Wei Yunhe and the others were already standing near the entrance gate when Yu Lingyu arrived. The ones who had no weapons earlier now had one, most likely given by their kind Da Shixiong. Everyone wore the official uniform of Jun Peak. As he walked up to them, Yu Lingyu handed out talismans.
"Why is there only one demon attraction talisman?" Wei Yunhe asked, frowning.
"Oh Da Shixiong, weren't you the one who told him to give them to Wu Shixiong?" San Jie asked, sounding suspicious.
"Why would I say that?" Wei Yunhe looked confused.
"I knew that pig was lying." San Jie muttered.
Yu Lingyu didn't know how to respond. Please, San Shidi, don't be disrespectful when they aren't around. he thought to himself, holding back his sigh.
"Never mind, never mind. Let's just go," Yu Lingyu said.The entrance gate was a long flight of stone stairs stretching down between two huge towers. Around them were forested hills, and directly across from them was Chuangzhou Peak.
Wei Yunhe didn't ask anything else. Even though his lips twitched slightly when he heard that Juyao Peak was joining, he stayed silent.
"Lingyu, stay behind me when we enter the city. Don't wander off," he said softly. He always called Lingyu by name when they were alone.
The apprentices ran down the steps ahead, shouting with excitement. Lingyu and Yunhe followed closely behind.
Soon they reached the bottom of the stairs, where the road led directly to Lilan City. On both sides, two smaller lanes connected other peaks to the main road. A little ahead, there was a horse-rental stall, and Wei Yunhe had clearly gotten horses from there.
"But Da Shixiong, why are there only eight horses?" one disciple asked.
Wei Yunhe turned around while untying the reins. "That's all they had. You'll have to share, two people per horse," he said.
The disciples began to pair up. Surprisingly, Luo Cheng agreed to ride with Duan Xia.
"Why should I go with him?" Shen Ming's voice rose again, as usual.
"It's not like I want to go with you either," San Jie shouted back.
The others burst into laughter.
"Aren't they fighting like a married couple?" someone joked.
"Shut up!" Shen Ming and San Jie shouted at the same time.
Wei Yunhe wanted to share his horse with Lingyu, but in the end, it didn't seem right. He was Da Shixiong, after all. Yu Lingyu tried to switch his riding partner from Mo Dong to San Jie, but Mo Dong refused, so in the end, Shen Ming and San Jie had no choice but to ride together.
"Why are you riding?" Shen Ming complained.
"You short mushroom, can you even see the road?"
"I'll ride. Get off!" Shen Ming snapped back.
"If you're coming, then come. If not, just stay behind," San Jie snapped, his patience running thin.
Yu Lingyu, already on horseback, slapped his hand against his forehead.This was the first time he'd dealt with such troublesome juniors.
"Do I need to repeat myself?" Wei Yunhe growled from atop his black horse.
With a scowl, Shen Ming finally climbed up behind San Jie, clearly not happy about it.
The entire ride into the city, Shen Ming kept grumbling. If Wei Yunhe hadn't been there, San Jie might've already tossed him off the horse.
By the time they arrived at Lilan City, the red glow of the setting sun had cast long shadows across the streets. The narrow alleys were alive with people, and the air was filled with the smell of pork dumplings and freshly baked mooncakes wafting from open restaurant doors.
After handing the horses over to a nearby shed and paying the stablehand, Wei Yunhe returned to the group.
"Is there really a demon here?" Yu Lingyu asked. The city seemed as lively and crowded as always.
"We need to head north," Wei Yunhe said simply.
"Isn't that where the ancestral graves are?" Luo Cheng asked.
Yunhe nodded in response.
"Why didn't we come during the day instead of at night?" Shen Ming complained again.
"Stupid bull. Demons mostly come out at night," San Jie said flatly.
"Let's go," Wei Yunhe ordered, clearly done with the chatter.
They made their way through the packed streets. Food stalls lined both sides, people calling out their specialties.
Suddenly, someone called out, "Yu Shixiong!"
Yu Lingyu turned around. It was Luo Cheng, holding a small paper bag. "Mooncakes. Do you like them?" he asked with a small smile, offering the bag.
Lingyu smiled and took one. "Thank you, Shidi."
Luo Cheng followed beside him, watching happily as Lingyu took a bite.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes, it's delicious," Lingyu said, taking another piece as Luo Cheng gently nudged the bag toward him.
"I'll bring them for you every day, if you want."
Lingyu laughed. "You don't have to go that far, Luo Shidi."
"What? I said I'll make them myself. Don't you believe me, Yu Shixiong?"
"Oh, no, no! Not like that. Well… if you want to, then sure," Lingyu said, waving his hands.
"Hmph. Then share with everyone, Luo Xiong," San Jie said, grabbing the paper bag from him. He handed one to Duan Xia and popped the last one into his own mouth.
"San Xiong, don't you always fight with Shen Xiong?" Duan Xia asked nervously.
"It's not me. He's the one who starts it," San Jie replied, kicking a stone on the road and nodding.
As they continued forward, the city slowly grew quiet. The lively market faded behind them. Shops were closed, doors shut tight, and newspapers fluttered across the ground like dry leaves in the wind.
The silence was eerie. Only the occasional creak of an old wooden building or the meow of a street cat echoed in the stillness.
The once-bustling alleys were now empty and swallowed by darkness. Under the pale moonlight, the cobblestone streets seemed to glow strangely. The air grew thick with a foul odor, rotting meat.
"Ugh," San Jie grunted, covering his nose.
"Da Shixiong, are we close?" Mo Dong asked.
"Yu Shidi, do you have any repellent talismans?" Wei Yunhe turned to Lingyu.
Lingyu searched through his pouch and handed one over. Yunhe held it between two fingers and channeled his soul energy into it. For a moment, nothing happened.
"It's not a demon," Luo Cheng sighed with relief.
"Just walking corpses. Nothing to panic over," Yunhe said calmly, handing the talisman back to Lingyu.
"The graveyard is just ahead," he added, glancing at Shen Ming and San Jie. "So no unnecessary noise."
"Okay, Da Shixiong," they replied together.