144. Overnight in the Mountain Cave (First Watch—Please Subscribe)

After nearly nine hours of travel, including a train change in Changsha, the group arrived at Phoenix Ancient Town. Dawn had yet to break, yet the high-speed train had been packed with passengers.

Fortunately, Qian Qingping and the others had booked a hotel in advance, and for five days at that—long enough for them to stay until October 6, when they would return to the capital.

After checking in, everyone went to sleep and did not wake until noon. By then, Chen Fengyun and Ma Dindang had already left. The two of them had slept for only an hour or two, but that had been enough to restore their energy.

They found a taxi and took it to a small town deep in the mountains. Since the area was not a tourist destination, few visitors came there. Only groups of outdoor enthusiasts occasionally ventured in search of scenic spots.

“Boss, we’d like to hire a guide who knows the mountains well. Do you know anyone suitable?” By the time they reached the town, it was already noon. The two stopped at a small restaurant to eat and asked the owner for information.

“Where are you two planning to go?” the owner asked.

“The place we want to visit isn’t far from the famous Death Valley. Does anyone around here know the way?” Chen Fengyun asked, watching the owner closely.

Sure enough, the owner’s expression changed the moment he heard the words “Death Valley.” After a pause, he said, “Gentlemen, I strongly advise you not to go to Death Valley. You shouldn’t go anywhere near it, either.”

“Why not, Boss?” Ma Dindang asked. “We’ve heard about the strange things that happen in Death Valley, but the place we’re going is still quite a distance away. Surely that doesn’t mean we can’t go there at all?”

“Well, in recent years, people have often gone near Death Valley looking for treasure, and many of them have disappeared. The government has now warned everyone to stay away from the area, in case something happens.”

“Thank you for the concern, Boss. We certainly aren’t planning to throw our lives away in Death Valley. We only want to find a certain plant for research. We’ve heard it grows only in this region. Could you point us in the right direction?”

Seeing that the owner was determined to dissuade them from going anywhere near Death Valley, Chen Fengyun changed his approach.

After eating, the two began walking into the mountains. Since they now knew the general direction of Death Valley, they believed that, given enough time, they would eventually find it.

At first, they traveled at an ordinary pace. But once they had left the town and moved beyond the sight of other people, they began to accelerate. They did not fly through the air, but each step carried them more than thirty feet, allowing them to cross hills and ridges with ease.

Chen Fengyun could also draw upon the energy of the earth’s veins to increase his speed. He slowed down only because he had to accommodate Ma Dindang’s pace, making the two of them look almost as though they were traveling together for pleasure.

By nightfall, they had ventured more than a hundred kilometers into the mountains, yet they still had not found Death Valley. With no choice, they located a cave and decided to spend the night there. The cave was rather damp, and snakes, insects, and bats lurked within.

With a little effort, however, Chen Fengyun drove all the creatures away. He then found a flat spot inside the cave and took a tent from his miniature pocket dimension.

“Oh my, you even carry a tent with you. You really came prepared for a vacation,” Ma Dindang said with a giggle, covering her mouth.

“And I have something even more astonishing for you.”

Chen Fengyun smiled faintly. After pitching the tent, he took out a mattress, quilts, and other bedding. Then he brought out a small stove, a hot pot, assorted seasonings, a supply of giant crocodile meat, and various other ingredients.

Ma Dindang stared at him, completely dumbfounded. She knew that cultivators possessed many extraordinary abilities, and she had guessed that Chen Fengyun carried some kind of storage treasure. Still, she had never imagined that it could hold so many things.

She immediately came over to help. Before long, they had prepared a small hot pot, and the two of them ate until their mouths glistened with grease. The surroundings were somewhat crude, but their spirits were exceptionally good.

“You sleep in the tent tonight. I’ll meditate outside for a while,” Chen Fengyun said after they had finished eating and cleaned everything up.

“Don’t do that. It’s very cold out in the wilderness. Even though you’re a cultivator, you could still catch a chill. The tent is large enough for two or three people, so come inside. Just don’t get any improper ideas.”

Ma Dindang said it jokingly. Chen Fengyun knew she was straightforward by nature, so he smiled and replied, “I certainly don’t have any improper ideas. I’m worried that you might.”

“You’re a grown man, and you’re afraid I’ll get improper ideas? What, do you think I’m going to eat you?” Ma Dindang burst out laughing.

“You never know. We’re deep in the wilderness. What if you’re actually a fox spirit who transformed into human form and came specifically to seduce an innocent young man like me?”

Chen Fengyun pretended to be frightened.

After their bout of teasing, the awkwardness between them eased. They both entered the tent. Ma Dindang jumped onto the bed, while Chen Fengyun spread a cooling mat beside it and sat down to meditate. Yet both their faces were faintly flushed.

Ma Dindang was indeed cheerful, forthright, and open-minded, but she had never spent time alone with a man like this before. Chen Fengyun was no different; when it came to matters of the heart, he was still a blank sheet of paper. With a man and a woman sharing a tent deep in the mountains, it was inevitable that their thoughts would begin to wander.

In particular, Ma Dindang occasionally stole glances at Chen Fengyun, her eyes flowing like limpid autumn water. Chen Fengyun hardly dared look at her for long.

As a result, neither of them slept much. Chen Fengyun could not enter a meditative state either, and eventually the two simply began chatting. They talked about all sorts of things, recounting their experiences from every corner of their lives, and gradually relaxed.

In the latter half of the night, Ma Dindang fell into a deep sleep. Though her strength was considerable, she was still made of flesh and blood and needed sleep to replenish her physical and mental energy. Chen Fengyun, meanwhile, easily entered meditation and sank into cultivation.

At daybreak, Chen Fengyun awoke and discovered that Ma Dindang was a restless sleeper. She had kicked the quilt aside and curled up on her side, her exquisite figure radiating an irresistible allure. He quickly averted his gaze and quietly left the tent to scout the surrounding area.

“You’re already awake? Did you sleep well last night?” Before long, Ma Dindang also emerged from the tent. She came to his side and asked with a blush.

“I only need two or three hours of cultivation to replenish all my physical strength and restore my mental energy, so I don’t really need sleep. What about you? Did you rest well?”

“Yes. Thank you for giving me the bed. I slept wonderfully.”

Ma Dindang smiled sweetly. Secretly, she thought, The quilt smelled like you. Sleeping while hugging it felt so comforting.

“Then let’s make some breakfast. We still need to continue searching the area, and Death Valley shouldn’t be far away now.”

Afterward, they ate breakfast. Chen Fengyun packed everything away, and the two left the warm little cave behind.

They searched the surrounding area for several hours. Then Chen Fengyun suddenly sensed a violent disturbance in the energy of the earth’s veins far ahead. He immediately employed his vein-seeking vision technique to examine the distance and saw a great mass of black mist rising from the summit of a distant mountain, forming the sinister image of a skull.