Chapter 37: Ghost Mountain Villa 37 Part 2
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Zhang Wubing was dumbfounded.
At this moment, a chat message floated across the screen.
[Okay, Director, understood, Director. You’re all safe, Director. Goodbye.]
Followed by another message.
[When Brother Yan reappear, Yan Mais, please kick my butt and let me know, kick it hard, I promise to fly over in a hurry.]
Zhang Wubing: “…”
In just a few hours, Yan Shixun even had a nickname for his fans, Yan Mai.
Indeed, it’s a world that judges people by their appearance, sigh…
Due to Yan Shixun’s departure, the fans and stans who had rushed into the video platform upon hearing the news had all migrated back to social media platforms. Only a few were left in front of the main live screen, still listening to Zhang Wubing’s detailed explanations. These remaining fans cared about the condition of the injured, especially those of An Nanyuan and his group, and they patiently awaited Zhang Wubing’s updates.
Although Zhang Wubing was forgetful about small things, timid, and even afraid of ghosts, he displayed the qualities of a responsible director in major situations. He meticulously introduced the current condition of each member of the production team, their treatment, and the follow-up arrangements, which helped calm down the previously anxious viewers.
Under Zhang Wubing’s methodical explanations, many of the previously anxious viewers gradually calmed down.
On social media platforms, the updates confirming their safety gradually reduced the heat generated by the show’s dangerous situation. Some passersby slowly left, leaving only those who were genuinely interested in the show.
Up to this point, the show’s subscription count on the video platform had exceeded several celebrity-studded variety shows, ranking second across the entire platform, just below a long-established classic variety show that had aired for several seasons. It had firmly become the second most popular variety show on the entire platform.
From a variety show that initially garnered no attention and was even mocked by a prominent influencer with sarcastic posts, to a top-tier variety show with over ten million subscriptions and the highest real-time viewership of several million, many who had been following the show since the beginning couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.
Even the Vlogger, Brother Goose, who initially ridiculed the show in a post but ended up too frightened to sleep, shared in this sentiment.
He looked at his account, which had gained over a million followers rapidly because of this show, with mixed emotions. At the beginning, he had looked at the show from a professional perspective and concluded that there was no reason for it to become a hit. He even made predictions that it would last at most two episodes before going offline and being forgotten.
However, he never expected that, in the midst of it, there would be a dark horse like Yan Shixun, someone who took everyone by surprise. The show faced dangers that no one could have imagined, turning a lighthearted travel variety show into a terrifying survival program.
But… at least things had settled down now.
With a bitter expression, he got up from leaning against the wall, his legs numb from sitting for so long. He quickly rushed out of the room, heading for the bathroom.
He couldn’t wait any longer; he was afraid he might get scared to death! My goodness, what were those things? They definitely weren’t the people Yan Shixun described wearing special effects suits!
However, not only did Yan Shixun not care whether others actually believed this or not, but the Taoists from Haiyun Temple also didn’t care.
Having cooperated with the authorities for years to deal with supernatural disturbances that disrupted the lives of ordinary people, the Taoists from Haiyun Temple were accustomed to various folk speculations and rumors. They occasionally even took the initiative to debunk them.
To them, Yan Shixun and the live broadcasts from the show were not a big deal at all.
What was more important was the state of Gui Mountain.
“Master, what exactly happened on the mountain earlier? How could there be so many malevolent spirits hiding in the locust trees? When we came to look for them last time, we couldn’t find a single one. This doesn’t make sense.”
The middle-aged Taoist asked, furrowing his brows in confusion, addressing the old Taoist.
After the tremors on Gui Mountain had completely subsided, the Taoists, who had been separated in various locations due to the earth’s shaking and the malevolent spirit attacks, quickly rushed to the villa, which they considered the most dangerous.
However, to their surprise, the entire Gui Mountain, not just the villa, was completely clean, devoid of any trace of malevolent spirits.
It was as if the recent reports of death and the events they had just experienced were all illusions.
When they saw the old Taoist meditating in the hotel’s living room, they heaved a sigh of relief and found an explanation for this phenomenon.
—Taoist Li, one of the most powerful Taoists of Haiyun Temple, had already eliminated all the malevolent spirits on Gui Mountain during the short time they were on the mountain.
