Chapter 215: A Mountain Suspended, A River Submerged (29)
Because the southern region was quite far from Binhai City, and they had departed late, the Taoists from Haiyun Temple, even though they had rushed along the way, still arrived much later than the rescue team.
From a distance, Taoist Wang saw the lights of the mountain resort area and muttered in dissatisfaction, “If I weren’t worried about the Abbot coming after me, I’d have followed Taoist Song Yi’s example and dashed straight over.”
Beside him, Taoist Ma chuckled. “Come on now, that trick of Taoist Song Yi’s only works well when there’s traffic in the city. What’s wrong with flying?”
Previously, an official had already contacted Taoist Ma and informed him about the situation in the guesthouse area—that the survivors had all been rescued and the seriously injured had been taken promptly to the nearest city hospital for treatment.
So, while the Taoists were still anxious, their minds were somewhat at ease.
“Thankfully, Junior Brother Yan was there this time. Otherwise, I don’t know how panicked I’d be.”
Taoist Wang gave a wry smile. “If Wild Wolf Peak is your inner demon, then Nanming Mountain… is the barrier I can’t cross.”
Even after all these years, he still couldn’t forget the horrific sight he had witnessed in the village beside Nanming Mountain—an entire village of corpses—and the look of resolute sacrifice on the faces of the surviving villagers as they headed into the mountain.
The old woman who led them had an expression of grim determination.
It was as if she knew exactly what kind of force she was about to face, yet still had the courage to challenge a god.
Taoist Wang never learned what had truly happened in that village, but the old woman, out of kindness, had saved him and pushed him away from the Nan Village.
That moment had since become a mental block for him.
He could never forget that time—he hadn’t been able to protect anyone.
He had fled the battlefield.
So when the Abbot informed him that the accident involving the program crew was connected to Nanming Mountain, he didn’t even have to think—he knew he had to go.
Since this was destined to be his trial, how could he shrink back?
Staring at the distant lights and shadows, Taoist Wang’s gaze turned resolute.
As the Taoists entered the guesthouse area, members of the rescue team quickly came to meet them. While briefing them on the situation, they led them to where the officials were gathered.
“Wait a second.”
Suddenly, Taoist Wang’s eyes sharpened as something in the shadows caught his attention.
The others looked puzzled as they watched him walk toward the corner of a nearby guesthouse building. He crouched down to closely examine the withered branches and dead flowers along the base of the wall.
He reached out and gently crushed one of the dried petals, discovering it was a chrysanthemum—one that should have bloomed in autumn.
He looked up, frowning, and scanned the area, realizing that the same withered flowers appeared not just by this building, but around others as well.
All of them were lifeless and shriveled.
But suddenly, something caught his eye.
Outside a nearby guesthouse, there was a cluster of blooming chrysanthemums—white and yellow—swaying gently in the wind, completely unaffected.
Yet in this southern region, it wasn’t chrysanthemum season.
Taoist Wang casually asked someone nearby, “Which guesthouse is that?”
Following his gaze, the staff member looked over and nodded with admiration and understanding. “You really are sharp, Taoist. You found it right away.”
Taoist Wang frowned, not understanding what the man meant.
The staff member, unaware of the look in his eyes, continued, “That’s the place where the only survivor who wasn’t seriously injured stayed. She’s the owner of the guesthouse. The officials are over there too.”
Taoist Wang’s expression turned serious upon hearing this.
Was it just a coincidence? The only survivor… the only blooming flowers…
When the Taoists entered the guesthouse, they were immediately drawn to the official sitting on the sofa.
For one reason.
He looked far too well.
Anyone who had worked with special departments knew how busy they were—saying they barely had time to breathe wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
And usually, the official in charge they saw was worn out, with furrowed brows and a perpetual look of exhaustion, clearly stretched thin by his responsibilities.
There was never a moment when his mind wasn’t piled with endless tasks, leaving him no room to relax.
But now, the official in charge was smiling leisurely, his eyes crinkled in a carefree expression, as if nothing in the world could trouble him. His face looked completely at ease.
When he saw the Taoists arriving, the official even waved to greet them, saying cheerfully, “It’s cold outside—would you like some hot water to warm up?”
Taoist Wang felt a flicker of unease in his heart.
It wasn’t like the official was unaware of the situation at Nanming Mountain. In fact, everyone had been deeply worried about whether a tragedy from decades ago was about to repeat itself. People were on edge, and both the abbot and many severely injured taoists at Haiyun Temple had been so anxious they hadn’t slept a wink.
