Out of the blue

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Out of the blue

  Yun Xiang Tian followed the mistress of the Ghost Village and Yan Xue through a mountain cave filled with eerie atmosphere, and then entered another cave. Yun Xiang Tian noticed that the entrances to both caves were extremely hidden, and it would be very difficult to discover them without someone leading the way. After entering the second cave, they walked for over a dozen steps before the cave suddenly lifted upwards, and a ray of light shot down from above. Yun Xiang Tian followed the mistress up the stone stairs, which led to an enormous cavern. The cavern was brightly lit, with all sorts of decorations on display. Yun Xiang Tian couldn't help but secretly admire the designer's meticulous planning, as this design ensured that no matter how bright the lights were inside the cave, not a single ray of light could be seen from outside. Before Yun Xiang Tian had a chance to observe the decorations in the cavern, Wang Fu Ren spoke up and said: "Young Master Yun is indeed a talented young man with a handsome appearance. In less than a month since arriving at Ling Shan, you have accomplished several impressive feats that are truly worthy of admiration. Please take a seat, Young Master Yun."

  "Madam, you're too kind. I'm just a down-on-my-luck guy who came to Anmin Village to scrounge for food. Now that I'm living off others and relying on their charity, what great deeds could I possibly accomplish? I appreciate your praise, but I don't dare accept it."

  Madam Wang said with a smile, "Alright, you don't have to be polite either. I've heard all about your affairs. The reason I invited you today is to thank you for saving the life of Wang Qi's family."

  Yun Xiang Tian was taken aback and thought: What is the relationship between Wang Furen and Wang Qi again? Just about to ask.

  But then Mrs. Wang smiled faintly and said, "You don't have to think too much about it, Wang Qi is my own brother, this time he did something foolish, if you hadn't helped him out, I'm afraid he would have lost his life already, so I wanted to thank you in person." She looked at Yun Xiang Tian with a hint of sadness and said, "I heard that your father has passed away, is it true? Tell me about it."

  Yun Xiang Tian asked: "Does Mrs. Wang know my father?"

  Madam Wang nodded and said: "I know him. In the past, your father and my husband were quite close friends. I had met him several times at our home. However, that was also many years ago."

  Yun Xiang Tian said, "Oh," and continued: "My father was a close friend of Wang Yuanwai. It's no surprise that his family knew my father. He told me that my father encountered an air raid while returning home from selling horses and unfortunately died."

  Yun Xiang Tian's father died on a rainy day because of a horse, but it was robbery, not selling.

  At that time, Yunxiang Tian's father, Yutian, was rescued by Huaguan Xiong from the cliff edge and was stunned by his wife Xiangyi's words. Xiangyi said: She was really tired of the hustle and bustle in the city, wanted to find a quiet place, and live a leisurely life. So she cleverly created suspicion, pretended to be ill, and later bribed a local doctor, the two sang a duet, pretending to be poisoned and framed, forcing Yutian to leave Shang Rong. She also instructed the servants at home to lead Huaguan Xiong here in pursuit after half an hour of leaving.

  On a rainy day, with an uncertain expression, he said: "Xiang Yi, you want to live a peaceful and quiet life, don't mention framing Hua Xian's younger brother, why do you still want to implicate our family's Yu Er's life?"

  Xiang Yi smiled wryly and said, "Yu Ge, didn't you notice that as you were running, I intentionally or unintentionally pulled your shoulder to run here? I've already arranged for someone to take care of things here today. It's absolutely safe."

  Hua Guanyong shone his torch and unfolded a large fishing net at the edge of the cliff. The rope of the net was wrapped around a big tree at the edge of the cliff, and then tied back to the net. He clicked his tongue twice and said: "Big sister, you're too clever! You want to jump into the net with Yu'er and Xianzhong, untie the rope wrapped around the tree, slide down to the bottom of the cliff bit by bit, and then pull the whole rope down to get rid of me, making it impossible for me to be found dead or alive. What a brilliant move!"

  Yutian also thought that his wife's design was flawless, but why did she have to leave here? Yutian asked: "Do we really have to leave here?"

  Xiang Yi let out a soft sigh and said: "Our whereabouts have already been exposed, wherever we go, Hua Xian will find us, might as well just return."

