Chapter 62: Sitting Backwards on the Statue, Sighing at Beings Refusing to Turn Back

Half an hour later.

Su Yi and Guo Bing arrived at the foot of Guimu Ridge, in front of the desolate burial mounds.

Weeds grew everywhere, and several crows perched on the bare trees in the distance, occasionally emitting harsh and unpleasant calls.

Despite it being early morning, the scene was still enough to send shivers down one's spine.

The girl in military attire and her group had been waiting there.

When they saw Su Yi and Guo Bing, who had arrived late, the girl in military attire frowned and snorted, "You finally decided to show up!"

As she spoke, she dismounted her horse and ordered, "Leave two people to take care of the horses. Uncle Yong and the others will accompany me into the mountains."

"Yes."

The attendants immediately took action.

"Guo Bing, lead the way."

The girl in military attire commanded.

Guo Bing hurried forward, and Su Yi followed suit, saying, "I'll go with you."

He had promised to safely bring Guo Bing back, so naturally, he wouldn't let Guo Bing walk at the front alone.

"I didn't expect you, someone who is stubborn and unyielding, to have a bit of conscience," the girl in military attire sarcastically remarked.

Su Yi ignored her directly. He didn't bother to argue with a clearly pampered and arrogant girl.

"Uncle Yong, you go ahead as well and make sure Guo Bing doesn't encounter any danger," the girl in military attire instructed after giving it some thought.

Uncle Yong, the middle-aged man in the gray robe, immediately stepped forward and stood on either side of Guo Bing with Su Yi.

Guo Bing was pleasantly surprised and repeatedly expressed his thanks.

Su Yi shook his head inwardly. This was both a form of protection and surveillance. There was nothing commendable about it.

Next, the group set off and headed deep into the chaotic graveyard.

Along the way, they saw many abandoned burial mounds. In the overgrown weeds, there were still some skeletal remains, joss paper, and broken candles.

As they went deeper, the grass became thicker, and the fog grew denser. Apart from the occasional caw of crows, it felt eerily desolate and quiet.

Guo Bing held a hunting knife and cleared the thorns and weeds blocking the path, leading the way confidently.

"Sir, what are you here to do in Guimu Ridge this time?" Guo Bing suddenly asked along the way.

The girl in military attire, walking behind them, immediately perked up her ears.

"First, tell me if there are any peculiar or abnormal things happening on this Guimu Ridge," Su Yi responded.

Su Yi casually responded.

Guo Bing thought for a moment and said, "Since ancient times, there have been ghostly creatures appearing on Guimu Ridge. If we talk about peculiar and abnormal places, there are a few."

"One of them is a temple located halfway up the mountain in a white pine forest on Guimu Ridge. It has been abandoned and in ruins for a long time. Inside, there is a statue sitting with its back facing the entrance, but the head of the statue has been missing for a long time."

"Sitting with its back to the entrance? Could someone have intentionally moved the statue?" the girl in military attire couldn't help but interject.

Su Yi suddenly said, "Why facing away from the world? It sighs at beings refusing to turn back. From my perspective, this statue must have come from the Buddhist tradition."

Guo Bing was taken aback and admired, "Sir, you must have read many books. You are much more knowledgeable than us ordinary people."

From behind, the girl in military attire coldly snorted, seemingly disdainful.

Su Yi paid no attention and asked, "Besides the unusual statue in the temple, are there any other peculiar things in that place?"

Guo Bing replied, "Yes, quite a few. It is said that during the night, there are chanting sounds coming from the dilapidated temple. However, some say it is the whispers of ghostly creatures. The only thing certain is that if you spend the night in that temple, you must never extinguish the campfire, or else the ghostly creatures lurking in the darkness will devour you. Similar incidents have occurred in the past."

"Ordinary ghostly creatures can't harm us."

The girl in military attire's voice, filled with pride and confidence, came from behind. It was clear that she had been listening all along.

"What about other places on Guimu Ridge?" Su Yi asked.

Guo Bing, being the most knowledgeable herbalist in Guangling City, went on to explain the various situations on Guimu Ridge.

However, three places caught Su Yi's attention.

One was a "Peach Forest" located in the western direction of Guimu Ridge. The peach trees there were perpetually shrouded in miasma, and once anyone, human or animal, entered, they would be unable to find their way back.

Another was a place called the "Ghost Mountain Road," situated on the backside of Guimu Ridge. The path meandered through a blood-colored mist, and once you set foot on it, it was like entering the underworld, subjected to the relentless attacks of ghostly creatures.

The third was a ruined building on the summit of Guimu Ridge, said to have been a City God Temple long ago. When night falls, clusters of phosphorescent green fires appear, and any living person who approaches will meet a fate of complete annihilation.

Apart from these three places, there were other dangerous areas on Guimu Ridge.

In Su Yi's view, the place where the "Six Yin Corpse" appeared must be one of these three locations!

And as long as they found the right place, it wouldn't be difficult to discover the Yin Sha Spiritual Vein, Six Yin Grass, Extreme Yang Flower, and other spiritual items.

"Guo Bing, lead us to that Peach Forest first!"

Suddenly, the girl in military attire spoke up. She had also heard Guo Bing's words and made a decision.

Guo Bing trembled and said, "Miss, that's a highly dangerous place..."

