The one who spoke was Qiong Niang, the leader of the Si Nu Clan.
She glanced at Zanxing, then lowered her eyes and said, “The slimy green monster you described should be the Water and Wood Essence of this place. Yue Mountain has existed for thousands of years, and the plants here have developed intelligence. The Water and Wood Essence often transforms into water plants to hide in the water, luring passersby close and dragging them into the pond to turn them into nutrients. The water veins in the mountain are interconnected, so falling into the water here doesn’t necessarily mean you can find your way back from the same place.”
Zanxing understood. No wonder she fell into the pond but came out in a different location, encountering the Demon Extermination Army in the process.
“But…” Qiong Niang frowned slightly, her tone somewhat reproachful. “Many people have fallen victim to the Water and Wood Essence. To prevent this from happening again, we placed warning signs around all the ponds in the mountain. Why did you still approach?”
“Warning signs?” Zanxing looked at the Earth-Eater.
The Earth-Eater demon was taken aback. He thought for a moment and then picked up a square wooden plaque from under a tree. “Is this what you’re talking about?”
The plaque had three wavy lines crudely drawn on it with a big red X over them. At first glance, it was hard to decipher its meaning.
“Exactly.”
Zanxing was speechless. The drawing was so crude that no one could understand it. Even writing the character for danger would be more effective. It’s no wonder so many people got dragged into the water by the Water and Wood Essence. Most probably couldn’t guess what this sign meant even until their death.
The Earth-Eater was also confused. “I thought it meant no bathing. I…”
The demons of Heishi City were naturally rebellious, the more they were told not to go into the water, the more they wanted to. It was no surprise that they didn’t listen. He must have seen the sign and gotten curious, only to be dragged underwater by the Water and Wood Essence and lose a leg.
“However, no one has ever survived being dragged into the pond by the Water and Wood Essence. You are the first to come out alive and tell us what’s under the water. We now know for the first time that this creature has built a nest underwater. It seems we need to put up more warning signs in the future,” Qiong Niang said matter-of-factly.
In any case, the misunderstanding was cleared up. Seeing their innocence proven, the Earth-Eater demon immediately started showing off. He made a mocking gesture at Pu Tao, “Did you hear that, little girl? It was the Water and Wood Essence that harmed your senior sister. Our Little Highness acted like a Bodhisattva to save her. Accusing a Bodhisattva—cultivators truly have no shame!”
Pu Tao’s face turned red with anger, but she had no retort. The disciples from the Chihua Sect wanted to argue further, but seeing Mimi beside Zanxing, they swallowed their words. They had experienced the power of the Silver Moon Lion’s roar and were somewhat wary.
With the misunderstanding resolved, it was time to focus on the main task. Zanxing thought for a moment and then looked at Qiong Niang, “Actually, we came into the mountain to find a Master Mingjing. But no matter what we did, we couldn’t find the mountain gate. Since you two came from the mountain, could you lead us there?”
Qiong Niang paused and then pondered, “So you know Master Mingjing… He indeed resides in a monastery in Yue Mountain. However, it’s impossible for you to enter the mountain.” She glanced at the Demon Extermination Army, “And they can’t either.”
Gu Baiying frowned, “Why?”
“Because of ‘balance.'”
“Balance?”
Qiong Niang released the broken flower petals from her hand, letting them fall back to the earth. Her voice was calm and devoid of any emotional fluctuation, “Yue Mountain has existed for thousands of years, and there are many legends about it in Duzhou. But in reality, very few people can find the mountain gate. Because Yue Mountain is alive. Besides animals and plants, it only accepts those it acknowledges.”
“And to be acknowledged, one must first achieve ‘balance.'”
Her words were too obscure for everyone to understand immediately.
Meng Ying was the one who asked in a low voice, “How can one achieve balance?”
“All things in the world seek balance: Yin and Yang, day and night, movement and stillness, mountains and water, good and evil. For example, the Si Shi Clan and the Si Nu Clan represent balance. A man or a woman represents balance. An elder and a child represent balance. The living and the dead also represent balance.”
“Only those who achieve balance can find the mountain gate. Otherwise, the mountain range changes endlessly. Even if you walk here for hundreds of years, you will never truly enter this mountain.”
Zanxing had a vague idea. After pondering for a while, she asked Qiong Niang, “How did Gui Yansheng achieve balance?”
Master Mingjing had seen Gui Yansheng in Yue Mountain, which meant Gui Yansheng had already entered the mountain. What exactly did he do to be accepted by Yue Mountain?
“Are you referring to the boy with golden eyes?” Qiong Niang mentioned Gui Yansheng with a calm demeanor, as if the distinction between demons and humans made no difference to her. She answered softly, “He is a half-demon, which in itself is a form of balance.”
Zanxing was stunned. That counted?
Gui Yansheng was indeed a half-demon. This identity, which he despised, had now turned out to be quite advantageous. At least he didn’t have to wander aimlessly in the mountains like Zanxing and her group, unable to find the entrance.
But this raised a problem for them. Their group consisted of demons of various ages and genders, and it wasn’t feasible to kill half of them just to achieve balance. Even if they did, there was no guarantee of success. After all, the mountains’ standards were different from those of people. What if a man and a woman went, but Yue Mountain deemed their ages unbalanced and rejected them?
This mountain range seemed to have a bit of an obsession with balance.
It wasn’t just Zanxing and her group who were troubled. The members of the Demon Extermination Army also started whispering among themselves, looking quite perplexed. They hadn’t anticipated this situation before setting out. Their team was also a mix of different people, and achieving ‘balance’ wouldn’t be easy.
It seemed like they had hit a bottleneck. Before even entering the mountain, they were stopped at the gate, unable to get even a glimpse of Gui Yansheng.
Amidst the silence, someone suddenly spoke up, “There is a way.”
The speaker was You Lang, the leader of the Si Shi Clan. With his head bowed and dressed in pitch-black attire, he still appeared indifferent and detached, as if the sky could fall and he wouldn’t care. His gaze swept over the group, hesitating as if deciding whether to share what he knew.
Everyone looked at him with hope. They had come this far, and turning back now would be a waste. If there was a viable solution, both the demon clan and the Demon Extermination Army would likely be willing to try it.
You Lang’s voice broke the silence, “You are a group of demons, and they are a group of humans, perfectly divided…”
Zanxing felt a sudden realization, immediately understanding what You Lang was hinting at. She looked up sharply, meeting Gu Baiying’s gaze.
You Lang continued, “If you pair up, one human and one demon, you might achieve the ‘balance’ needed.”