Chapter 220: Pecked Three Times

The heavy rain showed no signs of letting up even after half the night. The hill where the three foxes were located was about a mile away from the desolate post station.

Although the rain curtain affected visibility, the three fox spirits, with their keen eyesight, could still vaguely discern some faint firelight and smoke emanating from the post station through the mist.

"It infuriates me, absolutely infuriates me! We were actually driven away by a bunch of mortals!"

"Ugh… that old man grabbed my tail; I nearly… nearly… it scared me to death…"

The fox on the left still felt a lingering fear. Old Man Lu's knife had nearly struck it, and given the ferocity of the peddlers, it would surely have been killed if hit.

"Hmph, it's all your fault, you two cowards! They're just a bunch of mortals. So what if they're fierce? With our fox forms, we could easily bite them all to death, but you two panicked. I really…"

Rumble… crack…

Lightning struck a large tree near the hill.

"Ah…!" "Ah…!" "Ah…!"

The three foxes' fur stood on end as they shrieked and scattered in three different directions.

Inside the desolate post station, after the earlier struggle, everyone was exhausted. However, rest could not be taken lightly now, so the number of people on night watch was significantly increased.

Half of the peddlers were on watch while the other half rested. As for Yin Qing and his companions, they also slept in shifts of two. Although the peddlers offered to watch over them so they could sleep, the scholars had matured somewhat and understood the need for caution.

When Lei Yusheng woke up in the morning, the sound of rain outside had ceased.

"Awake?"

Yin Qing rubbed his eyes and yawned, then stood up to stretch his limbs. Lin Xinjie, who was sitting beside him, was still sound asleep, sprawled across the low table.

Lei Yusheng looked at Mo Xiu beside him. Yin Qing and Lin Xinjie were supposed to wake him and Mo Xiu for the latter half of the night watch, but it seemed Yin Qing and Lin Xinjie had been on watch all night, or rather, Yin Qing had been on watch for most of it alone.

"Yin Qing, you didn't sleep?"

Yin Qing stretched his arms and turned to smile.

"I'm quite energetic; a little less sleep won't hurt."

"That's right, Young Master Yin even read to us last night, telling us about the customs and traditions of other places. He's full of energy, and his knowledge is top-notch!"

"Indeed, very knowledgeable." "Accomplished at a young age."

Some peddlers who had already risen cheerfully addressed Lei Yusheng, with others chiming in agreement.

As more people woke up, the commotion grew, rousing Lin Xinjie and Mo Xiu as well. The entire post station became lively once again.

Old Man Lu picked out some fine kindling, tossed it into the charcoal pile, and blew on it a few times. He then used the remaining embers to rekindle the fire, setting up a pot to prepare breakfast.

Including the four scholars, everyone received a bowl of millet porridge with a steamed bun warmed by the fire, plus a small spoonful of pickled vegetables.

Even Lei Yusheng and Lin Xinjie, accustomed to fine cuisine, ate with great relish, praising the peddlers' excellent cooking skills.

Once everyone was packed and ready, the group of nearly twenty people finally shouldered their back baskets and book boxes and walked out of the desolate post station.

After the rain, the mountains felt as if they had been purified; the air was fresh, and the sun was bright. Taking a few deep breaths outside was truly invigorating.

"Let's go, let's go! Everyone travel together. This Datong Mountain will only take two more days to cross. You scholars, why don't you come with us?"

Yin Qing and the others exchanged glances. Mo Xiu, being straightforward, asked,

"Two days? I heard it takes seven or eight days."

"Hahahaha, that's if you follow the twisting and turning post road through the mountains. We have our own familiar routes; they're harder to walk but much shorter. Years ago, many silk fabrics from Wanzhou were transported by people like us, carrying them in baskets. There weren't any proper roads back then!"

Having already encountered fox spirits in the mountains, Yin Qing and the others were hesitant to travel alone. Upon hearing Old Man Lu's suggestion, they naturally agreed at once.

The group walked along the post road for about half an hour, then diverged from its winding path, heading directly up the mountain peak under Old Man Lu's guidance, taking a different route.

To be honest, among the four scholars, all but Yin Qing proved to be quite a burden at this point. Even Mo Xiu, despite not coming from a wealthy background, struggled.

Eventually, some peddlers simply placed the less heavy book boxes onto their own back baskets and occasionally offered support and assistance, which allowed the scholars to keep going.

Only Yin Qing managed without any help from beginning to end, maintaining good physical stamina and keeping pace with the peddlers. This earned him even greater admiration from the men.

"Huff… huff… huff… We finally crossed Arid Gully Ridge!"

