Chapter One Hundred and Forty-One: The False Mountain of the Abbot

My master looked at the old gentleman and said, "I have an urgent matter and must set foot on Mount Fangzhang. Furthermore, I did not arrive through normal means; I was guided here by illusions."

"Illusions?"

My master nodded. The old gentleman smiled and said, "Young man, let me tell you, Mount Fangzhang is a sacred spiritual land. It is not a place that evil things born of illusions can ever tread upon."

My master was stunned, and with equal perplexity, he asked, "What do you mean by that, old gentleman?"

The old gentleman chuckled and said, "Mount Fangzhang is filled with spiritual realms and treasures, but its perilous traps are even more numerous. Demons, guardian deities, and the like are beyond count here. If illusions could simply walk in at will, Mount Fangzhang would have long since become a popular tourist resort of this era, rather than standing here in peace as it does today."

Catching the underlying meaning in the old man's words, my master asked in shock, "You mean to say this is the genuine Mount Fangzhang itself, and not some manifestation born of an illusion?"

The old gentleman nodded with a smile and said, "It appears to be an illusion, yet it is actually reality. Although this is reality, the moment you leave Mount Fangzhang, reality turns back into an illusion. Tan Boqing, I also know why you have come here. What you seek is indeed here, but for you as you are now, simply managing to set foot on Mount Fangzhang is already a remarkable feat. Three years from now, Mount Fangzhang will experience a rare, once-in-a-century opening. Whether you can find what you desire then will depend entirely upon yourself. Hehehehe."

Having said that, the old gentleman let out a few chuckles. My master stood frozen in place, dumbfounded, and said, "How do you know my name, old gentleman? Who on earth are you? Please tell me."

The old gentleman laughed again and struck out with a single palm strike. Before my master could dodge, he was sent flying by the blow, though he suffered no injuries. The old gentleman withdrew his hand, stood his ground, and smiled, saying, "Names are also illusions, and all things in this world are illusions in the eyes of mortals. If you wish to know more, we shall meet again in three years."

With those words, the old gentleman vanished completely, along with the firewood. My master dropped to the ground, and as he watched the surrounding scenery shift, he was struck with another wave of astonishment. At that moment, my master had already been pushed outside the borders of Mount Fangzhang; the old gentleman had actually cast him out with a single palm strike.

My master rubbed his shoulder. There was no pain, which clearly showed the old gentleman had no intention of harming him. He rolled his shoulder, frowned, and muttered softly, "Could that old gentleman truly be the avatar of some immortal? To send me back with a single palm strike—he is truly extraordinary."

After scanning his surroundings once more, my master began walking back along the path he had come. Upon reaching the spot, he directly activated his Dao Eyes. Golden light burst forth from his eyes, swallowing up everything in the vicinity. Gradually, the illusion dissipated, and my master returned to reality. Seeing us collapsed on the ground beside him, Wei Wujiang stared in shock and blurted out, "He broke free from the illusion so quickly? How is that possible?!"

Ignoring him, my master looked down at our unconscious forms and breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, it was not a terrifying illusion."

With that, my master slowly stood up and turned his gaze toward Wei Wujiang and his three companions.

Meanwhile, within the illusion, I sat upon a stool as the surrounding sky slowly darkened, as if time passed at an accelerated pace inside the realm. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. Turning around, I saw Village Chief Pan standing behind me. I rose to my feet and asked, "Village Chief, what is it?"

Looking at the mourning hall arranged within the house, Village Chief Pan said, "Would you like to go to my house to get some sleep? You've been busy here all afternoon. Why don't you sleep in a room tonight? I've already called Shuangzi."

I waved my hand and replied, "No need to be so polite, I'll stay here and help out. What time is it, Village Chief?"

The chief turned back to check the time and answered, "Quarter past seven. Why?"

I shook my head and said, "Nothing."

Village Chief Pan uttered a brief acknowledgment and walked back inside. With nothing to do, I glanced toward the inner room and followed him in. I saw young Bao'er standing in a daze beside Xiuying. Although he had cried his eyes out at noon, at this moment, he acted as though nothing had happened at all. He looked at the people bustling about and said to his mother, "Mom, is our family hosting guests today? Why are there so many people here?"

