Chapter 44: Rainstorm Wild Temple 6
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The logistics car that was supposed to follow behind had somehow lost the convoy at some point and wasn’t trailing behind.
Behind the guest car was just an empty, pitch-black darkness.
“Brother Yan, why did we suddenly stop?” Zhang Wubing called the driver but directed his question to Yan Shixun, “We booked the stargazing glass hotel, and it’s another two hours through the mountains to get there. If we stay here overnight, there’s nowhere to sleep, right?”
“We’ve already left the coastal area, and it’s been raining for days. The mountains are soaked,” Yan Shixun asked in a calm voice, “Can you guarantee there won’t be a landslide or other accidents on the mountain road between those two peaks? It’s a one-way road, and if something happens, we’ll be trapped in it with no way to move forward or retreat.”
Over there, Zhang Wubing shrank back and didn’t dare to answer.
When Yan Shixun brought up this issue, he suddenly realized that he had indeed overlooked something and hadn’t considered it carefully enough.
However…
“Brother Yan, is your phone dead or turned off?” Zhang Wubing asked with a mix of curiosity and to divert Yan Shixun’s attention, trying to shift the topic. “I just called you, but your phone was off. So, I had to call the driver to reach you.”
Afraid of being questioned by Yan Shixun, Zhang Wubing thought for a moment and added, “Let’s follow your suggestion and find a village to stay overnight. We can continue in the morning when it’s daylight and the rain has stopped. I remember looking at the map before, and there should be a village nearby. My car has already turned around, we’ll be there soon.”
He also muttered in confusion, “Strange, I didn’t see any mention of heavy rain in the weather forecast. Could it be because we changed our route midway, and there’s no rain on one side while it’s raining on the other?”
His phone?
Yan Shixuan was not someone who would separate from his phone, someone who always had it with him. So, it was only when Zhang Wubing asked him that he remembered to reach for his phone.
But all he found was emptiness.
However, Yan Shixun didn’t have time to search for his phone right now. He asked Zhang Wubing, “You sent the new route to the logistics vehicle, right? When was the last time you received a message from the logistics vehicle?”
Zhang Wubing, looking bewildered by Yan Shixun’s questions, still obediently replied, “Yes, I sent it, but we haven’t had contact since it got dark. Why, Brother Yan?”
“The logistics car isn’t following us.”
“……”
Zhang Wubing: “??!!”
Startled, Zhang Wubing quickly turned the director’s vehicle around.
While waiting for Zhang Wubing, Yan Shixun didn’t allow the guests to move around freely and leave the vehicle. The female actress who had initially said the car was stuffy and wanted to get out for some fresh air was now intimidated by Yan Shixun’s sharp gaze and retreated without saying another word.
Raindrops hammered the car roof like stones, and the noise was so loud that it felt as if it might create a hole in the metal roof.
The interior lights, instead of providing a cozy atmosphere, now seemed like a beacon attracting monsters. In the vast darkness of the mountains, they could easily become targets, ready to be devoured by some lurking menace.
The guests inside the car fell silent and waited nervously.
Bai Shuang, sitting by the window, instinctively moved away from the darkness outside. Her heart pounded, and the wind chilled her hands and feet. She clutched her coat tightly, seeking some sense of security.
As if outside, there were unseen dangers and monsters closing in.
Even the viewers waiting for the live broadcast were infected by the spreading sense of oppression and silence, becoming increasingly anxious.
[The rain is really heavy. At first, I thought it was interference from the live equipment or the engine noise when the car started. I was complaining that Yan Shixun made a hasty decision and stopped the car without considering everyone’s safety. But now that the car has stopped, and no one is talking, I realize that the rain is indeed very heavy. Stopping the car before crossing the mountain, Yan Shixun’s decision was indeed correct.]
[Lately, there have been heavy rains in the summer. Yan Shixun is right. The rain has loosened the soil on the mountain. If there’s a chance of landslides or falling rocks, it’s not a joke. Look at this, there are no streetlights, and the driver’s visibility is poor. It’s very easy to have an accident.]
