Travel through the heavens

Chapter 311 Wild Mountains, Dilapidated Temples, Strange Paintings

The next morning, the sun rose.

At the gate of the General's Mansion, two sleek and agile horses were ready, their saddles and harnesses neatly arranged, and their bags on both sides were fully loaded and properly packed, clearly indicating that they had been carefully prepared.

After finishing breakfast, Fang Muye, Gu Yueqing, and Ning Caichen arrived at the gate of the mansion together.

In the morning light, Gu Yueqing, dressed in a red robe and with her black hair tied up high, stood before the steps. Although her face was rosy, she could not hide the weariness between her brows.

With their separation imminent, Gu Yueqing and Fang Muye indulged in unbridled pleasure last night. Even with her martial arts cultivation at the early stage of the "Divine Intent Realm," she still felt quite overwhelmed.

She looked at Fang Muye, her eyes filled with tenderness and reluctance, and whispered, "My husband and Caichen, take care on your journey."

"Don't worry, my lady, we will be careful. Take good care of yourself at home and wait for me to come back." Fang Muye looked radiant and smiled gently at her. He then took the reins from the guard waiting beside him, nimbly mounted his horse, and said to Ning Caichen, "Caichen, let's go."

Ning Caichen hurriedly bowed deeply to Gu Yueqing: "Thank you for your hospitality, sister-in-law. I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he awkwardly climbed onto the horse's back.

With the sound of hooves, the two men and two horses left the General's Mansion, watched by Gu Yueqing and the crowd in front of the mansion. They passed through the gradually awakening streets and alleys of Anping City, exited the North Gate, and rode away.

For the first few days, we traveled along the official roads, with post stations or villages every few dozen miles. Although they were not prosperous, they were still bustling with people.

The two traveled by day and rested by night, and their journey was uneventful, without encountering any major setbacks.

Ning Caichen was traveling far from home for the first time, accompanied by his second brother. He found the landscape, customs, and local conditions of this place, so different from those of Qinghua County, quite novel. He often couldn't help but point out and discuss these things with Fang Muye, who was riding alongside him, and he was in high spirits.

Fang Muye was also a newcomer to this vast world. He smiled and responded to Ning Caichen, talking about the local customs and sights. At the same time, he quietly used his divine sense to carefully perceive the atmosphere of the world around him.

Compared to the bustling area of ​​Anping City, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this wilderness is indeed much more mixed.

In the depths of the mountains and wilderness, in the dense forests and secluded valleys, one can occasionally sense wisps of yin energy lurking within. This is mostly naturally accumulated yin energy and poses no harm to travelers.

They traveled for more than four days, and on the afternoon of the fifth day, as they were walking on a road between two mountains, the sky suddenly changed color.

The once clear sky was suddenly filled with layers of dark clouds that appeared out of nowhere. They moved swiftly, like ink splashed across the sky, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had covered the sky and the sun.

A strong wind then rose up, howling across the mountain road, causing the trees along the roadside to sway wildly, and scattering dead leaves and dust everywhere, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

In the distance, amidst the heavy, dark clouds, rumbling thunder could be heard, poised to strike.

"Second Brother, judging from this trend, it looks like a downpour is coming." Ning Caichen reined in his horse, looked up at the sky, and his handsome face was filled with worry. "We're in the middle of nowhere, in this desolate wilderness. What should we do?"

Fang Muye also looked up and saw that the clouds were thick and full of moisture, which was indeed a sign that a torrential rain was coming.

He looked around and saw a corner of flying eaves and brackets peeking out from a hillside a dozen miles away, hidden among the lush trees, which looked like the roof of a temple.

“There seems to be a temple on that hillside.” Fang Muye pointed in that direction. “If we ride fast, we might be able to get there before the rain starts.”

After saying this, he flicked the reins, gave a soft shout, and urged his horse to gallop forward along the mountain road.

Seeing this, Ning Caichen quickly urged his mount to follow closely.

The two riders accelerated, speeding along the slightly rugged mountain road amidst the increasingly fierce winds.

After walking only seven or eight miles, large raindrops began to pelt down. At first, they were sparse, but after just a few breaths, they formed a curtain of rain and poured down.

In an instant, a white mist filled the air, and the mountain path became muddy and slippery.

However, although the torrential rain covered the sky and earth, it did not wet Fang Muye and Ning Caichen at all.

The rainwater slid away abruptly when it came within a foot of the two people, as if an invisible barrier had blocked it out.

Their robes remained dry, and their mounts were not wet, making them seem out of place in the torrential rain.

Ning Caichen was initially focused on traveling and dealing with the bad weather, and did not notice anything unusual until he had traveled a while longer before he suddenly realized what was happening.

He looked down at his sleeves and the horse beneath him, finding them completely dry. He looked around in astonishment and saw a curtain of rain falling like a waterfall, yet a strange, rainless space remained around him.

This phenomenon, which was far beyond common sense, made his scalp tingle instantly, his eyes widened, and in his horror, he was so startled that he almost fell off his horse.

However, just as he swayed and before he actually fell, he felt a gentle yet irresistible invisible force lift him up and firmly hold him in place on the saddle.

