Chapter 336: The Terrifying Back Mountain

Chapter 336: Chapter 3: The Terrifying Back Mountain

Led by the Little Daoist, the three players walked toward the depths of the Daoist School.

The Little Daoist walking ahead was completely silent, his steps seeming slow but were actually fast, possessing a peculiar rhythm.

The Daoist School was exceptionally quiet. Even the incense smoke before the idol seemed to hang heavier, more sacred, lending the school a deep and mysterious air.

Walking down the quiet corridor, Duan Fei was about to ask a question when the Little Daoist in front of him seemed to sense it. He turned and made a hushing gesture.

For some reason, the gesture immediately made Duan Fei abandon the idea of asking his question and simply follow him.

This Daoist School had no name that they knew of. They only knew it was vast and located halfway up a mountain. Reaching the main hall required passing through a bamboo forest, crossing a babbling brook, and climbing several flights of stairs.

The face of the idol in the main hall was blurred and indistinct. The incense burner before it was filled with constantly burning incense, but strangely, there wasn’t a single worshipper in sight.

After leading the three of them to offer incense to the idol, the Little Daoist took them into the kitchen. Pointing at the food inside, he finally spoke. “There’s rice and flour in the kitchen. Don’t use the well water; that’s for washing up. Besides, the well water has been sitting for a long time and might have a rusty, bloody taste. For cooking and drinking, just use the water in the cistern. Someone will help prepare it. If it’s empty, go down the mountain to the well at the base and fetch water.”

He pointed down the mountain. Duan Fei saw that the base of the mountain was shrouded in a thin mist, but he could still hear the sound of chanting, as well as faint crying.

The Little Daoist didn’t seem inclined to explain further. He continued, “There’s a funeral being held down the mountain. They don’t welcome outsiders, so don’t go down there casually. The funeral will last for two days. Someone will bring a menu later. Just make what’s required on the menu. Remember, you must follow the requirements exactly, or I won’t be able to protect you. If you’re missing anything, go to the back mountain. You’ll find it there.”

After speaking, the Little Daoist made a light swiping motion over his own lips, and Duan Fei immediately felt control return to his mouth.

He wanted to ask a few more questions, but the Little Daoist just gave a slight smile and walked to the stairs leading down the mountain.

Then, with just a turn around a corner, the Little Daoist vanished without a trace. There was no telling where he went.

“Strange. Could this be a supernatural Ben?” Duan Fei said doubtfully.

“Don’t start scaring people right away!” Little Fatty yelled. “You know I’m terrified of this stuff!”

“Think of it as training. Besides, look at Cuihua. He’s already getting excited.”

Cuihua was excitedly running around the kitchen, sending messages to the others on his Feixin: “This place is great! They have all sorts of stuff. This Ben is purely a foodie Ben. I love it so much.”

Duan Fei and Little Fatty looked at Cuihua with pity, not having the heart to say anything.

They couldn’t just walk up, pat him on the shoulder, and say, “You’re celebrating too soon.”

Sure enough, a few minutes later, a piece of paper materialized on the wall. The dish required on it was just one: Cabbage in Supreme Broth.

Cabbage in Supreme Broth is a famous dish of profound complexity disguised as simplicity. On the surface, it appears to be just cabbage hearts and soup, but in reality, it requires numerous steps to prepare the broth, and the cabbage must be repeatedly perforated to absorb the flavor. It’s a renowned dish that takes four hours to cook to perfection.

The broth must also be constantly adjusted to keep it clear yet flavorful, making it an incredibly troublesome dish to prepare.

But Cuihua was eager to give it a try, ready to show off his culinary skills.

However, after searching for a long time, he realized a crucial ingredient was missing: cabbage.

He asked Duan Fei and Little Fatty to go find some cabbage while he took out the various ingredients to start preparing the broth.

Leaving Cuihua behind, Duan Fei and Little Fatty walked out of the kitchen, preparing to head for the back mountain.

But what confused Duan Fei was that as soon as they stepped outside, the sky changed.

It had been dusk just a moment ago, but now it was broad daylight.

Before Duan Fei could figure it out, Little Fatty stared outside and said helplessly, “This instance is so messed up. How did it get dark so fast?”

Duan Fei looked at Little Fatty in confusion, then realized the other boy hadn’t even noticed him looking.

Turning around, Duan Fei shouted to Cuihua in the kitchen, “Cuihua, can you see me?”

Cuihua looked up, searching blankly for Duan Fei’s location, and finally managed to say, “It’s dark. I can’t see.”

‘Strange.’

“What’s wrong?” Little Fatty asked nervously. “Duan Someone, let me state this up front: I think taking advantage of someone’s weakness to attack them is a despicable act.”

“I haven’t done anything.”

“Just in case! What if you try to scare me to death in the dark?”

“Is there any benefit to scaring you to death? Can I inherit your prison sentence?”

“Don’t talk like I already have one! That sounds even scarier!”

To deal with the surrounding darkness, Little Fatty had no choice but to turn on his phone, letting its light illuminate the area.

A phone from Rongge Company. Its flashlight had a strong beam, its battery life was long, and it could even link up with a drone. It was a rather useful item.

Using the light from his phone, Little Fatty tugged on the corner of Duan Fei’s shirt and followed him toward the back mountain.

The farther they went toward the back mountain, the more dilapidated the Daoist School became.

Although there was no wind, the rotten wooden doors began to creak on their latches, and the leaves on the nearby trees rustled on their own, letting out low whimpers.

In Little Fatty’s eyes, the surroundings grew darker and darker. What little starlight there was was blocked by thick, dark clouds, leaving the area in complete blackness.

And with his sight gone, his hearing and physical sensations became all the more acute.

The whimpering from the base of the mountain seemed to be right in his ear. The low crying, far from diminishing, grew louder and louder. The omnipresent sounds of weeping terrified Little Fatty, and he couldn’t help but say to Duan Fei, “Brother Duan, you really won’t scare me, right? You really won’t abandon me, right?”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the one who abandoned me.”

“What do you mean, Brother Duan?! We’re not involved!”

“Take a good look. Who are you talking to?”

Little Fatty then turned his head and discovered that at some point he had run into a small Earth God shrine and was currently tugging on the statue’s body, talking non-stop.

In the light of the phone, the Earth God statue, which looked benevolent in the daylight, now appeared fierce and malevolent. Its white eyes, lacking pupils, looked like those of a dead person, causing Little Fatty to erupt in a hysterical scream.

Scrambling with his hands and feet, he charged out of the shrine, screaming his lungs out as he ran, “Brother Duan, Godfather! Where are you! I’m not a servant with three masters, come find me!”

“I’ve been right behind you the whole time.”

“AAAAAAH! Stay away from me!”

Seeing that Little Fatty was on the verge of a complete breakdown, Duan Fei decisively took out his Crowbar and knocked him unconscious.

As he administered first aid to Little Fatty, Duan Fei recalled the boy’s recent actions. The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

‘This instance really is a problem.’