142: Zhennan Pass, a land of witchcraft and sorcery
The streets of Zhennan Pass were far more boisterous and... chaotic than the cities of the Central Plains.
The ground was paved with massive bluestone slabs, perpetually soaked by rain and humidity, taking on a deep, ink-green hue that felt slightly slippery underfoot.
The buildings on both sides were mostly constructed from thick logs and heavy stone, sporting a rugged style; under the eaves of many houses hung dried animal bones, brightly colored cloth strips, or totems tied together from some unknown Spiritual Plant, swaying in the wind and emitting soft clattering sounds.
The air was a mixture of various scents: the smell of damp soil, the rich aroma of herbs, the fishy stench of Yao Beast, the fragrance of roasted meat and strong spirits, and a faint, unsettlingly sweet and cloying exotic fragrance that seemed to be emitted by some special Gu insect or witchcraft medicine.
Pedestrians were endless.
Aside from a few merchants and Cultivator from the Central Plains, the majority were local Southern Border tribespeople.
They were mostly lean and robust, with dark or bronze-colored skin; both men and women wore elaborate silver ornaments and necklaces of animal teeth and bones, their eyes sharp and vigilant, casting undisguised scrutiny and a faint, lingering hostility upon outsiders.
Various strange Yao Beast mounts wove through the streets.
There were "Mountain-Carrying Beasts," standing a full zhang tall, covered in bone armor, and resembling rhinoceroses, carrying heavy cargo; there were "Shadow Leopards," emerald green in color, swift as the wind, capable of leaping through forest branches; and there were even venomous snakes or lizard-type Gu beasts coiled on their owners' shoulders, flicking their tongues with cold, icy gazes.
Occasionally, one could see powerful Witch Cultivators dressed in ornate clothing, followed by even more eerie Witch Puppets or Gu insects that radiated dangerous fluctuations.
Ye Chen walked among them, experiencing these customs so vastly different from the Central Plains, his vigilance remaining undiminished.
He restrained his aura and mingled with the crowd, appearing to wander aimlessly while actually searching for a place that sold maps and intelligence, all the while secretly sensing for any movement from the chaos monitoring compass.
The compass's signal pointing toward the deep southern mountains remained clear, but within Zhennan Pass itself, there seemed to be no strong fluctuations from other fragments, which put him slightly at ease.
He entered a shop with a rather large storefront, bearing a plaque that read "Bai Xiaoge."
This was an intelligence agency with official Empire backing, possessing branches in all major cities and being relatively reliable.
The interior furnishings were similar to those in the Central Plains, but with the addition of many items unique to the Southern Border, such as various venomous insect specimens, rare Spiritual Plant, and some bone fragments or animal skin scrolls recording rudimentary witchcraft.
There were few customers, and the atmosphere felt somewhat desolate.
A middle-aged shopkeeper, dressed in the Empire's standard robes with a capable-looking face, stepped forward.
His gaze swept over Ye Chen as he offered a professional smile: "This customer, what do you require? Our shop offers detailed maps of the entire Empire and parts of the Southern Border, as well as various intelligence for sale, all at fair prices."
"The most detailed map of the Southern Border you have, especially of the Ten Thousand Mountains region in the south," Ye Chen said directly, his voice flat.
The shopkeeper's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise upon hearing this, but he did not ask further.
He retrieved a Jade Slip emitting faint spiritual power fluctuations from behind the counter: "Customer, this is the most detailed map of the Southern Border currently obtainable; it covers known tribal distributions, dangerous zones, and some verified ancient ruins and resource points."
"However, the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains are unpredictable; many areas cannot be marked on the map and must be explored yourself. The price is five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stone."
The price was steep, but Ye Chen did not hesitate and paid immediately.
He took the Jade Slip and submerged his Divine Sense into it.
The information within the Jade Slip was indeed far more detailed than what was circulated outside.
The Southern Border was roughly divided into the outer tribal regions, the central Witch Village regions, and the Ten Thousand Mountains deep within.
It marked the locations of dozens of tribes and Witch Villages of varying sizes, as well as several famous perilous locations, such as the "Ten Thousand Poison Swamp," "Thousand Insect Valley," and "Soul Burial Mountain."
The direction sensed by the compass pointed roughly toward the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains, near an area called "Black Witch Mountain," which was marked as extremely dangerous and even rumored to contain ancient Witch Clan ruins.
"Is the customer planning to venture deep into the Southern Border?" The shopkeeper put away the Spirit Stone and asked seemingly casually, "The Southern Border has not been peaceful recently; many ruins have shown unusual activity, attracting quite a few Cultivator from the Central Plains and... some unknown forces.
If you are traveling alone, you must be extremely careful, especially in guarding against 'Gu Arts' and 'Witch Curses.'"
Ye Chen nodded.
"Thank you for the reminder. Additionally, is there any latest news regarding the vicinity of 'Black Witch Mountain'?"
The shopkeeper pondered for a moment before whispering, "Black Witch Mountain... that is the territory of the 'Black Miao Tribe.' They are extremely xenophobic and skilled at controlling venomous insects and curses."
"There are indeed recent rumors that an ancient Restriction deep within Black Witch Mountain has loosened, and strange, treasure-like brilliance has appeared, attracting quite a few people.
However, many enter, but few return... If you are interested, you might want to inquire thoroughly within the pass first, or find a reliable guide."
