Chapter 140: Three-colored Smoke
Xuan Xia looked up at the distant mountain peaks. Originally, the sky was blue and the peaks verdant, a heart-soothing beautiful scene, but now she only felt that the blue sky was too oppressive, with a sense of pressing down from above.
Retracting her line of sight, Xuan Xia scanned the surroundings again. Except for those few wearing raincoats at the entrance, and Ren Tongjin, there was no one else around.
Xuan Xia asked Ren Tongjin: “How many people have gone into the mountain to search now?”
Ren Tongjin looked at Xuan Xia and was silent for a few seconds before answering: “I brought eight people, four of whom have gone deep into the mountain. The other four are watching on the periphery.”
The four he mentioned were probably those wearing raincoats.
Xuan Xia frowned upon hearing this, “Just four people?”
Such a big mountain, just four people searching? How long would it take to find them?
Ren Tongjin clearly choked, his eyes flickering as if he didn’t know how to answer her.
It was Yuan Zhongshu who explained to Xuan Xia: “Among those four, there is one who specializes in the Tracking Technique.”
“Oh.” Tracking Technique? There’s such a technique?
Ren Tongjin saw Yuan Zhongshu explaining without any avoidance, and looked at Xuan Xia who now showed some difference.
It seemed Yuan Zhongshu trusted her a lot.
Xuan Xia didn’t pay attention to Ren Tongjin’s gaze and soon remembered, “Wasn’t it said that this mountain was handed over to the Cui Family for safekeeping? Where are the Cui Family members? Have they gone into the mountain to help?”
Ren Tongjin’s brow twitched, and he looked incredulously at the two in front of him. They had even said these things?
Before anyone could answer Xuan Xia’s question, the mentioned Cui Family Member arrived belatedly.
An old man led a team of people hurrying over, calling out: “Master Yuan.”
Yuan Zhongshu saw who had come, and his words carried hidden dissatisfaction: “Butler Cui Jue, why is it you?”
He had hoped the one appearing here would be the Cui Family’s old master, not the Cui Family’s butler.
Although this Cui Jue held a high position in the Cui Family, with authority second only to the Cui Family head, Cui Jue was not the old master after all, and his abilities were not as good as the old master’s.
Cui Jue’s old face was full of urgency. He had just stopped when he began to complain, “The old master took Young Master Cheng Lou to the northwest, saying it was to dispel a major fiend. He’s only been gone two days.”
“It was my negligence. I didn’t expect Young Master Cheng Zhi to get angry because the old master didn’t take him, and sneak into this mountain, even implicating Young Master Ren and little Young Master Qu. It is I, Cui Jue, who has let down both families.”
Cui Jue took all the responsibility onto himself. Even though Yuan Zhongshu was still dissatisfied, he couldn’t vent it at Cui Jue.
Besides, the Ren Family had only sent Ren Tongjin; his father hadn’t come either.
Xuan Xia on the side had figured out the situation. So it turned out that the Cui Family’s brat got into a tiff with the elders, so he brought his little friends into the mountain to try to resolve the Mountain Mirage Fiend and show off in front of the elders?
If that was really the case, that brat had better die in the Mirage Fiend and not come out.
But no matter how Xuan Xia thought, she couldn’t use the current explanation to override her previous thoughts.
Yuan Zhongshu was disappointed that the Cui Family’s old master hadn’t come, and turned to look at the mountain entrance path.
“No, I still have to go into the mountain myself.”
“Uncle Yuan, don’t rush.” Ren Tongjin quickly stopped him, “Wait for news from my people first.”
Cui Jue also hurriedly said: “Master Yuan, please stay. Leave the search to us.”
Then he directed the Cui Family Members he had brought.
Cui Jue had just finished the arrangement and was sending people off when a puff of green smoke suddenly rose from the mountain.
Ren Tongjin said: “My people have news.”
