Yuē Mountain was located in the most remote western part of Duzhou.

Looking at Duzhou’s map, Yuē Mountain appeared very small, just a tiny patch of land. But when setting foot on this mountain, one felt that what was drawn on the map wasn’t entirely accurate.

This mountain wasn’t high, with rolling peaks that rose and fell gently, featuring secluded and beautiful forest ravines. However, every few steps, there was a Buddha statue embedded within the mountain walls, displaying countless poses and appearing lifelike.

The demon race naturally harbored fear toward Buddha statues, and this mountain contained numerous Buddhist caves with colorful wall paintings. Having entered the mountain for barely a moment, some demon race members were already feeling uncomfortable and complaining continuously.

Zanxing didn’t feel anything particular about this, only curious about who had carved these Buddha statues. Perhaps they had existed for a very long time—some Buddha statues had already been eroded by wind and rain until their features were blurred, adding even more mysterious color to this place.

“Is Yuē Mountain a Buddhist mountain?” Zanxing asked Xiao Shuang beside her.

Xiao Shuang also had no particular feelings about the Buddha statues. Hearing this, he said: “No, but there’s a temple below the Wulun Pagoda with a group of Buddhist cultivators inside. Perhaps because of this, incense offerings on the mountain continue constantly.” After pausing, he added, “Master Ming Jing of Liuquan Temple is an old friend of the Demon Empress. When we reach Liuquan Temple, Master Ming Jing will guide us.”

Zanxing paused: “Mother knows Buddhist cultivators, too?” She glanced at Xiao Shuang and tentatively asked: “Could it be that this Master Ming Jing also has a relationship with mother…”

Xiao Shuang only smiled without speaking.

Zanxing understood. Bujiang’s former lovers were scattered throughout the world—if you could think of it, she had done it. But to include even Buddhist cultivators showed truly extensive interests.

“However,” Zanxing thought for a moment, “Why not have Master Ming Jing come to the mountain gate to meet us? We’ve been wandering around this place for a long time and still haven’t found the correct path into the mountain.”

Yuē Mountain had beautiful scenery with deep, quiet peaks. However, the spacing between Buddha statues and between trees seemed deliberately calculated, not differing by the slightest bit. People walking among them saw only repetitive scenery, thinking they had walked for a long time, only to discover they had returned to the original spot.

“Yuē Mountain is a place beyond the mortal world. Outsiders find it difficult to enter, while those inside can come out but cannot bring people from outside the mountain with them. We can only find the mountain entrance ourselves.” Xiao Shuang looked into the distance: “This is also my first time coming to this place.”

“……”

She had originally thought that Bujiang had her bring Xiao Shuang because he knew the way and could save a lot of time on the road. She hadn’t expected that this was also Xiao Shuang’s first time entering the mountain. The terrain drawn on this map wasn’t accurate, and now their group was wandering around like headless flies. The possibility of a blind cat catching a dead mouse was quite small.

“How about having Shitu Gui take a look?” Xiao Shuang suggested: “Shitu Gui lives by eating grave soil. Perhaps he can distinguish the true direction from the mountain soil.”

Zanxing thought of Shitu Gui, remembering him as a gray-faced old man who always wore a bamboo hat and looked like a simple farmer. She said: “Good.” Continuously going in circles here wasn’t a solution. Their hundred or so people weren’t too many but weren’t few either—walking back and forth was quite conspicuous. If they ran into people from the Demon Extermination Army or Gui Yansheng here, they’d start fighting before even entering the Wulun Pagoda, and the idea of profiting from their conflict would come to nothing.

Xiao Shuang said, “Shitu Gui.”

No one among their group responded.

He frowned and repeated: “Shitu Gui.”

“Report—” A demon cultivator raised his hand: “Lord Xiao Shuang, Shitu Gui had an urgent need to urinate and went to the forest to relieve himself.”

“Didn’t I say no one could leave the formation at will!” Xiao Shuang’s expression changed as he scolded sternly.

That demon cultivator probably had a good relationship with Shitu Gui and defended his friend: “Old Tu said this mountain has Buddha statues everywhere, making it uncomfortable to relieve oneself, and with Little Palace Master present, it wouldn’t be good to pollute Little Palace Master’s eyes…”

Zanxing: “……” Thanks so much.

She asked: “How long has he been gone?”

“About a quarter hour.” The demon cultivator scratched his head, quite optimistic: “Little Palace Master needn’t worry. He might have needed to defecate midway through urinating. This person eats a lot of soil and always has constipation—once he starts defecating, it takes a long time. Before Old Tu left, he told me we didn’t need to wait for him. He’ll catch up after relieving himself. It won’t delay our action.”

He spoke lightly, but Zanxing wasn’t so optimistic. This mountain’s paths were complex. Setting aside whether he would encounter danger, if he wandered too far and couldn’t find his way back, that was also possible. Although these people recognized her as the demon realm princess, she hadn’t grown up among the demon race after all. Some people were inevitably insubordinate during the journey—otherwise, discipline wouldn’t be so loose, with people leaving the formation without a sound. She said, “Use voice transmission to ask where he is now.”

The demon cultivator didn’t dare disobey and could only take out a voice transmission talisman from his chest, shouting toward the other side: “Old Tu, Old Tu, are you done urinating? Little Palace Master is asking where you are now!”

The voice transmission talisman hung quietly in the air. For a long moment, no one responded.

The demon cultivator glanced at Zanxing and shouted again: “Old Tu, Old Tu, are you listening?”

The other end was completely silent. After a while, “crunch crunch” chewing sounds arose, making people shudder.

Everyone’s faces changed at once.

The demon cultivator held the voice transmission talisman and looked at Zanxing, saying dryly: “Did… something happen?”

“Do you need to ask?” Zanxing summoned the Wuyou Stick, and with a wave of her hand, a golden paper dove immediately flew out.

“This is…” Xiao Shuang was shocked.

“Before departure, I scattered dove feather phosphorus on all of you to prevent exactly this from happening.” Zanxing leaped toward the forest: “Follow me!”

Before this group of demon race members departed, Zanxing had worked through the night making flying dove talismans. She hadn’t forgotten “How to Draw Talismans Well” from when she was on Gufeng Mountain. Golden doves could recognize paths and would leave scent traces wherever they passed. She scattered different dove feather phosphorus on each person, and the golden dove talismans would follow the phosphorus to find their owner.

The group had come out complete and intact—it would be best if they returned complete and intact, too. She couldn’t avoid missing limbs and injuries, but unnecessary sacrifices could be avoided when possible.

Now that she was the leader of this group, she had to be responsible for her subordinates.

Xiao Shuang said, “Follow Little Palace Master!”

The group rushed into the forest. Although the golden dove was a talisman drawn on paper, it flew faster than ordinary doves. In just a moment, the flying dove stopped in front of a water pool.

The scent of dove feather phosphorus disappeared at this location.

The demon cultivator who was friends with Shitu Gui suddenly shouted: “Old Tu’s bamboo hat! This is Old Tu’s bamboo hat!”

In front of the water pool, a mud-colored bamboo hat lay alone, hanging in the grass by the shore. But there was no sign of Shitu Gui around.

Zanxing gestured for the people behind her not to move and cautiously walked forward, bending down to pick up the bamboo hat. Mimi followed behind, carefully circling the grass.

The bamboo hat was still slightly warm, as if someone had just recently removed it. Zanxing walked to the water pool’s edge—the pool water was clear as a bright mirror, reflecting her shadow.

There was nothing there.