CHAPTER 10 Burial Mountain

It was too dark and gloomy. Tianqi was trembling. The atmosphere in Burial Mountain was different from the outside. The area was foggy and there were no animals that lived there. All he can see was a plant. Since there were no living creatures other than plants, the place was too quiet. You even can hear your heartbeat. Since the purple fungi grow at dusk, Tianqi has to go to Burial Mountain in the evening.

"I almost forget about one thing. When you are there, don't light anything. Don't bring any stuff that can produce light or you will find your end." - Tianqi recalled back what Zhang Liang had told him before.

"Don't light a fire, don't bring any shining or light source stuff. This is so scary. Even though I'm a man, I am also afraid of these kinds of things." He murmured.

The sky gradually becomes dark and the temperature of the mountain becomes colder. Tianqi started to shiver. Sometimes, he can hear a whispering voice.

"This is creepy! I swear I won't come here anymore. This will be my first and my last time stepping into this scary place!"

Tianqi can't see anything because it was too dark. To prevent himself from slipping or knocking into a rock, he needs to walk slowly and carefully. Splash! Splash! The sound of the puddle he stepped on.

"Urgh! It's disgusting!"

From afar, he can see purple light beneath the foot of the mountain. They twinkled like a star. Tianqi approached the purple light slowly.

"Could it be the purple fungi?"

One step, two steps, and the weather become colder than before. He started to smell something stinky from the mountain. He assumed that it maybe came from the corpses. The closer him to the purple lights, the louder the whispering voices. Tianqi closed his eyes and gulped. His heartbeat getting faster. Lup-dub! Lup-dub! Suddenly, he felt something cold behind him and a touch on his right shoulder!

"Tianqi..." (Whispering voices)

"ARRGHHHH!!!" He screamed!

He was too shocked and frightened! Tianqi fell to the ground and covered his face with her hands.

"Go away from me! Go!" He cried.

"Tianqi! You are an idiot! It's me! Why are you screaming like a crazy person?!"

Noticing that the voice was so familiar, he finally stopped screaming and uncovered his face.

"Your Highness?! Is that you?!"

Zhang Liang squatted and knocked Tianqi's head with white clothes in his hands.

"Your Highness! What are you doing here?! You almost kill me! Do you know how scared I was just now!"

Zhang Liang helped him to stand up.

"Tch...You should thank me because I come here faster or you will end your life forever."

Tianqi was confused.

"Huh? Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Zhang Liang scratched his head.

"I...I forgot to tell you that you can't touch the purple fungi with your bare hands or you will be poisoned. Here, I bring these clothes to cover your hand."

Tianqi was so angry when he knows the truth. This prince probably wanted to kill him with only a small mistake!

"Your Highness! How can you forget to tell me the safety precautions to collect the fungi?! If Your Highness didn't come on time, I probably died already!"

"A-haha. I'm sorry. I was wrong. You see. I don't want to waste my time coming here. I still had a lot of things need to do but I need to come here to save you. Quick, take this cloth and follow me!"

This time, Zhang Liang lead the way. Tianqi was too scared so he followed from the back.

"Your Highness, may I know why we can't light a fire in this mountain?"

"Hmm. It is said that there are insects that guard this area at night. It is known as the Bone Butterfly. The Bone Butterfly will eat your flesh and leave only your bones."

Tianqi gulped.

"Is it like piranha?"

"Um!" Zhang Liang replied.

Zhang Liang covered his hand with the cloth and pull the purple fungi carefully. The fungi look beautiful with a purple light on them.

"Why do the fungi glow in the dark?"

Zhang Liang sighed.

"You ask too many questions. Can you just collect the fungi without talking?"

"I'm curious. Is it wrong for me to know something that I don't know?"

"Yes!" Zhang Liang answered him with an annoyed face.

Tianqi does not want to give up. He still want to know the reason.

"The moonlight and starlight can't penetrate the Burial Mountain at night. So, the fungi adapted themselves to glow in the dark and become the light source of this place." Zhang Liang explained.