Chapter 17: Talking Nonsense to Animals

Duan Wenxuan emerged from the train station, his attire slightly reminiscent of ancient times, drawing occasional glances along the way. However, it wasn’t entirely unusual; Hanming Country had its own traditional clothing, which was still worn by many even in everyday life.

Especially during various traditional festivals, people typically dressed in these customary outfits. The rarity of seeing them otherwise was mainly due to their cumbersome nature, making them impractical for work. In fact, it was Duan Wenxuan’s striking appearance that garnered most of the attention.

Upon leaving the station, he noticed a significantly reduced foot traffic compared to past visits.

Outside the station, several taxis were waiting as usual.

“Driver, Little Peak Mountain please.”

The driver hesitated, then shook his head. “Can’t go there, something happened at Little Peak Mountain. I heard there’s a spirit monster on the loose. The government has sealed off the area, and nobody dares to approach now.”

Duan Wenxuan pondered briefly, then took out his wallet. Apparently unaccustomed to using it, he awkwardly removed all the money inside, roughly around a thousand yuan, and handed it over.

“Driver, is this okay?”

The driver furrowed his brow but quickly accepted the money. “Alright, hop on. But let’s be clear, there are indeed police outside Little Peak Mountain, so I can only drop you off about three to four hundred meters away.”

“Okay, thank you, sir.”

The driver allowed Duan Wenxuan to sit at the back of the cab and started making conversation. “You’ve also heard about the strange occurrences at Little Peak Mountain and plan to take photos or videos?”

“Are there many people like that?”

“Oh yes, quite a few. Many come drawn by the fame, actually. These past few days, I’ve had numerous passengers requesting trips to Little Peak Mountain. Yesterday, the police caught me once and gave me a stern warning not to bring anyone there anymore, which is why I’m a bit cautious today.

You wouldn’t believe it, lots of folks want to go there for live streaming, but now they can’t enter the mountain itself. They just end up taking pictures of Little Peak Mountain from the outskirts.”

Duan Wenxuan smiled and took out his phone. It looked brand new, clearly purchased recently. “Technology truly advances rapidly; these devices are fascinating.”

“Phones are indeed intriguing. Nowadays, many people can’t seem to function without them.”

Nodding in agreement, Duan Wenxuan said, “No wonder even though the elders in my family acknowledge the drastic changes happening outside, despite suggestions to build a cell tower at home for better connectivity, they ultimately rejected the idea.”

The driver was momentarily taken aback, not fully comprehending Duan Wenxuan’s words. After a moment of thought, he responded, “Your family’s elders don’t allow you to buy cell phones?”

“Something like that.”

The driver smiled, “Elders are often this way, worried that if young ones get cell phones, they’ll only focus on playing and neglect their studies. Back when I was younger, internet cafes were very popular, but parents strongly opposed them too. It’s similar now, isn’t it? So, older folks tend to be stubborn, but if you explain things well to them, they eventually understand.”

Duan Wenxuan nodded and immersed himself in using his phone.

From then on, the driver continued talking mostly to himself. Seeing that Duan Wenxuan wasn’t engaging further, the driver decided to play some music instead.

The rest of the journey passed without much conversation.

”…See over there, those continuous mountains ahead are Little Peak Mountain. Just walk another three or four hundred meters, and you’ll reach its foothills. I won’t go any farther. Yesterday was just inspections, but if they catch me again today, my car might be impounded, which wouldn’t be good.”

Acknowledging this, Duan Wenxuan got out of the taxi.

Interestingly, at approximately this distance from the mountain, Duan Wenxuan spotted quite a few people. Some even brought tents, giving the impression of setting up long-term campsites. With so many people around, vendors naturally followed suit, with some already setting up temporary stalls.

The police had tried to shoo people away, but sealing off the mountain base couldn’t extend to closing the entire road. An City was already somewhat chaotic, and forcefully driving everyone off would only fuel more wild speculations about Little Peak Mountain.

Duan Wenxuan avoided the crowd, stepped over the roadside barrier, and ventured directly into the wilderness on either side, gradually moving further away. After some time, he located the small path he had accidentally discovered before. With ease, Duan Wenxuan entered Little Peak Mountain once again.

Compared to his previous visit, the atmosphere of Little Peak Mountain now seemed even more secluded and tranquil. The trees at the foot of the mountain, originally thin and scattered, appeared as if they had rapidly grown, now reaching sizes wide enough for several arms to encircle. Dense undergrowth and vines sprawled everywhere, obscuring any trace of paths suitable for human passage.

