it is now. Those star powerhouses came to Changbai Mountain because they sensed something, or perhaps they came for the Fire Demon and the White Snake."

Just then,

"Someone's here."

One-Eyed Man spoke.

Everyone became alert.

The sound of metal.

When they saw the newcomer, they breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, encountering anyone wasn't scary; the scariest thing was encountering those star powerhouses.

"It's you?"

One-Eyed Man frowned. He hadn't expected it to be Apollo, the Sun God of the United States, a powerhouse who combined technology and martial arts.

He knew that powerhouses from other countries would come here, but he hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly.

Moreover, it was difficult to track their movements, indicating they had unique routes of entry.

Apollo had a strong build, golden hair that reached his shoulders, and one of his eyes was like that of a robot. No, it was a robotic eye. This eye contained the United States' most advanced technology, capable of predicting an opponent's attack trajectory and analyzing their weaknesses.

It was indeed powerful technology.

"That's right, it's me." Apollo looked at One-Eyed Man, then turned his gaze to Lin Fan. "He's the Lin Fan who's been causing so much trouble lately, huh? Doesn't seem like much."

"If I weren't in a hurry, I'd really like to defeat him here."

Apollo analyzed with his mechanical eye.

Data: Unknown!

Data: Unknown!

Others didn't know, but Apollo was surprised to see "unknown" displayed.

Impossible.

Even with One-Eyed Man, his mechanical eye could perform a comprehensive analysis.

Damn it!

He might actually be outmatched.

But even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't show it. As the United States' strongest hero, how could he casually admit defeat?

"You can try," Lin Daoming said with a chuckle. His missing front teeth made his smile rather peculiar.

He knew this guy was just showing off.

Wanting to compete with Lin Fan was simply a dream. If they really fought, he would definitely be beaten to a pulp.

Apollo didn't even glance at Lin Daoming. Instead, he walked towards the distance.

"This place is dangerous, it's not for you to come. I'll deal with those star powerhouses. You just stay here."

He was a bit arrogant.

One-Eyed Man wanted to warn him not to be too reckless, but he decided against it.

After all, he wasn't one of them.