[I’m a bit worried about the car that got lost. Did it take the wrong route? Or did something happen?]
[I have a fear of open fields. I’m especially afraid of these open spaces, and this scene is almost making me cry.]
[On a rainy night like this, it doesn’t feel safe at all, especially if we’re going to Wild Wolf Peak. The name itself sounds like there might be wolves. In the past, names were given based on characteristics, and maybe it’s called Wild Wolf Peak because there used to be wolves.]
[My grandma used to live in front of Wild Wolf Peak. I used to go there a lot when I was a kid. As the previous comment mentioned, it was originally named after wolves, but my grandma moved from Wild Wolf Peak to the city about twenty years ago, and I haven’t heard about wolves there since.”
“I’ve been to Wild Wolf Peak for star photography, but it seems quite deserted there. Our entire photography team stayed there for several days and didn’t see a single person. There’s also a mountain temple called ‘Mountain God Temple,’ which has been abandoned for a long time. It’s covered in spiderwebs, and the head of the mountain god statue is missing. Instead, it’s occupied by a nest of small animals. Clearly, nobody has been taking care of it.”
[No way? I went there with my family over a decade ago, and there were many villages around.]
[You said it’s been over a decade ago. Wild Wolf Peak had an incident, and then…]
The rain intensified, making the guests increasingly uneasy as they sat in the car. Even the most difficult-to-please female actress had closed her mouth. Their silence wasn’t just driven by the instinct to stay quiet to avoid attracting predators, but also because Yan Shixun had completely hardened his expression. He stood at the car door in silence, emitting a dangerous and fierce aura that silently spread throughout the car, lowering the air pressure inside.
Suddenly, a blurred and flickering light emerged from the rain curtain, bouncing along as it approached the guest vehicle from the front.
Judging by its outline, it should be the director’s car that was originally scouting ahead.
“Brother Yan!”
Wearing a one-piece raincoat, Zhang Wubing was blown by the wind, causing the entire raincoat to puff up, making him look like a spinning top. When dim headlights shone on him, it cast a strange and unrecognizable shadow on the ground, resembling a predatory animal rather than a human.
The heavy rain falling on the ground created a cacophony of sounds that masked many noises, making them indistinct and hard to discern.
Zhang Wubing casually wiped the rain off his face and hurriedly ran to check the situation with the logistics vehicle at the rear. However, there was no light anywhere behind, even when he raised his gaze, he couldn’t see anything.
During a rainy night drive in an open field, vehicles should have their headlights on for illumination. However, behind them, there was nothing but pitch darkness.
The logistics vehicle had indeed not followed them.
Zhang Wubing was on the verge of tears. The icy raindrops fell onto his neck, making him shiver. He hesitantly turned on a flashlight and scanned the area behind the car. Then, he rushed back as if slowing down even a bit would allow the ghosts and monsters to catch him.
“Brother Yan! Open the door and let me in. It’s pouring outside,” Zhang Wubing pounded on the guest vehicle’s door.
However, for some reason, when Zhang Wubing looked up at the car window, he felt that Yan Shixun’s face, as seen through the window, appeared stiff and pale, with lips redder than usual.
“Squeak, creak…”
The car door opened.
A rush of cold air blew from the car, causing Zhang Wubing, who was already wet from the rain, to shiver.
“Come up.” The person above was smiling, but the smile looked stiff and eerie.
The passengers inside the car also sat stiffly, like paper-cut figures, all turning their heads in unison when they heard the sound. Their dark eyes, like glass beads, were all fixed on Zhang Wubing.
Their mouths were unnaturally red, and their smiles looked like holes poked in paper as they tried to form smiles.
They heard the sound and collectively turned their heads, their dark, glass-like eyeballs all focused on Zhang Wubing.
Zhang Wubing couldn’t help but wonder, “Is the air conditioning in the car too high?”
……
The driver’s phone rang.
“Brother, Yan.”
