159: Chapter 159 Before Departure

Zhou Rui crouched at the entrance of the base, taking the shovel apart and putting it back together, testing it three times repeatedly.

The folding latch was a bit tight, so he used a file to grind it down a couple of times; he tried it again, and it worked smoothly.

"That's it." He stuffed the shovel into his hiking backpack, zipped it halfway, then opened it again to move the first-aid kit to the very top.

Chen Zhen leaned against the wall, watching him fuss around without saying a word.

Shen Nian's friend had arrived.

It was a bespectacled chubby guy surnamed Liu, carrying a canvas schoolbag stuffed with a few pots of succulents.

"This is Liu Yang," Shen Nian introduced.

As soon as Liu Yang entered, he stared at the Mutant Seedling, his eyes widening.

"Holy crap, this thing is actually glowing?"

Shen Nian covered his mouth. "Keep it down."

Liu Yang pushed away Shen Nian's hand and crouched in front of the flowerpot, his face almost touching the leaves.

"Golden-edged soul-calming grass? No, that's not right, soul-calming grass doesn't have these patterns. Is this a mutant?"

Shen Nian nodded.

"Awesome." Liu Yang pulled out his phone, ready to take a picture.

Shen Nian pressed down on his hand. "You can't take pictures."

Liu Yang glanced at him and put his phone away. "Fine, no pictures. I can at least look at it, right?"

Shen Nian looked at Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen nodded.

Liu Yang took a magnifying glass out of his bag and began to study the golden patterns, muttering to himself.

Zhou Rui finished organizing his hiking backpack and walked over.

"Master, everything is ready. Leaving early tomorrow morning?"

Chen Zhen nodded. "Did you buy the tickets?"

"Yun Xi bought them. The high-speed train is at seven tomorrow morning, arriving in Beicheng at ten-thirty. Then we transfer to a bus to Shiqiao Village."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment. "How far is it from Shiqiao Village to the foot of the mountain?"

"The map marks it as twelve kilometers. No vehicles, we have to walk."

"Then we walk."

Zhou Rui nodded and saved the ticket information on his phone.

In the evening, Chen Zhen went to Li Xiuying's house.

The old lady was at the door picking through chives; an old newspaper was spread on the ground, and a small pile of chives with muddy roots sat there.

"You're here?" She looked up at him, then lowered her head to continue picking.

Chen Zhen crouched down to help her.

The two of them picked for a while, then Li Xiuying suddenly spoke.

"Are you going on a long trip?"

Chen Zhen's hands paused. "How did you know?"

"The light on you is brighter than it was a few days ago. When it's bright, it means you're about to move."

As she spoke, her hands didn't stop; she turned the chives over in her hands, tossing the rotten leaves into a plastic bag on the side.

"Where are you going?"

"North."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Two or three days."

Li Xiuying nodded and gathered the cleaned chives into a pile.

"Then come back when you return. I'll make you dumplings."

"Okay."

Chen Zhen stood up. Li Xiuying also stood up, carrying the basin of chives into the house. When she reached the door, she looked back at him.

"Be careful. The things in the mountains are not like those in the city."

Chen Zhen was stunned for a moment. The old lady didn't say anything else and went inside.

The door wasn't closed, and the sound of a running faucet came from inside, splashing away.

Chen Zhen stood at the door listening for a while, then turned and left.

At night, Chen Zhen returned home.

His mother was watching TV in the living room, knitting a sweater. The yarn was dark blue, and a large section had already been knitted; it was hard to tell if it was a scarf or a sweater.

"Mom, I'm going out tomorrow."

His mother looked up. "Going out again? Didn't you just get back?"

"Going to Beicheng. Hiking."

His mother put down the yarn and stared at him for a few seconds.

"Why are you always hiking lately?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer.

His mother waited for two seconds, then sighed.

"Alright then. Be safe."

She pulled a few hundred yuan from her pocket and handed it over.

"Take this. Use it on the road."

Chen Zhen didn't take it. "I have money."

"What is that little bit of money you earn from work enough for? Take it."

Chen Zhen took the money, folded it, and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

"Come back early." His mother picked up the yarn again and continued knitting.

Chen Zhen stood in the living room watching TV for a while. The news was broadcasting the weather forecast, saying there would be rain in the north tomorrow.

He went upstairs, returned to his room, and closed the door.

His phone vibrated. A message from Zhou Rui: "Master, the weather forecast says it will rain in Beicheng tomorrow. Bring a raincoat."

Chen Zhen replied with one word: "Will."

He threw his phone onto the bed and dug an old windbreaker out of the closet. The clothes were a bit small, and the sleeves were a bit short, but it was wearable.

He folded it and stuffed it into his backpack.

Then he sat at the table and took out Shen Zhiyuan's Beishan map from the drawer.

A dotted line went all the way from the foot of the mountain to the summit.

In the southeast direction, the rune stone.

Shen Zhiyuan had noted a small line of text: "There is something under the stele; I dared not dig deep."

Chen Zhen stared at that line of text.

Dared not dig deep.

Shen Zhiyuan's Cultivation was not low, Qi Refining Level 6, even higher than his own back then.

He dared not dig.

Chen Zhen folded the map and put it away.

He would know tomorrow.