Chapter Six: Ascending the Mountain

  Previously, I didn't have much respect for Gao Feng, also because his martial arts skills were mediocre. Such a team leader was not rare among the capture guards in the Zhongjing Prefecture government office, and wasn't worth respecting. But just this short moment, this young team leader covered in blood had an aura of majesty, making people's hearts tremble with fear.

  Seeing the giant wolf's corpse with its head and body separated in the courtyard, seeing Liu Yong's corpse lying on the ground, these captives were even more silent as cicadas, trembling with fear, helping to sweep and move the corpses, cleaning up the mansion. When they discovered the original owner of this mansion was also dead, it seemed like a minor detail.

  The body was transported back to the Zhongjing Prefecture government office, where the necessary procedures were completed with the relevant officials on duty. This was a great achievement in eliminating such an evil thief, and it was necessary to make a detailed record of the case. Liu Yong's death was also considered a sacrifice in the line of duty, and the necessary procedures had to be followed.

  A thrilling night passed like this, everything was done, and when Gao Feng returned to his own mansion, the eastern sky had already turned slightly white, not far from dawn.

  In the capital, most of the Gao family members lived near the Fēng Tiān Hóu Fǔ (Fengtian Marquis's Mansion), forming a large residential area known as "Fengtian Fang" among the common people. The residence of Gao Feng was located on the east side of this Fengtian Fang, and from a young age, he lived a simple life; the only thing that showed his status as a member of the Fengtian Marquis's family was this mansion.

  It's a two-story courtyard house, although it looks old everywhere, but because Gao Feng sweeps it from time to time, it's still clean and tidy. Gao Feng stood in the yard for a while, this house is slightly larger than that of ordinary people, but in a place like Beijing, it's not considered anything special.

  Why did Gao Tianhe set his sights on this mansion, why would he rather die than sell it? Gao Fang couldn't understand, but he wouldn't sell the mansion no matter what. Not only was it his refuge, but it had also been left to him by his ancestors. Gao Fang still remembered his father's words: as a member of the Gao family, this mansion was their ancestral property and the only link connecting them to their heritage; they absolutely could not give it up...

  Inside the house, apart from a bed, a simple wooden frame and several old trunks, there was no other furniture in the room.

  Gaofeng walked to the front of the wooden frame, on which there were several wooden and stone objects, including carvings of small chickens and rabbits, as well as a few decorative pieces, some finished and some unfinished. The craftsmanship was quite exquisite, all vividly lifelike. Carving and forging had been Gaofeng's only hobbies in recent years, and also his way of making money before becoming the team leader.

  He would take some leftover materials and make them into toys that children liked, or decorations for small households, and then sell them at the market through connections. Gao Fang relied on this to support himself; otherwise, the grain allowance provided by the clan was far from enough to support his martial arts training, not even enough to eat nutritious food to supplement his physical strength.

  After all these years, Gao Feng has developed a habit of doing things with his hands or playing with the things he made to calm down quickly.

  Tonight, too many things happened, and Gao Feng's heart is still like a stormy sea. It wasn't until he returned home that he realized he had killed someone for the first time, and not just one person, but two. After all the turmoil, Gao Feng couldn't even feel nauseous anymore, so he simply chose not to think about the bloody scene.

  It wasn't until he picked up a table from the wooden frame that Gao Fang realized it was very dark in the house. If it were normal, without any lights, nothing could be seen at all. But now, looking at things seemed like daytime, everything was clear and distinct.

  Gao Feng looked at the pure air platform in his hand, which looked like a small container for measuring grain. It was about half a foot high, hollow inside, and had simple symbolic patterns engraved on its four sides. One side was already complete, while the other three only had outlines drawn, but the decoration on the base was still incomplete. According to the book, the symbols on the pure air platform had the effect of purifying the air, driving out toxins, and calming the mind. But in reality, everyone knew it was just a legend, and people usually bought them as decorations, placing small ornaments like jade pendants and lotus-shaped purses on top.

  He fiddled with the purified air platform he had carved out, and Gao Feng finally calmed down his mind and body. His physical strength was still abundant, but spiritually he was extremely exhausted. This one night of twists and turns was more than all that Gao Feng had experienced in his less-than-eighteen years of life.

  Before falling asleep, Gao Feng thought about leading the servants to clean up the scene, move the bodies, and search the entire courtyard, but they couldn't find any trace of the jade pendant. It seemed that it was left inside the body. The strange occurrences of this night were all related to the jade pendant... That "Come on..." Gao Feng also remembered when he had heard it before - it was when his father handed him the jade pendant... Then he fell into a deep sleep.

  Dazed and confused, he found himself once again in front of the giant mountain. Gao Feng didn't know if he was dreaming or not, because at this moment, he felt extremely clear-headed, everything seemed so real, and the mountain stood towering before his eyes.

  The foot of the mountain was surrounded by lush grass and trees, with dense branches and leaves. The ground was covered with a green carpet, dotted with various colorful wildflowers. The trees were laden with crimson and jade-colored fruits. The air was fresh, and breathing in made one feel carefree and exhilarated. Looking around from head to toe, gazing up at the sky, and listening to the sounds of insects and animals in the grass and trees, even feeling the warmth on his cheeks, everything seemed so real. Yet, Gao Feng was still filled with doubt, wondering where he was if this wasn't a dream.

  Looking back, it's also a thick fog like substance. Looking up, the mountain waist is also extremely dense with clouds and fog. What can be seen is just the foot of the mountain. And there's something strange, although the thick fog surrounds, the light around the foot of the mountain is sufficient, as if it were a sunny day.

  This mountain had been seen by him when he was on the verge of death, and Gao Feng still had this impression. He continued to gaze out, seeing a stone staircase among the grasses and trees that led all the way up the mountain. The stone staircase was dotted with green moss, showing that no one had walked it for many years. As he stood there dazedly observing, he suddenly heard some noise coming from somewhere on the mountain.

  As I looked intently, a small black beast emerged from the grass at the foot of the mountain and quickly ran to another place, disappearing from sight. Gao Feng's eyesight was quite good, and in that brief moment, he could see that the little beast should be a small dog, or perhaps a small wolf in this wilderness. Upon closer inspection, it seemed somewhat familiar, and upon further consideration, it bore some resemblance to the original form of the black wolf that had been killed.

  Gaofeng shook his head and smiled, the tension and confusion dissipated a lot. The scenery at the foot of this mountain is really beautiful, what's called a fairyland may be like this, being in it, breathing in the fresh air, the whole person feels comfortable and relaxed.

  Behind was dense fog, and Gao Feng didn't want to know what was in the fog. Instead, the fruits on the trees at the foot of the mountain were very attractive, whether they were crimson or jade-colored, all were exceptionally plump, just looking at them made one feel like eating them. Gao Feng also wanted to try some, and just as he was about to take a step forward, someone shouted:

  "Hey kid, pick some fruits for me!"

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  Haha, please collect and recommend