Chapter 5: Taifeng Mountain

  Tai Feng mountain range in Lin Qi city is the largest mountain range on the North China Plain, and also the area with the highest forest coverage rate. Since the government strictly prohibited deforestation and logging, not only have the trees thrived, but many wild animals that had not been seen for years have begun to multiply, including wolves and bears. Due to the government's ban on hunting and strict control of firearms, people are at a disadvantage when encountering these ferocious beasts, especially since the dense forest makes it easy to get lost. As a result, the deeper parts of Tai Feng mountain are rarely visited by humans, making it a paradise for wildlife.

  Among them, only the main peak of Taifeng Mountain is an exception. The reason is that there is a Kaiyuan Temple here, and the incense is very prosperous. According to the rules, except for New Year's Eve, the top three people who strike the bell to pray for blessings need to donate tens of thousands of incense money to qualify to ring the bronze bell symbolizing peace and wealth.

  Cao Sen drove his Jeep 2500 along the winding mountain road leading directly to Tai Feng Mountain, where there were streams of cars going back and forth to Yuan Temple. Among them were tourists or pilgrims like Cao Sen who came in their own private cars. However, it seemed that only he was alone on this trip.

  When he left, Jing Zhe had asked Cao Sen to take her along, but Cao Sen didn't want to bring her. Coincidentally, Sun De Rong, the old man who cleaned the teaching building, returned to Dongda after visiting his relatives. Cao Sen entrusted Jing Zhe to Grandpa Sun and came to Taifeng Mountain alone, feeling carefree.

  The Pan Mountain Highway is a four-lane road, with two lanes for uphill traffic on the outside and two lanes for downhill traffic hugging the mountain side. Due to safety considerations, most vehicles tend to concentrate in the middle two lanes of the road. Cao Sen dislikes driving slowly, and whenever he has the chance, he overtakes other cars, his Jeep 2500 darting back and forth like a restless leopard through the long line of cars, leaving a trail of honking horns wherever he goes.

  As Cao Sen overtook a luxurious minibus, a rose-red sports car appeared in front of him. The sports car seemed to be competing with the Jeep, swinging its tail and pressing against the Jeep to prevent it from overtaking.

  Cao Sen was not one to admit defeat, and naturally did not want to be suppressed by others. He quickly shifted gears, accelerated and decelerated, coordinating with the steering wheel's direction, and the Jeep 2500 danced like a dragon lantern, suddenly dashing left and right behind the sports car in an attempt to overtake it.

  The sports car driver's driving skills were extraordinary, and he was obviously used to speeding, pressing the two lanes of oncoming traffic tightly, no matter how Cao Sen tried, he couldn't break through the sports car's blockade.

  Anyone who has driven a car knows that the most annoying thing is when someone deliberately presses you from the front, it feels like your hot face is stuck to a cold buttocks, and it's as uncomfortable as it gets. Cao Sen's anger slowly rose up, he really wanted to rely on the Jeep's strength, and violently crash into the luxurious sports car, pushing it down the cliff.

  The sports car had a dark window film on its windows, and it was impossible to see the expression of the person inside, but it seemed to have sensed Cao Sen's anger and deliberately slowed down to suppress him, even intentionally twisting the car's butt to provoke Cao Sen.

  This move added fuel to the fire for Cao Sen, who stepped on the accelerator with his right foot. The Jeep suddenly surged forward and its front end almost touched the rear of the sports car. He then released the accelerator and tapped the brake, causing the Jeep to lightly bump into the sports car.

  Unexpectedly, the sports car had a lot of character and immediately responded to Cao Sen's provocation, slowing down and letting the rear of the car directly press against the front of the Jeep, making Cao Sen feel the weight of the vehicle.

  Damn, take the sports car and Jeep to fight hard, don't blame brother's hands for being black if you look for trouble yourself. Cao Sen finally got angry, his eyebrows flicked upwards and he stepped on the accelerator fiercely, the low-speed high-torque characteristics of the Jeep were brought out, and it rushed forward with the sports car together.

  The sports car stepped on the brakes all the way, letting the Jeep push it forward, leaving two black tire marks on the winding mountain road.

  The sunroof of the sports car opened, and a delicate girl emerged, with golden hair fluttering like silk in the mountain breeze. The girl looked lovely, but her mouth made Cao Sen hate her.

  "You stupid guy, can you even drive?" The girl stretched out her index finger and scolded Cao Sen.