To navigate, Duan Wenxuan broke a branch from a tree and used it to clear the vegetation ahead. He also activated Madam Li’s Longevity Internal Art to ward off snakes, insects, and other pests, making his journey slightly more bearable.

Initially, Duan Wenxuan had no intention of coming alone; however, due to the unique energy required by the door, there was simply no way he could entrust this task to anyone else.

He walked cautiously and slowly, appearing entirely unhurried. Along the way, he even took out his phone to snap photos and record videos, occasionally letting out sighs of wonder.

After more than an hour, Duan Wenxuan noticed a significant increase in faint rustling sounds around him.

Thud.

A stone hurtled towards Duan Wenxuan.

Utilizing both his Merkle Strike from across space and Madam Li’s Exquisite Gambling Technique, which required keen eyesight and precision, Duan Wenxuan swiftly flickered. With a single motion, he caught the flying stone effortlessly.

“Oh”

From atop a tree, there came brief monkey calls. Soon after, two monkeys swung down.

“Here you go.” Duan Wenxuan lifted the stone slightly before tossing it back, hitting one of the monkeys squarely on the shoulder. Caught off guard, the monkey tumbled from the tree. The second monkey immediately retreated higher up but then started to loudly protest in anger.

“All right, I’m not here for you.”

Duan Wenxuan had no intention of harming these monkeys; otherwise, he might not have been able to navigate out of the mountain safely.

After a moment, the monkeys’ commotion likely summoned their leader. As expected, around seven minutes later, Duan Wenxuan spotted the white deer emerging once again. Compared to their first encounter, this time a faint, shimmering white mist now surrounded the white deer, making it even more strikingly beautiful.

The white deer gazed down from its elevated position, its expressive eyes calmly fixed on Duan Wenxuan.

Feeling as if he were facing someone intelligent, Duan Wenxuan addressed the deer, “Apologies for disturbing you. I’ve come seeking a specific item.”

—Whoo

The white deer’s voice resonated with ethereal depth.

At that moment, an old monkey leaped out from the underbrush, holding a stick like a human would use as a walking cane, “Go back, this place is ours.”

“It spoke?!” Duan Wenxuan tried to maintain his composure, but beads of cold sweat still broke out on his back.

Th-this…this surely counts as a monster, doesn’t it? It actually talked.

“St-students, return,” the old monkey struggled, clearly finding human speech difficult and his words unclear.

Duan Wenxuan’s palms were drenched with sweat. He discreetly took several deep breaths before calming down. “As spirits of the mountain, don’t you find it peculiar? Why have your intellects suddenly awakened?”

The white deer tilted its head, a hint of confusion appearing in its previously clear, vacant eyes.

“You…who…don’t know…come from.”

After much pondering, Duan Wenxuan finally grasped the old monkey’s meaning, which roughly translated to asking who he was. Previously, humans had come to investigate the nature of these creatures, indicating that even they did not understand the reason behind this phenomenon. Seeing Duan Wenxuan’s confident demeanor as if he knew everything, the old monkey suspected him of being a fraud.

Compared to the white deer, the monkeys on Little Peak Mountain had more frequent interactions with humans. After gaining intelligence, the old monkey had gained some understanding of human character traits.

“I’m different from them. As the sole descendant of the Duan lineage, I naturally possess knowledge of many hidden secrets. From the dawn of creation, when obscurity first divided, ancient beings shaped the world, wielding control over the universe. However, just as the moon waxes and wanes, and plants experience growth and dormancy through seasons, so too does Xuanlan Star follow its natural course.”

Over millions of years, profound spiritual energy gradually dissipated. By the time of the Yue Kingdom, such energy had vanished entirely, forcing mystical beings to retreat from the world to avoid the impending end times. Now, Xuanlan Star is experiencing a turning point with the resurgence of profound spiritual energy. You all are indeed fortunate, born at just the right moment.”

The old monkey and white deer exchanged glances, their eyes showing some confusion.

Duan Wenxuan smiled, revealing a hint of prideful arrogance as he continued his persuasive spiel, “Why don’t you accompany me to the Duan family’s secluded sanctuary? Once the Duan family re-emerges into the world, we will strive for the merit of ushering in a new era, and I assure you, none of you shall be neglected.”

