Chapter 166: Departure

When Cheng Mu and the others heard that Qi Mengwei had been plotted against, they were consumed by towering rage. However, following Qin Yang's advice, they protected Qi Mengwei impeccably, fiercely beating up any strangers who dared to approach. Meanwhile, Qin Yang and Zhang Ming boarded a flight bound for Western Hunan. As for the Divine Wolf, following the butler's advice, they obtained a pet consignment certificate and brought it along to Western Hunan.

The entire journey was spent in silence.

Upon arriving at the airport, they took a coach to a small town. By then, it was already late at night. Even though Qin Yang was anxious, traveling at night was unwise, so they found an inn in the town to stay for the night. Waking up early the next morning, Zhang Ming had already negotiated with several drivers heading to deliver goods in the Wuling Mountains, securing them seats in the back of a truck.

"Our destination is Zhaizifeng, which is filled with Miao villages. Because they are somewhat resistant to outsiders, very few people go there." Sitting cross-legged, Zhang Ming lit a cigarette, tossed one to Qin Yang, and said, "These drivers have been delivering goods there for years and know the roads inside out. It takes three hours. Don't be too anxious; we still have four days, which is plenty of time for us to resolve this matter."

Qin Yang took a heavy drag of his cigarette and nodded.

Who knew how long the vehicle drove on? The road was full of twists and turns, and the driver exercised extreme caution. Mountain driving roads were exceptionally perilous, and accidents usually happened to veteran drivers rather than novices, as novices tended to be extremely cautious, driving with high tension and braking cautiously at the slightest sign of trouble. Veteran drivers, having traveled the routes for years, grew overconfident, unaware that the world is unpredictable and accidents are rarely accidental. Towering ancient trees surrounded them, their dense branches and leaves allowing only slithers of sunlight to filter through in a breathtakingly picturesque display. However, Qin Yang was in no mood to admire the scenery; if he couldn't see through his surroundings, old Qin would have suspected that this Zhang Ming was human-trafficking him. Suddenly, a gloomy tunnel appeared ahead. It was not a passage carved through rock, but rather a canopy formed by the intertwined roots and interlaced branches of ancient trees, blocking out the sunlight year-round and plunging the area into deep darkness.

Zhang Ming pinched his nose, extinguished his cigarette, and said, "This road was originally opened by the People's Liberation Army, but very few people use it nowadays, mostly just these regular drivers. The specialties from the Miao villages fetch a high price outside, otherwise they wouldn't come to such a place to suffer. Apply this; there are poisonous mosquitoes inside, and a single bite leaves a coin-sized welt that is thoroughly miserable."

Accepting the lotion from Zhang Ming, Qin Yang noticed a faint, fresh fragrance. Applying it to his skin brought an immediate, soothing relief. Filled with curiosity, he asked, "Did you formulate this yourself?"

"Heh, not at all. Years ago, when I traveled here, I suffered quite a bit. It was some of the Miao villagers who disinfected me and gave me this lotion." Zhang Ming said this with a hint of pride, adding, "These are all ancestral secret formulas, something these drivers couldn't trade for. I got along well with an old village chief, so he gifted me some. After all these years, it's still remarkably effective."

"Good stuff." Qin Yang nodded and said, "Once I resolve Qi Mengwei's matter, I'll discuss it with the people in these villages. My traditional Chinese medicine company is almost ready to be established anyway. Collaborating with them then—ha, it'll definitely be worth a fortune."

"That depends on whether you can hit it off with them." Zhang Ming smiled, paused, and asked, "Brother, let me ask you honestly, what's the deal with those guys you introduced to me? From their physiognomy, they were supposed to face a massive catastrophe these past few days and most likely die a violent death, but their fates were rewritten. The only person I know with that kind of skill is you. What's the story?"

Qin Yang did not hide the truth and told him about the northwestern mausoleum, though he omitted the part about Dong Feng, claiming instead that he had discovered it in an ancient text and gone to investigate upon someone's entrustment. Zhang Ming listened in continuous amazement, sighing that the world truly held countless strange phenomena, and even after encountering many himself, he remained a frog at the bottom of a well.

