"Wei Lao Mountain... pseudo Laoshan..."
Li Andy was stunned. He knew what this place was, no wonder it felt strangely familiar.
Divided by the Huai River Dragon Vein as the center, Laoshan Holy Mountain is located in the northeast overlooking the sea, while Wei Lao Mountain is confined to the southwestern mountains.
The two are thousands of miles apart, but their terrain is like a mirror image, with all the peaks rising and falling, shaped like a Bagua.
This was Youxi's ancestors' former Daoist temple.
She had returned once later to retrieve an artifact.
But by then, the mountains were already silent, a desolate and uninhabited dead land.
'So, I really did transmigrate into the game's prequel, didn't I?' Li Andy couldn't help but frown.
Youxi noticed the change in Li Andy's expression, her eyes glinted, and she immediately leaned closer to ask:
"Did you remember something?"
Li Andy instinctively looked up, gazing at her tender, delicate face, and his breathing hitched slightly.
Although the girl looked a bit disheveled at the moment, and her clothes were old and worn, the clear and vibrant sparkle in her eyes still made one's heart pound uncontrollably.
"It seems... I have some impression..."
Li Andy replied while leaning back against the wall, taking a deep breath to calm the throbbing in his heart.
.......How strange, even if I really like this character, my heart shouldn't be racing the first time I meet her, right? Could it be that I, who is incredibly broad-minded, actually prefer younger ones??
"Is that so...."
Youxi's gaze dimmed slightly, but the next second she cheered up and comforted him:
"It's okay, you might have temporarily lost your memory due to some 'compensation'. Once we escape Wei Lao Mountain, there will definitely be a way to recover it. Hmm... what should I call you? Do you still remember your name?"
"Emmm... I can't remember." Li Andy continued to play dumb.
Youxi pondered for a few seconds and asked:
"Then... can I call you Gege? You look older than me, maybe you're my cousin."
"Gege?"
Li Andy frowned, "You can confirm you're family just by a ring?"
"I can!"
Youxi raised her voice,
"Because it's very important! No one can fake it!"
"..." Li Andy raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a strong reaction from her.
Youxi froze for a moment, and after realizing she had lost her composure, she lowered her head slightly:
"My father has gone mad. My grand-uncle, senior brothers, and senior sisters have all been imprisoned in the dungeon by my father. Only I managed to escape by chance.
"I need to leave Wei Lao Mountain and find my mother to wake my father up.
"Actually, before my father showed signs of losing control, I had someone send a letter to my mother, but until now... there's still no reply."
Youxi slowly looked up, looking at him earnestly:
"I thought my mother hadn't received it, but now it seems that's not the case."
"Perhaps my father set up some illusion array, causing those sent by my mother to get lost in the mountains.
"Please believe me, I won't lie to you!"
Li Andy looked at the girl's sincere expression and nodded gently.
It didn't matter, he needed an identity.
Youxi's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and a slightly tired smile appeared on her face.
"Tell me about the situation here, and what's going on with those wolves." Li Andy asked.
Youxi explained:
"They were possessed by the evil spirits in the Guanjing. Since father imprisoned the senior uncles, no one has gone to clean it up. Now many animals in the mountains have also suffered."
Li Andy pondered for two seconds, then asked:
"How long have you been out of the Daoist temple, and how do you plan to escape these mountains?"
"Half a day." Youxi wiped a bit of dirt from her face, "While father is currently busy refining pills and has no time to catch me, we can escape through the 【Dui Gua】 gate."
"How long will he be refining, how much time do we have?"
"I don't know, maybe one day, maybe two days."
"Where is the 【Dui Gua】 gate, and how far is it?"
"Due west, about 20 li."
Li Andy estimated that if they set off tonight, they might arrive by early morning.
Traveling at night was dangerous, but he felt that Youxi's so-called crazy father seemed even more terrifying.
"Should we escape tonight?" Li Andy asked Youxi.
Youxi suddenly showed fear:
"No, we can't travel at night! The mountains at night belong to the Niangniang, we can't go out."
Li Andy frowned:
"What Niangniang? A person? An evil spirit? Or... a deity?"
Youxi froze, biting her lower lip in thought, but she didn't know how to describe it.
She shook her head, her eyes looking at Li Andy:
"I... I don't know how to say it, anyway, Niangniang is Niangniang, we absolutely cannot go out at night! Even my father doesn't dare to leave the Daoist temple casually at night! If we go out, we will get lost following Niangniang!"
Li Andy was silent for a few seconds, and finally agreed.
Outside the window, the sun sank to the west, and the darkness from the east gradually swallowed the entire sky.
It was very cold in the mountains at night, and there were no blankets for warmth in the house.
The two sat on opposite sides of the bed, each curling up against the wall. In the darkness, they could only vaguely perceive each other's gaze and faint breathing.
"Gege... can we get a little closer?" Youxi suddenly spoke.
Li Andy hummed in response, groping closer in the dark, and soon bumped into something soft.
With their backs pressed together, they finally felt warmth.
Li Andy suddenly felt this scene was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall why.
As he remained silent, Youxi suddenly leaned in a little closer.
Li Andy was squeezed uncomfortably and instinctively turned, but in doing so, he pulled the girl, who had lost her balance and was falling, into his arms.
"...Sorry."
Li Andy froze for two seconds before he thought to push her away.
"Don't." Youxi grabbed his arm, "Just... just like this, okay?"
Li Andy felt the familiar warmth in his arms, growing more confused.
"Gege...."
After another half a minute of silence, Youxi couldn't help but speak again,
"Do you... do you think I'm very... frivolous?"
"No. I think you're very spiritual, you're my type." Li Andy, whose thoughts were wandering, answered truthfully.
Youxi was slightly startled, the temperature of her cheeks rising slightly:
"Gege, you're so frivolous."
"......." Li Andy was rendered speechless again and retaliated by giving her small waist a light pinch.
Youxi couldn't help but giggle, surprisingly not feeling offended:
"Gege, I think we might have met before."
"Oh."
"Oh?" Youxi frowned, "Shouldn't you ask me why I think that?"
"I won't ask, because I'm frivolous."
"..."
In the darkness, Youxi pouted and explained to herself:
"It's the scent. Because your scent, Gege, is a bit like Mother's, it smells very reassuring."
"I'm a man, thank you."
"It's a metaphor! I said it's a metaphor!" Youxi angrily shifted her body.
"Hey, don't move around!" Li Andy quickly grabbed her shoulders to prevent any accidental contact.
Youxi froze for a moment, seemingly sensing and realizing something as well. She lowered her head, not daring to speak or move, the temperature on her face gradually rising.
"Xi."
Li Andy suddenly spoke.
"No... no!" Youxi shivered and immediately refused.
"Xi, look out the window!"
Li Andy impatiently pinched her again, pressing her shoulders and turning her towards the only light source in the room.
Outside the window, a pale green moon had climbed over the mountain.
The scattered clouds in the sky, dyed with its color, looked like burning ghost fires hanging in the air.
The entire world inexplicably became eerie.
Youxi's face turned pale, and her body suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably, constantly burrowing into his arms:
"Gege... it's Niangniang... Niangniang is coming out...."