Chapter 13: White Deer and Spirit Monkey

“Hey! Climbing Little Peak Mountain without authorization is prohibited, quickly come back!”

Without hesitation, An Yueyu shouted out a warning. Every year, there were reports of hikers getting into accidents after climbing Little Peak Mountain, yet some always persisted to challenge themselves. Whenever she noticed such attempts, she felt compelled to remind them.

In the distance,

Liao Yangsu had no time to heed An Yueyu’s calls. He was utterly disheveled, with numerous cuts and scrapes on his arms and legs. Fortunately, being a doctor himself, he knew basic first aid measures, which helped alleviate his discomfort slightly.

Despite this, Liao Yangsu still stood hunched from exhaustion, fear evident on his face as he gazed at the emaciated wolf nearby.

He had encountered the wolf the previous evening. Although wild wolves existed on Little Peak Mountain, sightings were rare. Wolves are intelligent creatures; given the vastness of Little Peak Mountain, they seldom ventured near human-built trails. For unknown reasons, this lone wolf appeared malnourished, its skin stretched tightly over its bones. Its eerie green eyes held an aura of impending death, yet remained icy-cold.

From last night until now, the wolf had already attacked him three times. Despite being a weak and old wolf, it posed a formidable threat to someone like Liao Yangsu, who lived a sedentary urban lifestyle with minimal exercise. The only reason he managed to survive thus far was due to—

Liao Yangsu turned back and saw Xia Wenwu leaning against a tree, leisurely munching on wild pears picked from Little Peak Mountain.

Even now, Liao Yangsu vividly remembered how during the old wolf’s sudden first attack, accompanied by a gust of menacing wind, Xia Wenwu had swiftly rushed forward. He then drew a whistle baton from behind his back and directly struck at the old wolf. Simultaneously, the old wolf bit down on Xia Wenwu’s arm.

However, at that moment, Xia Wenwu’s arm emitted a metallic scraping sound, with the old wolf unable to penetrate it even slightly!

Martial arts—it was truly like those depicted in martial arts stories!

“Should we give up?” Xia Wenwu’s voice carried a hint of temptation.

“No.”

Compared to two days ago, Liao Yangsu’s face now displayed significantly more determination. After all, he had spent two days living alongside an old wolf constantly poised to prey on him. Under Xia Wenwu’s watchful eye, he had also engaged in combat with the wolf. Adversity is always the best teacher, and without realizing it, Liao Yangsu’s countenance had gained a touch of the fierce demeanor characteristic of warriors.

Breathing heavily, Liao Yangsu held a suitable wooden stick as a makeshift crutch and once again resolutely climbed uphill. The old wolf, meanwhile, lay crouched at a distance, its gaze icily fixed on Liao Yangsu.

Two days earlier, the old wolf had already realized that its target could only be Liao Yangsu.

An Yueyu had called out repeatedly, her throat growing sore, but eventually the figure swayed and disappeared from view.

What recklessness!

As soon as An Yueyu escaped from her phone, she dialed the police. Upon connecting, she immediately informed them that someone was secretly climbing Little Peak Mountain again. After hanging up, An Yueyu hesitated briefly but decided to stay put, intending to guide the police when they arrived.

Approximately half an hour later, An Yueyu suddenly heard faint panicked shouts. Alerted, she stood up and followed the direction of the sounds.

—Rustle rustle—

In her heightened state of tension, An Yueyu’s senses were extremely敏锐. In an instant, she felt the sound of vines being dragged beneath her feet. Instinctively looking down, she saw a vine rapidly extending towards her at a visible speed.

“Mom!” An Yueyu involuntarily screamed for the person closest to her heart, disregarding others’ presence. Without hesitation, she dropped her bag and started running downhill.

The moment An Yueyu moved, the previously slow vine surged forward with a whoosh, instantly wrapping around her ankle and giving a forceful tug.

Losing her balance, An Yueyu stumbled on the steps, and upon hitting the ground with her arms and back, the intense pain nearly made her pass out.

Whish, whish! Two more vines extended, gripping onto the railings built along both sides of the path. With brute strength, they tore the railings apart and began pulling An Yueyu towards the true wilderness of Little Peak Mountain.

“Help! Help me!” Initially, An Yueyu managed to cry out, but later the intense pain rendered her voiceless.

Just as An Yueyu thought she was about to die, she suddenly heard someone shout. With her face covered in blood, she saw a figure leap from a tree, forcefully chopping at the vine with a knife in hand.

“Hurry, run!”

As the vine recoiled, the man swiftly pulled An Yueyu up and they both took off running.

Fortunately, although An Yueyu’s arm was fractured, twisted awkwardly and immobile, her legs could still move. In this extreme danger, adrenaline surged, making An Yueyu momentarily forget the pain.

They sprinted rapidly, and behind them, the chattering cries of monkeys echoed once more.

Fear propelled them to run for their lives, so hastily that on the final downhill stretch, both stumbled and tumbled down together. An Yueyu and the man lost consciousness upon impact.

Moments later, a white deer emerged unexpectedly from somewhere amidst the trees.

Its gaze was pure and ethereal, its graceful white form resembling a woodland spirit. The antlers, branching like tree limbs atop its head, appeared delicate yet devoid of any clumsiness. Amidst the empty space near its head, a small vine, roughly fist-sized, gently swayed.