Perhaps due to the heavy rain interfering with the signal, Zhang Wubing’s voice coming from the phone sounded hollow and distorted, accompanied by crackling noise.
“I’ve already contacted the logistics car. They just lost the signal and took the wrong road. The road conditions are not good right now, so they’re waiting in place. We’ll meet up tomorrow. Over here, the rain is too heavy, and the road is too narrow to turn back, so we’ll stay in a nearby village for now. We’ll meet up tomorrow.”
Yan Shixun also understood that although Zhang Wubing was timid and cautious, it was precisely because of this that he paid extra attention to safety issues. After realizing the danger of driving on a rainy night, it was understandable that Zhang Wubing chose to stay in a nearby place and wait for daylight before continuing the journey.
So, after inquiring about the situation on Zhang Wubing’s end, Yan Shixun nodded and agreed.
“Tonight, let’s temporarily stay in a nearby village. We can’t risk driving through the night with such dangers and heavy rain,” Yan Shixun turned around and addressed the waiting guests. “It’s better to wait for the rain to stop.”
At this moment, the vehicle that had initially been mistaken for the director’s car also approached from the opposite direction. Despite the rain curtain, it was apparent that it was a common small minivan seen in villages.
Seeing the guest vehicle parked by the roadside, the minivan also came to a halt, and two men got out, jogging over.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
They rapped on the car door and shouted loudly, “Is your car broken down? Do you need help?”
The female actress inside the car screamed in fear, shrinking back.
On a rainy night, when strangers knock on your car door, you can’t be sure if they’re friendly or not, making it unsettling.
The two men, upon realizing that their approach was making people nervous, seemed embarrassed. “Don’t worry! We’re not here to rob you! We’re from the nearby village. We saw your car stopped by the roadside, and we thought it might be broken down, so we wanted to see if you needed any help. After all, on rainy days, if we see other cars having difficulties on the road, we’d help out with what we can. We might not be good at other things, but we’re used to heavy labor and can help with car repairs.”
The car door cracked open slightly. Without waiting for the two men to react, Yan Shixun’s lean and fit figure quickly emerged from the car and then the door immediately closed behind him.
Yan Shixun unfurled a black umbrella in his hand, calmly fixing an inquisitive gaze on the two men, making them feel uncomfortable.
After a moment, he put on a perfunctory smile and asked, “Can you tell me if there are any rural inns or homestays nearby? Or if you know of any households in the village with extra rooms. The rain is too heavy, and we need a place to stay for the night.”
The two men exchanged a glance, scratched their heads, and thought for a moment before tentatively saying, “Actually, we also got caught in the heavy rain and couldn’t return to the village. We planned to stay nearby. If you don’t mind, would you like to join us?”
One of them pointed to a nearby side road and continued, “There’s a mountain temple over there, and a Taoist lives there year-round. It’s well-maintained, and there are rooms for travelers to rest. We were planning to stay there for the night. If you’re okay with it, you can come with us. Otherwise, the nearest village is more than an hour away, and with this heavy rain and slow driving, it might take even longer.”
A temple with a dedicated caretaker sounded like a safe option.
The Mountain God, as a benevolent deity, oversees the mountains, rivers, and large bodies of water in the region, as well as the people, animals, plants, and fertile lands in the nearby forests. The Mountain God blesses and protects all living beings and wards off evil spirits, safeguarding the well-being of the local inhabitants.
Since it was a Mountain God Temple, there shouldn’t be any issues.
After a brief consideration, Yan Shixun nodded and replied with a softer tone, “Then, please lead the way.”
The two men agreed readily, and the guest vehicle followed their small van. In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the Mountain God Temple mentioned by the two men.
Seeing the warm yellow light emanating from the temple from a distance, the tense guests, who had been on edge, breathed a sigh of relief. The weariness of their bodies and limbs, held tight by tension, began to spread after they relaxed their nerves, making them feel limp and exhausted as if they had just run a marathon.
All they wanted now was to freshen up, change into clean clothes, and then crawl into bed for a good night’s sleep. The guests were eager to get out of the car and into the temple.
