Gourd Mountain

By eight or nine at night, the night sky had already become remarkably clear. Perhaps because human technological civilization had declined, the stars visible to the naked eye were noticeably more numerous than before, and especially bright.

Yet at this very moment, the brilliant stars in the sky seemed exceptionally dim.

The night sky was occupied by an orange-red hue, like morning clouds spreading across the heavens, or twilight setting the horizon ablaze.

The source of that orange-red color did not seem like something truly real. It was difficult to describe exactly what sort of existence it was.

It seemed to exist, yet seemed not to exist. It could be seen, yet it was as though it had not been fully seen.

The orange-red light was like the outline in a painting, while the main body was hollow and distorted. If one said there was nothing there, the starry sky seen through that hollow was warped; if one said there was something there, nothing could be seen at all.

Only that orange-red outline gave off an eerie glow, repainting the starry sky. The blank space resembled a twisted bird that blotted out the heavens, spreading its wings as it soared.

The hollow distortion slowly flew over Lin Shen and the others' heads. Whether intentionally or not, it headed straight for the other end of the canyon. The orange-red light traveled from near to far, illuminating the long, dark canyon until it gradually reached an incredibly distant place.

Taking advantage of that light, everyone saw from afar a strange mountain standing amid the clouds at the canyon's end, though they had no idea how far away it was.

The mountain stood proudly alone amid the surrounding peaks, making all the large and small hills around it look like mere dirt mounds, stripped of the imposing grandeur mountains ought to possess.

What was even stranger was that the mountain's shape was simply too bizarre.

Lin Shen had not seen much of the world. The mountains he had seen today already exceeded the total number he had seen over the previous twenty years.

Yet among the others were many who had traveled widely and possessed broad knowledge.

Still, not one of them had ever seen a mountain like this. Its shape resembled an enormous gourd, lying diagonally amid the mountain range.

How could a mountain grow into the shape of a gourd? It was truly difficult to imagine what changes in terrain and natural erosion it had undergone to become what it was today.

"Gourd Mountain... That must be Gourd Mountain..." A trembling voice rang out. It was not a tremble of fear, but one filled more with delight and excitement.

Lin Shen also felt that mountain had to be Gourd Mountain. It was simply too fitting. Presumably, the reason Second Brother had casually named it Gourd Mountain in the first place was precisely because of this.

What Lin Shen could not quite understand was that such a massive Gourd Mountain was not particularly far from Blackbird Base. It should have been easy to find, so why had only the Lin Family brothers known where Gourd Mountain was before?

For such a majestic and bizarre mountain, one glance from afar would likely make it unforgettable for a lifetime. There should have been plenty of people who had seen it, and it would have been easy to connect it with the name Gourd Mountain. Had no one ever thought of that?

"Something's wrong!" Lin Shen suddenly came to his senses.

When they had arrived at the canyon, it had not yet grown dark. Visibility had been excellent then. If there had been such a strangely shaped mountain in the distance, there was no way they could have missed it.

Why had no one seen it during the day, yet now such a mountain had suddenly appeared?

Could there really be an immortal mountain from the legends, one that could hide itself from the world? Lin Shen wondered.

The orange-red light gradually receded, slowly vanishing behind the enormous Gourd Mountain. When the last ray of light disappeared, the majestic and bizarre Gourd Mountain could no longer be seen either.

In the vast Black Night, no one knew whether it was still standing there.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat subtle. The members of the Qi and Wang families all looked toward Bai Shenfei.

Just as Lao Ye had analyzed, they needed Bai Shenfei because they did not know where Gourd Mountain was.

The unexpected appearance of the orange-red light had pointed them toward Gourd Mountain. With Blackbirds of their own, they could enter Gourd Mountain and no longer needed Bai Shenfei.

Lin Shen could not see Bai Shenfei's current expression, but he imagined it was not a pleasant one.

"Miss Bai, it seems our cooperation must now be renegotiated," Qi Shuheng said with a smile.

"Indeed, indeed. Cooperation is about fairness: however much one contributes, that much one gains. If one contributes nothing, then even if we were willing to give, someone like Miss Bai would surely disdain accepting it, wouldn't she?" Wang Tianer said with a beaming smile.

"How do you wish to renegotiate it?" Bai Shenfei said blandly.

"To sit at the table and play the game, one needs chips. Miss Bai, you no longer have any chips, but that is no matter. You can play along with us. I'll make the call: when the time comes, we'll give you one-tenth. Brother Tianer, you have no objections, do you?" Qi Shuheng said.

"Miss Bai's strength is extraordinary. One-tenth is not excessive," Wang Tianer added.

"What if I refuse?" Bai Shenfei asked coldly.

"It does not matter if you refuse. Even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains, and we will not make things difficult for Miss Bai. But those who walk different paths cannot scheme together. If Miss Bai has the ability, go to Gourd Mountain on your own. We certainly will not stop you. With Miss Bai's abilities, you will surely return with a full load. No matter how much you take, we will never grow jealous," Wang Tianer said with certainty.

He was certain Bai Shenfei could only cooperate with them. Without a Blackbird, never mind whether she could enter Gourd Mountain—whether she could even reach Gourd Mountain was a question.

"Then let us each go our own way." After saying that, Bai Shenfei looked at Lin Shen and asked, "Will you come with me?"

Before Lin Shen could answer, Wang Tianer spoke first. "Miss Bai, you may do as you please. The affairs of our three families need not trouble you."

"Are you willing?" Bai Shenfei ignored Wang Tianer. She did not even glance at him, merely continuing to look at Lin Shen as she asked.