Ye Chen noted down this information, purchased some common Southern Border detoxification pills, Miasma-Avoidance Talismans, and insect repellent powder, and then departed from Bai Xiaoge.
Walking down the street, he pondered.
Black Witch Mountain, ancient Witch Clan ruins—this aligned with both his compass's sensing and the message transmitted by Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing.
The Dark Hall's target was likely there as well.
He needed more specific intelligence regarding the Black Miao Tribe and Black Witch Mountain, especially details about the ruins and the possible "exotic treasure."
Bai Xiaoge's information was still too official and generalized.
He turned toward a noisier market street, lined with stalls on both sides.
This place was a mix of all sorts of people and a good spot to gather rumors.
The items sold at the stalls were diverse: Spiritual Plant freshly plucked from the mountains, still covered in soil; brightly colored mushrooms that might be highly toxic; various Yao Beast Materials; and even some Gu insect eggs, sealed in pottery jars and faintly wriggling.
The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and a certain unique musical instrument intertwined, creating an incredibly noisy atmosphere.
Ye Chen slowed his pace, his Divine Sense acting like an invisible net, quietly capturing fragments of the surrounding conversations.
"...Did you hear? A few days ago, another team of Central Plains Cultivator entered Black Witch Mountain, and they still haven't come out!"
"Heh, just courting death! Daring to barge into the Black Miao Tribe's territory? I heard the leader was even at the Earth Fiend Realm Middle Stage!"
"That's not all! My cousin works in 'Wula Village' and said he saw people wearing black robes, acting sneakily, heading in that direction too.
Their auras were very cold; they didn't look like good people..."
"Black robes? Could it be 'those people'? Are they also looking for the 'Ancestral Witch Altar'?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish? Are those matters something we can discuss?"
The Ancestral Witch Altar?
Ye Chen's heart stirred.
This seemed to be a key piece of information.
He calmly approached the men, who were dressed as Southern Border hunters and conversing in low tones.
Seeing Ye Chen approach, the men immediately ceased their conversation and looked at him vigilantly.
Ye Chen took out a few pieces of high-quality Yao Beast jerky (obtained from previously slaying Yao Beast) and handed them over.
Using the few simple Southern Border dialect phrases he had just learned, mixed with the common tongue, he asked, "Gentlemen, may I ask a question? Is the 'Ancestral Witch Altar' you just mentioned located in Black Witch Mountain?"
Seeing the jerky, the men's eyes lit up, and their wariness decreased slightly.
One of them, the leader, took the jerky and scrutinized Ye Chen for a few moments before replying in a muffled voice, "Outsider, why ask about this? That place is extremely wicked; it's not somewhere you can go."
Ye Chen took out a few more Spirit Stone: "Just curious. I heard it's been very lively there recently?"
Seeing the Spirit Stone, the men's attitudes softened further.
The leader lowered his voice and said, "Seeing as you know the rules, it's no harm telling you.
The Ancestral Witch Altar is a legendary place where the ancient Witch Clan performed sacrifices to the ancestral spirits of heaven and earth.
It's located in the deepest part of Black Witch Mountain and is regarded as a Holy Land by the Black Miao Tribe; outsiders cannot enter it at all."
"However, for some reason, the Restriction around the altar seems to have weakened recently, and occasionally, colorful light shines out.
Everyone says that treasures of the ancient Witch Clan have appeared inside."
He paused, looked left and right, and lowered his voice further: "But, I advise you not to entertain any ideas.
Not to mention that the Black Miao Tribe won't let outsiders approach, even those who sneak in rarely meet a good end.
That team of Central Plains Cultivator from a few days ago has likely already fed the Gu King in the mountains.
And those Black-Robed Figure, appearing like ghosts—they clearly aren't trouble-free.
They seem to be looking for something, though I don't know specifically what."
Ye Chen understood.
It seemed the Dark Hall's target was likely that Ancestral Witch Altar, or perhaps items within the altar that were related to the chaos monitoring compass!
He inquired further about the customs of the Black Miao Tribe and matters requiring caution, then thanked them and departed.
Having obtained the information he wanted, Ye Chen did not linger.
He prepared to leave the market, find an inn to stay for the night, and set off for Black Witch Mountain early tomorrow morning.
However, just as he was about to exit the market, the chaos monitoring compass in his robes sent out another warning!
This time, the warning was exceptionally intense, pointing directly at a stall not far behind him!
He spun around, his gaze sharp as a sword, instantly locking onto an old man squatting on the ground, who had a torn cloth spread out before him, displaying a few broken antiques and herbs.
The old man had white hair and beard and wore ragged clothes, appearing no different from the other stall owners around.
However, in Ye Chen's perception and the compass's warning, the man was shrouded in a layer of extremely advanced hidden Spell; the aura concealed within his body was cold, pure, and carried a trace of familiar demonic intent—he was undoubtedly a member of the Dark Hall!
Furthermore, his cultivation was not weak; he was at least at the Earthly Fiend Realm Fifth Level!
He seemed to be... deliberately waiting for him?!
The old man sensed Ye Chen's gaze and slowly raised his head, revealing a wrinkled face with eyes that were exceptionally clear and sharp.
He offered Ye Chen an eerie smile, as if he had already anticipated this.
"Little friend, I have finally waited for you."
The old man's voice was hoarse, yet it rang directly within Ye Chen's Sea of Consciousness, "I have been waiting here for quite some time."
Ye Chen's heart sank, and his Protective Aura surged instantly.
Trouble had found him after all!