  Later, Yun Xiang Tian only knew that his mother said that Hua Guan Xiong had too many friends in the Jianghu, and his father was also a recluse, fearing that one day he would leak out news and let the officials know, causing unnecessary trouble. Yun Xiang Tian remembered clearly what his father said at the time: "I named Yu Er as Yun Xiang Tian, just like how there must be clouds on a rainy day, my son is surnamed Yun, so naturally I am also surnamed Yun. From now on, I will be called Yun Tian, isn't it 'righteousness is as vast as the sky'?" His mother laughed at him and said: "You are called Yun Tian, Yu Er is called Yun Xiang Tian, don't you know that this is a taboo?" His father laughed loudly and said: "What taboo? I like both names Yun Tian and Yun Xiang Tian."

  At the age of 19, Yun Xiang Tian's hometown was invaded by Japanese troops. To avenge his relatives who died in the war, Yun Xiang Tian joined forces with Hua Guan Xiong to secretly contact a group of outlaws and formed an anti-Japanese assassination team. The members of the team were active at night, killing many Japanese soldiers and making them fear for their lives.

  Later, one member of the team was captured by the enemy, and during the rescue process, they fell into a trap set by the Japanese. Fortunately, the Communist Party's underground organization in Shang Rong came to their aid, and Yun Xiang Tian, Hua Guan Xiong, and over a dozen others managed to escape safely. The rest were martyred, with no one betraying their cause.

  Recommended by the underground party in Shang Rong, they joined the Eighth Route Army's anti-Japanese brigade in the region. Two years ago, during a battle to seize Japanese military horses, Yun Xiang Tian was seriously injured and died heroically. Before his death, he asked Yun Xiang Tian to return to Feng Ling Mountain to guard the ancestral secret.

  As an Eighth Route Army soldier, Yun Xiang Tian submitted an application to the army's headquarters, which attached great importance to this matter. After research and discussion, the headquarters decided to send Yun Xiang Tian back to Ling Feng to guard the secret of Feng Ling Mountain.

  Just as he was about to return to Ling Feng, he received another important task: to win over Zhang Tie Shan, a former friend from his Jianghu days who had become the commander of the Shang Rong Japanese puppet army. After nearly eight months of effort, Yun Xiang Tian successfully won over Zhang Tie Shan, who cooperated with the Eighth Route Army's anti-Japanese brigade in Shang Rong and launched a surprise attack that annihilated the Japanese troops stationed there, dealing a heavy blow to the arrogant enemy.

  This battle left Yun Xiang Tian bedridden for six months, with a bullet wound to his chest that had come within two inches of his heart.

  Thinking of this sudden change, Yun Xiang Tian lightly touched his chest which was once injured. He heard Wang Furen's concerned inquiry beside him: "What's wrong? Young Master Yun, were you hurt just now? Is it serious?"

  "Nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong, I'm fine, nothing's wrong."

  Yan Xue also anxiously asked: "Really nothing's wrong? Or else, or else I'll check you out? See how badly you're hurt?"

  "It's okay, really it's okay. Thank you."

  A long, thick whistle came from outside the cave. Madame Wang smiled lightly and scolded: "Dead bald donkey, what problem would Yun Gongzi have with me? Can I still eat him? Xue'er, go out and tell that bald donkey, Yun Gongzi will be back soon."

  Yan Xue said: "Should we get some water for Young Master Yun so he can wash his face?"

  Madam Wang looked at Yun Xiang Tian's face and said, "No need, let him go back with this look, it will be a good scare for that dead donkey." After finishing speaking, she actually secretly smiled.

  Yan Xue stopped talking, she walked out quickly, and soon the sound of a cuckoo bird's clear and pleasant call came from outside the cave, Yun Xiang Tian knew this was Yan Xue's answer to An Min Village.

  Yun Xiang Tian returned when the sky was almost bright. Hong Shan Gu was sitting upright in her chair, watching and stroking the shiny head of the silly monk who was spinning around in circles. She patiently waited for Yun Xiang Tian to arrive. Seeing Yun Xiang Tian return with a bloody face, she walked down from her chair and anxiously asked: "Yu Er, are you injured? Is it serious?"

