More than the predicament before her, Zhang Yuanchao's sudden change shocked Li Bai. She instinctively moved away from him. "Who are you, really? How do you know about something like the Road of the Vengeful Ghosts?"
"Girl, don't be afraid. I'm a mountain man. There have always been strange, sinister things in the mountains. If I didn't know a thing or two, how could I dare lead people into the mountains?" As he spoke, Zhang Yuanchao took the well rope off his shoulder. Then he knelt on one knee, grabbed a handful of dirt, and stuffed it into his mouth. He began mumbling, making odd sounds like someone singing in a village opera.
Li Bai had never heard such a strange tune, but she was certain Zhang Yuanchao wasn't bluffing. Amid his heavily accented chanting, she could just make out words like "Mountain God Old Head" and "calling back the soul." Gradually, the look in her eyes changed, as though she'd realized something. "Y-you're not just a mountain man who leads people into the mountains. You're a Caller of Mountains!"
At that, Zhang Yuanchao spat out the dirt and wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. He looked at Li Bai with some surprise. "Girl, you've got a keen eye. Since you've figured it out, I won't hide it from you. I am a Caller of Mountains."
Li Bai had heard of Callers of Mountains. They belonged to one branch of the occult world, but unlike its other schools, they were little known, and there were very few of them. Before today, Li Bai had never met one.
People of this branch lived off the mountains and traveled the forest paths, worshipping Mountain God Old Head. If you encountered something sinister in the mountains, you could turn to