Thinking they had found the answer, the Taoists were about to speak up when the old Taoist opened his eyes and, as if he had anticipated their thoughts, said, “It wasn’t me.”
Taoist Ma chuckled and said, “Master Uncle, you’re being modest. If it wasn’t you, then who could it be…”
The old Taoist snorted through his nose and raised his hand, pointing to a direction behind, saying, “Your divination skills are still as lousy. Can’t figure it out? The person who solved Ghost Mountain issue is lying right there.”
The Taoists looked in the direction pointed by the old Taoist and saw a tall and slender young man lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, completely undisturbed by the bustling activity in the living room. It was as if nothing in the world could affect him, as if he had entered a mystical state of deep meditation.
The Taoists: …
This situation was a bit surreal.
After everyone had gathered, they each began to recount their experiences of losing contact and being unable to divine any results. They shared their individual encounters.
At the moment when Ghost Mountain trembled, the Taoists were conducting a thorough and careful investigation in various locations on Ghost Mountain. However, no matter how deep they dug or how carefully they searched, they couldn’t find anything amiss.
It was only when the tremors turned over the soil and broke the trees that things changed.
Under the previously seemingly clean soil, bodies with blood-red hues were revealed, the pine trees transformed into locust trees, and malevolent spirits had taken over.
The middle-aged Taoist who was with the rescue team at the time shared a horrifying incident of a young rescue team member being dragged into the soil by those creatures.
Each of them furrowed their brows, pondering and speculating about the cause of Ghost Mountain’s phenomenon.
Not only did the disappearance of the college students at the beginning of the year make them take this matter so seriously, but in the past century, there had been dozens of shamans and sorcerers who attempted to unravel the murders in the Ghost Mountain. However, they all failed under the gathering of hundreds of resentful spirits and malevolent ghosts. Ghost Mountain had become a notorious place on the outskirts of Binhai City, causing headaches for everyone.
However, this perilous Ghost Mountain, which had disappeared from public attention for decades, reappeared and overlapped with Gui Mountain, trapping everyone involved in this variety show within its malevolent grip, almost costing them their lives.
The production team members who remained at the foot of the mountain were also trapped within the boundaries of Ghost Mountain, unable to contact the people at the villa. If it weren’t for the encounter with a Taoist later on, they might have been even more severely injured.
A place as dangerous as this, Haiyun Temple could not afford to ignore, nor could they simply forget about it once the crisis was resolved.
While everyone was deep in thought, the old Taoist stood up and walked straight towards Yan Shixun.
“Instead of sitting here and overthinking, it’s better to directly ask the one who resolved the situation,” the old Taoist scolded his disciple and said, “Have you memorized the scriptures to the point of foolishness? Can’t you be more flexible?”
The middle-aged Taoist surnamed Song nodded in embarrassment and decided to make amends for his mistake. The other Taoists, seeing that even Taoist Song had been scolded, quickly followed suit, not giving the old Taoist a chance to scold them as well.
So, when Yan Shixun keenly sensed someone approaching him and quickly opened his eyes, he saw that there were Taoists dressed in dark blue Taoist robes standing around him.
They were trying hard to appear friendly, all bending over to look down at him from above, and their gazes were constantly scanning him. It seemed like they had a lot of questions to ask, but perhaps the most pressing one was, “Is this guy the one who solved the Ghost Mountain issue?”
However, from Yan Shixun’s perspective, this scene felt like he was lying in a coffin, surrounded by a circle of priests conducting a funeral ritual, kindly asking him, “Are you awake? Do you know you’re already dead?”
Yan Shixun choked on his own imagination and quickly sat up from the sofa.
“Is there something you need?” he asked with a furrowed brow, his slender hand discreetly pressing against his startled heart.
—For anyone, waking up with a circle of Taoists standing around them would probably not be a pleasant experience.
“No, no, are you Mr. Yan Shixun?” Taoist Song tried to force a smile, attempting to make amends in front of his master, the old Taoist. “Mr. Yan, we just wanted to ask you…”
“Where’s your master?” the old Taoist interrupted Taoist Song abruptly, interjecting as he turned to Yan Shixun. “You’re Gou Dan’s disciple, right? I shouldn’t be mistaken.”