  Damn, I didn't scold you, but you're scolding me. Cao Sen has never been interested in beauties, since you've provoked me, if I don't show you some fierce attitude, you'll think all men will do things according to your face.

  He took his foot off the accelerator and tapped the brake, then floored it again, causing the Jeep and sports car to pull away from each other before slamming into each other once more. The sports car was knocked askew, its rear end caved in by the powerful Jeep, and its license plate fell to the ground. The girl was thrown onto the hood of the car, her face red with rage as she unleashed a torrent of abuse at Cao Sen, her words so vile and varied that they seemed out of place coming from such a delicate-looking young woman.

  The girl scolded and still didn't feel relieved, her hands clasped together with her wrists facing each other, her slender fingers like a blooming white lotus spinning in the air, quickly pushing towards Cao Sen's direction.

  Cao Sen discovered something was off when the girl's hands were together, he saw a strange energy flow gathering in her palm as she moved, condensing into a colorful energy ball, and with a push from the girl, the energy ball rapidly smashed towards his car window.

  Cao Sen's gaze swept over the fallen license plate, and with a whoosh, it flew up at an angle to meet the energy sphere. The sphere was like a burst balloon, releasing its energy in a jet that shot onto the license plate. The license plate seemed to be hit by a speeding train, flipping and tossing high into the air.

  Another superpowered person, Cao Sen thought to himself, unfortunately for you, you ran into me. He wouldn't let the girl use her powers again, his gaze swept over the girl's tight sweater, and the sweater shrunk down as if an invisible hand had pinched it.

  The girl let out a shrill cry, her hands covering her chest, her face flushing bright red. "You scoundrel!" she spat through gritted teeth, her hands leaving her chest to come together once more, energy swirling rapidly in the center of her palms.

  Haha, Cao Sen secretly laughed in his heart. This silly girl, every time she uses her special ability, she has to make such obvious preparatory movements. Isn't this just asking the enemy to launch a preemptive attack?

  His gaze swept across the girl's chest again, and the light in his eyes flashed. The girl let out a sharp cry once more, covering her chest with her hands. Her sensitive areas had been touched twice by someone who was taking advantage of her, but her special abilities were useless against him. Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she glared at Cao Sen like an enraged little tiger.

  Jeeps and sports cars are stopped in the middle of the road, the lanes on the mountain roads have become congested, and all kinds of vehicles are honking their horns in protest.

  The sports car door opened, and another girl got out of the driver's seat. She looked similar to the girl on top of the car, but with a few more gentle features between her eyebrows and eyes. Her figure also appeared more slender. She smiled and waved apologetically at the cars behind, then ran to the side of the Jeep, poking her head inside, her delicate face almost touching Cao Sen's face.

  "Hey kid, you're here for the Esper gathering, right? Let's take this somewhere else and not make a scene here!"

  Cao Sen watched as the girl ran back to her sports car with a twist of her slender waist. Another little chili pepper, with a gentle appearance but a spicy personality. What was this "Abnormal Ability Gathering" she spoke of? Cao Sen thought curiously, could it be that there were more people with abnormal abilities here? He decided to follow the girl and take a look.

  The girl on the hood of the car stretched out her right hand and gave Cao Sen a middle finger before getting into the car. The sports car and the Jeep started up again, one after the other, speeding up the mountain. Unlike earlier, the two cars were traveling at a frightening speed, like they were in an F1 racing arena, accelerating wildly and scaring surrounding vehicles to swerve out of the way.

  Cao Sen followed the sports car as it quickly drove onto the square in front of Kaiyuan Temple, but instead of stopping, it turned onto a small dirt path and headed towards the back of the temple, with Cao Sen driving closely behind.

  An hour later, the sports car stopped at the end of the sandy road, in front of which was a huge boulder, and behind the boulder was a not-so-high mountain peak. The two girls got out of the car, and the girl who had exchanged hands with Cao Sen put her hands together again, ready to launch another attack.

  Cao Sen got off the bus and for the third time let his gaze sweep over the girl's chest.

  Ah! Then I remembered the third scream.

  "Xiang Xiang, you can't beat him, I'll do it!" The older girl looked at Cao Sen with a fierce and wild glint in her eyes that was completely at odds with her gentle appearance.

  Cao Sen didn't want to fight the girls, and even if he won, it wouldn't be a glorious victory. However, if they didn't know their limits, Cao Sen was happy to teach them a small lesson.

  The eyes of the older girl gradually became gentle, and a pair of crystal-like eyes slowly gave birth to a thread of tender feelings, softly sprinkling on Cao Sen.

