139: Chapter 229 Yunxi Village

The next day, as the first light of dawn broke and Spring City had not yet fully awakened, Yu Bo had already rented a decent off-road vehicle. Carrying Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo, he drove towards Cangshan Mountain.

The address given by Old Yang was extremely vague, with only a rough description: "The deep valley between Malong Peak and Shengying Peak, Yunxi Village."

Fortunately, the owner of the car rental agency was a local and quite familiar with the Cangshan Mountain area. After hearing Yu Bo's description, he pointed out a general direction but also frankly stated that the place was quite remote. It was mostly locals and herb gatherers who passed through there. The car could only go as far as a place called "Xikou Town" at the foot of the mountain; beyond that, they would likely need to find a local to act as a guide.

The car drove out of the city, winding its way up along the mountain road.

The morning mist, like a thin veil, wrapped around the verdant mountainside. The air was fresh and crisp, carrying the fragrance of grass, trees, and earth.

As the altitude increased, the hustle and bustle of the city were completely left behind, leaving only the low roar of the engine and the rustling sound of tires rolling over the road.

Yin Tianxue watched the ever-changing scenery outside the window, from the gentle basins to the majestic peaks. The slight unease in her heart, caused by the stone gambling and the search for Master Yang, seemed to be somewhat soothed by this magnificent natural landscape.

She turned her head to look at Yu Bo in the driver's seat. He was driving with concentration, his side profile looking somewhat cold and hard in the morning light, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, as if the road ahead was not a rugged mountain path, but some kind of treasure waiting to be revealed.

As for Tang Guo, because of the early rising and the bumpy mountain road, she was leaning languidly in the back seat, but her eyes were also curiously watching the unfamiliar mountain forests outside the window.

More than an hour later, the car arrived at Xikou Town.

Although it was called a town, it was actually just a long, narrow village built along the river with a few dozen households. The houses were mostly old earth-and-stone structures, appearing somewhat dilapidated and desolate.

At the end of the town, the road into the mountains turned into a gravel dirt road that could barely accommodate one car. It was uneven and potholed, with a deep ravine right beside it, where the sound of rushing water roared.

Yu Bo parked the car in front of the only small grocery store at the entrance of the town that looked like it was still open.

The store was small. On the wooden shelves were some cigarettes, alcohol, non-staple foods, and daily groceries. Inside the glass counter were some loose candies and local specialties.

The owner was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties, with a simple and honest face and dark skin. He was holding an enamel mug and drinking morning tea. Seeing a car parked outside, he put down the mug and walked out.

"Boss, I'd like to buy some things." Yu Bo got out of the car and said politely.

"What do you need?" The shopkeeper spoke with a heavy local accent, but his smile was simple and honest.

Yu Bo entered the store, picked out a few bottles of mineral water, some packs of biscuits and beef jerky, and a box of instant noodles, then paid for them. He then handed over a cigarette. "Boss, I'd like to ask you something. Do you know how to get to Yunxi Village?"

"Yunxi Village? What are you going there for? That place is a bit remote. The young people have all gone out to make a living. Only some old people are left at home taking care of the children. That place is not easy to get to; there are many fork roads in the mountains."

"Is there anyone in this town who is familiar with that area? Could you help introduce someone? We are going to Yunxi Village to find someone."

"Looking for someone? To go to Yunxi Village? Follow this road forward for 200 meters. There is a small clinic there. Go find Old Man Ren. His family has been practicing medicine for generations. He often goes into the mountains to collect herbs. He is quite familiar with the nearby area."

"Many thanks, Boss." Yu Bo thanked him, returned to the car, briefly explained the situation to Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo, and then, following the shopkeeper's instructions, slowly drove the car deeper into the town.

Xikou Town was very small, with a main street only a hundred meters long. Soon, they saw a wooden house facing the street ahead, with a frontage slightly larger than the grocery store. Hanging at the door was a wooden sign, somewhat blurred by wind and rain, on which the four ink characters "Ren's Herb Hall" could be vaguely seen.

The wooden door was slightly ajar. A rich and peculiar aroma of herbs drifted out from inside, mixed with the faint scent of burned mugwort.

Yu Bo parked the car in front of the clinic, and the three of them got out. He asked Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo to wait at the door for a moment, then stepped forward and gently knocked on the ajar wooden door.

"Please come in." A voice, old but gentle, came from inside.

Yu Bo pushed the door open and entered. The light inside was somewhat dim, but it was kept quite tidy. Against the wall were several rows of tall wooden medicine cabinets, with yellowed labels pasted on the dense array of small drawers. In the middle was a large wooden table, on which were placed some stone mortars for pounding medicine, a copper scale, and spread-out wrapping paper. An old man with gray hair, wearing a washed-out gray button-up jacket, with a thin face and spirited eyes, was sitting behind the table, reading an old thread-bound book. Hearing the movement, he put down the book, raised his head, adjusted his reading glasses, and looked at Yu Bo with a calm gaze.

"Old Master Ren, excuse the intrusion." Yu Bo cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "It was the owner of the grocery store at the town entrance who directed us, saying you are familiar with the nearby mountain roads, so we have come to visit you presumptuously."

"Oh, it's Little Chen." Old Ren nodded slightly, signaling Yu Bo to sit down. "Sit. Are you planning to go into the mountains? You don't look like locals, and you aren't here to see a doctor."

"Old Master, you have a keen eye." Yu Bo sat down on the bamboo chair opposite. "We want to go to Yunxi Village to visit an old master surnamed Yang. We heard the road is difficult to travel, so we would like to ask you to help introduce a reliable guide. As for the remuneration, we will certainly not treat you poorly."

"Yunxi Village? Yang Shuming?" Old Ren's eyes flickered slightly when he heard these two names. He put down the book in his hand and looked Yu Bo over carefully. "What are you looking for him for? That man is not easy to see. Over the years, people from the outside have come to find him from time to time, mostly because they know his former reputation and want to invite him to come out of retirement or to appraise some Baby, but most of them can't even get through the door; they get scared away by his big yellow dog and return in disgrace."

"We were directed by an old gentleman surnamed Yang to bring a... somewhat special stone, and we would like to ask Master Yang to take a look and see if there is any possibility of carving it." Yu Bo told the truth, his tone earnest. "Whether it works out or not depends on fate. But since we are here, we have to try. The main thing is that we are unfamiliar with this mountain road; we are afraid of taking the wrong path, wasting time, and are also worried about safety."

"A special stone?" Old Ren seemed to become a little interested, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Can you let me see it?"

Yu Bo hesitated slightly, but seeing that the old man had a refined and calm temperament and did not seem like a cunning person, he carefully took out the raw stone of "the person returning home in wind and snow" that had been cut poorly and was wrapped in soft cloth from his backpack. He placed it gently on the table but did not immediately open the wrapping completely.

Seeing his caution, Old Ren did not urge him, just watched quietly.

Yu Bo slowly uncovered a corner of the soft cloth, revealing the cut side of the stone, as well as the simple yet desolate sketch of "the person returning home in wind and snow" outlined on it with an eyebrow pencil.