[System Notification]
[Golden Silkworm Gu has advanced to Level 2]
[System Notification]
[New Skill Acquired: Insect Control]
Hearing the system notification, Xu Lang was instantly delighted.
Insect Control was completely different from the Golden Silkworm Gu's original insect-deterrence ability.
Simply put, before this, Xu Lang could only make insects stay away from him.
But now, with the Insect Control skill, he could command insects to do as he wished.
The earlier ability was more like a passive skill—an aura-type effect.
Insect Control, on the other hand, was an active skill that Xu Lang could deliberately use.
Just as Xu Lang was studying his new ability, he heard Hu Ba Yi call out from the bus.
"We're leaving, Xu Lang!"
Xu Lang looked up and saw that the driver had already checked the vehicle. There was nothing wrong with it, and they were preparing to continue on their way.
Once he got back on the bus, the atmosphere inside had grown even livelier.
Because of what had just happened, the passengers—who had been strangers before—had all started talking among themselves.
Very soon, something said by a tea merchant sitting near Hu Ba Yi and Wang Pangzi caught Xu Lang's attention.
"There are quite a lot of those stone human figurines in these mountains. I've seen them before when I came here to buy tea."
Old Hu asked curiously, "What exactly are those stone figurines? Why are there worms inside them?"
The tea merchant replied, "I heard from the locals that those stone figurines are actually human-shaped coffins. Sometimes landslides wash them down the mountain. If they break open, they're always full of those fat maggots inside."
"Human-shaped coffins? I wonder if there are any burial artifacts inside… any valuables?" Wang Pangzi had mostly recovered by now, and the moment he heard the word coffin, his eyes lit up.
"What valuables could there be?" the tea merchant said. "The local mountain folk all stay far away from those cursed things. They say they're unlucky—bring sickness and misfortune."
As he spoke, he muttered to himself that he needed to go somewhere and get a talisman for protection.
After mumbling for a while, the tea merchant asked where the group was headed.
Xu Lang smiled.
"We're teachers and students from the Agricultural University. We're planning to go near Snake River at Zhelong Mountain to catch butterflies and insects for research."
"By the way, brother, do you know how to get to Zhelong Mountain?"
Although Xu Lang knew the general direction of Worm Valley, he still needed to ask around for the exact route.
The moment the tea merchant heard that Xu Lang and the others were university teachers and students, his expression changed at once.
"Aiya, incredible! So you're scholars! Forgive my disrespect, forgive my disrespect. Zhelong Mountain isn't far now. Once we pass the next bend, we'll arrive. I happen to be heading there myself to buy tea, so you can get off with me when the time comes."
Hu Ba Yi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Pangzi had all been listening nearby.
Seeing how Xu Lang had managed to talk the tea merchant into helping them and even guiding the way in just a few sentences, all three couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.
For the rest of the journey, the driver was clearly much more cautious and drove more slowly.
After a little more than an hour, the bus finally came to a stop.
The tea merchant quickly called for Xu Lang and the others to get off.
"If you want to reach Zhelong Mountain, taking the trail from this fork is the shortest route."
He was extremely enthusiastic, pointing at a small side path by the road ahead.
Besides the tea merchant and Xu Lang's group of four, three other people also got off the bus.
One was a local woman in her thirties, carrying a small child in a basket on her back.
Another was a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl.
Both of them wore local ethnic clothing. Even though they were dressed in everyday styles, there was still a delicate charm unique to the women of the region.
Hu Ba Yi and Wang Pangzi had originally not wanted to travel together with these people.
Both of them were cautious by nature, and as Mojin, their work was hardly something that could stand the light of day. They were naturally a little concerned.
But Xu Lang said it was fine.
"From here to Zhelong Mountain, who knows how much mountain road is left. Traveling with locals will be safer, and we won't get lost."
Shirley Yang also supported Xu Lang's suggestion.
Wang Pangzi now trusted Xu Lang quite a bit, so naturally, he had no objections either.
And so, the group quickly set off together.
All along the way were towering mountains and deep valleys.
Although there were narrow goat-path-like trails to walk on, they twisted and turned endlessly, sometimes vanishing into the grass altogether.
There were even forks in the path in some places.
Fortunately, they were traveling with locals. Otherwise, they really might have gotten lost.
After walking for more than two hours, it was already afternoon by the time the group finally reached the foot of Zhelong Mountain.
Along the way, Xu Lang and the others had helped the two local women carry quite a few things.
Only when they arrived at the foot of the mountain did Hu Ba Yi and the others realize that these two local women were the owners of the only inn beneath Zhelong Mountain—
Colorful Cloud Inn.
That night, Xu Lang and his group stayed there.
Hu Ba Yi and the others chatted casually with the innkeeper.
Before long, they learned that the innkeeper was a widow, her husband having died in the southern frontier.
The young girl was the innkeeper's sister-in-law. She was Han, and her name was Kongque.
Xu Lang didn't say much. He merely listened quietly, only truly relaxing once everything lined up perfectly with the plot in his memories.
Because the group had helped carry so many things along the way, both the innkeeper and Kongque were extremely warm and hospitable.
They brewed tea for them and cooked preserved meat rice.
At last, Xu Lang and the others could finally rest properly and ease the exhaustion of the journey.
After finishing the fragrant preserved meat rice, Xu Lang drank the tea Kongque had brought him and stepped outside the inn.
From outside the inn, he could clearly see the true face of Zhelong Mountain.
A massive peak towering into the clouds.
Snow still covered the summit.
Around the mountainside floated a layer of mist like white gauze.
And below that spread dense jungle.
At that moment, Kongque curiously moved closer.
"Brother Xu Lang, are you going to climb Zhelong Mountain?"
Xu Lang smiled.
"Yes. We plan to cross over Zhelong Mountain to catch butterflies and insects."
The moment Kongque heard that, she shook her head like a rattle drum.
"You absolutely mustn't go! Everyone who's climbed Zhelong Mountain has died!"
"There are ghosts on Zhelong Mountain!"