After the Corpse-herder and his group of jiangshi left, it was time for us to go too. We needed to find Daphne and get out of here while it was still daylight—after all, there's less danger in the middle of the day.
After simply eating some compressed biscuits to replenish our energy, we set off again. Philip had rested and recovered almost completely; he was the backbone of the team, so nothing should happen to him.
After leaving the cave, we continued up the mountain. The path leveled out, and a lot of weeds had been trampled down, showing that many people still came up here. The trail was much better than the one down the mountainside.
We walked all the way while Jeane called out the whole time, but after shouting for half an hour, no one responded. There's no mobile phone signal in this kind of place, so there's no way to contact Daphne. We could only rely on our luck—I hoped she was just ahead.
After walking for about an hour, Antonio suddenly whispered to us, "It seems like we're being followed. Someone's been behind us from the beginning."
Stein subconsciously tried to turn around to look, but Philip held his head down.
"Don't look back. Keep quiet and find a chance to draw them out," Philip whispered.
In that case, Philip—like Antonio—had known for a long time that someone was following. He just hadn't spoken up about it.
I found it a bit strange. What kind of people would follow us in a place like this? Could they want to rob us or take our lives? Thinking about it, that seemed impossible. After all, those who come up here are searching for the secret of eternal life. If they wanted money, they might as well rob a bank—coming here is too risky.
After a break, we continued up the hill. I occasionally glanced back but saw no one. Antonio said you had to listen for footsteps—otherwise you wouldn't spot them—and to be very careful of those following behind.
I said it could be a mistake. We aren't the only ones climbing Mount Zhongnan. Maybe the people behind aren't following us at all—they're just heading to the mountaintop like us.
Antonio said no. "Listen to the footsteps: we stop, they stop; we go, they go. It can't be a coincidence. They're definitely following us."
Philip agreed, adding that most of them moved lightly, unlike ordinary people.
But anyone who comes up here can't be completely ordinary. If you're unlucky enough to encounter demons or monsters, basically any normal person would be done for. This isn't a mountain for leisure tourism.
Since Antonio and Philip both said the same thing, it probably wasn't wrong. We had to find a way to draw them out.
Toward noon, a fog suddenly arose—a very strange one, white and red, almost enveloping the greater part of the mountain. It severely obstructed our view.
To make matters worse, our group suddenly got separated. I screamed Philip's name and the others', but it was no use at all. The sound didn't even seem to carry through this fog.
This fog came on too suddenly and was bizarre. Coupled with the fact that we were separated, and there were still people following us with unknown intentions, I didn't dare go forward anymore. I hurriedly found a cave to hide in, planning to wait for the fog to dissipate before making a move.
The cave was very well-hidden. With the fog covering everything, I shouldn't be discovered by the people behind me.
After waiting for about five minutes, I suddenly heard a burst of rapid footsteps. My heart jumped—it must be the group that had been following us. They were also lost in the fog. This time, I could hear their dialogue clearly.
"Master, they've all disappeared. This fog came out of nowhere—what should we do?"
Then I heard a familiar voice reply, "What's going on? Why is it foggy for no reason in broad daylight? What's the point of getting to the top of the mountain without Roger? I need his Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts."
The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but at that moment, my brain couldn't quite place who it was. After all, I had just stumbled out of the fog and was still feeling disoriented.
"Forget it for now. Let's find a place to hide. I don't know if this fog is poisonous or not. We'll continue the chase once it clears."
"Good idea."
The conversation came to an abrupt halt. They seemed to be looking for a cave to hide in, thinking the same as me—wait until the fog lifts before making a move. I wondered if Philip and the others were doing the same.
A minute later, it turned quiet outside. There was no sound at all, only the eerie white and red mist drifting in and out of sight.
But about five minutes after that, I suddenly heard another burst of disorganized footsteps, as if a group of people were fleeing in panic.
Soon after, a man's scream pierced the silence—so shrill it seemed he was suffering extreme and horrible agony.
"Help me, Master, help me…"
It was the same voice, now filled with terror and pain. I could almost feel him trembling. But his cries for help went unanswered. Another scream followed, then a thud—as if he had collapsed to the ground.
I gulped and couldn't help but grow nervous. If I wasn't mistaken, there must be something in the fog. One of the people trapped had been brutally killed, and his companions hadn't been able to save him.
This strange fog was definitely not safe. Luckily, I ducked into hiding early. I prayed that Stein and the others were okay and hadn't been caught.
"Master, hurry! There's something in this fog!" another voice urged urgently.
As soon as he finished speaking, another scream rang out—even more agonizing than the last, heart-wrenching to hear.
This time, I heard gunshots—loud bangs echoing through the fog. It sounded like the group was heavily armed. I even caught glimpses of muzzle flashes lighting up the mist.
"Master, it's been dealt with… but the man is dead. His heart and liver have been ripped out," a voice reported, trembling with fear.
Just then, there were a couple of sudden whooshes. I heard two more screams, followed by two heavy thuds—something fell to the ground and rolled toward me with a dull grunt.
They were two fresh heads. Their eyes hadn't even had time to close, and their faces still wore the same expressions of shock, panic, and unease they had in life.
Coincidentally, the two heads gurgled and rolled right to the front of my cave, blocking the entrance. The dead eyes of both heads seemed to suddenly fix on me.
"What are you looking at? I didn't kill you. What the hell killed you guys, you know?" I muttered to myself. Of course, the dead couldn't answer.
"Go, go! The thing in the fog can't be killed with a gun—get His Lordship out of here!" a loud and commanding voice suddenly shouted.
"Heaven and earth are boundless—Qiankun Bagua! Subdue the four ghosts, slay the eight evils—break!"
A chant echoed through the fog, followed by a boom as fire exploded in the mist. Then came the sound of many disorganized footsteps scattering in all directions.
It was over. I guessed they'd have to do the same as us—panic and get separated. What happened next was anyone's guess.
After that, the fog returned to silence. I didn't know what had happened. I didn't know if that group was dead or alive. I couldn't see anyone—only hear voices.
I kept listening, trying to figure out what was going on with them, but no more sounds came. Only the eerie fog continued to drift.
I stayed near the mouth of the cave for a while but didn't dare remain any longer. I hurriedly ducked back inside, leaned against a rock, and fumed silently. I wanted to wait until the fog passed to go out again, but it not only failed to dissipate—it grew thicker and thicker. Strangely, the red fog seemed to dominate, as if gaining the upper hand, while the white fog grew fainter and scarcer.
Bored and exhausted from the climb, I soon fell asleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but in a daze, I suddenly heard someone calling my name. I rubbed my eyes and realized there was someone at the entrance of the cave.
"Who is it?" I asked, peering toward the opening.
But the figure was dark and blurry—I couldn't make it out at all.
"Come out, come out!" the person shouted at me.
"Who are you?" I asked again, tightening my grip on the Copper Coin Sword.
The person fell silent, then turned away without another word—just stood there.
I grew nervous. I couldn't just sit there. Clutching the Copper Coin Sword, I moved forward.
But the closer I got, the more clearly I heard the voice: "Master, come on! We're all out here."
My heart leapt. It's the little fox! Is everyone outside? This is great—they found me! I rushed over.