  The monk picked up the Zen stick beside him and roared: "Damn it, dare to hurt my family's Yu'er, Buddha will now deliver them!"

  Yun Xiang Tian hastily said, "Uncle, don't panic, this blood isn't mine." He recounted the events. Then he asked, "Isn't the evil spirit in the mountain cave where Auntie is, actually Madame Wang and her cohorts in disguise?"

  Hongshan girl still worried and said: "Are you really not hurt? It's good if you're not hurt. You've been tired all night, go wash up and rest for a while. I'll talk to you later."

  Yun Xiang Tian said: "I'm not tired. Then I'll go wash up first and come back right away."

  Hongshan girl smiled and said: "You little devil, you have to figure everything out. Go, after washing up, let Monk Uncle tell you."

  Chi Tien and Shang told the story of that mountain cave as if it was exceptionally easy. Yun Xiang Tian listened with a sigh, grasping his wrist and letting out a long sigh...

  Six years ago, in the summer, many strangers came to Qing Shui Bay and Luo Fengping. The scouts from the mountain reported that this group of people kept asking about Wang's family village and Fengling Mountain. Wang Yuanwai and Hong Shan felt something was wrong, they strengthened their guard while arranging for Chi Tuan and the monk to go down the mountain. That night, Chi Tuan and the monk brought back a person. According to his confession, they were a group of notorious grave robbers, with seven people in total. They had heard that there was treasure in the ghost village on Fengling Mountain, and this time they came to steal it, planning to take action within one or two days. After understanding the situation, Hong Shan decided to arrange for the mountain stronghold's brothers to go protect Wang's family village. However, Wang Yuanwai said: "It's not suitable, if we arrange for the mountain stronghold's brothers to go and guard, and scare away the grave robbers, they will come back again in the future. As for dealing with them, I have a clever plan, let them never dare to think about touching Fengling Mountain again, Mountain Master can rest assured."

  On a summer night, the heat was sweltering. A few tomb raiders, not noticing their companion's disappearance, thought he was just a coward who had been scared away by a rumored ghost and didn't matter to their actions. So they continued to climb up Fengling Mountain and enter the Wang family's large village. The Wang family's large village had long been burned into ruins, in disarray. They soon found a secret passage, and several tomb raiders smiled at each other, lit the torches they brought with them, and carefully crawled into the secret passage. The secret passage was spacious enough for two people to walk side by side upright. A gust of cold wind blew, blowing the flames of the torches bright and dim.

  "One of the possible leaders said: 'Get ready guys, see god kill god see ghost kill ghost, leave none behind.'"

  "There's one who says: 'Old big brother, you'd better watch out, what kind of ghost or god is this, bring a few back and I'll catch them to make soup, that's a great tonic.' He laughs wildly, not showing any fear at all."

  "Take this back and stew it for soup!" A cold, gloomy voice came over. Then with a thud, a skull fell beside them.

  That leader glanced at the skull and said with arrogance: "I've been digging graves for over a decade, always returning with a full load. Today you only sent me a skull, isn't that too petty? Either you come out and we talk, or I'll have the high-ranking monks of the grand temple perform a ritual to help your soul reincarnate quickly."

  "Alright." The gloomy voice came again: "Then I'll come out now, we need to have a good talk. You broke into my master's bedroom and offended my master, how should you be put to death?"

  Another gust of wind blew in, only this time the wind was even stronger. The air was filled with a nauseating stench of rot and decay, causing the flames on the torches to flicker wildly, almost going out. The six grave robbers felt dizzy and disoriented, as if they were about to fall asleep. The leader shouted loudly: "Cover your mouths and noses, this is the smell of corpse poison!" But it was too late. All that could be heard were a few dull thuds. Five of the grave robbers fell one after another, losing consciousness. The leader also slowly collapsed along with his men. He secretly opened the gourd on his body containing dog blood and reached for the steel knife beside him.

  Accompanied by a faint fragrance, two disheveled figures crawled out of the stone wall crevices in the cave. The bandit leader took advantage of the timing and splashed the dog blood in his hand towards the two figures, then danced with his steel knife to kill them.