The silent darkness was like a wandering wild beast before your eyes, choosing the moment you were caught off guard to bite your neck, suck your blood, draw away your soul, and make you completely merge into Shifang Mountain’s nightmare-like poison miasma, forever sinking down. The dream realm of the third night was hazy without any substantial images—more like an aged, venerable elder earnestly admonishing at one’s ear.

“Who? Who’s standing there?” An external voice rushed into consciousness—it was Gongyang Yan.

“Who is it?” The Fat Daoist also shouted.

Li Si forced himself to awaken. In the dim obscurity, two ghostly shadows appeared at the front of the stone platform and beside the ancient well, motionless like sculptures. Gongyang Yan gripped his precious sword tightly. The Fat Daoist squinted his small eyes. Li Si also raised his long sword and said in a heavy voice: “I’ll go take a look.”

He wasn’t far from the human shadow at the front of the stone platform, but Li Si felt like he would walk until the end of time. Each step was taken extraordinarily slowly. Finally, at the last step, Li Si saw clearly the human shadow’s face. Li Si had already had a terrible premonition, but what was even more terrible was that the premonition became reality… Standing opposite him was actually the bloodless-faced, vacant-eyed Uncle Chang with an eerie smile hanging at the corners of his mouth.

Before Li Si could react, a cry of alarm came from behind: “Bian Kui? Impossible, this is impossible!”

The two dead people once again appeared before the living in a bone-chilling manner. Li Si’s gaze stagnated in the frozen dark air. If he had ever believed in the existence of ghosts and spirits in this lifetime, then Li Si was certain it was at this moment.

Li Si gently extended one finger. Uncle Chang’s body collapsed like rotten wood with a thunderous crash. On the other side, Bian Kui was the same.

Half a cup of tea’s time later, Uncle Chang and Bian Kui’s corpses were placed in the center of the stone platform.

“This is a trick by the murderer using Uncle Chang and Bian Kui’s corpses to make us fear and collapse. What a detestable, despicable villain.” Gongyang Yan’s fists made cracking sounds as he clenched them. Li Si instead became calm: “If that’s the case, then I have a good method.”

“What method?” Gongyang Yan asked.

“Keep the corpses beside us, then the murderer can’t play tricks pretending to be ghosts and gods.”

Gongyang Yan was stunned for a moment and said: “Good method.”

The Fat Daoist expressed agreement. Mi Ta looked at the two ice-cold corpses and said worriedly: “Will they really not stand up again?”

“The affairs in this Shifang Mountain are bizarre and strange—we must guard against them. I remember there’s still quite a bit of hemp rope in Bian Kui’s bamboo basket, right?” Li Si recalled. Gongyang Yan nodded: “Yes, and it’s hemp rope soaked in pig oil—absolutely sturdy and solid.”

Li Si then bound Uncle Chang and Bian Kui’s corpses firmly with the pig oil hemp rope and threw them in a corner beside the stone platform. Li Si checked twice more and said: “Alright, no problem now. The night is still early. Let’s do what we need to do.”

Mi Ta and A’Mu fell asleep. Shifang Mountain’s arduous and perilous environment wasn’t suitable for two delicate women. Leaving one day earlier was perhaps the best outcome for the mother and daughter. Li Si seemed to hear again the sorrowful sound from the previous night. Just as he wanted to investigate thoroughly, suddenly a piercing screeching sound came from the wooden building ahead. Immediately after, two giant bats soared into the sky.

Li Si had just breathed a sigh of relief when a scream of terror erupted from the center of the stone platform.

Li Si abruptly turned back and discovered blood dripping from the front of Mi Ta’s neck. A lustrous ghost hand that seemed to tear through darkness retracted with a “swoosh!” into the void. A’Mu threw herself onto Mi Ta. Li Si rushed over: “Mi Ta, Mi Ta!”

“I… I’m fine… thanks to A’Mu.” Mi Ta looked at A’Mu with gratitude on her face. “Just now, a hand seized my neck. When I struggled, A’Mu threw herself forward, and that hand released me.”

“What hand?” Gongyang Yan, who arrived a step late, was bewildered and confused.

Mi Ta shook her head: “I don’t know either. I only glimpsed half a hand’s shadow—it flashed like a meteor and disappeared.”

Li Si wanted to speak but stopped. He couldn’t determine whether what had just occurred was an illusion, like the ethereal sound from before. Moreover, a ghost hand tearing through the void seemed too bizarre no matter how he thought about it—simply preposterous. Even if he told others, probably no one would believe it.