"You are my junior sister. Of course I have to look after you." As Lin Shen spoke, he walked toward Bai Shenfei.

Lin Shen had considered it clearly. Even if Bai Shenfei had come with ulterior motives, her need for him far outweighed that of the Qi and Wang families.

Of course, what Lin Shen most wanted to see was Bai Shenfei and the Qi and Wang families start fighting first. That would be the most favorable situation for him.

"You intend to leave with an outsider? Surely your Lin Family will not disregard the old friendship between our three families?" Qi Shuheng said coldly.

The Qi and Wang families had already positioned themselves between Lin Shen and Bai Shenfei. They could not possibly let Bai Shenfei take Lin Shen away. What if the Lin Family had another Blackbird? That would be troublesome.

"Wang Lao Er, you had better think this through. If my junior sister and I join forces, do you think you have any chance of winning?" Lin Shen said calmly.

Wang Tianer said disdainfully, "If you truly were that bastard Lin Xiangdong, I really would not dare stop you. Unfortunately, you are only Lin Shen of the Lin Family, good for nothing but eating, drinking, and pleasure... Take him down already..."

Lin Shen knew something was wrong as soon as he heard the first part. He turned to look at Lao Ye beside him.

Only Lao Ye could be one hundred percent certain that the person standing here was Lin Shen rather than Lin Xiangdong. Since Wang Tianer could be so certain he was Lin Shen, the problem was most likely Lao Ye.

Of course, it could also have been Wei Wufu. He should already have guessed that Lin Xiangdong was disguised as Lin Shen, but Lin Shen still felt Lao Ye was more likely.

The instant Lin Shen turned to look at Lao Ye, Lao Ye suddenly drew a blade and held it against Lin Shen's neck. With a sigh, he said, "Fifth Brother... forgive me... I had no choice..."

Before he could finish, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared before him, startling him into a frantic retreat.

Lao Ye retreated with astonishing speed. Even Lin Shen was somewhat surprised that Lao Ye's aged body could move so fast, no less swiftly than a top-tier Alloy Creature.

Yet despite retreating so quickly, a diagonal wound still slashed across his entire cheek. Though not deep, it was hideously savage.

Wei Wufu stood before Lin Shen, gripping a Cold Jade Tang Blade. Blood still dripped from the icy blade.

"Leave first. I'll hold them here." As Wei Wufu spoke, mysterious matter surged within his body. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a suit of purple armor that wrapped around his entire broad, towering frame, making him look like a Purple Armor War God.

Lin Shen had not expected Wei Wufu to truly step in and help him. There was no time to think further. He swung onto the Platinum Beast's back and raced madly toward the canyon exit.

A Gene Mutator from the Qi Family, closest to Lin Shen, tried to block him. But another flash of cold light appeared, and the Gene Mutator's head instantly flew into the air as his body collapsed in a spray of blood.

The jade-like Tang Blade in Wei Wufu's hand pointed diagonally at the ground, blood running down its edge.

Few words, ruthless deeds, and he cut people down at the slightest disagreement—Wei Wufu truly was a Ruthless Person. Even Lin Shen felt a chill rise in his heart at the sight.

"Brother Tianer, it seems someone has looked down on our Blackbird Base. Everyone dares to shit and piss over our heads now. I cannot endure it any longer. Can you?" A cold gleam flickered in Qi Shuheng's eyes.

"I cannot endure it either," Wang Tianer said coldly.

"Then kill him." Qi Shuheng spoke in a sinister voice as he flicked out a Pet Capsule.

Almost at the same time, Wang Tianer also flung out a Pet Capsule.

But before their Pet Capsules could transform into creatures, a slender sword like a sapphire pierced through both of them, skewering them like meat on a stick.

"Did the people who taught you cultivation never teach you? Pet Capsules are not meant to be used like this." Bai Shenfei held her longsword and gave it a light flick. The two pierced alloy Pet Capsules instantly shattered into pieces, scattering across the ground.

Qi Shuheng and Wang Tianer exchanged a glance. Without another word, they took out more Pet Capsules. This time, however, they did not dare casually toss them out as before, instead holding them in their palms and raising them over their heads.

The others from the Qi and Wang families also closed in, trapping Wei Wufu and Bai Shenfei.

"Leave Bai Shenfei to us. You lot skin that bastard Wei Wufu alive for me," Wang Tianer said coldly, staring at Bai Shenfei.

Two cries of phoenixes rang out at once. Two Blackbirds leaped up from the raised palms of Qi Shuheng and Wang Tianer, shooting toward Bai Shenfei like two blades of dark light.

They were wary of Bai Shenfei, so they used their strongest Blackbirds from the very start.

On the other side, Wei Wufu was also surrounded by Gene Mutators from both families. For a time, the sounds of battle rang out without end.

Lin Shen had originally intended to flee farther away and observe the situation first, but when he turned around, he unexpectedly saw someone chasing after him.

He was riding a Platinum Beast with 18.4 speed, yet that figure rode nothing at all and was even faster than the Platinum Beast. The distance between them rapidly closed.

Lin Shen saw that the person's entire body was wrapped in black, scale-like metal armor. He was also extremely thin, looking terrifying and grotesque, like a monster born from a human-serpent hybrid.

"Fifth Brother, stop running. You cannot escape. Let us have a proper talk. As long as you cooperate, even if it means offending Qi Shuheng and Wang Tianer, I will ensure you leave here safely." Lao Ye flashed past Lin Shen and blocked the Platinum Beast's path.