A soft sound escaped:

“Awoo.”

The white deer slightly lifted its head, emitting a noise akin to an infant’s call. However, within the serene depths of the forest, this sound carried a sense of distant tranquility.

As it called out, two monkeys swiftly descended from the trees and rushed towards the unconscious An Yueyu and her companion. Strangely, upon reaching them, the monkeys worked together to lift An Yueyu, eventually carrying and dragging her onto the small path. The other man received similar treatment.

Following this, the vine resembling a tiny plant suddenly jumped down from the white deer’s head. It swelled with the wind, its vines waving vigorously as it began dismantling the human-made structures left on Xiaofeng Mountain.

Ah-wu

The white deer let out another cry, and promptly, the monkeys joined in the destruction.

Firstly, the guardrails along the path were either smashed by the monkeys or pulled up by the vines. Simultaneously, the monkeys scattered some peculiar seeds nearby.

After the seeds were sown, the white deer shook its body. Miraculously, rapid sprouting occurred at those locations, with roots even breaking through the cemented pathway. Within a short span of time, hundreds of meters of the path were swiftly covered by various plants!

Meanwhile, undercurrents began stirring in An City.

At the base of Xiaofeng Mountain, caution tapes were set up everywhere, and armed forces had positioned themselves in ambush. The tourists originally present on the mountain were urgently evacuated. Officially, it was announced that a drug-trafficking gang had taken refuge there, armed with weapons.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a holiday, so the number of visitors at Xiaofeng Mountain was relatively low, making evacuation easier. Nonetheless, even under these circumstances, nearly three to four hundred people required immediate isolation due to witnessing changes around Xiaofeng Mountain.

Further actions would depend on decisions made by An City’s leaders before any specific arrangements could be made for these individuals. For now, their cell phones were confiscated, and they were kept in temporary safe zones.

Li Dong stood at the foot of the mountain, peering through a telescope. He spotted a large monkey perched on a tree, its eyes remarkably intelligent, almost like… like those of a truly sentient being.

“Captain Li, I really can’t handle this,” Mao Qisheng muttered as he nervously patted his bulletproof vest beneath his clothing, still feeling insecure despite it.

He was just a laid-back otaku focused on collecting rent, content to let others deal with any catastrophes. Why did Li Dong always come knocking at his door whenever there was trouble?

Li Dong shot Mao Qisheng a frustrated glance, akin to disappointment towards iron not yet tempered into steel, before turning his concerned gaze back towards Xiaofeng Mountain.

Approximately an hour earlier, something unusual had been detected at Xiaofeng Mountain. Due to the unknown changes occurring worldwide, all armed forces in An City were on strict standby.

Immediately, personnel from Xiaofeng Mountain were evacuated.

The ecosystem of Xiaofeng Mountain was well-preserved; however, previously, the areas near its base showed heavy signs of human activity and civilization. But now, vegetation seemed to be growing wildly, rapidly spreading across once slightly open spaces with wild grasses taking over.

Entirely visible to the naked eye, Xiaofeng Mountain was swiftly becoming more primitive.

Although the armed personnel followed orders to maintain vigilance around the area, they were not mere puppets. This transformation shattered their understanding, making it impossible to hide the shock in their eyes.

“Captain Li, I think we should head back. Look, these plants seem to only extend up to the foot of Xiaofeng Mountain, showing no intention of spreading further. Let’s leave them alone, and if worst comes to worst—” Mao Qisheng lowered his voice, offering a reckless suggestion, “We could use ‘Little Boy’. Nuclear peace means world peace, right?”

Li Dong shot Mao Qisheng an irritable glare. “Shut up, can you seriously use such a weapon?! And if we do, would An City still be intact?!”

Mao Qisheng raised his hands in surrender, realizing he had merely made a joke. Why take it so seriously?

Shortly after, Li Dong received a phone call.

Ten minutes later, Li Dong returned accompanied by twenty fully armed police officers.

“Into the mountain!” Li Dong glanced at Mao Qisheng, his voice firm and decisive.

“I-I-into… the mountain?” Mao Qisheng looked at Xiaofeng Mountain, now with grass reaching waist-high, feeling uneasy just thinking about the snakes, insects, and other critters within. “Can’t I stay behind? Besides, what exactly are we going there for?”

Li Dong didn’t give Mao Qisheng a chance to refuse. “Don’t worry, as one of only two individuals in An City capable of utilizing ‘mystical’ powers, we won’t let you die before us. As for entering the mountain, humans can yield ground, can make compromises amidst uncertainty, but we must at least understand what has truly happened on Xiaofeng Mountain.”

Mao Qisheng, surely you understand the principle that ignorance leads to defeat? If we continually remain clueless about what’s truly happening in this world, even if you manage to escape today, will you be able to escape forever?!”

Still, Mao Qisheng appeared hesitant and fearful.

Li Dong grew stern. “If something really happens to An City, forget about enjoying your games and comics! And if you dare cause any trouble, I’ll cut off your internet and electricity right away. Think carefully.”

These words struck Mao Qisheng’s vulnerable spot, and he reluctantly agreed.

Soon, Mao Qisheng found himself walking at the center of the group as they, equipped with necessary gear, cautiously ventured into Xiaofeng Mountain, following faint traces of human-made paths from the past.