The Fat Daoist’s white, chubby face bore a grave expression: “This time the three of us were guarding the stone platform. You could say the entire stone platform is an enclosed space. In this kind of space, it’s fundamentally impossible for someone to commit murder. No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure it out. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Gongyang Yan’s eyelids twitched directly.

The Fat Daoist’s voice was strange: “Unless the murderer isn’t human.”

Although Li Si and the others all thought this possibility was greatest, the Fat Daoist hitting the nail on the head still made everyone’s backs bristle. They felt waves of cold air rushing from their heels to the tops of their heads. Li Si looked at the bound Uncle Chang and Bian Kui, his voice unable to suppress its agitation: “Tomorrow we’ll go to the black stone bridge again. If the poison miasma white fog still hasn’t moved away, we’ll descend the mountain.”

Every person present was unwilling, but at this moment, no one had the courage to say the word “no.” After all, humans are the animals most easily destroyed by fear.

“A’Mu, help bandage Mi Ta,” Li Si said to A’Mu.

A’Mu tore her dress skirt and carefully bandaged Mi Ta’s wound. Mi Ta looked at A’Mu: “A’Mu, thank you. You should descend the mountain. Actually, I…”

“Don’t speak anymore,” A’Mu interrupted Mi Ta.

“It’s almost the hour of Mao,” Li Si said. On his weary face, that trace of determination hadn’t faded.

Uncle Chang and Bian Kui’s corpses were buried once again. Whether or not they were props for tricks, the dead were blameless and should properly be laid to rest in the earth. With the sheepskin ancient scroll, the five people quickly arrived at the cliff’s edge, gazing distantly at the black stone bridge in the void.

Looking back, the poison miasma had already extended its fangs and claws toward the surroundings of Fuwa Village. Before long, it would cover Fuwa Village. Just as Li Si had said before coming, if the inner mountain poison miasma still hadn’t disappeared this time, they could only choose to descend the mountain. But perhaps everything was predestined. Just as the five people arrived at the cliff dejected and dispirited, Gongyang Yan’s confused gaze suddenly shot forth excited light. He said excitedly: “The poison miasma… it’s gone!”

Li Si fixed his gaze and looked. The poison miasma white fog on the opposite side of the black stone bridge had indeed disappeared. One could vaguely discern the lush, verdant forest trees on the opposite side. The Fat Daoist’s face hung with a meaningful smile. He turned his head and looked as if inadvertently toward Mi Ta and A’Mu.

Mi Ta’s delicate eyebrows tightened as she looked at A’Mu. Suddenly she pulled up A’Mu’s hand and said: “A’Mu, listen to me. Actually, the person you’re looking for—no, your father isn’t in Shifang Mountain. You have no need to risk your life entering the mountain. Listen to me—while the outer mountain hasn’t been completely eroded by the poison miasma, hurry and descend the mountain.”

A’Mu responded calmly: “Whether he’s there or not doesn’t matter anymore. In my heart, I only need a result. Even if this result isn’t beautiful, even if it’s not a result at all, it doesn’t matter. Some things are fated in the dark unknown. All you can do is face it. Isn’t that right?”

Mi Ta, listening to A’Mu’s words, fell into a moment of confusion. When she came to her senses, she had already been pulled onto the black stone bridge by A’Mu. A’Mu smiled gracefully—her smile clear and refined, transcending the mundane. Li Si and the others stepped onto the black stone bridge in succession, taking the first step without hesitation.

The black stone bridge was only three chi wide. With the slightest carelessness, one would fall into the thousand-zhang deep abyss, leaving no bones behind. The five people didn’t even dare breathe heavily. Even a small stone rolling off the bridge could give one goosebumps. Gradually, Li Si could see clearly the scenery on the opposite side after the white fog dispersed. The five people had also reached the middle position of the black stone bridge. Just as the five people were secretly celebrating that they would soon finish crossing the black stone bridge, suddenly a long human shadow leaped up from the opposite side, rushing toward Gongyang Yan at the very front like a gust of wind. In his daze, Gongyang Yan drew out his precious sword, his tone trembling: “Someone’s coming.”

When Gongyang Yan saw clearly the appearance of the rushing human shadow, his entire person froze. His eyeballs seemed about to jump out of their sockets. His mouth only kept muttering: “It’s him, it’s him… the three-handed monster!”