The old Taoist pointed at Yan Shixun’s forehead and chest from a distance and said, “Ghostly Facial Features, where a ghost enters a human body, but because of this, you’re naturally a spirit-calming person. I’ve only seen such a facial features once, on the little disciple Gou Dan brought back over ten years ago. With such a rare facial features, there shouldn’t be a second one.”
“However, over a decade ago, Gou Dan’s disciple, was just a little kid. He always had this stern expression, as if he were in a bad mood all the time. He never laughed no matter how much I tried to amuse him. I did magic tricks for him, but he wouldn’t even acknowledge me.”
The old DTaoist gestured around his own waist, attempting to describe the appearance of the little disciple from many years ago. He sighed and said, “But Gou Dan has been gone for over a decade, and he hasn’t returned to Haiyun Temple. The little kid is the same. So many years have passed. People change as they grow older. I wonder what he looks like now.”
Yan Shixun: “…”
The sound of grinding teeth was heard.
The other Taoist masters looked at Yan Shixun’s blackened face, as he seemed ready to murder someone on one side, and on another side, the old Taoist happily reminiscing about the past, and they fell into silence.
“……”
As for Gou Dan, they didn’t know him.
They were even wondering if Gou Dan was a villager the old Taoist had met in Haiyun Temple.
But when it came to someone who left Haiyun Temple over a decade ago, someone familiar to the old Taoist, and someone the old Taoist even seemed to like indirectly through his fondness for their disciple, then it could only be that person.
——The Wandering Hermit of Haiyun Temple.
The youngest and most talented junior disciple of the old Taoist’s generation, yet he didn’t formally join the sect or become a Taoist. Instead, he turned around and embarked on a journey to wander the world, becoming a legend associated with Haiyun Temple.
Yan Shixun gritted his teeth and said, “Master, Li Chengyun.”
Not Gou Dan!
That was his master’s nickname from decades ago. Why would anyone remember it, let alone call it so naturally? This was getting too bizarre!
The other Taoists around them suddenly looked as if they had a sudden realization.
It truly was that Master Chengyun.
Only the old Taoist, who had been enthusiastically recounting the story just moments ago, stopped abruptly, puzzled, and looked at Yan Shixuan. “Li Chengyun? Who’s that?”
Yan Shixun’s face darkened even more. He sneered and cracked his knuckles, making a series of “crack, crack” sounds, as if he was about to give the old Taoist a beating.
The Taoists watched with bated breath, but when it came to Master Chengyun and the affairs of the previous generation, they didn’t want to interfere too much. They could only stand by, on guard in case Yan Shixun actually charged forward.
After some contemplation, the old Taoist suddenly had an epiphany. “Oh, you mean Gou Dan! I remember now. Indeed, after he grew up, his formal name was Chengyun because of his extraordinary talent. Our master decided to give him the ‘Yun’ character from Haiyun Temple.”
The old Taoist looked at Yan Shixun with an even warmer expression. “Indeed, you are Gou Dan’s disciple. I told you, this Ghostly Facial Features is not something you find everywhere like cabbage.”
Yan Shixun: “… My master’s name is Li Chengyun, not Gou Dan.”
The old Taoist agreed readily. “I understand now, Gou Dan’s disciple.”
Yan Shixun: “…”
The Taoists: “…”
The middle-aged Taoist quickly rushed out from among the Taoists, positioning himself between the old Taoist and Yan Shixun, fearing that the fiery-tempered disciple might get genuinely angry at the old Taoist.
“Since you’re Master Chengyun’s disciple, that makes me your senior brother,” the middle-aged Taoist reluctantly forced a smile and asked, “Can Taiost Yan share with us the specific situation of the Ghost Mountain? Also, what method did you use to deal with those evil spirits on the Ghost Mountain?”
Naturally, Yan Shixun wouldn’t actually rush out and start a fight. Even if this middle-aged Taoist hadn’t intervened, the old Taoist was elderly, and Yan Shixun wasn’t the type to resort to violence casually.
Moreover, he had already realized that the old Taoist probably had a good relationship with his master. The old Taoist had been holding a grudge against his master’s departure from Haiyun Temple over a decade ago, which was why he insisted on calling him “Gou Dan” without changing his tone.