"Second...Second Brother! There's...there's a ghost!" Ning Caichen's voice trembled as he cried out in alarm. His face turned deathly pale instantly. He looked in panic at Fang Muye in front of him and then realized that his second brother, just like him, had not been wet by the rain at all.

Fang Muyi had already slowed his horse down. He turned to Ning Caichen and said gently, "Caichen, don't panic. There are no ghosts. I used some tricks to keep us dry. Just ride your horse carefully and don't lose your composure. Let's hurry to the temple ahead to take shelter from the rain."

Upon hearing this, Ning Caichen breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. However, an even greater doubt arose in his mind immediately afterward.

He grew up and studied with his second brother since childhood. His second brother was clearly a weak scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken. When did he learn such godlike skills?

Ning Caichen was filled with doubts, but he knew that now was not the time to think too much. He immediately calmed himself down, tried his best to control the horse, and continued to follow Fang Muye.

The two continued on for another three or four miles in the rain. The mountain path became increasingly muddy and difficult to traverse, and the horses ran much slower. Wherever their hooves trod, water and mud splashed everywhere.

Finally, Fang Muye reined in his horse and pointed, "We've arrived!"

Sure enough, there was a temple on the hillside to the left, but most of the walls had collapsed, and it had obviously been abandoned for a long time. A winding mountain path paved with bluestone went up, but it had long been overgrown with weeds.

The two dismounted, took the reins, and slowly made their way up the slippery, broken stone steps.

Upon arriving at the temple gate, one finds that the two large doors have long since disappeared, leaving only an empty doorway.

Above the lintel, a wooden plaque hangs askew, its paint peeling away and the characters blurred by wind and rain, but the words "Fuyun Temple" are still faintly discernible.

Upon entering the temple, one is greeted by dilapidated walls and ruins, overgrown with weeds.

Most of the side halls and wing rooms had open roofs and crumbling walls. Only the main hall was relatively intact. Although the vermilion paint had peeled off and the window frames were broken, at least the main beam was not broken and the roof tiles were still intact. In this rainy weather, it was still a place that could shelter from the wind and rain.

The interior of the hall was also dilapidated, covered with cobwebs and dust. The golden body of the Buddha statue in the center had long since peeled off, revealing the clay body inside. The solemn appearance was no longer there, but instead showed a bit of desolation.

The two men led their horses into the main hall, found a dry corner, and tied the reins to a pillar.

Outside the palace, the rain poured down like a waterfall, showing no sign of stopping, occasionally interspersed with rumbling thunder, and the sky was dark as if dusk was about to fall.

Seeing that Ning Caichen had not been wet by the rain, but had been traveling anxiously and was also chilled by the wind and rain in the mountains, his lips were pale and his body was shivering slightly, Fang Muye found some dry wood and grass in the hall and lit them with a tinderbox to start a bonfire.

The orange flames leaped up and crackled, instantly dispelling some of the surrounding cold and damp atmosphere.

"Caichen, come and warm yourself by the fire, don't catch a cold," Fang Muye said gently.

"Okay, second brother."

Ning Caichen readily agreed, but first went to the horse, took out the dry rations wrapped in oil paper from his bag, and then took the water bag before walking to the fire: "Second brother, have something to eat."

Fang Muye took a flatbread from Ning Caichen, and the two of them ate it silently, enjoying the warmth of the campfire.

Ning Caichen munched on a pancake, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the cascading rain outside the hall. He said worriedly, "Second Brother, this rain is so heavy and torrential; it's unlikely to stop anytime soon. Tonight... we'll probably have to spend the night in this desolate mountain temple."

He paused, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of trepidation, "This temple is so abandoned, and it's in the mountains, could it be... could there be something unclean about it?"

Although he had studied the classics since childhood and believed that Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits, he had heard many stories of demons and ghosts in the past few days, which had planted seeds of doubt in his heart. Now, in this desolate and dilapidated ancient temple, with a raging storm outside and the world dark and gloomy, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Before entering the temple, Fang Muye had already used his divine sense to explore the inside and outside.

Although this place is desolate and dilapidated, and the yin energy is slightly heavier than that of the outside world, it is only because it has been uninhabited for a long time, and there is no evil spirit or ghost energy here.

He smiled slightly and comforted her, "Don't worry, Caichen, although this place is dilapidated and desolate, there is no evil spirit here. Just rest peacefully."

Fang Muye spoke calmly, yet his words possessed a convincing power.

Ning Caichen felt somewhat relieved and soon regained his youthful spirit. By the flickering light of the campfire, he curiously looked around the ancient hall. When his gaze swept over the innermost part of the hall and he discovered that there was a side room, his eyes couldn't help but show a hint of inquiry.

He immediately stuffed the few remaining pieces of bread into his mouth, stood up, patted the crumbs off his hands, and walked toward the side room.

Fang Muye was preoccupied with his own thoughts and didn't pay any attention to him. But a moment later, Ning Caichen's voice suddenly came from the side room.

"Second brother, come and see! There's a painting on this wall that's really strange."