Li Si and the others behind Gongyang Yan also saw clearly. The fellow rushing toward them was fully eight chi tall with a round ball head as big as a wicker basket. On his wrinkled, twisted face skin were pits and bumps everywhere, a blood-red mouth with exposed veins bulging, and dark-colored eyeballs without eyelids. The monster had no ears or nose, but bore two left hands and one right hand. The right hand was exceptionally narrow and long, like a venomous snake connected to the body. Li Si watched with a terrified heart and finally understood that in Fuwa Village, Gongyang Yan hadn’t been having hallucinations from confusion and hysteria, but that there truly was a three-handed monster.

Gongyang Yan looked at the rapidly approaching three-handed monster. Uncle Chang’s bizarre, strange death appearance floated up in his mind. A wave of timidity and cowardice actually made his legs go soft, and he knelt on the bridge. Gongyang Yan’s sudden kneeling made the monster lock its target on the astonished-faced Mi Ta behind him. Mi Ta’s soul hadn’t yet settled when the monster roared loudly and was about to grab Mi Ta. Suddenly, a jade-like arm pulled Mi Ta back—it was A’Mu!

A’Mu pulled Mi Ta backward while simultaneously putting herself toward the monster, coldly and calmly gazing at the three-handed monster.

“No!” the Fat Daoist shouted, but helplessly the stone bridge path was narrow and he had the will but not the ability.

Hearing the howling strange wind by his ear, Gongyang Yan raised his head and saw the monster’s massive body about to fly over his own head. A suppressed rage instantly erupted, conquering fear and shock. Gongyang Yan rose and flew a sword strike: “Bastard, I’ll make sure you never return!”

The three-handed monster gave a strange roar. Its body, which had already leaped into midair, forcibly plummeted down, nearly falling into the deep abyss. The three-handed monster’s ugly large face turned toward Gongyang Yan and A’Mu. Perhaps shocked by Gongyang Yan’s sudden attack, the three-handed monster actually lowered its head slightly, and its tower-like body retreated two steps backward.

“He’s afraid,” Gongyang Yan gripped his precious sword tightly and pressed half a step closer toward the three-handed monster.

The three-handed monster looked at the humans who were too small relative to itself, then gradually revealed a fierce expression again. After baring its teeth and making threatening gestures for a while, it suddenly jumped into the deep abyss. The five people were dumbstruck. Li Si stared at the bridge surface and quickly detected the three-handed monster’s intention: “Watch out below the bridge!”

The three-handed monster tightly embraced the bridge body, approaching Li Si and the others as nimbly as a large gecko. At the same time, its extraordinarily long right hand extended up from the bottom of the bridge, wanting to grab the people on the bridge and throw them into the abyss. The three-handed monster seemed to bear a grudge against Gongyang Yan—every time it grabbed toward Gongyang Yan. Gongyang Yan stabbed and inserted his precious sword at the monster’s right hand, contending with the three-handed monster.

Li Si and the Fat Daoist finally managed to move to the front with difficulty. Li Si slashed his sword horizontally at the monster’s left hand embracing the bridge body. The three-handed monster discovered the enemy had gained help. With a fierce cry, it recklessly grabbed at Gongyang Yan with both hands. In a moment of carelessness, Gongyang Yan’s left foot was grabbed by the monster. He fell onto the bridge with a “bang,” then was swung by the monster in midair for two circles. He was about to be flung out!

At this dangerous moment, suddenly a series of obscure, high-pitched chanting came from the opposite side of the black stone bridge. Immediately after, a pitch-black long whip hooked around the monster’s neck. The long whip pulled back. The three-handed monster, like a large black fish, was hooked up from beneath the bridge and crashed heavily onto the bridge surface. Gongyang Yan also fell down.

Li Si helped Gongyang Yan up. Gongyang Yan’s ears were ringing, his soul not yet settled.

The chanting continued unabated. Three men simultaneously appeared on the black stone bridge. The three people wore round folded-corner hats and long screen robes. On the shoulder positions of the long robes was embroidered an image combining fire and water, and on their chests was a flying eagle. The left and right two people wore earth-yellow cloaks, while the middle man wore a cloak mixed with red and blue. The long whip was in the red-blue cloaked man’s hand. He gazed toward Li Si and the others with sinister, fierce eyes.

The red-blue cloaked man’s gaze swept over Li Si, Gongyang Yan, Mi Ta, A’Mu, and the Fat Daoist one by one, pausing slightly on a certain person, then said coldly: “How did you come here?”

“We are…” Li Si was about to answer when he was suddenly interrupted by Gongyang Yan beside him. Gongyang Yan stared straight at the red-blue cloaked man, suddenly comprehending, and said excitedly: “The cloak, the faith symbol of fire and water. There’s no mistake—Xingtian City. You’re people from Xingtian City!”