"Brother, aren't you worried that Professor Guan might actually persuade the military to excavate?" Zhang Ming asked with some concern. "If that horde of monsters under Dong Zhuo breaks out, we'll be in big trouble."

"No need to fear. The mausoleum was sealed by me. Is the Eight-Gates Golden Lock Formation something you can just dig up whenever you want? I guarantee that once they dig a few meters deep, groundwater will flood in, and the more they dig, the more water will rise. If they actually reach the Eight-Gates Golden Lock Formation, I'll sense it, and I can just secretly blow up the entrance," Qin Yang said. "If Dong Zhuo's vengeful spirit manages to break out, you and I can put our heads together and make a fortune, haha."

"You certainly know how to look on the bright side," Zhang Ming laughed heartily.

Entering the gloomy corridor, they immediately smelled the foul odor of rotting branches and leaves, mixed with a hint of floral fragrance that was almost addictive. Zhang Ming remarked, "There's a strange flower in this place; it doesn't do much on its own, but combined with the scent of rotting foliage, it creates a sensation similar to smoking. Quite a few people got addicted to it. Later, someone set fire to these flowers, but they weren't completely wiped out. Then people started warning others not to smell it because it was peculiar, and those who got scared avoided getting addicted to the stuff. As for the two of us, let's forget it. I reckon nothing could get you hooked, and I'm not into this sort of thing anyway."

"A strange spice," Qin Yang smiled. "It has the effect of calming the mind and soothing the nerves, but it underwent a chemical reaction with the scent emitted by the rotting surrounding foliage, which is why it became addictive. No matter, when we head back, we'll gather some. This stuff has research value."

The tunnel was not long, merely a hundred meters or so. After passing through it and turning a few corners, they reached a relatively flat area where the towering trees thinned out and warm sunlight filtered down. Shortly after, climbing a slope, they arrived before an ancient village. Most of the village buildings were traditional Miao stilt houses. Alongside the village flowed a large river; nestled against the mountains and facing the water with fresh air, it was truly an exceptional place to live.

After stepping out of the vehicle and thanking the driver, the two men were led by Zhang Ming toward the mountain behind the village, greeting various Miao villagers along the way.

"This is a Miao village. The villagers are very simple and warmly hospitable," Zhang Ming said, pulling a few pieces of chocolate from his pocket and stuffing them into the hands of some children who had gathered around. "When I first came here, I stayed right here, and they didn't charge me a single penny. When I returned through here after visiting the deep Miao mountains, the village chief even stuffed me full of local specialties. Come, I'll take you to meet the village chief."

The village chief's home was located at the back, a three-story stilt house. Some children near the entrance spotted the two and hurriedly rushed back inside. Soon, an old man dressed in traditional Miao attire walked out. Upon seeing Zhang Ming, he said, "Mr. Zhang, the last time we met was three years ago."

"Village Chief Gu, you are too polite," Zhang Ming hurriedly stepped forward and said, "You still remember me? Come, let me introduce you, this is my younger brother, Qin Yang—he's a top-notch fellow. And this big dog? No worries, it doesn't bite."

Qin Yang also hurried forward to shake hands with Village Chief Gu. Although quite elderly, the village chief possessed a crane-like hair and a child-like face. He led the two men into the house and instructed his daughter-in-law to prepare some food. Once seated, Village Chief Gu asked, "Mr. Zhang, what brings you here this time? If there's nothing urgent, stay a few days; the children in my village just love listening to your stories."

"We're here this time to make a trip to the Wuling Village; I have some business to discuss with Village Chief Wu," Zhang Ming replied.

"There's no rush," Village Chief Gu said. "Since you've come, have lunch before you leave."

Although Qin Yang was anxious, it wouldn't do to leave right away. Zhang Ming had told him that refusing their hospitable reception would be disrespectful and would easily provoke resistance. Thus, Qin Yang simply stayed, chatting with Village Chief Gu for a long time. Only after eating and drinking their fill did they walk to the back of the village and head up the mountain along a mountain trail.