  Enthralling? Hypnotic? Cao Sen's eyes met the girl's gaze, thinking to himself, this little girl's ability is related to the mind?

  Her gaze towards Cao Sen became increasingly gentle and full of deep emotions, just like the Weaving Maiden crossing the vast Milky Way to see her long-missed Cowherd, her eyes telling a tale of longing and heart-wrenching love, thick with affection and emotion that slowly enveloped Cao Sen.

  Cao Sen's mind was not bewildered by the girl's gaze, but his body felt as if it had been bathed in spring breeze, and he couldn't muster up any energy. Awesome, Cao Sen praised his opponent, this kind of spiritual ability was no longer limited to controlling the enemy's spirit, but further directly affected the enemy's body, just didn't know what would happen next, Cao Sen stood still, wanting to see if the girl had any other tricks up her sleeve.

  The girl's gaze was filled with increasingly dense emotions, like a bay of spring water on a sunny day, making Cao Sen feel comfortable all over his body as he soaked in it. His muscles slowly relaxed, and an idea almost arose in his heart - to lie down and sleep soundly in this warm spring water, never waking up again.

  However, "almost" wasn't something that had actually happened, Cao Sen just had a fleeting thought in his mind, rather than really thinking it. Not only did he not think this way, but he was also praising the girl's special ability: It was truly the best way to relax and unwind. In the future when he was tired or under too much pressure, he would intentionally make an enemy of this girl and let her give him a glance with that gaze, which was more effective than any relaxation technique.

  The girl's gaze underwent some changes, with a touch of youthful vitality added to her tenderness. As a result, Cao Sen saw in her eyes a world full of life and vigor, where the grass was green, flowers were blooming, and trees were sprouting new buds. His body gradually became excited, his blood flowing faster, his heart beating quicker, his throat itching, wanting to sing out loud for the song of life in front of him, praising the lively vitality that youth had brought forth.

  Of course, Cao Sen just thought about it and didn't really sing. He moved his gaze away and fell on the girl's forehead, seeing beads of sweat seeping out of her delicate skin, apparently the girl's spiritual attack made her quite struggling.

  Cao Sen lit a cigarette with a pop and asked, "What other tricks do you have?"

  The girl who called Xiangxiang, seeing that her sister's attack was unsuccessful, Cao Sen still had a light and casual expression, but in her heart she was annoyed. Her two small hands were about to gather energy together when Cao Sen swept his eyes over her, scaring her into hurriedly covering her own chest with her hands.

  "What other tricks do you have? Of course, there are more!" The older girl withdrew her futile gaze and winked at her sister. The two sisters clenched their fists and pounced on Cao Sen from both sides, looking like they were going to use force to settle the matter since their special abilities weren't working.

  Haha, Cao Sen found it amusing to look at the two sisters' slender arms and legs, wondering how much damage they would inflict if they were hit. He puffed on his cigarette, casually waving his hands, and easily knocked the two girls to the ground.

  Bang, Cao Sen grasped the foot that was kicking towards his lower abdomen, and with a burst of strength, he lifted its owner upside down, positioning her head directly above a sharp rock. "Don't move, I'll let go, and your head will split open."

  The girl who was lifted up was Xiangxiang, with a fiery temper. She refused to be humiliated and used her other foot to kick Cao Sen's face fiercely. "You can throw me to death, I'll still kick you! I'll kick, I'll trample, I'll kick and trample!"

  Xiang Xiang, wearing high-waisted leather boots, kicked her legs wildly, targeting Cao Sen's face. Cao Sen couldn't really let go and let the girl's head hit the stone, but he was annoyed by her kicking around, so he casually threw her aside. Xiang Xiang cried out loudly as she fell into a clump of grass, wailing away.

  Another girl at this time but did not know where to go, Cao Sen looked around in all directions and did not see her, where did she go?

  "You son of a bitch, don't you dare leave! I'll have someone kill you in a minute!" Xiangxiang shouted while crying.

  Cao Sen understood upon hearing this, it seemed that his sister had gone to fetch reinforcements, which was why his younger sister was speaking harshly here. Connecting the dots with what was said earlier about an "ability user gathering", there must be many ability users around here, but he didn't know where they were hiding.

  Cao Sen puffed on his cigarette, wandering around the area, but couldn't find a suitable place to gather. Finally, he fixed his gaze on the stone wall, wondering if there was a hidden door on it?

