With Daoist Qingshan's "Demon-Detection Compass," we felt much more at ease as we traveled.
But ease was one thing; the Demon-Detection Compass was not infallible. None of us let down our guard or acted recklessly.
We remained cautious on the road, speaking little.
We crossed the collapsed section of road and headed straight for Black Stone Peak.
It was only two kilometers, but it was mountain terrain, and the path was difficult to travel.
Still, our stamina was decent, so it did not take us long to reach the foot of Black Stone Peak.
By then, the sky had only just begun to darken.
This place was called Black Stone Peak largely because of its geographical features.
A huge black stone pillar stood exposed at the mountain's summit, towering into the sky, which was how Black Stone Peak got its name.
But from where we stood at the foot of the mountain, all we could see were dense woods and shrubs. A small trail led up the slope, though it had long been covered by weeds and brush.
So we could only make our way upward through the shrubs.
To leave as few traces as possible, we followed almost directly in the footprints of the person ahead of us.
Still, we did not make any special effort to erase those tracks. Even if the demons really discovered them, it did not matter.
We were hidden while they were exposed. They had no idea we were here, lying in wait to ambush them.
Besides, this place was not far from the scenic area, and hikers often came to climb Black Stone Mountain.
Leaving traces of living people was not much of a problem...
And so, we sneaked along all the way until we reached the summit after dark, at around eight