The girl in military attire interrupted, "No need to say more. You will lead us there, and I guarantee that you won't be in danger."

Guo Bing sighed and asked Su Yi, "Sir, what do you think?"

"It wouldn't hurt to go and take a look there," Su Yi casually said.

He was already suspicious that the girl in military attire and her group had the same goal as him.

However, such fortuitous opportunities were ownerless by nature, and when the time came to compete, he wouldn't hold back.

Upon hearing Su Yi's words, the girl in military attire furrowed her brows.

A nearby guard lowered his voice and said, "Miss, no need to worry. If this person obstructs our actions, we will kill him."

The girl in military attire hmphed and didn't say anything more.

During their conversation, they had already passed through a desolate cemetery. Guided by Guo Bing, they proceeded up Guimu Ridge along a rugged path.

Upon reaching the destination, the once clear sky darkened, with dark clouds covering everything, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

The mountain wind blew, causing the trees and wild grass to rustle, and a suppressive aura began to permeate the air.

"The malevolent aura and the dense Yin energy in this mountain make it indeed the most fertile breeding ground for ghosts," Su Yi contemplated.

Just by observing the terrain of this mountain, he could discern some clues.

"Everyone, be careful. We have entered the mountain, and unexpected dangers may arise along the way."

Guo Bing took out a talisman and hung it around his neck, his expression becoming grave and vigilant.

"Draw your weapons, and don't let your guard down. If we encounter any danger, remember to protect the young lady first."

The middle-aged man in the gray robe solemnly issued the order.

"Yes!"

The guards all sprung into action.

The girl in military attire unsheathed her sword as well.

When she saw Su Yi standing there seemingly unharmed, carrying only a bamboo staff, she couldn't help but pause for a moment. Then, she snorted coldly, hoping to encounter some ghosts soon to see Su Yi scared out of his wits.

"Guo Lao, hold onto this bamboo plaque. It can be used for self-defense," Su Yi took out a seven-inch bamboo plaque and handed it to Guo Bing.

Guo Bing was momentarily taken aback. Although he wondered what use this small item could have, he quickly accepted it and said, "Thank you, young master!"

On the side, Uncle Yong noticed this scene, and his eyes subtly narrowed when he saw the bamboo plaque. Although he couldn't clearly see the engravings on it, he immediately recognized that it was made of Qingyu Spirit Bamboo.

"Not only does he have a bamboo staff made of Qingyu Spirit Bamboo, but he also casually gives a bamboo plaque made of spiritual bamboo to a mere herb gatherer. This young man named Su seems to be extraordinary," Uncle Yong furrowed his brows almost imperceptibly.

Previously, when they were in the city, Wen Jueyuan had simply introduced Su Yi as an insignificant son-in-law of their Wen family.

But now, it seemed that he was not so simple.

However, Uncle Yong quickly dismissed his thoughts. With his identity and cultivation, he was confident that nothing unexpected would happen during this journey.

As they continued on their way, the dark clouds grew heavier. Although it was daytime, it felt as if they had suddenly descended into darkness.

Combined with the pervasive mist in the mountains, everyone's visibility was affected, and they had to slow down their pace.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, piercingly cold.

Guo Bing shivered all over, his face changing. "Not good! We've been targeted by ghosts! Retreat! We can't go any further!"

But at that moment, Uncle Yong let out a cold snort, swiftly drew the war knife from his back, and pounced forward.

Swish!

A dazzling red blade flashed in the mist, followed by a piercing scream.

But in an instant, the scream abruptly ceased.

"It was just a low-level Yin soul without any intelligence. There's no need to panic, Guo Bing, continue leading the way," Uncle Yong walked back, his expression calm and composed, with a lingering aura of solemn killing.

Guo Bing heaved a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease. He cupped his fists and said, "With the presence of the elder, I'm not that afraid anymore."

"Another Grand Perfection stage cultivator. Such cultivation is rarely seen in Guangling City, but now they are playing the role of mere guards. From the looks of it, the status of this girl in military attire is probably not lower than that of Zhang Yuanxing from the Zhang family in Yunhe County," Su Yi contemplated.

The Grand Perfection stage of the Qi Gathering realm was considered top-notch among warriors in the Great Zhou Empire, second only to the Martial Master realm of the Refining Furnace stage!

They continued on their way without encountering any further accidents.

This was largely thanks to Guo Bing's familiarity with the area. If they weren't acquainted with the situation, they would have encountered many dangers along the way.

Although Guimu Ridge was just a mountain ridge, it was incredibly vast, spanning tens of miles. The rocks were rugged, and the vegetation was dense, with thorns and thickets everywhere.

Combined with the shrouding dark clouds and mist, their progress became significantly slower.

After a full hour, they finally reached the halfway point of the mountain.

"Young master, look over there. Deep within that grove of white pine trees is the dilapidated temple I mentioned," Guo Bing pointed in the distance as they arrived.

Everyone's gaze followed his direction and saw a lush grove of white pine trees faintly visible through the mist. However, they couldn't see its depths.

"If we return when it gets dark, we can rest in that dilapidated temple overnight," Guo Bing suggested as he was about to continue forward. But suddenly, a faint flickering flame appeared in the depths of the distant white pine grove.

"Hmm?"

Almost simultaneously, Su Yi and Uncle Yong, who were at the front of the group, noticed this scene.