Xiuying turned her head to look at Bao'er with tear-reddened eyes. Just as she was about to speak, I smiled, picked a piece of candy from a table, walked over, and said, "That's right, Bao'er. Your family is hosting guests today, and all of us have come."

Bao'er blinked, turning to look at me, and Xiuying looked at me as well. A pure, innocent smile bloomed on Bao'er's chubby face as he asked, "Big brother, who are you? How come I've never seen you in the village before?"

I smiled, unwrapped the candy wrapper, and handed it to him. Bao'er took it, and I patted his head, saying, "Big brother just came back from afar. I even held you in my arms when you were smaller, Bao'er. Have you forgotten?"

I deliberately fabricated the lie. Bao'er thought for a moment and said, "I can't remember. Hehe."

I smiled as well and said it didn't matter. Then, turning my gaze to Xiuying, who was also looking at me at a loss for words, I withdrew my eyes and said to Bao'er, "Bao'er, would you like big brother to take you out to play?"

"Where are we going to play?" Bao'er asked.

I thought for a moment and replied, "Wherever Bao'er wants to go."

"Hehe, okay, big brother!"

Smiling, I took Bao'er's hand. Xiuying glanced at me without stopping us, tears once again welling up in her eyes. Hand in hand, Bao'er and I walked through the village. Looking down at him, I asked, "Bao'er, did you see anything unusual at noon today?"

Bao'er gave me a strange look and said, "I saw Daddy lying on the bed, and then Mom cried. Oh, that's right, big brother, where is my daddy? How come I haven't seen him?"

I was momentarily stunned and replied, "Bao'er's daddy went out to work and hasn't returned yet. At this hour, he should be back soon, considering Bao'er is waiting for him at home, right?"

Bao'er flashed a beaming smile. Holding his hand, I asked him another question, "Bao'er, can big brother ask you one more question?"

"Hmm? What question, big brother?" Bao'er asked, looking up at me.

Glancing back at the brightly lit mourning hall behind us, I said, "Bao'er, at noon today, aside from seeing Daddy lying on the bed and Mom crying, did you see anything else?"

Bao'er looked back at me and said, "Hmm... I think I saw Daddy floating in the air. He kept looking at me and smiling. And then, I saw the shadows of a few people burst into my house. Those uncles looked very fierce, and Bao'er was so scared. I saw those uncles drag Daddy away with a big iron chain, and that's why I cried. Bao'er knows he was wrong. Mom and Daddy often tell me that boys must be strong and not cry, and Bao'er will never cry again next time."

Upon hearing Bao'er's words, I froze completely. I looked back at the mourning hall behind us once more. Prompted by Bao'er's reminder, I finally recalled the anomaly I had sensed at noon. From the moment I stepped into Bao'er's house, I had felt a familiar scent lingering in the air, yet inside the illusion, I had been unable to smell it at all—let alone notice a lack of flavor in the food. Moreover, I had constantly felt my senses trying to warn me of something. What puzzled me the most was that the Black and White Fish had remained completely inactive, which had indirectly led me astray onto a false path. Had Bao'er not brought this matter up, I likely would have forgotten it entirely.

Stopping in my tracks, I hurriedly turned back, pulling Bao'er along with me. Seeing me march back in such a rush, Bao'er asked in puzzlement, "Big brother, what's wrong?"

As we walked, I forced a smile and said, "I'm taking Bao'er back home to eat."

With an "oh," Bao'er clapped his hands and cheered happily, "Yay! I get to eat lots of delicious food again!"

Saying nothing further, I led Bao'er back at a brisk pace. Village Chief Pan was standing in the courtyard, and seeing me return in such haste, he assumed something had happened and asked, "Little brother, what's with the rush?"

I patted Bao'er on the head and said, "Bao'er, go inside and ask your mother to come out, okay?"

Bao'er nodded obediently and scampered into the mourning hall. Village Chief Pan grew even more perplexed and asked, "Little brother, what are you...?"

I shook my head and said, "Village chief, once Bao'er's mother comes out, let's go somewhere else to talk. There are too many people here, and it's inconvenient."

The village chief nodded in bewilderment. A moment later, I saw Xiuying—Bao'er's mother—being led out by Bao'er.