The red-blue cloaked man’s eyelids contracted: “You know of Xingtian City?”

“Yes, I know. My purpose in entering Shifang Mountain was to reach Xingtian City. I want to see your Great Elder.” Gongyang Yan discovered the other party’s face revealed killing intent and hurriedly added: “Wait, I have a token.”

The man was slightly astonished: “What token?”

“The Iron Flame Token of Duke Changqing of Dayuan from two hundred years ago. I am his descendant.” Gongyang Yan’s expression was solemn. “Duke Changqing made an agreement with the Great Elder of Xingtian City’s ancient tribe. His descendants can hold the Iron Flame Token to go to Xingtian City to find the Great Elder then serving, and request the Great Elder’s help with one matter.”

The man looked at Gongyang Yan anew, then gazed deeply at the Iron Flame Token for a long time before saying: “I am Wu Ying of Xingtian City’s ancient tribe. Since you can produce Duke Changqing’s token, you may return with me to Xingtian City. But they…”

Wu Ying’s hawk-like fierce gaze looked toward Li Si. Gongyang Yan reached out to block: “They are my friends. They came to protect me.”

“Friends?” Wu Ying sneered mockingly. “Fine, the four of them will go with you.”

“Good.” Gongyang Yan smiled at Li Si, indicating there was no problem.

While Wu Ying and Gongyang Yan were talking, the other two ancient tribe people had already bound the three-handed monster firmly with tree vines and were half-dragging, half-pulling it toward the end of the black stone bridge. The three-handed monster hung its head, completely lifeless. Gongyang Yan asked with lingering fear: “This monster also comes from Xingtian City? What exactly is it?”

Wu Ying raised the corners of his mouth: “It is a heretic of the Ancient You Cult—a person cursed by heavenly punishment for harboring evil intentions.”

A heretic of the Ancient You Cult… Li Si’s gaze swept over the surface of Wu Ying’s feet. Wu Ying wore tough animal skin boots. A ripple passed through Li Si’s heart. But Li Si quickly discovered Mi Ta’s unusual behavior. She looked toward Wu Ying’s back with alarmed unease, both hands tightly embracing A’Mu, as if afraid Wu Ying would snatch A’Mu away.

The Fat Daoist followed beside A’Mu, also with a worried expression.

Why are they both worried about A’Mu? Li Si pondered secretly.

Walking to the end of the black stone bridge, the five people of Li Si jumped off the bridge and followed Wu Ying toward the depths of the inner mountain. The inner mountain’s paths were even more rugged than the outer mountain’s. Everywhere could be seen strange flowers and exotic fruits whose names couldn’t be named. But what most drew Li Si’s attention was still the white powder-like miasma vapor shrouding the inner mountain high above. Bian Kui had called it “Peach Blossom Miasma.” The Peach Blossom Miasma floated in the sky not far above everyone, as if a gust of wind would blow it over. Wu Ying saw Li Si and the others’ worries and said casually: “The inner mountain’s immortal miasma possesses spirituality. It only attacks outsiders who trespass without permission, and never actively attacks believers. You can rest assured.”

“You’re a believer of the Ancient You Cult?” Gongyang Yan asked curiously.

“It seems Duke Changqing didn’t explain clearly to his descendants. The entire Xingtian City believes in the Ancient You Cult. Since the day the Ancient You Cult was founded, each generation’s ancient tribe chieftain has held the position of Ancient You Cult Great Elder. This generation’s Great Elder is none other than Man Kua. I am a护堂 of the Ancient You Cult.” Wu Ying tilted his head and swept a glance at everyone.

Gongyang Yan was startled: “So the Great Elder my ancestor mentioned is the ancient tribe chieftain. Then what is Man Kua?”

“Man Kua is the Man Father. The Great Elder is our Protector Hall’s long father.” An ancient tribe person Wu Ying called Ban Na said. “Our Protector Hall is also the next generation’s Great Elder.”

“Shut up!” Wu Ying’s black whip lashed out. Instantly, a bloody mark appeared on Ban Na’s face. Wu Ying’s gaze was viciously sinister: “Control your mouth.”

Ban Na nodded fearfully. Beside him, his brother Ban Xi pulled him over and quietly instructed something.

“Keep walking. Don’t ask anymore.” Wu Ying impatiently dropped this sentence. The five people of Li Si looked at each other, remained silent, and followed behind him, gradually approaching that legendary “City of Heavenly Punishment.”