Before setting off, Ren Tongjin had made an agreement with the people he brought: red smoke means danger, green smoke means safe arrival.
Now green smoke had risen, and Ren Tongjin breathed a sigh of relief.
“Found them?” Yuan Zhongshu asked.
Ren Tongjin was just about to nod when he saw another puff of yellow smoke rising.
Yuan Zhongshu was stunned and asked Ren Tongjin: “What does this mean?”
Just after asking, another puff of red smoke followed closely.
Ren Tongjin: “…”
Three smokes burning together meant they had confirmed that Ren Tongli and the others had entered the Mountain Mirage Fiend.
“What does this exactly mean?”
Ren Tongjin was silent for a moment, then said: “I’ll go in and check.”
Xuan Xia, who had been silent, followed: “I’ll go too.”
All lines of sight focused on her, and she said to Yuan Zhongshu: “Uncle Yuan, you stay outside. I’ll go in.”
“How can that be.” Yuan Zhongshu’s brow furrowed, and he immediately refused.
Everyone knew the situation in the mountain. If something happened to Xuan Xia inside, Yuan Zhongshu knew he couldn’t account for it on either side.
He couldn’t account to the living, and even less so to those under the springs.
But Xuan Xia had already made up her mind and insisted on going. Just as she finished speaking, her mobile phone rang. She took it out with one hand, unlocked it, and looked. Immediately, she pursed her lips and fell silent.
『Daoist Master Qin: The mountain might not be the Mountain Mirage Fiend.』
Everyone present said it was the Mountain Mirage Fiend, but Daoist Master Qin said it wasn’t.
But no matter what others said, Xuan Xia’s first instinct was to believe Daoist Master Qin.
Even though Daoist Master Qin used the word “might,” Xuan Xia’s heart settled a lot.
She didn’t have time to ask him in detail why he suddenly had this judgment, and simply sent a “Okay” to indicate she understood.
Yuan Zhongshu still didn’t want Xuan Xia to enter the mountain and take risks. Cui Jue on the side didn’t know what relationship Xuan Xia had with Yuan Zhongshu and just assumed she was some junior Yuan Zhongshu had brought, so he casually advised Yuan Zhongshu: “Master Yuan, how about I keep you company outside and wait? Let them go in together; it should be fine.”
Cui Jue handed the people he brought to Ren Tongjin, letting Ren Tongjin take them into the mountain together.
Ren Tongjin wasn’t too happy about bringing Xuan Xia, but not bringing her meant bringing Yuan Zhongshu, so he could only choose one and chose to bring Xuan Xia.
Ren Tongjin took a raincoat from his subordinates and gave it to Xuan Xia, instructing: “Follow the team. If you can’t walk, tell me.”
Xuan Xia glanced at him and readily agreed: “Okay.”
Without much talk, while the three smokes hadn’t dispersed, the group set off immediately, heading in the direction where the three-colored smokes had risen.
The path in the mountain couldn’t even be called a path, and with it being slippery, even Ren Tongjin didn’t walk smoothly.
During this time, he occasionally checked Xuan Xia’s situation. He had thought she would fall behind early due to the difficult path, but unexpectedly, she followed closely behind him without a word.
Ren Tongjin had seen tough girls before, but he was still quite surprised.
The biggest reason was probably his first impression of her.
The her he saw last time very much matched this face of hers.
Three-colored smoke rose again in the mountain. Ren Tongjin stopped his thoughts and quickened his pace.
He didn’t know how long they had walked, but they finally met up with the people who had entered the mountain first.
The person who was about to release another signal smoke saw Ren Tongjin appear and quickly stopped, “Young Master Jin.”
Ren Tongjin walked over and asked the few people: “Where?”
That person quickly pointed in a direction.
Then emphasized, “Young Master Jin, only ten meters forward. Can’t go any further.”
Xuan Xia looked in the direction that person pointed, and faintly saw a few figures from afar, one of which indeed looked like Qu Xingxuan.
