Chapter 120: Visiting Jinmu

It was best not to let someone as unusual as Old Ge be exposed to the general public in Guangting. Zhang Pu was still keeping a low profile. Although he was fearless by nature and didn’t shy away from trouble, there was no need to invite unnecessary complications.

The group soon left Wulong Town again. This time, the departure was far less grand than when they went to the Poison Dragon Pool; it was just their own group. Those who went before were interested in the immortal herbs and the Wulong area, likely having little interest in the Golden Wood, Zhang Pu thought to himself.

Though the Golden Wood’s location was also remote, deep within the mountains and forests, it was not as far as the Poison Dragon Pool. Zhang Pu, along with Liu Yingde—two experts from the former Wu Gui Sect—and the spiritual entity Old Ge, were much faster on foot than the previous group. They reached their destination in less than a day.

The desolation here was not as severe as that of the Poison Dragon Pool. It was said that a few people occasionally came to this place for leisure to see the Golden Wood, but who would dare to tour the Poison Dragon Pool? There were no rural inns nearby; the closest settlement was a small, humble village near the mountain where the Golden Wood grew. Visitors, being few and far between, either stayed with villagers or camped out—truly a wilderness experience.

That night, Zhang Pu did not intend to rush back to town. Whether to stay with villagers or camp out was of little consequence to him. Though he still looked like a student on the outside, he had already stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation. At this point, he was capable of challenging even the martial masters admired on Earth.

Liu Yingde, the leader of the Wu Gui Sect, was also strong and had endured the hardship of following them through mountains and waters. Zhang Pu suspected that someone like Liu Yingde was used to a life of comfort—there were plenty of people in Qingwu region begging to send him money every day. He no longer needed such grueling exertion. This hardship must have been endured solely for Zhang Pu’s sake.

On one hand, it seemed forced; on the other, Liu Yingde truly wanted to stick with him, otherwise, he wouldn’t have risked such danger. Not wanting to be too hard on Liu Yingde, Zhang Pu decided it was best to borrow lodging from a local family for the night.

Offering some money to the villagers brought out their warmest hospitality, complete with rustic farm chickens, ducks, and wild game—treats that city dwellers, who couldn’t find genuine farm poultry, felt they had gained something special. The family they chose maintained a simple, primitive lifestyle typical of the villagers but kept things reasonably clean. Zhang Pu didn’t know Liu Yingde’s true feelings, but he himself felt surprisingly at home and comfortable.

They arrived near dinner time, and since they didn’t plan to sleep outdoors, they sought a place to eat and rest. The time taken to settle in meant that by the time dinner was over, the moon was already out. The Golden Wood was still in the mountain behind the village—hidden like a secret world—but not far away.

They could have waited until morning to visit the mountain behind the village to see the Golden Wood, but for some reason, Zhang Pu felt an irresistible itch to go that very night. If he didn’t see it now, he knew he wouldn’t sleep.

Old Ge, being a spiritual entity, had no objections to nightlife. Liu Yingde, on the other hand, was a little displeased; he was eager to wash up and sleep early, lacking even the mood to appreciate the mountain village’s moonlight. Yet, outwardly, he dared not say “no” to Zhang Pu. In front of this student, he was like a dutiful grandson before his grandfather.

Zhang Pu was determined to see the Golden Wood under the moonlight. The villagers’ habit of early rest was almost unbearable to him.

However, when the family they stayed with learned they wanted to visit the mountain behind the village at night, their faces turned to expressions of surprise and alarm, and they refused to guide them.

“What’s the matter with you?” Liu Yingde finally lost his temper. “We’re giving you money, isn’t that enough?”

The villagers, seemingly resigned, finally told the truth.

“There are monsters active on that mountain at night. No one dares to go there after dark. Not just at night—even during the day, villagers avoid that mountain. Fortunately, the monsters haven’t harmed anyone who accidentally trespasses on forbidden grounds; they only issue unwritten warnings. But now, truly, no one goes there at night. Only a few brave outsiders come during the day to see the Golden Wood.”

Monsters? Wasn’t Liu Yingde’s Wu Gui Sect specialized in dealing with monsters?

In an instant, Zhang Pu’s mind plunged into deep contemplation: What kind of monsters were these? Could they be demon cultivators or妖 spirits hiding here? Had they also recognized the Golden Wood’s extraordinary value? Were they trying to claim it for themselves?

Perhaps they feigned supernatural phenomena here because the mountains were high and the emperor far away—this was no popular tourist spot, and no one came specifically to exorcise spirits. Moreover, these “monsters” seemed to have reached some sort of understanding with the indigenous villagers, a kind of mutual respect: the mountain at night belonged to them, while daytime was open to a limited number of visitors.

The villagers had laid out the situation plainly. Anyone with a bit of wit could piece together the whole story.

What remained unclear was whether the “monsters” allowed anyone to explore the Golden Wood at night, to what extent they permitted their presence, how they drove people away, whether there were one or several of these creatures, and how they managed to influence the villagers—was it a carrot-and-stick approach? Besides threats, did they also offer some small rewards?

Zhang Pu thought there must be, for he had seen too many such schemes in his two lifetimes.

Regardless, Zhang Pu was resolved to see the Golden Wood tonight.

Liu Yingde and his two subordinates tried to pressure and coax the villagers into guiding them, but Zhang Pu saw the fear these villagers held for the mountain monsters. He waved off Liu Yingde and the others, deciding not to rely on the villagers as guides—only to have them describe the route clearly.

The villagers, relieved, carefully and clearly explained how to reach the Golden Wood on the mountain. They knew that no matter how much they tried to dissuade them, Zhang Pu’s group wouldn’t wait until daylight. Finally, the head of the household urged them repeatedly to be cautious and to return immediately if anything seemed amiss.

Liu Yingde found the man’s warnings tedious, and the head of the household fell silent, watching anxiously as Zhang Pu and the others stepped out into the moonlight and headed toward the mountain behind the village.