The Gusu Mistake - Chapter 41

After staying at the farmhouse for two days, Jiang Yilan finally felt lighter. However, Yuan Ruo still didn’t want her to make any strenuous movements.

“You can walk on your own, but if there’s trouble, you absolutely can’t fight!” Yuan Ruo instructed Jiang Yilan before they left for the little girl’s house.

“Oh, I know!” Jiang Yilan’s ears ached from listening. “You’re as nagging as an old lady!”

Yuan Ruo lightly patted the top of her head. “I’m just concerned about you!”

“I know!” Jiang Yilan winked and then looked at the little girl, who was standing nervously nearby. “I haven’t even asked for your name yet.”

The girl timidly replied, “My… my parents call me Lanlan!”

“Lanlan, okay!” Jiang Yilan waved her hand. “You lead the way. We’ll go to your house first.”

“Okay!” Lanlan walked ahead, occasionally looking back, afraid that Jiang Yilan and Yuan Ruo wouldn’t follow.

“Don’t worry, we said we’d go, and we will!” Jiang Yilan said, adding meaningfully, “But don’t try to trick us again. If you do, it won’t end well!”

“I won’t!” Lanlan, afraid Jiang Yilan wouldn’t believe her, opened her hands wide. “I really don’t have anything on me!”

“Alright, let’s go!” Jiang Yilan urged, letting Lanlan walk in front. Although she didn’t say she didn’t trust her, after the last incident, it was impossible to regain the previous level of trust.

Lanlan’s home wasn’t far; they arrived after a half-day’s walk.

“This is your house?” The residence, though not in the city, looked like it belonged to a well-off family. Jiang Yilan asked, “Why is it so quiet? There’s no one here?”

Lanlan shook her head. “I don’t know. I… I haven’t been back since.”

“Let’s go have a look,” Yuan Ruo said, stepping inside first. Inside, there were fallen leaves everywhere, confirming that no one had lived there for a long time.

Jiang Yilan followed Yuan Ruo. “Did you find anything?”

Yuan Ruo didn’t speak. She continued deeper into the house and entered a room with an open door. She picked up a tuft of white fur from the floor.

“What’s this?” Jiang Yilan asked.

Yuan Ruo squeezed and sniffed the fur. “It’s fox fur!”

“Fox?” Jiang Yilan blinked. “So, a fox demon captured Lanlan’s parents and siblings?”

Yuan Ruo nodded. “It seems so.”

Jiang Yilan thought for a moment. “Foxes usually live in the mountains. It probably took them there.”

Yuan Ruo turned to ask Lanlan, “Are there any deep mountains around here?”

Lanlan’s lips trembled. “Yes, they’re east of the house. My brother once took me there to catch rabbits.”

Jiang Yilan said, “Should we go?”

“No!” Yuan Ruo refused. “Your body isn’t suited for such a journey right now. You should stay here.”

“Stay here?” Jiang Yilan craned her neck. “I don’t want to!”

“Yilan!”

“I want to go!”

Yuan Ruo tried to persuade her, but Jiang Yilan was determined to go. With no other choice, she agreed. “Then you must stay close to me. Unless absolutely necessary, you are not to fight!”

“Okay!” Jiang Yilan readily agreed. “I won’t fight unless it’s absolutely necessary!”

With everything settled, the group set off for the mountain. Even though Jiang Yilan said she was fine, Yuan Ruo was still concerned, so they stopped frequently, taking much longer than they normally would.

Finally, they reached the foot of the mountain. Looking up at the tall peak, Jiang Yilan couldn’t help but feel worried. “This mountain is so big. How are we going to find them?”

“We’ll look for a cave,” Yuan Ruo said. “Foxes usually live in caves.”

“That’s still hard to find,” Jiang Yilan said, asking Lanlan, “Do you know where there’s a cave?”

Lanlan shook her head. “I’ve only been here once. I’m not familiar with it.”

“This is troublesome!” Jiang Yilan scratched her head. “How about we just go up and see?”

Yuan Ruo was concerned about Jiang Yilan’s body. “Can you climb this mountain right now?”

“Of course!” To prove she was fine, Jiang Yilan started walking up the mountain.

“Yilan!” Yuan Ruo quickly followed, ready to support her. Thankfully, she seemed to be doing alright. Lanlan, on the other hand, looked quite exhausted, but Yuan Ruo couldn’t tend to her right now.

They finally reached the middle of the mountain, surrounded by nothing but trees.

“How are we supposed to find anything here?” Jiang Yilan squinted, looking up. “I wish we could ask someone for directions!”

Yuan Ruo shook her head. “Where would we find someone in this wilderness?”

“That’s what’s strange,” Jiang Yilan said. “Usually, people who chop wood or hunt create paths on mountains like this, but here, everything is chaotic. It doesn’t look like anyone’s ever been here.”

“There… there’s a legend about this place,” Lanlan said timidly.

Jiang Yilan and Yuan Ruo both turned to look at her. Yuan Ruo asked, “What legend?”

Lanlan said, “Legend says a fox immortal lives on this mountain and doesn’t allow outsiders in, so no one dares to come here.”

“A fox immortal?” Yuan Ruo frowned. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I… I…” Yuan Ruo’s voice was a little loud, and Lanlan was too scared to speak properly.

“It’s okay, don’t be scared. I was just a little agitated,” Yuan Ruo said, lowering her voice. “Now, tell me clearly, what is the fox immortal from the legend like?”

Lanlan bit her lip. “They say the fox immortal lives on the mountaintop. Someone once saw it while cutting wood and was chased down the mountain.”

“The mountaintop, huh?” Yuan Ruo looked up, but the trees blocked her view.

“We’ll know if we go up and see!” Jiang Yilan was a person of action, and once again, she took the lead and headed up the mountain.

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