So why was the official’s first remark not about the dangers at Nanming Mountain, but instead some meaningless small talk?
Before Taoist Wang could ask, Taoist Ma looked at the official in surprise and asked, “Is your stomach okay?”
“Weren’t you complaining of stomach discomfort a few days ago? I was still worried about you.”
Taoist Ma gave the official a once-over and said, “If it hurts, just say so. Don’t force yourself through it. After working together for so many years, I know better than anyone how stubborn you are.”
Now that the Taoists had arrived and regrouped, the rescue team could finally head into the mountain to investigate Longevity Village. The official immediately put down his water cup and stood up, smiling as he said to the Taoists, “Don’t worry, I’m really fine.”
Noticing the suspicion in Taoist Ma’s eyes, the official even patted his own stomach to prove he wasn’t in pain.
After so many years of collaboration, the relationship between Taoist Ma and the official had long gone beyond mere professionalism—they were actually close friends.
So even when the official left the guesthouse and went outside to organize the team for their mountain entry, Taoist Ma still frowned, filled with worry.
He knew all too well how terrible he was at divination—though of course, his benchmark for “terrible” was based on being compared to naturally gifted people like the old taoist and Yan Shixun.
Afraid he might misread his friend’s fortune, Taoist Ma quickly tugged on Taoist Wang’s robe and quietly asked him to do a reading for the official.
Taoist Wang lowered his voice and said, “The magnetic field around Nanming Mountain is chaotic. Even with divination, results aren’t always accurate. That was already proven decades ago—none of the sects could make sense of the yin-yang turbulence there.”
“But earlier, when I saw the official, I instinctively cast a quick reading for him.”
Taoist Ma had been disappointed until he realized Taoist Wang had been holding something back.
He quickly pressed him, “What did it say?”
Taoist Wang stared at the official’s silhouette as he walked toward the rescue team. His figure slowly disappeared into the dim and shifting light—backlit by brightness, stepping into shadow, as if something monstrous was lurking in the dark, waiting silently to devour him whole.
Taoist Wang’s brows furrowed deeply, and he muttered under his breath, “According to the reading, his stomach really isn’t in great shape. I didn’t examine it in detail, so I can’t say how serious it is. But… he definitely shouldn’t be looking this relaxed.”
Taoist Ma rubbed his chin and pondered, “Not just relaxed—he looks absolutely full of life.”
If the official from earlier had been a wilted plant ravaged by pests, the current official seemed like a sprouting green shoot, fully hydrated and basking in sunlight, radiating vitality.
Such a stark reversal made the Taoist priests uneasy.
What exactly had happened during this time that they didn’t know about…?
Still, with the urgency of heading into the mountains, the Taoists didn’t have time to dwell on the official’s condition. They quickly began checking the team and the supplies they would be bringing.
Longevity Village sat deep in the mountains. While the area was unpolluted and ideal for living and recuperation, it also came with a significant drawback:
Transportation was extremely inconvenient.
When the production crew entered the mountains, they had been forced to abandon their vehicles and proceed on foot. Only after crossing multiple rivers and climbing down several ravines did they finally reach the village.
The rescue team was no exception this time.
Given the cold weather and the many unknowns in the mountains, they had thoroughly prepared food and clothing. Fearing that someone from the production crew might be injured, they also brought medical supplies.
Everyone’s backpack bulged, weighing dozens of kilograms.
Even the official carried a heavy pack on his back.
Someone nearby, worried about him, offered to help lighten his load.
After all, with dozens of people entering the mountains, it wasn’t really necessary for the official to carry anything himself.
The official in charge smiled and gently declined the offer to help.
“Don’t worry, I’m not that fragile.”
The official waved his hand with a bright smile, signaling everyone to hurry on their way. “The sooner we get to Longevity Village, the sooner the crew will be safe. Let’s not waste any time.”
The people around responded, but the more they looked at the official, the more they found something strange about him.
It felt as though… the official seemed unusually eager?
But they quickly shook their heads, dismissing their thoughts.
What was I thinking? Of course, the official was just worried about the crew. He’d be eager to get to the mountain, naturally.
However, the terrain of the mountain was dangerous, and under the complete darkness, the conditions were even worse. It was hard to make out anything from a distance, and normal methods of scouting were ineffective because of the chaotic magnetic field nearby. So, both the rescue team and the Taoists were extremely vigilant.
