Chapter Nine: The Old Demon of Black Mountain

Jindi and Han Tianyue found themselves kindred spirits upon first meeting, conversing happily about all manner of things. But when the topic turned to how Jindi and his companions had been injured, Jindi let out a deep sigh.

"In fact, we could have escaped this place," he said, shaking his head along with the others. "It was our own naivety at the time—impetuous courage led us not only to fail to rescue her, but also to fall into an abyss ourselves."

The story unfolded thus: when they first arrived in these mountains, they often heard the cries of a woman echoing from within. Curiosity compelled them to seek out the source, and after much searching, they finally found her. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with an ethereal grace; only later did they learn she was a spirit, which explained her otherworldly charm.

After several questions, the woman revealed the reason for her sorrow. She was in fact a princess among the spirits, named Qingfeng, who had been captured by an old demon. Princess Qingfeng entrusted them with a spirit earring, urging them to deliver it to her father in the spirit tribe so he could come to her rescue.

Had they followed Princess Qingfeng's advice, they would not have ended up in such dire straits. At the time, however, their youthful pride got the better of them. "What’s so frightening about an old demon?" they had declared, and attempted to escape with Princess Qingfeng.

But the old demon soon discovered their actions and, furious, pursued them amidst clouds and mist. In their panic, they lost track of Princess Qingfeng.

When the old demon caught up with them and demanded the return of Princess Qingfeng, they realized, to their horror, that she had vanished without a trace.

Losing Princess Qingfeng enraged the demon further, and so, fighting as they retreated, they found themselves in this cave, seeking refuge.

Unable to locate Princess Qingfeng, the demon was relentless. He moved his own lair to this very mountain, keeping constant watch over them and demanding the return of his captive.

"This range is called Black Mountain, so we call him the Old Demon of Black Mountain," Jindi said with a sigh. "If only we'd listened to Princess Qingfeng, things wouldn't have come to this. Now, we have no idea what fate has befallen her."

Listening to Jindi's tale, Han Tianyue and his companions could not help but feel pity.

"The Old Demon of Black Mountain has long slumbered atop this mountain," Jindi continued. "A few days ago, we tried to test him, but he proved vicious indeed. As soon as he saw us leave the cave, he awoke and pursued us, leaving us gravely wounded and forcing us back inside."

Jindi recounted the entire sequence of events; now, they were utterly unable to escape the demon's clutches.

Han Tianyue glanced back into the cave. It was deep, its end lost in darkness. "Have you ever ventured inside?" he asked.

Jindi cast his gaze deep into the cave. "We have, but there are countless traps within. Despite many attempts, we couldn't reach the inner chambers."

"Perhaps this is the only way out of the mountain," Han Tianyue said cautiously.

Jindi nodded. "I think it’s the only path left to try."

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