After crossing a ridge, Old Man Lu, the leader, was also out of breath. Although the fresh rain last night made the air clean, the ground was muddy. Even by stepping on rocky areas, they expended more energy than usual.

Looking back, everyone showed signs of fatigue. The scholars, in particular, were panting like punctured bellows.

"Everyone rest. No one is to wander far. Even for a short call of nature, you must go together!"

"Okay." "Oh, time to rest."

"Finally, a rest…" "I feel like I'm falling apart…"

Some joked, some complained, as they all sought dry spots nearby to sit down.

A crow flew overhead, letting out a series of "caw… caw…" calls.

Lin Xinjie subconsciously mumbled,

"Old Man Lu, isn't a crow's call ominous?"

A man drinking water from a bamboo tube beside him chuckled at this.

"Hahahaha… you scholar! Don't you learned folks often dismiss such beliefs? There are so many birds and beasts in the mountains. If a crow's call makes you tremble, then how will you ever travel? I've even heard a tiger roar!"

"Exactly." "This scholar…"

Hearing the others tease him, Yin Qing's spirits immediately lifted.

"Sir, you've heard a tiger roar? What was it like? Were you scared at the time? I have a friend who often hears a roar and says he's terrified every time. Is it really like that?"

The peddlers around him looked at Yin Qing strangely, and the person asked also countered with a curious question.

"Your friend often hears a tiger roar? Is he alive or dead? He must be quite brave!"

"Hahahaha, him brave? He's the biggest coward!"

Thinking of Hu Yun's timid demeanor, Yin Qing couldn't help but laugh. The old turtle had already told him how the fox had been startled by him.

"My friend said the tiger roar he heard could shake the earth for ten miles, making all birds and beasts in the mountains flee in terror. Sir, please tell me about the tiger roar you heard!"

Hearing Yin Qing say this, the others immediately thought his friend must be exaggerating.

"A tiger's roar is indeed terrifying, but it's not that exaggerated. With more than a dozen of us peddlers together, even if we encountered a tiger, that beast probably wouldn't dare to harm us. Our 'knife songs' aren't just for show."

"Right, actually, when we heard the tiger, we told the hunters after descending the mountain. The next day, more than twenty hunters went up the mountain with their gear to set traps."

Mo Xiu blurted out, "Risking your lives for a pelt?"

Old Man Lu smiled and shook his head.

"That tiger must have wandered over from another mountain range. There was no choice; it was too close to those two villages. It wasn't that the hunters wanted the pelt, but that their entire families, old and young, lived at the foot of that mountain, and they couldn't be at ease!"

"So, was the tiger caught in the end?"

Lei Yusheng's curiosity was piqued as well.

"By then, we had already moved on. It was months later when we returned to that area. It's said the tiger was never caught. The surrounding villages eventually raised money to build an Earth God Temple and pleaded with the City God at the City God Temple. The old temple priest helped officiate a ritual, inviting an Earth God to reside there. And I tell you, it really worked…"

This was an interesting story, and the scholars listened with great interest. Even the younger members who had recently joined the peddlers' group were hearing this tale for the first time.

As Yin Qing listened, he suddenly felt an itch on his neck. Turning his head, he saw a paper crane perched on his shoulder, pecking at him with its tiny paper beak.

Seeing the paper crane, Yin Qing's face lit up with joy. He raised a hand to cover his shoulder, leaned closer, and whispered,

"Little paper crane, has Mr. Ji arrived?"

He thought for a moment and added,

"One peck for yes, two pecks for no."

The paper crane tilted its head, looked at Yin Qing, and then pecked three times on the hand covering his shoulder.

Yin Qing frowned, then asked tentatively,

"He came, and then left again?"

This time, the paper crane pecked once more, then flapped its wings and flew behind a nearby bush. Yin Qing, seeing this, quickly followed.

"Hey, hey, Yin Qing, where are you going?"

"To relieve myself!"

"I'll go with you!"

Mo Xiu was listening to the peddler's story when he saw Yin Qing run off alone and quickly followed, but Yin Qing ran so fast that Mo Xiu was clearly left far behind.

Of course, Yin Qing paid no mind to Mo Xiu behind him. He kept chasing the paper crane, weaving through several bushes and turning behind a rock face, when he was suddenly startled by what he saw behind it, letting out a gasp.

Standing there was a hunched, yellowish-brown monster, covered in fur and wearing a tattered cloth jacket. The paper crane hovered above its head.

"L-little, little deity greets Young Master Yin! L-little, little deity is the Mountain God of Datong Mountain, obeying, obeying the Immortal Master…"

"Yin Qing!"

Mo Xiu's voice came. Yin Qing looked back, and when he turned around again, the monster that had called itself the Mountain God was gone.