The sound of the car stopping in front of the gate seemed to have alerted the people inside the Mountain God Temple.
A row of lights illuminated, making the already warmly lit temple appear exceptionally bright, giving a sense of peace in the rainy night.
A middle-aged man wearing tattered Taoist robes hunched his body and walked out, opening the large gate of the Mountain God Temple.
“Master, the rain is too heavy, and we’ve come to stay for the night.”
The two men first parked their cars and hurried to take shelter from the rain under the eaves of the temple.
They also pointed to the arriving guests, who were getting out of their cars one by one and said to the middle-aged man, “These are the ones we met on the road, and they also came to stay. Master, do you have enough rooms?”
Yan Shixun, who was the first to get out of the car, carefully examined the middle-aged man when the man looked over, his gaze devoid of any emotions, sweeping from head to foot.
Usually, those who practice Taoism appear younger and more spirited due to their harmonious connection with nature.
However, the middle-aged man was quite the opposite. He not only hunched like an old tree but also had wrinkles on his face, resembling the bark of a tree.
His hair was not neatly combed like other Taoists that Yan Shixun had seen before, with the common Tai Ji temples or Haiyun temples. Instead, it was in a messy style that Yan Shixun had never seen before.
Contrasting with his less-than-impressive appearance, the middle-aged man gave a hearty reply, “Don’t worry, we’ve got enough space. Everyone, come on in. I just boiled some water. You can take a hot bath to warm up.”
The two men laughed and went inside. The female actress and the other guests didn’t think much and hurriedly followed suit. The female guest, who was concerned about her makeup getting ruined by the rain, didn’t even spare a glance at the middle-aged man. She just asked for directions to the rooms and rushed off.
Only An Nanyuan, Bai Shuang, and the others stood in place, watching Yan Shixun, waiting for him to speak.
The last one to get out of the car was the assistant director.
The tall man stood next to the car, blending into the shadow cast by the vehicle. Even at night, his duckbill cap was pulled down low, and he silently observed Yan Shixun without leaving any traces.
“What’s the matter?” The middle-aged man, seeing that the group had been silent for a while, smiled and said, “Don’t worry, our Mountain God Temple has decent accommodations. I assume you all are from the city, right? During our annual temple fair, many people stay here, and we have quite a few offerings. So the rooms are well-maintained, at least well enough for you to spend a night comfortably.”
“Otherwise, there are no hotels in the village, and apart from this place, you won’t find anywhere else to stay.”
The middle-aged man spoke openly and cheerfully, appearing entirely ordinary.
As the rain continued to pour and seemed to be heading towards a downpour, the umbrellas held by everyone were becoming ineffective, and rainwater was soaking them down to their shoulders.
The rain curtain severed all connections with the outside world and made the road hazy and indistinct, as if the Mountain God Temple was an independent little world, cut off from the rest of space.
Yan Shixun observed for a while, then withdrew his gaze from the entire Mountain God Temple and nodded in acknowledgment to the middle-aged man. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
As Yan Shixun took a step forward, An Nanyuan and the others followed him inside.
The driver had initially intended to stay in the car and keep an eye on it, but the middle-aged man invited him inside with a smile, suggesting that it would be more comfortable to take a hot bath and rest under a blanket on this rainy day, as catching a cold wouldn’t do him any good.
Initially hesitant to accept, the driver wavered for a moment but couldn’t resist the lazy feeling that welled up inside him. He smiled and agreed, planning to take a hot shower before returning to the car.
Only the assistant director, as he was about to cross the threshold of the Mountain God Temple, suddenly halted in his tracks. His long legs froze momentarily.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at the couplet affixed to the door outside, his gaze cold and devoid of emotion.
The red paper of the couplet had faded and become heavily damaged, but one could still faintly discern a few remaining characters.
….. -appear Ghost disappear….
It was a common couplet. The whole sentence should have been ‘God appears and ghosts disappear to prevent disasters’.
It was missing “God.”
There was no prevention of disasters.
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