  Xiang Xiang crawled out of the bushes, stormed over to Cao Sen's jeep, pulled out the car key from inside, and with a flick of his hand, threw it into the bushes. He looked at Cao Sen with a smug expression, daring him to try and run!

  Cao Sen ignored her, sneering in his heart. Ah, this silly girl doesn't know what's good for her and is asking for trouble. The sports car was stuck in front of the boulder, his Jeep was behind, and on both sides were dense pine forests. If the Jeep didn't move, the sports car couldn't leave either. Xiang Xiang throwing away the Jeep keys was equivalent to throwing away the sports car keys.

  Cao Sen continued to wander around casually, dealing with the abnormals. Cao Sen didn't have complete confidence in himself, and if his sister called someone over to fight him, he might be at a disadvantage. However, he also didn't want to miss an opportunity to communicate with other abnormals. On this path of being an abnormal, Cao Sen felt too lonely walking alone, and he needed friends or even brothers in this aspect. As long as the person coming was a man, Cao Sen believed he could make friends with them. Female abnormals, such as the girl called Xiang Xiang in front of him, and her sister, simply didn't interest Cao Sen in communicating with them.

  It was just unexpected for Cao Sen that after finishing his cigarette and waiting for a while, still no one came.

  Xiang Xiang was getting a bit anxious, they were in the back mountain of Tai Feng Shan, a place where people rarely visited, it was quiet and still, unable to hear any sound. Occasionally, the mountain wind would blow by, causing the grass to move and the trees to sway, as if something was lurking in the shadows. Adding to her unease was that her sister had left for a long time and hadn't returned yet. Xiang Xiang's heart was uncertain, and she gradually started to feel afraid. She stole a glance at Cao Sen, who was standing with his back to her, gazing out at the distant mountains. With this rascal around, the girl felt a sense of security for some reason. She wanted to stand closer to Cao Sen, but her pride and their earlier conflict wouldn't allow it, so she could only grit her teeth and continue standing where she was.

  Ahh——ooo——！ A chilling wolf howl echoed through the deep mountains, startling Xiangxiang so much that she shivered. Following closely behind was a gust of mountain wind, causing the grass to rustle loudly, as if something was approaching by trampling on the roots of the grass. The girl's eyes widened in tension as she stared fixedly at the grass.

  "Hey." Cao Sen slowly walked up behind the girl and greeted her.

  Ah! Xiangxiang was startled and jumped up high, turned around to see Cao Sen. The false alarm made Xiangxiang extremely annoyed, she pounced on Cao Sen, punching and kicking him. Her fists and feet were of no use, so the girl simply opened her mouth, revealing her clean white small teeth, and bit Cao Sen fiercely.

  Cao Sen originally wanted to ask Xiang Xiang how to find the gathering place of people with special abilities, but unexpectedly this girl suddenly went crazy and bit him randomly. Cao Sen was not polite either, he pressed down on the girl's forehead and pushed her backwards with force, causing Xiang Xiang to fall onto her back, after which she scolded Cao Sen loudly.

  "Alas, Cao Sen sighed. All the brothers said they didn't know how to cherish and appreciate a girl like her, but I don't know how to cherish or appreciate such a girl either. Dammit, waiting here with her is stupid, might as well go find someone myself."

  "Listen up," Cao Sen said, "get my car keys back for me. When I got back, the keys were gone. Be careful or I'll smash your face in."

  "You stupid fool, if you dare, slap my face right now, who the hell are you trying to scare?" Xiang Xiang's mouth was full of dirty words, which really didn't match her beautiful and well-behaved appearance.

  Cao Sen didn't want to have anything to do with her, so he took his backpack from the car and walked into the depths of the pine forest by himself.

  Xiangxiang saw that Cao Sen was really leaving, she panicked, got up and chased after him, kicking his butt. Cao Sen turned around, scooped her up and carried her, Xiangxiang fell to the ground with a thud, while he continued walking forward.

  Xiang Xiang got up and chased after him, kicking again. She was knocked down by Cao Sen once more. She refused to give up, kicking again, falling again, and getting back up... until she was thrown down by Cao Sen and couldn't move anymore. Xiang Xiang's hair was disheveled as she lay in the withered grass, watching Cao Sen walk further and further away. She couldn't help but burst into loud sobs, her cries mixed with indistinct curses.

  Suddenly hearing Cao Sen's footsteps coming back, Xiang Xiang hurriedly lifted her head and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

  "Don't just cry, go find my car keys!" Cao Sen said and left again.