So, Yan Shixun took a deep breath, adjusted his state of mind, and calmly explained the situation in the Ghost Mountain. He described how he resolved the evil spirits and dispelled the lingering resentment that caused the attack of the fierce ghost. He narrated the entire incident that allowed the crew members to escape from the Ghost Mountain’s sinister grasp in detail for the Taoists to hear.
It could be considered an academic exchange, and his experience would become a reference for the Haiyun Temple Taoists in their future endeavors of exorcism and monster hunting.
Yan Shixun accepted this well.
When they heard about the different forces entangled and balanced within the villa, a few Taoists who had previously been involved in the case of the missing university students displayed surprise.
“What? Bandits and the original mistress of the villa are two opposing forces?”
Taoist Ma exclaimed, “Mr. Yan… no, Fellow Taoist Yan, are you serious? But I’ve also been inside the Gui Mountain Villa for investigation before, and it was clean and devoid of any grievances.”
“Because the grudge of the vengeful spirit Xi Shuang was only directed at the bandits who killed her and the others inside the villa,” Yan Shixun calmly explained, “For anyone outside of the bandits, Xi Shuang has always retained a degree of gentleness and kindness. As long as they don’t fear her or attack her, they won’t be regarded as part of the bandit group, and she will provide assistance.”
“I heard from a Taoist of Haiyun Temple that many colleagues had fallen victim on Ghost Mountain before.”
Yan Shixun sneered slightly, “I’m afraid it’s because they simplified Xi Shuang into the category of ‘ghosts’ and believed that all ghosts should be exorcised. So they took action against Xi Shuang, which led her to consider them as part of the bandits, refusing to help them. This resulted in them losing Xi Shuang as a natural ally and ultimately being killed by the bandits on all sides.”
“Pardon my bluntness, but although they are both ghosts, I don’t believe that some ghosts deserve punishment.”
Yan Shixun’s voice sounded cold at this moment, like a knife made of ice as he confronted the Taoists, “A life for a life is recognized by heaven and earth, and there’s nothing more to say about it. Matters of sin, whether judged in the mortal world or in the underworld, cannot allow evildoers to escape punishment, especially when it comes to the grievances and revenge from the victims themselves.”
However, this unconventional speech left the Taoists silent, neither knowing nor wanting to refute Yan Shixun.
Indeed, given the gruesome nature of the deaths, anyone would have made the same choice.
The shamans hadn’t timely sorted out the differences in the various powers within the mansion, nor had they discerned that standing on the side of Xi Shuang, helping the vengeful ghost Xi Shuang cleanse its hatred and eliminate its obsession, would be the key to breaking the Ghost Mountain.
“As for the university student who went missing earlier this year,” Yan Shixun raised his chin toward a corner of the living room and continued, “the one who had never been found, well, he’s right there.”
The bandits, in their quest to rid themselves of Xi Shuang’s resentment, had injected the university student who had gone climbing into the flesh and blood of one of their own, taking on the identity of the student to deceive Xi Shuang’s eyes, and escaped from the Ghost Mountain.
Subsequently, they applied to become an assistant director for the show’s production team. When Zhang Wubing delegated the task of selecting a hotel to the assistant, this individual switched the locations, turning Gui Mountain to Ghost Mountain.
The young and handsome assistant director lay unconscious on a stretcher, with medical personnel standing beside him, unsure of where to begin.
One of the Taoists turned around in astonishment, then rushed over with a cry.
Meanwhile, Yan Shixun approached Zhang Wubing, a smile playing on his lips, and asked behind the camera, “How would you rate your luck? You managed to hire an assistant who had their identity taken over by an evil spirit. Xiao Bing, are you planning to continue this show?”
Zhang Wubing firmly grasped Yan Shixun’s hand and exclaimed, “Of course! Becoming a director is my dream!”
Yan Shixun shrugged, indifferent, “Sure, anyway, your request to me is to stay until the end of the first part of the program and then be eliminated. I’ll leave tomorrow, so keep up the good work.”
Zhang Wubing: !!! QAQ”
However, neither of them noticed the frantic barrage on the live screen that had caught wind of their conversation.
[Brother Yan might be eliminated at the end? No way!]
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