bookrebus Chapter 69 Bizarre Encounters on the Immortal Mountain
Chapter 69 Bizarre Encounters on the Immortal Mountain
Chapter Sixty-Nine: A Bizarre Encounter on the Immortal Mountain
After the ferocious tiger leaped out of the woods, it stared intently at Liu Yu and his companions, letting out a low growl.
Liu Yu trembled with fear and stammered, "What, what should we do?"
Just then, an old man dressed in coarse cloth and carrying a bamboo basket walked out from the side. He spoke fluent Sichuan dialect, immediately launching into a proverb: "A tiger pulling a cart—it won't listen to any of that! Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm here!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yu and the others felt a little more at ease.
Xu Xian quickly asked, "Old man, can you help us drive this tiger away?"
The old man waved his hand and said, "Zhang Fei eating bean sprouts is a piece of cake! Watch me!" As he spoke, he took a wooden stick out of the bamboo basket and tapped it on the ground.
Upon seeing this, the tiger turned and ran back into the woods.
Liu Yu's eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, "Grandpa, you're amazing!"
The old man laughed and said, "What's so special about this? It's like an ant sitting on a sofa—it's not even worth a second glance!"
Xiaoqing asked curiously, "Grandpa, what are you doing here?"
The old man replied, "I'm a herb gatherer on this mountain, and I often encounter these fellows. What are you doing up here?"
Bai Suzhen said, "We are here to find the magic herb that can make people young again."
Upon hearing this, the old man frowned and said, "Oh ho, you're looking for that magic herb? It's like a monk's head—impossible! This magic herb is not easy to find!"
Liu Yu said anxiously, "Grandpa, please just show us the way."
The old man thought for a moment and said, "To find the immortal herb, you must first pass three tests. The first test is the bewildering array on this mountain. Once you enter, you can't get out, just like a blind man wandering the streets—oblivious to everyone else!"
Xu Xian said, "What should we do?"
The old man smiled and said, "Don't panic, don't panic. I'll give you a compass. Follow it and you'll find your way out."
Liu Yu and the others thanked the old man and, holding their compasses, entered the maze.
The maze was shrouded in mist, and all the trees looked the same. As Liu Yu walked, he got separated from the others.
He paced back and forth inside, muttering to himself, "I'm like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river—I can barely save myself!"
As they were talking, they suddenly heard a strange noise, which startled him so much that he quickly hid behind a big tree.
It turned out to be a large python, its tongue flicking as it crawled toward him.
Liu Yu was terrified. She wanted to run but dared not, and could only pray in her heart: "May the Bodhisattva protect me, may the Bodhisattva protect me!"
Just then, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing found him.
Xiaoqing chased the python away with a single sword strike and said, "Brother-in-law, why are you such a coward!"
Liu Yu said with a bitter face, "I'm like a mouse caught in a bellows—suffering from both ends!"
They finally escaped the maze and arrived at the second level.
The old man said that the second obstacle was a bottomless canyon, and the only way to cross it was by a single log bridge. The log bridge was narrow and slippery, like "a lantern hanging on a telephone pole - clever."
Liu Yu looked at the log bridge and her legs went weak: "I...I dare not cross this."
Xu Xian said, "I'm scared too."
Xiaoqing said, "You two grown men are just as timid as your uncles! I'll go first."
Xiaoqing carefully walked onto the log bridge and quickly crossed it.
Bai Suzhen said, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
Liu Yu gritted her teeth and slowly followed Bai Suzhen across the bridge. Xu Xian also crossed the bridge cautiously.
After passing the canyon, you'll reach the third level.
The old man said the third level was a cave filled with all sorts of traps and mechanisms; one wrong move and you'd be dead, like "pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth—it's suicide."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yu nearly collapsed to the ground: "How are we supposed to get through this?!"
The old man said, "Don't be afraid, I'll give you some hints. Once inside, if you see any protruding stones on the ground, don't step on them, they're traps. Also, if you hear any strange noises, stop immediately."
Liu Yu and his group gritted their teeth and entered the cave.
As soon as she entered, Liu Yu almost stepped on a protruding rock.
He was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat: "Oh dear, that was close!"
As I walked, I heard a whooshing sound again.
They stopped immediately, only to see a large rock fall from above.
Xu Xian screamed in terror, "Help!"
Bai Suzhen used magic to block the stone.
They cautiously continued forward and finally emerged from the cave.
The old man smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad, you've passed! The magic herb is on the mountaintop ahead."
Liu Yu and the others excitedly ran towards the top of the mountain.
Upon reaching the mountaintop, they indeed saw a magical herb emitting a strange light.
Just as Liu Yu was about to reach out and pick it, a guardian spirit appeared beside the fairy herb.
The elf said, "If you want the magic herb, you have to answer one question for me."
Liu Yu asked, "What's the problem?"
The elf asked, "What has a head but no tail?"
Liu Yu thought for a long time but still couldn't figure it out.
Xu Xian said, "It's a brick."
The elf said, "You guessed right, the magic herb is yours."
Liu Yu and the others happily accepted the magic herb, thanked the spirit, and prepared to descend the mountain.
On the way down the mountain, Liu Yu accidentally tripped and fell, tumbling down the slope.
He got up, looking disheveled, and said, "I'm like Pigsy looking in a mirror—I'm neither a person inside nor a person outside!"
Everyone laughed.
Back down the mountain, they encountered the old man again.
The old man said, "We've found the magic herb! But you must use it carefully!"
Liu Yu and the others thanked the old man and began their journey back...