Being newly enlightened, the old monkey and white deer were momentarily taken aback, partly because Duan Wenxuan was markedly different from the humans who previously ventured up Little Peak Mountain. His strength seemed genuinely formidable, not reliant on external tools like human firearms.

—Whinny—

The white deer let out another call.

The old monkey’s expression softened, nodding towards Duan Wenxuan with courtesy, “No, no, we’re accustomed here. Whatever you seek, we’ll help you find it.”

Duan Wenxuan instantly sighed in relief.

The old monkey and white deer truly believed his tall tales. Their nature wasn’t malicious; they simply wanted to prevent human intrusion onto Little Peak Mountain. Now that they no longer doubted Duan Wenxuan’s claims, neither wished to offend him.

Aware of the immense power that mastery over mysteries held, they dared not offend someone from Duan Wenxuan’s influential family.

Duan Wenxuan produced a piece of paper with a drawing of a peculiar plant. The plant had iridescent petals, exactly seven leaves, and a stem resembling segmented lotus roots.

Naturally, it was fake - just a random sketch by Duan Wenxuan himself.

“This is Enlightenment Grass,” he explained. “Its name may sound ordinary, but it possesses the ability to enhance one’s insight. With Little Peak Mountain’s fortune attracting some profound spiritual energy, such miraculous plants might indeed grow here.”

The white deer shook its head slightly.

The old monkey also appeared troubled; it hadn’t seen anything like this before. But given Duan Wenxuan’s prestigious lineage, there must be truth to his claim. If they simply said no, would Duan Wenxuan suspect they were unwilling to reveal it?

—Wuaah—

The white deer softly whinnied again.

“Search for it, we’ll assist you,” the old monkey translated.

This approach seemed prudent. Letting Duan Wenxuan search while they accompanied him meant two things: first, whether the plant existed or not would be determined by Duan Wenxuan himself, ensuring they didn’t deceive him; secondly, they could keep an eye on him and intervene if any suspicious behavior arose.

Duan Wenxuan promptly nodded and approached the old monkey, but the white deer remained highly cautious. As Duan Wenxuan drew near, it stepped back, keeping a significant distance.

Undeterred, Duan Wenxuan pretended to diligently search Little Peak Mountain, traversing its rugged terrain.

Of course, finding anything was as unlikely as encountering ghosts.

After two or three days, Duan Wenxuan grew somewhat weary, yet unexpectedly discovered a wild mountain ginseng that appeared quite exceptional. He immediately expressed gratitude to the old monkey for assisting in his search for ma pian grass, and naturally, he decided not to take the ginseng. Surprisingly, the white deer seemed very fond of eating wild mountain ginseng, which also proved beneficial to it after consuming some.

Following this incident, the old monkey became noticeably warmer towards Duan Wenxuan. Eventually, he even caught sight of the majestic striped tiger, although its untamed nature kept him at bay, preventing any close interaction.

On the fourth day, seizing an opportunity, Duan Wenxuan swiftly stroked the now more trusting white deer.

Startled, the deer leaped away, glaring angrily at Duan Wenxuan. Once again, Duan Wenxuan felt a burning sensation on his back, though it lasted only briefly, just like before.

As expected, mere contact was enough - it worked!

Feeling ecstatic, with the door having absorbed the required energy, additional information emerged in Duan Wenxuan’s mind.

This time, he gained two additional doors. One functioned similarly to the previous door placed at the train station; Duan Wenxuan could use it as a teleportation array by setting another door in a safe location.

The other door was smaller.

As its name suggests, the small door was portable. Whenever needed, he could instantly deploy it. With just one step through, he could reach any of the other connected doors. Additionally, there were minor benefits - he acquired a natural affinity with animals and a slight ability to control plant growth.

This encounter proved highly fruitful.

That small door was truly a lifesaving marvel.

Gradually calming down, Duan Wenxuan looked back at the white deer and noticed a faint connection between them. However, this bond was much weaker compared to that with the little paper figurine, indicating less intimacy.

Standing at a distance, the white deer’s initially furious gaze gradually softened, turning curious instead.

Strange, why couldn’t it seem to stay angry with the nearby human? Its instinct had always been to avoid contact with humans, as it naturally harbored no fondness for them.

But this person… upon observing him longer, seemed quite agreeable, even eliciting a desire to get closer.