The crew had been able to make it to the mountain with the help of a guide who knew the terrain.
But they didn’t have that luxury.
After all, the official in the southern region had been so busy with other matters that they hadn’t had the time to think about the details of helping the rescue team find another guide.
The official hadn’t expected the first tourism collaboration to turn out like this, and they were shocked. They didn’t understand why the once highly praised Longevity Village, which everyone had spoken so highly of after visiting, had suddenly become linked with the tragic Nanming Mountain from decades ago.
Still, due to previous communications with the official, they had started investigating the whereabouts of those who claimed they were settling in Longevity Village.
They reviewed all surveillance footage, tracked chip usage, and visited the village that anyone leaving the mountain would have passed through…
Their response was swift, and the investigation began immediately.
The results left them dumbfounded.
—According to the elderly people in Longevity Village, those who had left because they couldn’t bear the harsh cold of the mountain had actually never left the mountain at all.
Moreover, they discovered that these settlers all seemed to follow a fixed pattern.
They would enter the mountain, then, between three to nine months later, around each of the four seasonal festivals, they would leave the mountain. They’d happily tell everyone around them that they were settling in Longevity Village and would take care of all matters outside the mountain.
Then, they would return to the mountain.
And they were never heard from again.
However, from the footage of the surveillance cameras or the settlers’ selfies and interview footage, the official in the southern region found something.
After leaving the mountain, all of them had bright, happy smiles on their faces, making anyone who saw them feel good and genuinely believe that they had found true happiness.
But when comparing these smiles with software, they found something odd: every smile was identical in every detail, and the wording was exactly the same.
It was as if they were all cast from the same mold.
Once the seed of doubt was planted, everything that had been overlooked when everyone had been relaxed suddenly became glaring.
The deeper they dug into the investigation, the more horrified they became.
They reported back to the official, expressing their strong suspicion that there was a cult hiding in the mountains, and that these settlers were brainwashed into acting this way.
However, the official in the southern region still had doubts.
Many of the settlers had family and friends searching for them.
But no matter how hard their families searched, they kept circling around the outside of the mountain, unable to find the entrance, let alone meet the settlers.
At the time, many people on the internet had remarked that Longevity Village was a true Peach Blossom Spring, because people without fate couldn’t even find their way into the mountains.
But now, when they looked back, it seemed especially eerie.
Despite knowing that the magnetic field near Nanming Mountain was chaotic, the southern region still couldn’t understand why every time, by such a precise coincidence, everyone trying to enter the mountain to find their loved ones had been unsuccessful.
It was as if… some force was blocking their reunion.
After receiving the call from the official in the southern region, the official in charge stood silent for a moment.
He stood at the road leading into the mountain, gazing up at the pitch-black sky without a single star, feeling a tightness in his throat and a burning sensation in his eyes.
He knew very well that many of those involved in this were people suffering from severe, incurable illnesses, trapped by financial and family constraints, forced to give up treatment.
They couldn’t afford the hundreds of thousands, even millions, needed for treatment, and they didn’t want to waste their family’s time, energy, or love by focusing on their care.
A long illness breeds no filial child, and it was the same for family members.
They didn’t want to tear apart their originally harmonious family because of their illness, causing endless arguments and ultimately breaking apart.
Looking at their young wives and children, as well as their aging parents, they made the difficult decision.
—Go to Longevity Village, and take one last chance at life.
Perhaps the rumors on the internet were true. They really could be healed by the unique natural environment and soil of Longevity Village.
If that were the case, they would be able to return to their families in good health and continue to live happily with them.
Even if it weren’t true, it didn’t matter.
If Longevity Village couldn’t heal them, then they could just die in the deep mountains, in Longevity Village… out of their family’s sight.
That way, their families wouldn’t worry too much.
With such thoughts in mind, they entered Longevity Village, and their relatives thought they would live a healthy life in a place they couldn’t see.
However, the family members, filled with hope and longing, didn’t know that the people they cherished and thought were living happily…
Would never return.
They had probably already died.
The official in charge blinked, and before he could speak, a stream of hot tears ran down his face.
The others, who had overheard the phone conversation, were also silent.
No one mocked the official’s tears.
If they put themselves in his shoes, their own loved ones—whom they believed were still alive—had already died in the deep mountains.
Just imagining it caused unbearable pain, so how could they mock the official for his uncontrollable emotions?
“Yeah… maybe it’s because of the special magnetic field in Nanming Mountain. After all, even the survey team couldn’t find the place before.”
