After surviving my ordeal, I learned that the school beauty had given birth to twins for me.

Grandpa Li, the oldest hunter in town, was so angry that his beard trembled as he leaned on his cane.

"Three days ago, I saw with my own eyes three foreigners dressed in black digging around at the White Deer Shrine on the mountain and smashing the White Deer statue that was enshrined there."

They even sprinkled black rooster blood in front of the shrine. I immediately said something bad was going to happen! They must have angered the mountain god, which is why the mountain god sent fog to keep them here!

"Yes! I saw them too! Those three people were acting suspiciously, carrying big bags, and speaking a language I couldn't understand. They stayed by the shrine for ages!"

"What a terrible thing! We smashed the shrine, startled the mountain god, and that's why the thick fog has trapped us in the mountains!"

The elderly people talked all at once, and the more they talked, the more panicked they became.

Shen Yu closed his eyes and scanned the mountain with his divine sense. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat cold.

Shen Yu closed his eyes and scanned the mountain with his divine sense. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his face somewhat cold.

No wonder the little spirits in the mountains set up a bewitching trap.

It turned out they were wizards from the Dark Council, three evil cultivators who had only just reached the edge of Qi Refining, who had sneaked into Shennongjia.

They injured the White Deer Mountain God who guarded the mountain and set up a Yin-gathering and evil-attracting array at the White Deer Shrine, hoping to gather the Yin energy in the mountain to suppress the spirits and monsters, so that they could capture intelligent small animals to refine into familiars, and also find the spiritual veins in the mountain's belly.

Once this Yin-gathering formation was set up, the spiritual energy in the mountains became chaotic, with the Yin energy overwhelming the Yang energy, which led to the thick fog that lingered for days.

The little spirits in the mountains, who had only recently gained intelligence, were terrified by the evil energy in the formation. They also discovered that the white deer god guarding the mountain had been injured and that no one was protecting them. Out of their instinct for self-preservation, they set up a bewitching formation together.

These little guys weren't bad people. They remembered Bai Lu's usual instructions: if there were bad people in the deep mountains, they should use a maze to stop everyone entering the mountains in that valley.

They prevented people from venturing into the deep mountains and also kept strangers away from their nests. As a result, they lost control of their strength and trapped more than a hundred people in the mountains for a day and a night.

However, by sheer luck, these ordinary people didn't run into the hands of those three evil cultivators.

No wonder the search and rescue team said no one was injured; these little guys never intended to hurt anyone in the first place.

"I'm going into the mountains," Shen Yu said to Jiang Xinlan. "Go and deal with those three wicked cultivators who are causing trouble, and break the Yin-gathering formation, otherwise this fog won't dissipate."

"I'll go with you," Jiang Xinlan said immediately, tying her hair into a high ponytail.

"You go deep into the mountains to catch evil cultivators, and I'll go to the mountain valleys to gather the trapped tourists and bring them down the mountain. You can't manage it all by yourself."

Those little spirits meant no harm. I'll go tell them to withdraw their formation.

Shen Yu glanced at her, a little worried:

"Are you sure you can manage alone? I'll lead those three evil cultivators deep into the mountains so they won't encounter any tourists, but the fog is thick in the mountains, and I'm worried about leaving you alone..."

"Have you forgotten that I'm now at the second level of Qi Refining?"

Jiang Xinlan smiled, went back to her room to change into a set of black sportswear and hiking boots for easy movement, and slung the small bag containing talismans, pills, and sachets over her shoulder.

"We've handled so many things together before, what's a little thing like leading a hundred or so people down the mountain? No problem."

Besides, I'm wearing the jade pendant you gave me. If I'm really in danger, I can just crush it and you'll be there for me. What's there to be afraid of?"

Her eyes were bright; she was definitely not afraid. It was just that it was her first time leading a team independently, so she was a little nervous, but mostly excited.

Shen Yu smiled at her capable demeanor, picked up a smooth white stone from the side, drew a mountain god talisman on it with his finger, infused it with spiritual power, and handed it to her.

"Take this. This is the Mountain God Jade Token. If you use your spiritual energy to hold it up, the fog will automatically make way for you, and those little spirits will know you are one of their own and won't stop you."

Follow the main road, calling out to people along the way, and gather everyone in that sheltered mountain hollow. Light a fire and wait. I'll come find you after I've dealt with the evil cultivators.

The three-flowered creature will follow you; it has a keen sense of perception, can help you find your way, and can also help you keep those unruly little creatures at bay.

"I understand." Jiang Xinlan tucked the jade pendant into her bosom; its warmth made her feel especially at ease.

The two went back to their room and told the two children that their parents had gone into the mountains to bring back the lost uncle and aunt, and that they should listen to Grandpa Wang at the guesthouse and not run around.

The two children were very understanding and nodded, saying, "Go, Mom and Dad! We'll help Grandpa Wang boil water for everyone!"

Niannian even stuffed her own chocolate into Jiang Xinlan's hand: "Mommy is giving you chocolate. If you eat it, you'll have the strength to save people."

"My darlings." Jiang Xinlan kissed the two children and turned to leave.

Three-flowered cat meowed and immediately followed Jiang Xinlan's footsteps, walking in front of her with its tail held high, warily watching the surrounding fog, looking like a trailblazer.

Seeing them about to head into the mountains, Boss Wang panicked: "Hey! You can't go! The fog is too thick! You'll get lost!"

"Don't worry, Uncle Wang, we'll be fine." Jiang Xinlan turned around and smiled.

"We'll go in and bring the person out. You can make some ginger tea and cook some hot noodles in town, and prepare plenty of food. We'll be back soon."

After saying that, she took Sanhua and turned around to walk into the thick white fog, her figure quickly being swallowed up by the fog.

Shen Yu watched her figure disappear into the mist before turning around and flashing into the deep mountains to find the three evil cultivators who had set up the Yin Gathering Array.

As soon as I stepped into the fog, everything around me became instantly quiet.

The cries, shouts, and voices in the town were all kept out by the thick fog, leaving only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the sound of one's own breathing.

The thick, oppressive white fog enveloped people, and the damp, chilly air seeped into their clothes. An ordinary person would panic within two minutes of entering.

Jiang Xinlan took a deep breath and channeled her spiritual energy to form a faint protective shield around her, keeping out the damp, cold mist and the bewitching evil energy.

She was at the second level of Qi Refining, and her five senses were much more acute than those of ordinary people. Even though the fog was thick, she could see the trees and roads more than ten meters away and would not get lost at all.

But it would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.

In the past, when she went out with Shen Yu to handle things, Shen Yu would always be there to take care of things, and she only needed to help comfort people, give them medicine, and deal with minor issues.

I have never shouldered such a huge responsibility on my own before, having to be responsible for the safety of more than a hundred people.

But she quickly calmed down.

She had cultivation, the jade tablet and talisman given to her by Shen Yu, and the help of the Three Flowers. Those little spirits had no ill intentions; they were just a group of frightened little animals, nothing to be afraid of.

"Huahua, let's go." Jiang Xinlan patted Sanhua's head.

Sanhua called out and walked ahead, sniffing the air constantly as she led the way for Jiang Xinlan.

It can smell human scents and sense where there are traps or difficult roads.

A person and a cat slowly walked along the stone path in the mountains. The path was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which felt soft underfoot.