The official sniffed, but his voice still carried an unmistakable nasal sound, “As for the situation you mentioned, it’s indeed possible. We’ll be cautious once we enter the mountain. Thank you for your hard work.”
After all, this incident had entered the category of a special event, so even though the official knew the other party’s suspicions were wrong, he didn’t outright refute it. He simply went along with it.
After hanging up, everyone fell silent for a long time.
Taoist Wang sighed heavily.
Poor, nameless bones along the river…
Decades ago, the bodies that floated in the Nanming River numbered in the hundreds, even thousands.
And on the live stream of the show, decaying corpses had appeared multiple times.
These corpses were likely the settlers.
On one side, there was joyful waiting and anticipation; on the other side, the bodies had already sunk to the bottom of the river, cold and decaying, never to see the light of day.
Everyone felt heavy in their hearts.
Several rescue team members who had families were already choking up, just thinking about how the missing people might be their own relatives.
However, the official was the first to pull himself together.
Almost in the blink of an eye, his previously red eyes had dried the tears, and the sadness on his face was completely concealed, leaving only a smile.
“Let’s go. The dead are gone, and we can’t change the past. But.”
The official’s gaze was determined. “The people from the show are still out there, they’re still alive. We need to get there quickly, so we don’t repeat the tragedy that happened in the guesthouse area. We have to rescue them before any more danger strikes.”
Everyone nodded repeatedly, trying to force themselves to regain their composure. They adjusted their heavy backpacks and began following the route the hostess had pointed out to enter the mountain.
However, even though they had mentally prepared themselves, once they stepped into the mountain, they realized the situation was far more complicated than they had imagined.
—The river in the mountain had risen.
The night was starless and moonless, and the sky was pitch black.
In the guesthouse area, they could still rely on the surrounding lights to see the terrain.
But once they entered the mountain, it felt as if they had stepped into a dark, enclosed box, where they couldn’t see their hands in front of them. Even with powerful flashlights, they still couldn’t accurately assess the complex and dangerous terrain.
What worried everyone the most was that the river had risen so fiercely, flooding much of the land that had been passable, forcing them to give up the easier route and instead take a much more dangerous detour.
The wilderness and the deep mountains at night, combined with the chaotic magnetic field, rendered conventional methods useless. Even the most experienced survival experts dared not act recklessly.
In such an environment, it was easy to lose one’s sense of direction.
And if they got lost… the harsh conditions—hypothermia, hunger, wild animals, slipping and falling—could very well lead to death.
But while everyone was anxiously taking each step carefully, afraid of slipping, the official seemed unusually at ease.
He moved forward as though he was walking home.
While the Taoist held a compass and performed solemn gestures to carefully determine the direction and route, the official strode ahead confidently, unaffected by the branches and slippery pebbles in his path.
Taoist Ma, astonished, asked, “When did you learn survival skills in the wilderness? I had no idea.”
Hearing this, the official turned around and looked at Taoist Ma in surprise. “What are you talking about? Isn’t it obvious?”
He pointed ahead, “This path is so clear; it’s obvious that it leads to Longevity Village.”
Taoist Ma exchanged glances with the staff nearby: Did he have some information that we don’t know about? How could he be so sure?
The staff hesitated: Did he see it during the live broadcast? After all, when the program team entered the mountain at noon, it was broadcasted live the entire time. Perhaps the official memorized the route?
Seeing the official so confident, even though some had doubts in their hearts, they couldn’t help but wonder: Could the official have done his job so meticulously that he memorized the entire route from the program’s broadcast?
Taoist Wang, to avoid any interference from the chaotic magnetic field affecting his divination, had repeatedly performed calculations dozens of times. The final result, however, was very similar to the path the official was leading them on.
“This…”
Taoist Wang was stunned.
The official didn’t seem to care about the expressions of others and continued to lead the way confidently.
However, at certain spots where the mountain roads had been submerged by the river and required detours, the official simply walked straight into the water, wading through it naturally to the other side.
It was unclear whether he was eager to enter Longevity Village or if he had grown unafraid of the river, as if he was a child returning to the embrace of his mother—familiar and accustomed.
“What are you standing there for? Come on, the water’s not deep.”
The official called back with a smile, waving his hand to the others.
In the dark forest, with branches crossing in all directions, the flashlight cast eerie shadows that seemed to dance wildly like ghosts.
The official’s eyes, still smiling, seemed to reflect a faint red glow.
In the distance, there was the faint sound of rustling.
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